A Consultant, Writer, Teacher Frederick C. Wootan

I don't want to get stuck in the rut of relying on polls to make my decisions for purposes of performing my duty as a citizen of this great country. I know my vote counts as do all our votes, so I read everything I can find that gives me both current (more…)

I walk my dog every morning. I notice that when I let him have the full leash, he wanders out in front of me sometimes sniffing madly at unseen things that could possible be something he could either eat or at least have a good chew on. So when he grabs up something I know will cause him future problems like his stomach rejecting it or sending it quickly out his back door I have to stop him and take it away.
I also notice that when he finds himself out in front of me he frequently looks back as though making sure I am still there. I am what is known to dog psychologists as the Alpha-dog or leader of the pack. Yes, I only have one dog but the very nature of a dog is to have a leader to follow. So, when I keep his leash short so he has to walk beside me he spends less time searching for some unknown object that he is not allowed to chew, and doesn't need to frequently look for me. He is happier in his walk as am I.
I tell this story as an analogy to the people of our great country. We are of many varied backgrounds and skills, likes and dislikes, but we all have one thing in common - we need a leader - an Alpha Dog out front that we can trust has our best interests at heart.
Unfortunately, what we now have is a frustrated professor who has no clue about either how to lead or what his followers need from him.
I pray daily that President Obama will find a way to either become our Alpha Dog or step aside for someone who can fill this position.

It seems we are in the throws of selecting a new administration for our country. Here are my suggestions:
President: Sarah Palin
VP and responsibilities: Herman Cain: Office of Management &Budget; Department of Commerce; Department of Labor; EPA & Energy departments combined as one (no Secretary positions)
Secretary of State: Robert Gates
Secretary of Treasury: (more…)

NOTHING!

Here's a quick story. When I was in the insurance agency business I had a client who stopped in to request a surety bond so he could bid on a contract for the city. Since at that time I only insured his home I knew nothing about his business. I did know that for him to get that bond the insurance company would want to see three years business financial statements, preferrably audited by a CPA, before it would even consider the bond. (more…)

1) Assuming this is your initial plan:
The purpose of this section is for the reader to gain a quick idea of what you have accomplished in past business operations and to briefly explain what you intend to accomplish with your business in the near future term of one to five years.

2) If you have been in business, then this part of your plan should provide a brief summary of your accomplishments during the past year and your plans to build on this during the next five years.

The key to writing a good executive summary is (more…)

Not to long ago I read the executive summary in a annual report I had received from a publicly held company. I found sixteen (16) grammatical errors in the first four pages.
What kind of an impression does that provide to the millions of shareholders of this company?

I also recently had the opportunity to read a newsletter written by a CEO (Harvard MBA) to all his business partners around the United States. I nearly threw up when I read the newsletter. (more…)

Take care to evaluate how you have protected your assets so that you don't jeopardize your ability to continue in business if an economic downturn occurs, or a natural catastrophe strikes, or a partner either dies or wants out of the business, or your landlord suddenly decides to sell the building to someone who doesn't want you as an occupant?

I could go on and on, but just want to alert you to some of the events (more…)

Journalistic malfeasance??
Today, April 11, 2011 the headline on the front page of the Dayton Daily News reads, "2011 budget done, now fight for 2012 begins."
Below this are pictures of our President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives containing cutlines and an article that MUST BE READ. And, if you read these you will find (more…)

Who should consider buying insurance?
ANSWER: Everyone who has anything to lose.

Sounds easy and gratuitous towards purveyors of insurance. Please know that I do not sell any insurance products, but I do know that as many as 23% of home owners have inadequate insurance on their home. They may also have inadequate insurance for their autos, their health, and their lives.

So, should they immediately go out and look for someone to sell them insurance?
ANSWER: A resounding NO. (more…)