By SCOTT STEEPLETON NEWS-PRESS CITY EDITOR
March 7, 2013 5:59 AM
When he returns to Santa Barbara for a speaking engagement this week, Barefoot Cellars co-founder Michael Houlihan will be treading familiar territory.
He attended City College 1965-67 and it was here, in the early stages of Barefoot, that Mr. Houlihan, who founded the brand with partner Bonnie Harvey, pounded the pavement making the sales.
Mr.… Read More

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No matter what kind of business you think you’re in, you quickly find out you are in the personnel management business. With careful hiring, mentoring, recognition, and compensation plans, your people can be your greatest asset.
Recurrent, personnel issues can be a distraction to you and your staff. Some react to personnel problems by firing the offending parties. Occasionally this may be necessary, however the… Read More

7 Tips to Being Proactive – the Key to Job Advancement
People ask us how to know when administrative people “own” their jobs. What behavior convinces us that we can depend on them? How do we know when they take responsibility for the outcomes related to their performance? When can we stop worrying about them and stop micromanaging them?
It’s when they become proactive.
One dictionary defines proactive as “the ability to initiate change rather than reacting to… Read More

Discover Your Strengths and Weaknesses Before You Start Your Business
The right business for you is a combination of opportunity, preparation and resources. It’s more of a discovery than a choice. You will not have the world of all possibilities to choose from, but if you analyze your strengths and weaknesses, you can identify the opportunities that are plausible.
The key to success is to understand what you have an abundance of and what you need more of. We all have a tendency to think we… Read More