Business Strategies Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersCould ISO 9001 Be Beneficial For Your Business?ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised standard for internal quality management that has been set by the International Organisation for Standards. In other words, it is a certification that can be achieved by businesses once they have a certain level of internal quality management system in place. Internal quality management covers everything from taking orders […] Supplier Diversity is Necessary for Business Growth and SecurityThe past few years have been difficult and trying for Toyota Motor Corporation. In 2009-10, there were reports of errors in vehicles causing fatal accidents. Then, as they were beginning to recover from this, Japan was hit by an earthquake and a massive tidal wave. Plants in northern Japan were hurt and suddenly, Toyota’s supply […] 3 Little-Known Factors That Could Affect Your Corporate TrainingIn tough economic times, every corporation needs to guard against waste and inefficiency. That’s where corporate training can prove crucial. But are employees receiving the correct training and in the most efficient format? 1. Classroom Doldrums Many employees like outings. They are a chance to get away from the pressure and tedium of their jobs. […] The Shocking Truth About Customer ServiceFor many years now, “customer service” has become a dirty word in some parts. That is regrettable. Some corporations feel the pinch on their bottom line and tighten in the one place where tightening is perhaps the most detrimental—listening to the customer. When the customer gets squeezed by CSR quotas, the company will end up […] 7 Negotiating Tips When Buying or Selling a BusinessA person buying or selling a business needs the temperament and correct negotiation skills to successfully close the deal. It used to be that people think you are a good negotiator if you push for what you want and you get it. This mentality is passé. Today, deals are made by parties willing to find […] When Is the Best Time to Train a New Employee?The answer to this question may be simple and may seem obvious to many; however it is always good to remember why a company should always train new employees during their first month in the organization. To incorporate a new employee within a group and help him be successful, it is crucial to get him […] What Is Wrong With Performance Appraisals?“Needs Improvement” “Below Expectations” “Unacceptable” As an employee, you would be mortified to see these ratings on your performance evaluation. Yet year after year, those are the words often used to describe performance reviews at organizations around the world. Any employee with such ratings would have “managed out” long ago. How badly are employee performance […] What Can We Learn From Prezzo?The other night (after a very long week I hasten to add) my husband and I went to Prezzo, the Italian Restaurant Chain. Prezzo is a company that I really admire in terms of marketing, because they really have it spot on. Granted they have a huge marketing team and probably a large budget to boot, […] Starting An Online Business? What To Look Out For?Starting an online business? Have a great product idea that you think can make millions? As you start developing your idea, the first thoughts coming to mind are probably technology focused. Who is going to build your site? How much will it cost? How quick you can launch your site? Unfortunately, the phrase “if you […] PR 2.0: Succeeding In The New Media WorldWhen it comes to distribution and media outlets, PR has changed dramatically. Mailing used to be the standard way of sending out information (actually it’s not a bad approach nowadays, since everyone is getting so adept at hitting their keyboard delete button). But on the whole, mailing in many ways has become archaic. The number […] Appearing On A Talk Show Post-OprahTimes are changing; Oprah is gone as are many of the daytime soap operas. TV’s 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daytime slots are shifting dramatically. It is a primarily female audience that watches at that time. The numbers show that most are seeking personality based or issue oriented programs. Talk shows, game shows and reality […] How To (Phone) Pitch The MediaYou may be a natural salesman, and your clients may indeed love you, but you’re playing a different game when you’re contacting the media. You are entering a very specific phone world. You may be a great person one-on-one, with a winning smile and a firm handshake, but that won’t get you far over the […] Why Your Brand Is Your FortuneYou may think Nike sells shoes and Apple sells Macs and iPhones, but you’re wrong. They sell their brand. Developing a powerful brand can spell the difference between struggling to make ends meet and achieving real success. Why is developing a successful brand so important? Take a Nike shoe or an iPhone and replace the […] Keeping Your Business SafeNo matter what you do and no matter how large or small your business is, technology is going to play a large part in your daily operations and probably your revenue too. Despite this dependency on so much technology the majority of businesses don’t take the threat to their IT seriously enough despite the fact […] Doing Multiple Tasks Isn’t Multitasking“Mathematics… mathematics is never going to lead you to higher truth. Because it’s boring!” – Charles, “A Beautiful Mind,” Universal Pictures (2001) Multitasking…true, human multitasking is a fallacy. This came to mind when we visited our son in his room recently. His computer had four windows open plus IM going, his iPod was plugged into […] Are Minorities Ruling Your Sales Decisions?The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) recently banned radio stations from playing “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits after it received a SINGLE complaint from a ‘minority group about the use of the word ‘faggot’ in the song. People who are familiar with the song know that it was inspired when Mark Knopfler overheard a […] How To Get Payment From ClientsAlthough you might not think that getting payments from clients is anything to do with marketing, I would completely disagree. Because I think that there is nothing more demoralising that celebrating getting a new client and then finding that they do not pay. It can make you feel very low and be very stressful, which […] Illuminative Marketing: Creating Business By Offering Benefits And SolutionsHow do you respond to cold calls, ads, direct marketing pieces, email spam? Exactly. Now why would you expect your prospects to react differently? Generally people either run from or lash out at aggressive hard sell marketing. Although they can work, traditional promotion efforts have a poor return on investment. Most prospects turn and run […] 23 Penetrating Sales Questions You Need To Start AskingA couple of weeks ago I wrote a post called, 11 Lame Questions You Need to Avoid”. It generated some interesting comments and one reader asked, “What questions should I be asking?” What ARE the questions sales people should be asking to increase their sales and improve their results? Certainly this depends on your industry […] What Are The Elements Of A Good Sales Letter?Thinking about sending out a sales letter to your contacts this year? Before you do, stop and put in place some things that will prevent you from making some of the basic mistakes that sales letters tend to have in them. 1. Being too short One of the biggest mistakes sales letters include is being […] |
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