Traction Inc.

As an entrepreneur, you understand the value of creating a clear vision and then communicating that vision to your management team. You also the value of objective advice and insights. You value outside advice and are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve the success your desire for you and your company.

Defining your business’s core values is vital for its growth, expansion and success. Your company’s shape, vision and culture are all contingent upon rock-solid values, as is its overall architecture.

When starting a business, the most crucial element of your business model should be creating a core value system that will resound within your organization. Core values define where you are and where you want to go, what types of employees will be a good fit for the organization, and how these elements can work together for success, now and in the future. A core value system is an integral part of an Entrepreneurial Operating System, as it helps define the key components of your organization for management and progression.

Doing business without a good business model in place is like trying to make your way through a jungle without having any path or compass. You might have a destination in mind, but you don’t have the tools or direction that will allow you to get there. The EOS business model is holistic, encompassing all the aspects that you need in order to clear an open path to success. The following six points are the keys to establishing this model:

As an entrepreneur, it’s extremely important that you avoid business catastrophes. If you’re only just starting out, you likely have a very limited supply of resources, new clients who haven’t yet developed loyalty to your brand, and a tenuous reputation that is highly vulnerable. Here are 5 steps to avoid a business catastrophe.

Keeping employees satisfied and engaged in their current positions can go a long way to boosting your profits. Unengaged employees may be doing their jobs, and they may even be relatively good at it, but they're probably not passionate about their position or the company. This translates into untapped potential and lost profits. The following EOS system describes 3 ways to improve employee engagement and proven strategies that can ultimately boost your profits and gain traction on your business.

Growing a business requires diligence, focus, and a clear vision. While this may seem like a manageable set of requirements, often times business owners find themselves being pulled in countless directions. From billing questions to marketing meetings to hiring new recruits, a business owner can soon find that their workload is spiraling out of control. In order to help you effectively grow your business, we have devised five steps that will help you to create focus and a clear vision.

The last ten years have been tumultuous for business.  In 2005, how could anyone predict the next ten years?  The good news is you don’t need to predict the future to set high quality goals.

Business execs once gathered in the boardroom; asking the secretary to keep the coffee flowing while holding all non-emergency calls.

With virtual meetings and video conferencing, executives get their own coffee and it doesn’t seem possible to get through a meeting without a host of trivial interruptions -- mostly digital in nature.

The average person checks their digital device once every six and a half minutes. We’re constantly on the phone, trying to get off the phone or waiting for the next call to come in. Our personal computing devices are the "third hand" our parents wished they had – holding calendars, phone books, important documents and photos – or viral videos of the precocious toddler singing the Twelve Days of Christmas backwards while standing on his head.

Good business strategy involves assessing all the components of your organization to see how each one fits into the overall goals and objectives. This also includes the people that work for your company. In addition to having a vision in place, the leadership team should have a core value structure that will establish the culture and shape the mindset of the entire organization to ensure you not only have the right people working for your company, but they are committed in helping drive its success.