| Don't fiddle with the characteristics of a | | | | Each roll was placed in an easily |
| best-selling existing product. Remember that | | | | recognizable paper wrapper that said, |
| a few years a go the owner of the "most | | | | "YUMMY!" These were placed in cartons ready |
| valuble" trade name in the World changed the | | | | for shipment.Then the business went Kaput |
| taste of their "battleship" cola. They did it | | | | over night!The new owner had bought some |
| after much testing and trials by consumer | | | | crummy-tasting syrup at a low cost. As soon |
| groups. But when they put it on the market, | | | | as I tasted the product, I knew he was in |
| their customers didn't give one hoot about | | | | trouble.And I was an "expert" on what |
| all of their thinking and testing. They took | | | | happened and I knew what to do about it.After |
| one sip and said, "What in all hell is this?" | | | | the war, a company which an older friend of |
| The company had to rename their classic cola | | | | mine invested in (and worked in too) went |
| to get their customers back. The new cola | | | | Kaput! It was a soft drink company with an |
| never took hold. After a company has been in | | | | excellent product. One of the major |
| business for many years, the idea to change | | | | stockholders got a bargain on some syrup. It |
| an existing brand often comes from new | | | | ruined the flavor. He wouldn't get rid of the |
| employees. They use their testing results to | | | | junk. The company went bankrupt.That is |
| overcome the objections of the old hands that | | | | exactly what happened to the popcorn company. |
| know better. Watch out! Read on from my | | | | I was only a teenager, but I warned the |
| experience.As bad as things were during the | | | | owner. I begged him to get rid of the |
| depression, some businesses struggled along | | | | crummy-tasting caramel syrup he had bought at |
| and stayed in business. Of those that | | | | a bargain. But the poor man ran out of money |
| survived, not a few made a bundle during | | | | before he decided that he would have to |
| WWII. One company in my home town made stoves | | | | change the syrup to survive. It made me so |
| for army barracks. The owner became a | | | | sad to see a company go under that I thought |
| millionaire in just a couple of years.In my | | | | was a model for my future in business. The |
| neighborhood, on the wrong side of the | | | | owner couldn't keep from going under: BLUB! |
| tracks, near the state fairgrounds, there was | | | | BLUB! BLUB!Home Business Tips: Don't let |
| a small popcorn company. The main product was | | | | others tell you how to run your business.A |
| called something like Krispat. I don't | | | | Tippy from Flippy: What may seem to be a |
| remember how the name of the product was | | | | bargain may be a one-way ticket to |
| spelled, even though I must have eaten a | | | | oblivion.Keeping Up with the Jones': The need |
| zillion of the things.This small company | | | | for speed is fed by greed. Common since does |
| blossomed when the army decided to turn the | | | | not equal, It looks pretty good to me!Fiddle |
| fairgrounds into an army training camp. We | | | | Dee & Fiddle Dum: When you see little fingers |
| kids loved the obstacle course and we could | | | | poking their noses into your operations, cut |
| zip over it about twice as fast as the | | | | them off!Can't Ya' Get Goin'?: Maybe if you |
| recruits being trained. After and during all | | | | had someone look at what you are doing, it |
| this training, the family that owned the | | | | would help. But don't just let anybody look. |
| popcorn factory made sure the product was | | | | Find somebody with some brains and |
| near the noses of the G.I.s and they sold | | | | experience.All Things Come: Quality spells |
| thousands of "Krispats."At the end of the | | | | success. They will come!Life Success |
| war, the company was well-positioned and had | | | | Quotation: Life can be a dream. Life can be a |
| a large clientele of retail outlets for their | | | | nightmare. Well, wake up and saddle that |
| products. However, the owners moved to Hawaii | | | | critter!Business Success Quotation: Get out |
| and decided to sell the business. A gentleman | | | | of bed before the competition goes to |
| bought the business and things went well. My | | | | bed.From the Eye of the PotatoJohn Taylor |
| mother, my sisters, and half the women in our | | | | Jones, Ph.D., author of books and novels ( |
| neighborhood worked there at one time or | | | | was a vice president of research and |
| another. I worked there too. I was dressed as | | | | development of a Fortune 500 Company. He was |
| a clown and dumped at the junction of three | | | | a college professor at one time, teaching |
| roads up a canyon east of the city. On | | | | engineering at Iowa State University. Jones |
| weekends it was very busy. I would wave my | | | | has twelve web sites at last count. His main |
| popcorn at the cars and many of them stopped. | | | | interest is in developing Beginning Wealth |
| At the end of the day when I was picked up, I | | | | Builders (BWBs) and Experienced Wealth |
| would be out of product.Well, the "Krispat" | | | | Builders (BWBs) through his position of |
| was a yummy thing. I used to watch them make | | | | Executive Representative of International |
| them in the factory. The popcorn was mixed | | | | Wealth Success founded by the famous Ty |
| with a wonderful caramel syrup, then pressed | | | | Hicks. At his e-commerce site, you find many |
| into hockey-puck-sized discs which came down | | | | books, kits, and newsletters to get the |
| a conveyor belt. The girls and women on both | | | | information and needed loan sources for many |
| sides of the belt grabbed about four of those | | | | home- and office-based businesses. You can |
| disk and pressed them together into a role. | | | | contact Dr. |