Uncategorized – Page 2 – Slark Consulting Group

Ohio Restaurants Report Positive Sales in January Poll But Remain Cautious

Business Development, Capital/Finances, Charts and Trends, Customer Service, Holiday's, Sales & Service, Uncategorized / By Rick Slark

The Ohio Restaurant Association recently conducted a poll to gauge the effects of the current economy on Ohio’s restaurants. The results showed that most operators experienced an increase in sales during December 2022, attributed to holiday events, parties, and large groups. Despite this increase, the cost of labor and supplies continues to rise for most …

Ohio Restaurants Report Positive Sales in January Poll But Remain Cautious Read More »

2022 NEW BUSINESS FILINGS: SECOND HIGHEST IN OHIO HISTORY

Business Development, Capital/Finances, Charts and Trends, Start-Up, Uncategorized / By Rick Slark

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced 179,636 new business filings in 2022, down 18,374 from the all-time record-setting year in 2021 and the second highest in state history. However, December 2022 saw 13,012 new business filings, 496 more than December 2021. With small business optimism reaching its 12th consecutive month below the 49-year average, …

2022 NEW BUSINESS FILINGS: SECOND HIGHEST IN OHIO HISTORY Read More »

Breaking Barriers: Addressing the Top 5 Challenges Facing Women in the Business World

Business Development, Professional Development, Uncategorized, Women in Business / By Rick Slark

Women in business face unique challenges and needs, and addressing these needs is crucial for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace. One of the most common needs of women in business is the need for flexibility. Many women are also caretakers, whether for children, elderly parents, or other family members, and they need to …

Breaking Barriers: Addressing the Top 5 Challenges Facing Women in the Business World Read More »

Go from Good to Great: 6 Proven Strategies for Elevating Your Businesses Performance

Business Development, Professional Development, Strategy, Uncategorized / By Rick Slark

As a business owner, reaching a level of “good” performance is a worthy accomplishment, but what about taking your business from good to great? The truth is, achieving greatness in business is challenging, but it’s definitely possible with the right strategies and mindset. In conclusion, taking a business from good to great requires a combination …

Go from Good to Great: 6 Proven Strategies for Elevating Your Businesses Performance Read More »

The Greatest Source of Frustration for a Growing Company.

Business Development, GrowthWheel, Uncategorized / By Rick Slark

Knowledge is power if you know how to access it. Growing companies are continually gathering different types of knowledge and must decide which specific information needs to be collected, filed, maintained, and used, along with which employees should be responsible for this. This can be a source of immense frustration. Creating and maintaining a knowledge …

The Greatest Source of Frustration for a Growing Company. Read More »

The 35 Best Books for Entrepreneurs

Business Development, Mental Health, Professional Development, Uncategorized, Wisdom / By Rick Slark

Thanks to Sally Lauckner, editor-in-chief of the Fundera Ledger, for this list. No matter how experienced you are as an entrepreneur—whether you’re just opening your doors or have already started a few successful businesses—you can always benefit from advice from someone who has followed a similar journey. That’s where reading some of the best books …

The 35 Best Books for Entrepreneurs Read More »

Two Roads to Profitability

Business Development, Capital/Finances, GrowthWheel, Uncategorized, Video / By Rick Slark

In 1985 the band R.E.M. released “Can’t Get There from Here,” their first single from the Fables of the Reconstruction album peaking at number ten on the Billboard chart. In the following video, I share the two roads your business can use to arrive at profitability.

Start Small End Big

Uncategorized / By Rick Slark

Today is the birthday of British publisher Allen Lane, born in London (1902), who founded Penguin Books with his brothers in 1936. At the time, the only books you could find in paperback were genre fiction. One day, he was in a train station looking for something to read, but all he could find in the stores …

Start Small End Big Read More »

Why Does My Company Need a Business Plan?

Business Development, Strategy, Uncategorized / By Rick Slark

Why do I need a business plan? There are various reasons a company might need a business plan; here are three of the most common. To provide a roadmap for new businesses or growth businesses desiring to develop new products or services. To bring an alignment of resources such as money, people, processes, and focus. …

Why Does My Company Need a Business Plan? Read More »

Thoughts About Work, Now and Then

Charts and Trends, Humanity, Mental Health, Poetry, Uncategorized / By Rick Slark

In her article, The Great Resignation: Why People Aren’t Returning to Work, Jane Adams, Ph. D. writes, “One of the significant social changes wrought by the pandemic is the shift in attitudes about work; why we do it, the conditions we do it under, the meaning and place it has in our lives and the …

Thoughts About Work, Now and Then Read More »