Leadership Skills Blog
The 5 Failures of New Businesses
At age 50, I have been lucky enough to have started several small businesses that did fairly well. Unfortunately, my most recent attempt at starting a new business with my wife only lasted about 6 months. Our St. Augustine Art Gallery opened in December of 2002 and was closed by June of 2003. While my wife, a talented artist, got to realize her dream of owning an art gallery, the experience was something I could have done without.
Experts will tell you that there are some common reasons why new businesses fail. I think we must have been guilty of at least 10 of those reasons. In the interest of brevity, the following are 5 of the most common reasons why our business, and most new businesses, fail.
The need for money is always the greatest when you first start a new business. In our case, not only did we have to lease a space, but we had to hire contractors to turn what was an old garage into an inviting art gallery. Not only did we pay for putting up walls, tiling, carpeting, lighting and an expensive sign, but, for some reason I still can not explain, we agreed to install a toilet and air conditioning. Then we went to BusinessInsurance.org and purchased insurance. We had to furnish the gallery and put down deposits for electrical and water service. The expenses mounted very quickly. Before we even opened our doors for business, we had depleted $30,000 in savings in order to get the space looking like an art gallery.
A lack of money and a lack of experience in knowing how to market art led to our downfall. We were never able to attract a steady flow of paying customers.
Even though 30,000 cars supposedly passed by our shop every day, very few stopped to shop. At night, the streets were abandoned except for the homeless and other characters that might make the average person want to avoid the area.
We were just getting involved in Iraq and people were truly very scared about possible terrorist attacks in our country. Add to that a very weak economy and art, a non-essential luxury purchase, was bound to be a very hard sell.
We thought that because there were 20 or more art galleries in St. Augustine, there was a big local market for art. In addition, we knew St. Augustine attracted many tourists, both from the United States as well as from Europe, Asia and South America. In fact, residents of St. Augustine can most kindly be described as "thrifty" in their buying habits. They came for the free wine and cheese and other snacks put out by the different galleries during the monthly Art Walks, but no one spent money actually buying art. Everybody loved the art and called it amazing, but only a few actually followed through and made a purchase.
Opening a Small Business - Running a Daycare – Emergency Medical Release Form
When opening a small business including running a daycare consider having the parents sign an emergency medical release form
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Opening a Small Business - Running a Daycare – Enrollment Form
When opening a small business including running a daycare consider having an enrollment form for your children and parents.
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Opening a Small Business - Running a Daycare - Diaper Changing Station
When opening a small business including running a daycare consider a diaper changing station
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Opening a Small Business - Running a Daycare - Toys
When opening a small business including running a daycare consider buying cleanable toys
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Opening a Small Business - Running a Daycare - Nap Time
When opening a small business means running a daycare consider all aspects in including nap time.
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Opening a Small Business - Running a Daycare - Lunch Time
When opening a small business including running a daycare consider lunch time for the children also.
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Opening a Small Business - Running a Daycare
When opening a small business such as running a daycare out of your home make sure you consider all your options
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Opening a Small Business - Running a Daycare - Agreement Letter
When opening a small business including running a daycare consider having an agreement letter in place
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Opening a Small Business - A Cafe
When considering opening a small business you may want to think about a cafe. My wife and I did.
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Opening a Small Business - A Balancing Act
Opening a small business requires that you balance the needs of your customers, your employees and your owner
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Opening a Day Care Business
Opening a day care business can be a exciting time but consider all your options and plan it out first. Running a day care can be fun or miserable if you are not prepared!
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Online Leadership Training
When you do a quick Google search of online leadership training you come up with approximately 5,110,000 choices! Good luck going through all of those! Let me help you understand how to select the rig
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Online Employee Handbooks
You can find some excellent resources on the web for online employee handbooks that are not expensive and will solve your problem.
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Online Employee Handbook
If you're looking for an online employee handbook then you need to make sure that it has the following items in it.
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Offline Marketing is Still Effective
Do you ask yourself if offline marketing is still effective? I say yes!
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Office Policy Manual – Do You Need One!
To run a business today without an office policy manual is just business suicide!
