I can’t recall when I first met George Gilder. The years and meetings blend together after a while. But, whether it was when we first made the Inc. 500 (the first two years of the program’s existence) or at one of the first Arthur Young’s Entrepreneur Conferences, it makes no real difference. It’s been some 35 years, at least.
Continue reading Knowledge IS Power
The time is now. The economy is changing- ever so slightly. But, the reality is that the American Dream is being shattered- the only way you can make that come true for yourself is to start your own business.
OK. Here I go again. I’m going to tick off a few of you with my discussion of small business.. The facts are that our government has no clue that not all “small” business are the same, nor do they understand that lifestyle businesses are not really small businesses. Yet, they produce economic policies assuming the contrary. And, because of that our national economy suffers.
Continue reading Our Economy Needs Entrepreneurs
When we setup our first consulting firm, we had long discussions about rates and collections. These are not idle issues- and they are related. Having a written plan makes it easier to deal with problems when (not if) they arise. To do this properly, we had to understand our market. Were we going to be a local entity, a national entity, or an international one? And, if we were to offer our services internationally, would there be different prices for different regions? Who would be our typical client- and would it be the same in different regions? We eventually decided to start nationally and then expand to international vistas. ((OK, so we were more than a little cocky. And, that change in market focus- it turned out to be less than 18 months, when our first international client approached us.) And, we decided that our fees would not be based upon geographical region, but upon the financial size of the client. (This was a pretty radical decision back in the 70’s.) While we offered the same quality of service to all, we wanted to have the chance to be more involved in more aspects of the projects, which would typically occur with the smaller firms- and a lower pricing wouldn’t hurt our chances, either. This was before the age of websites- or we would have developed one right away. But, we did develop a logo, prepare our business cards, brochures, and secure office space immediately. And, while we were reluctant, we did elect to buy furnishings that would last at least a decade and fit the image we chose for our logo. Our logo was big and bold- certainly novel at the time. And, we wanted visitors to our office to develop that same feel- knowing they were in the office of a firm that took interest in their firms, would develop bold products and stances for their needs, but always deliver solutions with substance. 
That was an expensive choice, but one we felt was necessary to obtain our “ideal” clients. Would you expect to obtain a fine meal if you visited a restaurant whose furnishings were chipped plastic and school house seats- or one with clean tablecloths, decked with silverware, and plush seating? Continue reading Rates and Image
So, my friend, Julia Neiman, nominated me for the Liebster award. I am not quite sure why it’s called that, since it related to business, but—I didn’t develop the award. I’m honored by the nomination and will observe it’s requirements now… (By the way, 
answering these questions will make this a fairly long blog. Now that I have finished editing, I know the number of words are 984 ) First, 11 facts about myself, in random order… Continue reading Liebster Award
Alert: This is a political blog….
I wrote a piece that I sent to a few (ok, maybe 35) friends and family, because it’s that time of year…. Election time. And, I got back a reply (or two or 28) from a few folks. And, I recognized how many people let their biases override their logic. (I know, I wrote a blog about this already, too.) But, I still get surprised when folks just don’t consider the real facts.
Continue reading We built that!
I have a friend who has always introduced his lovely wife, Anni, as “his first wife”. It’s cute. It’s insinuating. And, if he didn’t love her with all of his heart, it would be a crime. (By the way, I would venture to say that Anni loves him with all of her heart- most of the time 🙂 ).
Continue reading Here’s to Anni!
I often get asked why I no longer work for a large company, where the money is greater. I admit that I consider it on occasion (like when I wonder why I don’t visit my favorite cities every month like I used to), but, generally, I don’t have that strong desire. It helps that I am the Chief Executive of my firm, and serve as advisor to other CEO’s, and as CFO or CRO for still other entities.
Continue reading Big and small, small and big
I’ve been tempted to join in the fray. To work with a university and teach entrepreneurial programs. After all, I’ve been a successful entrepreneur (and an unsuccessful one) for more than 4 decades. And, I do believe that entrepreneurial efforts are what keeps this country (and the rest of the world) great. But, I have this nagging problem….
Continue reading Ready. Fire. Aim.
