December 9, 2019

Three Qualities Part 3

Three Qualities, Part III By Chuck Violand December 2, 2019 The third quality that we have found leads to a company’s success, and one that is also critical to maintaining profitable growth, is perseverance. Having the focus to establish a handful of business priorities and the discipline to avoid the always-present distractions is a good start. But persevering through the physical, emotional, and financial trials and setbacks is what will elevate your company above the rest. Perseverance is sticking with the program, even through tough times. And there will be tough times. Things like … Financial strains. It’s lunacy to think that a business will grow in a straight trajectory of top-line and bottom-line growth. Business doesn’t work that way. There will always be peaks of financial paradise and valleys of financial woe. The best-run companies understand this and prepare for it. How well we’ve equipped our company and our self to navigate these two extremes is what largely determines our company’s long-term success. Persevering through the financial ups and downs means that we understand that both are transient, and they will pass. Our job as a business leader is to bank the financial and emotional strength during the good

December 9, 2019

Three Qualities Part 2

Three Qualities, Part II By Chuck Violand November 18, 2019 Two of the three qualities that we have found lead to a company’s success work hand-in-hand, yet they’re significantly different. The first is focus, which involves identifying and directing the company’s efforts and resources on the handful of strategic priorities that are key to its continued success. This is not the same as a list of tasks or action items needed to accomplish a goal, nor is it a list of things you simply want to do. It is a select few—three or four—key priorities that will have a significant impact on the future direction and success of the business. In the best of situations, focus can be difficult for those small business owners who are impatient, have difficulty following through on tasks, or who seem forgetful. For all owners, it can be a daily challenge to not become distracted by the countless other business issues that seem to demand our attention. When coupled with rapid growth in the business, narrowing our focus to a very small list of priorities can seem impossible. After all, we tell ourselves, isn’t the list of urgent items that need to be addressed right

December 9, 2019

Three Qualities Part 1

Three Qualities, Part I By Chuck Violand November 4, 2019 One of the favorite parts of my work at Violand Management is when I’m able to conduct our new client onboarding webinar. This is usually the first conference we have with new clients. It’s where we welcome them into our company and acquaint them with how we’ll be working together. More importantly, it’s where we get to know them better. Nobody’s selling anything, and nobody’s buying anything, so it gives me a chance to just talk and interact with them on a more personal level. In doing so, I learn about their business and their family. I gain insights into the things that bring them joy and the worries that keep them awake at night. As part of the onboarding presentation, I discuss three qualities that we have found to play a significant role in our clients’ success. They’re not the only three factors that contribute to success, but they’re three that stand out and seem to repeat themselves often enough to take notice. There’s no mystery about these qualities; no closely guarded trade secrets and no “secret sauce” that we’re going to share with them as we work together.