Articles and excerpts

It’s one of the business world’s most common mantras: “The customer is always right.” It’s also nonsense. The customer is not always right. Far from it. This slogan-turned-mantra was apparently popularized over one hundred years ago by renowned retailers such as Harry...

If the driver is a long-haul trucker, the tractor part of the rig will have a sleeper berth (living quarters) complete with bed, fridge, TV, air conditioner, microwave, and other home comforts. I once met a long-haul trucker whose sleeper berth included a bed for the...

I don’t think most small business owners give much thought to how a courier can impact the impression customers have of their business. I didn’t—until a customer made me. In the early days we used a courier company for local deliveries within about a 150-kilometre...

Let's return to our broad-brush definition of "competitor" and focus on this part of it: "a company in the same industry who offers a similar product or service." Interpreted too broadly, this can be misleading. Much depends on what we assume "same industry" and...

Small businesses face this choice when trying to promote themselves and their services and products—words or images or both? I’m suggesting that in many circumstances, images (or perhaps images accompanied by some wording) will do a much better job. This shouldn’t...

Online media developers come in many guises including the neighbour's kid, your geeky niece, or retired Uncle Fred with too much time on his hands. These enthusiastic amateurs are not, however, the online developers I have in mind for you. I'm talking about qualified,...

It’s been about a half hour since takeoff. Drinks have been served. The flimsy little fold-down tray can’t accommodate both a plastic glass of chardonnay and a paperback, so she closes the book and puts it on the vacant seat between them. She stares out the window....

Harbouring regrets is unhealthy—I get that. But if I were allowed to harbour one regret, it would be that I didn’t routinely schedule whole days off from my business for recreation. That’s where the fishing friend comes in: a character who embodies a commitment to...

I can’t explain why I believed I had no time for an annual vacation, particularly in the earlier years, which are often the toughest in the life of a business. Ironically, it’s during this time that you most need the vacation you believe you can’t take. My problem...

A real-life graffiti artist’s writing on the wall is quite often profane and unworthy of attention. By contrast, our metaphorical graffiti artist’s writing on the wall is always worthy of your small business’s attention. Some messages warn of impending doom while...

Meet the character many small business owners have in mind from the day their business opens—the person who’s one day going to take it over and send them on their way with a bag of money. This is the acquirer. The only reason for shunning the acquirer would be an exit...