No. 12 December 2010

Where has the year gone?  Darned if I know.  At least the year ends with holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Hanukkah and Kwanza. It’s a time for reflection, for family, for eating or should I say “overeating,” and for being grateful for what you have. If you’re able, please help a family who needs your assistance. There are so many people unemployed who need our help. Maybe your company or department, big or small, can adopt a family for the holidays and make a difference in their daily lives. You and your employees will feel good and the family you help will be eternally grateful. It doesn’t take much, but it does take a “first step” to get “the ball rolling.” Just do it. You’ll never regret it.

Dan McCarthy, who writes a terrific blog called “Great Leadership,” recently asked this question: “As a leader, what should the sign on your wall or desk say?”

My sign says, “Get Over It!” And it’s there on my wall for me first and then for others who see it as they leave my office.  My sign reminds me and them not to worry obsessively about things that are really not important. I’d be the first to say that worrying or getting upset about nothing important is really easy to do. But none of us needs that additional but absolutely unnecessary stress. But what do other people’s signs say?”

Here are a few sayings or pictures that McCarthy noted as being on the office walls or desks of business leaders: 1) “No Whining” on the desk of James Parker, former CEO of Southwest Airlines; 2) “The Buck Starts Here” on the desk of Donald Trump; 3) “Be Brief, Be Brilliant, Be Gone” on the wall of Mark Goodman, CEO of Twist Image; 4) A picture of Henry Ford on Bill Gate’s wall to remind him that Ford didn’t listen to his customers who wanted cars in colors other than black, ultimately resulting in a large market share loss to General Motors; 5) “Leaders should be able to Stand Alone, Take the Heat, Bear the Pain, Tell the Truth, and Do What’s Right,” on the wall of Brian Morehouse, coach of the Hope College women’s basketball team; and 6) “Be Realistic, Demand the Impossible” on the wall of T.J. Rodgers, founder and CEO of Cypress Semiconductor.

My favorite in McCarthy’s list was a poster on the office wall of former VeriFone CEO Hatim Tyabji that appeared as follows: “There was a poster that consisted of 12 blocks, each with a photo of an Irish setter. The first 11 blocks show the dog standing, not responding to a command to ‘sit.’ Finally, in block 12, the Irish setter sits.  ‘Good Dog,’ reads the poster. Tyabji says the poster means that ‘leaders must be clear, consistent and repetitive, repeating the message until it sticks.’”

My one-sentence summary of the 2010 OPE business year in my part of the world goes like this: “It started early with a bang and ended early with a whimper.” And that sums it up very well.

Clarence Otis Jr. is the chairman and chief executive of Darden Restaurants Inc., which operates Olive Garden, Red Lobster and other sit-down casual-dining chains. He has some pretty profound statements about listening and allowing people to express their views.

“Over time,” Otis said, “I found my leadership style evolving into one that’s centered around listening. You have to allow room for other people to express their views. As you move into leadership positions, if you are quick to express your point of view, you never hear anyone else’s.

There’s a lot to be said about the power of being quiet versus the power of being heard. I had a self-awareness of how I came across to others. That’s important. I didn’t want to come off as crowding other people out. I don’t think any good manager should.”

Don’t forget your employees who were at your side through another tough year.  They’ve remained faithful with extra responsibilities and smaller raises than normal — at least mine have. Your employees are your company’s greatest asset. It’s a cliché, but it’s true. Can you imagine what 2010 would have been like without some of your key players?

The New Year is coming. Choose to greet it with renewed optimism. Choose to focus on what’s good in your life. Choose to love and appreciate family and friends. Choose to “Get Over It” and fight only the battles worth fighting. 2011 can be and will be a great year if you choose to make it so.

No. 11 November 2010

If you made it to Louisville this year at the end of October for GIE+EXPO, I hope that you used your time wisely and profitably.  If you’re a dealer or service center I hope you found “The Dealer Experience” with its seminars and speakers rewarding and full of good ideas you could take back and use in your business.  It’s an extremely valuable way to spend a few morning hours each day at the show. 

