Competing primarily on price isn’t a very fun way to run a business. Unless you’re Walmart. But even then you don’t want to supply pickles to the behemoth. Just over a year ago I worked for a company that competed solely on price. New employees were hired and given few dollars above minimum wage. Each year benefits were reduced and more restrictions were placed on promotions. We may not … [Read more...]
Short Cut Selling
January 12, 2012 by
When it comes to sales, I have very little experience. Let me rephrase that: I have none. My career has been spent in either marketing or management roles. But for the past couple of months I’ve found myself in a sales role at Puget Systems. We are a small company that builds high-end computers. A decked out system can often cost as much as a car, so it’s far from an impulse purchase. … [Read more...]
Doing Business In Person
December 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment
With all the reports of Black Friday and Cyber Monday settings online sales records it’s easy to forgot what it’s like to do business in person. Last week I had the chance to assist someone in selecting a new computer. She already had a good idea of what she wanted. I made a couple of suggestions that saved her a few bucks. Working for a company that’s entirely customer focused is … [Read more...]
Embracing Constraints
October 23, 2011 by 1 Comment
When my business partner and I began Ox Consulting, we made a list of services we could potentially offer our customers. I was surprised at how many type of projects we could bid on. When starting out, it’s natural to cast your net far and wide. The market appears large and the more diverse projects we could take on, the more money we’d earn. But this is not the correct approach. At least it … [Read more...]
Level of Debate
September 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment
I’d recently interviewed a young man and wanted to add him to my team. Before doing so I had to get the CEO to agree to a salary and benefits package that would entice the candidate to leave his current job. We bantered back and forth. I brought up the candidates experience and skills which would allow him to manage accounts from day one. The CEO did not have an issue with the salary I … [Read more...]
The Business Lesson I Learned At Super Cuts
August 29, 2011 by 1 Comment
I visited my neighborhood Super Cuts last week because Luca wanted her hair trimmed before the start of school. I decided to put my name in as well. Within a few minutes, a young woman called my name. After asking how I’d like my hair cut, she began telling me about one of her employees who was giving her problems. She explained that, as the manager, she was expected to train each of her … [Read more...]
Embracing Small
July 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Why is it that many companies intentionally try to appear larger than they are? I've witnessed this at several companies, but one comes to mind because it was done in such a blatant manner. I'm not talking about a small exaggeration now and then either. Our company website was an absolute work of fiction. We were a group of 35 working to support events around the globe. But after our manger got … [Read more...]
Hanging Our Shingle
February 27, 2011 by 3 Comments
This past week, I did something I’ve wanted to do for years: I started a consulting business with a friend. Brandon and I have worked together since 2004 and have collaborated on a number of projects over the years. When friends and family ask what it is we do, I’m not sure what I should tell them. But, in short, Brandon brings years of design experience to the partnership while I focus on … [Read more...]
