Author: Cameron Harnish

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 15, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET LEAN, though it requires a real change in mindset, uses a few very simple tools to drive dramatic improvements. John Stepleton realized a 28% productivity improvement in his call centers within a week; Jeff Booth was able to dramatically speed up the time it takes to get a vendor up on his building materials website; Mike Jagger saved $60,000 in IT costs from his first session; and Ken Sims was able to handle a 100% increase in business in 2008 without adding any headquarters staff. These CEOs and many other …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 15, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET An ignored function in many firms the past few years, marketing is back in vogue. Years ago I asked the top marketing mind in the country, Regis McKenna, (the marketing genius behind Intel, Genentech, and Apple Computer) what the most fundamental key to effective marketing was. He simply raised his index finger and exclaimed “one hour per week.” He also highlighted the two most important metrics used to measure marketing effectiveness – the number of warm leads generated and the cost per lead. I’ll elaborate in a moment. The good …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 15, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET Every day customers, competitors, suppliers, and employees are providing bits of intelligence useful to business owners. From day one, what’s been vital to the success of the founders of Linksys, the 2004 Entrepreneurs of the Year? What do they have in common with a practice Michael Dell initiated early on and continues today? How have they both avoided the number one weakness in growing companies, something so simple and inexpensive, yet universally overlooked by most companies? What is the most squandered resource to entrepreneurs? Every day customers, competitors, suppliers, and …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 15, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET It’s obvious the top entrepreneurs and investors understand that India and China are the future of our global economy. Do you? One of India’s wealthiest business leaders, Anil Ambani, invests $325 million in Steven Spielberg’s movie studio DreamWorks – something unimaginable just five years ago. In turn, Warren Buffett invests $230 million for a 10% stake in Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD, the same investor who shunned technology investments earlier this decade. It’s obvious the top entrepreneurs and investors understand that India and China are the future of our global …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 5, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET To start with, I suggest clients re-read the father of sales,Neil Rackham’s, classic book SPIN Selling. This resets the idea that there is a structured methodology companies can bring to the sales process. For a myriad of reasons (economic recovery, increased global competition, or simply tired of sluggish growth), there has been a renewed focus on cranking up the sales side of the business, with frequent requests for recommendations on effective sales training and techniques. So, in the spirit that it takes a “village of gurus” to help a company, …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 15, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET Though I’m generally in favor of making decisions vs. being grid-locked by indecision, decisions made without vital facts can be highly dangerous to the company. This the season for strategic planning as companies look to next year and beyond. Yet many small to mid-size companies jump into the process without proper preparation, hampering the effectiveness of a typical one- or two-day off site retreat. Worse, many of the decisions reached during these retreats are made without sufficient qualitative and quantitative information. Though I’m generally in favor of making decisions vs. …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 15, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET “You’ll make more money selling your company than you’ll ever make selling your products or services” If you’ve ever thought of selling your business, do it now!! That’s been my advice since a close friend phoned me to say he had sold his business. When I asked why, he said the economics were simple. There is so much money chasing so few deals that the final price was way beyond reason. And he figures he can re-purchase his company for a fraction what he received once the buyer blows it …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 5, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET With the recession weakening or eliminating competitors while competition outside the country has increased, it’s time to crank up a well-oiled marketing function. Yet the single biggest weakness I find in many growth firms is the lack of a separate and well-functioning one.  If it exists at all, it’s seen as a simple sales support function tasked with making sure the website is updated and the sales people have presentation packs. Instead, it should be a vital function headed by the CEO and/or reporting directly to him or her. In …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 5, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET “Jemma is a great barrier to protect the team from my overzealousness and enthusiasm,” notes Naomi Simson, founder and CEO of Sydney-based RedBalloon. “She balances all my ‘brilliant’ ideas with a focus on making them process driven.” The single most important decision most entrepreneurs and CEOs make is who is going to be their right #2; who will play the insider role so the CEO can stay focused on market facing activities; who will make stuff happen after the CEO tosses a new idea over the transom; and who will …

By: Verne Harnish “Growth Guy” Oct 5, 2010 1:00:00 PM ET It’s an equally great story about passion, courage, and conviction to make a difference in the world as a small company. I love great guerilla marketing stories, where companies find clever ways to break into key markets that defy convention – approaches that help growth firms “take the hill” against formidable odds. Only now can the following story be shared, given the sensitive nature of the business. It’s a marketing story of how Luke Chung gained traction for his Vienna, Virginia based firm in the highly secretive and selective intelligence …