10 SUCCESS FACTORS vs. 10 FAILURE FACTORS
February 14, 2024We learned many things from our founder, Jim Malone, who turned around six Fortune 100/500 companies, and was an advisor to two US presidents. With the exception of grossly overstaffed organizations, it is a rookie mistake to think you can shrink to growth. The companies that lead their categories and are standout brands: invest in […]
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Diver Down…Right Now.
February 14, 2024At Qorval Partners, we’ve been involved in hundreds of engagements in dozens of industries. Our name comes from “core values” and our business is helping other businesses with the “its”- grow it, fix it, fund it, find it, exit. Our founder, Jim Malone – a CEO who ran six Fortune 100/500 companies – said many […]
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Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Organizational Kintsugi
February 14, 2024As 2023 nears to a close, and 2024 is about to commence, we, as business leaders, should look back on our experiences in the last year. We should look at what was broken, what failed, what thrived, what worked, what succeeded. We should contemplate what, and whom, as leaders, we fixed and restored. We should […]
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Be Super.
February 14, 2024That’s Jim Malone standing in front of a painting of Superman. It was a great piece of art that hung in our various Qorval offices over the years, and it hung finally in Jim’s home office, where he spent his last days. Last days, welcoming family, friends, colleagues, taking visitors, meetings, calls. Jim passed on […]
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To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn, There Is A Season
February 14, 2024Turn, Turn Turn. Businesses have cycles, and seasons. Turning a business around isn’t for the birds. Or, even, the Byrds, who sang about change and transformation. Business, like life, is constant change, and there are forces at work we can’t control and don’t always see, but we should always do our best, for us, our […]
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Serving Up Super Execution
February 14, 2024That’s Jim Malone, the founding partner of our firm, standing in front of a painting of Superman. Jim did many superpowered things in his life that remain unrivaled, and one was serving as CEO of six Fortune 500 companies in six industries. A pioneer in business transformation, turnaround, and renewal. Culture Jim said of culture, […]
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Negotiating The Turn
February 14, 2024Knowing What’s Up Around The Bend Remember playing with slot cars? It didn’t take you long to figure out that the secret of racing was slow and careful into the turn, and lightning fast out of the turn. If you came in too hot to the turn, whoosh, your AFX, Tyco or Carrera slot car tumbled […]
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Seeing The Red Flag.
February 14, 2024Bias for Action. Bullish. Fundamentals. Bullish. Sales. Bullish. Controls. Bullish. Great People. Bullish. Gross Margin. Bullish. Net Income. Bullish. Product Development. Bullish. Passion. Bullish. Right Culture. Bullish. Empowering Governance. Bullish. Work Ethic. Bullish. Truth. Bullish. Relationships. Bullish. Strategy and Execution. Bullish. Candor. Bullish. Doing. Bullish. Transformation. Bullish. Change. Bullish. Happy Trade. Bullish. Delighted Customers. Bullish. […]
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The Interim CEO’s Ladder of Inference
February 14, 2024Traveling is a catalyst that forces the recognition of symbols and patterns, just as it mixes metaphors in the mind. I find myself savoring the rather retro experience of walking across the runway, which feels firm underfoot, and my eyes dance from the conveyors moving luggage to the shiny painted lines that guide the pilots […]
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5G Talent Talk with Carrie Charles
March 18, 2022After nearly a decade, 5G is finally becoming a reality. 5G networks will create a smarter, more connected world and will change our lives forever. These rapid advances in artificial intelligence, automation, internet of things and other emerging technologies are creating demand for new jobs and the skills gap continues to widen. All industries […]
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The Twelve Days of Business
December 23, 2021This time of the year, holiday season, means we are once more reacquainted with the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and the overplayed but still funny “Twelve Pains of Christmas” parody song. In everything from literature to coaching, we as a society get fixated on quantified and numbered. I wonder if business owners, business managers, executives, […]
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One.
