Word of mouth is the most powerful activator for consumers. How do you get a buzz going about your business? Writing in Small Business Trends, Zane Safrit suggests that it all begins with a story. The Radical Clarity Group is big on stories. They are the one form of communication that the human mind is [...]
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Vivek Wadwha is a guest blogger on BusinessWeek.com. He writes this week about his research on entrepreneurs and starts his post by defining what an entrepreneur is and then goes on to explain what makes her tick. To answer the first question, he uses Stephen Duke’s definition of entrepreneurs, which attempts to make a distinction [...]
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David Ogilvy was a master ad-man, creating many memorable campaigns. He also was a prescient observer of business. In an article for Fortune, Patricia Sellers relates Ogilvy’s 7 principals for running a business: 1. Remember that Abraham Lincoln spoke of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He left out the pursuit of profit. 2. [...]
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Jeanine Popick writes on Inc.com about instances in which she has let her customers go. Interesting perspective although somewhat specific to her own circumstances and industry. There are other generally applicable cases in which it makes sense to let a customer go. In the wholesale business, companies often forget that getting a product on the [...]
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Many small businesses are turning to Twitter as an inexpensive way to attract and retain customers. The ability to speak to a number of customers and the viral, word-of-mouth ability of Twitter make it ideal for companies with small advertising budgets. Writing in the New York Times, Claire Cain Miller highlights how a number of [...]
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Most companies see “Social Media” as an increasingly important component of their communication strategy. There are fewer and fewer of them that do not have a Facebook page or a Twitter account or that don’t maintain the semblance of a blog. Social media is seen by most as a way to use the power of [...]
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In the business world, unlike in the art world, critique is often negatively equated with criticism. But constructive criticism is essential in any arena that requires creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. Since leadership requires all three, leaders need to be sure they are not only open to criticism, but that they actively seek it out. Ask [...]
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Amy Reinink blogs on Entrepreneur.com about industries that are “startup friendly” and lists 6 of them: Elderly and disabled services Community food services eCommerce and online auctions Education services Fashion design services Landscape services Are you looking for market opportunities? Maybe one of these industries will be right for you. Read Reinink piece here. The [...]
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Can your customers live without you? This is a question that should keep many business leaders up at night. Are you offering a product or service that is exclusive, the best or so integral to your customers’ that they would think twice before switching or walking away? How can companies become irreplaceable to their customers? [...]
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It happened in 2003, Wal-Mart declared that it would require all of its vendors to use RFID tags in their packaging by the end of 2006. Said tags would allow the retailer to wirelessly track all inventory in real time, thereby saving millions of dollars in inventory-management costs and hugely simplifying its logistics. On the [...]
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