Contributors Opinion Bold predictions for 2015 Going by their ads, Really want to take flight? A new year Business affords more Briefs not-so-bold repeats none like deserve election Under promise, over deliver a new opportunity Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he B BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
PPAGE age 26 22
Of all the advice I’ve heard in interviewing business owners and managers over the past two decades, some of the best boils down to two propositions: under promise and over deliver. And though I’m only an interested observer myself, I’d add a third suggestion: Communicate often A new year almost always brings an opportunity for aearly freshand start and with customers. renewed ambition to do things better. The whole promising thing plays an essential in In business, that usually boils down to providing customers betterrole products business. It’s the basis of marketing. A business promises to and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must provide a product or service a need. it’s a include listening to customers to determine whatthat theymeets actually needThen and then matter thattopromise. provide product meeting that need. After all,ofitdelivering does littleon good offer theTolatest and the greatest if or service when and where you say you will. To provide a nobody actually wants what you’re selling. product that or service does what the youGrand say it Junction will do. Area Just like the businesses belongthat to the group, In a competitive environment, businesses must promise Chamber of Commerce invariably starts out the new year with a reassessment of as much as they can tohow entice customers andwith differentiate the services and resources it provides and well they match Phil Castle operations. But never more than they can actuallymembers deliver. needs. Jeff Franklin, the new chairman of the chamber board of directors, To do otherwise disappoints customers and damages personifies this approach in describing what he considers his role for the coming credibility. better to promise a bit less, thenand deliver bit more. exceed year: listen It’s to members, determine their needs then ameet thoseTo needs. It’s a expectations, delight customers and, in the process, develop a loyal clientele. role with which Franklin is familiar as market president of Bank of Colorado. All this comes to mind experience in which largethe corporation Theof process will take on aafter moreanstructured approach in awhat chamber from which I purchased a service — at a dear price, mind you — over plans as the resumption of a program aptly called Listening to Business.promised Under the and underbusiness delivered. Did I participate mention I’m consumer of commercial air travel? program, owners in ain-depth interviews to identify barriers to Then most people will growthI expect and other problems theycommiserate. encounter. IThe recently enjoyed a trip to San toproverbial visit my son and his lovely wife new year offers a good timeFrancisco to join the club. and finally meet my new granddaughter. Connections took me through Phoenix As an advertiser or reader, what do you need from the Business Times? coming and going. I scheduled long layovers in the Valley of the Sun in the event While business journals traditionally gather and report the relevant news to any of my flights were delayed. They were, but even longer than I anticipated. readers, communication isn’t necessarily a one-way street. That’s especially true as Coming a flightmake scheduled to leavemore Phoenix at 6:30 than p.m. ever. was pushed back to Web sitesback, and e-mail the dialogue convenient 7:30Good — as publications in 7:30 a.m. don’t the next morning. exist in a vacuum. They respond to the needs of Given the flight crews what’s and other issues airlines face, I wasn’t advertisers andshortage readers. of They provide needed. surprised or even that upset. What did make me angry was the way the problem was So what do you need? communicated to passengers. I swear, I received messages onyou my informed cell phoneabout every Is there additional news coverage that would help keep 10 minutes assuring me my flight was on time. The display at the gate counted local business developments? Are there features that would be interesting or down to thethat timewould boarding waseasier? at that very moment the useful?the Isminutes there advice makewould your begin. jobs a It little announcement was made the flight was postponed until the morning. It’s equally important to ask what you don’t need. Withnext limited time to I concede I know nothing about airline operations. But I have difficulty produce content and limited space in which to publish it, would time and space be believing the airline didn’t know better devoted to something else? it would have to postpone the flight until the timeWhat’s came togood? board.What Wasisn’t? somebody callingisn’t? pilots until the last possible What’sfrantically needed? What minute tryingSend to convince them to come to online work on Sunday? Letand us know. us an e-mail. Comment onathe Business Times Web If I’d have known my flight would be postponed, I would have spent another site at www.thebusinesstimes.com. You could even write an old-fashioned letter to day in San Francisco. For that matter, I could have visited a dear in Phoenix. the editor if you’d like. Your feedback, both positive and negative,aunt is valued and businessconsidered. advice from this dissastisifed customer? If you can’t deliver on will The be carefully yourGood promise, at least let as possible. publications areme theknow. resultAs ofsoon not only the efforts of their staffs, but also I’m awareefforts probably more advertisers than most that news stinks. But the smell only collaborative involving andbad readers. gets Like worseany theother longer you try to withhold it. good business, we want to listen to our customers, find out what they need and then meet those needs. Phil It’s Castle is editor of the Business a new year. Please help us toTimes. do so. Reach him at 424-5133 or phil@thebusinesstimes.com. ✦ F
