Category Archives: Basic Business Concepts

Over the years, our family has had varying degrees of satisfactory experience with doctors, dentists, physical therapists, and veterinarians  who have repaired or attempted to repair things that went wrong with our bodies or our pet’s bodies.

The doctors, vets, and so forth that we remember most fondly are the ones who had superior social skills, even when they turned out to be less than correct in determining and fixing what was wrong. This group treated us as individuals and stayed in full communication with us even when they could not fix something.

The doctors whose technical skills towered over their social skills often pulled off medical miracles but are remembered with annoyance, even distaste. This group fixed what was wrong and treated us as objects. We were remembered as the "knee replacement" or the "oral surgery" with UnitedHealthcare medical insurance.

This goes to extreme lengths in some medical practices where the doctor asks you a question with a recorder in his hand. You describe what you are experiencing and the doctor says to the recorder, "Patient is unable to localize the pain but thinks she is doing better."

My response would have been to take the recorder and dictate, "Doctor unable to confront patients. Needs to overcome fear through appropriate training or therapy."

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It’s really simple. When you buy directly from an artisan or from a farmer, there is a sense of connection that matters. If the artisan and farmer have pride in their work, you take part in a transaction that validates … Continue reading →

Several hundred government officials, business executives, crafters, musicians, and travel industry executives heard Governor Tim Kaine give his views on asset-based economic development yesterday at Creating a New Economy in Southwest Virginia, a conference held this week in Abingdon, VA.

Prior to speaking, he toured the room and spoke to many of those who have been working hard to make develop the region’s music and craft-based economy. In this photo, Governor Kaine is speaking to Joe Wilson, Chairman for the National Council for the Traditional Arts.

Governor Kaine emphasized this point near the end of his speech. "Success goes to those who tell their story to the marketplace." In a sense, that was the underlying theme of the entire conference, telling the story about the regions assets in a way that would attract tourists and investment.

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