Sometimes it Pays to Pester

Linda LaitalaBusiness, Management, SalesLeave a Comment

In the early years of our business, my husband did the sales.  He was pretty good at selling but he absolutely hated it.  He was tremendously relieved when I came on-board at Raven Machine & Tool and took over the sales and marketing.   

Can you also walk on water?

Linda LaitalaBusiness, ManagementLeave a Comment

In a previous life I was a headhunter.  I scoured the region looking for just the right people to fill jobs.  Applicants were screened and tested and interviewed.  Only the best two or three got “live” interviews.  The role I played was mostly detective; the higher the position, the deeper I dug.  It was pretty easy to ferret out the

“Maybe I’ll sell T-shirts….”

Linda LaitalaBusinessLeave a Comment

Kevin loved working on cars and had a knack for making even the roughest running rust bucket purr like a kitten.  But even more than fixing cars, he loved building cars – race cars.  He enjoyed welding roll cages, reinforcing fenders, upgrading chassis and narrowing rear ends.  It was his passion.   

Mistakes were made Lessons were learned

Linda LaitalaBusiness, ManagementLeave a Comment

I had lunch recently with Sam (not his real name) who owns a property development business.  He company purchases land all over the country, usually close to college campuses.  Their specialty is building apartments for student housing.  They would own and manage the properties for a few years and then sell them.  Life was good for a long time —

For goodness sake, pay attention!

Linda LaitalaBusiness, EmployeesLeave a Comment

For goodness sake, pay attention! A friend of mine recently went to Mexico; the airports coming and going were packed. Long lines snaked through the terminal as people waited to go through security. As they waited, some texted, and texted and texted – one after another – totally oblivious of their surroundings until the moment the agent asked for their

Don’t make resolutions – Make changes

Linda LaitalaBusiness, EmployeesLeave a Comment

Newspapers and magazines are full of articles on how to make New Year’s resolutions that succeed. Even Harvey Mackay joined in: • “Resolutions need to be specific, attainable and personal. They need to come from your heart.” • “The fewer resolutions you have, the better.” • Tell other people; it puts pressure on you to stick with it. • Reward

Put your credit card away; It won’t work on this.

Linda LaitalaBusinessLeave a Comment

Put your credit card away; It won’t work on this. Next week is Christmas, a time of celebration and gift giving; of sending cards and catching up with old friends. It’s a time of shopping and wrapping and hiding presents. It’s a time of looking for the perfect tree, dragging it home and spending a whole day decorating it until