You may shake your head at the addition of the Hardscape North America trade show to GIE+EXPO, but I know quite a few landscapers and lawn and garden equipment dealers who sell and install hardscape products quite profitably in their businesses. There is surprising demand for concrete and brick pavers for driveways, patios, walkways, streets, stadiums, and commercial buildings.  I know you’ve seen the segmental retaining walls in residential and commercial landscaping.  From a distance they look like stone and really make a nice appearance.  Once you start looking you’ll be amazed at where and how these products are used.

I like my favorite economist Jeff Threadgold’s take on the recent announcement regarding the end of the current recession.  When I read his comment, I said the same thing you just said, ”It ended?”

Threadgold said, “I was wondering if you and your neighbors had a party in recent days, celebrating the end of the longest, deepest, most costly, most painful, and most pervasive recession since the Great Depression?”

“As you have likely heard, the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) announced on September 20 that what we now call the Great Recession ended in June 2009. The recession ‘officially’ ran for 18 months, with a 4.1 percent peak-to-trough contraction in GDP—and a loss of more than seven million jobs.”

(What, you didn’t hold a block party to celebrate?  There wasn’t one in my neighborhood either!)

Threadgold continued, “Yes, the recession is over…statistically.  However, from an emotional or job creation or housing stability or commercial real estate stability or income growth or confidence building perspective, it is still with us.  Our collective growing anxiety about the anti-business, anti-higher income earner rhetoric constantly coming from the Administration and the Congressional leadership has definitely not helped.” 

Threadgold’s statements, while true, never do much to cheer me up.

Sometimes small changes in how incentives are designed can bring about immense changes in desired results. Here’s a story about an incentive program the Crown used in Great Britain with sea captains in the 1800’s that wasn’t producing desired results.  Maybe our government can learn something from it.

Many settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries in America were convicted prisoners, brought to America as an alternative to a death sentence they received in a trial in England. Once the Revolution began in America, Australia became the destination of choice for convicted British prisoners sentenced to death.  Until about 1857, more than 160,000 prisoners were transported from Great Britain to Australia.  

The Crown paid a ship captain for each prisoner he took to Australia.  The problem was that many of these prisoners died before they got there.  No matter how much or how little the captain received, prisoners regularly died of starvation or sickness before reaching Australia.  The ship's crew had no concern for the well-being of the prisoners and often stole their food, clothing and valuables they may have had with them.

So the Crown decided to stop paying ship's captains for each prisoner they set-sail to Australia with.  Instead they began paying them for each prisoner that got to Australia alive and well.  Suddenly the death rate plummeted.

Once incentives were paid for positive results instead of just for transportation, the Crown got the results they wanted and had expected.  A simple change in what actions were rewarded yielded a completely different and desired result. 

In Stan Slap’s recently released book “Bury my Heart in Conference Room B” by Stan Slap, I found the following wonderful and powerful quote, which will soon adorn the wall of our conference room: "The irreducible essence of leadership is that leaders are people who live their deepest personal values without compromise, and they use those values to make life better for others—this is why people become leaders and why people follow leaders."  Wow!

No. 10 October 2010

It was recently announced that two prominent commercial mower brands will disappear at the end of 2011. Ariens Company decided to phase out the EverRide and Great Dane brands and focus its com­mercial brand resources on Gravely, as its core professional brand.

In a press release issued by the Ariens Company, the most interesting comment was made by Dan Ariens, President and CEO of the Ariens Company, when he said, “This move will also create a bit more clarity in a market­place that frankly has too many brands of commercial mowers.” Finally, an industry leader made the statement that we have all known to be true for many years. Every time a new commercial mower brand was announced — and there were many over the years — I wondered how it would differenti­ate itself from the other existing commercial brands. All of those brands gave new mean­ing to the term, “dime a dozen.” I consider this another smart move by the Ariens family.

An editorial that recently appeared in The Wall Street Journal summed up my feelings about the federal government’s actions taken to try to stimulate our economy. The editorial noted, “(Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner) and President Obama and their economic coterie really believe that govern­ment spending can stimulate growth by triggering private ‘demand,’ that tax rates are irrelevant to investment decisions, that waves of new regulation can be absorbed by business with little impact on costs or hiring, and that politicians can assail capitalists without having any effect on the movement of capital.”

