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The following articles were published by www.midlandsbiz.com, Columbia Business Monthly Magazine, Pee Dee Journal, or Greenville Business Monthly.
The Dangers of a Slow-Loading Website
As web technology evolves, it allows people everywhere to find and distribute information faster and faster. One side effect of this quicker, easier access to information is that people’s attention spans are shrinking. This means that a website that loads slowly can have some pretty dramatic consequences, namely in two specific areas: Website Viewers: I can think of several times recently that I visited a website and it didn't load within a few seconds. Each time, I gave up, clicked the... Read More »
Between the Lines: Why Typography Matters
Have you ever heard the phrase, “How you say it is just as important as what you say”? People communicate with more than just words. Tone of voice and body language convey their own meanings, and we can send a completely different message than we intended if we don’t pay attention to how we sound and look. There are a myriad of details in web design that each send their own message to the user, but typography is easily one of the most important. How the text looks is almost an entire... Read More »
Where do you come up with your web designs?
The year was 2002. I was a recent art school graduate, and with a semester of Web Design 101 in one hand and my bachelor’s degree in the other, I was on the fast track to designing sophisticated websites! Okay, maybe not that fast. My love for web design began when I found that you could put a dozen lines of code into Notepad and make a functioning website (albeit, not the prettiest website, but a website nonetheless). I think it’s safe to say that web design standards were not very high... Read More »
Our Website Redesign – Part 1
I knew when we started the latest redesign process that it wasn’t going to be easy. Our last redesign in 2010 had set the bar higher than before and I knew this next layout was going to require even more attention to detail and must have the “Wow” factor natively built in. I also was fully aware that this redesign wasn’t something we’d just finish and say, “OK, it’s done...” and then never change it. It was going to be an ongoing process where we continuously added and improved things. All... Read More »
Will Leap Motion change how we design websites?
Touch screens have come a long way from their initial prototypes. Hand gestures combined with other technology has really opened the door on what touch screen devices are capable of. From the iPhone to the large assortment of tablet devices and now even desktops, touchscreens are the future. But what if you didn’t even need a touchscreen at all – what if you could control your computer naturally with your hand movements. I always think of the movie, “The Minority Report” with Tom Cruise, where... Read More »
Selecting the Right Web Design Company
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose “How did I ever get myself into this mess?”Who in the private or public sector has not had that painful thought? We sometimes develop partnerships based on first impressions and early conversations, only to face costly nightmares later! Of all the horror stories we have heard since starting our family of companies in 1981, many complaints (and regrets) surround technology, especially Web design. The following comments were made by angry readers and customers... Read More »
Business Marketing: Innovate or Die!
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose If the Beatles or Rolling Stones began their careers today, there’s a good chance that they might fail! All facets of our society are evolving, and what worked in years past won’t work now. The technological revolution has changed how our culture communicates and how we use the media for news, advertising, information, and entertainment. In a 2010 Time magazine article, futurist Ray Kurzweil estimated that we’re doubling technological progress every two years.... Read More »
The Art of Building Successful Websites
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose Effectively marketing products and services to potential consumers in unique ways is critical for successful businesses. Every company identified as great in Jim Collins’ bestseller Good to Great demonstrated technological sophistication, using technology as a tool to accelerate success within the guidelines of their individual "Hedgehog Concept:" what they can be best at, are passionate about, and is most profitable to them. Technology in our society is... Read More »
Depression: Finding the Light from the Darkness
No one wants to talk about depression, yet at some point in life, most of us either experience it ourselves or know someone who has. Fourteen percent of Americans will experience serious depression in their lifetimes (according to Consumer Reports), and this number is unlikely to decrease. I, too, have lived with depression. Now, I want to share the story of how I passed through that dark tunnel and into the light to give hope to others who are fighting the same demons. Temporary sadness is a... Read More »
E-mail: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!
