Author: Jim Weber

Management Consultant, Executive Recruiter, Author, Public Speaker; My blog, "Fighting Alligators" is geared to the over 50 job-seeker; people interested in starting their own business; and freelancers looking to become more successful. I have 22 years of experience with Fortune 500 Brands in Strategic Planning and General Management. For the past 22 years, I have been President of New Century Dynamics, Inc., an Executive Search Business I started and own. My company is in the business of providing Consulting and Executive Search Support to our client base. In 2014, I helped create ITB Partners, an Association of freelance management consultants.
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Hanetball360 TM – Revolutionary New Team Sport – to Host First Official League Games

Hanetball360 TM – Revolutionary New Team Sport – 

 Davie, FL (March 23, 2022) – Hanetball360 TM, will host its first official HBA360 league games on Saturday, March 26 at 5:30 p.m. with two matches taking place. The women’s teams open the night with the Lake Worth Charmers facing the Palm Beach Dazzles followed by the Palm Beach Avar vs. Ft. Lauderdale Gurus in the men’s division.  The contests will be played at The Rick Case Arena on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla.

Hanetball360TM was created by Fritz Valdeus, Jr., the CEO of the Boca Raton (Fla.) headquartered DMIL360 Inc. The sport is played by two teams of seven players each on a Hanetball360 TM regulation rink which measures 157’ 2” long and 70’ wide.  The object of the game is to score points by “grounding” the Hanetball TM inside the opponents Grundnet TM.  The Grundnet TM is a 360-degree goal that is guarded by an Aimmeeter™(goalie). The games consist of four 13-minute rounds.  More details on how the games are played can be seen on the Hanetball360TM YouTube Channel video – https://youtu.be/tZLIFNDjjSU

This sport and HBA360 league, which was developed by and is fully managed by minorities, has been played competitively in Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. The league is planning to have six teams based in the United States and will have additional teams located in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

“The goal of Hanetball360TM is multifaceted, but one of the primary purposes, is to make a positive change in the world by promoting a revolutionary new way of thinking, called QuantumThinking360TM, said Valdeus, Jr.  “This new paradigm changes everything because Hanetball360TM is the first organized team sport to score and defend on a 360-degree field of play.”

 

The second set of league games is scheduled to be played on April 16 at The Rick Case Arena.

For more information on Hanetball360TM, visit www.hanetball360.com, watch the video on the official YouTube channel https://youtu.be/tZLIFNDjjSU  or follow on Instagram at www.instagram.com/hanetball360.

 

Hanetball360TM OPENING HBA360 LEAGUE GAMES

Saturday, March 26 at The Rick Case Arena on the campus of Nova Southeastern University.

Doors open at 4:00 p.m., the first match starts at 5:30 p.m.

Lake Worth Charmers facing the Palm Beach Dazzles (Women’s Division)

Palm Beach Avar vs. Ft. Lauderdale Gurus (Men’s Division)

For more information on the event, including tickets, please call Kenneth Stanley (561-922-6802) or Losaire Bien-Aime (561-922-6753).

Media Inquires:

Fritz Valdeus, Jr., CEO of DMIL360 Inc.
Office 561-910-0476
Direct 561-922-6806
fvaldeus@dmil360.com

 

 

 

 

 

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First, Build Trust!

Building Relationships

Recently I had the unfortunate experience of watching a client suffer through the effects of failed relationships with two of his vendors.  It was painful to watch, but it cost my client far more.  The impact of these failures was delayed project completion, an additional cost of labor and materials, and an erosion of trust with his customers.  The most painful realization was that these situations were self-inflicted wounds, easily preventable if my client had followed the proper procedures.

The fundamental issue was that my client failed to properly qualify either vendor to ensure that they could deliver on their promises.  I remember Ronald Reagan’s motto during his presidency; trust but verify.  In this case, my client invested his trust without verification.  Regrettably, the results were predictable.  These vendors were not competent to do the work my client required of them, and one was impossible to work with, continually trying to rewrite the terms of the agreement.

The long lead time for materials resulting from the Covid pandemic created a difficult situation for my client.  As a result, he looked for an alternate solution using a local vendor.  He found someone and immediately gave him four significant projects.  Admittedly, this vendor had good references, and his finished product was acceptable.  As an executive recruiter, I understand the limitations of a reference check.  Extracting useful information from them takes a certain degree of skill.  Unfortunately, I was not a part of the vetting process.  The result was unfortunate.  Although the vendor was a good craftsman, he was not a good businessman.  He could not determine appropriate priorities for his work.  He had little regard for his customer.  He did not finish the required onsite work and held my client hostage for payment he did not earn.  My client should not have trusted this vendor with the scope of work needed.  Likely, he will soon be an employee working for someone else.

