I was doing some research recently on why companies fail, as well as why companies don't grow.  It struck me after reading a number of opinions and viewpoints that there were indeed some common themes between these two situations.  While that did not surprise me, the common themes were quite striking, as was the one factor that applied to non-growing companies only. Success and failure have [...]

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Canada EU CETA It was 4 years in the making, and the timing of the signing of the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in the light of the protectionist approach being promoted by the new Donald Trump administration should not be overlooked.  The timing for business expansion into new markets may be just right for you. Yes, the USA is Canada’s [...]

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Marketing is getting complex and, as a result, very complicated for the average business person. The graphic below is a case in point (Just click on the image and it will open full screen - then you can scroll to see it in all its glory). Complexity drives the need for a marketing coach However please realize that this graphic is just showing you the Marketing Technology space - it does [...]

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Tom Dalton (not his real name) ran a very successful distribution business.  He had been in business for 42 years and the business had been successful for a long time.  He has seen the ebbs and flows of the economic roller coaster, so it is not new to him.  For the last two years, business had been expanding quite aggressively, albeit with only two customers.  Both these customers were [...]

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Your website is telling tales about you - that's why a Responsive Website Design is a must in today's world. Your website says more about you and your business than your home page, the about us page and just about all the content on your site. And not only does it tell a story to your customers and your referral sources, but it tells an even more telling story to the most important person in [...]

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The days of compartmentalizing business functions into tightly controlled areas of influence (like marketing, sales, operations etc) are long gone - we just need to accept this Change Reality and buy into a new way of thinking: Business Growth. "Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning."  Thomas Edison It is no coincidence that Edison had the foresight and [...]

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Mastermind Solutions helps companies with business growth and expansion - locally or internationally. That includes companies looking to export to Canada from anywhere in the world. We help North American and International clients with knowledge, information, management, implementation, finance and entrepreneurial advice to tackle a growth initiative.  We can act as consultants, project [...]

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Question: Why is a marketer with strategic insight, a business sense, and an eye for opportunity so valuable in a business? Answer: He will be the first person to identify growth opportunities. How does he do it? He walks in the shoes of your customer and can identify what you need to do for that customer to attract him to your company.  It is this ability and insight that most people in a [...]

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A number of years ago I was given a task by a cash retail company: generate loyalty from our cash customers. The first cash retail loyalty program in the world I created a free Club for the customers to join and then had to manage the loyalty program that was part of the club. At the time, this was the first full-scale loyalty program for a major cash retailer in the world.  After a year we had[...]

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So, marketing is simple - right?  All you need to think about is advertising, social media, websites, PR etc etc. This is a new world - Think again and face up to the reality that marketing is much more complex and expansive than you ever imagined. And if you think you can deal with it on your own, then take a look at the infographic below.  Prepare to be overwhelmed.  And this is just the [...]

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