These days, many people do their personal and business communicating primarily via e-mail or text messaging. E-mail will only become more important as we move into the future, with the number of users worldwide projected to grow by one billion by 2016, according to research firm Radicati. The next generation of American workers will have never known a world without the Internet and text messaging. One reason that e-mail is so popular is that it is a fast, easy, and convenient way to... Read More »
What Leaders Can Learn from John Wooden’s Legacy
In 27 years as UCLA’s basketball coach, John Wooden led his players to ten NCAA national championships, 88 straight wins, and four perfect seasons. No wonder ESPN named him a “Coach of the Century!” He was one of only three people to be inducted into the basketball hall of fame as a player and a coach. Great coaches like Wooden exhibit many of the same traits as business visionaries like Jack Welch, Jim Collins, and Larry Bossidy. Although there is no guaranteed path to greatness, people who... Read More »
Building Productive Workplaces
All leaders dream of piloting their organizations to soaring productivity. Creating healthy, productive workplaces, however, requires engagement from employees and management alike—something many workplaces lack. Citing a Towers Perrin study of 90,000 employees worldwide, a 2010 Harvard Business Review analysis noted that “21% felt fully engaged and nearly 40% were disenchanted or disengaged. That negativity has a direct impact on the bottom line.” The study also found that “companies with low... Read More »
International Travel for Beginners, Pros, and Everyone in Between
Traveling abroad enriches the mind, body, and soul. It allows you to taste new foods, interact with different cultures, and see where history was made. We have visited a good many countries, and Italy is our favorite due to its beautiful sights, great foods and wines, and friendly people. Most Italians speak English, as do citizens of many other countries whose economies rely heavily on tourism. Despite what you may have heard about France, our second favorite place to visit, the people there... Read More »
The Art of Packing
Download travel checklist here Having flown more than 1 million actual flight miles, we’ve seen the insides of hundreds of hotels, rental cars, airplanes, trains, and cruise ships. We’ve had a lot of fun—and have made just about every travel mistake you can imagine! Our travels, including almost 30 trips to Hawaii alone, have taught us valuable lessons on flying, packing, and making our way around foreign countries. In this article, we’ll share packing strategies we have learned to help you... Read More »
Designing Successful Internet Marketing Strategies
Newspapers, radio stations, and other media outlets are seeing advertising revenues dwindle, and where those dollars are headed is clear: the Internet. As more and more people obtain their news and other services through electronic devices like smartphones, the web has taken over as marketing’s new frontier. Most businesses have reacted accordingly, shifting their marketing budgets from print, radio, and television ads to websites and social media strategies. As we outlined in the first part of... Read More »
Business Scammers Get Smarter and More Dangerous
Read the attorneys' letters and legal complaint mentioned in the article below (PDF - Click Here) If you’re like us, you’ve probably received countless misspelled e-mails (and even letters!) from foreign scammers promising $10 million in return for your bank account information. There are also the phony Yellow Page offers and invoices for supplies you never ordered—if you make the mistake of paying, thieves copy your checks and write more from your account! Scams are so plentiful right now... Read More »
Columbia Companies Serve Up 554 Pounds of Holiday Help
A group of northwest Columbia businesses pooled their effort—and their canned goods—this holiday season to amass a quarter ton of food for Harvest Hope, a South Carolina food bank. Staff members from the companies donated 554 pounds of nonperishable food and personal care items during the food drive, a roughly 10% increase in poundage from last year. Twelve companies, all of which are located in the Westpark office park off of Fernandina Road, came together with drive host Columbia Conference... Read More »
Newberry College expands with Social Media major
Make no mistake: social media campaigns, including informational websites, Facebook, and LinkedIn, are the future of business marketing and communications. We were honored when Blake DuBose, president of DuBose Web Group, was interviewed by WIS-TV on how social media is affecting—and will affect—our lives. Blake was invited to give his viewpoint on Newberry College’s new social media degree, which will train students in the skills necessary to enter the modern technology workforce. Not only... Read More »
How Businesses Can Use the Internet to Increase Profits
For most people, the Internet is a part of daily life. The World Bank reports that more than 75% of US citizens use the Internet—a number that grows exponentially each year—and around 70% of South Carolinians do, according to our discussions with the US Census Bureau. Users go online for reasons as varied as dating, entertainment, research, and shopping. In fact, major news outlets like USA Today have reported that many brick-and-mortar stores, like Best Buy, are feeling the pressure from... Read More »
Responding to Customer Complaints—The Right Way
