Dustin S. Klein: Constant reinvention — planned correctly — is a great thing
When asked what the key to remaining relevant in business for an extended period of time was, a prominent CEO once quipped to me, “Planned obsolescence.” His company followed a strict rule: Every 18 months, it would introduce a new product and make an existing one obsolete. This, he explained, drove innovation and filled the […]
Bill Kitson: You have to do more than ask for money in the nonprofit industry
Today’s donors and volunteers are seeking new ways to contribute their time, talent and treasure, forcing the nonprofit industry to find innovative strategies to keep them engaged. Audience segmentation based on a donor or volunteers specific interests engages them by affirming their contribution directly impacts the causes they passionately support. This is an issue I […]
How to help your sales force meet its goals
Salespeople always have goals they need to meet. Giving them a road map on how to achieve these goals can help increase accountability and boost sales. “We developed something to make salespeople a little more responsible. We put a program together that not only sets goals, but helps them achieve their goals,” says Rick Voigt, […]
Sometimes you have to do a little pruning to get the best fruit
No one likes to move backwards. The goal in business is to get better, beat the competition and grow. But sometimes you have to take a step back in order to enable your organization to move forward. A pruned tree bears more fruit, even though it might require some painful cuts that aren’t pretty at […]
ASM International focuses on sharing industry insights face-to-face in today’s digital world
Thomas Passek is only the sixth managing director in the 100-year history of ASM International, but that only tells part of the story of the global network once known as the American Society for Metals. “It’s not just about the magazine that members get in the mail, the website they get to access, the […]
William Holdipp: Five best practices to help you develop a quality supplier diversity program
Supplier diversity is a proactive business process that seeks to provide historically disadvantaged suppliers equal access to purchasing opportunities. It promotes supplier participation reflective of a company’s diverse customer base and the diverse business community. The business case for a company to have a quality supplier diversity program includes the following: ■ Any company that […]
How businesses can accelerate depreciation for tax purposes
The Internal Revenue Service defines the depreciable life of a building as 27.5 to 39 years. But that doesn’t mean that all assets grouped with the building have to be on the same depreciation schedule. A cost segregation study can identify personal property assets that can be reclassified to allow for a shorter depreciable life. […]
How to use self-guided development as an approach to talent management
Developing and retaining talent is one of the most pressing challenges for middle-market companies. Estimates suggest that comprehensive training programs are the second most costly human resource initiative, costing U.S. companies $150 billion in 2012. A key problem for midsize firms with limited resources is how to advance employees quickly and efficiently when development programs […]
2014 Evolution of Manufacturing Honorable Mentions
American Roll Form ProductsPhil Misch, president(440) 352-0753 | www.arfpcorp.com Lower labor costs elsewhere has made it difficult for companies with domestic manufacturing operations to compete on price. In order to remain competitive, American Roll Form Products President Phil Misch and his team decided to focus on value and find ways to cut costs along the […]
Michael Feuer: Close counts in more than horseshoes, hand grenades and slow dancing
Maybe you’ve seen the popular AT&T television commercials promoting the theme, “It’s not complicated,” for high-speed Internet services. In these vignettes, a moderator sits at a child’s table in a playroom with some of the cutest kids on the planet and poses an innocent question, such as, “How high is up?” And then, out of […]