The other subcontractor had done good work for my client on many routine projects.  However, he professed to be competent in one area my client had not witnessed.  That turned out to be a big mistake.  This vendor hired an incompetent subcontractor who made a mess of the project.  My client was required to find another subcontractor to demo the original work and start the project over.  We later learned that the subcontractor had hired a relative to complete his job.  My client refused to pay him for the shoddy work.  Even so, the vendor continued to demand payment for his work.  My client could not finish his work on time, which strained his relationship with the customer.

Both situations created significant angst for my client.   He gave his vendors his complete trust without adequately vetting their capabilities.  I explained how he could have used me to check the references on one vendor and how we might have further vetted the competency of the other.  My client was operating in blind faith.  That is not my preferred way to conduct business.

I use a well-defined process to build trust.  I begin by giving someone small projects to evaluate their competency.  If the first project is successful, I gradually increase the scope and complexity of further tasks assigned to that person.  The last thing I would ever do is give a significant assignment to an unproven person.  This process works for almost any relationship.

I believe that respect is given, but trust is earned.   Everyone deserves respect; it’s just a good practice among human beings.  However, one must earn trust.  It is a precious commodity to be carefully guarded.  Gaining someone’s trust requires an investment in time.  You know what you have to do to gain the confidence of your clients, customers, friends, and especially your spouse. We must be vigilant to guard against situations that put our relationships at risk. That includes developing confidence in the capabilities of our employees and vendors to help us serve our customers. Click To Tweet

Thank you for visiting our blog.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner – ITB Partners

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

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Make Your Complaint Count!

ITB Partners Members Meeting

Recently my wife and I were in a big box flooring store buying tile for upgrades we are making on our home.  As with many retail establishments trying to get back in business after the pandemic, this retailer had its challenges.  They were short-staffed, so it took longer to complete the full sales cycle.  I never saw a manager in the store that evening.  While I was waiting to talk with a salesperson, another customer began complaining to an employee.  The employee was assembling his order.  His issue was about the time it took to have a salesperson help with his order and then to have the selection pulled.  He wasn’t quiet about it either.  He became somewhat animated.  I sympathized with him; however, I noted that his approach was unproductive as he complained to the wrong person.  He directed his anger at an employee equally frustrated by the situation.  He might have been more effective if he had found a manager to express his thoughts.  Or maybe even a letter to the company CEO.  But railing at a non-management employee?  Hardly a wise decision.

Complain to the right person about the correct issue.

Whenever I observe or hear of someone getting ugly with someone trying to help them, I remember a story I heard early in my career.  I don’t know if it’s true; however, the message is instructive.  The story tells about someone trying to get an airline flight home after a difficult week.  Thunderstorms in the area created a challenge for the airlines.  As it took longer for the ticket agent to find a suitable flight, this passenger became more agitated.  He berated the ticket agent, complaining about her employer’s poor customer service, and suggested that she was incompetent.  Ultimately this gentleman got his ticket and boarded his flight.  However, he landed in Peoria, not his destination, and his luggage arrived in Timbuktu.  As I said, I don’t know if the story is true, but from my experience, it certainly could’ve been.  It was likely a punchline to a comedian’s joke, however prescient.  The moral of the story is never making an enemy of someone trying to help you.

Please don’t misunderstand; there is a time and place for customers to express their displeasure with their service.  Hearing customer feedback is critical to help companies improve their operations and become more competitive.  However, one must deliver input to someone who can make a difference.  Make a meaningful contribution by offering your complaint to customer service representatives, a manager, or someone responsible for the customer's experience. Click To Tweet Otherwise, you have wasted your time and that of your target.

Successful employees quickly learn that a large part of their job is to solve problems.  They are successful because they present solutions that resolve negative situations.  Employing this strategy ensures further career success.  Most corporate types have heard their superiors say, “bring me solutions, not problems.” I have witnessed the benefits of following this career-development strategy.  My career was launched and maintained by finding solutions to problems that were hurting my company’s effectiveness.  I know of many people who have had success following this principle.

