"Another world is not only possible, she's on her way..."

- Arundhati Roy

We need to be on the lookout of alternatives and lessons from economies very different from our own. In the very cash poor but satisfaction rich Mali a different kind of economy has been thriving for thousands of years.

http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3775

Economists realize that we're not basically selfish!

As a parent I realize that I play a big role in how my son will come to define himself. I know when he does something less than shining it's important to label the behavior, not the child. When he's acting selfishly I call on his higher nature. We've all seen the sad results of people come to believe they are intrinsically "bad."

And yet as a society we have be surrounded by economic pundits telling us that in our hearts we are greedy and selfish. Is it surprising we got ourselves into the economic pickle we found ourselves in when the free market tells us that it's normal, everyone is doing it, and that it is ok - laudable even.

But wait... Economists are now uncovering the fact that rather than selfish greedy fools, we are actually mostly caring people who want what is fair and are willing to share. It's news worth sharing -

http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3716

17 ways to use a down economy to reconnect with your values

When the recent Friday storm hit, our power at home went out, sucking the energy out of our weekend routine. And while I was deliriously happy to see the electricity come back on 72 hours later, the weekend brought our family back in touch with our core values. We talked more. We went to bed early. We played outside. And when the power came back on I had a funny mix of emotions. I don’t want to lose touch with the slowness and stillness we had only just became reacquainted with...

Read the entire article on HartfordBusiness.com

Integrity Under Pressure

When the competition gets fierce, the temptation is to get fierce back. All is fair in love and business right? Everyone else is doing it....

So when an employee's non-compete period is up, should we accept the offer to go after their contacts from a previous employer and competitor of ours? We've had a pretty miserable experience lately where some employees left (of their own free will) and started a competing business. They are going after our clients with a vengence and it hurts. For some odd reason we didn't have their non-compete agreements on file when they left (still trying to figure that one out!), and so they feel legally free to do what they're doing.

Should we play by these rules too? If it's not illegal is it ok? I want us to hold to a higher standard. If I wouldn't want it done to me, then I don't want us doing it to another company.

I believe the core of our company is our reputation and we've heard from many clients that our professionalism and integrity set us apart. We're grateful for their loyalty, and plan to continue earning that reputation... even when it hurts.