The Amish and banking
Amish use banks, checking accounts, and in some cases, credit cards. The drive-thru window comes in handy too. More on the Amish and banks. (photo: Radio Nederland Wereldomroep)
Amish Business
The Amish of Ethridge, Tennessee
The Amish community at Ethridge is one of a handful in Tennessee, and at ten church districts, the largest Amish settlement in the South. Â The Amish here are of the Swartzentruber “lineage”, meaning low levels of technology, numerous farms, and buggies lacking the Slow Moving Vehicle triangle. Â Ethridge is unusual as a sizeable and long-established Southern community, with most Amish settlements in the South being…
An Amish Paradox–Part 2 of an interview with Charles Hurst and David McConnell
Today, part 2 of the interview with professors Hurst and McConnell, on their new book on the Holmes County Amish, An Amish Paradox: Diversity and Change in the World’s Largest Amish Community. Â If you missed the first part, or would like to find out how to enter a drawing to win the book, check out Part 1 of the Amish Paradox interview. Today we…
An Amish America Q-and-A with Dan Miller
Dan Miller is a top careers and business consultant, bestselling author, and founder of 48 Days, where he helps people from all walks of life discover fulfilling vocations. He is also a long-time successful businessperson and runs an online community for entrepreneurs at a second site, 48Days.net. Dan has Amish roots, which I first learned a few years ago after reading an article he wrote…
Raber’s Bookstore
One of my favorite stops of this recent Holmes County trip was Raber’s Bookstore, located “2 miles south of Charm”, as it says on the business card. This photo is not of the store itself, but of an old schoolhouse nearby. The bookstore has changed hands to the next generation and is run by a lively pair, we’ll call them “Atlee” and “Emma”. The store…
CNNMoney article and video on Amish Business
Just got back from Holmes County, and have a good bit of posts from that trip–among other things, I visited Raber’s bookshop, attended a New Order church service, and generally stayed out of trouble. More to come. But since it’s just out today, I wanted to share two things: first, an Amish business article from CNNMoney.com. It’s a nicely done piece by Geoff Williams, with…
Trial by fire in Holmes County
Just had a nice talk yesterday evening at the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center (home to the Behalt cyclorama) at Berlin in Holmes County. About 130 people attended, roughly 70% of whom were Amish. I explained that I was glad it was a non-violent, pacifist crowd. I figured that gave me a better chance of survival if I really messed something up in my talk….
Highlights from Lancaster County
Just back from a 10-day visit to Lancaster County. Gave a couple of talks and enjoyed the unfolding of the spring season. A few highlights from the trip: Amish business visits I dropped in for a day at the Markets at Shrewsbury, one of the Pennsylvania Dutch markets in the region. It happened to be Kite Day–Shrewsbury puts on a number of fun family events…
A lesson in humility on a buggy-buying trip
Dan McCarthy at the Great Leadership blog has kindly featured a guest post of mine, in which I discuss an important lesson of Amish business, taking my key from a visit to an Amish carriage shop. Here’s the beginning; follow the link to read the rest: I recently gave the teenage son of an Amish friend a lift. Amish don’t drive of course, but generally…
Success Made Simple in TIME Magazine
Big news today–Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive featured in Time magazine! It’s a great piece on Amish business by Andrea Sachs. Just a page long, but delves into relationships, family, and doing what you’re passionate about. And how all that fits into making a living. My favorite line comes from “born salesman” Moses Smucker, who operates a stand at…