Toni Pisano

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Keep your business priorities straight by focusing on the most impactful areas. Running a business is a game of competing priorities, both day-to-day and long-term. With so many areas to tend to, business owners can easily favor certain tasks over others—including those that aren't necessarily the most impactful. To help, the members of Fast Company Executive Board discuss the things business owners tend to put too much weight on and why overprioritizing these areas can limit growth. They also share their insights on what business owners should focus on instead to achieve lasting success.

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If your loyal customer base isn't enough to keep your doors open in a challenging market, here are a few strategies to change your luck. Running a business is no easy feat, especially when faced with factors outside of an owner's control—such as high rents, supply chain challenges, and stiff competition. Despite your loyal customer base and quality service, you may still struggle to keep your business afloat. For business owners facing these tough realities, Fast Company Executive Board members share practical advice and creative strategies that can offer new paths forward. Read on to find helpful tips to weather obstacles and find new ways to sustain your vision in the community.

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Through consistency, authenticity, and valuable content, executives can effectively differentiate themselves and strengthen their influence in the digital space. Showcasing a strong personal brand online can set you apart from other executives and foster valuable connections across industries. But how can you best convey your unique perspective and expertise in a way that resonates with your audience? To help you do this, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share their tried-and-true strategies for building a strong, relatable, and memorable personal brand. From sharing your authentic experiences to engaging in thoughtful conversations, here's how you can stand out from the crowd and strengthen your online influence.

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Here are six keys to building and nurturing a strong customer success team.

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AI is set to revolutionize the supply chain industry, offering unparalleled opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction.

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Tracking these key measurements of customer behavior can transform your business efforts. Creating a truly customer-centric business strategy requires tracking the right metrics. Understanding specific key performance indicators related to consumer behavior can offer insights into what's working and what is not, so your company can make the appropriate adjustments. Below, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members explain which customer success metrics have provided their businesses with invaluable knowledge about their business efforts. With these measures in mind, you can make informed, strategic decisions and highlight areas that need improvement.

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Here are eight steps for evaluating your next technology investment to better align your expectations and your business goals.

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Technology is the only way forward for supply chain companies and hesitancy is a competitive disadvantage.

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Transparency paired with a consistent message on your company vision and values goes a long way in building brand awareness and trust. When it comes to building community and laying the foundation for creating long-term customer and stakeholder relationships that you can count on, it's important to let people know where you stand on current issues to maintain genuine transparency and real authenticity. Below, 15 experts of Fast Company Executive Board each share one factor for leaders to consider if they want their brand to become known for its community activism—beyond the products and services it provides.

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At one time or another, we all have to deal with a down market cycle. Here are two ways to gain a competitive advantage when that time comes.

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Here's how managers can help their team showcase the added value they bring to the company and remain irreplaceable during tough economic times. As employee layoff announcements continue to loom across major industries, team leaders may be wondering how they can ensure the stability of their department's future at the company and avoid being replaced or eventually phased out. Here, 14 experts from Fast Company Executive Board weigh in on their best practices to help staff members stay proactive when it comes to highlighting their contributions to move the business forward long term.

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Here's how to elevate company culture in a digital office environment. If you are new to leading a remote or hybrid company, you may find yourself struggling to bridge the gap between management and staff members who work from home to create trust and transparency. By the same token, if you're new to working for a remote employer, you may be feeling isolated if you're unable to connect with your new co-workers and management the way you initially envisioned when you were onboarded for your "dream job opportunity."  To help leaders and their remote teams communicate more effectively and improve their working relationships in no time, 19 Fast Company Executive Board members each share one new idea for building a better company culture in 2024.

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Finding startup investment capital doesn't have to be an obstacle to your success. Securing the necessary investment funds to kickstart your venture can be a challenge that even the most capable entrepreneurs face. However, with the right networking strategies and preparation, startup founders can raise enough capital to reach their desired growth stage. Below, 15 Fast Company Executive Board members discuss a variety of methods and approaches budding entrepreneurs can utilize to access the funding they need. Here are their top-recommended strategies to turn your business dreams into a profitable reality.