Let’s return to my experience at the flooring store.  The picker noticed my cooperation during this situation and pointed that out to the complaining customer.  I nodded in agreement that it was not his fault as he was also a victim of their staffing shortage.  I can tell you; he bent over backward to help me when it was my turn to be served.

If you have an issue with a vendor, find someone to help you resolve your issue.  Make sure that person understands how their service failed to meet your expectations.  But don’t stop there.  Send a letter to a more senior manager with a summary of the incident.  A written note is especially relevant to recognize a satisfactory resolution.  Doing so is an opportunity to generate goodwill by recognizing the person who helped you experience a positive result.  Don’t waste time complaining to someone who cannot resolve the situation.  Seek out someone who can.

Thank you for visiting our blog.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner – ITB Partners

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

 

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Ten Common Career Mistakes to Avoid

Executive Career Consultant, Richard Kirby discusses Ten Common Career Mistakes to avoid. This presentation was delivered to the Atlanta Chapter of Great Careers/The BENG on February 8. For more information about Richard Kirby, visit his website at www.richardkirby.net

 

Thank you for visiting our blog.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner – ITB Partners

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

 

 

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Creating Extreme Wealth and a Joyful Life

Mark Grace leads a discussion on our YourTube Channel about “Creating Extreme Wealth and a Joyful Life”  by seeking more experiences in life.   He calls that “experidigm.”

Mark Grace leads the delivery of larger customer experiences that organize selling more products and services together. Much higher profits result and lead to more enhanced customer relationships and experiences. Examples of newly created and led multiproduct customer experiences:  Smart Grid in utilities, Alive Spaces in construction, Smooth Operations in Retail, Perfect Food in QSR eateries, and Visual Talking in media. Quickly build new divisions, ventures, or businesses and coordinate the eventual sale or corporate integration. Close major industry customer and partner deals while building a decisive protected competitive advantage. Over thirty years leading the development of larger customer experiences and successfully receiving higher profits.

Core Competencies

      • Add high-profit business lines on-increment or new
      • Innovation delivering successful products and businesses
      • A transition from offering products to selling multiproduct experiences
      • Sign profitable customers and continue to deliver for a generation
      • Dramatically improve efficiency and effectiveness of operations and processes

Drivers / Motivators

      • Customers want simplification, yet expect the entire experience
      • Customers expect smart tools to connect them, assist them, and do for them
      • Customers want to be delivered while they are experiencing and mobile
      • Business wants to become experience concierges and receive extra profit.
      • Technology tools enable real-time direct links between company and customer
      • Partnerships can build the necessary ecosystem and support infrastructure

Background

      • President –Beyondvia Technologies (beyondvia.com); Experidigm.com
      • Chief Innovation Officer – Construction Specialties
      • Global Program Executive – Smart Grid (GE Energy); Alive Spaces; Smooth Operations
      • Founder –  (Velocys); Perfect Food (Thinkage Founder); Visual Talking (Founder)
      • Director Technology/Operations – BOC Industrial Gases
      • Downstream Controller – Exxon USA
      • Specialty Chemical Sales – Petrolite Corp/Baker Hughes
      • Published 6 innovation books: MORE; NEXT; Soaring to Awesome, Choosing Up; Avoid Takers; and Elements of Visual Talking
      • Major Valuation Creation: Sold several companies; 17patents; 15 trademarks; intl awards
      • Washington University-St. Louis (MBA); St. Louis University (Chemistry); Rice (Writing)

Blog Posts:

Mark Grace awarded a patent on “how to design experiences

Starbucks Meets WeWork at the Automobile Service Center

Go! “I will…” Experidigm

THE NEXT BIG THING!

Contact

beyondviagrace@yahoo.com

 

 

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We Fired Our Cleaning Service!

It is not easy to land a new customer. And it takes work to maintain a relationship over time. That is why customer retention is so vital for business continuity.  Given that, it is understandable that I was so baffled by this week’s events. We fired our maid service Thursday. Well, they fired themselves.

Thursday night, my wife began receiving text messages from the maid service owner. Her texts included photos and videos of our home’s interior. She demanded that we pay an additional $45.00, 33% of our regular fee, because they cleaned up a construction area. What incredible hubris. It was a strange situation. Our regular maid had a doctor’s appointment, so they sent a replacement who was unfamiliar with our home. She took the videos while she was working. I have zero tolerance for that kind of behavior from a vendor. Someone taking a video inside our home while conducting a service, in my mind, is grounds for immediate termination. Not only is that an invasion of privacy, but it is also a significant security issue. However, my wife is a bit more polite than I am. She let the vendor make her case.

