RichC | January 20, 2014
Ignore this if you aren’t in the mood for ranting about scheduling practices by many service companies. Why is it that companies who handle home services can’t do a better job of scheduling their appointments? Last Thursday the garage door spring broke on the overhead garage door and realizing it was not something I was […]
RichC | January 2, 2014
What better way to start keeping my resolutions for the New Year than to start with a post about teamwork and conflict (self and tolerance). Liane Davey in the Harvard Business Review shared five tips over the holidays in here article called Conflict Strategies for Nice People. She states that although it can be uncomfortable […]
RichC | December 9, 2013
As a conservative, government intrusion into the private sector is something I have difficulty in supporting. Unfortunately in the United States we’ve at least partially embraced the idea that government will regulate crucial areas of our economy in order to keep prices affordable for the masses. Utilities and food items come to mind and the […]
RichC | November 20, 2013
I listened to an older NPR story forwarded to me after a book conversation with a friend after we discussed leadership qualities companies value. The book Quiet: the Power of the Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain offered an interesting perspective and set up an analysis regarding where on the […]
RichC | August 28, 2013
My recent college graduate came back from his test-taking City-County Planning interview trip to Santa Barbara today and has fallen head over heels in love with California, at least the part that he was seeing. Besides his taking the next step in the interview process, Taylor was able to explore the area a bit by […]
RichC | July 22, 2013
The tax man in the form of the Internet online giant Amazon.com has warned advised me that they will begin to collect Ohio sales tax for Amazon Web Services. This is probably appropriate as too many tax dollars are lost to online out of state vendors, but paying more taxes is still hard to swallow. […]
RichC | July 1, 2013
I’ve voted for two of the listed small startup ventures that the WSJ editors believe could be worthy of going public and have listed in their WSJ Startup of the Year pages. Personally I’m pulling for PlanetReuse Marketplace seeing it as a way to use technology to network recycled building materials to those who could […]
RichC | March 8, 2013
In talking with a long suffering customer the other day he asked me, “why are the stock market averages rising to all time highs, but business seems slower than ever?” I thought about that a bit since business wise I’ve felt pretty much the same way … as do most Americans with depleted savings, depressed […]
RichC | January 26, 2013
It is great to see the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well in the niche publishing of local “paper-based” magazine, Domestica (Domestica Magazine). This venture is somewhat close to home seeing that it is local … and edited by Rachel Kirkwood, a friend of our family. She started the community oriented publication using Kickstarter last year […]
RichC | November 30, 2012
Playing the tax game as a big business or 1%-er investor must be a challenging problem to have? [sarcasm] Here’s a Wall Street Journal op-ed commenting on Costco’s recent “early” dividend announcement. Uncertainly in the tax code, along with the credits, deductions and complexity, slows economic growth, deters job creation and demonstrates that the more […]
RichC | November 30, 2012
I started a post earlier in the week with the intent to demonstrate my ability to “Rise Above” and to recommend a compromise solution that would address the fiscal cliff, but I realized that I was banging my head against a wall even when dealing with people I get along with. I can’t imagine reaching […]
RichC | November 16, 2012
Hostess Brands Inc., an 82-year old business with household brands such as Twinkie, Ho-Hos, Ding-Dongs and Wonder Bread will close its doors and liquidate assets after a bitter battle with unions and millions of dollars from venture capital in hopes to save the company. This morning CEO Greg Rayburn talked for 10 minutes with […]
RichC | October 16, 2012
Once again, our tax dollars were squandered on another failed green energy company. This time the once promising A123 Systems Inc. (AONE -74.67%) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A123 was one of the Obama Administrations’ handpicked companies to be given a handout … free money … and took nearly $250 million taxpayer dollars […]
RichC | October 4, 2012
I started a post on the Presidential Debate last night, but figured if I’m tired of tweeting, reading and hearing about it, others may be too … so will pass on opining. I will say that Mitt Romney looked well prepared and was able to comfortably manhandle President Obama on the subject of the economy, […]
RichC | September 7, 2012
I read a simple article reviewing where Apple ($AAPL) makes their money … product mix, not geographic location. Anyway, I thought it was interesting that they make over 70% of their total sales (trailing 12 months) on the iPhone and iPad … that in comparison to Macintosh computers, software and services and even their Music […]
RichC | July 10, 2012
A down day for the markets after slowing earning from big companies like Cummins and Alcoa … but it was the day CNBC announces the top states for business. Of course it is no surprise that Texas was the top state for the 3rd time in 6 years. The other states to make the top […]
RichC | July 2, 2012
