9/16/2009
5 Controversial Tips for Taking Charge of Your Business
by Laura Fine, Assistant State Director
If your business is struggling during this tough economy, George Cloutier, author of the new book Profits Aren't Everything, They're the Only Thing: No-Nonsense Advice from the Ultimate Contrarian and Small Business Guru, states that the blame goes to the owner, not to the economy. Cloutier recently offered five pieces of controversial advice to business owners in an article for Entrepreneur.
1. Forget teamwork. Provide leadership and structure and set goals for individual performance.
2. Micromanage like crazy. Don't shirk responsibility for day-to-day management of your business. Delegation is fine for some tasks, but the owner takes ultimate responsibility.
3. Pay raises are over. Freeze salaries now, implement a pay-for-performance plan, and stick to it.
4. Fear is the best motivator. It's O.K. for employees to fear the boss as long as you're keeping the business afloat and the paychecks coming. Fear of failure is also a good motivator for the owner to keep the company alive.
5. If your business fails during a recession, it's your fault. If your business isn't surviving, it's because you weren't doing what you should have been doing when the economy was good.
Cloutier tells business owners to take immediate action to ensure their business survives and thrives by cutting costs, aggressively going after sales, and firing mediocre workers.
To view the full text of this article, visit: http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/startupbasics/article203238.html
