Shakespeare and Politics
Ken Adelman, VP of Movers and Shakespeares, recently posted an article on Huffington Post using quotations from Shakespeare to emphasize his points. They were quite apropos, so I thought I would include a few of them here.
Regarding the unreadable size of the healthcare reform bill, with amendments, Ken had this to say: “Both the legislation and its process reflect Macbeth’s quip: ‘Confusion hath made his masterpiece.’” Apparently this is truer than we imagined, since I just read that the insurance companies have already found a loophole where they won’t have to insure children with pre-existing conditions until 2014, instead of September 2010.
Ken (and the Bard) goes on to say, “…the bill itself became a collection of ‘paper bullets of the mind,’ as Benedict says in Much Ado About Nothing.”
The media filled the airwaves with political chatter while the bill was in Congress, and even after passage, such that many of us became inured to what was being said. These words seem to express what we were feeling: “Zounds! We were never so bethumped with words” (King John).
The many incendiary TV and talk radio shows have left me, and many other independents, feeling: “You cram these words into mine ears, against the stomach of my senses” (The Tempest).
Thanks to Ken Adelman, of Movers and Shakespeares, for these pithy quotations.
American Business
Consider This!
Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, and Twitter have yet to turn an actual profit…while 21 million individual small businesses—with no employees—contributes $1 Trillion annually to America’s Gross Domestic Product.
No special point here…just an interesting observation.
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Healthcare Reform to Reduce Deficit?
I guess I’m just getting dense from information overload about healthcare reform, but I just can’t get my mind around how piling on all the additional costs of healthcare reform is going to reduce the deficit.
First we heard that improving efficiency in healthcare was going to pay for the added cost of the government’s new plan, but that is not going to happen according to the Administration’s major healthcare advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, MD. Here is what he had to say about healthcare savings:
“Vague promises of savings from cutting waste, enhancing prevention and wellness, installing electronic medical records and improving quality are merely ‘lipstick’ cost control, more for show and public relations than for true change.” (Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, Health Affairs, February 27, 2008)
We haven’t heard much about savings from increased efficiency for some time now, so where does this deficit reduction come from? A $1 Trillion reduction in the deficit over the first 10 years of the plan…after spending about $1 Trillion in added healthcare costs?
I am in favor of healthcare reform generally, but I don’t understand how the current plan will reduce the deficit…I guess I have a mental block on this…maybe I can’t see the trees for the forest. Could someone please explain this to me?
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How to Become an Entrepreneur
I’m often asked how to become an entrepreneur, and I am usually reluctant to answer, because becoming an entrepreneur is such an individual endeavor. No two people have exactly the same dream, the same knowledge base, the same commitment, the same personality… I think you see what I mean. This is why so many classes on entrepreneurship fail—they can provide some basic business knowledge, but they cannot teach you how to become an entrepreneur.
At the same time, there are general traits that every entrepreneur must have, as well as a few activities you must perform in order to have a successful business. Basically, here is what you need to become an entrepreneur:
Passion. Some go so far as to say you must be “obsessed” if you want to build a successful business. Do you lie awake at night thinking about your business? Do you put money into your business startup fund instead of buying that Latte every morning? Are you frequently making notes and plans for your business? Do you know why you are passionate about this business? If you are not possessed by your passion, don’t start a business until you are. If you are still looking for the perfect business idea, keep searching until you find the idea that stirs your passions—you’ll know it when you see it.
People Skills. Last week I wrote about a person on TV who was doing everything wrong while trying to become an entrepreneur. It primarily had to do with this person’s interpersonal relationships…although she had an MBA, she had no core knowledge of her business and could not lead her employees—they were like a ship without a rudder. She did not understand her customers, and therefore built no loyalty…and on and on. It doesn’t matter whether your business is brick and mortar, or online, you will have to deal with customers, and hopefully, employees at some point. So, people skills are mandatory if you want to become an entrepreneur—at least a successful entrepreneur.
Be a Copycat. Don’t reinvent the wheel…look at people who have the same passion, for the same type of business, as you do. Then, copy what the successful ones are doing. Don’t be afraid to ask them how they do it—they will often share their passion, knowledge, and methods with you. This simple activity can save you the time, money, and aggravation you might expend making all the same mistakes others have already resolved.