December 4, 2021QORVAL MAXIM: Sometimes the best “One” isn’t in the organization yet. Sometimes the best person for your role isn’t you. My partner and mentor Jim Malone and I had a conversation one time about the impact that transient managers have on an organization, and how those experiences for the interim manager, interim CEO, transformational leader, […]
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Cycles
November 29, 2021I recently heard the song “Cycles” by Francis Albert Sinatra. It’s a song I hadn’t heard in a long time, and frankly, had forgotten about. It started me thinking about the cyclical nature of things. Frank Sinatra famously recorded his “Cycles” album on his Reprise label in a Los Angeles studio in three hours, during which 25 […]
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Castles In The Cloud: Defending Bulwarks, Crenellations and Moats
November 11, 2021How do you guard and defend a castle you can’t see from threats you can’t see? You’re gonna need some help to man the bulwarks, defend the moats, raise the drawbridge. More than ever, companies, and, family offices, need to protect themselves from an ever- increasing mix of threats resulting from: Weak or poorly managed […]
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QORVAL PARTNERS, LLC NAMES FOUR SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTORS/SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
October 7, 2021(Naples, FL, October 6, 2021) Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA, CTP, and CEO & Managing Partner of Qorval Partners, LLC, a 25-year old Southeast based advisory, management consulting, turnaround and restructuring and financial and operational improvement firm, announced today that Lane Morlock, Lissa Weissman and Karl D. Reed have joined the firm as Senior Managing Directors […]
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Better To Need An Early Parachute Than A Late Fire Hose
October 1, 2021Chris Stapleton’s “Parachute” is like an anthem for turnaround and transformation professionals. Street lights along the highway Throwing shadows in the dark And the memories keep on turning To the rhythm of a broken heart You only need a roof when it’s raining You only need a fire when it’s cold You only need a […]
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Be Super.
September 15, 2021That’s Jim Malone standing in front of a painting of Superman. It was a great piece of art that hung in our various Qorval offices over the years, and it hung finally in Jim’s home office, where he spent his last days. Last days, welcoming family, friends, colleagues, taking visitors, meetings, calls. Jim passed on […]
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Car Branding: A Bemused Joyride Into The Human Psyche
September 8, 2021“Theese Is My New Carrrrr” said Mr. Montalban. Amid the cacophony of 1970’s television advertising, there he was in a brown butterfly collar shirt. This was the guy who gave Shatner a run for his money as frenemy Khan on Star Trek. Ricardo was even cooler than the Dos Equis guy (real name: Jonathan Goldsmith), out-Fernandoed […]
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The Real Meaning Of 13 Stars
August 28, 2021We can debate the politics of the situation that is Afghanistan. We can blame administrations. We can blame military leadership. We can finger point between the last administration and the current one. We can assign blame among at least two of the three branches of government. We can certainly wonder whether our executive branch is […]
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Caveat Exitus; Caveat Fiscus: Caveat Venditor
August 18, 2021Thinking about raising capital for your business? Thinking about exiting it? You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression, Caveat Emptor. Buyer Beware. Selling your business? Get a mindset for Caveat Venditor. Seller Beware. Depending on whom you ask, and what you’re trying to accomplish, raising capital and/or partially or entirely exiting your business can be challenging. There are, of course many variables, […]
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A Good, Bad, Ugly Time For Businesses
August 16, 2021The pandemic continues to bring us more “Unknowns” than Sad Hill. What we thought was a waning impact of Coronavirus on businesses and life in general, has itself learned to pivot and morphed into a testament to the nature of anything virulent — adaptive, persistent, petulant. Lots of bad and ugly, not much good. For some […]
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Commoditization Risk
July 28, 2021Rewatch Minions. Yes, trust me on this. Rewatch the Minions movie. I saw it many years ago with my son in a movie theatre, when it first was released. I recently watched it again. Maybe it was coming out of the COVID fog and hangover, but it seemed different to me. I saw different lessons […]
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Churn
July 26, 2021“Happy Day Before Your Birthday” Every year, I get two calls on the day before my birthday. One is from Will, a gentleman I’ve purchased several cars and trucks from. He works for one of the best dealers in the US. I also get a call from another car dealer salesperson, Joe, who works for […]
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Businesses Need To Forecast More Than Cash Flow
July 1, 2021What’s going on in your business? How is your business’ cash flow? Are you making money? Are you burning through cash? Do you have any idea what happens with each quarter? What does the next quarter — yes, 13 weeks, have in store for the business? Cash Flow 101 On the cash flow variable side, […]
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Celebrate Resilience As Well As Independence
July 1, 2021Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech in 1858 on The Declaration of Independence, concerned that most people had never read it, nor, celebrated it for what it said, and accomplished. His speech in Lewiston, Illinois said, “My countrymen, if you have been taught doctrines [that] conflict with the great landmarks of the Declaration of Independence; if […]
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Dematerialization And The Irony Of Applied Technology
June 30, 2021Dematerialization. Wow, what a Scrabble word. What does this word mean? It sounds like some ominous threat to the world as portrayed in a Batman movie. It could be what happens to whatever a new weapon is pointed at in a sci-fi movie. Nope. It’s actually what’s happening to the stuff around us, and dare I say, it’s happening […]
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Think Bridges, Not Towers.
