The recent polar vortex brought record cold temperatures throughout much of the US. In fact, the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature recorded in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, was an astounding 77°F below zero. Brrr! Our biggest ally in surviving these freezing temps was our furnace. Mine ran non-stop trying to keep my house warm enough. What was protecting this vital appliance to keep it running? An often-forgotten filter. We don't realize how much dust and dirty particles perv

“Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.” -Steve Forbes Small business owners often scoff at statements like this, because we think branding is only for the big companies. It’s just too expensive to have a brand, we say. That's wrong. Every company has a brand, which is determined by your customers’ and prospects’ experiences with you. Their experiences are built with every touchpoint: pre-purchase, post purchase, direct inter

I fired myself. Why? My company’s 2018 results. Sales increased, but so did costs—at an unacceptable rate. As company president, my primary responsibility is to maximize shareholder value. As the single shareholder, I don’t believe these results maximize shareholder value in the short term or long run. So, a change has to be made. That’s why I decided to fire myself. OK, I didn't really fire myself, but I started making changes. First, I shared the 2018 results with the team.