Starting a Business

Something as small as a business name can have a monumental impact on your success. The right name can bring in more customers than you thought possible, whereas the wrong name can effectively shut you down. Read on to discover how to come up with a business name that sets you apart from the competition. …
No matter which state you’re starting a limited liability company (LLC) in, you’ll need a unique name to do business with. States will not let you use a designation already taken by another business entity. Read on to discover how an LLC name search can facilitate this process. Check out ZenBusiness for all the tools …

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The goal of strategic planning should be to produce a Plan that is 1) relevant, realistic and flexible; 2) with a very highly likelihood of being implemented; 3) in order to achieve the purpose of the planning, e.g., a purpose to evolve to the next stage of development, expand marketshare or survive major cost-cutting. A …
Here’s a list of the biggest mistakes that I have seen made by strategic planning facilitators over the years: 1. Not getting sufficiently trained on how to do facilitating, e.g., planning the meeting, goals, ground rules, which techniques to cultivate complete participation, doing interventions, managing conflict 2. Not learning a variety of strategic planning models, …
LinkedIn founder and triple billionaire Reid Hoffman has two endearing mannerisms that reveal the way he sees–and reasons with–the strategic environment. First, he peppers his statements with the word so. Almost a verbal tic that would grate on a speaking coach like the overuse of the dreaded uh … but he uses it more like …
Guest blog from my colleague, Adam Brock, Director of Social Enterprise at Joining Vision and Action (formerly JVA Consulting): How can a well-meaning startup avoid “Silicon Valley Syndrome” and actually use a social startup to create real value for society? Every era has an industry that epitomizes its values. At the turn of the 20th …
The best decision-makers in chaotic “fog of war” conditions seem able to call on intuition – knowing what to do without knowing why or how they know.
The Consultants Development Institute is offering a complete, online series to teach how to facilitate strategic planning for any type of organization. The series Facilitating Strategic Planning includes a pro bono Audit Track with unlimited enrollment. In that Audit Track, you get free access to all of the courses, tools, assignments and discussion forums with …
Moneyball and the Work of the Strategist Paul DePodesta was recently named the Chief Strategy Officer by the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. This is significant because, as any fan of Moneyball knows, Mr. DePodesta has spent his career in the sport of baseball, not football. This matters to the community of strategic …