The editorial continued, “If prosperity were a function of government stimulus, our economy should be booming.” And it con­cludes, “Never before has government tried to do so much and achieved so little.” My response: “Amen!”

I have a special fondness for rapidly grow­ing family-owned businesses. I know the giddy feeling of being a part of that type of growth. It’s a wonderful and exciting feeling that I will never forget.

That’s why I’ve enjoyed reading about the growth of Certified Parts Corporation (CPC), the Janesville, Wis.-based company that pur­chased the assets of TecumsehPower Company in 2009, and now provides produc­tion engines and parts for TecumsehPower (Lauson) engines. In 2010, CPC purchased the assets of Hoffco/Comet and restarted produc­tion of units and parts in its Wisconsin facilities. Then, in September 2010, CPC entered into an agreement with Liquid Combustion Technology (LCT) of Travelers Rest, S.C., to jointly manufacture air-cooled engines for the OPE market.

This new agreement with LCT provides CPC with the engineering, manufacturing and sales capabilities to reintroduce the Snow King line of snow thrower engines and other engines formerly manufactured and sold by TecumsehPower. The engines will be represented and sold through LCT under the Snow King, Lauson and LCT brands. CPC will service all these brands through the existing TecumsehPower dealer/distributor network.

I’ve met the LCT principals, heard their business story, and came away impressed with them and their business plans. I still am. I haven’t met the CPC principals, but suspect they are very much like my family was, growing a business and learning or try­ing something new every day while enjoying success. These two companies will both gain from their new relationship. But only time will tell if there is a place in the market for Lauson engines and two-cycle and four-cycle snow thrower engines. With Briggs and Stratton and MTD both making their own snow thrower engines, demand is a lot different today than it was a few years ago. And we all know that snow throwers, like generators, are opportunity sales. Nevertheless, we wish this new partnership good luck in their new venture.

This is an old story, but it never fails to bring me a smile.  Several men are in a golf club locker room when a cell phone rings. A man answers the phone. “Yes, I’m finished with my game so I can talk. You’re out shop­ping? And you want to order those new carpets? Okay…and they’ll include the cur­tains for an extra $5,000? Sure, why not?”

The golf buddies start to laugh.

“You want to book that week-long cruise? They’ll hold the price at $12,000? Sounds good to me. How about two weeks? If that’s what you want, okay by me.”

The buddies start to wonder where he’s been hiding the money.

He continues: “And you want to give the builder the go-ahead for the house addition? $75,000 if we say yes today? Sounds fair — sure, that’s fine.”

Glances of amazement all around.

“Okay, see you later. Yes, love you too,” says the man, ending the call. 

He looks at the other men and says, "Whose Phone is this anyway?"

09 September 2010

Have you seen any OPE industry headlines recently?  I have and I’m beginning to think that I should start feeling really good about the prospects for our industry and for the future of the businesses you and I run.  Of course, I can always look at the local newspaper’s morning headlines to bring me back down to reality and make me depressed.  

But why do that?  I’m only going to look at the OPE industry headlines because I want to feel good!  Here are some positive OPE headlines I’m seeing right out of the Outdoor Power Equipment and Engine Service Association’s (OPEESA) OPE-in-the-Know e-mail newsletter and other recent business news sources:

• “Echo Expands in Lake Zurich.” Well, Echo did buy Shindaiwa, and we thought it was only a matter of time before they had to expand. 129,000 square feet! Wow, that’s pretty big!

• “Briggs Invests $35.5 Million in Murray, KY Plant.” That’s a lot of money. What do they know that we don’t?

• “MTD to Add 107 Jobs with $9.3-Million Expansion in Mississippi.”  MTD is expanding into a 525,000-square-foot building with 10 plastic injection molding machines to be followed by two more assembly lines and a paint applicator system.  That’s a terrific investment in jobs and a tremendous belief in the strength of future business.

• “Blount International Acquires Speeco.” Blount will gain entry into products and markets that will complement its existing business with Speeco’s log splitters, post-hole diggers, tractor three-point linkage parts and equipment, and farm accessories. We could call this “growing smartly.”

• “Toro Profit Rises 70% as Demand Rebounds.” This Aug. 19 headline was the result of renewed demand from the professional segment of Toro’s business, which accounts for 70 percent of its total sales.

