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Emily Overson Consulting

I'm a business consultant who also provides training and education who loves to talk about business & entrepreneurship, education, and finance. Subscribe to my newsletter.

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Featured Post

“We Have the Software” — The Expensive Lie That Keeps Operations Stuck

Hi Reader, “We have the software.” For many businesses, that statement creates a false sense of progress. The ERP has been purchased.The POS system is installed.The implementation is complete. So leadership assumes the problem is solved. But months later, nothing really changes. Inventory errors continue.Reports are still being built manually.Salespeople are writing notes in notebooks.Margin tracking still lives in Excel. The software exists. The adoption doesn’t. I worked with an LBM dealer...

21 days ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, “They should just be grateful.” Sometimes it sounds a little different: “I pay them well. That should be enough.” And on the surface, that feels reasonable. Compensation is one of the biggest investments any business makes in its people. But many leaders eventually discover something important: Paychecks attract employees.Recognition is what keeps them engaged. In the LBM industry—where work is demanding, deadlines are tight, and teams operate under constant pressure—feeling valued...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, “I’ll just do it myself.” That phrase has burned out more leaders than most businesses realize. It usually starts with good intentions. A delivery goes wrong.A customer is upset.A deadline is tight. And in the moment, the fastest solution is for the leader to step in and fix the problem personally. Occasionally, that’s necessary. But when it becomes the default response, something dangerous starts happening: The team stops solving problems on their own. Over time, the operation...

4 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, “They know what I mean.” That assumption has created more leadership confusion in family businesses than most owners realize. In many LBM operations, communication relies heavily on familiarity. Families work side by side for years. Conversations happen on the fly. Expectations feel implied rather than stated. And over time, people begin assuming everyone is on the same page. But assumptions are not communication. And during leadership transitions, that gap becomes expensive. I...

5 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader, “I can’t afford to pay better.” That may be one of the most expensive assumptions a business can make. When margins feel tight and labor costs continue to rise, holding the line on wages can feel like the responsible decision. But in many cases, underpaying your team costs far more than paying competitively. In the LBM industry, experienced employees carry enormous operational knowledge. They understand product applications, contractor expectations, yard logistics, and the...

6 months ago • 1 min read