Imagine…

- more time at home - more opportunities to write - more space to read - more occasions to call - more excuses to connect - more ways to learn - more chances to experiment - more reasons to innovate - more moments to think - more of now

It’s Not What You Think: Five Myths About Family Business Conflict

All families, and particularly family business will face some level of conflict. While many will avoid conflict at all costs, often facing these challenges will have numerous positive outcomes. Continuity Partners and Deconstructing Conflict Co-Authors, Doug Baumoel (78) and Blair Trippe share some of their recent findings based on years of work in working with family businesses …

Enduring lessons after 50 years of A Charlie Brown Christmas

  The holidays abound with traditions. It’s the time of year that draws people together and we gather in the familiar. For many, A Charlie Brown Christmas is a part of those traditions, a simple story of a beloved awkward boy and his gang of friends that most of us can relate to. And while …

Honesty is such a lonely word

  Honesty is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue.   Billy Joel Maybe not everyone is "so untrue", but I think we can all relate. Billy Joel has penned many memorable lyrics, and while these may not be among my personal favorite of his, they still remain true. In family business, honesty may be …

Breaking Bad, Breaking Fraud

  It’s a growth industry - $1 trillion a year in the US and $3.5 trillion globally. By best estimates, it accounts for nearly 5% of all business activity. The most successful people in this field go unnoticed but that does not keep them from continuing to increase their impact on the enterprise. And there’s …

Top 10 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Family Business Owner (aka mom & dad)

You love your mom and dad. They gave birth to you, raised you with an entrepreneurial spirit and have created or sustained your family business with the hope that one day you might take it over. You want to take care of them as they exit the business to savor the fruits of their (your) …

The best (Christmas) family business movies of all time

A short quiz on three family businesses portrayed in some of the most memorable Christmas movies of all time.

A Smart Phone in Every Pocket.

I do believe one day we will all own a smart phone. I am not sure when that day will come, but eventually they will be as ubiquitous as automobiles or Social Security cards.  They will replace virtually everything we now carry in our wallet or purse; credit cards, drivers licences, pictures, and bus tickets. …

Summer Reading List

Sorry, no Malcom Gladwell or Marcus Buckingham books here. It's summer time and the living is easy. Besides, I often find the most valuable nuggets about leadership told through the adventures of others. Below, a quick review of some non-business books that still hold plenty of leadership lessons, add them to your summer reading list. …

8 tips for great business relationships

Jane Applegate is the author of four books on small business success, including 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business, published by Bloomberg/Wiley in all formats. She’s also the producer and host of Tech Essentials with Jane Applegate, an online talk show sponsored by Microsoft. Check it out at: www.myfirstserver.com, Applegate’s new website - www.theapplegatenetwork.com, - features video profiles, interviews and …