We serve them with guidance that is accurate, balanced and, above all, useful for managing their businesses and personal affairs. We go the extra mile to help them with their questions and special information they seek. After our subscribers, the next most important people are our fellow employees. We encourage employee donations to education by matching those gifts two for one. Unlike most family-run businesses, the Kiplinger organization has no special perks for the family leadership .
Executive pay is based on market compensation for similar companies of our size.
In short, we try to run our business the way any well-managed business should be run, regardless of the ownership structure. Treating them with the utmost fairness has always been a core value of our business. We keep them up to date on how the company is doing, pay a modest dividend on their stock, and try to grow the value of the shares. We have the company professionally appraised on a regular basis, and we make a market in the shares for relatives who wish to sell. The basic management advice in this book makes it valuable for executives in any kind of organization, whether small or large, closely held or publicly owned.