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Business spring cleaning
A few days ago, a glorious 60 degree February day in Colorado allowed me to run outside in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. This brief respite from winter reminded me that spring is around the corner and with it the traditional spring cleaning at our house. Springtime is also a good time for business […]
The Go-Giver: Five laws for better business practice
As a business owner having no formal education in the business field, I am constantly looking for new sources of support, education and information. One such source is The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea, written by Bob Burg and John David Mann. This book inspired me to implement their Five Laws […]
CEBA Winner: Gary VanderArk
Ask Gary VanderArk if the lack of access to health care is a problem in America, and the usually calm doctor shows a bit of fire. "There are 50 million people out there without insurance," he says, the volume of his voice increasing with each emphatic word. "One person in the U.S. dies every 10 mi...
The war on initiative
What happens when an employee attempts an experiment that backfires? Usually we have him in for a talk about how processes exist for a reason, and how the rules must be followed. Punishment to be carried out at dawn.
The power of crazy-good perks
Are you a dinosaur if you still count employee vacation days? You may be soon. What about $3,000 subsidies for hybrid cars? Botox injections and tans? Subsidized childcare and summer camps? Life coaches? Allowing new mothers to bring their babies to work? Or, how about offering flex time, the most...
Great ways to give back
So you’re a small to medium-sized business that’s chugging along, except you want to do more — more as in being more community enriching, more giving, more socially responsible. But short of buying two more cases of Girl Scout cookies, your ideas for contributing, for doing something meaningful as...
Where did the quality go?
On my credenza sits a tulipwood box made in 1738 by E.S. I know the date and builder because he carved these facts into the base. Several weeks ago, I pointed out the craftsmanship to an unimpressed visitor who explained: “Well, they had a lot more time back then.” It’s easy to believe the dated b...
Three magic numbers
Every company I'm involved in keeps track of numbers. Daily numbers, weekly numbers, monthly numbers. Ultimately, all the numbers translate into three financial statements - the P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement. While these numbers are sacrosanct in the accounting and finance profession...
The next chapter shouldn’t be 11
Diversification in a corporation without good reason is foolish. Although some diversification in our investment portfolio is warranted, disparate operations in a corporate environment often destroy value. Even though there are exceptions to this, focusing on a specific product line or market is a...
The zen of the brand-trademark balance
When talking about the advertising, marketing and sales of a business’s goods or services, business and legal texts will generally talk about brands or trademarks; or, if they do address both, they deal with them as completely separate topics. As a student of both the business and legal worlds, I think this is a mistake. […]
Five troublesome truths about leadership
When I was young, my mother told us that if we swam within half an hour of eating, we’d die. (If you’re over 50, I’m sure you heard the same thing.) We were also told to put on baby oil before going into the sun. (That now sounds like child abuse.) Remember when meat and potatoes […]
Five steps to achieve radical success
Picture this: You’ve just arrived in a large city and it’s your first time there. You’ve popped out of the airport, tube, train station, subway, then if you’re like me, the first thing you do is look for the map of the city or area. On that map is the wonderful big red dot, the […]
