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	<title>Strategic Growth Blog</title>
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	<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog</link>
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	<pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:30:38 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>When It Rains, Sell Umbrellas… and Other Winning Business Strategies</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/02/when-it-rains-sell-umbrellas%e2%80%a6-and-other-winning-business-strategies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/02/when-it-rains-sell-umbrellas%e2%80%a6-and-other-winning-business-strategies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:32:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.guruofgrowth.com/?p=261</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have had the privilege of traveling extensively and enjoying a variety of climates throughout the world. Without consciously realizing it I think I have always been a sun person and now happily find myself living in the arid heat of Tucson, Arizona where we get to enjoy the sun 350 days a year.
Grey clouds and rain never really appealed to me, but back when I traveled more extensively on business, I had experiences in two rainy climates that helped me to see &#8220;rain&#8221; a bit differently and taught me a valuable lesson about business.  I worked for 6 months in Amsterdam and then transferred for 3 months to Seattle, Washington where I noticed a distinct difference in the “rain” cultures between the two cities.
In Amsterdam, umbrellas sprout like mushrooms when it rains.  In fact, the higher-end local hotels offer umbrellas for guests to take out as they leave to go on an afternoon walk.  The hotel guests stay dry and the hotel benefits from a low cost advertising and brand awareness campaign as their guests sport the hotel’s prominently logoed umbrellas.  Locals use umbrellas as well.  In fact, it is quite common to see Dutchmen or Dutchwomen expertly riding a bicycle in the rain with one hand perched on the handlebars and the other holding an umbrella.

In Seattle the rain culture is very different.  The use of umbrellas is generally restricted to the tourists.   Locals tend to embrace the rain and maintain a close physical relationship with it.  In fact, while walking into [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Innovate And Grow Your Business Through The Recession</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/01/innovate-and-grow-through-the-recession/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/01/innovate-and-grow-through-the-recession/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.guruofgrowth.com/?p=201</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[NOW is the perfect time to &#8220;introduce something new&#8221; to your business. While your competitors are trying to figure out &#8220;what happened&#8221; with the recession, or while they remain preoccupied with trying to stay in business, your business could be growing through the downturn by innovating. 
Most businesses today are overly focused on just trying to keep the doors open.  Very few are (yet) trying to solve the business problems that will help them thrive through this economic downturn. The few business owners that are smart enough to innovate now will lead the way through the recession.  To do this, they will have to learn what the Blue Tit knows.

Extract from: The Living Company by Arie de Geus, Nicholas Brealey, 1999
The United Kingdom has a long standing system of delivering milk in bottles to the door. At the beginning of the 20th century these milk bottles had no top. Birds had easy access to the cream which settled in the top of the bottle. Two different species of British garden birds, the Blue Tits and red robins, learned to siphon up cream from the bottles and tap this new, rich food source. 
This innovation, in itself, was already quite an achievement. But it also had an evolutionary effect. The cream was much richer than the usual food sources of these birds, and the two species underwent some adaptation of their digestive systems to cope with the unusual nutrients. This internal adaptation almost certainly took place through Darwinian selection. 
Then, between the two world wars, the [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Resolve Your Hidden Conflicts And Grow Your Business</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/01/resolve-your-hidden-conflicts-and-grow-your-business/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/01/resolve-your-hidden-conflicts-and-grow-your-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:59:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.guruofgrowth.com/?p=213</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Every so often I run into a business that screams &#8220;GROWTH POTENTIAL!&#8221;, but when the owners reveal that the business has been around for 20 years I find myself asking, &#8220;Why aren&#8217;t they living the lifestyles of their dreams already?&#8221;  Of course, there can be many reasons why a company might not grow to realize its potential, but there are two reasons that stand out in my mind as fixable:
(1) Conflicting priorities and (2) Conflicting metrics.
Simply put, many underachieving businesses suffer from conflicting priorities and conflicting metrics, and those conflicts decrease the performance of the business.  We will examine the &#8220;diseases&#8221; of the conflicting priorities and conflicting metrics through the life of &#8220;John, the business owner.&#8221;