June 27, 2021Get Flat, Not Fat…Organizational Models Need to Be Structurally Sound and Sustainable. A tower has a high center of gravity. It can fall or can be made unstable. A bridge, on the other hand, is low, flat, and can bear weight with the properly designed span; it can support lots of traffic. It’s much easier […]
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Drive Efficiency and Quality Through Methodology
June 27, 2021Your manufacturing, services, or retail operations organization can drive better consistency, quality, profitability, through discipline and proven methods such as LEAN, 5S, Six Sigma and other Operational Excellence approaches. What is Six Sigma and how is it used in manufacturing? As technology and business strategies have evolved over the years, manufacturing processes have developed that […]
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Coming Out Of The Covid Haze
June 27, 2021What should your business focus on, now that Covid is subsiding? Masks. Gloves. Disinfecting sprays. Dodging the virus. Sickness. Tragedy. Loss. You were blessed if you were fortunate to not experience personal loss, or business loss. Businesses were impacted, some destroyed. And for some it was about change. Pivoting. The New Normal. For some it […]
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Your Customers and/or Clients:
June 26, 2021Like you and want to do business with you Are relationship oriented Want you to be responsive, honest, and fair Don’t care how many employees you have or what their titles are Really aren’t interested in how many locations are on your business card Don’t care what kind of car you drive Are looking for […]
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Don’t Let Your Brightest Stars Burn Out
June 26, 2021Your company is a galaxy. In order for a galaxy to shine, it needs plenty of stars. But as a senior manager or business owner you don’t want your stars to burn out and then become meteorites, do you? As a business owner, keeping a reliable staff that you trust is important to the overall […]
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Phixing A Phat Dysphunctional Pharma Contract Manufacturer and Avoiding Phailure
June 26, 2021Phailure. This was a global, private equity-owned CDMO that was failing (Or, if you prefer, phailing) fast. This business was generating more than $350 million in revenue. But, it was generating losses, losses that were mounting. What’s a CDMO? A pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization. And, this particular CDMO was literally a few weeks […]
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The Ladder of Inference And Transforming Organizations
June 26, 2021A TWO-SIDED LADDER When you do turnaround work, interim CEO work, and/or any kind of transformational organizational change, you inevitably find yourself in the midst of a two-sided Ladder of Inference problem. The Ladder of Inference was first put forward by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and used by Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline: The […]
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The Different Roles A CEO Needs To Play
June 26, 2021There are many roles a CEO plays. A good CEO isn’t a tyrant, isn’t a know it all, isn’t an egomaniac. A good CEO realizes and values the contributions, skills, and experience in the organization. A good CEO doesn’t need to be an expert musician, but an expert conductor. There are many things a great […]
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Strategy and Execution: Don’t Let “Build It And They Will Come” Make You Shoeless
June 17, 2021I had to double-check my timeline in writing this article, but it turns out that Ray Liotta picked up a baseball bat about a year before he was Henry Hill, to play Shoeless Joe Jackson. In 1989’s Field of Dreams, another Ray, Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella character, an Iowa farmer, has a bit of a […]
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The “Evoked Set”
June 10, 2021What Brands Are Top Of Mind With You? Cola Cola’s famously shaped, green glass bottles in a wooden crate, with the timeless slogan, DRINK Coca-Cola. One of my favorite business books is the now old, but always timeless Positioning: The Battle for your Mind, by Al Ries and Jack Trout. The book is a treatise […]
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Carrying A Message To Garcia
June 10, 2021Who Is That One Person In Your Organization Who Can Follow Through? The One Who Can “Carry A Message To Garcia?” In 1899, publisher Elbert Hubbard of The Philistine, a magazine, was engaged in discussion about who the real hero of The Spanish-American War was. Was it Andrew Summers Rowan? Hubbard wrote down his thoughts […]
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Pareto Principle: Does Your Organization Have An 80/20 Situation?
