Setting Strategy


Recent Setting Strategy Articles

3 Financial Metrics You Can't Miss

If you're managing a growing business, a few numbers and financial processes matter more than any others.  Read more

You Don't Have to Be a High-End Firm to Offer High-End Customer Service

A recent trip using Enterprise Rent-A-Car reminds me luxury customer service isn't expensive, but hugely desirable.  Read more

Cirque du Soleil and MGM Mirage: A Lesson in Strategic Partnership

Naturally, when you seek to grow, you plan new products or marketing campaigns. Why not consider other companies who could help?  Read more

To Get Big, You've Got to Start Small

A Benchmark Capital founding partner explains why, contrary to what you may believe, the secret to attracting a broad market is to appeal to a tiny, passiona...  Read more

'We Had No Idea What the Numbers Would Look Like' 

To get customers to come back, Wayfair co-founder Niraj Shah had to reorganize his 200 home goods websites.  Watch video

Want Loyal Customers? Compete on Value, Not Price

Your customers care a lot about factors other than cost. Here's how quality, experience, and consistency can work for you.  Read more

What Dell's Attempt to Go Private Says About the Public Markets

As Dell becomes only the most recent company trying to flee the public markets, you have to wonder why.  Read more

Free Online Course for Growth-Seeking Entrepreneurs

Want to successfully grow your company? A Darden business school professor will teach you how. More than 60,000 people have already signed up for his free on...  Read more

Why Stretch Goals are a Bad Idea

Without a realistic plan, a stretch goal is simply a waste of time. Here are some tips to help you set goals, make plans, and stick to them in 2013.  Read more

With New Capital Gain Tax Rates, Should You Buy or Sell?

An Ernst & Young start-up tax advisor outlines a six-step approach to make the wisest financial decision for you.  Read more

5 Magical Tips for Achieving Your Goals

Do you fail at achieving your most significant goals? Chances are, you are missing these vital strategies.  Read more

5 Uncommon Thoughts That Guarantee Uncommon Success

Big ideas are great...but to be successful, all you need to do is decide you'll think differently than other people.  Read more

5 Ways to Make Your Business Better in 2013

If you want to take your business further this year, here's what you need to focus on.  Read more

4 Things Killing Your Business (& What You Can Do About It)

Before you can fix your business, you have to know what the real problems are.  Read more

Buddy Media's Michael Lazerow: 'You Don't Want to Be Too Early' 

Long before Michael Lazerow sold Buddy Media, his social marketing firm, to Salesforce.com for $745 million, it took him many months to even get a client to ...  Watch video

3 Smart Ways to Set Sales Quotas for Next Year 

Michael Alter, president of SurePayroll, explains exactly how to incent your sales team.  Watch video

'Go Spend $2 Million as Fast as You Can' 

Serial entrepreneur Frank Addante knew everything at his latest venture, the Rubicon Project, must scale from the very start.  Watch video

Greeting Card Etiquette: 4 Tips

Don't miss the opportunity to get noticed and make an impression with your seasons' greetings this year.  Read more

Distill Your Message to as Few Words as Possible

Your customers are constantly being bombarded with new information. Simplicity has never been more powerful.  Read more

My Wildly Outlandish Holiday Strategy

Wild Creations's founder shares his company's plan to maximize the holiday season.  Read more

Journey From Start-up to IPO

Software-maker ExactTarget went public earlier this year and now boasts a market cap of over $1.3 billion. Founder Scott Dorsey explains the journey.  Read more

Division of Labor: What to Do When Owners & Employees Disagree

If employees and managers have different perspectives, who's right, and how do you know?  Read more

Tell Stories & You'll Boost Sales (Because of How Human Brains Are Wired)

Storytelling appeals to how the brain processes information. Here's five ways to make that work for your business.  Read more

How to Build a Company You Can Sell: 4 Rules

A seasoned entrepreneur offers his best tips to get to an exit. A good first step: Give up the idea that you're building the next Facebook.  Read more

What's Your Unfair Advantage?

Anything that is worth copying will be copied, so how do you establish an advantage? By building something that cannot easily be copied or bought.  Read more

Tackle Problems Effectively: Learn From Mistakes I Made

One owner confides how she improved her management when she had to troubleshoot a botched customer order.  Read more

Ditch Your Strategy, Keep Your Vision

Winning strategies are not set in concrete, but your long-term vision should remain rooted.  Read more

The Price of Tea In China Does Matter for Small Business

Here's how U.S. relations with China, tensions in the Middle East, and economic problems in Europe impact even a little pizza shop in Pennsylvania.  Read more

Afraid of Being Sued? 4 Ways to Keep Lawyers at Bay

Here are four surprising ways to protect yourself in a law suit and keep legal fees to a minimum.  Read more

How to Master the Art of Perfect Timing

As owner, you are your business's timekeeper. Here's how to tell when you should speed things up--or slow them down.  Read more

Are You Leading Your People, or Just Running a Company?

Best-selling leadership author Simon Sinek explains 5 ways to really look after your employees.  Read more

Your Customers' Top Priority? Time

If you want to garner consumer loyalty and confidence, this is all you need to know. Here's why.  Read more

Selling to Big Companies: 3 Ways to Stand Out

Here's how even a small firm can stand out in a crowded marketplace and sell into large corporations.  Read more

How to Save a Dying Company

Vital Network Systems was losing half a million dollars every month. Here are three key steps that helped turn the company around.  Read more

Why You Should Wait, Think--and, Only Then, Execute Furiously

In his wonderful book Wait , Frank Portnoy argues why speed isn't what makes all the difference, but how you use your time.  Read more