Our industry’s OEMs obviously have confidence in the future.  You and I should too.

In a recent edition of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) SmartBrief e-mail newsletter, the following headline caught my eye: “OPEI Stresses Importance of Understanding Your Equipment.”  Does this mean if my lawnmower and I don’t get along, we have to go to counseling together?

Comedian Stephen Wright once said, “If we’re not allowed to have midnight snacks, why is there a light in the refrigerator?”   Well?

Harvey Mackay, my favorite business blogger, tells a story about the Wright brothers of airplane fame and the arrogance of the French government.\

“Early in the development of flight, the Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur) were largely dismissed at home in America, and had to go abroad to get proper recognition for their aeronautical achievements.

“The French government gave the brothers an opportunity to demonstrate what they had done. But the French were obviously jealous of the two modest Americans.

“At a banquet in Paris to honor the accomplishments of the two Wright brothers, the chief speaker at the dinner devoted most of his remarks to claiming that France had led the world in aviation exploration and would do so in the future. However, he said very little in praise of the two American guests.

“When Wilbur Wright was called upon to speak, he said: ‘I am no hand at public speaking, and so I must on this occasion content myself with a few words. As I sat here listening to the speaker who preceded me, I heard his comparisons made to the eagle, to the swallow, and to the hawk as typifying skill and speed in mastery of the air. But somehow or other, I could not keep from thinking of the parrot, which, of all the ornithological kingdom is the poorest flier and the best talker.’”

Clearly, arrogance didn’t fly with Wilbur Wright.

Harvey Mackay suggested this moral for the story: “Arrogance is an odd affliction.  It makes everyone else sick.”

No. 8 August 2010

Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine says that "There is one thing that 99 percent of 'failures' and 'successful' folks have in common -- they all hate doing the same things.” 

He goes on to say, “The difference is that successful people do them anyway.” 

“We know change is hard,” adds Hardy.  “That's why people don't change their bad habits, and why so many people end up unhappy and unhealthy.” 

Do you remember the adage “Stupidity is doing something the same way you always have and expecting different results?”

Just remember the solution is as simple as: “To get what you've never had, you must do what you've never done.”  So just do it!

I recently read an article in a power sports magazine about dealer service departments and why some are profitable and some are not.  I thought I’d share a few ideas that caught my attention in the article.  By the way, my background includes many years managing a business that included a large automotive service department.  That doesn’t make me a service expert, but it does make me very interested in how people are improving their service departments, processes and training.

One comment in the article said that many service departments do not fully bill for work they perform and don’t bill much per repair order they create.  One solution is to use a “reception checklist,” resulting in additional sales of labor and parts and accessories as well as increased customer satisfaction.  Using the checklist as you receive a unit into your service department results in more necessary repairs being uncovered and fewer phone calls asking for authorization for additional repairs discovered later.

Another idea I liked is to send out service follow-up surveys within a week of the service to uncover deficiencies and resolve customer issues.  It’s another reason to always obtain your customers’ email addresses.  Sending your brief survey out via email is very inexpensive.  Increase your return rate on your survey by offering a small incentive like a coupon that will bring the customer back into your business.  And create a customer list of email addresses so you can send our specials and reminders for additional service, and for parts and accessories specials.  It’s so easy to do and inexpensive!

Another simple idea is to always post your technician’s Equipment and Engine Training Council (EETC) Certification certificates or their manufacturer’s certification certificates where the public will see them.  Those posted certificates will build value in your customer’s mind to justify your labor rates.  Don’t ever hide them in the back. 

How’s business?  I think it’s been a strange business year so far, which I suppose makes it normal.  Good March, terrific April, good May, soft June, and a slightly softer July.  It got dry and very hot in late June and early July.  Rain has returned since then, occasionally a lot.  And we have our normal July vacation month softness.  But we’re still feeling good about 2010 overall.  I hope you are too.

Harvey MacKay www.harveymackay.com, my favorite business Blogger, saw a survey about “worrying” that concluded “40 percent of the things we worry about never happen, 30 percent are in the past and can't be helped, 12 percent concern the affairs of others that aren't our business, 10 percent are about sickness--either real or imagined-- and only 8 percent are worth worrying about. I would submit that even the 8 percent aren’t really worth the energy of worry.”

