Business Tips by Chris Reich

Why do they jump?They trust us.What if we don't catch them?They fall and the trust is broken. Trust is easier get than it is to repair.Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to try to gain our trust. The one who secures the most...

Run it like a business? I hope not. Wait! Maybe it is a good idea.For years doctors have had to constantly remind themselves that medical practices are businesses. I often hear doctors say that, but how many doctors really do run their practices like a business?...

A three hour tour?It's no secret the economy has slowed to a crawl. Just about every business is feeling the pressures of rising costs (energy prices affect everything) and declining sales. It's time to watch expenses but be careful about cutting corners.When sales...

It doesn't even look like Illinois.Unless you've been in a cave for the past two weeks you know that this common corn flake sold for $1,350 on eBay. It was sold by two shysters, I mean sisters, in Virginia who made the "amazing" discovery from within their box of...

But can you measure it? There are businesses struggling to stay in the game. Margins are shrinking as costs rise. Competition is fierce making it very difficult to raise prices. The game is getting tougher.Scan the daily business news. Almost weekly there is some big...

You did what?!You've decided to improve your customer service. Tell the world. You've cut your delivery time by 20%. Put it on your website.People are looking for good news and good news is hard to find. Here's a question that comes up frequently. "If we say we're...

Herb wouldn't put up with this.Pictured at left is Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly. In this 2005 photo Mr. Kelly was giving an interview about the importance of integrity in business. He had just been crowned CEO of Southwest Airlines. Remember them? The LOW COST...

It was only a couple of sick cows.Wesland/Hallmark Meat Co. President Steve Mendell backs away from his previous statement that no sick cows made their way into the food supply after being forced to watch undercover video of abuses of cattle at his plant. Mendell...

Sometimes being in business is tough. Sometimes it's important to take a few minutes, relax, and have a little laugh. I'm a fan of David Sedaris and I hope you enjoy this "off topic" 10 minute break.If you need an excuse to listen to this on company time, consider it...

Yes, you do.Does your business have an ethics policy? If not, it should. If you have one but it's not being "lived", think about revisiting the concept of bringing morality back to your business. A strong, viable ethics program is an excellent recession fighter.I'm...

Is this what you really want?The results of the Texas and Ohio primaries were very instructional for anyone involved in marketing.Words like "hope" and "change" build our enthusiasm. Those words encourage and inspire us. We like to hear them.But when decision time...

Greed is not good. The job of a business is to make money. A business should make all the money it can using every tool at its disposal within a framework of ethics and morality. That's the profit motive. The profit motive is good when it operates within moralistic...

Health care for all!I started my business practice 25 years ago specializing in medical practice management. I understood before most that a medical practice is like any other business. I taught my clients that providing great customer service would make a difference...

People like to see it.When customers visit your business do they see visible signs of attempts at doing something positive for the environment? If not, you should consider taking some noticeable steps to go green.People like know they are doing business with a company...

But it's blank.Yes, it's blank. It's not only blank, it's black. This slide is not got going to light up a room during your presentation. This slide doesn't say anything. So what's the point? Power.PowerPoint is rarely used to add power to a point. Most often,...

Back in the 80’s I used to fly frequently with Pan Am. I really loved that airline. That once glorious company is now only a memory.

Goal! Goal! G-----o-----a----l!Lately, I've had a lot of inquiries about about teamwork. Specifically, people are asking about how to build teamwork.My first question is always the same, "What do you want your team to do?" The answer is almost almost always the same...

Think INSIDE the box?Yes. It's time to think inside the box. Sure, thinking inside the box implies constraints to thinking. But the constraints are good things. The thinking inside the box employs the common sense methods we used to use to solve problems.Certainly,...