-
Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Category Archives: Business Perspectives
Does Your Business Need to be Leaner and Meaner? (Part 1)
I’ve been surprised by the tone of my clients’ conversations since the beginning of the year. They want to get tougher. They want to plan more. They want to find the chinks in their armor, and sharpen their weapons. These … Continue Reading
Atlas Shrugged and the Imperial Presidency
“Atlas Shrugged – Part II” was released on Friday. Those of you who read this column regularly know that I’m a fan of Ayn Rand, although I place myself far short of devout Objectivism. I’ve sported “Who is John Galt?” license plate … Continue Reading
Health Care Costs: Is Medicine a Market?
There is an excellent article in The New Yorker comparing the production and quality control methods of the Cheesecake Factory to certain advances in “Big Medicine.” It focuses on the savings available from large health systems through standardization and quantity purchasing. In reality, … Continue Reading
Employee Motivation: The Effect of the Economy
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered his “Crisis of Confidence” speech, commonly referred to as his “Malaise Speech” although he never actually used that word. To a country reeling from stagflation and an oil crisis, it was an additional blow to … Continue Reading
Computer Technology: Curse You, Bill Gates!
Every business is held in thrall to its computer technology. In most white-collar environments a computer crash comes with the added expense of employees sitting dumbly at their stations, unable to function. When a function of our business becomes a core … Continue Reading
Lords of Chaos
Every business owner must be adept at dealing with chaos. Entrepreneurship demands the ability to choose a course of action when everyone else is staring into the headlights. It requires a willingness to make a decision with inadequate information, and to make new decisions … Continue Reading
When Independence isn’t Freedom
I owe the idea for this column to my friend Tom Morton, whose Harrowgate blog lends a considerable dose of dry Brit humor and keen business perspective to the issues of small business ownership. Give him a read. Sometimes the … Continue Reading
Where’s Waldo?
An old New Yorker cartoon depicts two men walking down the streets of Manhattan. “The think I like most about being the Boss is that you get to make your own hours.” one says. “Yes,” the other replies, “as long … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, John's Opinions, Leadership, Managing Employees
Tagged business ownership, employees, management
Leave a comment
Entrepreneurs Love Paperwork
Entrepreneurs love paperwork. Not. The truth is that most entrepreneurs hate paperwork with a passion otherwise reserved for the college team that ran up the score on their alma mater year in and year out. If I want to get a guaranteed … Continue Reading
Beating the Boomer Bust
We’ve looked at the coming generation of business buyers, and many things about that picture aren’t pretty. When I present to business owners about the Boomer Bust, this is around the time that someone in the audience says “So, are we just … Continue Reading