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Zack Oates of Ovation on Building Business Connections through Digital Storytelling
Soliciting feedback from customers often seems like a daunting task. However, Zack Oates and his team at Ovation have cracked the code with a proven strategy that not only encourages guest feedback, but also establishes a personal connection for exceptional results.Zack Oates and the guest feedback platform Ovation have taken a radically different approach to hearing from customers, which stems…
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You Might Be Violating Federal Labor Laws — Use These 6 Tools to Find Out Before It’s Too Late
In an effort to help employers avoid violations of workplace regulations, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is encouraging the use of several voluntary "self-audit" programs. These tools are designed to help businesses proactively identify and correct compliance issues — often reducing the risk of costly fines, penalties and lawsuits.…
Why AI-Driven Marketing Is No Longer Optional
In today's increasingly interconnected world, it can be difficult for businesses and organizations to cut through the massive amount of noise and marketing clutter vying for people's attention. Not only are consumers exposed to more information than ever before, but businesses are being extremely creative and adaptive in how they…
Take These 5 Steps to Future-Proof Your Business
Small businesses are facing strong headwinds in today's dynamic business environment. Technology is evolving faster than entrepreneurs can keep up with, market and consumer demands are constantly changing, and there seems to be a new economic or geopolitical disruption every week. Surviving in this landscape requires businesses to have robust…
Friends’ Kitchen Side Hustle Surpassed $130,000 in 3 Days
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Scott Hattis, 41, of Brooklyn, New York. Hattis is the CEO and entrepreneur behind Loisa, the Latin food and kitchen brand co-founded in 2018 with his friend Kenneth Luna. Image Credit: Courtesy of Loisa. Scott Hattis, left, and Kenneth Luna, right. Hattis and Luna…
3 Traits You Need to Succeed as a Franchisor
Franchise leaders know what it takes to build something that lasts.So we asked some of the top names in the industry to share the traits they believe separate good franchisors from great ones. Whether you already own a franchise or are thinking about getting involved, use this list to reflect…
Struggling to Find New Clients? Use the ‘Lumberjack Strategy’.
I was exhausted. My B2B fulfillment business had grown rapidly and was doing $1.2 million annually, but finding new clients was a grind. I was trapped in an endless cycle of networking events, cold calls, and business card exchanges that yielded minimal results.Then I discovered what I now call the…
Is AI Truly Driving Your Growth — or Wasting Your Time?
Every agency today brags about using AI. But few can show exactly how it's fueling real growth or whether it's helping you at all.Is it running on autopilot, quietly optimizing campaigns while your team checks the metrics? Or is it being used to supercharge decision-making, surfacing insights, testing assumptions and…
How to Understand and Extend Your Company’s Financial Runway
Most small business owners are playing a game of financial chicken, and they don't even realize it.If you're one of these business owners, you're likely grinding through each month, covering expenses and hoping the next payment hits before the cash runs out. But without knowing exactly how long your current…
How to Train AI to Actually Understand Your Business
A few months ago, I was in a strategy session with a mid-sized company that had just implemented an AI assistant to support their sales team. The promise was bold. The tool would draft personalized emails, prioritize leads and surface insights from their CRM.Within a week, they were disappointed. The…
The Hidden Costs of Siloed Teams
Throughout my career, I've seen a recurring pattern inside countless organizations, from agile mid-market players to global enterprises. I'll see talented, hard-working teams in marketing, sales, customer success and R&D pushing relentlessly to hit their numbers. On paper, everyone is doing their job. Yet, the organization as a whole feels…
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Creative Ways Startups Can Earn Funding in Tough Economic Times
In a declining economy, startups face an uphill battle when it comes to securing funding.…
I Asked AI to Create a Plan for a Fake Company — The Results Blew Me Away, But Not in the Way You Might Think
With all of the recent news about artificial intelligence (AI), it got me thinking about…
Ideas To Transform You From Good To Better To Best
A while back, I took a couple of my grandchildren on a tour of the…
5 Crucial Challenges Startups Must Overcome
Startups face numerous challenges on their journey to success, and failing to overcome any one…