The August 2007 issue of Inc. was the most fun business magazine I've read in a long time ["Fun! It's the New Core Value"]. In a previous job, I ran team-building events for a large company. I hired Francis Anthony, the "Love Chef," to do cooking-based activities and did everything I could to help the staff break free of routine, even if just for a few hours. For weeks after the events, employee morale was through the roof. Each event inspired shared jokes and stories that brought together people who might not otherwise converse in the hallways. That led to closer teamwork, increased productivity, and greater company loyalty. Now I run my own PR business, and I regularly recommend employee recognition with fun in mind. It works.
Tricia Richards
Owner
Tricia Richards Marketing Communications
Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
Brian Rosen made a bad bet when he handed 80 percent of Sam's Wines and Spirits to a private equity firm so he could seize control from his brother, Darryl ["Splitting Heirs," August]. Brian will have to increase the total value of the company 150 percent just to get the value of his share back to what it was.
Not every company is destined to be Wal-Mart. What is wrong with having aprofitable, growing company that doesn't have to constantly please outside investors? I think it's more important to do what you love and have a family enterprise. If this turns out badly, I predict that Brian Rosen's family will still be supportive of him, because that's what families do. The private equity guys, on the other hand, won't be sending any holiday cards.
Rob Auerbach
President
CandyRific
Louisville
As I read your story about the unwanted effects of lowering prices ["How Low Can You Go?" August], I chuckled. When we released our software Stonefield Query to the market in 1996, we thought if the price was low enough (we chose $99 per user) everyone would want a copy. Boy, were we naive. Since then, prices for some versions of our software have increased to $2,000 per user. Not only are unit sales way up, but we also have attracted much larger clients. When we priced Stonefield Query too low, it was perceived as cheap and not worthy of consideration. Now it is viewed as an enterprise solution.
Mickey Kupchyk
President
Stonefield Software
Regina, Saskatchewan
Utube.com is making a mistake in suing YouTube.com for the misdirected traffic it gets ["Can You Spot the Real Utube?" August]. Doesn't Utube realize the grand gift it has been given? Many sites would kill for that much traffic--even accidental traffic! A simple notice ("We're not YouTube. We don't host videos. We never have. Click here to go to YouTube.com.") on Utube's homepage would clarify things for most people. And Utube certainly doesn't seem to have any problem monetizing the traffic it's getting from bad spellers. Drop the suit, Utube. Revel in people's ignorance.
Christopher Mahoney
San Francisco
At a time when entrepreneurship is strongly trending toward the socially responsible, it's sad to see Inc. focus on Kenneth Feld, a man whose fortune was built on animal abuse ["How I Did It," August]. You noted a past lawsuit filed by PETA, but you failed to mention an active federal lawsuit filed by the Animal Protection Institute, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Fund for Animals, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals against Feld Entertainment for violating the Endangered Species Act in its abuse of endangered Asian elephants.
Nicole Paquette
General counsel
Animal Protection Institute
Sacramento
It seems Kenneth Feld would rather go into a cage of hungry tigers than admit that more and more people believe the use of animals as entertainment is wrong. People don't care if there is one ring or three; they care about animals being hit and whipped, chained and caged, and forced to perform tricks. Kenneth Feld would exhibit true business acumen by eliminating cruel animal acts right now.
RaeLeann Smith
Circus specialist
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Norfolk, Virginia
Leigh Buchanan's article about the aftermath of employee resignations was excellent ["The Departed," August]. She writes with a refreshing sensitivity and awareness about a topic that is often overlooked. Resignations are part of that number we call turnover. The names are often not remembered and faces will soon be forgotten, but that turnover number will be discussed, graphed, reviewed, and projected for months and quarters.
As managers, I hope we do not forget that the numbers are people with families. I hope we analyze ourselves and ask if we have done all we could have. As Buchanan put it, I hope we will be great bosses so that leaving will be hard for them.
Ken Archer
Roy, Utah
I agree with Leigh Buchanan that the worst moment when someone resigns is after he or she walks out of your office. However, the first thing the departing employee usually does is tell co-workers about the great pay, the great benefits, and all of the other great things the new job will provide that you could not. Though it is regrettable to have someone leave, I find the most devastating thing is how much damage the departing employee does to the morale of the remaining employees. It may sound cold, but I believe the employee should leave as soon as possible--perhaps as soon as he or she resigns--to minimize this damage.
Evan Padilla
President
AMS Office Solutions
Burien, Washington
David H. Freedman is right when he warns that focusing only on what customers request can cause a company to miss that bright new idea ["Ask, and You Shall Be Misled," July]. When our active wear company designs a new line, we encourage our sales reps to offer their opinions and to report what they hear from customers.
This is generally very helpful, but when it comes to fashion-forward styles, the feedback is inconsistent. I find that often my job as president is to support creative ideas that are not immediately accepted. Sometimes it takes months of presentations before the customers and sales reps start to get it. That's what happened with our soft shell jacket. The sales team originally ranked it eighth out of 16 new styles. It has turned out to be our best-selling item this year.
Barry Lipsett President and CEO
Charles River Apparel
Medford, Massachusetts
"Retirement Riches" in the August issue incorrectly identified BDO Seidman as a law firm. It is a consulting and accounting firm. In September's Inc. 500 issue, we understated the revenue and three-year growth rate for Syrinx Consulting. The company had sales of $4.2 million in 2006 and a growth rate of 657.9 percent. The company's correct ranking is No. 438. Also in that issue, "Who's Behind TheFunded.com?" cited criticisms of Foundation Capital that had been posted on TheFunded.com. The negative comments we quoted came from one author, not two.
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