Furthermore Mackay noted, “the English word ‘worry’ is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word that means to strangle or to choke.”

That's easy to believe.

Mackay added, “People do literally worry themselves to death… or heart disease, high blood pressure, ulcers, nervous disorders and all sorts of other nasty conditions.”

Is it worth it?”

Mackay then recalled the story of a fighter who, after taking the full count in a late round of a brawl, finally regained consciousness in the dressing room. “As his head cleared and he realized what had happened, he said to his manager: ‘Boy, did I have him worried.  He thought he killed me.’”

You have to agree that's putting the worry right where it belongs.

No. 7 July 2010

Every afternoon on the way home I see a sign or two along the way that reads:  “I buy, sell, trade and repair lawn mowers.”  And right beside the sign will be a couple of push or self-propelled lawn mowers and occasionally a riding mower.  A few years ago I didn’t see any such signs.  Now I see them everywhere.  I guess they are “signs of the time.”

The upside is that hopefully these real “shade-tree mechanics” are buying parts and engines from some of our customers – authorized service centers and contracted OPE dealers just like you.  Long term, putting these recycled mowers back in use, creates future parts and service business for us all. 

Back in the 1980’s and ‘90’s, my Dad use to say that he believed 1/3 of our parts business was generated by old mowers that one neighbor sold or gave away to another.  The new owner would then be willing to invest $100 or $200 toward fixing it up, putting a new seat on it or having the engine tuned up and the belts and blades replaced.  I use to chuckle every time he said that, and he said it often.  But I think his statement is still very valid.

I smile now when I think about that transition from being a son and a teenager to becoming a friend and a business partner with my Dad.  Thank goodness my Dad was patient and forgiving.  Thank goodness many teenagers turn into responsible adults.  He was my mentor, my teacher and my friend.  I miss him every day.

An African impala can jump to a height of more than 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet.  It's a remarkable feat to observe -- so effortless and graceful, a real defense mechanism necessary for survival on the predator-filled savannas.

But put these magnificent creatures in an enclosure in a zoo surrounded by just a three-foot wall, and they will not jump over the wall - if they cannot see where their feet will land.  They will be killed rather than risk the unknown.

Many humans share these characteristics.  They thrive in familiar territory, doing what they know is safe and comfortable, but they won't take any risks for fear of failure.  They would rather watch opportunities pass them by than jump over the wall. 

Do you take risks in your business or do you stick with what you know is safe and comfortable?   Do you try to understand what the consequences might be before you act?  Remember the old adage “measure twice and cut once.”  We know that really does reduce risk.

Do you know who is making most of Sears’ OPE equipment for the 2010 model year?  It’s not Husqvarna, which has had most of Sear’s business for many years.  It’s now MTD.  Even though Sears uses many different suppliers forvarious portions of their OPE business, think about the effects of this change on your own parts and service business now that MTD is making a great majority of Sear’s riders, push and self-propelled mowers.

One of the best compliments I can give when writing a reference letter is that the person takes initiative. 

Translation:  the willingness to at least try, to take a risk, to give it your absolute best shot.  When I recommend someone in those terms, a light goes on for the prospective employer.

Initiative is not a promise of perfect results.  Sometimes it results in failure.  Sometimes, it results in a satisfactory but not remarkable outcome.  Other times, the effort ends in a great success.

An employee who can step up to the plate three runs down in the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded and two batters out, and envision a grand slam instead of a pop fly is the kind of player I want on my team.  That employee will wait for just the right pitch and send it over the fence.

Don't worry if you weren't born knowing how to take initiative -- it can be learned.  In fact, a lot of us learn it the hard way, getting stuck in a rut and trying to dig our way out.  At some point, frustration sets in and we decide to take charge of the situation.  That’s when good things happen.

No. 6 June 2010

April 2010 turned out to be one of the best months our distributorship has ever had.  I hope our customers - that means you - had a great April too.  With June inching closer as I write this column, I already know that May won't equal April.  I wonder if you're working down inventory this month, and thus reduced your purchasing, particularly on equipment.  I hope so.  Every month of every season of every year is different from the same month, season and year before, and I can guarantee the year after too.  Sorry, but it's true and a sure bet.