However, the result was the same as my wife decided to terminate our relationship. The entire conversation and ultimate termination were made entirely by text messaging. Not an ideal situation. Unless the vendor intended to cancel our service, for whatever reason, this should’ve been a voice conversation. Resolving differences via text is seldom a good idea.

Two significant projects are in process on our home, but they had a minor, if any, impact on the maid’s workload. First, we are remodeling our master bathroom. We completed the demo work in that area over three weeks ago. The next phase of that project will begin shortly. The maid did not have to clean that area, nor was it a contributing factor to any additional work. She was not cleaning a construction area.

Secondly, we are refinishing our basement, turning that area into a very spacious apartment. That area is not a part of our cleaning contract. Admittedly, that project kicked up a bit of dust this week as we had to cut concrete to prepare the plumbing for the bathroom. Before the maid arrived, we dusted the house and used the Swifter system on the floors on the main level. The cleaning job was the same as any other visit.

Small businesses are having difficulty with staffing issues that may or may not be related to Covid–19. I get it. Last month we had another service clean our windows, inside and out. The owner of that company did the work himself. He told me that nobody wants to work. Even so, he was pleasant and did a good job. I told him that we would use him again. He certainly did not try to gouge me because our home is an alleged construction site. The issue with our maid service was a different story.

The vendor intended to extract additional funds from us as she believed that our home was involved in extensive renovations. She had asked what we were doing before the maid arrived. My wife explained the situation, and we thought that was the end of the discussion. Then the text messaging began Thursday evening. Whatever trust we had with this vendor was destroyed in a few short minutes. Friday morning, we received another text from the vendor. She apologized for doubting our situation and asked that we continue using her service. My wife decided not to respond immediately. She wanted to sleep on it.

I view the vendor’s behavior as a case study in poor account management. If she had legitimate concerns that our expectations were beyond the scope of the agreement, she should have requested a meeting in our home. She would have gained first-hand information about the situation. We would welcome that approach. But that is not the way she proceeded, far from it.

Customers, particularly long-standing customers, are an asset to be protected. You don’t want to lose one needlessly. If you have a dispute or a disagreement, ensure that you work towards a resolution thoughtfully and professionally. This situation was not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but we will remember it.

Thank you for visiting our blog.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner – ITB Partners

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

 

Posted on

Groupthink is Dangerous

This past Friday, I delivered a presentation at the January 2022 meeting of ITB Partners. The theme of the topic was about building one’s independent consulting practice by leveraging your time. One of the participants was curious about how many members were following this strategy. He was interested in learning how the broader membership viewed this issue. Are we in a bubble? Are we victims of Groupthink?  Not only did I think that was an excellent question, but I also promised to survey our wider membership to determine if their activities align with my recommendations.  This exchange reminded me of similar situations I had encountered during my corporate career.

Wikipedia;  “Groupthink – is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesiveness, in a group may produce a tendency among its members to agree at all costs.[1] This causes the group to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation.[2][3]”

Psychologist Irving Janis calls Groupthink “a deterioration of mental efficiency. The first time I heard about the concept of Groupthink, I was an undergraduate. I wrote a short paper on the subject. At that time, I did not fully understand Groupthink as a concept. I had not witnessed it personally. It took practical experience and responsibility as a team member/leader to complete my education on this phenomenon.

Back in the day, if we thought we were limiting the full range of consideration for a question, we would ask, “are we just talking to ourselves? Are we in a bubble?”  We knew that something wasn’t working the way we expected, so we must be missing critical information. In other words, we need to get input from the market and our customers.

The most striking form of Groupthink I experienced was at the beginning of my tenure with Long John Silver‘s. During my corporate orientation, I attended a presentation from a marketing research firm. Their contract was to perform a strategic analysis of the brand. It was an incredible experience. Whereas the consensus opinion of leadership had been that our primary competition was Red Lobster, the research showed that the brand was part of a different industry segment. The consumer identified the brand as a quick-service restaurant concept, but they did not think we acted like one. The service wasn’t fast, the food was too expensive, and there were no Drive Throughs, among other issues. This revelation was a shock to leadership. The recognition that they had invested their resources trying to compete in a segment they could not win was daunting. Fortunately, those findings led to a very successful repositioning of the brand.