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Need Help Writing a Business Plan?
Don't be one of those individuals that are afraid to ask when you need help writing a business plan.
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Negotiation Training
I received my first good reason for the need of negotiation training when I helped negotiate a Union contract in California!
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Mortgage Note Buyers
If your Looking for Mortgage Note Buyers look no further!
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Meeting Ice Breakers – Team Work
Meeting Ice breakers are great! This is a good one for a class or discussion on Team Work, and the art of communication.
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Math Meeting Ice Breakers
Numbers are always fun to use as Meeting Ice Breakers.
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Looking Back in Time
Meeting Ice Breakers can just be for fun too - Look back into time 100 years
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Planning - Account for everything
Meeting Ice Breakers should can add so much to the meeting or training event if it is related to the subject.
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Meeting Ice Breakers are great to begin any meeting or training event
Meeting ice breakers can be used to generate great discussion such as this ice breaker about listening to instructions.
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover
Meeting Ice Breakers can also be used to create a lot of discussion such as this ice breaker
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Fun While Getting to Know Each Other
Meeting ice breakers should be fun while they allow for people to get to know a little more about each other
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Negative and Positive Reinforcement
Meeting ice breakers are a great way to reinforce the subject matter you are teaching on
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Having fun with numbers
Meeting ice breakers are of course meant to have loosen up the group - if you like numbers this is your ice breaker
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Are You Listening
The below meeting ice breakers are meant to certainly loosen up everyone, as well as get a few good laughs.
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Listening Skills
The below meeting ice breakers are meant to certainly loosen up everyone, as well as get a few good laughs.
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Meeting Ice Breakers - Having Fun with Math
Good Leadership Skills includes having a few good Meeting Ice Breakers up your sleeve
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Marine Corps Reserve
I spent over five years at Floyd Bennett Field a Marine Corps Reserve Station in Brooklyn New York! My mission there was to train Marine Corps Reservist in Communications.
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Marine Corps Leadership Traits - Mental Endurance
Any Marine will tell you they have stories for all the Marine Corps Leadership Traits.
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Marine Corps Graduation – I Did It!
Marine Corps Graduation! It was just around the corner now!
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Marine Corps Birthday
Speaking as a Marine that left the United States Marine Corps more than twenty plus years ago I still get goose bumps on November 10th every year! Of course November 10th is the Marine Corps Birthday!
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Management Training Classes
Management training classes are an important part of your management career and will ultimately help you with making your business much more successful!
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Make a web site
If you want to make a web site start with selecting the right hosting company that has the tools available to drive traffic to your company.
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Making a Business Website
When your thinking about making a business website to increase your sales, look to professional hosting companies to build it correctly.
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Making Excuses - Take Personal Responsibility for your actions
Ever since Adam and Eve people have been making excuses for their behavior.
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Daniel in the Lions Den - The True Test of Integrity
The story of Daniel in the lions den is truly one of the most pure Christian inspirational stories of all times. His pure love for God truly put his integrity to the ultimate test!
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Sample Letters of Termination for Sexual Harassment
Here is are some sample letters of termination that may be helpful in avoiding a wrongful termination claim.
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Letter Writing Templates - Professional Help in a Box
Why worry about writing a business letter when you can pick up Letter Writing Templates that will practically write your letter for you for under $40.
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Sample Letter of Termination - Unexcused Absences
Here is a letter of termination and information that may be helpful in avoiding a wrongful termination claim.
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Letter of Reprimand
Issuing a letter of reprimand is an experience that you don't look forward to unless you are prepared!
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Legal Forms Online
Getting legal forms online has never been easier than it is in today’s cyber technological world!
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Leading Change in a Changing Environment
Leading change in today's environment is almost common place. The leaders that are able to make these changes while increasing productivity, keeping employee and customer satisfaction high...
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Leadership Types
There all kinds of leadership types in the workplace today. What type are you?
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Leadership Types – The Non Confrontational Leader
The Non Confrontational Leader is another one of the leadership types that I would not want to have leading my organization.
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Leadership Types – The Micro Manager
Another one of the leadership types that aren't fondly thought of is the Micro Manager.
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