In more than four decades of working in this industry, I have yet to see the "perfect" year.  And I don't believe I ever will.  It just takes a 30-day dry spell, or a late spring, or a non-existent fall when the leaves fall one night in late November to ruin the "perfect" year.  And people wonder why they hear me occasionally repeat out loud to myself, over and over, "I love the OPE business.  I love the OPE business.  I love the OPE business."   I guess I just have to remind myself that I really do, even with all the uncertainties we all face every year.

I was delighted to be able to attend the Equipment and Engine Training Council’s (EETC) annual conference in early April, after missing the last few meetings, and to see so many familiar faces belonging to good friends.  I have a particular fondness for the organization and what it’s members are striving to do. 

The EETC is a non-profit professional association that is addressing the critical shortage of service technicians through its school accreditation and technician certification programs. With over 450 members, the EETC promotes and supports the recruitment, retention and education of service technicians in the OPE industry. 

If there is one organization in this industry that was created and works hard every day every year for the benefit of the entire OPE industry, the EETC is it!   It deserves your support and your participation. 

Visit the EETC’s Web site at www.eetc.org .   Attend its annual conference.  Look at its membership list and marvel at how these dedicated people leave their ego's and competitive nature outside the meeting room door and work together to help provide us with the certified technicians we all so desperately need in our businesses.

In a guest post on the Blog “Great Leadership,” Simon Sinek states that great leaders aren’t necessarily born “great.”  “People can learn to be a great leader.  But a fancy title or a high rank doesn’t make you a great leader.  Nor does holding the highest office or making the most money.  Great leaders are the ones who inspire people around them.” 

“Great leaders inspire those around them not because of what they know, but because of how they make other people feel.  When someone of vast achievement or status shows genuine interest in the ideas of those around them, it makes those people feel valuable.  It makes them feel like they are contributing.”

“Great leadership is not just about the ability to get things done.  It’s the capacity to inspire others to take responsibility to get things done.  When people in an organization believe in the greater cause and are made to feel a valuable part of it, they become vastly more conscientious about everything they do to contribute to the success of that cause.”

“Great leaders ask the question ‘why?’ quite often.  By asking ‘why,’ a great leader reveals he doesn’t understand something.  It shows vulnerability.  It reveals not knowing.  And that is exactly the reason great leaders ask ‘why?’ so often.” 

“They are aware that they don’t know what they don’t know and they aren’t afraid to show it.  They understand that the more ideas, perspectives and things they can learn – inside and outside their own disciplines – the more information it gives them to make better decisions.” 

“There is a rational and analytical part of our brains that can access the conscious information when we think about a problem, when we consider the facts and figures before making a thoughtful decision.”

“There is also a sub-conscious part of our brain that actually controls behavior and decision-making.  This area of our brain is filled with our entire life’s worth of experiences, lessons, ideas, perspectives and information.  This is the information that is tapped when we make gut-decisions or when we act instinctively.  No data is weighed in these decisions yet they are, very often, better quality decisions.”

So ask “why?” often.  Don’t just ask questions to prove people wrong.  Ask questions to understand what they mean.  Show genuine interest.  Seek out new experiences, lessons, ideas, and information to help you become a great leader in your business life.  You will be sought-out by people who know a great business leader when they see one and who trust that you will lead them to great accomplishments.

No. 5 May 2010

Our grass is green and growing.  You know what that means don’t you?   Right!  It means spring is here and we’re being attacked by the curse of pollen, watery eyes, runny noses, sinus infections and headaches.  Nevertheless, I still love springtime!

Does the nice increase we’re seeing in our dealer’s early and large purchases of equipment and parts reflect their renewed optimism for 2010?  Or does it reflect their customers early season purchasing habits?  Let’s hope it’s both.

Remember the old saying “Nothing is new, it is just forgotten?”  As our government begins to try to control the price of health care, I remember back in 1973 when President Richard Nixon’s Cost of Living Council froze gasoline prices.  I suspect most of you don’t remember what happened next.  Let me remind you.

Consumers were ecstatic at the beginning. But very quickly they realized their choice was not between high price and low price gasoline; their choice was between gas and no gas.