Effects of Groupthink

    • Group dynamics overrides effective decision-making
    • Inhibits learning
    • It may be a subliminal way to protect one’s reputation or institutional dogma.

How to recognize Groupthink

    • The leader has a most persuasive personality, domineering even.
    • Dissent is discouraged
    • The workgroup demonstrates a high degree of cohesion,
    • Peer pressure to conform,
    • Complacency, need to get along,
    • Belief in a group’s infallibility
    • Own the moral high ground
    • Tribalism

These actions lead to a lack of counterpoints and optimal decision-making. Fundamentally, it is a symptom of poorly managed human group dynamics and leadership.

How to prevent Groupthink

    • Recognize Groupthink as a pathology to be avoided
    • Develop a process to counter-act:  explore options, evaluate alternatives, encourage ideas without judgment or negative consequences,
    • Test assumptions,
    • Place a high value on objectivity.
    • Assign a devil’s advocate – seek out the counterfactual

When we formed ITB Partners, one of our goals was to develop a learning organization that was inquisitive, collaborative, and supportive of our members. In other words, a high-performance team. Google conducted research to determine how to create high-performance teams. Their findings were surprising.   “We were dead wrong. Who is on a team matters less than how the team members interact, structure their work, and view their contributions.”    Groupthink is an inhibitor to high-performance teams. To avoid Groupthink and other risks that would conflict with our goal, we instituted an annual strategic review that included a survey of the members. The Annual Review helps us stay on course to achieve a healthy culture. It has been a helpful exercise that has prevented us from taking detours unsupported by the majority of the members.

Groupthink is something to be avoided by all goal-oriented teams. Regrettably, it is a phenomenon that is all too common in the broader culture. Click To TweetWe have seen it exercised in Academia, Major Corporations, the Media, and even in government, leading to well-document disasters. No institution is immune to its intrusion. If you want to foster growth and learning, recognize the risk of Groupthink and build systems to ensure that it never takes hold in your team.

For more information on Groupthink, check out these articles.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_82.

htmhttps://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/groupthink

Thank you for visiting our blog.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner – ITB Partners

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

 

 

Posted on

On Customer Loyalty and Retention

Mark Fonseca of Pragmetrix Group, leads a discussion on his company’s methodology for the assessment of Customer Loyalty to help their clients develop more effective Customer Retention Programs.  To see this presentation click here.

Mark Fonseca has over 20 years of experience in consultative sales, sales management, and client relations. As a top producer at Lanier Business Products, he sold document management solutions to a range of businesses and was prolific at establishing long-term relationships.
Mark consults one on one with the most successful CEOs and Executives in Atlanta and has interviewed thousands of Executives and Business Professionals. He has experience in Sales, Sales Management, and Sales Training Best Practices. Currently, Mark is the owner of his own private men’s custom clothing and executive image consulting business. He has developed strong business relationships with heads of state, CEOs, top-level executives, and successful entrepreneurs, through one-to-one consulting and exceptional customer service.

As a Partner in Pragmetrix, Mark is responsible for Client Relations, Business Development, and conducting interviews within the Pragmetrix Customer Loyalty Assessment process.

Why Pragmetrix Group? – Insights from our Customer Assessment Process

 We offer you:

    • Overall Customer Net Promoter Score
    • NPS Promoter, Passive, and Detractor Segmented Dashboards
    • Unedited Customer Insights Assessment Transcripts
    • S.W.O.T Analysis Based on the Voice of Your Customer
    • Growth Opportunities Based on the Voice of Your Customer

What Our Customers Are Saying

“With the words of your customers as their foundation, they extract the issues that your business needs to focus on, so that your customers become promoters, and by extension, you sell more. They were responsive, creative, and the work product is superb. The best money you will ever spend at your company, period!”

Stephen Newell
CEO
Mission Mobility

 

Mark Fonseca, PARTNER
Pragmetrix Group
mark@pragmetrix.com
(404) 983 – 4121

Posted on

Leverage Your Time and Grow Your Business

Over the holidays, I was able to catch up with my friend and colleague, Stan. He often calls me when he is on a road trip. This time, he was traveling through Kentucky to work with a client in northeastern Ohio. As with most of our conversations, this was wide-ranging, including personal and business-related topics. We talked a little about Covid-19, politics, scotch, and cigars, and of course, Football. When we talk Football, it’s NCAA Football in general and the SEC.

