Something went wrong and you’re not sure what to do about it. This isn’t the first time this has happened. You’ve had problems you couldn’t fix before. You’ve had other problems that seem to occur repeatedly. What’s going wrong? Are you solving anything? Are you fixing it the wrong way?

You’ve been asked dumb questions. The answers are so obvious, you’re annoyed you have to waste your breath answering. You’ve also been asked questions that don’t fit the context of your conversation. You wonder, “Where did that come from?” And yet, you’ve also been asked some great questions. You stop and think, “Wow! Thanks for asking that!” You know the person is really listening and they value your response. We’ve all been in each of these situations — both on the asking and answering side of the conversation. As you meet with buyers, you want your conversation to set you apart. That means you need to ask really great questions — not the ones that leave them confused or annoyed. Where do these kinds of questions come from?

What goals do you have for your company? Want to grow your business and increase your profitability? Of course you do! But I’ll let you in on a little secret: Company growth is not a goal — it’s a means to an end. When we envision the future of our companies, we often jump ahead to the idea that our business should be bigger and make more money… but we miss the details of what it takes to get us there.

Are you an expert? Says who? There are ways to take something simple you already know how to do and turn it into expertise that applies to your business. But many of you are already experts. You have a niche in your field. You know a lot about an area of study. You’ve done your research and built experience. But who is calling you an “expert”?

Creativity is in short supply — especially in the AV business. We engineer, work systems, and follow protocol. And in the midst of that, it’s really hard to be creative. In fact, that’s why a lot of AV companies bring me in for a consultation — they need a creative perspective. People ask me to help them work through their challenges, review their proposals, and weigh in on their opportunities because I bring a lot of creative ideas. So, what’s the secret to my creativity?

Cash flow is one of the main obstacles to growing your business. We’re familiar with the phrase “cash is king” for a reason. With cash, you hold the power to take your business to the next level. Payroll isn’t a problem. Marketing becomes more intentional. Decisions are made based on what’s actually best for business (not just what you can afford). Cash flow is probably the biggest challenge for small business owners — but it’s not the biggest challenge for all business owners. Some owners have grown their business from “small” into extremely profitable companies.