Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

The community you build at work is just as important as anything else you do. A case in point. I debated sharing this story here because of how recently these events had taken place.

It is easier than ever for your customers to find your competitors. Make sure they do not need to

When you have a stand-out employee, is increasing pay and benefits enough? Dear Norm, I own food-tour companies in 11 cities.

Go ahead.

A recent survey found more than half of small business owners are ill-prepared for retirement. Learn what the most common misconceptions are. For many small business owners , focusing on immediate goals such securing lending or growing their business can leave little room to adequately consider the future and retirement plans–a situation reflected in a survey from Fidelity Investments that found 53 percent of the nation’s six million small businesses may not have the retirement plan best suited for their needs

You want to tell them what you know--but can't. And you can't stay silent either. There's really only one thing you can say

What you think is an elevator pitch will actually alienate customers. Instead, have a conversation that creates a real sales opportunity. If you're like most entrepreneurs, you think an "elevator pitch" is a one- to three-minute sales pitch that you could presumably give during a very long elevator ride

A new study offers another reason to break a sweat that's specifically relevant to entrepreneurs: You're less likely to be a jerk to your employees. There is no shortage of reasons to exercise.

Throwing a few blocks can help you shine more than carrying the ball. We all love overnight celebrity stories about breakout stars who suddenly catapult to the forefront of a scene and completely own it out of sheer talent and brilliance. Sure, it's inspiring and romantic, but not always the case

Communication has been streamlined to short messages. Your management should be too. I’m a big fan of short, concise, summarized communication.

These few metrics will give you some added insight into just how much progress your company is making. Entrepreneurs routinely ask me what my one or two go-to financial metrics are, beyond the standard revenue, gross margin, net income and cash ratios.

Advice to help you be more confident, manage more effectively, and sell more than you think you can. I love listening to smart people. I don’t like listening to smart people when they pretend they developed the wisdom they impart all on their own—like a Stephen Hawking fairy flew down and touched them on the head with a Wand of Wisdom.

When your business is built around talent, you cant afford to skimp on healthcare and other employee benefits. As a rapidly growing business , one of the last things we were focused on was our employee benefits plan. Not a great approach, since providing a world-class benefits package can be a relatively inexpensive way to reward and retain key people.

There's no such thing as too much employee recognition.

They seem like friendly, harmless queries, but they can land you in a serious legal tar pit. Here's how to learn safely what you need to know.