No organization likes hearing negative customer feedback. However, companies are run by humans, and we all occasionally deliver less-than-stellar products or customer service. Some multibillion-dollar companies can get away with ignoring complaints due to the sheer size of their customer base, but for the average business, this is not an option! Our reviews of several customer complaint-related studies found that most customers leave a business because of poor customer service or mishandled... Read More »
Making Your Client Meetings Successful
As the American economy slowly rebounds, scores of new businesses will join those that were strong enough to survive the recession in the recovering marketplace. To thrive in spite of increased competition, existing businesses must practice excellent customer service, beginning from their first contact with clients and lasting throughout the relationship. Thus, how businesses’ staff members interact with customers in meetings can mean the difference between winning lucrative client contracts... Read More »
The Art of Complaining
We live in an age where new technologies and innovations are constantly being developed. Yet attempts to make life easier have led to major headaches for unhappy consumers. When we call a company to express our dissatisfaction with a product or service, we must go through a menu of endless options (many of which have nothing to do with our problem) on a computerized system that doesn’t understand our speech. When we finally reach a person, they usually sound like they’re in a rowboat 5,000... Read More »
Students Start the Year Right with Help from Columbia Companies
September 12, 2012 — Parents and teachers may be breathing easier this fall as a result of local organizations’ generosity. For the month of July, a group of businesses in the Westpark office park and the Harbison Boulevard area of Columbia held a drive to collect pencils, paper, and other classroom essentials for Richland County students and teachers. Participating organizations also gathered folders, scissors, glue sticks, and a variety of other school supplies needed by local students. The... Read More »
Résumé Lies: Don’t Get Burned!
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose It’s at the forefront of many employers’ minds: the issue of job applicants lying on résumés or applications. The subject gained worldwide attention in May 2012, following reports that Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson claimed to have degrees in accounting and computer science when he actually only had the accounting degree. USA Today and the Wall Street Journal reported that Thompson and five board members left the firm after the misrepresentation was revealed, and the... Read More »
14 Ways to Land Your Business in Court
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose They strike fear into the hearts of business leaders everywhere: letters and summons from the IRS, EEOC, or litigation attorneys. Organizations can spend hundreds of hours and huge amounts of money defending against these accusations, which often come out of nowhere. Employers can’t afford to be ignorant of such risks, especially as employment lawsuits continue to grow in number. The EEOC received nearly 100,000 discrimination charges nationwide in 2011, up... Read More »
Finding Great Employees
Please click here to view detailed results of the various ways we recently advertised four open positions at DuBose Web Group. With so many Americans unemployed, today’s market should theoretically teem with smart, self-motivated potential employees. Yet many employers have become picky, complaining that they can’t find good workers with the necessary skills. University of Pennsylvania business professor Peter Cappelli recently challenged this notion in The Wall Street Journal, asserting,... Read More »
Local Philanthropists Donate $50,000 to Save Animals’ Lives
A $50,000 donation from a group of several Midlands business leaders will allow Pawmetto Lifeline to help even more homeless pets in the Midlands find permanent homes this summer. Jan Jernigan of Morgan Stanley, Blake DuBose of DuBose Web Group, Kim Inman of Columbia Conference Center, Fowler and Carlynn Cary of CCM Investment Advisers, Stewart and Deloris Mungo of Mungo Homes, Mike and Debra DuBose of the DuBose family of companies, and Clyde, the cat, gathered to present Pawmetto Lifeline... Read More »
Business Loans: They’re Back!
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose USA Today Business Editor Steven Strauss once wrote, “Cash flow is your business oxygen.” Indeed, business owners need ready access to liquid cash to make payroll for their employees, pay bills, and keep their companies alive. However, many people underestimate how much money is needed to operate their businesses and suffer problems when the bank account registers empty. The best course of action is to seek more money and credit than you think you need before... Read More »
Making Your Business Magical
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose If there’s one thing Disney is known for, it’s creating magic for customers young and old alike. Walt Disney World employs nearly 60,000 “Cast Members,” the organization’s term for its employees, and entertains more than 16 million “Guests,” or customers, annually. Every cast member, from those donning Goofy suits to those cleaning the bathrooms, is expected to provide exemplary service to every guest. Cast members are inspired to make this kind of customer... Read More »
Is Someone Stealing from Your Business?