The disease of conflicting priorities
John &#38; Co. has come a long way from its humble origins as a one-man business 20 years ago. It has become an organization of 30 employees and the organization has its own needs and places growing demands on John&#8217;s time and attention. On a personal level, John has reached the point where he desires more personal time; a chance to enjoy the lifestyle that he has worked so hard towards achieving. While getting the business to this point has taken 20 years of his life, it still is not where he wanted it to be and clearly he has more thinking and planning to do.
In search of a solution, John sits down with a business advisor and tells a story filled with contradictions and conflicts that John can only sense but the advisor can clearly [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Re- Start Your Business! The First Thing You Should Do In 2009</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/01/re-start-your-business-the-first-thing-you-should-do-in-2009/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/01/re-start-your-business-the-first-thing-you-should-do-in-2009/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:46:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.guruofgrowth.com/?p=169</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you experienced 2008 as business person, then you know that the world has changed, and that we all had better change too if we plan to survive… in business.  The bursting of the housing bubble, the collapse of the exotic financing market, the continued emergence of Web 2.0, and the evolution of mobile computing all contributed to significant changes in 2008.
  Technology and the internet continue to remain at the core of business change by enabling change to happen faster, and by supporting larger transactions that cause more extreme fluctuations when things don’t go quite right.
Technology and the internet also make it easier for the little guy to compete by making sophisticated tools available to the average business, and thereby leveling the playing field.   All of these changes support a shift in the power relationship among businesses, their competitors and their customers.  In this article we are going to Introduce you to the tools to re- start your business.
The changes in 2008 taught us 3 very valuable lessons that I think are worth learning and sharing:

There aren’t any real “experts” anymore.  There are only people who explain how things work – right now.  The significant shifts throughout the global economy have proven that the “experts” don’t know enough to predict what will happen tomorrow.  Those that we call experts only tell us things while they are happening or after they have already occurred – not generally very useful.   In business, the real experts are your customers.  Collectively, they can predict the future because each [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2009/01/re-start-your-business-the-first-thing-you-should-do-in-2009/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Strategic Planning: Don&#8217;t Try It Alone!</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/12/strategic-planning-dont-try-it-alone/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/12/strategic-planning-dont-try-it-alone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:36:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.guruofgrowth.com/?p=37</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The challenge for most companies is not to plan well but to plan at all.  If done properly, Strategic Planning can be the key to unlocking a flood of cash flow and a mountain of wealth.  Giving your customers what they want, doing it better than your competitors and getting the most from your company is the ultimate unbeatable advantage.  
If you want to conduct your own strategic planning session, then this valuable eManual is your number 1 business resource.  In 28 pages, the Strategic Planning eManual outlines a step-by-step strategic planning process so you can do it right everytime.  
It makes no difference if you are just starting a business, if you are growing a small business, or if you are planning a strategy for a large business.  The Strategic Planning eManual answers your strategic planning How-2&#8217;s.
Join the Strategic Growth Advisor community and get your very own Strategic Planning Advisor as one of the courses available to members. 
 
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/12/strategic-planning-dont-try-it-alone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Books Worth Re-Viewing: The Tipping Point</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/11/books-worth-re-viewing-the-tipping-point/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/11/books-worth-re-viewing-the-tipping-point/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:56:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.guruofgrowth.com/?p=100</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Malcolm Gladwell&#8217;s the Tipping Point caused quite a stir back in 2000 when it was originally published. Largely  based on psychologist Stanely Milgram&#8217;s 1967 &#8220;Six Degrees of Separation&#8221; study, the Tipping Point sought to connect social networks and epidemics to modern business.  Gladwell proposed that social epidemics and stickiness could be engineered by leveraging the skills of certain types of communicators, and by managing environmental factors.  Far from being a prescriptive solution that would produce perfect results for every advertising or marketing campaign, it did remind of us of the power of social networks in disseminating a message about a product or service.
The Tipping Point has become particularly relevant during this time of economic unrest when most of the news we hear is bad. Good news (if you have it) can travel faster and farther than it once could when the networks were clogged with every company&#8217;s good story.  So, we would like to re-view the Tipping Point and offer you the opportunity to share some good news.
We have used Mindomo, a mind mapping tool to present our re-view of the Tipping Point here:

