Rating and Grading at Little Engine Ventures
We developed and deploy a proprietary customer scoring system that impacts all areas of our diverse make-to-order service companies. We call it “rating and grading.” The process streamlines sales and operations by empowering our staff to say no to misfit customers. Our “rating” procedure classifies prospects and customers into one of three classifications. They are […]
Backup Roles in Procedures
The temporary absence of an individual in a small business can make a big impact. When documenting procedures (a series of tasks completed by a single person) be sure you identify the backup role. As is the case in most small businesses the owner is the “else” statement. If X then Y, else “call the […]
Using AI as a Thought Partner in Marketing Strategy
I recently tried something different while working through a business problem: I used ChatGPT as a panel of experts to help refine our Black Friday skydiving sale. Instead of just asking for ideas, I framed a structured discussion, much like I would with real marketing advisors. Here’s how it worked—and how you can use the […]
Who Jumps Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane?
I spend a lot of time looking at numbers. It’s a habit that carries over from investing in small businesses to running a skydiving drop zone. The numbers tell a story—sometimes, one you expect, sometimes, one that surprises you. Recently, I pulled the age distribution of customers at Skydive Indianapolis. No surprise, the bulk of […]