Tag Archives: business education

A Jamaican Business Owner’s Fight to Survive: The Longest Night

Last week we introduced business owner David, whose trucking company was facing serious challenges. After losing a major client, David was tempted to give up on his entrepreneurial dream. In his darkest moment, however, he was encouraged by some business advice on the television.

“Business success is about the three P’s: People, Process and Product.” Billionaire investor Marcus Lemonis had reiterated this advice several times on his hit reality television show, The Profit, but it never meant much to David until he watched the programme that evening.

Like the embattled entrepreneur on the TV screen, David contemplated the future of his enterprise in an environment that was getting increasingly hostile. He understood that reduced sales and rising costs produced meagre margins, which were a recipe for disaster for anyone’s business.

Self-help brought little assistance

David had never been one to wallow in self-pity. He thought people who complained about their problems were wimps who lacked the strength of mind to find solutions. Despite his bravado, David was now forced to admit that he just didn’t have the expertise to solve his business challenges. Continue reading A Jamaican Business Owner’s Fight to Survive: The Longest Night

OCPD Can Wreak Havoc in Business

Jennifer walked over to her assistant’s desk with an obvious look of frustration on her face. “Kathy, there are too many grammatical errors in this report. The line spacing is not consistent and we should use bullet points to shorten some of the paragraphs. Please redo it immediately!”

“But Miss Thomas, remember that Mr. Rogers needs to get the document right now so that he can complete his submission to the new clients,” Kathy countered. “The deadline is a few hours away, and if I stop to make those small changes, we might miss getting this major contract.”

Sighing loudly, Jennifer responded firmly, “What you need to remember is that we don’t send out imperfect work from this department. Do it right the first time, or don’t do it at all.” “In fact,” she bristled, “I will do it myself. I should know better than to let you work on such an important project.” Continue reading OCPD Can Wreak Havoc in Business

Knowledge is Power in Business

Sixteenth-century philosopher Sir Francis Bacon is credited with coining the phrase “knowledge is power”. I enthusiastically support his viewpoint, as I believe that the pursuit of knowledge is an important means of personal development.

However, acquiring knowledge by itself is not sufficient; the key to real growth is applying what you have learnt to improve your life.

Searching for new ideas may sometimes be likened to opening the mythical Pandora’s Box. Like the ancient tale, exercising a natural curiosity to find the unknown could result in the discovery of truths that would have been better left hidden, and may even bring danger in some instances. Continue reading Knowledge is Power in Business