Cover Story

Cover Story – To be or not to be

Kevin Groves faced a dilemma two years ago, when the majority partner at Alpha Video wanted out.   Although Groves could have sold his minority stake, too, for a nice payday at age 54, he decided to instead go for it. So he got a bank loan, bought the company and now is trying to […] Continue reading →

Letter From the Editor

Letter from the Editor

“Thanks to the innovators,” reads the message on the video montage playing at Alpha Video headquarters in Eden Prairie, where we visited for this issue’s cover story. The people highlighted in that video are intriguing, as are those for whom various conference rooms are named, and we shared in the delight of CEO Kevin Groves […] Continue reading →

Focus

Grow or Go Workshop

When is it time to ride into the sunset, and when is it time to step on the gas? Upsize and Club E recently convened a panel of experts to sort it all out before an avid audience. Rick Brimacomb, moderator, Club E and Brimacomb + Associates: Please take three to five minutes each and […] Continue reading →

Business Builders

Selling to key employees

Baby boomer business owners are transitioning ownership of their companies in record numbers over the next five to 10 years. And statistics state that 75 percent of them who sold their companies reported having post-exit remorse. One reason may be that, given the choice, many owners would prefer to hand the baton off to their […] Continue reading →

Human Resources

When we talk about millennials in the work force, we mention how they are tech-savvy people who have trouble with rigid timelines and schedules, need instant gratification and recognition, are impatient with the status quo and are self-absorbed. But I think of millennials as triangles. I call them triangles because they have pointy, sharp and […] Continue reading →

Personal Finance

If you haven’t seen it, you’ve heard about it. Weight Watchers’ newest spokesperson sits cross-legged, talking with her hands and speaking directly into the camera. In that soothing, endearing, Oprah-trademarked tone of hers, she scorns typical weight loss goals like shedding pant sizes or quick-fix gimmicks. Instead, she calls the coming year “The Year of […] Continue reading →