Articles
Field notes for owners.
Short, useful pieces on the actual work of running a $1M to $20M business in Austin. No fluff, no listicles.
TAB Austin · Jul 5, 2026
Executive Coaching in Austin: A Practical Guide for $1M–$20M Owners
What executive coaching actually looks like for owners of Austin small businesses — how it differs from consulting, what a good coach costs, and how to tell if it will move your numbers.
Read articleTAB Austin · Jul 2, 2026
How to Choose a CEO Coach in Austin (Without Getting Sold)
A checklist for Austin business owners evaluating a CEO coach — the five questions that separate real operators from professional cheerleaders.
Read articleTAB Austin · Jun 30, 2026
What Is a Peer Advisory Board? An Austin Owner's Field Guide
Peer advisory boards are the most useful thing most Austin business owners have never used. Here is what one looks like from the inside, what a meeting actually feels like, and how to know if you are ready.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 20, 2026
Feedback and Coaching
I was on a call last week with an owner who told me his team "just doesn't perform the way he needs them to." I asked him when he last sat down with someone...
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 18, 2026
Team Meetings That Work
I sat with a client last week who told me his team meetings were "a waste of everyone's time." I asked him what happened in them.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 13, 2026
Delegation to Leaders
I was talking to a founder last week who told me he had a "leadership team." When I asked him what they were responsible for, he said, "Pretty much...
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 12, 2026
Leadership Layers
I was on a call last Friday with a business owner who had just promoted his best salesperson to sales manager.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 8, 2026
Culture As Behavior
A client called me last week, frustrated. His team kept dropping the ball on customer follow-ups. He had a values statement on the wall.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 6, 2026
One-on-One Discipline
I was on a call last week with an owner who told me his manager "just wasn't performing." I asked him when he last sat down with that manager one on one.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 6, 2026
Accountability Systems
I had a conversation last week with an owner who was frustrated that her team kept dropping the ball on deadlines. She had smart people. She had clear goals.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 6, 2026
Compensation and Incentives
I was on a call last week with an owner who couldn't figure out why his best salesperson kept underperforming in Q4.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Jun 4, 2026
The A-Player Standard
A client called me last week, frustrated. He'd just let someone go after 14 months. "I knew in the first 90 days," he admitted.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 3, 2026
Job Descriptions
I was on a call last week with an owner who had just lost his third operations manager in two years. He walked me through the hiring process each time.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Jun 3, 2026
Right Person in Right Seat
I was talking to a founder last week who couldn't figure out why his operations manager kept dropping the ball.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Jun 1, 2026
Firing Fast
I had a call last week with an owner who knew, for over a year, that someone on his team wasn't working out. He kept hoping it would get better.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 29, 2026
Hiring Slow
I had a call last week with a founder who was three months into a bad hire. He knew within the first two weeks something was off.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 28, 2026
The Cost of a Bad Hire
I had a call last week with an owner who was frustrated. He had just let someone go after eight months.
Read articleTAB Austin · May 21, 2026
When to Fire a Customer: The Hidden Tax on Your Business
Your worst customer is costing you more than they pay you. Here's how to identify them and let them go.
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TAB Austin · Apr 1, 2026
The 90-Day CEO Reset: A Quarterly Operating Rhythm
An annual plan dies by February. A quarterly rhythm keeps your company aligned without the planning fatigue.
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TAB Austin · May 3, 2026
The Two-Year Exit Plan: Selling Your Business for What It's Worth
Owners who plan their exit two years out get 30-50% more than owners who wait until they're ready to leave.
Read articleTAB Austin · May 18, 2026
Why Your Best Employees Are About to Quit (And How to Keep Them)
Top performers don't leave for money. They leave because nobody is talking to them about what's next.
Read articleTAB Austin · Mar 30, 2026
Vision, Mission, and Values: How to Make Them Actually Matter
Most company values are wallpaper. The ones that work change what gets hired, fired, and rewarded.
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TAB Austin · May 26, 2026
Building a Sales Pipeline That Doesn't Depend on You
If you are the entire sales engine, the business can't scale past you. Here's how to engineer your way out.
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TAB Austin · May 20, 2026
Pricing Power: Why Most Small Businesses Underprice by 15-30%
If nobody is pushing back on your prices, you're leaving money on the table. Here's how to find your real ceiling.
Read articleTAB Austin · Apr 9, 2026
The Real Cost of a Bad Hire (And the Three Questions That Prevent It)
A bad hire costs 2-3x their salary. Most owners learn this once, the expensive way.
Read articleTAB Austin · May 10, 2026
How to Fire Yourself From Your Own Job (Without Burning Down the Company)
Owners who can't step away built a job, not a business. Here's the sequence that gets you out of the day-to-day.
Read articleTAB Austin · Apr 26, 2026
Hiring Your First COO: When, Who, and How to Make It Work
A great COO multiplies your business. The wrong COO will set you back two years. Here's how to get it right.
Read articleTAB Austin · Apr 8, 2026
The Meeting Audit: Reclaim 8 Hours a Week in 30 Days
Most leadership teams waste a workday a week in meetings that shouldn't exist. Here's the audit that fixes it.
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TAB Austin · Mar 29, 2026
Cash Flow Is Oxygen: Five Metrics Every Owner Should Track Weekly
Profitable businesses go bankrupt every day because nobody was watching cash. Here's the weekly dashboard that prevents it.
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TAB Austin · May 2, 2026
Why CEOs Get Lonelier as the Company Gets Bigger
Scaling a business shrinks the number of people who can give you an honest answer. Here's how peer advisory closes that gap.
