Something new for you this week at EnMast! A wrap up of sights and sounds that tickled Brad’s brain this week. Enjoy! Storify by Brad Farris Fri, May 17 2013 14:22:10 0 0 Edit Treats for your eyes, ears and brain week of May 13, 2013 A list of the great things I’ve seen,
Brad Farris
As principal advisor of Anchor Advisors, Brad Farris has experience leading businesses & business owners into new levels of growth and success. Through his work with over 100 Chicago area small businesses he has experience in guiding founders and business owners through the pitfalls and joys of growing their business. Prior to joining Anchor Advisors, Brad spent over 10 years managing business units for a family-owned conglomerate with sales of $2 million to $25 million.
When not working Brad enjoys cycling, cooking and the NFL. He is married with 5 children and lives in Chicago, Illinois. Connect with him on Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn.
4 crucial things your Sales Pipeline Report will tell you
May 5, 2013 by in Blog under
One of the most basic reports that you can use to manage your sales process is the pipeline report. For most people, this is just an Excel file that tracks opportunities (one per row) and monitors the progress that your sales people are making in closing that opportunity. By reviewing the pipeline report regularly (I
Takeaway from TEDx: It’s ok to move off the red dot
May 5, 2013 by in Blog under
I was at TEDxMidwest last week watching some really great speakers. You should check them out. But while I was watching the speakers I got fascinated by the red circle of carpet on the stage. It’s a part of every TED talk and (I think) it defines the area in which the speaker should stand
Drafts: The iPhone productivity app you didn’t know you needed
May 5, 2013 by in Blog under
Back before smartphones, my best productivity tool was a “Hipster PDA” (otherwise known as a stack of 3×5 cards held together with a binder clip). The idea with the Hipster PDA was that you always had someplace to “capture” to-do items. When you thought of an idea, task, or other random piece of information you
What to do when… your skills are aging (as you are)
May 5, 2013 by in Blog under
In your heyday, you were hot. You could cold-call with the best of them, your headlines were the talk of the town, and managing projects was your specialty. You even taught the CEO how to use email. You were on top of the world. Now, 20 years later, things have changed. Cold calling isn’t working
Swearing in the workplace: Why the F#@% did you say that?
May 5, 2013 by in Blog under
I work with a number of different businesses in any given week so I see different office cultures. In some offices there is a lot of jargon — knowing the “code words” means you are an insider. In other offices (many times software companies) the vibe is silence — everyone has headphones on and the
How to write compelling job postings that will attract top talent
April 4, 2013 by in Blog under
In 1913, Ernest Shackleton was assembling a team to attempt an expedition to trek across Antarctica. So he published the following ad to recruit his 56 man team: MEN WANTED: FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS. ~SIR
How to hire: A crash course
April 4, 2013 by in Blog under
Hiring is a critical skill for you as a business owner to have because your team can make or break your small business. But, hiring is something in which most business owners have little experience or training. If you are one of them, here’s my crash course on how to hire the right person for
What to do when… Your employee is threatening to quit
April 4, 2013 by in Blog under
Terence has been a solid team member the last 4 years, and in the last 18 months has really become an essential part of the team. When you hired him right out of school you got a real steal — the economy was down, you could tell he was smart — so you hired him
Avoid Burnout: Be selfish at 5AM
April 4, 2013 by in Blog under
You’ve been working and working and you just can’t seem to get ahead. Up early and working late but you still can’t manage to get your to-do list under control. It’s overwhelming and discouraging. How is it ever going to change? You can feel it — you’re headed for burnout. There’s one small change that
Your business can’t grow without a few growing pains along the way
April 4, 2013 by in Blog under
“No one told me how much time and effort went into going from 2 people to 6 people, and all the systems and processes that needed to be developed…” I met with a business owner whose business has been growing by leaps and bounds. Her business grew from herself plus two people to now having
Job description for business owners: Lead, lead, lead!
April 4, 2013 by in Blog under
I have a son who just turned 4 years old. Every day I get to watch him figure out something new — zippers, scissors, somersaults. He is learning all the time, always discovering something new. But that also means he gets frustrated a lot. There are things he hasn’t learned how to do and things he
