Many of you are just like us: a family business. Maybe your kids aren’t in the business yet, but you hope that one day they will be. When I joined BCI, I did it because I needed a job. It wasn’t because I was necessarily passionate about what I was getting ready to do, but I was passionate about the paycheck I was going to receive. You see, being a part of BCI wasn’t my [...]

When visiting with owners & managers, I like to ask them how they got started in their business.  The stories I hear are diverse & interesting but typically most of the reasons they give have some commonality to them.  For example, some started their business because they saw a need in their community, others began because they were passionate about the product or service they provide, and some simply stumbled into it!  However, in the [...]

What is the Cure for the Common Employee Headache? Two Aspirin OR an Employee Handbook! Do you have an employee handbook?  When was the last time it was updated or given to employees?  I know it is a bit time-consuming, but trust us, it is well worth your time and effort. An employee handbook will not make you more money, but it will eliminate a lot of headaches. Most small business owners dislike dealing with [...]

5 Signs that You have an Employee that is Holding You Hostage Have you ever been in a situation that you were so deep in the day-to-day issues of your business that you didn’t see what was going on inside your own walls? Or maybe, you know what is happening inside your own walls but always say that you will deal with the issue later in hopes that it will just disappear. Regardless of where [...]

Knowing where to look for employees is one of the biggest struggles we hear from small business owners on a daily basis. It seems that the "traditional" ways are cumbersome, time consuming, and often result in high turnover, costing lots of money. I recently read an article explaining that Microsoft assumes that the best candidates are not looking for new jobs. Actually, if a candidate reaches out to them, that candidate is less desirable. I [...]

Did you know that clothing, or more specific, uniforms in the workplace, have a much more powerful impact than you might first think? Fair or not, people judge businesses by what they see and that includes the appearance of our employees, including the way they are dressed. We all know it’s true, customers form opinions about us based on what we and the people who work at your dealership are wearing.  We look at how [...]