Keeping the 80/20 rule in mind; that is that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your client base, there are a lot of missed opportunities to keep your clients coming back again and again and yet again. Having worked six years in the hospitality industry, particularly the hotel business, I have ...

For the past months, maybe a year, I`ve been hearing sales groups talk about the need to become Trusted Advisors (I`ll call them TAs). I suspect that the problems cropping up in the sales arena these days ? the increased length of the sales cycle, the increased levels of competition - are leading sa...

As the name implies, this branch of asset management focuses on the effective management of the physical assets of a company. Usually, companies have in-house departments taking care of this. Otherwise, professional management teams can help in tracking, analyzing and defining a policy to maintain t...

In a competitive world with the need for businesses to be more streamlined and productive a company can often find itself with a workforce working under pressure resulting in low moral and high staff turnover. The benefits of a company having a highly motivated workforce can be considerable and the ...

During my job search I read dozens of books and articles took programs and even sat at the feet of two of the most experienced Human Resource professionals. In a few moments, you will learn the real keys to standing out and rising above the norm. Stick to the facts and only reveal information that...

The success of a company or business is often determined by the business and performance skills of the employees and managers within the company. The more qualified and knowledgeable the team is the more efficiently the business will run. Many people who are thinking about starting a career in bus...

Being a professional digital photographer is a dream many people have but most lack the ambition to follow through. Still, you want to take the best digital pictures you can without forking over the cost of a photography degree. So, here are some tips to help you find the best digital photographer i...

Years ago, I listened to Internet marketing "gurus" share that they had lists in the hundreds of thousands, and I was all ears. Up to that point, I had not managed to get my lists above 60,000 (after many years of consistently working at it). After a little further investigation, some of them share...

The following tips are meant as a guide for those of you who wish to enter into a coaching or mentoring relationship with a Guru, Coach or Mentor. 1. If you are not going to work with the individual you are paying, don`t do it. You need to work with the individual who`s charging you, so you can have...

The goal of almost everyone is to become "Debt Free". They just can`t wait for the day that they don`t owe someone money! But the rich look at debt in a different way. To the rich, debt is a good thing! The rich are always looking for more debt because they know how to take on Good Debt, and reduce ...

You DO use direct marketing for your small business? right? If so, you?re taking advantage of the most cost-effective means of advertising available. (Yes? I?m biased? I admit it!) Let?s talk for a minute about how you can make your sales copy and direct marketing more effective. One of the simple...

Etymology is the study of the origins of words. As languages develop the meaning of words can change over time. This causes confusion and misunderstanding when communicating with other people.
In a world were you make a living at communicating, advertising or marketing, it is not only import...

Radio advertising can be a small business`s best friend. It`s relatively inexpensive, very effective, and allows you to target your audience pretty specifically. It`s also a level playing field -- your commercials can sound just as good as those of a corporate giant. But not all radio ads are create...

Many people read articles and books from futurists with interest. Some are fascinated by the borderline science fiction and reality blend. If you are one of those people you have probably noticed that the world of innovation and discovery is moving faster than ever before in human history. One book,...

When I first realized that divorce was imminent in my relationship, my first thought was, ?What on earth am I going to do for money?? I`m the first to admit that I make a terrible employee. Up to that time, as a stay-at-home-mom, I?d been making my own schedule, making all of the rules with regard t...

In the day-to-day operation of an online business we can sometimes lose sight of what we want to achieve as opposed to how we actually go about achieving it. For us to achieve our goals of financial independence and time freedom we need to have customers. Most peoples understanding of customer acqui...

Many years ago, I was a first year apprentice assigned the task of pressure washing a set of condensing coils on the roof of a grocery store on Capital Hill in Seattle, an upscale part of town. It was a 90-degree day, in late August. To make matters worse, it was a Friday around 4:30 PM. I was wet...

When approaching any decision, it?s important for individuals to maintain the healthy state of openness called for by WYSINWYG (what you see is never what you get). Remember that there is always more going on than simply meets the eye. Calling on all the skills, strengths a...

The most effective prospecting techniques were revealed in the August 1st, 2002, issue of TIP (URL at end of article) that resulted from a survey of financial advisors earning over $200,000 annually. Here`s how they rated the following techniques:

1. 100.0% for Referrals from clients, and non...

An industrious black-tailed ground squirrel has his home beneath a stump not far from my office window. I?ve been watching him squirrel away provisions for winter. He reminds me of people I?ve worked with. Starting his journey by standing tall on the stump, the squirrel hurriedly looks side to side....

One of the simplest ways to build a strong brand is to make sure that every point of contact that prospects and customers have with your company reinforces the brand promise. Although relatively simple in theory, ?touch-point alignment? often proves difficult in practice. Consistently reinforcing yo...

Did you know that January is national "Get Over It Month"? Incidentally, that is one of my favorite Eagles songs. But, think about it. "Get Over It" raises a great point. Whatever baggage you have been carrying around about why you are not as successful as you would like to be should be ditc...

Reap the benefits of establishing your own independent merchant account Most Internet marketers know all too well the trouble that can be caused by misunderstanding the business terms of their merchant account provider. Everything from exorbitant fees to frozen finances await the online marketer wh...

A few months ago I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Jack Welch, past CEO of GE. A fantastic opportunity. Some of the things he said about who they hire and what they are looking for in managers sort of hit home with what I am telling clients, and what I am telling my teen leadership g...

In my practice as a hypnotherapist, I have many clients who come to me for stress management. Many of those clients are working mothers who fret about the demands on their time: children, husband or partner, paid work and unpaid household chores all pull these women in different directions. The d...

