Increase My Small Business

Becoming a bootstrapping guru for your start-up business, part 1. Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.

Dan Swanson is an author, blogger, entrepreneur, electrical engineer, marketer, father of five and grandfather of six.
Dan’s first 22 years of his consulting career was focused on engineering. He created more than 275 products for more than 120 companies including: Texas Instruments, Apple Computer, Nortel and Stratus Computers.
In the last 10 years he’s primarily focused on marketing.
During his career, Dan has helped create more than 3,400 jobs, raise over $200 million in capital, start 14 of his own companies and generate over $2 billion in sales for his companies and clients.
During his career he has been involved in: hardware design, software design, systems design, management consulting, marketing consulting, internet marketing, local business marketing, mobile marketing, email marketing, profit maximization, sales, copy writing, corporate leadership, video production, mergers and acquisitions, training, publishing, internet services, patent development, fund raising, etc. You can find Dan at http://www.exitrich.com/
Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.

As a business mentor I want to share the 5 common reasons why your projects are going over schedule and hindering your small business.

Over budget and under expectations of quality are getting you away from the small business success you are trying to achieve!

1. Overextending on your resources! Or simply doing more than what your resources, whether it be in finances, human capital, strategic partnerships, time, etc., allow.

2. Micromanaging: Instead of department communications.

3. Lack of strategic vision, feature-creep, too tactical (putting out fires, playing catch-up vs. how to sustain long term competitive advantage).

4. Eating an elephant whole: No matter how well thought out the project is, the individual pieces may be perfectly executed on time and on budget, but then it’s impossible or extremely difficult to integrate the pieces. Instead, it is probably a better idea to chunk out the projects to produce measurable results such as described in the “rapid results initiative,” where specific quantifiable milestones are set, and once reached can be either built upon or scrapped depending on the goal discovery process.

5. Poor communication between cross-functions: Bureaucracy is part of the game, get used to it, or better yet, learn to be a better communicator. Don’t just let the marketing or engineering head decide on the project requirements but set aside time to get insight from all constituents and stakeholders.

The untold story, beyond financial losses

Not only do failed projects cost time and money, sometimes amounting to several years, and millions of dollars. But it demoralizes all the stakeholders to the project, especially the frontline employees and managers that had direct reign and input into the project. Your small business suffers!

As has been quoted in the media and surveys, the majority of projects fail to meet expectations or even sustainable results. Therefore an improvement in the knowledge of the field of project management is perhaps the bare minimum in advancing one’s career, or business success in this high paced environment.

Thanks for reading. This is Mark Stowers with Increase My Small Business here to provide you with small business coaching. Also, be sure to join us on increasemysmallbusiness.com and on Podomatic for Increase My Small Business.

What would you do to have a logo on a shirt in the US open? What would that do to your business? Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.

Share your story, I’d be happy to listen and publish it, contact me at mark@increasemysmallbusiness.com. Let’s reveal in your success or failure, either one is a great learning tool. (June 2012) Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.

What type of a sales person are you? How much contacted to do you do to a lead? Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.

Google has replaced Google places with Google plus local and changes the presentation on the keyword page, I thought I send you a heads up. Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.

Just give me the fundamentals of Branding, please! Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.

How do you develop an Iconic Brand? Here are some suggestions.Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.

When do you cut back? When expenses get out of control. Join us on Facebook or at www.increasemysmallbusiness.com where we talk about small business issues and tips, from small business mentors, coaches and small business owners.