The vital few and trivial many

September 1, 2008 By Carl Hughes

In the early 1900s, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto developed a mathematical formula to describe the uneven distribution of income and wealth in Switzerland.

This article is tagged with business, customer service, Guest column, management, marketing, propane retail operation, propane retail operations and posted in Current Issue

Fire in the newsroom

September 1, 2008 By Jay Johnston

I’m not sure what concerns me more about propane accident stories in the news – the apathy of the public or the apathy of some propane marketers.

This article is tagged with business safety, Guest column, NPGA, propane accidents, propane marketers, propane safety, regulatory, safety, safety and training and posted in Current Issue

Ad campaign cutbacks loom

September 1, 2008 By Patrick Hyland

Top propane officials already are bracing for the federal government to step in and Whack the industry’s high-profile, multi-million dollar consumer ad campaign sometime in 2009.

This article is tagged with advertising, Energy Guys, Guest column, National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), NPGA, PERC, Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), U.S. Department of Commerce and posted in Current Issue

A desire to know

August 1, 2008 By Patrick Hyland

Nobody can say for certain that residents face a greater safety risk by cooking on a backyard grill that has a plastic sleeve across the belly of its propane cylinder.

This article is tagged with grills, Guest column, legal, Patrick Hyland, propane cylinder, propane grills, propane industry, propane safety, regulatory, safety, safety and training and posted in Current Issue

Motivate with incentives

August 1, 2008 By Carl Hughes

Of all the useful managerial tools available to retail propane distributors, none may be more underutilized than a well-designed, performance-incentive compensation plan.

This article is tagged with business, Carl Hughes, customer service, Guest column, marketing, productivity, propane business, propane distributors, propane retail operation, propane retail operations and posted in Current Issue

From molehill to mountain

August 1, 2008 By Jay Johnston

Whenever someone is perceived to exaggerate probability and consequences, they are accused of making a mountain out of a molehill. This catchphrase is usually applied when bean counters and actuaries point out the cost of addressing some problem that seems unlikely to occur.