"Uncategorized" Posts
Rules of the Road
By Ken DiPrimaThere are dangerous conditions ahead: Winding Road Ahead, Road Narrows, Falling Rocks, Steep Grade, Slippery Pavement, Deer Crossing, Signal Ahead or Do Not Enter. The transportation departments of governing bodies, who are responsible for the roads, conveniently post these warnings. Drivers can rely on them in order to adapt to the prevailing conditions. By being alert and taking the appropriate precautions, they can reach their destination safely and without mishap.
Wouldn’t it be nice if business owners were given warning signs to follow when the conditions for their business to underperform or fail were lurking ahead? Wouldn’t it be nice …
Merry Christmas From GPS!
By 
Our Buffalo mascot is dressed for the season (he also can be found sporting a ‘stash for Movember)! Wishing all our employees, families, friends, partners and clients a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!…
Poinsettias Bring Holiday Cheer!
After Thanksgiving, it’s a tradition to have poinsettias delivered to every department, decorating our common areas and desks throughout GPS. This year, 90 plants were ordered. Ken loaded the office cart and made the multiple trips required to distribute the traditional Christmas red plants to many happy recipients.
Isn’t this the healthiest looking one year old Poinsettia that you’ve ever seen?
Not only do our employees enjoy the poinsettias over the holiday season, but a few have managed to keep their plants alive until next year’s replacement arrives (no luck with making any of these plants re-bloom, although it …
The Impact Of The ACA On Small Business Owners
By Ken DiPrima
Eric Lee’s excellent article on the consequences of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on married taxpayers is an outstanding examination of how this law affects a very select, but rather small portion of American taxpayers (approximately 2.9% of all married couples have taxable income of $250,000 or more). Businesses, additionally, making over $250,000 in profit must pay a .9% increase on the current Medicare part ‘A’tax on that portion of their income over that amount. The tax is split (.45% each) between the employer and employees making over $200,000 individual or $250,000 family.
GPS Supports The Buffalo Grove Police Dept’s Fundraising For The Illinois Special Olympics
The Chief of Police of the Buffalo Grove Police, Steven R. Casstevents, sent GPS a ‘thank you’ letter for our recent $5,000 donation, telling us it will help to “facilitate Special Olympic programs and will encourage the participation of individuals with disabilities.”
When the Buffalo Grove Police Department came asking—we were an easy sell, since we’re aware that the Illinois Special Olympic organization does not charge any fees to participants—all the money raised goes towards making year-round sports training and competition available to these athletes.
We’re proud to support our law enforcement officers (they stage a variety of events to …
GPS Reviews: The Driving Force To Keep Us Moving Forward
Situation
GPS Business Consulting was called in to assist a client in industrial distribution where the management team had been considering different ideas to take their company to the next level, but they were unable to formalize an action plan.
Process
The GPS consultant came in, listened to what the management team wanted to accomplish and helped them to achieve it. For example, they had purchased QuickBooks two years prior, but never had been able to start using it. The management team had worked with different people by phone and in-person, but no one had been able to assist them, …
CHANGE Spoken Through The Years
By GPS“Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like death and taxes—it should be postponed as long as possible and no change would be vastly preferable. But in a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm.”
The famed Peter Drucker, widely considered to be the father of “modern management,” wrote about change in his book, Management Challenges for the 21st Century (1999).
The period of upheaval Drucker wrote about was minor compared to what we are experiencing today. Regardless, his view of the necessity …
The New Generation Gap
By GPSWhen my wife, Sandra, and I recently interviewed candidates for staff positions in the undergraduate residence we oversee at Harvard, she referred to someone as “in his 50’s, our age.” I shook my head, instinctively warding off the association, then recognized the accuracy of her reference. “Right,” I muttered. Our candidate, a 30-something who had worked in the Clinton White House, smiled knowingly. His smile felt sympathetic, but it said to me: “baby boomers will go to their collective grave believing they’re still fresh out of college.”
Former President Clinton derives much of his charm from this surety, and our …
