Years ago, I listened as a bank customer became loud and verbally abusive to one of our personal bankers. He said hateful things that crushed her spirit and had her in tears. Greg, our bank president, heard what was going on and intervened. He rebuked the customer, handed the customer a check for the balance in his account, and told […]

When there is pressure to generate cash, businesses can sometimes grab an expedient solution without enough consideration of long-term implications. For instance, the pandemic has created great pressure on many businesses to find ways to survive. Borrowing as much money as possible, or taking on an unrelated business service, are both possible solutions, but those solutions can have dramatic long-term […]

In her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou said one should be “hoping for the best, prepared for the worst and unsurprised by anything in-between.” In most business environments, positive thinking and hoping for the best are talked about, as is being prepared for the future. But being unsurprised is seldom talked about. The concept of […]

A recent article from the US Chamber of Commerce suggests, “Many businesses are asking for customers to help mitigate the cost of keeping their staff (and patrons) safe. Sometimes it’s in the form of a clearly stated COVID-19 surcharge, often between 3% and 5%, to cover the cost of things like masks and gloves.” No doubt the costs to reopen […]

Bob’s family owns a gunpowder company. While purchasing a competitor, they became aware that although the plant met current safety standards, the employees were at more risk than Bob’s family was comfortable. Although it wasn’t required, they invested the necessary money to retool the plant to minimize any risk of death from a gunpowder explosion. The safety of their team […]

Once, a serial entrepreneur shared with me how he was able to start several successful businesses without having any experience in those industries. His key was to find the best people who modeled excellence in that industry and then go study their methods. Although the word “excellence” may be lacking in the Bible, the concept of excellence is assuredly modeled […]

As a new grandparent, I’ve noticed that a new baby in the home can change the dynamics. Everyone seems so focused on the new baby that others can feel overlooked or jealous. That can be a husband, another child, or even a pet. In business, the same dynamic can happen. While trying to onboard a new employee, some staff members […]

While many businesses are failing this year, others are flourishing. One business owner recently shared with me that her biggest competitor just closed several stores in her region. This has left her stores overwhelmed with new customers. Her biggest problem now, due to God’s blessing, is the limited product necessary to serve all her new customers. Times of prosperity can […]

A recent article by the US Chamber of Commerce states, “Getting customer communications right is critical to your business’s success in a post-pandemic world, as consumers are looking for businesses that make them feel safe and secure.” Having a communication plan that includes knowing what to communicate, and how to communicate and what the communication flow will look like is […]

My wife, Kathy, and I try to leverage each other’s decision-making styles – most of the time. Kathy is a Ready-Fire-Aim kind of person. She makes decisions rapidly, but not always well researched. I research but move slowly. We’ve learned when we need to buy something, I do the research and Kathy executes the purchase. 1 Corinthians 12:17 says, “If […]