It was all fun and games, with a class of kids having an outdoor adventure while playing a game of trust when the accident happened. The game involved one child leading the other, who was blindfolded, around the campground, letting the blindfolded one try to figure out what they were encountering while avoiding danger. Unfortunately,…
Setting a pricing policy and regularly reviewing those prices and strategies allows you to price for profit and success
Have you ever bought something and thought that there’s something not right about the price? Maybe it seemed too cheap or you felt you were getting ripped off. Pricing is tricky and a stressor for many business people. Are we too high and scaring away customers? Our competitors are priced lower than us, should we…
Taking a breath allows us to be more resilient when chaos looms
The circle on the screen kept spinning. I stared, slowly feeling my heart rate rise as my mind raced with anxious thoughts: “How do I undo this update? What if I’ve been hacked? I’m not a tech genius!” With deadlines looming in the morning, 9:30 p.m. was not the time for my laptop to stop…
Puppies have been at a premium since the start of COVID-19. This has driven the prices for dogs way up, yet there’s a whole new breed of dog owners and dog parks are filled with young pups. COVID-19 has changed the business landscape as well. We’ve had to adapt our traditional business models or fail.…
Some people are extraordinary salespeople. But it's not because they have an innate knack
How many times have you heard someone say, "He's a born salesman"? Or, "She has a gift for sales"? Unquestionably, some people are extraordinary salespeople. But it's not because they have an innate knack, or because there is a genetic component behind the skill. It's simply because they worked hard at honing their skill. At…
It’s all about making a connection with your customers and building a relationship by giving them what they need in that moment
I recently gave a customer service session to the employees of a store called Great White Toys. Having seen in the news that Toys ‘R’ Us has filed for bankruptcy protection and that many other retailers are also in trouble as a result of online competition, I was surprised to hear from store owner Cameron…
Map out your strategy, use a scheduling platform to post content and build an ideal customer avatar
Most business people I meet stall out with their social media efforts about six months in if they haven’t seen the results they were hoping for. It feels like you’re posting to no one and it’s not working. You don’t have as much engagement as you had hoped and now you wonder if you should…
Being born with talent, riches or a good name doesn’t make you a great leader. Leadership skills can be learned if you open your mind
Think about the best leader you’ve ever worked for or been associated with. If you considered the qualities that make that person so fantastic as a leader, what would you say those qualities are? It might be a coach or a team member. It might be your first boss or your current boss. It could…
Businesses that adapted during the pandemic while allowing their people to be people are now better equipped to respond rather than react
In conversation recently with women business leaders, authors, mental health advocates and corporate management leaders across Canada, there was a common thread: 2020 was a hard year. It was also a year of innovation. A year of seeing business being done differently. From transitioning from already-booked in-person galas to online events to learning how to…
Look at your income statement and your balance sheet closely every month. Consider the questions those figures raise and then seek out the necessary answers
I enjoy reading my kids’ report cards and making them sweat like I did when my mom and dad went through my report card. The truth is, their report cards are, for the most part, better than mine. The comments from the teachers are certainly much nicer. But why tell my kids that? If you’re…