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When business owners talk business strategy, I rarely hear talk about articles in The Harvard Business Review or the McKinsey Quarterly. I wonder if the owners believe that the content is just not suited for their business. It does take time to search these resources, of course. Given the demands on time that business owners experience, this is probably the reason.

But much can be gained for a very small investment in time when these or other highly regarded business authorities are consulted. And you can do it for free.

Authoritative resources

There is considerable digital shouting these days, with enormous amounts of content being served up. Gaining insight is no longer a struggle to discover the gem within few resources, but finding the gem in overwhelming resources. This is where authority is valuable, and why Harvard Business Review and the McKinsey Quarterly need to be part of the business owners' regular learning regimen.

Insights From Harvard Business Review

For example, in today's Harvard Business Review blog, linked from its home page, there's an article entitled How P&G Quietly Launched a Disruptive Innovation.  At first glance this article, written by Scott Anthony, may not seem relevant to any company with less than $79 billion in revenues. Before ignoring it, however, consider these four key takeaways:

• Don't let "awesome" spreadsheets lead you into bad investments
• Don't let high launch costs deter you from a great concept
• Don't invest ahead of learning
• "Look for the assumptions behind the numbers and find simple, affordable ways to pressure test those numbers in as-close-to-market-conditions as possible."

These are insights that any company of any size can benefit from.

Insights from Mckinsey Quarterly

Here's another example. In the latest McKinsey Quarterly you will find an article entitled The Basics of Business-to-Business Sales Success. You needn't be a multi-national company to benefit from this insight: "Customers want to be contacted just enough, not bombarded...And while they may say price is their biggest concern, a satisfying sales experience is ultimately more important." As the owner of a business, wouldn't you want to know that the number one destructive selling activity is TOO MUCH CONTACT?

Summary

Go online and/or subscribe to Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Quarterly, or other quality, authoritative sources. The versions I've cited are free. Glance at the topics once a month. They are usually quick reads, and you can get valuable insights within a few minutes.  Or, save time and follow my posts.