September 20, 2023
Summertime, And the Livin’ is Easy*
Summertime, especially August, used to be the time for easy living. We used to take vacations in August because, “business was slow.” While working on…
September 6, 2023
The Little Things Equal Success
We recently had a birthday celebration for my wife at Tutta Bella (disclaimer – we are friends with the owner, Joe Fugere). At least four…
August 30, 2023
The Government Won’t Do It
I was already to write this memo on a different subject (see it next week) when I browsed the WSJ and read Andy Kessler’s column.…
August 16, 2023
All-Star Clean Up
It was All-Star week in Seattle. The week was filled with baseball events, Home Run Derby, and the game was on Tuesday. As part of…
August 9, 2023
Growth Drives Value
When there’s a discussion or list of small business value drivers, rarely is growth mentioned as a value driver. But growth is an important driver…
August 2, 2023
Once Again People are the Roadblock
I can’t name the company because 99% of you reading this will recognize it. I recently went to a Mariners game with the company’s CEO…
July 28, 2023
One Size Does Not Fit All
Growth by acquisition can be a powerful strategy. Heck, I wrote a book on it. But let’s look at when it works and when it…
July 24, 2023
Growth Cures a Lot of Ills
A past client was the president of a major public company. I remember him saying, “Growth hides a lot of operational warts.” This is why…
June 15, 2023
Are Your Financial Statements Fact or Fiction?
On the top of the value driver list is having solid financial systems and therefore accurate financial statements. Too often we must use the term,…
May 24, 2023
An Exit Plan Means a Higher Value
Note: This memo was not created with ChatGPT. I recently wrote, “exit planning really does mean planning (in advance).” It’s one of the items on…
