The Rosewood Blog

Are you in one of the following situations? Wrestling with a struggling product line. Thinking about starting a new business. Planning to launch a new product or service. On the road to success in these areas, you will notice well-beaten trails branching off to the side. If you take one of these side trails, you will find yourself lost in the woods.

Whether a street-side lemonade stand or a seven-figure enterprise, every business operates with the same basic systems. If these systems are not understood, engaged, or running properly, the business will suffer and may even fail. The functions of a business can be categorized into four core systems...

Preston wasn’t sure he had what it took to be a business owner, but when he had the opportunity to get into the printing business, he took it. Preston settled on a slogan that perfectly expressed his vision for Preston’s Printing: “Exceptional quality, speed, and price–no project too large, too small, or too uncommon.” Preston’s Printing got off to a great start. Preston was elated—maybe this whole thing of running a small business wasn’t so hard after all.

Afraid I would black out completely, I grabbed the handrail and tried to focus on the steps ahead. I stood still for a few wobbly moments until my vision gradually returned and I could proceed up the steps. Several years ago my vision would occasionally narrow temporarily and I would feel pressure in my head.

Her little eyes were looking up at me. “Would you like me to read you a story?” I asked. Without a word she bounced to the bookcase. “Read this one, Daddy!” she said sitting down beside me. Before I knew it the whole family, including my wife, was gathered around listening to a book written for preschoolers. What is it about stories? We love them. But why?

In 2005 General Mills was looking for a way to rejuvenate Hamburger Helper, a popular food brand that had gone into a sales slump. As part of their market research, they visited the homes of moms who regularly used Hamburger Helper. After observing and talking with the moms, General Mills found a solution that worked, and by the end of the fiscal year, sales were up 11%.

Imagine trying to ride a bike with a dented front wheel. Not only would you have to huff and puff to keep rolling, but you would have a rough ride! Getting an effective marketing program rolling can be a bit bumpy, too, but in this article we’ll look at a well-rounded approach. Just like riding a bicycle requires effort (up and down, up and down), business transactions also require effort. Buyers must make an effort to find a solution to a problem they have. You, the seller, must work to make a satisfactory solution available to them while also removing obstacles that might prevent the buyer from choosing your solution...

“Yo! G‘morning, John!” Fred called above the din of the construction site. “You’re hard at it already! What’s up with bulldozing these piles of ground around here? And what is that stack of shingles doing over there? Oh, I see you have some nailed to those pieces of plywood. What’s with that coil of PEX pipe with a faucet on the end? And that roll of carpet half buried under that stone pile? How did that concrete mountain get there? Looks like they dumped a whole truckload! What is going on around here!?”

“Hey, Don,” Walter greeted his brand-new employee, who was dressed in work pants and dirty boots, “I’d like you to go out to Newbie’s this afternoon and ask for a meeting with their purchasing agent. I think they may be a good candidate for the service program we are going to start offering next year.”

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou What is the key to engaging customers in a way that causes them to open their wallets to you instead of your competitors?

Jim groaned. Turning in his chair to face his accounting manager, he said, “I just heard another dog food producer is starting up over in Ohio. With our sales being flat for the last two years, I’m afraid they are really going to hurt us. I wish we could find more dogs who like our product. That would help us out a lot...