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Stop smirking, Grandpa
With great fondness I remember the facial expressions of my grandfather. I remember also that I often could not interpret their meaning. Time, and the Legislature, is teaching me that when grandpa witnessed follies he also had a remarkable view into future probabilities and outcomes because he remembered and respected the lessons he learned from history. I know what his face would look like if [...]
For contractors, 2011 was a year of endurance
It’s no secret that the past few years have been tough for the construction industry. Since 2008, construction spending in the United States has decreased nearly $300 billion and has resulted in a 2 percent reduction in the nation’s economy, according to the American Institute of Architects. From all accounts, this past year wasn’t much different. “I think most of 2011 looked a lo[...]
Foothills footsoldiers repair fire damage to hillside and to morale
The end of this month will mark the one year anniversary of the day I thought we would lose our home. You may not remember but I won’t forget the fire that whipped through the foothills above Eagle last July, chewing up five thousand acres, four houses, outbuildings, vehicles, trailers and pets. If my husband had not stayed behind and if we did not have what the fire department refers to as[...]
I-9 Employer Audits on the Rise
Illegal immigration has been in the news a lot lately. It is at the forefront of American minds and your business should be no different. A recent report showed that the latest wave of I-9 inspection notices sent to employers brings the total number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) I-9 employer audits to a record-breaking 2,338 for 2011, topping last year’s total of 2,196 (both up fr[...]
Share your story with someone who is just starting out
When Dave Self, the vice president of PacificSource, graduated from high school in 1977, his football coach wrote some advice in his annual that Self never forgot: “Put school before money.” He never forgot, but he didn’t take the advice. Eager to accumulate some cash, he worked two jobs: construction by day, and Kentucky Fried Chicken at night. Self ended up in the corner office of th[...]
America is too complacent
[caption id="attachment_33523" align="alignleft" width="140" caption="Tucker Slosburg"][/caption] As I see it, the world changed and Rome did not. As Americans, we still don't know how to react to a changing world. America, not Rome, is too complacent. Rome's dominance merely faded as barbarians fleeing Attila crossed the Danube. Unlike Rome, America sought out foreign nations for its la[...]
Here’s an education on education
In my house, my husband and I joke we don't save money for our kids to go to college someday, we save money for the therapy they'll need as adults! Even though our children have years before they'll be in college, the rising cost of an education looms out there patient and waiting. I did a quick check to see what the going rate is for a four-year undergraduate degree these days at Boise St[...]
‘Tis the season for giving
[caption id="attachment_33523" align="alignleft" width="140" caption="Tucker Slosburg"][/caption] A simple Google search on giving and happiness yields several results indicating that Adam Smith might have been right: giving makes us happier over time. Here is the beginning of his seminal work, A Theory of Moral Sentiments. "How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some pr[...]
Inside Job needs outside help
[caption id="attachment_33523" align="alignleft" width="140" caption="Tucker Slosburg"][/caption] Inside Job, the new documentary that attempts to explain the financial crisis in two hours or less by simplifying complex problems into categories of good and bad, earned praise by most reviewers. How can you not enjoy a film that makes smart people look idiotic? Everyone watching the movie feels t[...]
Just another chain
[caption id="attachment_18118" align="alignleft" width="97" caption="Michael Tomlin"][/caption] I was online actually reading about Arizona and its immigration laws when Five Guys Burgers and Fries took a hit. Reading blog posts is a lot like fishing in the ocean. You never know what you might catch. The look from the surface and your bait mean nothing to what happens below - much like an or[...]
3 steps to improving sales on your Web
[caption id="attachment_19675" align="alignleft" width="211" caption="Brad Chase"][/caption] Improving sales on your Web site is actually really simple. It's a three step formula I have been focusing on and working towards: The number of customers (your marketing) X your average transaction (increase this with upsells and cross sells) X Average Frequency (a newsletter could help you do this). [...]
Why I’m joining the Tea Baggers
[caption id="attachment_17516" align="alignleft" width="137" caption="Michael Boss"][/caption] I know my faithful Idaho Business Review readers (thanks again, Mom) must be reading this blog title and double-checking the byline to be sure which "Michael" this is. Yep, it's really me, folks. I've seen the error of my leftist-leaning, Obama-loving, socialist-sympathizing ways. My motto hencefor[...]
