The BOSS Network Blog

Over the years, I’ve noticed that in business a lot of time is spent on just getting projects done, and not necessarily getting them done better.   Often, when looking at a problem, the natural inclination is to go with what has worked in the past.   However, the business landscape is always shifting. Technology continues to evolve.   How we use technology changes.   People, especially entrepreneurs, have to be nimble, analytical and creative all at the same time. To remain competitive, and dare I say, exceptional, every problem should be looked at with fresh eyes.   And anyone with the will can do that.     There’s more than one way to skin a cat. I grew up with my mother saying this. Now, we weren’t cat-skinning people.   However, I always knew there was more than one way to solve a problem.   If you go in knowing there is always going to be more than one solution, you are more likely to look for multiple solutions and not se...

Social media for fun and social for business are totally different and honestly, a large number of entrepreneurs don’t realize that.  The rules are different and with a new social media platform popping up seemingly every other day, it can all be overwhelming to keep up with.  But, having a solid online presence in 2013 (soon to be 2014) generally includes some sort of social media, regardless of industry.  It’s important to know how to play in the sandbox and the unspoken rules of engagement. Whether you’re starting off fresh or have been building your social presence for a while, think about what your parents taught you when you were in school.   Some of the best, fundamental lessons still come from there: Know who you are. Before you get to typing and posting, what do you want your online presence to be?   What do you actually want to say to people and what is your purpose for being on here in the first place?   Approach socia...

Ouch!  There’s no touchier subject than discussing failure and as an entrepreneur, I’ve had several humbling experiences that taught me that this entrepreneurial thing isn’t as easy as some try to make it seem.  Realizing that your business isn’t doing well can be tough, but guess what?  Just turn it around. It’s extremely easy for us to identify when our product or service is just not up-to-par – that’s generally a clear and very easily identifiable problem, but what do you examine when that’s not the issue?  Here are 5 areas to analyze: 1.        You’re married to your inefficiencies. Although your output is great, perhaps the way you’re getting to your end product isn’t so hot.  Maybe you don’t spend enough time examining your suppliers for your beauty shop and inadvertently paying a boatload on shampoo or maybe it’s time to realize that your energy and labor costs would be so much less if the hours of your rest...