Author Archives: Thom

I think I’ve mentioned before that when you open a business the salesmen come out like sharks around a whaling boat. The trouble is while some of the things they try to sell are obviously ludicrous to everyone but them, … Continue reading →

I’ve been toying with the idea of expanding the subject matter of this blog, and I’ve decided to take the plunge. This week will be an exception, but on Monday-Wednesday-Friday I’ll take on business topics as usual. On Tuesdays, Thursdays … Continue reading →

My mother recently came to see us for a few days. That same weekend my daughter had a dance performance in another town, so the three of us took the trip together. It was not a short drive, and it … Continue reading →

I may have mentioned previously that when we first opened our store we paid for three months of radio advertising which, from what we could tell, didn’t accomplish much. We got some customers who mentioned they’d heard our ads, but … Continue reading →

As I mentioned in my last post, my business partner has a philosophy of helping the customer get what they want, even if it means sending them to someone else. I mentioned the positive impact it has on our customers … Continue reading →

One of my business partners has an interesting take on customer service, which is one of the reasons I went into business with him. His take is nothing new–he and I both got it from “Miracle on 34th Street”. The … Continue reading →

I have to admit I’m somewhat ambivalent about cloud computing, in which a company’s websites, data, and applications can be spread out among several web servers across the internet. In some instances it makes sense–most companies can’t afford their own … Continue reading →

In a the previous entry, I discussed the Project Triangle and how it can be applied to building a business as well. With a business your three corners are Product, Marketing, and Delivery. You can expand your business at any … Continue reading →

Anyone who has been near the project management discipline has heard about the “Project Triangle“. That’s the rule of thumb that essentially says that when you’re building something you can have it good, fast, or cheap–pick any two. You can … Continue reading →

Last week I mentioned an encounter with a customer who offered us some unwanted business advice. While this gentleman was a more extreme example of the know-it-all customer, he was by no means the first. When it comes to small … Continue reading →