I was recently invited to facilitate a discussion on “Strategies for Business Growth” for the Greater Birmingham Black Chamber of Commerce. We had a very refreshing conversation which, as usual, resulted in me learning more than what I came to teach–which is the great thing about having dialogue rather than lecture! A few topics we discussed included:
- Understanding your personal and organizational business models and the importance of articulating and testing the assumptions underlying them.
- Preparing for and adapting to the inevitable disruption of your business.
- Lessons learned from disrupted companies such as Sears, K-Mart, Woolworth, and Blockbuster Video and the Railroads.
- The importance of marketing and defending your business on social media.
- Knowing your customer.
- Difficulties of conducting market research in 2015.
- How to collaborate with other smaller firms in order to build capacity to compete against larger firms.
- Team building.
- Developing entrepreneurial talent.
- Dealing with corporate supplier diversity officers.
- Challenges associated with generational differences in work ethics.
Although none of us wanted the conversation to end, unfortunately we couldn’t talk all night. Instead, I was extended an open invitation to return—which I most certainly will accept.