June 9, 2021The namesake founder of the 80/20 analysis, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, was enlightened one day, when he was carrying out a study at the end of the 18th century in which he ascertained that 20% of the Italian population owned 80% of the property. However, this 80/20 rule, or Pareto Analysis, in fact, wasn’t refined […]
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Who Does “Number 2” Work For?
June 9, 2021Bifurcation of Teams During Times of Challenge and Change. Navigating the leadership team dynamics and staffing decisions in a company is challenging enough, but it’s magnified in industries with extremely high turnover and migration patterns across companies in that space. It’s like one big game of Whack-A-Mole. People pop up here and there and you never […]
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Quixotic Leadership Lessons
June 9, 2021James G. March, Professor Emeritus of Stanford University, has done some exceptional work tying Cervantes’ masterpiece, Don Quixote, to business leadership. https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/james-march-what-don-quixote-teaches-us-about-leadership Here’s March’s movie on leadership in full: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=29&v=NYmbiv_cbn8 Quixotic Inspiration Whether you’re on your horse, or dodging windmills, here are some great quotes from Don Quixote that relate to business concepts: Don Quixote Management STARTUPS […]
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The Herder and The Water
June 8, 2021a business parable From some unknown place, overhead, came a feeling that he was being motivated to press on. His name meant resilience. From the time he was a young boy he’d always managed to live up to it. Where he came from, names have meanings. They become destinies and character traits. Almuruna was a […]
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The 3 B’s Of Cash Flow
June 8, 2021Here’s The Buzz On What To Keep In Mind For Your Business’ Quarterly Cash Flow How is your business’ cash flow? Are you making money? Are you burning through cash? Do you have any idea what happens with each quarter? By a quarter I mean 13 weeks, not 25 cents, but if you don’t manage your business […]
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Outward Facing Customer Focus: Needs, Wants and Expectations
June 8, 2021“There is nothing more uncommon than common sense.” — Wile E. Coyote (actually it was said by Frank Lloyd Wright) The most successful small and middle market businesses (even large businesses like Apple and ACME) have three very simple commonalities: Unrelenting Focus on the Customer. Those organizations that have matched their precious resources to customer needs ultimately […]
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The M&M’s Of Business
June 7, 2021Remember the old ad slogan about M&M’s? With that delicious hard candy shell, they melt in your mouth but not in your hands? So, are your management initiatives and overall company direction something you put hands (and feet) and resources to, or are they just words? Are you talking the talk or walking the walk […]
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Organizational Rōnin: “Wave” Men and Women
June 7, 2021During the feudal period of Japan, a rōnin was a samurai without a lord or master. Typically the samurai became a ronin due to the death of his master, or the fall from grace of his master. The literal translation of rōnin is “wave man.” The literal translation of ronin is “wave man.” It is an idiomatic expression for […]
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Business Bushido
June 7, 2021Modern Bushido Should Be The Soul Of Business Etiquette. “What is important is to try to develop insights and wisdom rather than mere knowledge, respect someone’s character rather than his learning, and nurture men of character rather than mere talents.” — Nitobe Inazō 新渡戸 稲造 I highly recommend the 2003 movie, The Last Samurai, featuring Tom Cruise […]
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What Boards Need For Effective Governance
June 7, 2021See the photo above? Do you see the problem with it? 16 seats. Even number. Boards should have critical mass and be comprised ideally of an odd number (5,7,9,11, e.g.) so as to facilitate majority voting. But that’s just one thing to keep in mind about boards. I’ve had the good fortune to work with boards, serve […]
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Pulp Diction: Things We Need To Stop Staying So We Can Pivot To A Post-Pandemic New Old Normal
June 6, 2021The New Insanity No amount of sanitizer, masks or PPE can keep the buzzwords, jargon and wackadoodle cliches isolated like a cartoon version of Coronavirus. I’ve noticed some crazy statements that are getting uttered down the virtual hallways of Zoom, Teams and Meet. “Forgive me for being direct and let me pay you the compliment of […]
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Leadership Lessons From The Lemonade Stand
June 5, 2021Does your business stand for profit? What you can learn about business from the kids on the corner hawking lemonade. It’s an 85-degree day, the sun is shining against a bright blue sky, there are no clouds to be found anywhere and the sweet, warm summer breeze gently stirs you as you make your way […]
Read MoreThe Wolf You Feed Determines The Organization’s Culture
