Resourceful Articles by Mike DuBose
Business Articles
NEW! - Strategic Planning: The key to knowing where you are going and how to get there. Every organization and business should have a road map that will guide them into the future. This article outlines the reasons for having a strategic plan, how to construct one, and how to implement it. This process can enhance your chances of success by motivating your staff to get in the same boat as you and row passionately together to your new company’s destination!
NEW! - Communications: Effective communications are critical in building a great business. Ineffective communications create more problems within an organization than any other factor. This article describes a variety of simple ways our companies communicate to keep everyone informed throughout the organizations. This enables us to predict problems early on, make good decisions promptly, and ensure that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing!
NEW! - Power, Greed, and the Love of Money: A Formula for Business Disaster: Many successful business leader’s personal life, family, and their business are ruined by the disease of never being satisfied with the success they have. They want more and more chasing the never attainable gold at the end of the rainbow!
NEW! - Exceeding Customer’s Expectations: Many companies and leaders talk about great customer service but fail to produce it. This article gives helpful hints on how to create a high customer service environment — one of the keys to success.
Who Am I? Every couple of years, it’s important for everyone (especially leaders) to step outside their comfort zone and box, look into the mirror, and ask: "Who am I? What do I like and dislike about myself? How can I improve and grow? What do I need to let others know about me so they understand me? How do others perceive me?" Mike recently paused to reflect on who he really is? He commented, “Before we can understand others, we need to understand ourselves!” By understanding ourselves and one another, we work together better as a team. This is a letter he sent to his staff and it may be helpful to you in helping to determine how you define who you really are to your staff, family, friends, and those you work with!
Business Failure: These are two words that entrepreneurs do not want to hear! However, all business owners and leaders need to plan for failure in order to succeed. This information does not address the why’s but rather what to do when failure strikes.
Conducting Successful Events: How do you stand in front of a group of intelligent adults from various backgrounds and gain their respect, hold their attention, and enthusiastically engage them in discussions and activities? Click above for the full article.
Hiring the Right Staff: The best seller Good to Great by Jim Collins documents that hiring the right, outstanding staff and then placing them into the right jobs is a major step towards success. This article gives tips on how to select the best employees. Our motto is to, “hire slow and tough!”
Keys to a Successful Business: This information describes what a business owner and leader should strive for. The 34 keys outline the characteristics of a successful business that will enhance employee satisfaction, exceed customer expectations, and increase the chances of good profits!
Secrets of Successful Leaders: This article outlines 29 characteristics that employees look for, the research documents, and what Mike has determined works for great leaders! No leader will ever obtain excellence in all 29 areas, but one should try!
Succession Planning: Most business owners have not prepared the business for their death or disability. This article shares some insight into how to plan to succeed and do it right!
Terminating the Wrong Employees in the Right, Caring Way: Every business leader will be faced with firing or laying off employees. This article details some risky concerns that you need to be aware of!
The Art of Making Good Business Decisions: A great, profitable business is built around making good decisions. This article outlines suggestions on how to make the best decisions and what to do when you don’t!
Personal Articles
NEW! - Bitterness: It is a very harmful condition that chains a person to their past and can affect one’s mental and physical health. This article describes how Mike overcame the bitterness in his life with suggestions on how you can too!
NEW! - How to Buy a New Car For Less A new car is a big investment, and consumers need all the help they can get to make the best possible deal. In this article, Mike shares the negotiating techniques he used to get a great price on his new car. He also gives tips on how to determine the best car for you, what time of year to buy, and how to get the most out of dealers.
Quality Vendors Guide Our staff independently assembled a detailed and unbiased list of more than 100 quality contractors such as electricians, painters, plumbers, etc. Click above for this updated list.
NEW! - Dealing with the Loss of a Pet: Losing a pet cat, dog, or animal that you have grown to love can be devastating and very painful. This article describes how the DuBose Family suffered the loss of their cat BB and how they overcame the hurt and channeled their hurt into saving other cats destined for death in the shelter.
Travel Help Articles
Thinking about visiting Hawaii? Mike has visited all of the Hawaiian Islands 14 times. If you are thinking about going to Hawaii, read his detailed article on how to prepare for, fly to, and enjoy the Islands. Even if you are not going to Hawaii, this article contains excellent tips on traveling and flying comfortably. Click above for the full article.
Traveling First Class Cheap: If you're thinking about traveling, Mike DuBose has prepared do's and don'ts that will help you successfully prepare for a decent, but inexpensive trip. Click above for the full article.
Traveling to Europe? You may want to read this article before taking off! There are a lot of things that can go wrong that will turn your dream of a lifetime into a nightmare!