Keep it short



Smart ideas don’t always come in big packages.

By Fred Koury


January 2007

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Welcome to the premiere issue of Smart Business San Francisco, a monthly management journal for C-level executives of middle-market and large companies. Before you say it, let me do it for you: “The last thing I need is something else to read.”
I know how you feel. Running a growing organization is enough to keep anyone busy. The demands on our time from employees, suppliers and clients increase every day. That’s why we designed a unique publication.
After 18 years in the publishing business, we know to listen to our readers. The publication you hold in your hands — the 19th in our growing chain and the fourth in California — is the result of all our listening. Here is what readers like you told us they want in a local management journal.
1. Big minds, big ideas.Smart Business San Francisco taps into the top Bay Area business minds. In this issue, our cover story tells how CEO John Chen saved a dying Sybase and turned it into one the largest mobile technology companies in the world. In Smart Leaders, Business Wire CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz explains how understanding psychology can help grow a business. Our Fast Lane interview with CEO Mike Faith delves into how customer service became his No. 1 priority at high-growth Headsets.com. In the coming months, you’ll hear from the best business minds in the Bay Area on issues ranging from leadership to motivation to growth.
2. Go to the source. To get the latest thoughts on best practices in business, we partner with key local service providers in areas including accounting, banking, benefits and management. They have front-line experience with the issues facing middle-market companies in the Bay Area.
3. Keep it short. Most articles fill just a page. Only our cover stories are longer because they delve into the management styles and strategies of top executives. And we plan to keep our page count low, so you don’t have to fight to find articles.
You will find these three principles carried throughout Smart Business San Francisco, just as our readers have come to expect from our other award-winning publications for the last 18 years.
So why are you getting our management journal? Because of your success in building a business to middle-market status or your senior management role at a larger company that values the middle market. I hope you enjoy our premiere issue. And I invite you to share your feedback with me.

FRED KOURY is president and CEO of Smart Business Network Inc. Reach him with your comments at fkoury@sbnonline.com or (800) 988-4726.

More Fred Koury




The value of relationships
Are you focused on what really matters in business and life?


Staying focused
Overcommitting yourself can hurt more than just your business


Prospering in tough times
Are you looking up when things are down?




Leading the way
Do you have a clear path to success to motivate yourself and your employees?


Over ambition
Slow and steady wins the race.


Looking ahead
Does your company need some fine-tuning or a complete overhaul?


Gadgets, gizmos and profits
Are you chasing your own tail with technology?


Keep it short
Smart ideas don't always come in big packages


Moving on
The best way to get out of a hole is to cut your losses and climb out.


Direct involvement
Are you spending too much time with your direct reports?


Trust but verify
How much trust is too much?


Crisis control
Keep a reserve of time and money to deal with the unexpected.


Beating the competition
What are you doing to differentiate your business?


The power of conviction
Don’t let detractors steer you away from your vision.


The gold standard
Is it a higher level of service, or just a higher price?


Driving change
Do you see the value of long-term planning?


Think, don’t react
Overreacting to a situation can turn your staff into roadkill.


Friends in need
Giving a little help to a struggling business can go a long way.


The importance of image
What first impression do you give?


Developing talent
Mentoring your top performers will help your company grow.


Appreciating others
Recognize not only your strengths but the talents of those around you, as well.


Avoiding the blind spots
Assemble the right advisers to maximize your chances of success.


The search for wisdom
If you are not wise, then by default, you are foolish.


Destination unknown
If you don’t know where you are going, you will never get there.


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