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Time to Register for the Spring Summit
 Make
your plans to attend the
Spring 2010 Chief Executive Summit
at Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Itasca (Chicago), IL. This is one of the
best-rated CEBI Summit venues, at lower rates than last year!
Plan to arrive Wednesday, April 21 by 6 pm for a welcome reception and bowling
night. The Summit begins at 8:30 am on Thursday, April 22 and wraps up by
3:30 pm on Friday, April 23. (Plan return flights at 5:30 or later)
What's One More Good
Idea Worth?
 I'm
regularly amazed by the economic value of ideas CEBI members take away from
meetings. Some are cost reduction, risk reduction, exploiting current
market situations, and also revenue and margin enhancement.
Every now and then one just stands out. Sure an idea worth $5,000 or
$10,000 is a good thing. How about an idea worth $100,000? I saw
one of those surface in a Local Board meeting this past month.
Wonder
what that idea might have been?
The Real Leading Cause of
Small Business Failures
You've probably read that the leading cause of small business
failures is undercapitalization. Over the past year of observing hundreds of
businesses navigate a major recession I've become convinced that the real
reason is lousy financials. That's the major reason, I
believe, that businesses under stress run out of money.  That's the symptom
known as undercapitalization, but it's not the cause.
Are you a potential victim of lousy financials? I
watched 2 friends lose their businesses in 2009 due to mistaken and misleading
financial information. Have you assessed how
much not having a CFO is costing you? Here are some things to watch
out for:
7
Ways Lousy Financials Trip up Business Owners....
Don't Worry About the Mule Going
Blind --
Load the Wagon
Years ago, I heard a manager talking with a sales person, who
had all kinds of reasons he hadn't yet asked a customer for an order.
Perhaps you have a sales person who's always studying and researching prospects,
but not out there making calls.
 These
symptoms are sometimes called "analysis paralysis". Or just
plain fear of failure.
The manager's direction to the salesman?
"Don't worry about the mule going blind -- load the wagon." Not
a bad mantra, either, for today's business climate. We're in a time of
continuing uncertainty. Interestingly, it's the companies who are
"loading the wagon" who seem to be prospering and growing. Those
who are still worried about the mule (the economy) aren't seeing an upturn in
business -- could it be that they're not seriously looking for
it?
Don't Bury the
Lead
A
lot of your messages are still written -- memos, emails, ads, blogs, etc.
A lesson from journalism says to start anything you write with the most
important information, particularly anything you want the reader to do,
as the lead sentence. Seems simple, but lots of good writers, not trained in
journalism, do just the reverse.
Journalists call this "burying the lead" -- letting the most important
parts of the story slip down too far into the body of the article. Many readers
never get there, rendering the entire effort useless on everyone's
behalf.
It's
not natural to many of us -- we tend to lay out the reasons, then get to the
call to action later. Generally doesn't work. The
alternative? What journalists call the "inverted pyramid"
-- most important at the top, then with details filled in later in the
article.
And, as always, we're
interested in your ideas for newsletter articles. Would you perhaps write
a guest Editorial? Please let us know if you have ideas or material you'd
be willing to share with others.
Thanks,
Terry Weaver
CEO
Chief Executive Boards International
TerryWeaver@ChiefExecutiveBoards.com
864 527-5917
www.chiefexecutiveboards.com
www.chiefexecutiveblog.com
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Upcoming Events
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Houston LB*
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Feb.
24, 2010
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Greenville LB
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Feb.
25, 2010
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Tampa LB
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March
2, 2010
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Cleveland LB
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March
3, 2010
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Columbus LB
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March
4, 2010
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Houston LB
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June
2, 2010
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Greenville LB
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June
3, 2010
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Detroit LB
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June
8, 2010
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Chicago LB
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June
10, 2010
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Chicago North LB
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June
11, 2010
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Dayton LB
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June
15, 2010
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Cincinnati LB
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June
16, 2010
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Northern KY LB
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June
17, 2010
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Tampa LB
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June
22, 2010
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Cleveland LB
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June
23, 2010
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Columbus LB
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June
24, 2010
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Spring
Summit
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April
22-23, 2010
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* LB =
Local Board Meeting |
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Listing
of all
2010 Local Board Dates
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What's Your
Best
& Highest Use?
I'm
amazed at the number of members in the past couple of months who have said
things like, "We've been short-handed due to staff reductions, and I find
myself getting back into working in the business. I need to set
aside more time for working on the business."
One
member this past week said, "It always helps to just come here and think
about my business for a day." Maybe spending 6 or 8 of the 250
available work days a year with other CEBI members is a good way to get out of
the daily grind.
Have
you thought lately about what is your own best
and highest use in the business?
Not Yet a
Member?
Why
Does CEBI Work?
Ever wonder why CEBI works for so many
members?
Miss a CEBI
Newsletter?
Archives
are available here
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Nominate a Member
CEBI membership
has grown at a record pace over the past year, in part due
to CEBI members nominating friends & associates as new
members. Additionally,
we've had multiple members nominate identified successors or
purchasers of their businesses.
Do you have an
acquaintance who could benefit from membership in Chief
Executive Boards International? If you need an
email to share with a friend, try these "talking points"
Use this Nomination
Form
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