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose It’s all over the news: almost a half-million dollars is missing from the South Carolina Hospitality Association, most likely due to embezzlement. The scandal has raised many questions, like “How could that amount have disappeared without being noticed? How often do things like this happen?” The answer: more easily and more often than you’d think! According to FBI statistics, there are 726 pending fraud investigations from 2011, and the rate of such crimes has... Read More »
Building an Ethical Company
In the current recession, being profitable and saving money are top priorities for many companies. Leaders are pushing staff to perform beyond their limits with fewer resources, and as they struggle to find shortcuts, employees may feel pressured to behave unethically. Most of us would say that ethical behavior means doing the right thing and being honest. Many think of a famous C.S. Lewis quote: “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Even in dire times,... Read More »
What We Can Learn from Steve Jobs
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose Apple may be the most admired company in the world. Valued at $170 billion, much of the company’s success is owed to its late founder, Steve Jobs, who is often called one of the most influential business leaders of the early 21st century. Many people have sought to understand Jobs, a complicated but brilliant man whose flaws and idiosyncrasies played out alongside his genius and foresight. Walter Isaacson’s new biography (authorized by Jobs before his death),... Read More »
Putting Out the Burnout Fires
In this bear economy, entrepreneurs, leaders, and employees are working extra hours to complete work that once was the responsibility of two or more people. Combined with high stress levels and layoff threats, it can become too much to handle. People burn out and productivity diminishes. Stressed leaders cannot muster energy to motivate themselves, much less their staff, and employees on all levels begin to dread coming to work. They just try to “get by” until 5 PM—and then, you’d better not... Read More »
Embezzlement - Is Your Company At Risk?
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose Embezzlement rarely registers as a concern for most business leaders. Few talk about it or realize that it can happen to them, yet it is more common that most people think! A business colleague recently shared a depressing story about a highly-paid bookkeeper with a long tenure at his company. The person was a strong spiritual model, friend, church leader, and a very nice person. She had also stolen large amounts of money from the business, paying her... Read More »
You’re Fired!
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose In Good to Great, Jim Collins determined that great organizations hire self-directed, competent staff who have positive outlooks and are team-focused. If you make greatness your goal, as we did in 2007, staff who don’t fit into your vision will have to leave. There are ways to avoid hiring the wrong people in the first place. The tougher you screen applicants upfront, the less likely you’ll have to fire problematic employees later. All new hires should go... Read More »
18 Ways to Keep Customers Happy
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose Our research and experience have shown that business is like travel: the smoother the customers’ ride, the greater the chance that they will patronize businesses, come back for more, and, ultimately, tell others about their positive experiences. Unfortunately, many clients today are stuck saying, in the words of the Rolling Stones, “I can’t get no satisfaction!” As noted by Jim Collins in Good to Great, great businesses promote customer-driven philosophies... Read More »
Toxic Cultures…Transformed! Part V
Part V--The Results By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose In 2007, we set out to build a great family of companies with employees who exceed customers’ expectations. Our hypothesis was that if we had happy employees, they would provide better customer service, thus creating happy customers and ultimately, profit. As it turns out, we were right! (You can view the December 2007 speech where Mike set the goal for a positive culture at www.mikedubose.com under "Articles"). We had realized that our... Read More »
Toxic Workplaces…Transformed! Part IV
Part IV – Harnessing Feedback for a Healthy Culture By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose In our first three articles about creating positive, productive workplaces, we defined culture, listed symptoms of toxic environments, and outlined ways to conduct autopsies of organizational cultures. For the last several years, one of our goals has been to create a great family of companies where everyone looks forward to coming to work each day. We are happy to report that 100% of employee respondents... Read More »
2011 Companywide Survey
In June of 2011, employees of the DuBose family of companies were asked to complete a confidential online survey dealing with their job satisfaction. By gathering their opinions on the companies’ successes and opportunities for improvement, company leaders hoped to get an accurate snapshot of their organizational culture. The survey can be read here. Individual names have been removed, but otherwise, no changes have been made. The survey can be read by clicking on the link below. Company Wide... Read More »
