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I have often talked about the skewed parenting skills of my father,
who, without ever realizing it, was quite the entrepreneurial
genius. Though he never dabbled in business and it certainly didn't
occur to me at the time, many of the lessons I learned from him
about life can be put to practical use in your business today.
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I've never been much of a fisherman. Sitting in a small boat for
hours watching a red and white bobber float atop the water holds
about as much interest for me as watching paint dry. My old man, on
the other hand, would have rather fished than breathe. In fact, his
favorite Bible quote was: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a
day; teach a man to fish and he'll sit
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It's time to beat the old bad customer service drum again. I
know, I'm sick of beating the drum, too, but as long as bad
customer service runs rampant through so many businesses I feel it
is my entrepreneurial duty to bring it to your attention. So grab a
pew and prepare to listen to the sermon I've preached before: bad
customer service is the bane of business. If the Almighty smote
down every business that
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Q: I started my business about a year ago and everything is
going fine. We're growing and making a profit, but the stress of
running the business is really starting to get to me. I spend more
time worrying than working. Sometimes the pressure is almost more
than I can take. I'm starting to think that I'm not cut out to run
my own business. Do you have any advice that might help me decide
what
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What do the major generals who are leading the war efforts in
Iraq have in common with executives and entrepreneurs who are
conducting business back home? When it comes to leadership, the
answer is probably a lot more than you think.
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I was asked the other day what personality traits I thought were
important to entrepreneurial success. I immediately gave my
preprogrammed reply about passion and dedication and hard work.
After taking some time later to ponder the question a little deeper
(I normally operate in shallow waters), I came up with a more
detailed checklist for entrepreneurial success. This is by no means
a definitive list, but I'd be willing to bet that if you don't
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Last week we discussed the importance of performing an autopsy
on a dead business. No, I haven't been watching too many of those
wonderfully graphic, TV forensic investigation shows. The reason I
recommend you do a business autopsy is to uncover the exact reasons
why the business died. This is valuable information that can not
only heal feelings of personal failure, but also better prepare you
for the pitfalls of business should you ever take the
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Q: One of my former employees has started a competing business
and is calling my clients and trying to steal their business from
me. Do I have any legal recourse against him? -- Brad J.
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Q: I'm curious. What is the dumbest business question you've
ever been asked? -- Norris W.
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I've gotten several questions recently about the legalities of
starting a business. So, this week I thought I would address a few
of the more common legal issues most new businesses face. But
first, let's get the mandatory legal disclaimer out of the way: the
advice dispensed by this columnist is probably no better or worse
than the advice dispensed by other columnists. Do not take the
following advice as gospel or bet the future of
