Twenty years ago, I started The Palner Group, Inc. with the goal of providing technology consulting as a service. 2000 feels like a century ago (I’ve not thought about the millennium bug for some time now) and I’m using this anniversary to reflect on having this company for two decades. The Palner Group, Inc. isn’t my first business. A few years earlier I had started a nutritional supplement sales company (Vitastorm) with a great friend of mine, Rick Pallisso....
Normally, Yeni and I have a “no chains” rule when it comes to eating out. Many reasons why on this… from Karma to the 68 rule to keeping the community unique, there are many reasons why a personal no-chain rule works. Of course, rules are made to be broken, and we do this with the no-chain rule from time-to-time. One of the reasons is to see the process. We don’t feel that chains are evil, far from it, we just normally choose to patronize local independent businesses. Because of this, we still understand that there’s a lot you can learn from visiting a chain… and any brick and mortar in the community is still a good place to spend money. ...
Let me start off my saying this: I despise the word stupid. Despise may not even be strong enough to describe the loathing I have for the word stupid. I feel calling a person stupid remains one of the worst insults one can use. It’s a word that I rarely use. That being said, I reserve the use of “stupid” for extreme acts that amaze me with their unique sense of illogical function. Take for example American Express. ...
I read a great blog post from Jeff Archibald called Stop Networking. It’s a great read (and it’s linked… so please read it) and something I related to personally. I’ve been in many “networking groups” throughout the years. From the Chamber of Commerce to BNI, lunch groups (like A2B3) to social groups, my experiences with ANY networking group is mirrored in Jeff’s article. Stop Networking & Start Helping Stop thinking of your local business events as “networking opportunities” and start thinking of them as opportunities to help people....
Yeni and I love going to DisneyWorld — our one big spend each year is annual passes. We go as often as we can… not as often as we’d like… but we get there 20+ times a year. We each have our favorite places. Yeni loves the Magic Kingdom… I love Epcot. The castle is her house… I can sit on the People Mover for hours. We both love Main Street, England, the Land, and Chefs de France....
Today, I attempted to use my American Express card as a replacement for an old card that had expired. I entered the card info, hit “renew,” and was told it was declined. Within a minute, I received an automated phone call from a toll-free number. The automated message stated (paraphrasing here) that this was the American Express Fraud Department and that I needed to call the 800 number to confirm card activity....
I had an interaction with American Airlines this morning that made me realize why I choose American (even though they cost more than others). Bottom line: I choose American Airlines because their service is worth the price I pay. The same holds true with almost any business. In telecom, I can choose the cheapest carriers… but instead I choose great carriers (such as .e4 and flowroute) that offer high quality and great service....
From either the bakery or VoIP consulting, I get to sift through “feelers” on a daily basis. Some come from people who have an exact idea of what they want, are familiar with market pricing, and have realistic budgets. These are educated potential clients. Generally, these clients want quality and will pay (within reason) for good, quality work. They are rare gems, and we act on them very quickly. Most feelers come from people who want the best — but have no knowledge of what pricing may cost....
You love her But she loves him And he loves somebody else You just can’t win J. Geils Band – Love Stinks I absolutely hate the blame game. Even more than my disdain for the word hate is my absolute hatred of those who partake in this ridiculous exercise of disservice through finger-pointing. “The blame game” (in this context) occurs when business A points to business B as the owner of your problem — and vice versa — leaving you stuck with no resolution....
This morning, as I was reading Collin Austin’s post on sweating the small stuff, I couldn’t help but think of how David Lee Roth changed the way I make contracts. David Lee Roth changed the way you make contracts? Yes. Mr. David Lee Roth. First, I don’t want to get into a discussion of why contracts are important. We use contracts both at the bakery and in consulting. Bottom line: either you believe in contracts, or you’re wrong....