Skip to main content

Magazine Search

19 results found
Fall 2001 Summer 2002 Summer 2003 Winter 2006
It wasn’t love at first sight when Mike Ward saw the fixer-upper on an overgrown lot in La Canada, a suburb of Los Angeles. But behind the weeds, worn siding, and faded paint, he saw something that intrigued him: potential.
It is one thing to say that ethics are essential in the business world, but it is another to put that concept into practice. In an environment where ethics are under constant attack, there are still some who strive to uphold high moral standards.
I am truly honored and delighted to be here with you on this joyous occasion. This ceremony is called commencement because you are about to commence, or begin, the next stage in your lives. Up to this point most of what you have done is prepare.
You probably recognize the symptoms. Palms sweaty, throat scratchy. A band of pressure stretches across your forehead from temple to temple. Knots in your stomach and your pulse racing. Breathing comes in short, shallow bursts. Coming down with the flu? No. You’re about to make a group presentation.
For nearly two decades, Eric Olsen was solidly employed as a manager in the high-tech sector. But, last year his employment streak ended when he and 1.7 million other Americans were laid off.1 
Nothing in the economic corner of our culture elicits more collective fascination than the stock market. Media attention, conventional wisdom, parental advice, folklore, and scandal all seem to work overtime when it comes to “the market.” U.S. equity markets at the dawn of the twenty-first century are unique in terms of the broad participation of individual citizens—both the wealthy and middle class. 
I own two small companies. It’s hard to pay myself benefits, let alone all my employees. The first thing to look at is making sure they are paid a competitive wage, then add vacation/holidays and keep within reason. Next, they might need health insurance, but if the spouse is working elsewhere and is covered, we can sometimes eliminate it. Finally, you might look at adding tax deferred savings plans and insurance. Since both my companies are retail, we offer very steep discounts to employees. It has been my experience that most people working for small companies do not expect superb benefits. Also, in order to keep costs down, you must do a lot of shopping.