I read once that something like 30 percent of all drinkable water gets wasted on the way to the consumer by leaky pipes. Likewise, your business may be letting potential revenue drip away, to be lost forever, all over the place. Use this checklist to make sure you are taking best advantage of ...

Have you wasted valuable time and money on promotion that doesn`t work? Have your announcements and news releases been ignored? Have you been too quiet about getting the word out how your product or service will help solve people`s problems?

Most of us are passionate about our work. We put a...

Hook-loop fasteners are a two-faced fastening system whereby one face is covered in tiny nylon fibers with little hooks on the ends of them, and the other face is covered in tiny nylon loops. When the two faces are pressed together, some of the hooks burrow in and catch onto the loops. The tighter t...

Give your customers a choice in how you correspond with them. Although email has received a lot of bad press, there?s still no better or cheaper way to communicate. Ask your customers for their preference, would they rather receive updates, newsletters and discounts via regular mail or email? While ...

The latest series in "The Apprentice" features 2 distinct group of candidates. One group, who are only high school graduates are termed as "Street Smarts" by Donald Trump whereas, the other group are all college educated with some having MBAs and advanced degrees. They were termed as the "Book Smart...

Cassy was an employee of a nonprofit who had been at her job 5 years. She came to me because she felt that the organization she was working for didn?t value her and was upset because others had been promoted but she had not. By the time we began to work together she had already written her resignat...

What?s REALLY potent for a business, non-profit or association manager is public relations? ability to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors. And then, to persuade those key outside folks to the manager?s way of thinking, and help move them to take actions that allow their departm...

How does a marketing plan relate to an organization`s communications plan? What are the differences? Is the marketing plan just one aspect of the communications plan? Should one consider combining them into a single document? A communications plan is a PART of your marketing plan. A communications p...

Cisco certification candidates are introduced to BGP at the CCNP level, but the reaction to its introduction always reminds me of something I see often as the CCNA level. Whenever I teach distance-vector protocols in my Ultimate CCNA Boot Camp or Fast Track classes, I make sure my students understan...

Here`s a really simple way to make sure your plans always produce the results you expect. "There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it." - Napoleon Hill Every plan must provide its leader...

Do you want to successfully market your business franchise online? Here`s an internet strategy you can use for your franchise opportunity. 1. Design a very simple web site. I`ve visited quite a number of company web sites, and their franchise page is sometimes hidden under layers of beautiful flash ...

I recently came across startling figures about the average American?s finances. Only 4% of us have significant savings when we hit age 65, and a majority of Americans have less than $1000 in savings. Perhaps even more troubling, nearly one-fifth of us have a negative net worth, meaning that we owe ...

It just might save your life Think of the many times throughout your life when you experienced a strange feeling that turned out to be an early warning of danger. Use your early-warning radar. Did you take heed of that warning and avoid the impending danger, or did you ignore your built-in early war...

Will it be inflation or deflation as the major trend for the coming decade? What about Peak Oil and the skyrocketing cost of energy? Will the Dollar continue to do well, or will it finally collapse under the weight of the twin deficits? Better yet, how is one to plan for financial security in the ...

Choosing a gift for someone we love is always chalenging. Will the person like it or just pretend they do? We want to find something special, not too expensive, something unique sounds great. Personalized gifts are very popular, it can have the name of the person, or initals. When the person has a c...

In the article Getting Involved in the Global Development Market (available in full in Latest News at www.globizdev.com) I commented that while tendering skills are critical, in isolation of other key activities success is a lottery. Preparation must remain as a key and ongoing activity if organis...

Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth coffee for free? These businesses understand that a customer retention program is a fantastic way to ensure that customers keep coming back. The most recognized customer retention programs are those loyalty programs used by retailers, but t...

Almost every individual dreams of owning a profitable business. Some may also be interested in an undertaking for the common good, example in case of non-profit organizations. But when we speak of a profitable business, it is not merely inflow and outflow of cash. A lot of detailing needs to be done...

Times are tough. The economy is in a constant state of upheaval. Is your company doing better than most? Are you placing greater emphasis on pure performance? If you haven?t maybe it?s time for a serious round of intense corporate soul searching. But do you know how? Business consultant Chet Hol...

I am not going to bore you by loading this article with a bunch of redundant, irrelevant garbage you already know. So let`s just cut to the chase. I`m tired of reading the same old Link popularity articles. No one is saying anything new. The main question on everyone`s mind is "How can I get and KEE...

Non-verbal interview behavior can drown out your verbal self-presentation. Practice interviewing in front of a full-length mirror or, better yet, videotape yourself if you have access to such equipment. Turn the sound down and watch yourself carefully. How do you sit in your chair? Upright with an a...

How many times have you been frustrated with your promotion efforts online? Let`s face it...most folks working online are amateurs when it comes to promotion. They simply don`t come to the internet prepared with the tools, experience and background in advertising and promotion. The learning curve ...

If you are new to online marketing you are probably in a state of bewilderment with some of the lingo. When you venture into new circles it is natural to experience moments of confusion. Don?t let this intimidate you. When I was first looking into ways of driving traffic to my website someone recomm...

Attitude Is Everything Being successful as an entrepreneur depends on having the right attitude: the entrepreneurial mindset. While taking control of your own destiny can be an exhilarating, empowering experience, there are also pitfalls and hurdles you must consider. You`ve already overcome ...

You can?t please everyone, though as a business your main purpose is to please as many customers as possible so that they keep returning. When customers are dissatisfied with the service you are providing they will be one of three kinds of complainers: aggressive, passive or constructive. Aggressive...

What Are the Advantages and/or Drawbacks of Subscribing to Discussion Lists?

