Business Mentors

New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo intrigues me. What he is trying to do may impact the entire country some day. Cuomo is from the left, of course. He gets a lot of campaign money from the left. Teachers’ unions and the education lobby give him big bucks. So do the unions for state and municipal workers. And yet, […]

For a small business, marketing and advertising seek an answer to the question, “How will prospective customers find me?” People today no longer reply to direct mail. They don’t peruse the phone book. They use television, newspapers, magazines, and other traditional media much less. In fact, they don’t even ask their friends in person. They use

Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed his executive budget recently. Overall, it’s a good start that addresses contentious issues and has the taxpayers in mind. It keeps spending at the same level as last year. It also proposes reforms to Medicaid and the pension system that will reduce the bloated, built-in increases my colleagues and I have talked about

“Necessity is the mother of invention.”  — Anonymous Back in 1996, when I was young and optimistic, I wrote a column about the evils and “benefits” of health-care “capitation” in a “managed-care” model. This column will prove, once again, that “what goes around, comes around.” And, not always with desirable results. Read on. First, a definition: capitation

“Having the most talented people in each of our businesses is the most important thing. If we don’t, we lose.” —Jack Welch, former CEO of GE   “I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies.”—

Come with me on a short trip. We’ll travel from a North Syracuse repair shop to a tent in the Revolutionary War, and then to a Connecticut hotel. Donna Curtin from Syracuse sends a simple plea to me. It brings to mind George Washington, as well as national politician George McGovern.  In her letter, she

Here is a perfect solution to that nagging thought that you should really get your financial house in order “this” year. Start with a list. Does it seem like a daunting task? Here’s some help. Consider some of the items I have on my personal “get it together list.” • Sort financial records into two piles: retain