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Wanted: small niche players. Space available

Consider your options well As a small business, are you alone, doing your thing, providing a great product in the metalworking or surface treatment industries? Do you think anyone else in the whole world shares some of the same challenges? Are they also trying to keep “clean” (let alone “green”) while using advanced chemical lubricants, cleaners and strippers? Small industrial niche businesses ...
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Signs outside directors can help you grow.

Call me overly optimistic but I predict the next challenge on the horizon will be figuring out how to manage growth opportunities. The markets will eventually ramp up with fierce activity from pent up demand created during this long recession. There will be opportunity for every small coatings operation—a select few will make the most of it. If you’re not sure how to take the next step, it’s tim...
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Use these 6 tools to tap in and listen to the social media marketplace.

Plot your objectives and strategy. You didn’t become successful in the metal business by jumping into it with some vague notion of how the business works. I’d advise you to handle the topic of Social Media (SM) the same way. It could be hazardous to jump in without some knowledge of the medium; it’s tools and the marketplace. After all we don’t want to embarrass ourselves. But I also urge you t...
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You have to be (true to) your own brand

Because most coatings businesses are small, the company brand is closely tied to the character of its leader or ownership. When you think of the company you get an image of the leader—the two can be somewhat inextricable. Here we briefly discuss the importance of the brand called YOU. After all, getting the business often depends upon people buying just that, YOU. It really doesn’t matter who y...
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Name an irreversible trend that your business cannot ignore.

What technology offers expression, stickiness and competitive advantage? Many of my clients still ask me, why is Social Media so important? Is it really relevant for business to business? And, how did we get here so fast? These questions come from people on both sides of the fence and most have dabbled with at least some of the available Social Media (SM) tools. I had planned for this posting to c...
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Is your coatings business chasing the wrong metrics?

Operating a coatings business has its rewards, but it rarely offers comforting reassurance that you’re doing things right. We’re running in a new playing field. Standards by which we measure excellence have shifted. The environment, more volatile and less predictable. Add a downturn economy and it’s easy to find yourself bumped onto the fast lane of frenzy, requiring even more confidence that you’...
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How to win at your game.

Similarities to poker illustrate how you are in control The best strategy usually comes from thinking long-term. This rule of thumb applies as much to the metal business as it does in the game of poker. In poker, just because you win a hand doesn’t mean you’re good and you don’t have more learning to do. But we do learn best when we can see and experience good examples—poker has many. Did you kno...
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The path to profits, passion and purpose lead CEO to unprecedented success

A new book, released this week, is an inspiration for any business that believes what they do is hard work. Delivering Happiness is a true story of how perseverance, focus and a little irreverence for the status quo pay off when you also treat people right. I was invited to review an advance copy of the book penned by Zappos chief, Tony Hsieh (pronounced: Shay). I highly recommend that you read ...
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Plan social media strategies like any other major initiative

More than your reputation is at stake, take it a step at a time Social media is a revolutionary means for connecting with customers, prospects, vendors, partners, even co-workers and recruits. This is important because it means you are now connected in ways never before seen. Your company is becoming more and more transparent, whether you want it or not. With blogs, chat rooms, email, text, and to...
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B2B purchasers claim bad sales habits can be very destructive

Hypothetically speaking, if your customers had to pay less at the door to do business with you, doesn’t it stand to reason they might be willing to pay more for your products and services at the check out? If they suffered less pain during the entire sales process, would they be more likely to come back? A new study affirms, B2B buyers are not telling us how they really feel. Ignoring potential ...
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