Oil companies and their gas stations responded to the price freeze by curtailing supply, limited customers to half a tank’s purchase, shutting down early and closing on Sundays.  How well I remember waiting many different times in a line at a service station to purchase gas - a line that might have over 50 cars in it.  And it wasn’t unusual to wait in line for more than an hour.

The conclusion was that the cost in inefficiency and time lost was greater than any benefit derived from a regulated price.  Now I’m wondering what the unintended consequences of regulating health care pricing and costs will be on you and me?  Maybe our politicians in Washington need to be reminded, "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."  Let’s hope not this time.

April 1, 2010 was the eighteenth anniversary of the US Lawn Mower Racing Association.  Who would have ever guessed?

It comes as no surprise that one’s educational attainment typically has a direct impact on employment. 

The jobless rate for those workers with less than a high school diploma was 14.5 percent in March of 2010.  For those with a high school diploma, but no college, the rate was 10.8 percent.

For those workers with some college or an Associate’s degree, the jobless rate was 8.2 percent. For those with a Bachelor’s degree and higher, the average unemployment rate was 4.9 per cent.

I think those numbers speak for themselves.

Caterina Fake, the co-founder of the photo-sharing Web site Flickr, has banned meetings in her businesses.  How does she get things accomplished and provide direction without meetings. 

She says, “Interactions should be constant, not crammed into meetings once a week.  You just turn around in your chair and bounce an idea off one of the other 10 people in your office.  Keep the floor plan open so people can talk to each other.  And as the company gets bigger, keep dividing it into small and smaller groups.”  

I know I would vote to do away with meetings in my business, if I could.  But I can’t imagine not having a meeting when it was needed.  It’s the meetings we have when we don’t need one, that are worrisome and time wasters.

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine each night… and to those who don’t and are always seen with a bottle of water in their hand, I share with you my favorite Ben Franklin quote, “In wine, there is wisdom, in beer, there is freedom, and in water there is bacteria.”  I think his words sum up my feelings very nicely!

Here are two anonymous quotes I really like about living life to its fullest.

The first says, “Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or the future.  By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.”

And the other says, “Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart.  Cling to them as if they were your life, for without them, life is meaningless.”

No. 4 April 2010

As I write this column on Friday, March 19, the sun is out and the temperature is expected to reach 70 degrees.  The beautiful weather is forecast to continue right through this early spring weekend.  The nice weather really makes it hard to stay focused on work.  I keep looking out the window wishing I was outside.  Anybody in a business related to the outdoor power equipment industry knows the feeling you get when the weather begins turning away from winter and closer to spring.  It makes your pulse race a little quicker!  It makes you smile!  You know “our time” is coming.  Spring has just about “sprung!”

Dealers and service centers have already purchased more parts and accessories for the 2010 spring season than they did last year by this time.  Most appear to have had a successful 2009, even as consumers continued not to have much to feel good about.  Our good year in 2009 reflected the generally good year our dealers and service centers had.  And we’re optimistic about 2010.  I hope you are too!

Speaking of “hope,” in Greek mythology there is a story about Pandora, who opened her fabled box and let out all evils except for hope.  The Greeks considered hope to be an evil like any other.  But soon humanity discovered that without hope to offset their troubles, the world was filled with despair. So Pandora let out hope as well. In the myth, hope was more potent than any of the other major evils.

In modern times, we consider hope to be anything but evil. It's what gets many of us through our worst days.  Lingering unemployment, foreclosure, dwindling retirement funds, businesses folding — any of these could make a person lose hope.

Fortunately, Pandora recognized the relevance of hope — an element that is critical to our very existence. In the current business climate, hope is what keeps us from throwing in the towel. I'm a realist, but I'm also an optimist. And while hope and optimism are not exactly the same, they are intrinsically linked.

I recently read that:  “All of life’s problems can be solved with two things—duct tape and WD40. If it doesn’t move and it should, you need WD40.  If it moves and it shouldn’t, you need duct tape.”  Give it try some time when nothing else seems to work.

The Outdoor Power Equipment and Engine Service Association (OPEESA) recently held their annual members meeting out in “toasty” Arizona on February 28 to March 3.  I suspect a lot of your suppliers -  whether OEM’s or distributors - attended the meeting.

