SteveRogersCFA commented on the following stories on BizSugar
STUDY: 75% of Small Businesses Are Not Engaging In Social Media
"Congratulations to small business owners for seeing through the hype that social media grows your business. In most cases, it's a distraction that misses the value of real marketing. I don't have anything against the medium, if people like to blog, or go on facebook, or twitter--that's fine as a hobby. But telling people it can grow your business is as misleading as telling a business owner he can grow his business by drinking beer, watching football, or having sex. Hope I wasn't too frank there."Corporate Boards: 14 Questions for You | Biz Money Matters |
"Shawn, I'm curious what you mean when you say management needs to introduce basic entrepreneurial ideas into upper management. Are you implying they should be taking more risks? The SOX regulations seem designed to reduce too much risky behavior by management. I think question 10 from the list bears the most attention. The board of directors are not a full-time staff position. Corporate governance is the board's responsibility only in so far as they elect the officers of the company. Beyond that, real change come from those actually in charge. They are after all, the real face of the company and by extension the board. When you vote your proxy do you really know all the people on the board? No. But you do know what slate they plan to vote to manage the firm. "Corporate Boards: 14 Questions for You | Biz Money Matters |
"Shawn, thanks for the response. I understand what you're saying but I think you may be starting to veer into the Michael Moore--CEO's are evil people who only want to swindle the rest of the world--territory here. (And if that's your social leaning, I'm not sure I can debate you here on that point.) I'm not sure your example of the CEO who makes ten time the company earning really happens today I think it's more of a stereotype. I do think the majority of CEOs do listen to shareholders, and have been more motivated to due so with boards now tying bonuses to stock performance and company growth. Thanks to corruption in firms like Enron now this practice is drawing criticism. Also, I'm not sure if shareholders need to have that much influence over the company. Most people invest to get a better return on their money, when that doesn't happen you sell and find something else--rarely to you try and replace the board and CEO for the way the company has been run. If the CEO takes the company in a radically different direction, perfect market rules means that none of this happens in the dark, so if the company is functioning in a contrary way the market will respond."Corporate Boards: 14 Questions for You | Biz Money Matters |
"This is turning into a great debate now! I have several points to make from what has been added since I last weighed in. Shawn, You are right to say that one of the great advantages of small-sized businesses is their ability to adapt to quick changing market conditions. Large corporations by their nature have levels that may prevent too much change too quickly. Now if you work for a large company and are advocating change and meet with resistance, it may be frustrating. But on the other hand, this slow approach also insures against mistakes like bringing a product to market too soon to take advantage of quick changing market conditions. This is the ground where today's entrepreneurs toil and rise and fall. One of the great mysteries in business is that large companies who are best able to take risks are also the most risk-adverse, while small business owners who face unlimited liability when they fail are still taking most of the risks in innovation and changing markets. As for Guy Kawasaki's comments, on this point we will have to agree to disagree. I'm more of the mold of Adam Smith and Milton Friedman--"the business of business is business". I'll respond to Tony's points later."« previous1 next »
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How Small Business Feels About Health-Care Reform (Share Your Thoughts)
"Agreed. How many government programs have actually increased public market efficiency? Don't think about it too long--the answer is none. "