Made In The USA

You are likely familiar with the inspirational story of Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four minute barrier for running a mile. For those who may not be as familiar, the feat was considered impossible prior to 1954, when Bannister accomplished the goal in 3:59.4. Many medical experts were confident that a runner’s…

This past week I had the opportunity to participate in the presentation of honors to the winners in Floor Covering News 2012 Award of Excellence competition. These awards, which are jointly sponsored by the WFCA, are presented to flooring manufacturers in a variety of categories ranging from design to sustainability. What is unique about these…

On July 15, 2015, the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor (DOL) issued what will be effectively a new standard of who qualifies as an independent contractor that will likely limit significantly the number of workers that meet the criteria. While claiming this was just an “interpretation” of the current standard and…

As I visit with flooring dealers around the country, I often hear the lament “Our business isn’t what it used to be.” Often, this statement is made in reference to sales volume. I often wonder, however, if this statement isn’t telling of a deeper problem that many existing businesses face: they simply aren’t functioning internally…

One of the common mistakes that managers make is assuming that their staff members know more than they actually do. Never presume since “we covered that during orientation” or “it’s in the employee handbook” that any given message was fully understood and absorbed by your personnel. The tendency is to barrage new staff with information…

While viewing the CNBC program “Titans” featuring Southwest Airlines Chairman Emeritus Herb Kelleher recently, I heard a quote that should be adopted as a mission statement for all service based businesses. He stated “Think small and act small and we will get bigger. Think big and act big and we will get smaller.” Wow! Think…