When every employee is empowered to develop an owner's mindset, business succeeds. Jennifer Prosek http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/14/business-management-leadership-forbes-woman-entrepreneurs-army-strategy.html Excellent article and the book which goes into the process even further comes out in 2011. As I read the article, what I realized is the empowerment she talks about, I’ve seen happen over and over again. First with business owners, then with their staffs (even my own) when each employee creates a one page business plan for their position within the company. It’s also the type of empowerment I had on Wall Street – when I was paid on my relationships and performance. And in lean years, we all shared.

Maybe the FDIC auctions can be of help. http://www.ricklevin.com/Auctions/Online-Auctions.aspx

If you haven’t done it yet, then it’s time to review your business foundation: Business plan Marketing plan Ideal client profile Objectives — are you reaching your goals? Strategies — which are working?  which need to change or be adjusted? Action plans — are you on track?  what changes need to take place?  who else do you have to hire to help you?

You may not know it, but you could be causing the demise of your business. Could it be that it’s time to get focused, take action, be accountable and produce much better results? Let’s look at the business killers that could be holding your business down and then actions to maintain the right focus: 1. Focusing on Fires Most business owners are focused on whatever business fires or emergencies come at them in a given day. Action: Focus on creating a marketing plan and then execute your action plan. 2. Focusing on Bling In business, bling is the shiny new marketing toy that everyone else seems to be using. Action: Focus on doing more of what

Expenses aren’t the only things you should be cutting back on to stay lean and mean in this economy. Savvy business owners can not only survive bad times, but also position themselves for future growth and prosperity. How can you do it? In a word: focus. Focus your energy on trimming the fat in your business and measuring the value of how, and with whom, you spend your time. After you assess which activities add value to your business, eliminate time and energy wasters. Here are some ways you can narrow your focus and enhance your efforts to grow your business: Networking events: If your goal is to improve the overall caliber of your clients, you