There are a few "experiments" happening at the state level in our nation which if talked about might open a few eyes to the benefits of less government as well as more freedom for individuals as the model for our country. Florida Governor Rick Scott (and Governor Perry from Texas by phone) did a pretty […]
RichC | April 14, 2012
I noticed a spike in my normal web traffic the other day as a weekend post was mentioned on a high traffic website. As someone who posts to a tiny personal blog, it still amazes me how many clicks and visitors My Desultory Blog generates. Over the years I have also noticed that viewers are […]
RichC | March 31, 2012
For the past couple of years I’ve been taking our cars to a privately owned automotive service business (in West Chester, OH) and have been satisfied with the work. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know the owner, Tim Ellison, who’s Christian walk and straightforward business dealings are one in the same. Besides using Mr. Godwrench […]
RichC | February 4, 2012
Fred Smith, CEO of Fedex, spoke on Thursday this past week and simplified his thoughts on turning around the economy and creating jobs. He supplied a chart which doesn’t necessarily clear up the “chicken or the egg” discussion associated with which comes first, but his chart does show that capital investment and private sector employment […]
RichC | December 31, 2011
In tying up loose ends in closing out the year, one story that made a big impact on technology followers was the death of Steve Jobs. He was an inspirational and creative marketing wizard with oddities all too common with those we associate with the “genius” label … and would have been my pick for […]
RichC | December 27, 2011
This past week has been a bit more relaxed since selling this time of year is challenging. I focused on looking back at the past year, but I still tried to connect with a few of my well established customers. In keeping communication light, I asked what would make me more effective and welcomed when […]
RichC | December 24, 2011
Almost all companies have customer service issues and what separates the successful from the not-so-successful is how they are able to recover with the least amount of pain. One example this year is Best Buy who in the past was one of my least favorite retailers. During their pre-Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday store […]
RichC | November 9, 2011
The voters in Ohio have clearly made their desires known when it comes to restricting collective bargaining for public employees — over 60% rejected Governor John Kasich and the Republicans (perhaps they asked for too much?). What I don’t think voters realize is the big picture cost of rejecting Issue 2. Unions are now in […]
RichC | September 2, 2011
As the employee of Texas Armoring Corporation comments before firing his AK-47 at his boss, CEO R. Trent Kimball … “don’t try this at home.” Now that CEO is confident that his product will do what it is designed to do … “resist bullets!”
RichC | July 12, 2011
A recent article in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal highlighted what I already know about my line of work – the printing industry is losing jobs. Most of us working in printing and publishing business continue to struggle to stay a float and are wondering if business will ever come back. Thankfully I’m no longer a […]
RichC | June 7, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FoIA1boSFc As someone who enjoys the latest technology and appreciates ways to simplify tracking my business expenses, the new “Jot” app for the Chase Ink card makes sense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MTZuYxz-1Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y224SnLTKrM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAUBVufkEHE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aCoXn184_k Posted via email from RichC’s posterous
RichC | May 25, 2011
Herb Greenberg and Jim Cramer took the Sodastream challenge on CNBC Tuesday … I’m not so sure it’s the best option for those who enjoy Coke or Pepsi … or other brand named soft drinks? The beef for me is still the relatively high cost, limited availability and smallish CO2 canisters. Give me a small […]
RichC | April 30, 2011
I get so frustrated when I hear smart and successful men like John Malone speak and yet very few seem to be listening, particularly those who are in positions to implement change. His comments the other day during a business interview makes complete sense to me; he even offers up a few practical ideas. If […]
RichC | April 11, 2011
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything about biodiesel … perhaps because I’m not driving a diesel vehicle at the moment. Nevertheless, the promise of “growing fuel” is better then ever considering the panic we find ourselves in over the high price of fuel. Currently I’m seeing regular unleaded gasoline at $3.80/gallon and a […]
RichC | February 27, 2011
Duke Energy, our electricity utility, was kind enough to ship me a nice size box of compact florescent lamps at no charge to replace our existing bulbs. I can’t say that I was surprised to see that they are made in China, but I sure would rather they be manufactured in the United States – […]
RichC | December 25, 2010
A glance at the news pages these last couple weeks and one can’t help but feel a little more positive as we close out the Christmas retail shopping season and a challenging 2010. One hopes that the confidence consumers are showing will translate into businesses expanding and hiring in 2011. It’s been a long recession […]
RichC | November 30, 2010
