When it comes to growing your business, what comes first – the chicken or the egg? Do you have to invest a lot of money in marketing in order to generate more business, or can you increase business without spending a bundle and reducing your profit margin? Most business owners think they need to increase their marketing budget in order to ramp things up, but I’m here to tell you there’s another way to get the results you’re after without spending a lot of additional money on marketing. How? … [Read more...] about Building Long-Term Relationships
Columnists
Benefits of Resilience
Resiliency is not a widespread watchword for the 21st century, perhaps because many businesses and people are still in denial about the new normal. But, it ought to be. According to Andrew Zolli, author of “Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back,” adapting to new normals (plural!) is something we need to get used to. The world is a dynamic system (and always has been). To succeed as an individual, a business or nation means improving “your ability to resist being pushed from your preferred” state of … [Read more...] about Benefits of Resilience
Elevation and Retina Surgery
Among the many characteristics that make our state of Arizona unique is its variety of land elevations. For example, Yuma in the southwest sits only 163 feet above sea level. Elevation in the Phoenix Valley averages 1,000 feet above sea level, and height above sea level in our mountain regions, which include Flagstaff and Show Low, soars to at least 6,500 feet. While this variety of land elevations gives us our beautiful landscapes and a choice between valley and mountain living, it also poses a … [Read more...] about Elevation and Retina Surgery
Enjoying the Winter
There are few things more relaxing than waking up to a snowy morning, warm drink in hand, enjoying the perks of winter. But then, there are also few things more frustrating than the realization that there is now two feet of snow in your driveway and your gutters are frozen over. Now, you are kicking yourself for not making the necessary preparations for Flagstaff’s unpredictable winter months. These kinds of snowy headaches can be easily remedied with the proper snow thrower, well-installed … [Read more...] about Enjoying the Winter
City Ordinance Changes
I am proposing some changes in City ordinances that will affect your business and your home. I am hoping I will have Council support; we will see. Sales Tax and Family Leases If you personally own a building and lease it to your corporation, the City charges you 1.7 percent sales tax. That makes no sense to me. I am proposing a change that exempts family owned corporations or LLCs from paying sales tax on leases with the family. Sidewalk Repairs The way the City … [Read more...] about City Ordinance Changes
Synthetic Hormones in Dairy
Over the past decade, there has been a growing concern among American consumers about the association between synthetically produced hormones in dairy products and the possible health effects on cows and humans. At New Frontiers Natural Marketplace, part of our mission is to educate ourselves and others, so we have attempted to shed some light on the topic of hormones in dairy products. Growth Hormone, also called Somatotropin, is a naturally occurring protein hormone produced in the … [Read more...] about Synthetic Hormones in Dairy
Becoming a Leader
You may be the boss, but are you a leader? Bosses order, leaders persuade. People obey bosses. People follow leaders. Being bossed brings drudgery. Being led brings fulfillment. Bosses order people about using carrots and sticks, coercing their underlings to do what the boss wants. In some cases, this may be effective … for a little while. A leader is different. A leader motivates and persuades people so that they want to do what the leader desires. A true leader listens. A true leader … [Read more...] about Becoming a Leader
Building a Strong Workforce
A healthy local economy has one major driving force behind it: a strong and educated workforce. Skills learned by students at our county’s 35 schools prepare our children and young adults to continue their education, whether by seeking a degree at Northern Arizona University, Coconino Community College or vocational training at multiple other institutions. Such institutions are critical to ensure community members have every opportunity to seek an education that advances their future. As … [Read more...] about Building a Strong Workforce
Hey Pard’ner
Here in the Wild West (we still think that way, don’t we), doing for ourselves has a long tradition. In the early days of the American republic, we couldn’t always rely on Washington, D.C. to lend a helping hand. Not because we didn’t want the help. It was just a heck of a long way between there and here (a modern train still takes more than 40 hours to cross the county). The isolation of many towns and cities (then and now) meant we had to work together. It’s one reason charitable, non-profit … [Read more...] about Hey Pard’ner
Tinnitus, or Ringing in the Ears
Over 50 million people are bothered by tinnitus, and approximately 20 percent of those people are severely affected by it. Tinnitus is a sound that is heard without any external stimulation. It can be high or low-pitched; it may sound like humming, clicking, buzzing, whistling, chirping or roaring. The sound may come and go and sometimes people say that the loudness of their tinnitus changes. Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, and is not threatening to one’s … [Read more...] about Tinnitus, or Ringing in the Ears