Archive | Small Business Success

You eat what you kill

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 4, 2014

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

This somewhat crude advice was given to us soon after we started Magnus. It was probably sometime in 1994 and the advice giver was a consultant in another field. And, we immediately knew his point; we only make money when we get hired on a case. Entrepreneurs depend on each client and each sale. It […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 4, 2014

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

I like this expression: “You eat what you kill.” It conveys to me that, if I don’t bring in the business, I won’t have any work to do. As the person in my business who earns most of the revenue, I know that many other people and their families depend on me to do what […]

Don’t pass the rest area

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 29, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Small Business Success

The simple and obvious message here is, when you gotta go, you gotta go. Stop, take the opportunity, when you have it. You never know about the traffic ahead or whether you will have a flat tire. Don’t get yourself into an emergency situation. The bigger message is there are lots of parallels to this […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 29, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Small Business Success

I plan ahead and I try to anticipate everything that could go wrong. All of the work performed by my company and me has a deadline. Some of the deadlines are imposed by the court system, others by our clients and their desire to quickly obtain our report from the research they hired us to […]

Network for Business & Ideas

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 15, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Small Business Success

Networking. It is one of the main tools in a marketing toolbox. So, you find the events that potential clients attend, you put your name on the attendee list, and you go. Then what? If you are good at working a room, you introduce yourself to as many people as you can as you make […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 15, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Small Business Success

Between the two of us, my spouse/business partner is the networker. I am just not good at networking and I guess I never will be. On the rare occasions when I have to attend a networking event, I spend most of my time at the event hoping no one will talk to me. I dislike […]

Introverts

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 13, 2014

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

My spouse/business partner and I are introverts. It may be a common assumption to assume most entrepreneurs are gregarious, outgoing, extroverts, however, the reality is entrepreneurs come in all sizes, shapes, and types, just like the general population. As introverts, it takes a long time for my partner and me to “warm up” to strangers, […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 13, 2014

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

It is difficult for me to socialize on the “cocktail party” or even lunch/dinner circuit. But, networking through these means has been important in the development of Magnus’ business. The key for me is meeting one or more like minded person and using that person as a “wing person” through which to meet more and […]

Do it now, right now

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 28, 2014

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

The late, great bass guitar player, Jaco Pastorius, was known to have a favorite expression, “RIGHT NOW.” Because I am a bass player, and an impatient person, I have adopted this expression during times when I am trying to communicate that something must be done with extreme urgency. Unlike the expression, “Git ‘er dun,” which […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 28, 2014

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

Building on the discussion of “Git ‘er dun,” the reality is that we all need help sometime figuring out what must be the top priority of the moment. Another reality we all face in a work environment requiring every bit of productivity per person possible, is that priorities change, often on a moment’s notice. In […]

Git Er Dun

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 21, 2014

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

The rather crude, somewhat sexually suggestive, “Git ‘er dun” expression has become pervasive, to the point of being printed on hats, license plates, and other items. Although I like to think of myself as an educated, erudite, well spoken person, I have resorted to using this expression from time to time because it expresses, in […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 21, 2014

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

It can be hard to prioritize but when the boss (at home or work) says “git ‘er dun” the priorities become very clear. But, another aspect of “git ‘er dun” is to take it as a motto to make things happen, fast, and accurately. And, then to let someone know whatever it was to be […]

Friendly competition

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 14, 2014

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

I am a very competitive person. And, I don’t just like to compete for the sake of competing; I like to win. Furthermore, many things are games to me and I love to play games. Since childhood, my friends and I have played a silly game on the first day of the month in which […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 14, 2014

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

There are many ways friendly competition can be used and can be helpful. The games Melissa mentions are for fun and to help break the monotony or temper work place stress and tensions. I recently discussed some of this with a computer programmer who manages many other programmers and he spoke of occasionally challenging the […]

Running a Business is Not all Negative

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 27, 2014

Category: Business Partnerships, Careers, Employment, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

As I have written some of these posts I have found that a number of them take on an employer – employee, us vs. them, negative tone. A few years ago there was a movie out called Horrible Bosses. I admit, when I first heard that title I was offended. Though I did enjoy the […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 27, 2014

Category: Business Partnerships, Careers, Employment, Managing Employees, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Work-Life

When I was in graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in social psychology, the expectation among my professors was that I would join their ranks in academia. Indeed, all of my peers became college professors. I never desired a career in academia, preferring instead to work in corporate environments, including as a litigation consultant. If […]

A Point of View & Another View – Ouch! How Employee Mistakes Hurt

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 6, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

I suppose it is partly because I operated my own business for several years as a photographer, with no employees, that I have a full appreciation for the costs of running a business. If I broke a camera, or ruined a print, it was “my bad”, and I had only myself to blame. But, when […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 6, 2014

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

As the co-owners of a small business, my spouse and I take everything personally, literally. I tell new employees, “Look around. Everything you see here was bought by my partner and me, and paid for, 100%, by money I earned personally. If you break something, you have broken something that belongs to me, not the […]

A Point of View & Another View – Debriefings

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 3, 2014

Category: Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

Although my business partner, our employees, and I take great pride in our professionalism and work standards, something usually goes wrong during our research projects. We employed a former member of the military who likened our jury research projects to a combat mission and who suggested, soon after he was hired, that we adopt a […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 3, 2014

Category: Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

While our mock jury research may not seem prone to problems, when considering the technologies involved, the people involved, many of whom we have never met (including the mock jurors, and clients, and clients’ clients), things happen. We travel to mock trials with hundreds of pounds of equipment, video cameras, cables, cords, surveys, and computers. […]

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Archive | Small Business Success

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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