Cover Story
Social media mania
Joel Eshelman, founder of Apex Personal Training, has been in the fitness industry for more than a decade. He founded his company in 2011 and now spends much of his days overseeing personalized group training sessions, one-on-one fitness training and nutrition counseling. But he finds time to take care of himself and his business. Part […] Continue reading →
Letter From the Editor
Ice floes
I got a smart speaker for Christmas and soon learned about all the amazing things it can do, like sync all my light fixtures, turn up the thermostat, mix a cocktail and shovel snow — I think, although I lost interest quickly when it turned out a few of those items were off the table. […] Continue reading →
Focus
Triumph over tragedy:
Sandy Hansen-Wolff grew up on a farm, but she was, by her own admission, not prepared when she took over AgVenture Feed & Seed in 2003, after her first husband passed away at 33 from cancer. She had been working in insurance sales, but she inherited a struggling company that had sales in the low […] Continue reading →
Business Builders
Management
“Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” —Tom Landry, former coach, Dallas Cowboys If you are like many closely held businesses, you start the year with a plan. It may just be a budget or financial forecast, or a […] Continue reading →
Human Resources
Minnesota is a job candidate’s market, and it’s been that way for the past few years. In fact, the state’s current 3.1 percent unemployment rate hasn’t been this low since July 2000. Good news for job seekers is bad news for business owners and managers, who know all too well how difficult it is to […] Continue reading →
Consulting
No matter whether you’re the client or the consultant, Core principles apply to making consulting relationships work. Much like members of Congress must “reach across the aisle” to forge effective political partnerships, effective client-consultant relationships work best when both parties communicate, participate, treat each other with respect and share responsibility for outcomes. Unfortunately, as frequent […] Continue reading →
Franchising
Many successful storefront business owners receive inquiries about selling a franchise to someone wanting to operate a similar business across town or in another city. There are many success stories in franchising. Some Minnesota franchise companies, like Dairy Queen and National Car Rental, have been around for decades. Others, like Buffalo Wild Wings, grew from […] Continue reading →
