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The Importance of Leadership Development Training and Leadership Training Benefits
In today’s fast-paced and complex environment, organizations face constant challenges that require strong leadership. Growth-stage businesses, nonprofits, and community leaders must navigate uncertainty, manage diverse teams, and drive sustainable growth. One of the most effective ways to prepare for these demands is through leadership development training. This training equips leaders with the skills, mindset, and tools necessary to lead with clarity and confidence. Leadersh
Rick Slark
2 days ago5 min read
An Owner Reflects on Workforce Uncertainty
“This isn’t about predicting outcomes. It’s about deciding what must be protected when certainty disappears.”
Rick Slark
6 days ago4 min read
How to Develop a Growth Strategy That Works for Your Business
Growing a business is a complex challenge. It requires more than just ambition or a good product. It demands a clear, practical plan that aligns with your unique circumstances and goals. Over the years, Slark Consulting Group have guided many organizations through this process, helping them cut through complexity and focus on what truly drives sustainable growth. In this post, I will share a grounded approach to creating a winning growth strategy that you can apply to your ow
Rick Slark
Jan 194 min read
You Don’t Need a Fully Thought-Out Issue to Begin
If you’ve thought about reaching out to Slark Consulting Group but haven’t yet, that’s okay. A lot of business owners hesitate because they don’t want to waste anyone’s time or reach out before the question is fully formed. They feel like they should have things clearer before starting the conversation. Let me set you at ease. You don’t need a polished problem to begin. Sorting things out together is part of the work. Sometimes talking it out is how clarity leads to a solutio
Rick Slark
Jan 81 min read
Advancing Growth Through Consulting for Small Businesses
Navigating the complexities of growth-stage businesses and nonprofits requires more than just ambition. It demands clear strategies, practical insights, and steady guidance. Over the years, I have seen how consulting for small businesses can transform uncertainty into actionable plans that foster sustainable growth. This post explores how targeted consulting can help organizations cut through complexity and achieve their long-term goals. The Role of Consulting for Small Busin
Rick Slark
Jan 63 min read
Revenue Is Lying to You
Revenue can hold steady while a business quietly weakens. When margins shrink and cash tightens, decline has already begun, even if sales look healthy. This article explains why profitability breaks before revenue and what experienced owners should do when the numbers start sending mixed signals.
Rick Slark
Dec 19, 20253 min read
The Importance of Discovery Calls
In the complex world of growth-stage businesses, nonprofits, and community leadership, clarity is a rare and valuable asset. When navigating strategic decisions, the first step often sets the tone for everything that follows. That initial conversation, commonly known as a discovery call , is more than just a meeting. It is a purposeful dialogue designed to uncover needs, align expectations, and lay the groundwork for a productive partnership. Understanding the Importance of D
Rick Slark
Dec 16, 20254 min read
Unlocking the Benefits of Fractional Strategists
Navigating the complexities of growth-stage organizations requires clear, focused strategies. As someone who has worked closely with businesses and nonprofits, I understand the challenges leaders face when trying to balance day-to-day operations with long-term planning. This is where fractional strategists come in. They offer a practical, flexible approach to strategic leadership without the full-time commitment. In this post, I will share insights into the advantages of frac
Rick Slark
Dec 12, 20253 min read
The Six Leadership Skills You Can’t Win Without
Modern leadership demands skills most of us were never trained in. Research shows leaders spend more than 70 percent of their time reacting to issues, meansing many aren’t actually leading, they’re managing chaos. Today’s leaders must master six critical competencies if they want to move beyond survival and actually win: time and priorities, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, talent development, character, and adaptability. Improving each of these doesn’t just make l
Rick Slark
Dec 12, 20254 min read
Too Much Advice? Here’s the Fix.
Confusion doesn’t come from the noise itself. It comes from not choosing a philosophy to interpret the noise.