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And it’s time only of theyear primaries. It’s that when Right now, candidates are only eating each other resolutions and prognostications abound. — unless, of course, you count all the My favorite saying applied to New Year’s Democrats ads they’re talking basically bad abouta resolutions running is in saying certain Republicans. bunch of promises toBecause break theDemocrats’ first week appetite for And power apparently of January. while I won’t includes predict a eating on accurately the table. whole any lot, Iand caneverything pretty much After all, nail a few things that without question Democrats nominated will make the news. You will see these are Joe Biden after pretty, well, predictable: Kamala Harris called ■ Prediction one: him a racist and a There will be some sexual a sort of abuser weatherinevent, debate. again, natural Then disaster or Democrats let her be heinous occurrence the nominee for vice where someone will president. Apparently, be interviewed and say Democrats live“I’ve in the following: denial of truth, slander, Craig Hall never seen anything misogyny like that inand myirony. But this lifetime.” It’s column as if thisisn’t solely about Craig Hall Democrats — no matter what levels of person is a required worse they take things attendee at every news to in politics. This is about politics and how it permeates reporting event. While I understand most every aspect of out lives. Because does, people’s perspective can indeed be itlimited the lustcontained for holding power is so pervasive by, or within, their own personal it attracts theitworst our citizenry experiences, is tooinmuch to ask toat almost to run for office.before consult every some level historical perspective Ofsuch all the lessonsYes, I’vethis learned in my saying a thing? response can 60 trips the sun, this one itapplies apply to around some events. But when comes to There’s goodI’m andpretty bad to politics weather the andmost: natural disasters, people in every aspect of life — every sure this is simply history repeating itself. race, business, every and church, everyof Sameevery as it has for millions millions family and … every everything. years. More important, the planetThat made it! means in politics, there’s species. good andHow’s bad What didn’t were certain going in every election as well. You know that for perspective? how ■ I know the good badit comparison Prediction two: and When comes to a is an absolute, eternal Trump said crime or something thattruth? occurs between it about Charlottesville, andattendee Democrats humans, the other required at all went — noisbetter truth meter news apoplectic reporting events the person who than that. says this: “They we’re just the nicest Except as no myway years orb people, and in didonI this see something continue to add up,Exactly. I find less and like this coming.” No good one does more andthemore If you needto proof most of timebad. when it comes beyond theand Democrat debates People of 2020, neighbors acquaintances. should just look at the ads running in our be surprised at what goes on from local time to primaries. Sure, you hear a few about time in their neighborhoods, towns andwhat so-and-so and such-and-such will do once with people they know because people are elected. Onfor a personal never vote good. And the timesnote, that Ithey shouldn’t for someone—promising fight for me or be shocked like with to politicians, repeat put a stop to reckless spending because offenders and terrorists — where’s the they’ve to me as to what interviewnever that spoken says, “This doesn’t surprise to for.least.” And let’s be honest, reckless mefight in the spending is all they do inSomething Washington ■ Prediction three: good and Once elected,and they’re will Denver. happen economically, the now an exclusive,will omnipotent member of the government take credit for it. The most reckless spending club. Because other than recent example is gas prices, where people aask select few Iwho actually me why won’t credit do theconstitutional president for things in office, it’s already about the low gasonce prices. My answer is simple: next election. Government never makes the price of This isgowhy weand get simply ads between something down takes credit Republicans telling us howisbad theirto for good news. Gas pricing subject primary opponents many global factors.are. NowHeck, therewe arenow have Democrat ads telling us howsome bad of government answers to addressing Republicans are. And everyone has an them to keep prices stable for Americans, ad protecting has the none integrity of our butabout our government of them in elections thethings worstitbeing of those place. The— only has inallplace in the
