I used to think that contracts, or agreements were a sign of distrust and as long as I trusted the person or organization I was dealing with, they were not necessary. After all, early in my... read more

The best way to get out of a bad situation is by never getting into one in the first place. Here are the types of people you should avoid like the plague. read more

If "marketing" was the church's buzzword for the 90s, "branding" is definitely the new, upstart concept when it comes to communications these days. In order to build a brand, it must be... read more

Ten years ago, two persons opened the A Group. ... read more

Somehow we have bought into the idea that a counter-service type of approach is the optimum way to welcome someone. It isn't. read more

The natural tendency of things is to go from simple to complex. It happens in businesses and it certainly happens in churches. Size, resources, both financial as well a people, dictate a lot... read more

I have been puzzled about Google's inability to do well in the social media space. I have watched them take over Blogger and instead of making it better and more relevant, they managed to... read more

We all know the world of technology is constantly changing. At The A Group, we continue to stay on the front line of innovation - from QRC Codes to mobile apps. ... read more

Retail is a tough business these days. Mega stores are shutting down mom & pop operations all over the world. Saturday afternoon I visited a clothing store downtown Vienna that has been in... read more

Years ago I decided to make a major shift in my business. We moved from being a vendor of services and resources to our clients to becoming strategic partners. If we cannot be a strategic... read more

Understanding how to motivate people is key in any business and specially in non-profits. Early in life I thought most people were motivated by cash. After all happiness comes with more... read more

I have the privilege to work with some very dynamic organizations and one of the indicators of whether or not they continue to grow is their ability to learn--both from their mistakes as... read more