June 5, 2021One of the frequently cited business quotes that resonates the most with me, is Peter Drucker’s “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Perhaps even more vivid is Lou Gerstner’s quote on culture: “Until I came to IBM, I probably would have told you that culture was just one among several important elements in any organization’s makeup and […]
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Sullivan Ballou’s Letter
June 5, 2021“The Sullivan Ballou Letter,” one of the greatest letters in American history, written by Rhode Islander, Major Sullivan Ballou to his wife Sarah. Ballou died a week later, at the First Battle of Bull Run. He was 32. Camp Clark, Washington My Very Dear Sarah: The indications are very strong that we shall move in […]
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Businesses Have Trajectories
June 4, 2021Trajectory is one of my favorite words in the English language. I think of that word when I contemplate whether there a business life cycle anymore. And, what does that cycle look like? The traditional business life cycle once consisted of Introduction, Growth, Maturity, Decline. That timeline, or lifeline, was somewhat elongated, as the pace of change […]
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Brandtastic
June 4, 2021At the beginning of the film Collateral Beauty, advertising executive Howard Inlet of the Yardsham Inlet Agency, (masterfully played by Will Smith) astutely tells his employees in a celebratory gathering, “We’re here to connect. Love, time, death. Now these three things connect every single human being on earth. We long for love, we wish we had more time, […]
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One Secret To Business Mojo Is In Your Cup of Joe
June 3, 2021Ok, so if you’re reading this, maybe you’re “WFH” — working from home, and staring into your latest cup of coffee. Java. Joe. Cafe with one F, Caffe with two F’s. Colombian coffee. Arabica. Robusta. Cuban Coffee (the best!). Autocrat. Starbucks. Keurig. Dunkin. And try game changers like SuperCoffee and Cometeer! How about old trusty staples like the […]
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Startups: Watch Out For Icebergs
June 3, 2021In this fresh new decade, startups need solid navigational skills to avoid some of the perils learned in the last decade. They need more sound navigation, solid foundation, and real fundamentals, and less fantasy and BS. I’m anxiously optimistic to see if sanity and fundamentals creep back into business. Every business needing to be turned […]
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Turn, Turn Turn.
June 3, 2021Turning a business around isn’t for the birds. Or, the Byrds. Business, like life, is constant change, and there are forces at work we can’t control and don’t always see, but we should always do our best, for us, our customers, our employees, our vendors, e.g. “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” — often […]
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A Solid Business Foundation Is Built On “Doing the Right Things”
May 10, 2021“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” = Peter Drucker. Crisis can be avoided by setting a proper foundation for the business, and the very problems that companies sometimes experience can be avoided by bringing objective perspective — in the form of another set of eyes — counsel that provides a […]
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Startups and Sisyphus
May 7, 2021In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the king of Ephyra (later Corinth). Lore has it that he was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, repeating this action for eternity. We can surmise what motivated him to do so, but, […]
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In Memoriam, Jim Malone, 1942-2021, Founding Partner and Chairman Emeritus
April 22, 2021In life, and in business, there are a few select individuals where it’s not what they do, but who they are. There will ever only be one Jim Malone. Today I feel as if I’ve lost three people: a business partner, a friend, a fatherly mentor. It is with great sadness and loss that I […]
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The Gross Margin Trap
April 4, 2021Over the years I’ve witnessed many a company and many a manager bidding work, projects, or production and falling into what I call the “gross margin trap.” My go-to example I share with clients is one of a newly promoted project manager who was boasting of all the profits his efforts were bringing into a […]
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Six C’s: Six Simple Strategies for Businesses Mitigating the Impacts of COVID-19
December 21, 2020COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all businesses this year, large and small. It can be difficult as a business owner to plan ahead for an event such as a pandemic. Qorval has created six simple strategies to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on your business. Download our presentation below to learn how to […]
Read MoreTurnaround Expert, Seeing the Big Picture
August 18, 2020In this episode, Byron and Paul discuss: The three major buckets to consider during a turnaround. Doing a white-sheet exercise for your company. Analyzing your customer relationships. Having a bias towards action – time is not your friend. Key Takeaways: You can never have net income without gross margin. Check your overtime – could that […]
