Did you know that 96% of small businesses don’t make it to their 10th birthday? And of the survivors, 91% never cross the $1mm revenue mark? If this is your world and/or you’re an entrepreneur struggling to work ON your business instead of IN your business, listen to my colorful conversation with growth coach Bradley Hamner. He specializes in working with small service-based businesses to help them beat the odds, asserting that “business is not a bathrobe” – meaning not one-size-fits-all. He coaches clients on six principles for success and prompts critical strategic thinking with such provocative questions as:

  1. What are your priorities, now and three years from now?
  2. Show me your calendar – are those priorities reflected in how you spend your time, and have you left white space for strategic thinking? (“Margin is a leadership discipline,” he wisely states.)
  3. Show me your scoreboards and scorecards – how do you track progress toward your priorities?
  4. Who is on your team? You need A-players. Hiring the wrong people is the equivalent of “smashing Rolexes” in terms of sunk costs. (I LOVE that analogy!!)
  5. What is your marketing and sales strategy?
  6. Do you have at least 3-6 months of cash as dry powder for the unexpected?

Bradley is also the host of the Club Capital Leadership Podcast. Take his Rainmakers Dilemma Assessment to identify the gaps and areas of growth in your business.

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