Week 9 - Opening a Business

It is interesting to me and think about what has really spawned a lot of growth in the Untied States, a lot of it was people starting businesses. People looking for the opportunity to make and earn a better living were a huge part of the growth in this country which we can see that it had a huge trickle down effect in employing people and funding their enthusiasm for opportunity as well. With that in mind and the opportunity we had to read in class this week an article entitled "The Heart of Entrepreneurship" by Howard H Stevenson and David E Gumpert, I couldn't help but think about "what has changed?", from when people over and over again seemed to seek for opportunity and now where it seems that people look for instantaneous results of what is simply going to make them a "buck" and move on? I think I can see several continuing factors and I think it was touched on with the example of "Google" in this weeks reading, first "creativity" and allowing employees, managers, and heck "anyone" have an opportunity to think and be creative. I think our businesses of today simply make a "wheel" and say "go", and seek no more creativity that could blossom even more? With the interesting statistic given for a very successful company like Google that 50% of their recent launches were from their own employees "creativity" during allotted time to "be creative". Second, I see that rather than caring about the consumer and much or the experience offered, business has very much become emotionless in many businesses and it's all about being cheap, cost efficient, and sticking with a program versus, yes having a business plan and simply promoting the "good experience" for their consumer, while yes being mindful of your priorities to also company. How many times have you gone somewhere lately to offer feedback and a complaint and the attitude is "we don't care, return the item and leave", or how many times does a fast food restaurant ask you to take a survey and you take it, but there really is no opportunity for you to provide anything different their there automated systems responses.

I go into Home Depot pretty often and one time I was impressed to have the store manager actually take a moment ask me how I was doing and if there was anything I thought could be done in operating his store or staff, that really impressed me that he was actually asking me the "consumer". This is also the guy I see hopping behind a desk and actually mixing paint, cutting boards, loading concrete bags, or making sure someone is happy with a purchase. I actually worked for a Home Improvement store once and let me tell you that was not the attitude advertised from management nor the attitude we were to offer, our message was simply do what the minimum required is and that's' it leave the rest to someone else's job.

I think that one thing I can gather from this week and what I intend to remember and implement is that "creativity" can be a very helpful and vital part of growing a business and not to discount its potentials. I have a start up of my own right now that I own and I find myself at times the only way doing better is to be "creative" and finding that little niche or edge that can lead to victor along with the overall customers experience. Finding the "money" is key, where can you make it and what does it take, but also finding the "idea", you find both and I think you have a good thing going.

Week 6 - Honesty

This week in class we had the opportunity to listen/read an article from President Gordon B. Hinckley entitled "Stand True and Faithful" (April 1996), there was one particular part of the talk that really made me think a little deeper into its meaning and what it means to me in regards to a career in business, President Hinckley said this in according to honesty:

"We believe in being true. How very important it is to be true to ourselves. Each of us has a thing we call conscience. We know the difference between right and wrong. We do not have to be instructed concerning what is good and what is evil. I think we know that. We know when we have done the wrong thing, and we suffer pangs of conscience. We know when we have done the right thing, and we experience a sense of happiness. To be true to ourselves means being an example of righteous living in all situations and circumstances."

I think that in business people try to deny this feeling, the feeling or conscience of knowing "right from wrong". I have met people the phrase often of "Business is business, my personal life is personal". I have never agreed with this mentality or attitude, part of what I think makes good business is being "personal", finding the way to offer the customer the feeling of security knowing that you are considering them the way you would like to be treated and if there is anything I have learned in the business world it is that "nobody likes to get taken advantage of", when they do they will not forget it.

Going back to President Hinckley's quote, "We do not have to be instructed concerning what is good and what is evil, I think we know that", I think right there "the hammer hits the nail" in that we don't need to wait for an instruction. Doing the right thing is as simple as it sounds "do the right thing" and I really think if we have that mentality honesty does not become as large of an issue. Now that doesn't mean there can be differences in opinion on how something is done between one person or another, but it would mean something if either way that both people were simply trying to "do" the right thing. I can also say from my personal experience that doing the right thing as President Hinckley promises will provide a "sense of happiness", it really does and additionally people will remember what you did and that hopefully will continue a cycle of "good".

Remember "Honesty is the BEST Policy", still going to be my motto.