Strategy and Planning


Recent Strategy and Planning Articles

Attracting Top Names to Your Advisory Board

By Ralph Ward |  May 1, 2000

How can you get big names for your board when you're still the little guy? Board expert Ralph Ward offers some practical suggestions to land highly visible t...  Read more


Too Good to Be True: A Critique of Business Advice

May 1, 2000

There's lots of advice in business books, but you have no way of knowing how and whether it applies to you. A new book takes a logical look at how to critiqu...  Read more


What qualities should a lawyer for a high-growth company possess?

Apr 12, 2000

Law Taxation mentor Richard S. Morse Jr. offers advice on finding the right lawyer to work with.  Read more


Minority-Owned Businesses Up

By Christopher Caggiano |  Apr 1, 2000

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, the number of minority-owned small businesses has more than doubled from 1987 to 1997.  Read more


Beef Up Your Board Committees

By Ralph Ward |  Apr 1, 2000

Board work is becoming more intense and much of the burden is shifting to individual committees. Are yours up to the task?  Read more


The New, Improved Nominating Committee

By Ralph Ward |  Apr 1, 2000

Nominating committees have long been an afterthought. But now boards are paying new attention to nominating committees ? here's what you need to know.  Read more


A Shopping List for Building Your Board

By Ralph Ward |  Apr 1, 2000

Has your board become unproductive? One company offers its experience in reinventing its board, and the list of traits it was looking for in members.  Read more


Living Business Plans Help Businesses Flow with Future

By Jeff Zbar |  Mar 31, 2000

Sudden, unanticipated changes in your market can have a drastic impact on your business. But you can thwart catastrophe by building flexibility into your bu...  Read more


Putting Your Business Idea to the Test

By David E. Gumpert |  Mar 20, 2000

Before you invest in a new business venture, you'd better understand your idea inside and out. In this excerpt from i How to Really Start Yo...  Read more


Turning a Great Idea into a Practical Business

By David E. Gumpert |  Mar 20, 2000

You may have a brilliant business idea, but without careful thought it's likely to fail. In this excerpt from "How to Really Start Your Own Business," author...  Read more


A Simple Approach to Sales Forecasting

By Tim Berry |  Mar 13, 2000

How do you forecast sales accurately? The trick is to break the sales down into manageable parts.  Read more


Come Up with a Contingency Plan

By Sarah Fenson |  Mar 7, 2000

You may not think you need a contingency plan now, but you'll wish you had one when you run into costly problems down the road. Plus, six points for creating...  Read more


Meet Keith Lamb

Mar 6, 2000

Meet Keith Lamb, an inc.com Leadership Strategy mentor.  Read more


Are Peer Groups Useful?

Mar 6, 2000

Why joining a peer group will help you to be a better business owner  Read more


Insider Strategies on Leading a Board

By Ralph Ward |  Mar 1, 2000

Walter Wriston, business insider and former chair of Citicorp, offers a firsthand view of what it takes to lead a board.  Read more


Coaching Tips for a Better Board

By Ralph Ward |  Mar 1, 2000

Advice from top CEO coaches on how to work with and effectively lead boards.  Read more


Four Rules of Board Politics

By Ralph Ward |  Mar 1, 2000

Ed Vick, chairman of ad agency Young Rubicam, offers some firsthand advice on navigating boardroom politics.  Read more


Effective Board Meetings: Four Leadership Tips

By Ralph Ward |  Mar 1, 2000

What are the best ways for the chair to manage a board meeting?  Read more


When You?re CEO but Not Chairman

By Ralph Ward |  Mar 1, 2000

What do you do when you're likely to be hired as the CEO for a company where your predecessor will maintain the role of board chair?  Read more


The Complete Franchise Business Plan

By Roger C. Rule |  Mar 1, 2000

A franchise business plan is similar to a traditional plan except that the former has to combine components of both the franchisee and the franchisor, or par...  Read more


Products Liability Basics

Feb 22, 2000

Be aware of the liability issues surrounding the products you manufacture or sell before they end up in consumers' hands.  Read more


Searching for a CEO

By Karen Carney |  Feb 10, 2000

Learn how one entrepreneur roped in the hardest hire.  Read more


Shake Up an Inbred Board

By Ralph Ward |  Feb 1, 2000

Is your board of directors in a rut? Famed futurist Esther Dyson offers some tactics to bring life back to your board.  Read more


Board Basics

By Ralph Ward |  Feb 1, 2000

A respected board member for many companies addresses the headaches and habits of boards.  Read more


Safeguarding the Troops

By Elyse Umlauf-Garneau |  Feb 1, 2000

Technology, mindful employees, and stringent policies are all critical to preventing violence in the workplace.  Read more