State of the Union

Below is the post I just wrote for my other blog, The Shrewd Investor, at http://theshrewdinvestor.net.

Last night a defiant President accepted partial responsibility for not clearly articulating his agenda to the American people. Obama truly believes that his problem is twofold. First, he just hasn’t pushed his agenda hard enough and second, if the America people truly understood his messiahship they would rush to support his solutions. What the President fails to recognize or admit is that the American voter clearly understands his agenda and has already given their response in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. … Continue Reading

The Parable of the Sower, the Seed and the Soils

In Mark 4:3-14 Jesus said, ³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. ⁵ Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. ⁷ And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. ⁸ But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” … Continue Reading

Decision Making – The Point of Leadership

By now it should be obvious that Barak Obama lacks leadership skills. But this should come as no surprise given Obama came into office with no leadership, business or military experience. Why is he such an ineffective leader? What’s missing? Why can’t he transform the power of his personality and office into leadership skills? And more importantly what can we as business owners and managers learn from this. … Continue Reading

What Is Strategic Planning?

The word “strategy” is originally from the Greek word strategia which refers to an act, device, or plan employed by a general or leader to achieve a specific goal. Aristotle said, “…as there are many actions, arts and sciences, there ends are also many; the end of the medical art is health, that of shipbuilding a vessel, that of strategy victory, that of economics wealth.”

Thus, strategy early on was thought of in military or diplomatic terms but today strategy is also used in business to produce a competitive advantage or achieve a stated goal. To be successful the strategy needs to be written and this is called a strategic plan. To produce a strategic plan requires the ability to think strategically (strategic thinking). … Continue Reading

The Time Has Come!

The Time Has Come! Today more and more people are going into business for themselves. It’s currently reported that over 25% of all adult Americans are self-employed, with many more considering going into business for themselves.

People work out of their homes today  because technology has brought us to a place where we no longer need an office environment to be productive. A wide variety of  jobs can can be worked from remote locations. The computer, email, and cellular telephones have changed forever the way businesses operate. And with the low cost of equipment and technology it has become more affordable to go into business for yourself and compete with the big corporations. … Continue Reading

Successful Entrepreneurs

Success is a state of mind, just like happiness. One person’s definition of success might be different from another. To one, success might be paying bills and providing for family, to another success might be growing a business to 100 million dollars in annual sales. Success is relative. And at times, the more successful you are, the more you see and hear from your relatives.

Called by God … Continue Reading

How to get the Vision

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. Exodus 24:15-16.

The blue print

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:8-9. … Continue Reading

Planning for Success

Business plans or better yet, strategic plans are very important for every business. Although they’re very important, most business owners have never actually written one.

So, what’s a business plan? A business plan is composed of two main elements: A narrative that describes your business in detail and a financial summary that shows how your business can profit and grow in the coming years. … Continue Reading