Archive for April, 2007
Growing Your Business One Customer at a Time
Think of customers as individuals. Once we think that way, we realize our business is our customer, not our product or services. Putting all the focus on the merchandise in our store, or the services our corporation offers, leaves out the most important component: each individual customer. Keeping those individual customers in mind, here are [...]
Ignorant Assumptions can Kill Sales
Assumptions made on gender, looks, attire and the position of a prospect can cost you dearly. As a salesperson, meet each of your prospects with an open mind. Never make an assumption about the prospect’s knowledge of your product or service. If you are selling a technical solution, never assume that your prospect has knowledge [...]
Necessity The Mother Of Invention
Stephanie Dellamura dreaded taking her toddlers to a public restroom. Visiting parks and fairs was worse, she said. Portable restrooms are often filthy and there’s no place to wash hands. But dirty restrooms weren’t her only worry. Candies and ice cream also made her boy’s hands a sticky mess. Dellamura searched stores and websites for [...]
Lonnie Johnson and the Super Soaker
It all started with an accident. Late one night, while experimenting with a jet pump and a nozzle for a refrigerator cooling system, Lonnie Johnson shot a stream of water clear across his bathroom. Where some people might have seen a mess to clean up, Johnson saw an opportunity. Thus was born the mother of [...]
How to keep top employees
“Try offering salespeople bigger commissions to offset the lower salaries you’re paying,” suggests Dave Lorenzo, a managing partner at the Gallup Organization, who frequently advises entrepreneurs. Or go beyond standard one-time commissions: One of Lorenzo’s recent clients, Brite Building Services in Dix Hills, N.Y., is a commercial-cleaning company that pays its salespeople relatively modest salaries [...]
Faith, doubt, effort go a long way
Great faith. Great doubt. Great effort. It takes all three to bring anything meaningful to fruition, and it’s good to keep those in mind if you’re trying to start or grow your own company. Great Faith: To build a business — or start anything new — you have to believe in yourself and your ideas. [...]
Death by tax fraud
Some Jackson Hewitt franchise owners may be feeling the heat after U.S. sues a franchisee for tax-fraud schemes. On April 17 Jackson Hewitt franchise owners may be getting a little hot under the collar. That’s not because of today’s tax deadline, but rather because earlier this month the Justice Department sued the operators of more [...]