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Your Employees Are Your Greatest Resource
July 31, 2018Most business experts will tell you a company’s success is directly linked to the employees in the organization. Why? Sales don’t happen without people; products don’t get manufactured by themselves; service doesn’t get provided without people. For there is no company, no organization, no critical mass, without people. The right people. In the right seats. […]
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Best Practices for Raising Capital for Startups
May 29, 2018As business consulting experts, Qorval has worked with various companies in different industries, sizes, and stages for more than two decades. Through the life cycle of a business, there are different challenges – and Qorval can bring value and uniquely targeted expertise to a variety of challenges each stage brings. A particular stage that can […]
Read MoreKeys for Winding a Business Down
May 21, 2018Sometimes despite the owners’ and managers’ most valiant and creative efforts, a business is simply unsustainable. Consider how Netflix, a game-changing startup which Blockbuster passed on purchasing at a $50 million price tag, has nearly eclipsed Disney in market cap value, yet Blockbuster is a memory of a business model which now seems as obsolete […]
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DRIVE CASH FLOW: How to Improve Cash Flow in Your Business
May 14, 2018The ultimate goal of Qorval is to provide your business with the solutions it needs to grow and drive profitability. An important element of profitability is cash flow management. You can have a profitable business, but negative cash flow. However, the relationship between the two is important. A healthy cash flow helps you smooth out […]
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Projections Are Vanity, PROFIT is Sanity: How QORVAL Helps Contractors And Service Companies Improve Their Net Income
April 27, 2018Does your contracting, service or other business rely on HOPE to deliver your business plan results? Do you even have a business plan? How real are your projections for backlog and pipeline? Qorval’s goal as a business consulting firm is to offer our experience and expertise to return your company to profitability. If you are […]
Read MoreBeing Lean Gets Your Business Far Above The Mean
March 19, 2018Use of LEAN Manufacturing At QORVAL, we provide a wealth of experience and expertise to help companies of all sizes achieve the key core values of business – profit, growth, integrity, and fun. We have a multitude of services and solutions and create a customized plan to help your business reach its goals, for a […]
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Private Equity: What it Means and How to Decide What Business to Buy
February 28, 2018If you’re on the hunt for a business acquisition, enlisting the help of private-equity investors could be the key to closing a deal. There are pros and cons to any acquisition-funding strategy, including partnering with private-equity investors. If you need equity to buy a business, this type of funding could provide the capital and other […]
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Fresh Eyes
February 21, 2018If your company has hit a plateau and isn’t growing like it once was, you might consider bringing fresh eyes to examine your business. Whether it’s inviting a new member to your board of directors, hiring a consulting firm or scouting a prospective senior executive, a fresh pair of eyes can bring new wealth to […]
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Tips On Streamlining Data Storage
January 26, 2018You’ve heard of companies going paperless, but you may feel daunted by making the conversion. After all, you’re busy running a company and focused on the day-to-day tasks of making sales and controlling expenses to grow your profits. You may feel bogged down by the task of digitizing your business. But imagine your workplace without […]
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Fun Is A Core Value: Morale Matters
December 31, 2017Since the recession, companies have learned they can be more productive with less staff. We’ve also learned that company internal culture matters significantly, and employees place a high value on the bonding experiences which help build morale and esprit de corps. But boosting employee productivity sometimes lowers morale as your team takes on more tasks […]
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What You Can Start Doing Now to Prepare Your Business for 2018
November 23, 2017Next year is just around the corner. A new calendar year is always a good opportunity to dust off your crystal ball and do some planning. It’s a good exercise even if the future appears more uncertain than ever. For starters, take a step back and evaluate how you could have prepared your business better […]
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Avoid Cyber Surprises
October 27, 2017How to Protect Your Business from a Cyber Attack Hardly a week goes by without news of another business falling victim to a cyber attack. The ones that make the news are big companies that impact on millions of customers. But unfortunately, cyber criminals target small- and medium-size businesses too. Fact is, many small businesses […]
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How to Make Sales Prospecting a Daily Activity
