Business Themes - Business Issues

Careers & Employment

The Importance of Background Verification

Today’s society has created an environment that requires business owners to be armed with numerous tools. Many employers currently spend little time verifying the accuracy of employment applications and the cost of not doing normal due diligence can be staggering. Consider: An HVAC company recently paid $750,000 to a customer who was raped by a service technician. His employment application indicated no criminal convictions and the employer... 

Entrepreneurialism

How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur on the Web

Becoming a successful entrepreneur in the online world is no different than becoming a successful entrepreneur in the brick-and-mortar world. Both tasks require vision, determination, and hard work. The online world of the web offers many exciting opportunities for entrepreneurship because it is fresh, new, and exciting. The cutting edge of development has always been the most fertile ground for growing a new enterprise. In the 1800’s, the new... 

Goal Setting

Goal Believing is the First Step to Goal Achieving

We’ve just gone from "the Holiday Season" to the "Goal Setting Season." Each year, about the time we turn our calendars to a New Year, we hear a lot about goal setting (even though it is sometimes disguised as information about making your New Year’s Resolutions). While the research and polls show that most people don’t set goals, most everyone thinks about it at this time of the year. It is a funny thing. People... 

Leadership

Chris Top 7 Favorite Leadership Books

1. The West Point Way of Leadership. GREAT book by a man who taught leadership at West Point for 20 years. 2. Developing the Leader Within You. All around book. Follow-up book is Developing the Leaders Around You. 3. Lincoln On Leadership. Looks at the Life of Honest Abe and the lessons of leadership he exhibited. 4. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. A classic on everybody’s list 5. Servant Leadership. Reminds us we serve those who follow. 6.... 

Management

How to Make a Difference Every Day

Every day, everyone can make the world a better place. It’s simple; it’s quick and it is free. All it requires is a recipe containing you (yes, that’s YOU!), awareness and a natural disposition to be brave enough to change the day of everyone you come into contact with in a positive way.Appreciating what people do for you, whenever you come into contact with them is the first step. It may not sound much, but saying a sincere ‘Thank... 

Marketing

The M-Word

It was a real eye-opener to hear the perceptions people have about what it means to market professional services, as well as the anxiety the “m-word” (marketing) conjures up. It reminded me that, just because professional service providers have a lot of expertise in their chosen field, it doesn’t mean they have the same level of understanding about the business of growing a practice. As a matter of fact, expertise can get in the... 

Negotiation

Managing the Sales Negotiation Process

How many times have you heard: “You’ve got to drop your price by 10% or we will have no choice but to go with your competition.” “You will have to make an exception to your policy if you want our business.” “I know that you have good quality and service, but so do your competitors. What we need to focus on here is your pricing.” “I agree that those special services you keep bringing up would be nice,... 

Networking

Measuring Value for a Networking Group

How do you measure a group’s worth to your organization? It is sometimes necessary to measure the value of a group. You may be asking yourself why you would want to measure the value of a group whose purpose is business. You would want to measure the price of membership vs. the business you will get out of the group through either referrals or direct business with members. There are several ways that the measurement can be taken. First, you... 

Online Business

Improving Your Customer Relationship Management by with Blogging Technology

Improving Your Customer Relationship Management by with Blogging Technology  by: Etienne A. Gibbs Before I address the following questions: What is a blog? and What can a blog do for your business?, let me pose a few “What if . . .” questions to you. Keeping in mind that before your prospects and customers buy from you, they need to know you, like you, and trust you. In other words, they need to know, whether overtly or covertly,... 

Sales

Letting Them Use Plastic

Obtaining merchant status will help to increase your sales. Consumers are becoming creatures of convenience; when dealing with businesses-large or small-they desire ease of transaction. That most frequently translates into the ability to pay for services rendered or product purchases via credit card. Small businesses are often denied merchant status because they can’t prove to the bank that they are good risks. You must establish and demonstrate... 

Sales Management

Commodity Sales Prospecting - How to Stand Out From Your Competitors

I have received a number of requests for advice from salespeople and sales managers that sell “commodity” products and services. When I refer to commodities, I don’t just mean pork bellies or frozen concentrated orange juice. A commodity is any product or service where the target prospect is likely to be thinking: “I get contacted by (X) salespeople a day that sell (whatever they perceive your product or service to be). Why... 

Sales Telemarketing

Closing That Big Sale With Conference Calling

So you’re in business. Whether it is micro, small, medium, or enterprise; you know the one key element you need to succeed in your business ? sales. Now, you have studied and learned many practices on succeeding in your arena, but there may be something still overlooked. You most undoubtedly have strained to learn every technique possible to gain the competitive advantage for ultimate return on your investment. What you may be missing out on... 

Sales Training

How To Go Perpendicular In Your Sales Territory

First and foremost are you thinking Strategically? "Do you have what it takes to do what it takes?" 1. Did you achieve all of your personal goals in 2004? 2. Did you achieve all of your professional goals in 2004? 3. Did you have double-digit sales growth in 2004? 4. Are you expecting to achieve double-digit growth during 2005? 5. If not why not? (You’ll need some QUIETIME for this one) If the skills you used during 2004 weren’t... 

Small Business

The PR Commitment to Small Business

We’re birds of a feather, public relations and small business. Wonderfully compatible and a perfect fit. Usually makes it easy to commit resources to small business success. But, sometimes I wonder about those small businesses that ignore the perceptions and behaviors of the key audiences with the most immediate impact on their businesses - the very people who hold the future of that small business in their hands! To me, it’s a matter... 

Strategic Planning

Hunters and Gatherers - Are You Serving Both Their Needs?

The University of Exeter in the United Kingdom recently published research financed by Barclays Bank, which has implications for everyone who is serving the general population. This research shows that consumers shop establishments based on one of the two personal profiles. Approximately 50% of the population is defined as hunters when they go out into the public arena. They know what they want, they are focused on the task in front of them and they... 

Time Management

Spend Less Time at Work and Get More Done

Sounds too good to be true? It really isn’t! In fact, studies show that after a certain amount of hours at work each week, the average worker hits diminishing returns for their labor. Here are a couple of reasons this is true. Family drain. Does your spouse or family complain that you work too much? This puts strain on you when you’re at work and limits your effectiveness. Cutting out five or more hours a week and spending it with your... 

Wealth Building

Living Trusts: Do They Protect Your Assets From Creditors?

A surprising number of readers want to know “Can a living trust protect my family’s assets from creditors and lawsuits?” I think there are some promoters out there that use this as a pitch to get people to set up a living trust using their services: “Transfer your assets to a living trust and hide them from your creditors,” are the claims. Sorry, that’s not the law. Let’s have a quick review of a revocable...