Toxic Workplaces…Transformed! Part III
Part III – What Kind of Culture Do You Have? By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose In Parts I and II of this series, we defined what culture means and the symptoms of a toxic work environment. This installment will address ways for leaders to capture an accurate picture of their organizations’ culture. As we noted, some leaders are clueless about what is really going on in their businesses. Then, suddenly, profits are spiraling downward, they are in the midst of a major crisis, and it is often... Read More »
Toxic Workplaces…Transformed! Part II
Part II – 27 Symptoms of a Dysfunctional Culture By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose No business or organization is perfect. Even those deemed “great” by Jim Collins in his bestseller Good to Great are vulnerable to dysfunction, mistakes, and failure, and there are some people who are impossible to please (employees or otherwise). In Part I of our series, we examined culture and how it impacts relationships between employees, leaders, vendors, community, and profit. In this column, we will... Read More »
Toxic Workplaces…Transformed!—Part I
Part I – Defining Culture By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose An organization’s workplace environment has a significant impact on staff, customers, leaders, and vendors—not to mention the bottom line! Whether a business, house of worship, non-profit, school, or branch of government, no two organizations have the same culture. According to Kate Klease of Vantage’s Business Strategy Blog, “Happy people are more productive and more willing to go the extra mile for your business.” When... Read More »
Hiring Great Staff
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose Business leaders often say their staff is their most valuable asset, yet many fail to practice smart hiring practices. Employees’ skills and outlooks should align with the company’s mission, purpose, values, and vision. In fact, while researching his bestseller Good to Great, Jim Collins determined that hiring competent staff and placing them in the right positions is critical to business success. We took this philosophy seriously when we set out to build a... Read More »
Building Innovative Organizations
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose Apple, Inc. seems perpetually one step ahead of the competition. The company accurately predicts future niches, generates popular, outstanding products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, and keeps customers happy. As strategic marketing consultant Christine Thompson reported, “A key element of Apple’s strategic playbook is its relentless pursuit of consumer-delighting innovation.” Apple effectively gives customers what they want before they know they want it! The... Read More »
Promoting Entrepreneurism in the Workplace
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose Most people think of “entrepreneurs” as being exclusively associated with the business world. Although this is the most common definition (and the one given by Webster’s Dictionary), we have seen many entrepreneurs in other sectors like government, education, and charities. Entrepreneurs thrive on generating ideas and then seeing those thoughts come alive in the business world (and other realms). They love to win and thrive on success. Entrepreneurism is... Read More »
Consensus Writing Guide
The DuBose family of companies designed the following guide for all staff to use when developing letters, e-mails, and documents. It ensures that everyone uses the same forms and spellings of words that have multiple accepted options and serves as a reference for staff within our companies. We update it frequently (in fact, we are currently in the process of updating the information contained in it now). This is our latest complete version to date and has helped our companies reduce stress,... Read More »
13 Rules of Electronic Communication Every Leader Should Know
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose Effective communication is an art that few people ever completely master. It takes time to learn how to transmit messages simply and concisely, but you surely know folks who can—and when they speak, people listen! The world of communication is evolving. Technology is rapidly advancing; in fact, some researchers say that our knowledge base doubles every two years. At the same time, we are bombarded with messages from our smartphones, televisions, computers,... Read More »
Accountants and Lawyers: How to Find and Work with the Right Ones
By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose We have heard many horror stories from unprepared business owners who lost time and money when they were sued needlessly. Complex laws, unexpected liabilities, and failing to have the right financial and legal systems in place can allow threats—though entirely avoidable—to escalate into major problems. These headaches can distract staff, drain valuable resources, and damage or shut down healthy organizations. Leaders need ongoing advice from the right,... Read More »
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