So it's ugly out there, no doubt, but I'm sort of sick of talking about it. That's not to say I won't continue talking about this wretched economy, but I've decided to give myself a Time Out.I'm done talking about how terrible the economy is. For a minute anyway. Maybe two.It's hard to remember what's so terrible with the state of the Union when I just spent more than a month getting to know the ...
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By the time you’re reading this, the Beijing Summer Olympics will have long since closed. But as I write this, we’re deep into Olympic obsession mode (at least my household is). I know the Olympics themselves are now yesterday’s news, but if you’ll indulge a gal a bit, I’m hoping to strike up a conversation about China.About four years ago, not long after I first ...
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Manufacturers are looking for dedicated dealers who will get the job done, and dealers are looking for suppliers who value them
A dealer buddy of mine sent me an email this week that started with an apology for ranting and then went on to his rant. He wants to know (not from me, but just in general), where his suppliers’ sense of service went through the years? He seems to have woken up and realized, now that business has ebbed a bit, that the door and window manufacturers supplying his dealership aren’t ...
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I'm a bad bedtime negotiator. My two- and four-year-old girls know their bedtime, know the routine and know the two-books-each rule. When my husband finishes the books, he gives them a smooch, turns off the light and chipper little voices call out, "Good night daddy" as he closes the door. When I shut the final book and reach for the light, the ballistic fits ensue. I deserve the ...
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There is a small, independent coffee shop near my house that I frequent enough to have had a latte named for me. There's a young lady named Brittany who works the after-school shift, and I would argue that she serves as physical proof that there is hope for this country. Hope because she can't sit still. When she's not steaming milk or brewing espresso, she busies herself sweeping, wiping down ...
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Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I love a dealer with an angle. It’s tough to develop a focus, a niche, a personality for a business—so when I run across a really good angle, I’m definitely doing a little happy-column-dance. This month I’d like to introduce Windows Plus, a replacement retailer based in Northern Virginia. The dealer’s is a story like many ...
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If I offered to hand you $15 or let you flip a coin to earn either $20 or $10, which would you choose? Taking a chance might mean I only fork over $10 to you but playing it safe means you give up the opportunity to walk away with $20. In this example, the difference is only whether you’re buying me one round or two, but what if the stakes are much higher? How risk tolerant are you when it ...
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Ahhh, there’s nothing like an eye-popping news story to get me all charged up at column-writing time, and I know it’s a good one when I’m still baffled after the third or fourth read.The folks at Milgard are in the courts attempting to iron out an unfortunate situation. The former executive assistant to President James Sweeney Jr. allegedly embezzled $1.6 million from the ...
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In case you came to work today with nothing better to do, let’s chat about ripping off your customers. Not that I’m implying any of my dear readers would do such a thing, but let’s say your evil twin decided to put his toe to the edge of the slippery slope and flirt with some unethical, immoral and perhaps even illegal business practices.The question is this: Even if you put ...
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There. I did it. I’ve been meaning to do it for a year or more but I finally got around to clicking my way through a series of reservations and itineraries. I’d like to think that my inspiration is more goodwill than sheer curiosity, but regardless of the motive—I’m going to tour New Orleans. I want to know how business is going and how the rebuilding effort is ...
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