I remember reading articles and talking to coworkers 15 years ago about having the right “work-life balance.” In a nutshell, the “work-life balance” of yesteryear was rooted in knowing when to stop concentrating on work so that you don’t miss life’s special moments, which kept things in perspective. Some of us did this better than others, but there was always that feeling that I should be the first in the office and the last to leave. Face-time mattered back then.

If we are honest with each other, we can admit there was a time when being a business owner and entrepreneur wasn’t as glamorous as we imagined. While succeeding or failing are two very real options, there is a third lesser known reality. I call it, “business purgatory.” Somewhere between failure and success, it’s the stage in your business lifecycle when you just survive, albeit barely. It’s a stage that the lucky few get to and that the even-luckier break through to achieve real success. There is no telling how long a business stays in this stage and sadly, some never...

As published on Entrepreneur.com Ask any business service provider who is their ideal client, the conversation will nearly always begin with a referral from a trusted source. It is no doubt that getting your phone to ring from someone who already has made the mental decision to work with you is by far the easiest way to build a great practice. But, what can you do to influence this behavior? Below we identified 10 best practices that serve as the foundation for any solid client acquisition process.  

1. Be credible with uncompromising integrity.

Without reputation you have nothing. Building a great reputation means...

In just a few weeks, kids will be out of school for the summer. Your spouse is already in your ear about making summer plans for the beach, mountains or other family-friendly activity. You nod your head in agreement and it starts to come together. But, you are hesitant. The office doesn’t run as efficiently as you need it to when you are away, and you may not have the perfect mix of staff that will keep projects moving forward. You feel the pressure at home and at the office. If this feels familiar, you have some work to do, and fast. Here...

I can’t imagine what it must be like at the precise moment you realize that your years of hard work are gone in an instant. Your livelihood, and those of your employees, have just been taken from you in an unspeakable disaster. Sadly, for many businesses this is how it’s going to end. Unfortunately, Advantage Design Group’s Catherine Swingle had just those thoughts, after her Friday morning routine was interrupted with a call that her office was on fire, completely engulfed, and a total loss. She pulled up in...