“The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 88 points, or 0.8% to 10964 in early trading.” A glance at the headlines of the Wall Street Journal this morning leaves me even more sour than does the gloomy and rainy day … although the at least the rain we need. It seems no matter where one looks […]
RichC | November 29, 2010
So … how many Cyber Monday emails have flooded your inbox today? By 10:30 EST I’ve counted 56 emails that are in my inbox (or spam folder) highlighting “cyber” and suspect there will be a few more that show up before the day’s end. Some of the more unconventional “cyber” sales are for cruises, woodworking […]
RichC | November 7, 2010
Perhaps I’ve been living in a cave or something … but just recently heard about the legal battle over the Nissan.com domain while talking with a client this week. He mentioned the story I’m sharing below after we talked about a minor frustration I was having over domain name – all ended well. I told […]
RichC | September 23, 2010
Nothing like a union lunch break – see video below. Let me get this straight — American automakers were bailed out by taxpayers and President Obama endorsed the workers at this Chrysler plant … yet the still overpaid union American workers aren’t appreciative enough to put in a decent day’s work? Instead according to this […]
RichC | July 24, 2010
I regularly email customers and friends with something that needs a follow-up from them, but I often forget to check back IF I don’t hear from them. Simple things like setting up a meeting or gettin gan ok on a proof often go unanswered … easy to do. I’ve tried adding it to my calendar […]
RichC | June 25, 2010
I was reading in a LinkedIn college group which posted ten questions “often asked at Google job interviews that are designed to test candidates’ analytical thinking.” The list might be worth looking over if you are charged with hiring or planning to interview in the near future. The questions are of the brainteaser type and […]
RichC | May 11, 2010
Who to believe … those evil capitalist insurance companies [sarcasm] trying to balance customer satisfaction while remaining competitive and profitable … or the Obama administration and congressional Democrats orchestrating leftists policies on America? Hmm … a rotten choice to be sure.- see Battle Plan below. Read Angela Braly’s letter to President Obama With the Obama […]
RichC | March 16, 2010
I don’t want to be too critical about the ‘difficult for me to understand’ banking reform legislation, but after hearing comments on a WSJ podcast (below), the politically one-sided rush to reform does leave me concerned; it sure would be nice to have bi-partisan support for a banking oversight bill. My concern: If the Fed […]
RichC | February 13, 2010
With my daughter at home for a couple weeks while doing an M3 year “exploratory” at Children’s Hospital here in Cincinnati, I had the chance to use her new Barnes and Noble Nook to read a book. After the newness wore off and the expense of paying for digital ebooks and publications took hold, I’ve […]
RichC | February 8, 2010
Looks like a little more competition for those carving out their space in social networking? Google Inc. is taking a swipe at Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. with a new feature that makes it easier for users of Gmail to view media and status updates shared online by their friends.Google could announce the new Gmail […]
RichC | February 4, 2010
The Dow Jones Industrials moved down over 270 points on Thursday as the economy stumbles yet again despite the promises of recovery from those spending taxpayer dollars in Washington. The move from equities by investors and traders is likely due to a rise in U.S. unemployment claims (up 8000 last week or 480,000 new claims) […]
RichC | February 2, 2010
Testing the issuu.com publishing platform option for a couple clients using sample content. Posting the small embed version of Enviro-energies product spec sheets on my blog to see if it could be useful (think of it as a virtual color e-reader).
RichC | June 2, 2009
Internet giant Google continues to make it presence known as they have landed Acer, Inc, the world’s third largest computer maker, as a client for its Android Operating System. They will be shipping a new netbook PC in the third quarter this year with a competitive OS to Microsoft’s windows or open source Linux OS. […]
RichC | May 20, 2009
It is long past due that I mention that a friend’s second coffee shop location for Coffee Beans & Brew in Monroe, Ohio location is open for business. Steve’s first CBB is on Yankee Road near the Cincinnati-Dayton Road intersection in Liberty Township has been one of my favorite coffee houses and I’ve been anxious […]
RichC | May 1, 2009
If you pay attention to technology news at all you’re probably getting fed up with Twitter — even if you find yourself tweeting, blogging and talking about it. At least once a week I hear someone say, “I don’t care what someone had for lunch.” I use to try and explain that Twitter is not […]
RichC | March 1, 2009
I had a Skype conversation with Cali Lewis (aka: Geekbeat.TV) and her business experts on Saturday for a pilot for a new podcast called WealthNation, I think? She invited me to ask a couple business questions pertaining to liability protection utilizing a corporation or LLC and a follow up on product patent protection. Unfortunately I’m […]
RichC | January 19, 2006
Good news on the home front for all those who use and love Apple iTunes … the newest update let’s you decide if you want to receive Apple’s MiniStore recommendations. The update that originally contained a spyware feature has just been tweaked to the applause of customers. Facing an angry bunch of users and bloggers, […]