Your Path to Increased Profit

Anup Gupta’s Articles ✍🏻

Is Every Department Thriving? - April 30, 2024

Having a grasp on every aspect of your business is essential to finding the units where profitability suffers.
A few years ago, I was taken aback when I learned that an acquaintance in Ohio, who had grown his company over the span of 25 years from $5 million in sales to $90 million, had gone out of business.

Marketing Is an Investment, Not an Expense - March 29, 2024

Instead of randomly spending, create a strategic plan with specific goals in mind.
If you want to get your name out there and in front of prospects, you might consider things like advertising, direct mail, exhibiting at trade shows, open houses and event sponsorships.

Don’t Treat Sales Like an Unexpected Guest - February 22, 2024

Even if you don’t relish sales, promo business owners have to make them a priority.
If sales are down, it’s easy to blame the economy, industry, government or your sales staff. However, these factors affect all businesses and your competitors equally. If your sales are down, it’s nobody’s fault but your own.

Take Care of Yourself First - January 25, 2024

Business owners who underpay themselves year after year are costing themselves in the long run.
Lots of business owners underpay or altogether forgo paying themselves in the interest of “investing” in their business and its needs. In the initial stages of a start-up or in tough times, one might have to make sacrifices, but doing so year after year points to a much bigger problem.

Manage Your Team To Boost the Bottom Line - December 28, 2023

Bad hires and underperformers will drain your profitability, so look to empower your employees while guarding against mediocrity.
In the quest to maximize profits, you must have an excellent team. Just like in football, a winning franchise is one with players who work in tandem as a cohesive group that is 100% committed to achieving the common goal.

Dynamics of a Family-Owned Business - November 16, 2023

There are many positives of working with family, but also potential trouble spots that can harm your company’s profitability.
Family-owned businesses are all around us. Nearly 62% of the U.S. workforce (approximately 82 million people) is employed by a family-owned business, which also generates 64% of the United States’ GDP, according to research by FamilyBusiness.org.

The Buck Stops With You - October 23, 2023

As a small-business owner, certain tasks require your involvement and can’t be delegated blindly.
Work on the business, not in the business; work smart, not hard; delegate. These are some pieces of advice you most likely have read in management books or heard in seminars.

Cash Flow Is the Key to Survival - September 28, 2023

Staying on top of invoices and securing quick payment will allow your business to take on more opportunities.
In one of my consulting sessions, the business owner had to turn down a business deal due to the lack of funds to finance the project. Upon further probing, what came to light was very alarming.

Make Business Your #1 Priority - August 22, 2023

Consultant Anup Gupta says entrepreneurs need to stay focused on their business to achieve the best results.
When I started my business in 1996, it was just about a year and a half into my marriage. My wife, who was used to me coming home at 5 p.m, didn’t see me until 9. Hours shifted from 8 to 12–14 hours per day. It was a drastic change, but she understood that, as an entrepreneur, it was required of me.

Creative Ways to Grow Your Business With No Marketing Budget - July 18, 2023

Having successfully managed my print/promotional product distributorship for over 25 years, I reached my goal of financial independence at the young age of 49 and exited my business at 53. I was able to achieve this seemingly impossible task due to a laser-sharp focus on the most important number of profits.

Start by Looking in the Mirror - July 13, 2023

In his new monthly column, consultant and former distributor Anup Gupta shares the secrets and strategies to boost your profitability.
Did you know nearly 600,000 small businesses in the U.S. close each year? Businesses close for several reasons, but according to a Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report by Babson College, “the most common was a lack of either profitability or capital, accounting for an average of 45% of exits [globally]“.