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They’re looking for a partnership with you, your product, and your potential.

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11 considerations to keep in mind as leaders reimagine their company's automotive strategies and mission to improve workflow processes and operations. As a business owner or leader, what are your biggest concerns about the future of AI and its impact on your industry? With the evolution of automation and machine learning tools becoming more and more powerful, many company professionals have voiced their opinions over the past several years—some in favor and some opposed.  There is also a fear of being left behind before it's too late. Below, 11 thought leaders from Fast Company Executive Board point out several factors that every leader should consider. They also weigh in on maintaining a better balance between the use of formulaic AI data and the human touch to monitor and inform the right decision-making process to enhance an organization's brand awareness through its consistent, authentic messaging.

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If you want to build better connections with your current and potential customers, here are some best practices to get started. In an uncertain business environment and tight economic conditions, customer testimonials should never be taken for granted or underutilized—especially the ones captured on video. Sharing this type of information with other current and prospective customers is one of the best ways to put any concerns to rest and build on their solid trust in what your brand has to offer in the competitive, crowded marketplace. Below, 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board discuss how business leaders can leverage customer testimonial videos to impact continued business growth.

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Because drayage has gained attention and competing carriers are looking for advantages, technology offers an opportunity to improve this link in our supply chain.

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10 ways to bridge the communication gap (and restore trust) between department leaders and company heads. It takes a village to raise a company's success level in the marketplace. That is why it is necessary for teams to depend on each other whether the business is up or down, so they can stay in sync and keep the operation running smoothly. Building stronger relationships at work plays a key factor and can boost morale, which in turn, can boost productivity and encourage leadership and teams to collaborate effectively at all times. Below, 10 Fast Company Executive Board members each offer one tip to help department managers and company founders or owners develop and maintain trusting relationships with one another. 

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If your Net Promoter Score (NPS) score is low, your brand loyalty is hurting; or if you’re seeing customers transition to competitors, then your software onboarding process could be the culprit.

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11 tips that will elevate your brand at the next event. How can company representatives leave a desirable impression when attending the annual conference circuit, whether on-site or virtually? Designing merchandise giveaways that speak directly to the brand's mission and core values is one way to attract the attention of conventiongoers, but it can't be run-of-the-mill items that will end up in the trash (or disregarded online) at the end of the day. That would be a poor return on investment.  Instead, lean toward sustainable products that have the biggest potential to come in handy for attendees—same time next year. Below, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members share best practices for how to use merchandise opportunities to build brand awareness and why it works for them.

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Many entrepreneurs start businesses with a bright idea, but the ones who excel—and last—are those who recognize who most needs their help. That’s how to even the odds.

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Technology is changing the game for companies and job candidates in the workplace. The talent acquisition process looks a lot different today than it did way back when. Gone are the days when candidates could simply head out for the day to pound the pavement, sit inside the human resources lobby of their desired employer to fill out a long-form application, and hope to get an interview callback in a few days.  In today's digital world, how has technology helped your company streamline its hiring process for managers and potential new hires alike? Here, eight Fast Company Executive Board members weigh in on the features of virtual recruitment they've come to rely on in efforts to build dynamic teams and enhance future company success.

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Business leaders share their thoughts on how to build your business the right way. Oftentimes, when business begins to pick up the pace and executives are able to maintain positive outcomes on their bottom line objectives, quarter over quarter, there's a sudden temptation to push the brand of products further to improve or expand upon its current offerings.   But depending on the economic climate in the overall industry, sometimes it's worth treading lightly and putting on the brakes to take your time and conduct further research before getting too far in over your head. Here, eight Fast Company Executive Board members offer one tip for brand leaders to carefully evaluate their existing products or services and identify opportunities for improvement or expansion.