Resources to run a better business.

We spend thousands of dollars a year on what we call “Help First” Zoom/phone calls. It wasn’t an expense we ever thought we would be budgeting for. But we do it gladly. Here’s the deal. In our consulting company, one of our Core Values is Help First. What does that mean exactly?

My son, Max, has been playing soccer since he was 5 years old. Over the years, I’ve watched him and half a dozen buddies grow up, playing together on rec teams, club teams and school teams. Their teams have generally been pretty good. Part of their success, I’m convinced, is how long they’ve been playing together. They know each other so well, and that makes them tough to beat. And this year—Max’s senior year—they took it all the way.

“That’s just our culture: Sink or swim.” I hear similar sentiments from many of the entrepreneurs I work with. I get where they’re coming from. They’re smaller companies, and smaller companies are still building out their processes, training, and management structures.

Are you connecting the dots between what you do and why you do it? And who you do it for? Many of us are motivated not just by the feeling of accomplishment, but by a desire to take care of the ones we love. There’s always another thing you could do for your business. There’s always something more your business needs. It will take as much time and energy as you are willing to give it.

I’ve gone too far. That’s not easy for me to admit. You won’t find a bigger scorecard enthusiast than me. I’ve used scorecards to wrangle thousands of college kids into being a productive workforce in my student painting company. I’ve used them to help companies optimize efficiency, instill accountability, and clarify expectations. I know that scorecards work.

Financial clarity is critical for growth, yet many businesses face confusion and gaps within their finance function. Unclear reports, surface-level analysis, and inconsistent processes leave leadership without the insights needed to make confident, informed decisions. Join Eric Crews and Darren Fredette for a one-hour webinar to learn what makes a strong finance team and how to determine the right roles for your organization.

“Work on the business,” says every coach, consultant and guru, “not in the business.” Up to a point, I agree. I’ve helped hundreds of CEOs establish a vision for their companies, dare to set larger goals for growth, and innovate to stand out from the competition. Every one of those things is foundational, and transformational, for a company that wants to accelerate growth.

As companies grow, a whole bunch of things change. Businesses get more complex. Their costs go up, they find economies of scale, they build out their functions, they enter new markets, they see new possibilities…But one thing that never changes? The need for routine maintenance.

University of Pennsylvania. Notre Dame. Miami University of Ohio. Yale. This is the pedigree of my leadership team. I had no idea until a few months ago. But honestly, I’m not surprised.