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  • Family Business Case Study: Contrasting Management Styles Family Business Case Study: Contrasting Management Styles

    Family Business Case Study: Contrasting Management Styles

Family Business Case Study: Contrasting Management Styles

Family businesses Forever 21 & Nordstrom offer a contrast in management styles.  Within this contrast is a Lesson Found for other family businesses.

Founded in 1984 by the Chang family, the fast-fashion innovator Forever 21 expanded rapidly in the early 2000s only to file for bankruptcy last month.  The cause of this change in fortunes can be traced to the Chang family’s management style. (more…)

  • Owners Don’t Have the Luxury To Simply Resign Owners Don’t Have the Luxury To Simply Resign

    Owners Don’t Have the Luxury To Simply Resign

Owners Don’t Have the Luxury To Simply Resign

Over a 48-hour period last month, CEO’s were falling like mayflies at dusk.  There are Lesson Found for owners to glean from these resignations.

The carnage began on September 24th (more…)

  • Is your business’s customer service consistently excellent? Is your business’s customer service consistently excellent?

    Is your business’s customer service consistently excellent?

Is your business’s customer service consistently excellent?

Remember 25-years ago when hotel reservations were made by calling an 800-number? I recently reverted back, making a phone call to book my hotel reservation and, in the process, gained a Lesson Found. (more…)

  • Are your goals keeping you on target? Are your goals keeping you on target?

    Are your goals keeping you on target?

Are your goals keeping you on target?

Lessons Found for businesses can truly materialize from unexpected sources.  For instance, a valuable Lesson Found on business goals can be gleaned from a podcast contrasting two approaches to teaching (more…)

  • How older adults can increase sales revenue. How older adults can increase sales revenue.

    How older adults can increase sales revenue.

How older adults can increase sales revenue.

A recent article highlighted 94-year-old Martin Gerstell’s regular use of Uber.  Uber’s and Lyft’s efforts to market to Mr. Gerstell and his peers are the inspiration for this week’s Lesson Found.

It seems counterintuitive for Uber and Lyft to be directing marketing toward seniors. But a closer look reveals the opportunity. (more…)

  • Enhancing Conversations in the Board Room & Family Business Enhancing Conversations in the Board Room & Family Business

    Enhancing Conversations in the Board Room & Family Business

Enhancing Conversations in the Board Room & Family Business

I recently was privileged to sit in on a board meeting for a family business.  How the board came to a decision on a contentious issue is a Lesson Found for all of us.

The business’s only remaining founding member* started the debate with an impassioned plea (more…)

  • Establishing Internal Controls Which Enhance Growth Establishing Internal Controls Which Enhance Growth

    Establishing Internal Controls Which Enhance Growth

Establishing Internal Controls Which Enhance Growth

In January, headlines reported the dramatic collapse of QuadrigaCX, Canada’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.  The source of QuadrigaCX’s problems provides a vital Lesson Found for owners.

Initial reports tied the cause of QuadrigaCX’s collapse to the death of its founder, Gerald Cotten, since he was the sole person who knew the passwords to access cryptocurrencies valued at $136 million. A subsequent audit revealed that a large portion of those funds had been redirected (more…)

  • Don’t Assume Your Way Past Higher Profits Don’t Assume Your Way Past Higher Profits

    Don’t Assume Your Way Past Higher Profits

Don’t Assume Your Way Past Higher Profits

I was reminded of the alternative definition of “assume” during a recent visit to the hospital with my mother. That definition offers us a Lesson Found on the importance to business owners of looking beyond their assumptions. (more…)

  • Does your voice invigorate your brand? Does your voice invigorate your brand?

    Does your voice invigorate your brand?

Does your voice invigorate your brand?

Speech scientist Rapul Patel remembers watching a little girl and a grown man conversing but only hearing one voice, no matter who was talking.  That is where our Lesson Found begins.

The little girl and grown man were both using synthetic voice devices that generated the exact same adult-male voice.  Clearly, that voice did not accurately represent the individuality of at least one of the speakers.  Situations like this spurred Dr. Patel to found VOCALiD, (more…)

  • VW Beetle’s “Think Small” is a Model for Big Innovation VW Beetle’s “Think Small” is a Model for Big Innovation

    VW Beetle’s “Think Small” is a Model for Big Innovation

VW Beetle’s “Think Small” is a Model for Big Innovation

Eight decades after its introduction, the last Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line on July 10th.  The innovations that extended the Beetle’s life are the source for these Lessons Found.

Total sales of the VW Beetle topped 23 million cars, making it the world’s fourth most popular car model.  This success is based on a history of innovations well beyond model updates.  For example, the Beetle’s  “Think Small” advertising campaign was (more…)