43 Reasons Why the USA is So Blessed

American flag with fireworks and a text Celebrate America Happy Independence Day

On this great day when we celebrate America, its freedoms and way of life, please enjoy these 43 reasons why the USA is such a blessed place: #43. World Cup 2026. Summer Olympics 2028. Sports at their highest – happen here. #42. Unemployment at an 18 year low. Consumer confidence at an 18 year high. […]

Will “Rapid Demonetization” Kill Your Business?

Dollar bill with a pen written word saying THE END IS NEAR and an eye icon on the side

Have you heard of renowned futurist Peter Diamandis? Or what he describes as “rapid demonetization?” If not, you need to, as we now have many examples of businesses getting killed by it, like: Videoconferencing – today available for free via a wide number of mobile apps (Skype, WhatsApp, Hangouts, etc.), but was sold in 1982 by […]

Escaping the Modern Business SQUEEZE

Businessman's face squeezed by two gears

The daily reality at too many companies is just a series of squeezes: Pricing squeezes driven by aggressive competition and ever-higher customer demands Margin squeezes driven by shrinking gaps between employee profitability potential and their pay expectations And ideas and innovation squeezes between the changes that executives know are needed at their companies…. …and their […]

EXECUTION is Much More Important than Ideas

Steve Jobs in black and white with a quote saying To me ideas are worth nothing unless executed They're just a multiplier Execution is worth millions

Amazingly, two of the world’s largest management consulting firms – McKinsey ($8.8 billion annual revenue) and Bain ($3.8 billion annual revenue) – no longer focus on giving their clients new ideas. Where once these firms almost exclusively prided themselves on their “Think Tank” strategy and idea generation expertise, now their fastest-growing practice areas focus on […]

How To Get Buyers to Offer More For Your Business

Four intersecting arrows of different colors with the following words: Sell (Blue) Merge (Yellow) Transfer (Red) and Liquidate (Green)

As you probably know, most companies are sold for a conservative multiple of their cash flows and profits. But, did you know that some companies are sold for a high multiple of their revenues? And, do you know what kind of buyers pay these “airy” prices? And finally, do you know how to position your […]

The 10 Largest Funding Rounds of 2018

BIG DEAL

Which 10 companies raised the most venture capital in 2018? How were they able to raise so much money? And at such extraordinary valuations? And what can your business learn from them to drive more growth and funding in 2019? Learn who they are below, along with a key lesson from financing and growth success […]

The 10 Best Performing Companies of 2018

3D gold plated text saying TOP 10

Which 10 companies had the best performance in 2018? Why did they perform so well? What can your business learn from them to ensure better results in 2018? While 2018 was an uneven year for for the stock market – with the Dow down 5.6%, the S&P 500 6.2%, and the NASDAQ 28% – these […]

Are Tough Times Coming?

Tough times never last but tough people do

Recent turbulence in the financial markets has raised fears that the end might be near for the long bull market and these high confidence economic conditions. These fears are warranted, and a reversion to a more recessionary reality becomes more probable by the day. First, the stock market has tripled in the past ten years […]

What to Do About Bad Government

Graffiti with a quote saying You can love your country without having to love your government

The dysfunction of our federal government risks derailing these great markets and economic conditions. What can and should businesspeople (regardless of their political views), concerned above all else with the success of their companies, do about it? Well, here are some effective business responses to three of the most troubling kinds of government dysfunction. 1. […]

Four Fast Ways to Increase the Value of Your Business

White puzzle with the words Quality Plan Service Customer Vision Company Business and Excellence and a blue missing piece with the word VALUE

Last week, I shared details on 3,997 companies that have raised more than $57.5 billion this year. And though the vast majority of these companies have no revenue, they have a median pre-money valuation of close to $4 million! Three qualities these companies all have in common are dynamic leadership, exciting branding, and high market […]

How to Join these 3,997 Winning Companies

Group of people forming an ascending arrow with a few people scattered around it

Last week, I shared the “perception is reality” theory of business value and worth. Which empowers “profit challenged” companies to sell for multiples of their revenues – as opposed to more conservative and traditional ones of their cash flow and EBITDA. There are 3,997 companies this year that have done just this. So much of […]

Getting Big Deals Done, Part II

Two hands of businessmen shaking with other people blurred in the background

Last week, I wrote about how successful companies are led by entrepreneurs and executives highly skilled at getting big deals done. In it I shared 3 factors you must embody to become a great dealmaker [if you missed that post, you can read it here]. Now, great dealmakers get deals done for companies with “dealable” […]