[whew]
If I followed right away all the business- building advice in this special edition of Upsize Minnesota, IÕd either be exhausted or the editor of Upsize Universe.
There's a lot here: tips on building bigger and more profitable companies from 27 local experts and four savvy CEOs. That's why I recommend you take the advice as you need it throughout the coming year. This is an annual publication, the Upsize Business Builder, meant to be a year-round resource for small-business owners and top managers.
So choose four or five burning issues for your company and dig in. If you're about to staff up, for example, turn to a useful piece by Jeffrey Oberman at Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly. He advises using non-compete agreements only with high-level employees, because overuse can create problems when you try to enforce.
If an office move is in your future, Jim Vos and Gwen Schultz at CRESA Partners say that the earlier you start and the more visible you are in the marketplace, the more leverage you will have in lease negotiations.
For technology purchases, Kirk Hoaglund of Clientek offers some refreshing wisdom. Buy the simplest thing that solves your problem, he says. You can look ahead a little bit, but it doesn't help to look ahead too far. Amy Rolando of Table for Two even offers tips on finding a mate, for those entrepreneurs so busy building a company that they forgot to get a life.
Thank you to all the contributors who kept their advice to the point, and to the business owners who share their real-life tales of putting good advice into action. Thank you, too, to all the people who have e-mailed and called about our first issue. Your response has been overwhelming, and I'm filing the story ideas and contact information for future use even if I haven't been able to return every message.
Then save the rest of this edition for later, when you need to take control of your inventory or your taxes or any of the 24 topics that will help you grow your business. When it comes to building a company, you've got to pace yourself. We want you around next November to read the second annual Upsize Business Builder.
— Beth Ewen
Editor and co-founder
Upsize Minnesota
bewen@upsizemag.com