http://www.mindomo.com/view.htm?m=0bd8efd0699f4b4292f75dbe6f541503

Comment back if you have an update for us on how your company and business are doing.
.
Growth is Good!
.
Leamon Crooms III, Guru of Growth
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/11/books-worth-re-viewing-the-tipping-point/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The 3 Sure Signs That Your Company Needs HELP!</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/10/the-3-sure-signs-that-your-company-needs-help/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/10/the-3-sure-signs-that-your-company-needs-help/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:34:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.guruofgrowth.com/?p=63</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
It is hard to think about aggressively growing a company during what is arguably the most serious economic downturn in a generation.  Yet, those companies that are well positioned and prepared will not only survive the downturn, but also find a way to grow.  If you don&#8217;t see your company as one of those that is positioned to grow, then you may need to face the brutal fact that your company might need help.
But, facing the brutal facts isn&#8217;t easy.  It requires a level of humility that enables you to recognize when you have veered off course.  You must be able to admit that it&#8217;s time to get help.  Only after you have faced the brutal facts will you be able to recognize the 3 sure signs that your company needs help.
Remove the &#8220;Parent Goggles&#8221; so you can really see your baby
No one wants to believe that their baby is ugly.  However, I can tell you that pictures of me when I was a newborn are not so attractive.  I am grateful to my parents for sticking with me despite my rough start.  On the other hand, pictures of my 2 sons as newborns are the most beautiful that I have seen.  I will spare you the slide show, but trust me&#8230; they are the most handsome boys you will ever lay your eyes on!
If your business is your baby, then you too may be wearing vision altering &#8220;parent goggles&#8221;.  Parent goggles allow you to see only the beauty in your baby, and whatever you [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/10/the-3-sure-signs-that-your-company-needs-help/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>The Seven Secrets to Growth: Inside Arizona Business Interview</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/09/the-seven-secrets-to-growth-inside-arizona-business-interview/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/09/the-seven-secrets-to-growth-inside-arizona-business-interview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:30:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.guruofgrowth.com/?p=38</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is it possible to grow even during difficult times?  Watch the Inside Arizona Business interview and find out.

[local /wp-content/uploads/2008/07/seven-secrets.asx no-link]
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/09/the-seven-secrets-to-growth-inside-arizona-business-interview/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Not Smelling The Starbucks Coffee? Then We Might Be Headed For A Recession</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/08/not-smelling-the-starbucks-coffee-then-we-might-be-headed-for-a-recession/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/08/not-smelling-the-starbucks-coffee-then-we-might-be-headed-for-a-recession/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:58:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stratgrow.com/gurusofgrowth/?p=10</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Maybe the most significant signal of a change in the US business cycle is Howard Schultz&#8217;s return to the role of chief executive of Starbucks after 13 years as chairman. He is expected to carry out an impassioned mission to reinvigorate the &#8220;romance and theatre&#8221; of coffee-making. Recently, Starbucks stock has declined over fears that they may have run out of room for further significant growth despite that the company posted revenues of $9.4bn in 2007, had double-digit earnings growth and opened more than 2,500 new stores. Clearly, the company is positioning for what lies ahead, and by keeping our eyes trained on this bell weather it is possible that we can learn a lot more than we might expect.
Recently, we have been hearing more recession-talk in the media from financial pundits. The Doom and Gloom Group would have us believe that we are on the verge of a financial collapse. On the other hand, the Pollyanna Purveyors are reassuring us that our economy is the strongest on earth and that real recessions are a thing of the past. As is usually the case in life, the truth lies somewhere between the two extremes.
But really, what exactly is a recession anyway? We read about recession and pundits speak of it as if everyone knows precisely what it is. Anecdotally (and paraphrased from newspaper columnist Sidney J. Harris), we know that a recession is when the neighbor loses his job and a depression is when we lose ours. However, the American National Bureau of Economic Research [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/08/not-smelling-the-starbucks-coffee-then-we-might-be-headed-for-a-recession/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>CompUSA - On Becoming Irrelevant</title>
		<link>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/07/compusa-on-becoming-irrelevant/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stratgrow.com/blog/2008/07/compusa-on-becoming-irrelevant/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:33:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stratgrow.com/gurusofgrowth/?p=8</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
A big story in consumer electronics this season is the recent announcement that Comp USA will close all of its remaining 103 stores. The retailer was purchased by Special Equity, an affiliate of private equity firm Gordon Brothers Group that recently announced the closing.
This comes as no surprise to those of us who have followed CompUSA for some time and may come as no surprise to anyone who has shopped there frequently. You may be aware of this from personal experience of from reading blogs about CompUSA&#8217;s service. In either case, there is a valuable lesson to be learned here. As a matter of course, this retailer broke most of the rules of Customer Relevancy:

Rule 1 - deliver products and services that meet your customer&#8217;s expectations. When you buy a computer you expect to get some assistance setting it up and support when it fails.
Rule 2 - sell products and services that make sense to your customers and at a price that is fair. If it is impossible (or near impossible) to take advantage of rebate offers or if the company will sell you an extended warranty on a &#8220;throw away&#8221; product, then customers will lose trust in the company, and think of its pricing as unfair.
Rule 3 - script the experience when you deliver your products and services, and make doubly sure you surprise and delight your customers. An extremely short return period and a &#8220;difficult&#8221; return process will quickly erode customer satisfaction. CompUSA was rated among the ten worst retail sites for customer [...]]]></description>
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