Plan, Plan, Plan. By “plan,” I don’t mean writing a typical business plan. Except for presentations to investors—formal business plans are useless. I’m talking here about plans written on whiteboards and cocktail napkins. The writing down of thoughts, innovations, and ideas as they occur to you. It is important that you visualize starting and running your business, and then capture in writing, every idea and thought you have during this process. Five million (yes, million) businesses will fail this year, and most of them because they didn’t plan out their business thoroughly. But remember that Business Plans are made for banks and investors—“planning” is for you and your successful business.
Gather Knowledge. It is important that you have core knowledge about whatever your business produces in the way of products or services. For instance: If you open a tax consultation service, you had better know something about taxes. You also should have a basic knowledge of business, e.g., requirements of the law, accounting, marketing, sales, customer service, and the like. Basic business knowledge can be learned through classes and adult education, as well as books and online courses. So, continue to learn while you do your planning.
Start! There are thousands of drawers and shelves around the world that hold the remnants of people’s business dreams. There are simply too many people who dream, and plan, and wish…but never suck it up and actually start a business. Dreams made—dreams lost. Develop your planning and gather your knowledge—then commit. All the planning and knowledge in the world won’t help if you never get started. Yes, it’s scary, but if you have the passion, you will start in spite of your fear, and become a better entrepreneur for it. So, START!
That is a pretty basic set of guidelines on how to become an entrepreneur, but if you follow them, you will substantially increase your chances of making your new business a success.
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Becoming an Entrepreneur
Becoming an entrepreneur takes more than an MBA. The other night I watched a TV show, where Chef Gordon Ramsey went into a financially troubled restaurant to teach the owner how to turn it around. This has been a popular show for a while and Ramsey did his usual “shtick.” But what captured my interest was the owner/entrepreneur, who was allowing her business to fail, and what becoming an entrepreneur meant to her.
In this case, the owner had an MBA from a prestigious business school, and while in school had specialized in entrepreneurship…she was a well-trained entrepreneur—or was she?
Here were the business problems that surfaced during the course of the show:
- This entrepreneur had no previous“experience” running a business. This was her first business.
- She had no “core knowledge” for running a restaurant.
- There was a distinct lack of passion for her chosen business. She said she wanted an existing business so she would not have to “start from scratch,” and this opportunity just showed up.
- She exhibited no leadership, nor control, over her staff. The cooks did whatever they felt like doing, and the owner was mostly unaware.
- This business owner spent little time on the “front line” with her people—she was oblivious to what actually went on in the kitchen. The “front line” was in disarray and she didn’t know it.
- She could not test the products she was serving customers, because she was a vegetarian, and this was not a vegetarian restaurant.
- She was also dating one of her employees, which, in a small business, totally precludes any sense of leadership within the business.
- This entrepreneur was totally out of touch with her customers. The food was poor, and she responded to their immediate complaints with apologies, but never tried to fix the long-term problem.
- No improvements were ever made to the customer’s “experience” during the five years this person owned the business. The menu stayed the same, as did the décor, and dishes.
- The computer system for transmitting food orders to the kitchen was antiquated and worn out.
It was obvious that during her MBA studies, this person was not taught much about becoming an entrepreneur and actually operating a Business. Of course, Gordon Ramsey “fixed” everything and turned the business around—but for how long? It would be interesting to see a follow-up show to see just how much this person learned from Ramsey about becoming an entrepreneur.
Watch for my next post where I will give some tips on how to become an entrepreneur.
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Civility
Civility and thoughtfulness and manners–it was George Washington’s forte and ‘competitive advantage,’ and it’s worked for me in far, far, far more humble settings.
–Tom Peters
Costco publishes a monthly magazine called the “Costco Connection,” and in each issue the editors pose a debate question and asks readers to respond. A recent issue of this magazine asked the question “Is civility dead?” Interestingly, 71% of the respondents answered YES. It appears that the vast majority of people (who read the Costco Connection) believe that civility is indeed dead.
Obviously, this is not a scientific poll and needs to be taken with a grain of salt. But, I think it does say something about our U.S. society. Of course there are many caring, and giving, people all across the nation, but I think what is being considered here is the everyday experience of interacting with our rapidly changing narcissistic culture.
What do you think—is civility dead, or dying, in the U.S.?
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