I meet with my friend Pete for lunch every so often. He's a business consultant and each of us enjoys the idea exchange and inspiration for better business practice over a no-martini long lunch. Pete is good note taker. He captures ideas on paper before they dissolve...

Horsemen are constantly at battle with the slippery effects of bad weather: mud, snow and ice. The basic weapons for fighting the slickness: tire chains, snow blowers, snow plows, four wheel drives and don't forget borium for horse shoes. Granted, dealing with...

You've probably heard that old saying, "Ain't Much New Under the Sun." And you'll probably agree that when it comes to innovation in the horse business, the expression fits like a collar on a draft horse. The daily chores in the horse barn are: feed, water, muck and...

Old Doc Lewis, a general practice veterinarian, used to say a farmer's favorite jobs were mowing hay and plowing ground. They are "see where you've been" jobs. If you've knocked down a thick hayfield on first cutting, you know what he meant when he said you can see...

Tick, tick, tick. Can you hear the fading sounds of the clock of 2007? You'll be reminded next week as you flip the calendar page over to November that the year is about to close out. And before your busy life becomes busier with the advancing pressure system known as...

As a business owner, you're most likely giving employee directions all day. Everyone wants questions answered and help getting pointed in the right direction. After all, since you're the boss, they want to know what it is you want them to be doing. Probably you're...

"Can't you do any better on the pricing?", the prospect drawled slowly. My mind raced through the possibilities: $ 100 off, 5% off, 30 day terms or maybe even 10% off. What to do I questioned over and over in my mind over the duration of just a few seconds. And then I...

Routine and repetition are the foundation of most businesses including the horse business. You do many of the same things day after day and month after month in your operation. Routine feeding, watering and mucking are a sure thing. Trimming or shoeing, routine...

I've mentioned before the power photographs have in selling your horses, lesson program and training services. The evolution of digital photography has made taking photographs simple, inexpensive and lighting fast. I know what a sliding stop is but don't ask me to...

I've never been one to make sweeping changes in a sudden burst of enthusiasm. But don't misunderstand, when change has a reasonable chance for success and improvement, you can count me in. I've been thinking about change and how to get a little more done each day in...