October 6, 2017Sales prospecting can be a grind. But to be successful, there’s no way around making sales prospecting a daily activity. Consistency is key to sales growth. The good news is that you can use technology to help you make the best use of your time. The flip side is that relying too much on technology […]
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Strategic Planning During Times of Uncertainty
September 7, 2017Strategic planning is an essential ingredient to leadership. After all, the word “strategy” comes from the Greek term strategia, meaning office or command of a general. As the leader of a business enterprise, it’s especially critical to conduct strategic planning during times of uncertainty. But what is Strategic Planning? A recent article published by the […]
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How Diversity Helps Your Team Succeed and Grow
July 28, 2017Intuitively we all know that diversity helps your team succeed and grow. After all, if your team is composed of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, you’re likely to get an equally diverse approach that can drive innovation, boost sales and increase profits. Academic reviews confirm that diversity is beneficial on the corporate front […]
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Objective Perspective
June 28, 2017Sometimes your business needs a fresh set of eyes. As our Senior Managing Partner says to clients, Qorval is in the business of “objective perspective.” Your business may be in a rut. Perhaps it’s losing money or market share. You may suspect something’s amiss, but you can’t put your finger on it. Employees, vendors, customers, […]
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Best Practices for Increasing Business Margins
May 26, 2017Poll 100 people in a room and you might get 100 different answers to what the best practices are for increasing your business margins. Increasing business margins fall into two broad categories: growing revenues and controlling or cutting expenses. The trick, of course, is finding the right balance that will make your business more profitable […]
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Wireless/Energy Turnaround Talent Resource
May 17, 2017QORVAL Partners has executed several successful wireless and energy infrastructure turnarounds. Throughout those engagements we’ve been fortunate enough to establish productive relationships with some of the best professionals in a wide variety of disciplines to enter a challenging situation and work tenaciously to fix problems and turn things around. We have resources in accounting, finance, […]
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Five Merger and Acquisition Trends in 2017
April 24, 2017There’s good news for dealmakers in 2017 as executives expect brisk merger-and-acquisition activity this year. Surveys of executives by banks and accounting firms show companies won’t be standing still this year. That’s even as risks of all kinds abound, from regulatory oversight to geopolitical uncertainty and technology disruptions. Five merger-and-acquisition trends in 2017 will redefine […]
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How to Leverage Your Marketing Plan for 2017
April 12, 2017If you’re like most business owners, the 2017 marketing plan was slapped together in the waning days of 2016. Let’s be honest: Many businesses save their marketing plan and budget until the last minute. “It worked for us last year, so let’s do that again,” you tell the team. Deep down, you know a lot […]
Read MoreStrategies to Improve the Bottom Line
February 28, 2017No one can be an expert at everything. Successful chief executives know this and seek out expertise, particularly when they realize their company’s performance isn’t up to par. That’s why many corporate leaders have turned to Qorval for an objective analysis of corporate health. Using objective data, Qorval’s Senior Managing Partners Paul Fioravanti has helped […]
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Five Growth Tips for Your Nonprofit
January 13, 2017There’s no reason why nonprofits shouldn’t have lofty growth goals like their counterparts in the for-profit world. While nonprofits may seek results that can’t be measured financially, strong financial growth will ensure nonprofits can meet donor expectations today and well in the future. Many universities, think tanks and firms such as Qorval now devote extensive […]
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New Year’s Resolution Planning For Businesses
January 2, 2017It’s Time… Happy New Year. It’s a phrase that evokes the ball dropping in Times Square, but it should be both a priority for your business for the next four quarters – and a reminder that your company needs to make sure it doesn’t drop the ball with it’s own resolutions for the next year. […]
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Ten common business problems for startups
December 28, 2016With 24 years of experience in management and consulting, Paul Fioravanti brings a wealth of startup experience and expertise in diverse industries ranging from energy to telecommunications, construction, and transportation. Fioravanti is a managing director at Qorval and has authored numerous articles on the subject of business management. Consider these 10 common business problems for […]
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Is Your Business Growth Stagnant?
