Business Blog | The Barefoot Spirit

Tailor Your Message to What Your Audience Wants to Hear

DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT OR A DEPOSIT

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Business Blog

If you want to make a statement, tell them what you want to say. If you want to make a deposit, tell them what they want to hear. Sounds simple enough, but what do they want to hear and who are they anyway? Every successful business learns eventually that there are a...

Find Good People – Make Great People

BUILD A SQUARE HOLE FOR A SQUARE PEG

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Business Blog

People always ask us what we look for in a job applicant because we had such a great staff. Sure, we looked at qualifications, but we looked beyond that. We wanted people who were not only qualified, but also had foundational qualities we could build upon. We wanted...

Improving Your Productivity can be as Simple as a Walk in the Park

TIME SPENT IN NATURE DOESN’T COST, IT PAYS!

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Business Blog

We often take walks in natural environments for more reasons than just the exercise. We’ve found that putting ourselves in nature provides many subtle benefits beyond physical fitness. Even if you get out for just 45 minutes in the middle of a hectic day, amazing...

A College Degree Can Give You an Entrepreneurial Edge

SAY HELLO TO YOUR GARAGE – A PEP TALK FOR TODAY’S GRADS

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Business Blog

This year’s grads face serious employment challenges, but there’s probably never been a greater opportunity to create your own job. According to Robert Reich, former US Secretary of Labor, the job prospects look rather dim due to the economic down turn. He cites some...

Grow Your Business Faster by Sharing the Wealth

3 GOOD REASONS TO TAKE A SMALLER SLICE OF A LARGER PIE

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Business Blog

Henry Ford used to say he’d rather have 1% of what a hundred others made working for him, than 100% of what he made by himself. Some business owners want to have it all, but in the process, cut off the very folks they need to get what they want. Our business...

Discover Your Strengths and Weaknesses Before You Start Your Business

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT IF YOU TRY SOMETIME, YOU JUST MIGHT FIND, YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED – MICK JAGGER

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Business Blog

The right business for you is a combination of opportunity, preparation and resources. It’s more of a discovery than a choice. You will not have the world of all possibilities to choose from, but if you analyze your strengths and weaknesses, you can identify the...