Author: Dan Siburg

Chart of Moonlighting – Multiple Jobholders by Type from January 1994 to Present

Moonlighting is to hold a second job in addition to a regular one or holding multiple jobs. Generally multiple jobholders hold a full-time plus a part-time job (the blue line in the graph), and this group now makes up about 3% of the working population in the U.S.  The percentage of workers within this group…
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Get Out of the Eddy and Start Moving Down River

An eddy can be defined as water moving in a circular pattern, counter to the main current of water, sometime causing a whirlpool.  River rafters try to avoid eddies as opposed to getting stuck in an unstable place in a river in order to keep moving down the river. A business eddy is where the…
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Chart of Global Price of Soybeans per Metric Ton from 1990 to Present

The International Monetary Fund Primary Commodity Prices states: Value represents the benchmark prices, which are representative of the global market. They are determined by the largest exporter of a given commodity. Prices are period averages in nominal U.S. dollars. A metric ton is equal to 1,000 kilograms or approximately 2,204 pounds, while a U.S ton…
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Elephant in the Room or Mice Under the Door

As a leader of a business you must determine what are the hard issues that need to be dealt with and what issues are the most pressing to resolve. Once an “Elephant in the Room” issue is verbalized, it’s easy to identify and discuss with staff about possible resolutions.  Examples of these types of issues…
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Chart of U.S. Gross Domestic Product From 1947 to Present

The Bureau of Economic Analysis defines Gross Domestic Product as: Gross domestic product (GDP) is the value of the goods and services produced by the nation’s economy less the value of the goods and services used up in production. GDP is also equal to the sum of personal consumption expenditures, gross private domestic investment, net…
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What’s Right, What’s Easy and What’s Wrong

Business leaders should think about making business decisions by considering what is the right decision, what is the easy decision and what is the wrong decision.  All business leaders get to choose between this decision matrix. What Is the Right Decision?  The right decisions are the toughest decisions that are made by a business leader. …
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Chart of Annual Unemployment Rate Since 1948

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics define unemployment as: The unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. Labor force data are restricted to people 16 years of age and older, who currently reside in 1 of the 50 states or the District of Columbia, who do not reside in…
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Business Strategies Take Hard Work, Time and Commitment

Is it better to have a business strategy than no business strategy?  The question really is – does the CEO or Owner of the business have a business strategy they are actually going to implement or a business strategy they just like talking about.  Or to put this another way; talk is cheap, but it…
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Chart of Total Privately-Owned Housing Units Started

A housing start is defined as when excavation begins for the foundation of the building.  Home construction is important to the economy as it has wide spread effects on numerous related industries, to include:  banking, mortgage industry, construction materials and land prices. The housing market is being affected by slightly higher mortgage rates, higher price…
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Five Concepts for Managing and Compensating Salespeople

Salespeople are important to a business’s growth and success, but it is even more important for a business to manage, measure and compensate salespeople’s performance. First – the best way to compensate salespeople is on gross margin.  Salespeople that are incented on gross margin sell the business’s products for the best price and at the…
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