Being an effective leader is one of the most important aspects of running a successful business or organization. And since leadership can be a real challenge for most of us, I’ve asked the knowledgeable CarolRoth.com contributor network of experts, advisors and entrepreneurs to provide their best tips for effective leadership. Their answers are presented below in no particular order.

You may notice some similar ideas listed, but I kept them separate, as something in the way one is framed may resonate differently with you. Continue Reading;

I’m in the fortunate position to be asked for guidance from many aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as struggling to successful business owners.  Given that many of the questions or solicitations are similar, I like to share them with a broader audience.

A couple of weeks ago, this popped into my Twitter stream:

@CarolJSRoth attach [sic] is the new $100 million design. It just needs a spot light, can you do that? I’ll split the profits https://twitter.com/#!/wsewell525/status/179758101698850816/photo/1*

It was followed by this:

I have the new $100 million clothing line in 10 years. I just need a boost. If you know store buyers, I would love to joint together.

This isn’t an unusual story/request.  But what is this or any new business idea worth? Hint: it’s probably worth a lot less than you think. Continue Reading;

The first time that I heard this term, I wondered why anyone would call profit gross.  Lackluster, paltry, acceptable or even excessive I could understand.  But gross?  That’s a word you use for baby puke and the genius who took a bath in a fast food kitchen sink.

Despite the unsavory name, Gross Profit Margin is a key number in running your business.  Your Gross Profit Margin tells you at a glance about your efficiency and gives you a way to quickly compare to your competitors.  This term also has a few aliases, most notably Gross Margin and Gross Profit Margin Ratio.

Learn How Gross Profit Drives Your Bottom Line  Continue Reading;

Is your company all about the customer, or all about you? The answer may not be as obvious as you think. 

A common denominator among successful entrepreneurs is a big ego. And don’t let the quiet ones fool you – these birds have even more confidence than the ones who constantly display their plumage. Continue Reading;

Times change, people change and wants and needs sometimes change too. To have longevity in business, you need to be able to adapt to changes.

Here’s a question for you: can you adapt your product, service, marketing and/or business model to meet customer needs?

Things will never go 100% as planned in business. A lot of the time 90% doesn’t go as planned. A key to survival is to be able to change and adapt your business quickly and skillfully.  Many of today’s most successful businesses didn’t start out providing the product or service that has been the key to their current day success.
Continue Reading;

For those of you who don’t know me, I am a great fan of history. A particular favorite era of mine is the American Civil War. I find the whole era fascinating. It was the result of so many things that had come before and it resulted in so many things that came after. Indeed, we are still dealing with the legacy the Civil War left us here in the States.  Continue Reading;

Whether you are just starting out in business or have been at it for a while now, growing that business can be one of the biggest challenges that you will face. And since access to capital, start-up or otherwise, is harder and harder to come by, here are a few easy low (or in some cases no-cost) strategies that will help your business grow: Continue Reading;

After devoting probably far too much time reading about financial deals gone awry and watching documentaries like CNBC’s American Greed which recount epic schemes of financial fraud and deceit, I noticed a pattern that runs counter to traditional intuition.

The perpetrators of these financial crimes were not only narcissists, but also had a propensity towards lavish spending. Dennis Kozlowski, former CEO of Tyco, was known for serious cash outlays, ranging from $6,000 shower curtains in his NYC apartment to throwing a $2 million birthday party for his wife in Sardinia complete with an ice sculpture of Michelangelo’s David urinating vodka. Al Parish, the Charleston Southern University economics professor who created an “investment fund’ that bilked over 600 individuals out of $90 million drove around town in a purple Jaguar with a leopard print convertible top. If these behaviors didn’t send up a red flag, perhaps they should have at least sent up an animal printed one.

We’ve somehow been taught that living the high life and a showing of wealth is a sign of success and financial competence. Continue Reading;

If you run a small business, particularly a knowledge or consulting business, you probably do a lot of writing: articles, marketing materials, blogs, maybe even books. All of it hopefully supports your business interests.

For me, one small piece of writing is one of the most profitable things I do. Sometimes, it’s even more so than my invoices. It is quick, easy, and most of your competitors never, ever do it. What is it? Continue Reading;

Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes. For the most part, they’re great people.

But there are three entrepreneurs you never want to meet. See if you recognize one or more of them.

Head in the clouds

Some entrepreneurs have their head in the clouds. We’re not talking about the 30,000 foot view here. It’s good to see the big picture, as long as that’s not all you see.  Continue Reading;