Everyone wants to be more productive, but in the business world, increasing your productivity can actually have tangible rewards. Too many people find themselves straining under the pressure of expectations and deadlines, but success doesn’t have to be stressful. There are some very concrete steps you can take towards providing yourself with the motivation and […]
Show and Tell: Building Your Business by Being Specific
When taking a class on creative writing, you’re almost guaranteed to hear the following: “Show, don’t tell.” It’s true; effective stories use specific descriptions and details to engage the reader, not just plain statements. For example, describing a character in a story by saying, “She was pretty,” is nowhere near as effective as writing, “Her […]
What Does Your Desk Look Like?
Disorganization and clutter in the work space account for a great deal of lost time, money, and productivity in a business each year. If you agree to any of the following statements, you may benefit from “de-cluttering” your office space: I typically have to move books or papers off of a chair to clear a […]
Reduce Hidden Fees and Charges By Looking at Your Business Phone Bill
We’ve all seen the commercial questioning viewers “Have you looked at your phone bill lately?” Unfortunately, many business owners are either too busy or don’t care enough to sit down and sort through a detailed phone bill. However, your business phone bill may be hiding charges that are costing your business thousands of dollars each […]
How to Turn a Mistake into a Loyal Customer
Imagine this: You’re a service provider, and you’ve made a mistake or encountered some unforeseen problem that has caused you to provide less than adequate service to a customer. Under normal circumstances, this could mean that you’ve lost that customer to a competitor forever. However, recovery is possible, and successfully recovering from a failure can […]
Can You Squeeze 32 Hours into 24?
Suppose you had the time to squeeze 32 hours of work into 24. Although agendas differentiate, statistics show that those ranging 16-25 years old have the ability to multitask to the highest degree. More specifically, those within such age bracket have the assets to squeeze 32 hours of work into 24. Suppose all of those […]
How to Succeed Amidst Decreasing Profits
Although the National Bureau of Economic Research has declared that the most recent recession was officially over in June 2009, many American business owners still remain haunted by financial instability. Economic experts warn that the 18-month recession, the longest since post-World War II, will have lingering effects. The recovery from such a significant downturn may […]
Increase Customer Satisfaction and Profit by Cross-Selling Products
You may just intend to walk into a store and purchase a pair of leather shoes. However, as you are checking out, the cashier says, “Do you need any leather conditioner to protect your shoes and prevent the leather from drying out?” Although you may not have thought about it, purchasing the leather conditioner with […]
Increase Sales and Customer Retention With Up-Selling Techniques
How can you quickly boost your profits with little to no effort or costs? Well, consider McDonald’s success with their “supersize” options. By simply adding six words to each order (Would you like to supersize that?), McDonald’s convinced millions of customers to spend an extra $0.60 for an extra large drink and French fry. Adding […]
How to Introduce Cost Cutting Measures Without Causing Employee Panic
There comes a time in every business when cost cutting measures must be implemented. There may be a decline in the economy, a new competitor may open up down the street, or you may simply be looking for ways to reduce your monthly expenditures. Now more than ever businesses are looking for ways to cut […]