Eventually, the conversation turned to our respective businesses, which occupied the remainder of our time. Stan’s business is booming! He is unique among Independent Consultants as he doesn’t suffer the feast or famine cycle. He has a strong network that feeds him new business regularly. That is the good news. The bad news is that he would like to retire. The revenue has been exceptional, however. So good that it has crowded out any recent consideration of retirement. But now, the workload is starting to take its toll. Also, he has other interests he wants to pursue. So, we chatted about him getting serious about making a transition toward retirement.

I asked him if he’d ever thought about taking on a protégé or two. It wasn’t the first time I raised that issue with Stan. He’s never been too keen on the idea, however. He believes that his network refers business to him because they know his capabilities and the quality of work he delivers. I agree with him in that assessment as far as it goes. But I seriously doubt that anyone expects Stan to do all the work himself. I told him that I believe he is laboring under the mistaken belief that his referring agents expect him to do all the required work himself. I am not buying it! Although the client expects results, they are not so concerned about how he achieves those results, assuming there is minimal disruption to their daily routine. Click To Tweet I would wager that if Stan asked his network, they would agree with my assessment.

Leverage Your Consulting Projects

    • Employ Subcontractors
    • Train Subcontractors to become protégées
    • Offload lower value-added work assignments
    • Provide quality control and oversight
    • Expand the business while working the same hours or less

The apparent solution to Stan’s dilemma is to find subcontractors to perform the work under his direction. Employing subcontractors would give him more free time. Early on, Stan may be required to train these folks to complete the job to his expectations. However, once trained, Stan can work with the subcontractor to plan the scope of work, then let them execute the plan. Of course, Stan would provide oversight and direction.   He would be the account manager, providing supervision and quality control.

Another way to approach winding down would be to divide the workload between high and lower value-added activities. Stan could assign the lower value-added activities to a subcontractor or protégée while taking on the more significant value-added workload. Again, he would free up his time while developing a resource to aid him in his transition.

Most independent consultants would be delighted to have Stan‘s problem. Instead, many fight the feast or famine cycle, trying to smooth out the peaks and valleys while growing their business. Often, these folks are not marketing themselves at the most basic level. However, they can still benefit by developing protégés or subcontractors to help them leverage their time during the cycle’s peaks. Better yet, they should consider marketing their services to someone like Stan, who needs help. They should consider growing their business by seeking work as a subcontractor.

Summary and Conclusion

The fundamental question Stan must resolve is, does he want to retire and close his business entirely, or does he want something that continues to generate income throughout his retirement? Then he must determine how to transition from one state to the next. Stan has an enviable position. He can afford to close his business and live comfortably. On the other hand, if Stan could maintain the business with minimal effort, there would be an additional source of cash flow to enhance his balance sheet. Furthermore, he would have an asset to sell or leave to his heirs. Stan has some exciting prospects to consider.

For more reading on growing your independent consulting business, check out these links.

https://www.mbopartners.com/blog/how-grow-small-business/how-to-grow-your-independent-business/

https://www.mbopartners.com/blog/how-grow-small-business/how-to-grow-your-independent-consulting-practice/

https://www.mbopartners.com/blog/how-grow-small-business/how-to-stay-competitive-as-an-independent-contractor/

Thank you for visiting our blog.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner – ITB Partners

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.

 

 

 

Posted on

New Century Dynamics Lands Search for a Director of Marketing and E-Commerce DTC Meal Delivery Brand

Jim Weber lands New Search Assignment: “Director of Marketing & E-Commerce” VC-Backed, DTC Home Meal Replacement Brand.

We are seeking a Director of Marketing & E-Commerce – to manage in a hands-on manner all advertising channels including Facebook, Google Ads, Snapchat, Affiliate, email, organic, referrals, and others.  Emphasis will be on the paid channels, but the right candidate should be strong in all forms of media in order to pitch in as opportunities present themselves.

Director of Marketing & E-Commerce

 For more information, click on the link immediately below.

Director of Marketing & E-Commerce – New Century Dynamics Executive Search

 I would be happy to discuss this opportunity with you.  Shall we schedule a call to share information?  Here’s my calendar link to make finding time easy. 

https://calendly.com/jimweber

Best.  Jim Weber

Thank you for visiting our blog.

 

Jim Weber, Managing Partner – ITB Partners

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox.  Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.