While advertising, marketing and public relations are all methods businesses use to communicate with their stakeholders, the benefits of each are not usually discussed individually. Small business owners know they need marketing to target the right customers and advertising to make the phones ring, but they do not realize public relations can help them become the trusted experts in their markets, which leads to greater opportunities. So, what is PR? Heather Ripley explains.

By all means, let your gut lead the way when it comes to establishing your company values, your sense of purpose, and your long-term vision. But for the sake of that beautiful vision, strategize by the numbers.

“How can we prospect on LinkedIn and make more seincere connections with LinkedIn members whom we would like to become our customers? One approach not to use are automated systems that send out connection messages every day,” Robert Kravitz writes.

In this interview, Brett Lawton talks about scaling, growing as a leader and finding the company’s niche as a mid-sized service provider in a competitive, increasingly consolidated market. He also discusses offering general construction and restoration services, and the value of an executive team.

With CAT season coming soon, we invited Avelina Lamb, owner of PuroClean of Chandler, to discuss her franchise’s approach to growing CAT restoration services. She shares advice based on work in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida, as well as fire and smoke damage projects in Colorado following recent wildfires.

Decision-making is one of the most important skills we have as leaders. It is also a skill we need to cultivate in our team members. And yet, most business owners have no strategy in place for analyzing and optimizing their decision-making process. To truly master the art of decision-making, start asking yourself these five questions on a regular basis.

In this episode of Ask the Expert, Andrew Zavodney, chairman of the board and CEO, talks about Kustom’s investment in company culture, employee value proposition, corporate governance, M&A due diligence, transparency, accountability and scaling without private equity. 

With flashy new software systems and other digital solutions brought to market seemingly week in and week out, how do you filter through the options, incorporate a new platform into an existing system and settle on the right package that will set your company up for the future growth you are working so diligently toward? Here are five suggestions from Josh Bachman of Violand Management Associates.

We find thought leaders in every industry — health care, technology, professional cleaning, facility management and, of course, the restoration industry. But have you ever wondered how these people became “thought leaders”? Here, Robert Kravitz shares the importance of thought leadership along with five common steps in the journey to becoming a thought leader.

ATI Restoration, the largest family-operated restoration firm in the U.S., acquired ProCare Solutions and Lang Restoration & Construction at the end of 2021. This Ask the Expert episode brings leaders from all three businesses together to share both acquisition stories and lessons learned.