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TAB Austin · Mar 29, 2026
Profit First for Service Businesses: A Simple Allocation System
If you wait until the end of the month to see if there's profit, there usually isn't. Allocate first instead.
Read articleTAB Austin · May 26, 2026
Strategic Planning for Small Businesses: One Page Is Enough
If your strategic plan is 40 pages, nobody reads it. If it's one page, everyone knows it.
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Bhushan Ekbote · May 25, 2026
Monthly Money Review
I sat down with a business owner last week who told me his company had a great month. When I asked him how he knew, he paused. Then he said, "It felt busy.
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Bhushan Ekbote · May 24, 2026
The Ratio Check
I was on a call last week with an owner who was exhausted. Seven years into building his company, good revenue, solid team on paper.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 24, 2026
Financial Blind Spots
I had a call last week with an owner who told me his business was doing well. Revenue was up. The team was busy. He felt good about where things were headed.
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Bhushan Ekbote · May 21, 2026
Debt Is a Tool, Not a Shame
A client called me last week, embarrassed. He had taken on debt to fund a new piece of equipment for his shop.
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Bhushan Ekbote · May 20, 2026
Reinvestment vs. Distribution
A client called me last week, frustrated. His business had a great year. Revenue up, margins holding, team performing well.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 20, 2026
Pay Yourself First
I was talking to a business owner last week who hadn't taken a salary in four months. Not because the business was struggling.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 16, 2026
Accounts Payable Is Float
A client called me last week frustrated about cash flow. His business was profitable. Revenue was up. And yet he felt constantly squeezed.
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TAB Austin · May 11, 2026
Stop Guessing: 30 Years of Unstoppable Growth with One Smart Move
A manufacturing owner consistently grew his business for 30 years as part of The Alternative Board (TAB). A peer advisory board provides diverse perspectives, helping owners make smarter decisions and build resilient businesses.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 11, 2026
Accounts Receivable Is a Loan You Are Giving
I was reviewing financials with an owner last week. Good revenue, solid margins on paper. But cash was tight and he couldn't figure out why.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 8, 2026
The Weekly Cash Dashboard
I was on a call last week with a business owner who told me he checks his bank balance every morning before he gets out of bed.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 8, 2026
Cost Creep
I was reviewing financials with a client last month. Revenue was up 18% year over year. He was proud of that number, and rightfully so.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · May 8, 2026
Unit Economics
I had a call last week with an owner who was proud of hitting $4M in revenue. And he should be. That's real work.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Apr 25, 2026
Why You Are Underpricing
I was on a call last week with a founder who had built something genuinely impressive. Solid product, loyal customers, a team that actually cared.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 25, 2026
Gross Margin Is Everything
I was on a call last week with an owner who was genuinely proud. Revenue was up 30% year over year. The team had grown. They were landing bigger clients.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Apr 22, 2026
The Cash Conversion Cycle
I had a call last week with a business owner who was genuinely confused. Revenue was up 30% year over year. The team was busy. Customers were paying.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 21, 2026
Cash vs. Profit
I was on a call last week with an owner who had just closed his best quarter ever. Record revenue. Strong margins on paper. His accountant was pleased.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 20, 2026
Quarterly Time Review
I sat down with a business owner last week who told me he had no idea where his time went. Not in a vague, philosophical way. Literally.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Apr 20, 2026
The Delegation Script
A client called me last week frustrated that his team "just doesn't take ownership." I asked him to walk me through the last time he delegated something.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 20, 2026
Ideal Day Design
I was on a call last week with an owner who told me he hadn't taken a full lunch break in four years. Not because the business demanded it.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 18, 2026
The Training Rule
I was on a call last week with an owner who told me his team "just doesn't get it." I asked him to walk me through how he trained them. He paused.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 15, 2026
The Bottleneck Audit
I was on a call last week with an owner who kept saying, "I just need to hire more people." His revenue had flatlined. His team was busy. He was exhausted.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 13, 2026
Energy Mapping
I had a call last week with an owner who told me he was exhausted. Not burned out from working too hard, but drained in a way he couldn't quite explain.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 10, 2026
The Cost of Yes
A client told me last week that he hadn't taken a vacation in three years. Not because he couldn't afford it. Not because the business was struggling.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 9, 2026
The Meeting Audit
A client of mine recently walked me through his weekly schedule. Monday: leadership team standup. Tuesday: operations review. Wednesday: one-on-ones.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 9, 2026
Decision Batching
I was on a call last week with an owner who runs a 40-person manufacturing company. Sharp guy. Built the thing from nothing.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 8, 2026
The Cost of Context Switching
I was on a call last week with a founder running a $4M business. Sharp guy. Genuinely talented.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Apr 3, 2026
Urgent vs. Important
Your day is a parade of urgent. A customer issue. A vendor problem. A payroll glitch. You spend your entire day fighting fires and call it leadership.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Apr 3, 2026
The Time Audit
You cannot fix a leak you have never measured. I challenged an owner recently to track his time for just three days.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 2, 2026
The Admission Exercise
There is a lie that almost every business owner tells themselves. I hear it every month in our peer advisory boards.
Read articleBhushan Ekbote · Apr 2, 2026
High Leverage vs. Low Leverage Work
We all know the feeling of being busy all day and exhausted by 6 p.m., only to realize we accomplished nothing that actually moved the business forward.
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Bhushan Ekbote · Apr 1, 2026
What Your Hour Actually Costs
I sat down with an owner last week who runs a $3 million company. He was exhausted.
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