November 30, 2016In order to attain long-term success, it’s vital that you put your business on a path to continuous growth. Although some business owners are able to keep their heads above water while just doing the status quo, most business owners don’t aspire to get by with the bare minimum. While you might find yourself able […]
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7 Reasons for High Employee Turnover
November 14, 2016As a business owner, keeping a reliable staff that you trust is important to the overall success of your business. After all, those employees will typically run your day-to-day operations and interact with your customers. When those employees don’t last very long, your business can suffer, and nothing is more frustrating than not knowing why […]
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Managing the Business Risks Associated With Rapid Growth
October 3, 2016Most people would think that growth automatically signifies a prospering business — but the truth is that if you grow too fast too quickly and without the resources to sustain the additional business, it can spell disaster. The sad truth to this is that although the original business model could have proven to be incredibly […]
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Knowing When It’s Time for Business Process Improvement
September 6, 2016Chances are you use a number of business processes each day. Understanding these processes is important, but your work does not end there. In order to ensure that your company remains efficient and effective, you need to regularly evaluate and improve your processes. Effective processes lead to fewer errors, production delays, and duplicated efforts, as […]
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Walk The Talk If You Want To Lead
August 19, 2016Are you talking the talk or walking the walk? Successful business leaders walk the talk if they want to lead their organization in the right direction. I’m sure you’ve worked for someone that said all the right things but delivered on very few of them? So, it’s important that your management initiatives and overall company […]
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The Concept of “Span of Control”
August 19, 2016Discover how unnecessary layers of staff are costing your agency profit dollars in an article published by Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA. – Get Flat, Not Fat. In this article, you’ll understand the concept of “span of control”, a popular business management term. The term helps business owners understand that when your span of control becomes […]
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Sisyphus and Startups
August 18, 2016The truth is: It takes a highly motivated person to carry a startup through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Never be discouraged when life throws you curve balls, pick yourself back up and keep inching forward. In life and in the workplace we all have our burdens to bear and our rocks to […]
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The #1 Ingredient For Startup Success
August 18, 2016Launching any new business is a serious endeavor, so it’s vital to make sure that you don’t rush into things without a solid roadmap. If you’re in the process of starting a new business, I’m sure you’ve heard the famous slogan,”go for it”, countless times already. And yes, we want you to go full speed […]
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The Concept of “Span of Control”
August 17, 2016Discover how unnecessary layers of staff are costing your agency profit dollars in an article published by Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA. – Get Flat, Not Fat. In this article, you’ll understand the concept of “span of control”, a popular business management term. The term helps business owners understand that when your span of control becomes […]
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5 Tips For Leaders Who Are Dealing With A Corporate Crisis
August 5, 2016If you’re facing a corporate crisis, you’re tasked with being cool under pressure while solving a monumental problem that, if unresolved, could have serious, real-life consequences. People are unhappy, the brand could suffer, and ultimately people could lose their jobs if it negatively affects the company’s bottom line. That is a lot to handle! If […]
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5 Operational Excellence Basics You Should Know
August 3, 2016When you’re running a business, operational excellence boils down whether or not your business is successful, whether or not it strives to continually improve, and whether or not your employees understand your business process and how to effectuate it. It’s one of those business catchphrases that has gained significant traction in recent years, with masters […]
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Being a Collaborative Leader
July 6, 2016Collaboration is the key to making any business survive and it must start within upper-level management. To be a great leader, you must learn to collaborate with many parties, including business partners, employees, vendors, and more. We found a great article from Gulfshore Business about being a collaborative leader and we wanted to share it […]
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5 Tips for Engaging Employees
May 11, 2016Your employees keep your business moving forward. Every workday, you trust that your employees will do the tasks set before them in exchange for a paycheck and perhaps benefits. But is that all there is to it? If you trust what studies suggest, the answer is no. Employees are people, not machines, and it’s in […]
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Tips for Avoiding Business Wind-Down
March 17, 2016As a business owner, it is obvious that you have worked extremely hard to be in the position that you are currently in. Having to consider whether or not you should shut the door on this opportunity is no doubt physically and mentally exhausting. One thing you do know however, is that closing up shop […]
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