When I need to develop a strategy or plan I use a “brainstorming” process that I learned at Harvard’s Owner/President Management program called “Mind Mapping.” This is used for developing a strategy within chaos and confusion! Today, our businesses depend on us to make the right decisions … [Read more...]
Call Élanstrategic For A BOGO!
January 25, 2020 By
A company approached Elanstrategic because they needed a road map, to develop a strategic and execution plan to move their company forward. A BOGO (Buy One, Get One Free) worked for them. They engaged Elanstrategic to develop a strategic, execution plan and … [Read more...]
Don’t Be Late to the Fair!
August 27, 2018 By
Imagine you're in charge of planning a trip for a group of 25 people to the Minnesota State Fair. They rely on you to coordinate the activities and move them around the fair as a group, but each group member wants to do different things. One person wants to go see the new born animals. One person … [Read more...]
Is Your Customer Service Commitment Like Amazon’s?
June 23, 2017 By
As business owners we have commitments to our customers which contribute to defining our business' perception or it may be a contracted understanding which you promoted over time. In most cases this understanding is expressed in your mission and vision statement. If we do not execute in the expected … [Read more...]
Innovation & Change are the Lifelines to Business Success
February 21, 2017 By
At a lunch with Joe Gilbert and my father, I can remember Joe saying that his retail offering had to change every five or so years otherwise the strategy and product would become stale in the consumers' eyes. He changed the design of the Plaza III in Kansas City which often included not only the … [Read more...]
There are four possible answers to those questions:
January 31, 2017 By
Hard to believe it is the end of January, and the results of the past year are available to you and your client. What have you done to help them? What type of year did they have? Were their results what they expected? There are four possible answers to those questions: The client missed … [Read more...]
Are You Taking Advantage of the Hype of the New Year?
January 24, 2017 By
This is the time of the year when people determine they are going to lose weight, start an exercise routine, quit smoking, and increase their business from X to Y? The hype of the new year causes one to change to the next chapter and to make things happen. It is a great time to take advantage by … [Read more...]
Increase Value to Your Client by Enhancing Your Services
October 6, 2016 By
You may be the very best in your niche but could you be providing the client an enhanced service level to move their business forward and to further them along even faster and make their business or organization more profitable? My mentor Ilus Davis, Mayor of Kansas City and Board Chairman of … [Read more...]
“What Goes Around Comes Around”
September 9, 2011 By
As a young boy in my family business, Dolgin’s in Kansas City, my Father gave me three jobs: cleaning the silver hollowware display, displaying fountain pens, and straightening out the LAYAWAYS. Oh ... and in between those, I sold my first diamond ring! I remember asking him, while I was … [Read more...]
Change Provides a Threat and an Opportunity
April 12, 2011 By
Business needs "to go with the flow." A mentor of mine used to say you have to "zig and zag" (Fred P Gattas, Gattas Company). Whatever a business owner calls it, you have to evaluate the Change and determine if you can turn a Threat into an Opportunity. I know people who are sometimes "paralyzed" … [Read more...]