Business Owner Resources

By Daniel M. Murphy on 11/27/2008

The Growth Coach wishes every one of our business coaching blog readers a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.  I hope each of you is surrounded by family, friends, good food, and relaxing and fun times. For this business coach, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  There are no presents involved and it's very simple... a time to slow down, reflect, count your blessings, and give thanks.  And, I almost forgot, eat more than you should! During today's crazy economic times, more than...

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 11/24/2008

It’s been said that managers do things right (efficiency) and leaders do the right things (effectiveness).  It's easy to be busy but hard to work on the right things.  As a business leader, you must focus your employees on doing the right things ... those things that matter most to the success of the company.  As your virtual business coach, I challenge you to focus the time, talent, energy, and resources of your team on key priorities and goals.  To help you, constantly ask, “What’s Important Now...

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 11/20/2008

I was recently interviewed by a on-line business reporter for an article on leadership that may not appear for 3-4 months, if at all.  However, once the phone interview was officially over, the reporter had a deep curiosity about business coaching and proceeded to ask me some fascinating questions.  In fact, I thought his off-the-cuff questions about business coaching and his insights into the issues facing small business owners would make for a beneficial topic for our business coaching blog. 

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 11/17/2008

In the prior business coaching blog, we covered the basics of the Inner Game of Business.  We established that most small business owners (and even athletes) have the unfortunate and costly habit of interfering with their own success.  They get in their own way and can even sabotage their own performance.  In order for them to achieve optimal success, we addressed the critical need for entrepreneurs and athletes to tame their most important asset or liability, their mind ... specifically their mindset,...

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 11/13/2008

Business coaching and sports psychology share much in common.  In both cases, the coach is trying to get the professional to achieve optimal levels of performance.  More often than not, the coaching is not really about teaching the professional (athlete or owner) more about the mechanics of the sport or business but rather helping them to tame their most important asset or liability, his or her mind. 

Very often, the coach is helping the athlete or owner get out of their own way.  To stop sabotaging their performance.  To help them remove mental barriers and limiting doubts.  You see, nearly all human beings have a habit of interfering with and sabotaging their own ability to perform at high levels.  Such self-interference can be costly. 

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 11/10/2008

Do you ever get the Business Owner Blues?  You know, those generalized feelings of anxiety, mental fatigue, stress, and being trapped in and by the business.  Those occasional days when you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.  Yes, those blues!  Having been a business coach for over sixteen years, I have seen this condition pop up thousands of times in the lives of entrepreneurs.  Sadly, it's pretty common and I too am not immune.  While being a business owner is an incredible...

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 11/6/2008

Business coaching is some of the most fulfilling and rewarding work there is.  You get the opportunity to positively influence the lives and businesses of others.  Today is no exception.  I just received a press release about Home Helpers, one of our many and growing number of national account clients.  Here is a wonderful story about the powerful impact business coaching can have on the lives and businesses of entrepreneurs.  Many lessons for all of us to adopt and adapt.

Last month, John...

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 11/3/2008

This past Saturday, I was fighting off a sinus infection so I spent a very lazy afternoon recuperating and watching as many college football games as I could.  As a fan, I love college sports in general.  As a business coach, I love the college games because they are a microcosm of life and business ... competing, planning, practicing, coaching, attacking, defending, striving, adjusting, playing as a team, winning, losing, bouncing back, improving, and having fun.  In sports and business, the score...

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 10/30/2008

This business coaching blog is dedicated to helping you attract new customers with practical and low-cost marketing strategies.  The more fishing lines your company puts in the water, the better chance of catching customers.  These are easy-to-implement strategies (beyond and supplemental to your internet marketing efforts) to help drive customers and revenues into your business.  While not all of them will make sense for your business, some definitely will.  Here are 10 powerful marketing strategies...

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By Daniel M. Murphy on 10/27/2008

Sadly, after several years in business, we entrepreneurs tend to lose the emotional and motivational connection to our initial dreams and visions.  We get so busy working "in" the business and dealing with the "daily grind" that we lose sight of the big picture and our compelling vision.  Our original dreams of business ownership start to fade and sour as the realities of business management take over. 

Furthermore, the daily challenges and demands of running a business, especially in a tough...

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