Strengths & Weaknesses

        It is the time of year when we make our New Year resolutions.  Many of us have the standard resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, or even to quit smoking.  You or someone you know may be thinking of buying or starting a business.  The timing could not be better with the new political climate. 

        Our federal government will be promoting business and improving the economy.  Economic development in our little county is improving.  Since the election, several companies have announced they are proceeding with expansion projects.  I expect the same to happen with new start-ups. 

        My book, Business Fits was written to help people find the right business to help them achieve their goals.  One economic development director said, “Make this book your first business investment.  It will save you a lot of time and heartache…”  Business Fits could make a great late Christmas gift.  

        One of the first things I recommend in the book is to analyze and write down your strengths and weaknesses.  This is much more important than picking a product or service. 

        A person can sell or not.  A person can manage people or not.  Strengths and weaknesses like these will determine success or failure in a specific business.  Everyone should find a business that takes advantage of their strengths and where their weaknesses will not be a disadvantage.

        Sometimes a character trait can be both a strength and a weakness in different situations.  I have strengths and weaknesses like anyone.  I have been told many times that I am honest-to-a-fault.  I consider this a good trait in business, but I could never have been a White House Press Secretary for President Obama.  I could never stand in front of the press and made statements that I knew were lies.  I just couldn’t do it. 

        If you are considering a business, make sure your role in the business fits you strengths and weaknesses.  It will make you happier and more successful.  A good place to start is reading Business Fits: How to find the right business for you!  It is available on Amazon as an eBook and as a paperback.

        Happy New Year and God bless America.  Let’s make America great again. 

http://BusinessFits.com

Fireside Chat

        From March 12, 1933 to June 12, 1944 President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave 30 Presidential radio addresses, at a time when radio was a relatively new.  These casual radio chats ran for 14 to 33 minutes.  President Roosevelt talked about the depression, the banking crisis, the New Deal, and World War II.  He obviously felt the need to Give his messages directly to the people and not rely solely on the newspapers and the radio news networks. 

        The Founding Fathers knew the importance of honest reporting of the news in order to make the new republic work and survive.  In their time print media and word-of-mouth was the only way to report the news.  When radio changed that, President Roosevelt felt the need to address the people directly. 

        Television was the next new news media.  The televised Presidential debates between Kennedy and Nixon probably determined the outcome of the 1960 Presidential election. 

        With newspapers, radio, and television news, we would think that now the public would have easy access to what is happening with our government.  Not so.  Most news networks seem to have no problem slanting the news or actually reporting lies to fit their political agenda.  There are exceptions like FOX news, but they are in the minority. 

        Today, much of the public no longer trusts the media, and they no longer trust government officials.  How can the public not be skeptical when our Secretary of State can blame a video for the deaths at Benghazi when she knew it was a terrorist attack? 

        The last Presidential election proved that the media, political analysts, and political polls can’t be trusted.  The lame stream media is still trying to discredit Trump’s election.     

        President elect Trump recognizes that he can not depend on traditional news organizations.  He has used social media and political rallies very effectively and will continue to do so.  This is the only way he can get honest information to the public and control the political establishment. 

        I hope and pray that all news organizations start to honestly report the news, but that is probably just wishful thinking. 

        Merry Christmas and God bless America.  Let’s make America great again. 

http://BusinessFits.com

U.N.N.A.

        Those of you, who have read my book, Business Fits, know how much I hate acronyms. Their use results in  ineffective communication and wasted marketing expenditures. 

        How many of you know what U.N.N.A. stands for?  If you have every looked at a help wanted ad, you may have seen it.  Did you know it stands for “Unemployed Need Not Apply”?  Some companies only interview or hire people that are currently employed.  There are a variety of reasons for this policy, but none of those reasons are valid for excluding unemployed applicants.     If you have ever been unemployed, I doubt you agree with this hiring policy. 

        Human resource departments of large corporations often try to put applicants in boxes.  I once had a friend that worked in human resources.  She was going through a large stack of applications for a particular position while visiting our house.  She quickly scanned the first paragraph of each application and threw most on the floor. 

        When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was scanning the first page for two or three words.  If she did not see these words, the application was thrown on the floor and never considered.  When I commented that the best applicant was on the floor, she said, “I’m sure that’s true, but I don’t have time to read them all.”  She found a few acceptable applicants and did not worry about finding the best. 

        How many of you have ever applied for a job and was told you were overqualified and/or overeducated?  I have and it is very frustrating.  The logic is that an overqualified person will not stay in the job.  This may be true, but there is no guarantee that any applicant will stay.  

        If you are hiring, hire the best you can hire.  The more overqualified the candidate is the better.  Maybe your company can grow to fit the new hire. 

        I once was the plant manager for a recreational vehicle manufacturing plant.  Over the objections of our company president, I hired an overqualified individual for the position of office manager.  The applicant was an unemployed bank president that had been laid off due to a bank merger.  He was financially comfortable and did not want to relocate for personal reasons, but did not want to retire yet.  He did a great job as my office manager, and based on my recommendation, replaced me as plant manager when I left the company.  We both benefited because I didn’t put him in the banking industry box, or worry about him being overqualified and unemployed.

        If you or anyone you know is a capable manager and sick of being put in a box, or unemployed and overqualified, now is the time to look at self-employment.  This country is going to see significant growth in the private sector of the economy and significant layoffs in the public sector.  It sounds like a great time to consider your own business.

        I recommend reading Business Fits as you start this journey.  It is available on Amazon as an eBook or a paperback. 

        God bless America.  Let’s make it great again. 

http://BusinessFits.com

Change

        Change is inevitable, but some things never change.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Change can be good and bad.  We have all heard these statements and they sound contradictory, but they’re also true. 

        The dedication for Business Fits is:  “This book is dedicated to all the small farmers and the small town business owners that played a huge part in making this country great.  Unfortunately, they are both disappearing.”

        Small farms are disappearing because larger farm operations are more efficient and profitable.  With the decline of rural populations, businesses must grow to serve larger geographic areas more efficiently.  These changes are both good and bad, but are inevitable. 

        As I wrote Business Fits, I was continually amazed how business had changed over the years with changing technology, but the basics stayed the same.  New entrepreneurs need to read Business Fits to insure they don’t skip the basics. 

        Change in business is good for small business and entrepreneurs because they can adapt to a changing market much faster than large corporations.  Franchises are also in a good position to react because of the market research that is provided by their network of franchisees. 

        Obama ran for President with the slogan Hope and Change, but when he got to Washington, he continued to grow the Federal Government.  Spending, debt, regulations, taxes, welfare, illegal immigration, drugs, race relations, foreign relations, duplication of services, waste, and corruption all got worse.  The Federal Government had a stranglehold on small business, the economy, and most working Americans. 

        Trump appealed to all American workers who were fed up with the problems created by big government and the political elite.  The big question now is, will Trump change Washington, or will Washington change Trump?  Trump is a deal maker so it will probably be a little of both, but I hope he changes Washington, because we have been going in the wrong direction for a hundred years.  He can’t change 100 years overnight, but, hopefully, he can change the direction this country is heading. 

        Love of God, family, country, and a good work ethic made this country great.  Not big government and generations enslaved to welfare. 

        Trump needs to hire the best people and not people who were political supporters as has been the practice of Presidents in the past.  There are many highly qualified people who will serve because of love of country, and not for financial or political gains.  

        God bless America.  Let’s make it great again. 

http://BusinessFits.com