une 23-J15-28, uly 6, 2015 2022 JJANUARY
running positions that protectAnother election long run for always hurt consumers. integrity because it’s soreaches sacredaboth fact is that—unemployment certain sides have been it while level based on thescreaming economy. about And while the doing nothing about it for so government might brag the decades. number isIt’s low, bad we even cases todaydid along it’s more thanhave likelycourt the government with a statetotakeover ofnumber countiesbeing it doesn’t something cause that low like fornot howinthings being run. — and a goodare way. Conversely, when It’s hard toup, findit’s anbecause election the integrity business picks people solution there. Andwidgets even harder to expect who need to buy who were not one given folks running theeconomy office arewas the buyingthewidgets becauseforthe ones in courtdue or the ones doing the takeovers. contracting to natural (or unnatural, Like almost all government positions, government caused) reasons, decidedit’s we always about control and not I’ve better buy some widgets. Thesolutions. government never seen such image-driven had nothing to do with this. campaigns as I have■over voting integrity at every with level of Prediction four: In keeping government. If you havedoes, to convince things the government I predictpeople the through public relations you have integrity, to government will manipulate the numbers you probably don’t. solutions to having make the claim the The economy is getting safe and secure of elections are itsimple. better because how hard is working to election day Americans.” a holiday withNow strict help Make all of us “working hours — nosay, votes allowed Make you might “Craig, youafter. always say this people register annually and include way about President Obama because youadon’t for to be registered. End mail-in likeshut-ins him.” You’re right in a sense. I don’t voting andman, ballotbut harvesting. Andoffor theand know the what I know him love of all that’s holy,like getitrid theone idiotic his thinking, I don’t orof him iota. laws like thego one wherelike Before you off,Colorado however,has I didn’t someone rescind party affiliation and President can Bush and his bailouts, stimulus vote against a candidate in the primaries. and his abandoning the free market to save Make themarket. partiesAnd pay for primaries and the free I don’t know him hold separate from general election either.them What the government does, and the days. Let the cheating remain only thing it can do, isand hurtinfighting the economy. private until they come up with a candidate Unless it does nothing or put criminals in to on theofgeneral election jailput instead partnering withballot. them, nothing If else wants themAlways meet the theanyone government doeson, willlethelp. look requirements their own. Forensicallysays at it this way, on whatever the government audit each ballot, announce winners theit it is doing, whatever the name of the at law end of the week and getthe rid name of makeupis passing, or whatever or goal of slathered talking itheads calling races. the bureaucracy is presenting to the Thisexpect current set up totoput people, thesystem polar is opposite occur. into place more bloated, progressive I guess what I’m saying is that bureaucracies and to laws perhaps it’s time getleading out of us ourtoward own the end of freedom. After plenty all, Republicans perspective. There’s of historyneed to be squeaky clean and they aren’t. Just look books and historical research out there to at the ads. And Democrats canofbethis as dirty begin to understand that all has as they come.before. Just look at who they nominate. happened And it will again, The hard truth is simple. Our elected whether the topic is people or government. officials of touch with the people. The are bestout recommendation is to find They in aordifferent world. Google They some live books try that whole rule, govern. I can only make aon the thing.not There’s a lot of information knowledgeable choice those Great Depression. The in truth is itI actually wasn’t know and have vetted beyond ads and got even a good one until the government smears. And this time and involved. There’s also around, plenty ofLauren research Bobbie have my warm vote. Iperiod might when just write on the medieval the in myself the others, I’m planet wasfor much warmereven thanthough today with afraid of lot what would(and say warmer about me. a whole lessads people well How in the we going to elect before man wasworld here are at all). And yep, good people the system have today? people haveinbeen killing we other surprised Let’s face it, we can’t. The way is people since history was only first real written. to remove thesome unconstitutional power Maybe research will helpfrom stop all of government that’s thewe’ll root cause. all levels of these trends. Otherwise, be But who’s running onseen that?anything That candidate saying we’ve never like it in can’t get a And wordnot in, let a vote. our lives. in alone a good way. Craig Craig Hall Hall is is owner owner and and publisher publisher of of the the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. F ✦
