‘Old-Economy’ Lessons

How ironic that you have articles on the front page of the July 2 business section on companies that are the epitome of the “old” (In-N-Out Burger) and the “new” (IncredibleArt.com) economies [“Family-Owned In-N-Out Burger at a Crossroads” and “Banging on a Closing Door for ‘Dot-Com’ Funds”].

What the one demonstrates, the other should learn in order to survive: Economics is about people working together to produce a good product or service that many people are willing to part with their hard-earned money to buy. Period.

For that to happen, it requires a team of committed individuals who work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect for their contributions, not the “only the big guys and the lucky few get rich” mentality.

It requires a love of the product, a passion for the nitty-gritty daily details of running a business, both individually and collectively, among all employees.

Finally, it requires a long-term commitment to hard work and the day-to-day grind of building a business bit by bit, that rewards those who stick it out through the ups and downs. Not the “get-rich-quick” mentality that pervades the dot-com marketplace.

Business, like life itself, is for the long haul. Only the dot-coms that embrace this as fully as has In-N-Out Burger will survive. The others will be “out” like so much hamburger.

MAUDE HAM

Burbank

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The reason 99% of people go back time and time again [to In-N-Out Burger] was not even mentioned. It is the one thing it offers that no other fast-food chain offers: quality. Fresh meat, fresh potatoes, fresh everything.

Go to McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr. or any of the other fast-food chains and you get large menus with frozen food recooked or reheated.

The day Esther Snyder sells the business will be the end of an era. Whoever takes over will be more concerned about the bottom line, cutting costs to make more money. That is the day I stop eating there and go back to cooking my own hamburgers.

JON FLEISCHER

Redlands

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In this day and age of business and management schools churning out twentysomething MBAs who walk into six-figure salaries out of school, none of them can approach the shining beacon of an Esther Snyder.

I know if I were beginning a business, I’d much rather counsel with Ms. Snyder and her real-world values and experience than any of these so-called experts spouting their theory on total quality management.

JEFF PARK

Director

New Business Development

FitnessHeaven.com

Signal Hill

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Thank you for telling everyone what we educators have known for a long time--that In-N-Out is one of the most generous companies anywhere.

Every year it sponsors a “lunch tour” that visits hundreds of schools with a “mobile restaurant.” A $3 ticket buys a cheeseburger, chips and a drink. The schools keep 75% of the money from ticket sales, with the remainder going to shelters for abused children. The company keeps nothing.

SANDY KAPLAN

Kranz Intermediate School

El Monte