Working on the Business

10 Feb 2021

When Saying “Be Careful!” Isn’t Enough

By |2021-02-10T23:35:03-07:00February 10th, 2021|Categories: Leadership, Manifast, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Be Careful - Woman Falling on Ice

It is snowing, and the roads are slippery. One of your team members is about to hit the road, so you say, “Be careful out there!” as they depart.

You are about to head out for a wintry walk on the icy sidewalks of Calgary, and a friend texts, “Be careful!” before you bundle up and head out.

Did your chances of staying safe improve from the well-intended reminder?

The Safety Illusion – Looking Back

I was a relatively confident walker before I […]

16 Sep 2020

How To Profit From Your Business Safety Needs

By |2020-09-16T23:34:10-06:00September 16th, 2020|Categories: Business Strategy, Manifast, Sales, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Growing Profit and Increasing Business Safety Needs
Entrepreneurs are risk-takers by nature. Often that means putting aside safety but, it doesn’t have to. Thinking a little more like an investor can mitigate risk and build some security into your business.

In my last article, I talked about Maslow’s hierarchy and its impacts on consumers (or overall market), your customers, and the people inside your business.

A business also has a hierarchy of needs distinct from the people in it.

For example, human physiological needs correspond to the parts […]

24 Jun 2020

Sunwapta: What Is Up With All Of The Water?

By |2020-06-24T16:08:33-06:00June 24th, 2020|Categories: Business Strategy, Marketing, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Sunwapta Falls - Sunwapta Solutions

As we pass our 20th business anniversary for Sunwapta Solutions, I spent some time reflecting on some of the most popular questions we’ve received over the years.

  • How did you come up with your company name?
  • What’s up with all of the water?

It All Started When

Like all business owners, we spent a lot of time trying to come up with a name that was: interesting, meant something to us, and wasn’t already taken.

After much discussion, I searched a map of Alberta and landed on Sunwapta as a […]

18 Sep 2017

How to Avoid Setting Your New Salesperson Up For Failure

By |2017-09-19T12:25:35-06:00September 18th, 2017|Categories: Marketing, Oilfield Pulse, Sales, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Elephant in the Room - Setting Up New Salesperson for Failure

As you grow your business and hire a new salesperson, you are likely leaving money on the table. Are you making one or more of these mistakes and setting your team up for failure?

Over the last few weeks, I’ve met several people who were hired to work […]

25 May 2017

Do You Know What Makes You Successful At Sales?

By |2020-07-02T16:19:19-06:00May 25th, 2017|Categories: Doug's Blog, Marketing, Sales, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

2 Business People Meeting - Successful at Sales

Most small and mid-sized businesses cannot clearly define the process they use for successful sales. This lack of clarity severely limits the growth potential of an SMB. Here’s why.

I didn’t say YOU can’t sell. If you’ve been in business or sales for a few years and are still around, you’ve probably figured something out that works for you.

In fact, I haven’t met very many business owners who don’t think they can sell or at least have someone on […]

2 May 2017

Change or Die: Thriving In Turbulent Times

By |2017-05-02T00:37:18-06:00May 2nd, 2017|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Oilfield Pulse, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Innovation and Thriving in Turbulent Times - Movie Scene Clapper

The oil and gas industry is notorious for riding the boom and bust cycles inefficiently. When oil is over $80 a barrel, the profits are large enough companies choose to ignore innovation and spend on growth instead. The problems compound the faster you grow until you can’t survive below $70 per barrel.

When prices are low, there is a slash and burn reaction because the company was never set up to be efficient. Now, the money and resources are not there to support creating efficiencies. […]

24 Apr 2017

Small Potatoes, Time, and Inbound Marketing

By |2017-04-27T18:48:22-06:00April 24th, 2017|Categories: Doug's Blog, Marketing, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Small Potatoes, Time, and Inbound Marketing

When you make mistakes, it is best to learn the lessons they teach you. Sometimes the lessons are about something else entirely – like time management and inbound marketing.

Counting Potatoes

It all started when I was making my supper. I was a bit hungry and grabbed some baby potatoes to roast. I would usually eat one large potato or two medium ones. Baby potatoes are much smaller. Obviously, one large potato is the equivalent of about 50 baby potatoes.

Having made this mistake before, and being considerate of […]

12 Apr 2017

5 Powerful Exercises to Rehab Your Business

By |2017-04-12T16:44:29-06:00April 12th, 2017|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Oilfield Pulse, Working on the Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

5 Exercises to Rehab Your- Business Think Outside Box

In rehab, you engage with experts and specialists to get through the first few stages of recovery. You can also speed it along by outsourcing to clinics outside of the public health care system.

At some point, you have to do some of the work on your own. If the exercises are too complicated or time-consuming, most people won’t do them.

So here are some simple but powerful exercises you can do to rehab your business. You will get stronger faster, by pushing the exercises […]

28 Mar 2016

Stuck? Begin With the Start in Mind

By |2017-04-03T11:11:26-06:00March 28th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, The Good Men Project, Working on the Business|

Begin with Start - Writing Business Ideas

Are you excellent at picturing the end-solution and then working backwards? There are times when that approach fails.

As an entrepreneur, I can imagine, in great detail, a lot of possible things I could do or build. I’ve run into plenty of others in the same boat. Ideas are rarely in shortage.

Call it chasing the squirrel or the shiny blue ball syndrome.

The solution in most cases is to […]

6 Apr 2015

When Peter’s Problem Robs His Business To Pay Paul

By |2017-04-03T11:16:32-06:00April 6th, 2015|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Leadership, Working on the Business|

Businessman Sheltering From Storm and Crisis

Is your business set up to support you during challenging personal times or will it become an additional burden out of neglect; robbing you of income when you need it most and even potentially everything you've invested in it?

Peter’s Story

My name is Peter. Today I don’t feel like working.

Yet there are a hundred things screaming for my attention.

I should be able to focus but I can’t. My mind is elsewhere, outside of the business […]