September 22, 2009

"Do This, Don't Do That, Can't You Read the Sign"

I recently walked by this sign outside a Philadelphia retail establishment, and immediately thought of that Sesame Street jingle that begins, “One of these things is not like the other.” Upon further reflection, perhaps in our post-economic downturn environment, some business owners and entrepreneurs have decided that “anything goes” in the pursuit of recovery and growth.

In a world where “Auto” and “Glass” can reside with “Locks” and “Cigars,” it’s clear that business priorities and plans have grown muddled in the pursuit of day-to-day survival that has consumed many organizations over the past 18 months. In the rush to follow any avenue that nets a short-term gain, conventional operational logic has, in some cases, gone out the door.

Prospects for long-term growth remain weak unless businesses have a specific direction in mind -- a core competency to build a reputation around. More than ever, wary, cash-strapped clients want to know they are getting the “best” of a product or service before they make an investment. Ill-conceived organizational expansion that creates a “generalist” notion for the client only dilutes capability and credibility -- creating confusion instead of growth.

September 10, 2009

The Middle Market's "Thousand Points of Light"

This week on the Reuters Small Business Blog, I share thoughts on why the medium-sized, family- and private-equity owned business community will ultimately drive the tailwind of economic recovery and growth.

George Bush heralded the power of the American community as “a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky” in his 1988 Republican National Convention acceptance speech.

More than 20 years later, this power belongs to America’s middle-market innovators. Their innovation is what will pull our economy and our employment numbers out of the doldrums.  Read more »