Gary Kiecker

There are many reasons entrepreneurs start or buy a business, and just as many reasons why that business could fail and still many more reasons why many do. We are not going to focus on the statistics stacked against your probable success but focus on how you can succeed. Any Entrepreneur needs to understand what causes failures in small businesses, how they can be prevented and what can be done to properly manage their own business. Please keep in mind, that for our discussion in this… Show more

There are many reasons entrepreneurs start or buy a business, and just as many reasons why that business could fail and still many more reasons why many do. We are not going to focus on the statistics stacked against your probable success but focus on how you can succeed. Any Entrepreneur needs to understand what causes failures in small businesses, how they can be prevented and what can be done to properly manage their own business. Please keep in mind, that for our discussion in this article, a small business is defined as one that ranges from a sole individual to an organization of less than 50 or so employees. This size business usually has many of the challenges we address and less available resources to draw from than those of larger companies. Which means that the owner really needs to manage those resources effectively if they are to beat the reported failure statistics and improve their odds for success. However, many of the things we discuss can be used to run larger companies as well. Show less

Personal Development Pathways Volume I
A Practical Guide to Self Improvement

The other day I was on one of my long walks enjoying the lake area I am so blessed to live by and saw a father cutting grass on a riding lawn mower, which by itself may not be so note worthy, I admit. However, helping him and maybe getting in his way a bit were two of his children; both kids where about 6 to 9 years old and each were also driving a small vehicle; one a small look-a-like riding lawnmower – kids version and the other a kids small ATV. The dad riding his mower had just come to… Show more

The other day I was on one of my long walks enjoying the lake area I am so blessed to live by and saw a father cutting grass on a riding lawn mower, which by itself may not be so note worthy, I admit. However, helping him and maybe getting in his way a bit were two of his children; both kids where about 6 to 9 years old and each were also driving a small vehicle; one a small look-a-like riding lawnmower – kids version and the other a kids small ATV. The dad riding his mower had just come to the end of his cut with both kids following close behind and as he turned around they emerged right in his path and there the three of them sat looking , laughing and enjoying an intimate family situation.

I like seeing these types of things as they remind me of when my own son who used to walk next to me at about that age and push his own child version of a lawn mower as I walked and mowed our own lawn. Those types of intimate moments were great to share with someone special and great teaching moments although they never felt like I was a teacher. Show less

The LifeLongU™ planning process is built around the Steering Wheel of Life™ which is designed to help you take hold of your life in both hands, focusing on specific directions with particular destinations in mind. The Steering Wheel of Life™ helps you better understand your “LIFE” breaking it down into Mind, Body & Soul and further dividing it into six “Life Categories”: Financial, Career, Spiritual, Relationships, Lifestyle, and Philanthropy. Within each of these life categories, you can… Show more

The LifeLongU™ planning process is built around the Steering Wheel of Life™ which is designed to help you take hold of your life in both hands, focusing on specific directions with particular destinations in mind. The Steering Wheel of Life™ helps you better understand your “LIFE” breaking it down into Mind, Body & Soul and further dividing it into six “Life Categories”: Financial, Career, Spiritual, Relationships, Lifestyle, and Philanthropy. Within each of these life categories, you can define what you desire and what you want to Feel, See, Know, Do, Have and Be in your future.
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Successful businesses focus on generating new customers in multiple markets while servicing current customers constantly strengthening the value being offered by their product and service. This enables a business to add additional product offerings to customers and increase the lifetime value of each customer to their business.

Where do your new customers actually come from? As an owner entrepreneur or business manager, you should have a good handle on how a prospect becomes a customer… Show more

Successful businesses focus on generating new customers in multiple markets while servicing current customers constantly strengthening the value being offered by their product and service. This enables a business to add additional product offerings to customers and increase the lifetime value of each customer to their business.

Where do your new customers actually come from? As an owner entrepreneur or business manager, you should have a good handle on how a prospect becomes a customer within your organization. What type of sales team do you have? Do they have the correct incentive plan motivating them to convert prospects to customers and generate sales? Are they properly trained and managed? Can you use Rep’s to plug some of the holes in your sales territories? Do you know where the holes are? Does your product or service have a good presence at area trade shows? Is your company getting any business from trade shows? How many new customers do you generate each month? Again, where did they come from? What are the average sales per customer? Show less

Having a group of individuals come together to successfully accomplish a task is why most of us want to build a team in the first place. Whether for a short-term project or long-term engagement, team building can take a lot of effort.

There are all kinds of different teams in the world; sports teams, project teams, corporate organizational or business management teams, political teams, family teams and even married couples are a team. They are all brought together through various ways… Show more

Having a group of individuals come together to successfully accomplish a task is why most of us want to build a team in the first place. Whether for a short-term project or long-term engagement, team building can take a lot of effort.

There are all kinds of different teams in the world; sports teams, project teams, corporate organizational or business management teams, political teams, family teams and even married couples are a team. They are all brought together through various ways and motivated to succeed at all kinds of different tasks or events.

Have you ever wanted to be part of a special team? Humans are social people and want to be on a team; it’s human nature to want to be part of something bigger than our self and be part of a group. What teams are you on or would like to be a part of? Show less

A five year dashboard built in MS Excel summarizing P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flows, Income & Expenses by Departments, People count, Building expenses and more. All automated to calculate different what-if scenarios.