December 2007 - Posts
I hate New Year’s resolutions. I admit it.
So many go unfulfilled and then you feel even worse about not meeting a certain goal.
But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking a step back and reevaluating how you run your business.
If you don’t, it could be another ho hum year.
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| Bob Fila / KRT file |
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The tragic story of a kind man who used a portable toilet one day in a park and ended up paralyzed inspired nearly 90 small business owners to embark on one charitable mission.
For six weeks, plumbers, roofers, and painters, just to name a few, worked hard at transforming Pedro Toala’s home into an accessible dream house. This former bus driver was the victim of what was deemed a prank, when a bunch of kids tipped over the portable toilet he was using in Wilmington, Delaware.
His story got lots of press attention locally, and many were moved when he forgave the men who ended up breaking his spine.
How were so many busy small business owners able to join forces and do something good for Toala?
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What happens if you take a job in your spouse’s family business and then you realize you want out?
Tough luck buddy, you’re stuck.
Well, that’s not entirely true. You can get out but expect some hard feelings, especially if you’ve been complaining and family feuds are starting to percolate.
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A friend of mine told me that her boss invited her and a bunch of other employees to his house for a holiday party.
It was a nice gesture, until she found out she had to cook something for the soiree. If any of the invitees were at a loss on what to bring, the boss gave them a food assignment.
Have we all lost our minds?
I like potluck as much as the next guy, but don’t your workers do enough for you during the year? Why the heck would you assign them yet more work when they’re supposed to be letting down their hair and relaxing?
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It’s the time of year when people throw reality out the window and daydream about getting everything they’ve always wanted.
Why not health care reform?
A national small business group crafted a health care wishlist of sorts and I hope it ends up registering with more than just Santa. There’s not a lot he can do for this nation’s ailing health care system from the North Pole. And anyway, he typically goes on a long vacation after his big night.
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| Bernd Settnik / EPA |
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Do you consider yourself an ethical business owner?
Sorry, I seem to have ethics on the brain lately.
I wrote about the issue of ethics and Corporate America yesterday, but few of us think about the issue and small business.
Business fraud and general misdeeds are typically thought to be a big business issue, ala Enron and Worldcom. At least you start to think that when you read the popular press. When’s the last time you saw a front page newspaper story on a small business owner gone bad?
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After an essay I wrote on my failed attempt to boycott Chinese products for the holidays I got a flood of email.
The bulk of it was from consumers on both sides of the China debate, but I also got a few emails from small businesses through out the United States informing me that indeed they still made their goods in the Good ol’ USA.
One company even offered to send me socks for my kids.
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Can an ugly entrepreneur be successful?
Not according to women entrepreneurs. At least that’s the findings of a recent study of female business owners.
It’s like we’re living in the 1950s. Women dolling themselves up to in order to get society’s approval.
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| David James / NewLine |
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