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The Age of the Customer is disrupting and making obsolete many older practices, but not the requirement for business planning, especially cash flow.

A business plan is the result of thinking, researching, strategizing, and reaching conclusions about how to pursue opportunities. It may exist only in the head of the planner, but it’s better when written down.

Whether elaborate or simple, a written business plan is an assembly of facts, ideas, assumptions, and projections about the future. Here ar...

In this week's video I talk about the future of the internet with the upcoming ICANN expiration.

from on .

The Question:

President Obama is planning to give U.S. control of the Internet to a global consortium. What do you think?

2% - Agree with the president-it doesn’t matter who governs the Internet.

86% - This is a very dangerous decision that could have catastrophic implications.

12% - Uncertain

My Comments:

For at least a dozen years, I’ve reported on my radio program about the global covetousness of the U.S. control of the Internet–even though we built it. So it doesn’t surprise me that other globa...

Since 1993, control of the three major elements of your customer relationships—product, information, and buying decision—has been shifting from business to customer. As you may remember, I’ve identified this shift as a marketplace transition from the original age to the new one—the 10,000 year-old Age of the Seller is being replaced by what I call The Age of the Customer®.

As this shift plays out, two types of businesses—Hidebound Sellers and Visionary Sellers—currently exist in parallel unive...

In this week's video I offer advice on executing an online strategy.

from on .

The Question:

President Obama has announced he plans to change the overtime rules for salaried workers. What do you think?

11% - I agree with the president’s plan.

89% - The president has no right to interfere with my employment relationships.

My Comments:

It’s no surprise that the large majority of an audience of small business owners would think President Obama’s plan to interfere with employer/employee relationships by changing overtime rules for salaried employees is a bad one.

Senator George M...

Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond, and cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education.- Mark Twain

After all these years there has been no one to compare with Twain, and the light of his wisdom has not dimmed.

No matter what we do or where we go, owner or employee, and now more than ever before, we must continue to study, train, and learn. Everyone in your organization. Everyone. Everyday. Lifelong learning.

Are you feeling threatened these days - maybe ev...

The Internet, created and managed by the U.S. government from the 1960s to the 1990s, is clearly the most dramatic and successful example of technology transfer from government to private sector.

That transfer began in 1993 when the world was first allowed to use the Internet for commercial purposes. At that point, Internet governance and management was contractually transferred from the government to a contractor, Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI).

The NSI agreement was a lucrative one because it...

In this week's video I explain how you can help your business by helping your customer's customer.

from on .

The Question:

With tax filing dates coming up, March 15 for corporations and April 15 for everyone else, will you file on time or use an extension?

59% - We will file our business and personal returns on time, without extension.

34% - We will file extensions

7% - Still undecided

My Comments

Once upon a time if you needed an extension, you had to go to the IRS office, get the form upon which you would explain why you needed more time, get it postmarked before midnight March 15 for corporations and A...