Commentary – North San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Napa counties

Commentary: Price you get for your business depends on preparation

March 12th, 2010

Value, to a purchaser of your business, is a function of their expected financial returns, adjusted for risk. For this article, “marketability” relates to the degree to which there is a sizeable and readily accessible pool of willing buyers with the necessary experience, credentials and financial ability to purchase and assume leadership of your business. Value and marketability often go hand in hand, but it is helpful to consider them separately when your exit strategy involves selling to an external third party.
Questions to ask before the job search

March 12th, 2010

In my opinion the market is starting to warm up compared to the frigid storm of 2009. Most organizations that are looking to add talent to their organizations want to attract “A” players. On that note, not all companies and professionals are “A” players. So the first step is to conduct an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses.
Building a Business: Creating a culture where people take responsibility

March 8th, 2010

”Nine-tenths of life’s serious controversies come from misunderstanding.” –Louis Brandeis
The Turnaround Corner: When selling a business, do your due diligence

March 8th, 2010

When contemplating the sale of your business, make sure you have handled your side of the due diligence correctly to avoid costly disputes and litigation.
Commentary: Knowing your ’soft skills’ vital to your career

March 1st, 2010

Before you even think about applying for your next position you should take some time to take inventory of your natural skills, traits and characteristics.
Commentary: Well-planned workplace health programs can reap many rewards

March 1st, 2010

Workplace health programs aren’t just a feel-good proposition. They can have a positive effect on a company’s bottom line. At a time when businesses are trying to do more with less, fostering a total-health culture that improves employee health, job performance and morale can give you a competitive edge.
Sales Moves: If you want to motivate your sales staff, reward achievement

March 1st, 2010

At the corporate sales meetings where I give presentations, I am often asked to participate in giving out sales awards.
Business Journal Editorial: A Greek tragedy that holds lessons for rising U.S. debt

February 22nd, 2010

People know intuitively that the story of excessive debt always ends badly. That is why so many are alarmed at the inability of local, state and — especially — federal bureaucracies to the rein in their profligate spending.
Building a Business: Creating a company culture where accountability prevails

February 22nd, 2010

“When is it no longer my responsibility to get people to complete their assignments … and where does their responsibility to perform begin?” a North Bay CEO asked me recently.
Commentary: Regulation is killing California manufacturing

February 22nd, 2010

For all the rosy talk, California’s new “green” jobs now account for less than 1 percent of the state’s work force. Certainly we need these jobs and should be doing everything we can to nurture them. But pretending that they alone will pull California out of our current economic bog is naive. Growing thousands of green jobs while driving away hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs won’t recapture our state’s economic glory. We need both to reignite our economy.