For a FREE ecourse, go to and I’ll be happy to send you information. Or go to

For me, it is because corporations put the greed of their shareholders ahead of all other considerations, including the well being of their communities, customers or employees. Indeed, they are designed and legally required to do so.

And, contrary to what you say, they cannot be held accountable. It is extremely rare for the executive of a large corporation to go to jail for the actions of the corporations they control. That’s because, legally speaking, it is the corporation which is to blame, not the executive. You can’t put a corporation in jail. The really large ones you can’t even punish in any significant way, because they are ‘too big to fail’. Finally, you have no say in what a corporation in your community does. They are accountable only to the shareholders.

The government is at least accountable to the voters, and they at least are suppose to consider factors other than greed. The government can be corrupted, it’s true. Usually government is corrupt to the *exact* extent that it is influenced by corporations. But you have a better chance of getting some good out of corporations if the government is watching them than you would without the government. If a corporation decides to dump poison in your water supply because it is the cheapest way to get rid of it, who is going to protect you but the government? Nobody! An how is it going to protect you if it doesn’t have the power and resources to do so?

And, by the way, if a corporation can get away with dumping poison in the water supply, they absolutely *must* do it. The interest of the share holders always must come first.

And, having worked in the corporate world most of my adult life, I can tell you that corporations are just as capable of being inefficient and creating waste as any government.

Well b) is the way I’d go, but that doesn’t change your need for a lot of market research. I assume you mean web/mail order combo, right? And, you’re on the right track w/ specialty retail – find a niche where you can compete, don’t be a generalist.

2. Which type of business is more predictable and does not change often: Specialty retail or mail order?

Neither… the world changes constantly. If you’re looking for stability and predictability, maybe a nice 9-5 government job is more your speed?

3. Many people say that PASSION is important when it comes to starting a business because the owner will have to work long hour to make his or her business a success. I agree with that but can you explain to me why there are many people out there who started their successful businesses outside their PASSION?

How many of those people have successfully started and run a business for more than 10 years? The point is, it’s smart to ask for advice, but you also have to evaluate who’s giving it to you (ask the Pope about Catholicism, listen to his answer. Ask him about Mac vs Windows, that’s a different question).

I think it’s a poorly framed question, a better way is to look for a business that you think will hold your attention. I’m passionate about a few things, but my income comes from some very dry and frankly (to most people) boring things.. but it’s good money and to me it’s challenging and interesting.

4. How can I choose products and services to sell that fit my personality and are part of my values?

Just trust your gut, and ask yourself the integrity questions – would you sell it to your mom / spouse / best friend wholeheartedly? If you have any twinges in the gut, examine them closely.

5. I took a Myers-Briggs personality test and the result of the test shows that my personality type is an ISFJ (Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging). Would someone like me who possess this personality type can become successful in operating his or her retail business?

I have no idea. Ask a shrink. In my experience, the keys to success are grit, a bias for immediate action (the famous “ready, fire, aim”) and absolute determination. Oh yeah, it really helps if you are proactive about learning.

Scott

The liberals in power have made it clear through their actions, Goldman-Sachs is not going to bed hungry tonight, in spite of their rape and pillage of AIG. It serously make you wonder when the gullible groupies are going to wake up and see the Democrats con and use their constituents, they same way Republicans used theirs. The agendas and propaganda may be different, but they both are leading us to the same destination.