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Business Advice Articles

My educational background is engineering (BME - Villanova) and, after graduation, I was employed in the rubber and plastics industries. My last corporate stint was at Rohm & Haas Co. from 1966 to 1978.

A business partner and I owned and successfully operated an Oregon-based plastics manufacturing company from 1978 through 1989. After the first five years of ownership, our manufacturing/distibution company was in the upper quartile for both net profit and return on total assets compared with its industry peers. We started with three employees; when we sold the firm to a large midwest manufacturing conglomerate, we employed over 70.

business advice

Using the knowledge and lessons gained from business ownership, I later became an independent management consultant. My focus was advising mid-sized, growing companies. For eight years, I wrote a newspaper column, Doin' Business, to help promote my consultancy.

I've authored and contributed to several business books and my writings have been published in numerous business magazines.

When I put up my business consulting website in 1997, I had posted several of my how-to business articles online. When I retired from consulting, I moved many of them to the website of my local SCORE chapter. After 24 years as a volunteer counselor, I retired from SCORE in 2009 and moved some of the business tips and how-to articles to my personal website, hoping that they will be useful to small business owners.

I hope you find the information in these postings helpful in your business endeavors:

How To Start A Business (in six easy steps) How Not To Start A Business

Make A Profit On Everything You Do

Handling Your Finances

Makin' Stuff: The Joy Of Manufacturing

You Can't Save Your Company on Weekends

Be Skeptical About Forecasts & Predictions

Accounting 'Special Charges'

Dead Horse Strategies

Les Schwab's Business Model

The Legacy of William B. Stout

The 20/20/60 Rule

New World Of Commerce

The Luck Of The Irish

Overhauling The SBA

The Lessons of Oldsmobile

Remembering The Somat Machine

Indecision, Procrastination and Louie
Lessons From The Car Wash
Trade Show In A Box
Assets In The Elevator
Running A Successful Restaurant
Keep Trying Until Something Works
Riding The Rails of Technology
Positioning, Perception & Branding The Troubleshooting Guide To Almost Everything

Management By Objectives

More of my business and financial commentary can be found here.


Other Pages Of Interest

copyright 2010-20 - Joseph M. Sherlock - All applicable rights reserved


Disclaimer

The facts presented on this website are based on my best guesses and my substantially faulty geezer memory. The opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the author and are protected by the U.S. Constitution. Probably.

Spelling, punctuation and syntax errors are cheerfully repaired when I find them; grudgingly fixed when you do.

If I have slandered any brands of automobiles, either expressly or inadvertently, they're most likely crap cars and deserve it. Automobile manufacturers should be aware that they always have the option of trying to change my mind by providing me with vehicles to test drive.

If I have slandered any people or corporations, either expressly or inadvertently, they should buy me strong drinks (and an expensive meal) and try to prove to me that they're not the jerks I've portrayed them to be. If you're buying, I'm willing to listen.

Don't be shy - try a bribe. It might help.

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