"I learn a lot about publishing houses, editors, etc., and we`re like one big happy family," says Dotti Enderle, who belongs to several lists - the biggest being the Children`s Writers List.

"Unfortunately, ...

Have you ever wondered why some websites get a thousand hits a day while others don`t? Well, the secret lies in something called `website promotion`. When I mean `website promotion` it does not require you to spend loads on money to ensure that your site stands out. In fact one can easily promote th...

The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart. --Benjamin Franklin How often have you said something that you thought was perfectly clear, only to find out later that the receiver had taken it in exactly the wrong way? A boss?s ability to communicate well with d...

Is building your own inventory management solution really your best bet? The issues that companies face when they decide to build a solution in house are numerous: Scarce development resources, project cost overruns, delivery delays, unexpected technical issues, long-term maintenance issues. For the...

Nearly all leaders I`ve encountered are underachievers. They`re getting a fraction of the results they are capable of. And in most cases, it`s their fault. Their failures are the result of the choices they make. For the opportunities to consistently get more results are all around them all the t...

The labor recession is over. During the course of the recession, almost 500,000 IT positions were lost according to publicly collected data and anecdotal information suggests even more. According top a recent poll, American business will add over 200000 new IT jobs in 2005. Your staff will probably ...

What if you`ve done a variety of marketing activities over the past year, but you did not establish any way to track the response? Now you don?t know what worked and what didn?t. Is there anything you can do now before you continue with your marketing efforts and potentially continue spending money ...

Who?s talking to your customers? Is it your competition? Why or why not? When you stop to think about it, these are valid questions. Most people rely on some sort of clientele for their business, and can improve on customer relations. A more holistic approach to this process incorporates the more gl...

Look for sponsors and solution owners rather than problem owners. Everyone participating in the situation owns the problem, like it or not?and nobody likes it. However, if one person is designated as the problem owner, that gives everyone else involved implicit permission to step away and essentiall...

A business plan is a very important document, both for new business and existing ones. While many people think of business plans as important only for newly created startup companies, the truth is that a quality business plan will also be very important to obtain financing to expand the business an...

"I can`t get him off my mind! I am afraid to admit even to my best friend, but I am becoming obsessed with my boss. The attraction is like a magnet pulling me into a void that I both crave and fear. I think I`m falling in love!" Many successful families started with a relationship between people who...

I?m too busy; I?d love to but I?m very busy; I?ll get round to that when I?m not so busy. How often have you said any of those phrases? How many times a week do you hear someone else say those phrases? They?re very common and busyness seems to have become a way of life for many people. I?ve just fin...

As a business, non-profit or association manager, occasions will arise when you?ll need to employ tactics like a brochure, a special event or a press release. But it will be your work that precedes those tactics that will determine the success of your public relations effort. Here?s the underlyin...

Traditionally, road freight has dominated the UK transportation industry. However, according to industry experts, sea freight offers significant advantages over road transport. They believe that these advantages will gradually erode the industry?s reliance on the roads forcing it to re-evalua...

Here?s my take on the yellow page ads. If you use one, make it a powerful marketing tool for your business. No, Virginia, I don?t work for the yellow page company! Do you underestimate the marketing power of your yellow page ad? In this article I show you how to make an ad to double the phone...

David began, "I have a major time management problem. As an editor, I often get two clients calling with assignments. They call around ten AM and both want their projects completed by mid-afternoon. Then a third client calls around lunchtime with a crisis. So I have too many projects ? all at once....

There is so much health advice in the world that it is sometimes hard to keep it all straight! How do you know the right foods to eat? How do you know the right foods to avoid? How much of each kind can you enjoy? Getting your vitamins Eating healthy, balanced meals throughout the day is what wi...

Penny Stocks - Turn Your Pennies Into Dollars We`ve all heard about the investor how bragged about his 100% or 1000% return on a stock or about the guy who made it rich by investing in small caps, undiscovered stocks that made it big. In theory, it seems to be too easy. Invest in a couple of penny...

You, like all marketers have a million and one things to do today! At the top of your priorities is marketing... finding more customers and raking in greater profits. If you?re looking for a simple, proven model to create sales content without spending hours hunched over the computer, try the AIDA (...

Very few people whom I know are familiar with the benefits of the Roth IRA. It was named for the late Senator William Roth of Rhode Island, who proposed it. It is similar to a traditional IRA except contributions are never tax-deductible. Contributions to traditional IRAs are sometimes deductible or...

:::Expert?s Classic ?Fatal Flaws? of a Doomed Employee::: You?re fired! This succinct phrase strikes more fear into the heart of the working man than any other. Why is it, then, that many well-intentioned and reasonably astute professionals hear these words chronically throughout their career de...

A white paper on how companies should analyse customer data to gain better business intelligence and how they can use that knowledge. GAINING BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE In an increasingly competitive world, using your client database smartly, to gain a better understanding of your number one asset ? ...

Time was, in the country, the local ?doc? was as likely to get paid with a couple of chickens as a couple of dollars. Doctors these days won?t stand for that, of course, but while some people have moved completely away from barter and stayed there, others have embraced it wholeheartedly. Today I w...

If you`re serious about finding an online business and you`ve been looking, then you probably already know that this is a tedious process, because there are so many offers out there promising to fill your pockets. One can easily get sucked into a scam so here are a few pointers to help avoid this tr...

To sell products, you not only need sales and benefit-driven copywriting for your 2, 3 or more paged Web site, you also need to get new potential buyers to your site. Here`s 11 ways to sell more products. 1. Get a Low-Cost Web Site You don`t need a lot of Web pages. You need a home page with b...