Your company, branch, or department will achieve much more if you lead that group rather than act as its boss. A great New Year’s resolution would be to resolve to be a leader and not a boss.

You’ve heard the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Well, I say, “Even if you do know what road to be on; if you’re standing still, you’re going to get run over.”

So, despite all the techie methods for communicating and staying in touch with customers and vendors, the old-fashioned pressing of the flesh is still the best way to network, develop relationships, build up existing relationships, and learn a lot, all in one setting.

Just like being thankful should be more important than Black Friday, planning for the New Year should be much more important to you than partying on New Year’s Eve. Happy holidays, everyone!

You’ve taken a lot of risks and worked very hard to get to where you are today — make sure your relationship with your supplier is working for you. I’ve seen many companies that have gone from the red to the black simply by making sure they were fully leveraging their relationship with their suppliers, or by changing suppliers for a much better value proposition.

For many of us, the lifetime value of a new customer is high and is worth earning with a unique offer. Your initial sale or service may just be the first step in what may be a long and profitable relationship, if handled correctly. 

Creating a culture of teamwork is a long-term process and one of the single most important characteristics of all great service companies I’ve been around. Remember, the goal isn’t simply getting people to play on the same team — it’s helping them want to play.

Nearly all of the causes you’ll be asked to support are worthwhile causes. It’s important for you to make wise business decisions regarding where and how to spend the funds you’ve allocated for such purposes.

Google has made some serious changes recently and more are on the way. You can use these changes to your advantage or you can fall behind those that do. Which choice will you make?

Always keep your finger on the pulse of how your business is growing and pay close attention to what percentage of your overall business each lead type is driving. Allowing too much of your business to be placed in someone else’s hands is a very dangerous proposition.