When it comes to quality, how do you choose the group that matches your expectations? Defining a quality group is not as easy as it looks. You first need to conduct the research into meetings, type of attendance etc. The next thing you want to know is the size of the group. Size does count as a sma...

Many of you will remember the line from the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come." Many businesses apply this methodology to their business model. I can`t tell you how many times I`ve come across this misnomer in dealing with hosting and web design customers. They figure, "I`ve...

How many times have you been approached to exhibit at trade shows but declined? Exhibiting at trade shows can be a very powerful marketing weapon, but only if you understand who your market is and if these people will be attending the trade show in large numbers. Knowing your target customer is one ...

I believe it would be safe to say that the transportation industry is one of the highest revenue producers in today`s modern economies. Millions upon millions of private passenger vehicles rule the highways and rural roads in countries around the world. Automotive reconditioning services, for the re...

With the country gripped in the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, it reminds us that we often experience similar "storms" on a personal level. The loss of a job, a loved one, a break-up, moving, health issues and other traumatic transitions can "knock you off balance" and make you feel every...

AWB:
Air Waybill Accessorial Services/Fees:
Services provided by an airline in addition to the normal transportation service. These charges are not included in the basic weight rate charge. Common accessorial services include:
advancement of charges, pick-up, delivery, C.O.D. service, si...

In sales, one of the things you will be doing a lot of, is making phone calls. You can?t escape it. It just comes with the territory. Making phone calls is really not all that bad. The thought of having to do it, is actually much worse than having to physically sit down and do it, and once you get ...

Do you have a tendency to think in absolutes? Is everything good or bad, black or white? This type of thinking can severely limit your options. Or worse, prevent you from getting an accurate picture of what`s possible. Most people are uncomfortable hanging out in the ?I don`t know? space. The anxi...

Repetition is the key to getting your adverts and promotion efforts noticed but when does repetition become over saturation which inevitably leads to boredom? Boredom and apathy. This is one of the biggest challenges you`ll face when promoting your site in the hit exchanges. So how do you cut thr...

Today, everyone is looking for the secret to business success. Professionals read books, take training classes, ask questions, study others that are successful and strive to outperform themselves. However, some behavior patterns can develop into bad habits and cause even the most seasoned and profes...

In today?s world it makes more sense than ever for business to outsource much of their work. When a company chooses to outsource part or most of its work they save money on the maintenance of a full time employee which of course leads to larger profits. That?s what business is all about, larger prof...

You?re so excited you?re practically bouncing off the walls. This idea?your best ever?is not only going to save the company tens of thousands of dollars this year, it?s eventually going to be a moneymaker. However, following your presentation, your three colleagues sit staring at you like ?hear no...

The ability to connect with people is essential to success in any business. Professional networking events present opportunities to interact with others on a personal level and to develop profitable relationships. These occasions are critical for anyone who wants to grow a business or promote a ca...

Email is THE medium of communication for business transactions. Unfortunately, people don`t treat email with the same care as face to face interactions. It`s almost as if we`re so complacent with the speed of email that our ability to use it in an effective manner diminishes with every message. Bu...

You have probably heard the stories: Software that does not work. Software that does the wrong thing. Money paid to set up an offshore operation that never produces any software. Can these outsourcing nightmares be avoided? Of course. The key is how you manage the outsourcing of your software devel...

Businesses tend to avoid doing their annual business plan thinking that it is an arduous task that does not accomplish much. Formulating your annual plan is, however, critical to your business success and if done correctly should be quick, easy and generate bottom line results. Rather than creating ...

For all the students even dreaming about going to college, I have one piece of advice: don?t graduate. Yes. You heard me. Don?t graduate. I?m sure dozens of intelligent people have told you that you need to go to college and get good grades so you can get a good job that will provide good benefits...

Three times I have revisited Turkey after living in the country for two years in the 1970?s. How could I ever forget? Salespeople everywhere can glean some wisdom about the unique sales approach by walking through the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. At least three unmistakable key sales components are ...

In order to do your mission statement you need to be able to answer the following:

Why should this business exist?

Who will be its customers and how will it benefit them?

Why will they be better off?

These questions are easy to answer for Lease Purchasing. Why sho...

It is easy for the newcomer to photography to feel a little intimidated when thinking about getting a camera. There is such an array of models to choose from and such a lot of information available about each camera. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of techno-babble talk which can scare the living...

As leaders we always want to improve the performance of our organization. To improve we must release the creativity in our employees, leaders must get involved in their employees? work. Not everyone knows how to do this, but maybe it isn?t all that different than training a puppy. Following are seve...

The Value of Gold in a Era of Paper Assets, Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds... The facts behind the increasing demand for gold and silver, rare coins, and historic collectibles from the U.S. Mint... No other substance on Earth embodies the unique characteristics of gold. Its yellow lustre and bea...

A short and memorable web address will ensure that your new contacts can also locate you and be updated with your company?s developments. Always use your corporate email address when corresponding with your networks. Incorporate a blog (an online diary) in your corporate website and invite your ...

Do classified ads really work? Should you include an email address or fax number in them? How about a call to action? Questions like these are often brought to the attention of OhioHelp.net, an Ohio-based company specializing in helping businesses worl...

Well, this is said and emphasized for a very important reason. These short term and long term goals help define how you will run your business, how much time you will need to spend, and what you expect to accomplish. They are the cornerstone of running your business. Your long term goals are thos...