How to trash your company

Gary North takes the example of the Maytag Company, which prospered for nearly a century until management decided that cost-cutting was the wave of the future. Thousands of people whose jobs are lost now say "thank you" (or more likely something a bit less polite) to management.

I had a couple of brushes with this as it was happening; I went to the appliance store to buy a new washing machine and refrigerator, and the salesman pointed me to the Amana because it "was the same as the Maytag and 10% cheaper." Comments indicate that the same management team might be a big reason you're no longer considering buying a Hoover vacuum cleaner.

If you want to compete against big companies, you'll do well to do one thing; don't cut corners. Just ask the good people at Jones Sodas.