Rick Slark
Dec 5, 20253 min read
Why Your Business Will Fail Before It Begins (The Real Reasons No One Tells You)
Learn why most new businesses fail before they start. Practical, honest guidance for pre-venture owners on motives, money, customers, and market readiness.
Rick Slark
Nov 28, 20253 min read
When Leaders Wait: The Hidden Cost of Inaction
When leaders wait, small problems compound. Discover why inaction quietly costs more than we think and how the smallest step can restart momentum.
Rick Slark
Nov 7, 20253 min read
When Legacy Isn’t Enough
For nearly two centuries, Baker & Taylor (B&T) was one of the most trusted names in publishing. Founded in 1828, the company built its reputation distributing books and media to libraries, schools, and bookstores across America.
But in October 2025, B&T announced it would shut down operations, ending a 197-year run. Why?
Rick Slark
Oct 31, 20254 min read
Holiday 2025: Retail’s Moment of Adjustment
A Slark Consulting Group Insight Brief by Rick Slark, Fractional Strategist Trend: The Numbers Beneath the Season The data this year tell a quieter, more disciplined story. Deloitte’s 2025 Holiday Retail Survey projects a 10% decline in planned consumer spending , bringing the average holiday budget to $1,595 per shopper —the sharpest pullback since 1997. More than half of consumers— 57% —believe the economy will weaken in the next year, surpassing the pessimism of 2008. Cate
Rick Slark
Oct 24, 20254 min read
Rethinking the Workplace Family
How to Build a Culture of Care and Accountability By Rick Slark, Fractional Strategist — Slark Consulting Group Every leader wants a...
Rick Slark
Oct 17, 20255 min read
Growth Doesn’t Fix Operational Problems - It Magnifies Them
Why Strengthening Operations Is the Smartest Growth Move You Can Make Every business wants growth. But not every business is built to handle it. Growth has a way of revealing what your systems can actually bear. The sales increase, the team expands, the workload multiplies, and suddenly, cracks appear in places that used to feel solid. The truth is simple: strategy sets direction, but operations determine whether you ever arrive. The Hidden Cost of Weak Operations Operations
Rick Slark
Oct 15, 20253 min read
The Craft Beer Reckoning: Why Independent Brewers Are Facing Their Toughest Years Yet
An SCG Editorial Feature by Rick Slark The Craft Beer Slowdown Isn’t a Collapse. It’s a Correction. After two decades of unbroken expansion, the craft beer market has finally paused to ask a simple question: how much “craft” can the consumer truly absorb? Behind the numbers lies something deeper than changing tastes. This is what maturity looks like when a movement becomes an industry. For years, craft brewers rode a wave of creativity, community, and authenticity. But market
Rick Slark
Oct 10, 20255 min read
Owner vs. Indispensable Player: How to Choose the Path That Fits
Two paths to a powerful career: own a company or become an indispensable player. Use this self-check and soil test to choose wisely and avoid burnout.
Rick Slark
Oct 3, 20255 min read
Maxed Out? How to Build Leadership Capacity That Scales
Your calendar is jammed. Your inbox is overflowing. Every decision, every problem, every new responsibility finds its way to you — because you’re the owner. But here’s the truth: you’ve hit the wall. There’s nothing left to give, and yet the demands keep coming. That breaking point is what I call the crisis of leadership capacity. It doesn’t get fixed by working harder or grinding longer. It gets fixed by creating margin for yourself and building the team that can carry the b
Rick Slark
Sep 29, 20254 min read
Starbucks Under Pressure: Lessons Leaders Can Take from Their Reset
Starbucks is under pressure. With sales slipping and customer loyalty waning, new CEO Brian Niccol is pushing a back-to-basics reset — reclaiming the “third place,” simplifying the menu, and tightening operations. Whether the strategy works is still uncertain, but leaders can learn by watching. The real question isn’t what Starbucks will achieve, but what lessons apply to your organization.
Rick Slark
Sep 11, 20253 min read
“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving".— Oliver Wendell Holmes
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