Todd Teske, the CEO of Briggs & Stratton talked about the state of the OPE industry.” The returning and very popular economist Brian Beaulieu provided solid information about the current economy and what’s coming next.  Steve McClatchy discussed the “Business of You” and how to gain balance between your business and personal lives.  Industry speakers like Todd Teske and business and economic speakers like Brian Beaulieu made the meeting very worthwhile and fulfilling to attend..

I know when we get our dealers and service centers together for various types of meetings, they discover that they get their best ideas and take-aways from other attendees. Likewise, when we attend an association meeting like OPEESA’s, we take away just as many ideas and learnings from other attendees as we do from the speakers.  So the next time you don’t “feel like” attending a meeting, remember there is always a lot of value in being with and learning from people who face the same opportunities and problems you do.

You don’t need a dictionary to understand a title Robert Schuller’s inspirational book, Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do.

Caterina Fake is the co-founder of the photo-sharing Web site Flickr.  And she hates meetings.  When she use to have to hold a meeting, this is how she structured it:  “There would be an agenda distributed before the meeting.  Everybody would stand.  At the beginning of the meeting, everybody would drink 16 ounces of water.  We would discuss everything on the agenda, make all the decisions that needed to be made, and the meeting would be over when the first person had to go to the bathroom.”   Following her meeting rules, I believe we would have a lot of short meetings in my company or we would hold them in a bathroom!

No. 3 March 2010

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institure (OPEI) says the industry produced 779,640 snow throwers in 2009.  Don’t you wish you had a few left on your floor to sell today?  On the other hand, I heard that older units are being repaired “like never before.”  The entire OPE industry is wearing one large smile.

Harvey MacKay says that sometimes when a problem is presented, “the best thing you can do is ask each person on your team to suggest the worst possible idea to address the problem.”  He believes that these “bad ideas enable employees to see problems in a different way and can often spur very good solutions.”  I’m very tempted to try this unusual method and see what results we get.

Normally at this time of year we’d be seeing some early flowers popping up.  If the snow would ever go away, maybe we’d be seeing some right now!  Just keep repeating “Spring is just around the corner.”

Forty seven percent of Baby Boomers report maintaining a profile on a social web site in 2009, which was up 15 percent from 2008.  From 2007 to 2008, there was only a 1-percent increase in Baby Boomers maintaining a social Website profile.  Of that 47 percent of Baby Boomers maintaining a social web site in 2009, 73 percent maintain a Facebook profile, while 13 percent have taken a liking to Twitter.  What was surprising was that only 13 percent of Boomers identified themselves as active LinkedIn users.  Given their place in the professional world, one would think that Baby Boomers would have beenmore active on this professional site.

I will admit that I do maintain personal and business Facebook page and a LinkedIn page.  Facebook can be overwhelming if you let it, so don’t let it.  While some users end-up wasting their time and mine, it is a good way to find out what friends you do not see on a regular basis are doing with their lives.  Give it a try, even if just out of curiosity. 

I do recommend LinkedIn as an excellent business resource for any business person.  Go to the site and search on someone you know and admire in our industry.  You’ll be surprised at what you find and can learn on this Web Site.

Marshall Goldsmith, the author of “The Best Coaching Advice You Will Ever Get,” has a friend who had the opportunity to talk with old people who were facing death and ask them what advice they would have had for themselves in their earlier life.  Their answers were filled with wisdom. 

“One recurring theme was to take the time to reflect on life and find happiness and meaning now.  A frequent comment from old people runs along the lines of: ‘I got so wrapped up in looking at what I didn’t have that I missed what I did have.  I had almost everything.  I wish I had taken more time to appreciate it.’”

“A second theme from old folks was friends and family.  You may work for a wonderful company and believe that your contribution is very important.  But when you are 95 and you look around your death bed, very few of your fellow employees will be waving goodbye!  Your friends and family will probably be the only people who care.”

“A third recurring theme was to follow your dreams.  Older people who tried to achieve their dreams were happier with their lives.  None of us will ever achieve all of our dreams.  If we do, we will just make up new ones!  If we go for it, we can at least say at the end, ‘I tried!’ instead of ‘Why didn’t I at least try?’”