Ask an Expert Articles

Business » Ask an Expert | By Steve Castle @ Thursday, 23rd March 2006 @ 2:59 PM

Over-spending, this is possibly the easiest and most damaging trap to fall into when starting out on your Internet Marketing venture. Not having a clear idea of your budget. This is not only the AMOUNT of MONEY that you want to spend (or have available to spend), but just as importantly your TIME allocation and the HOW and WHEN you are going to spend it. It is after all pointless to spend a hundred dollars on a product or service if you realistically are only going to see returns fro... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Brian Bellmont @ Thursday, 23rd March 2006 @ 9:58 AM

With a record number of Twin Cities homes hitting the market and talk of a housing bubble bust on the horizon, are Minnesota home sellers doomed to a season of sluggish sales and months and months of empty open houses? Not so, say area real estate experts. A recent home price analysis for the Twin Cities by the National Association of Realtors indicates that the talk about a potential housing market bust is just that — talk. According to the report, “the local housing market is in excelle... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dannielle Brantley @ Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 @ 3:11 PM

The holidays are upon us! Once Thanksgiving comes and goes, you know the year 2005 is done. This time of year offers a great opportunity to reflect on the passing year and if you haven't already set up or tweaked your 2006 goals, I have some ideas for you to mull over. When I think about some of the successes my company has experienced within this last year, I couldn't help but to think about some of the failures I've gone through. And it's not because I didn't want to e... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dannielle Brantley @ Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 @ 3:11 PM

"There are more than 5.6 million small to medium size businesses in the US[1] and with the increase in corporate layoffs, cross-industry mergers and economic bi-polarity, this number is forcasted to rise. People are looking towards themselves and using their talents to bring home a piece of the bacon. That includes myself, those of you reading this article and many others you may know. In this new era of entrepreneurship, business starters and owners realize quickly that customer satisfactio... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dannielle Brantley @ Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 @ 3:03 PM

I have a niece who's studying the industrial revolution in school right now. And if I may take ya'll back to high school, there where many technological products introduced to our country and the world during this historical time period. Various innovations that allowed businesses to improve upon their processes. Rough and uncomfortable wool clothes were supplanted by more comfortable cotton clothes through Eli Whitney's cotton gin; the sewing industry saw improvements in each... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dannielle Brantley @ Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 @ 3:00 PM

Have you seen it a thousand times? Have you done it a thousand times? Here's the way it plays out. You're attending a great networking event full of professionals from various industries and potential clients. You get word from a few associates that they will be there too and want to introduce you to some key people that may be helpful to your business. You have your business cards ready, your 1-minute oral introduction down-pat and you're dressed with confidence. The event is as ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dannielle Brantley @ Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 @ 3:00 PM

So, you've got a look at the first five things I did differently or better during this last year and a half, that helped me add 15 new members to my family roster, and increase our revenue by 155% in PART I. Check out the last five things, print out both newsletters and keep them up somewhere were you can see them. When we forget our past we're doomed to repeat it. 6. The Business is What you do, NOT Who you are There were times when I would work night and day on a parti... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dannielle Brantley @ Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 @ 3:00 PM

Sometimes, you can wake up, open your eyes, pull the covers off and wonder, "How am I going to make it through another day at my job?" You shake it off as you shower, get dressed, get on the bus or in your car and by the time you reach the office, you're geared up to tackle the world. You've put in a lot of time into your career with this company and you're pretty comfortable with your responsibilities and daily activities. You don't agree with everything that goes on... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Brandon Hong @ Tuesday, 21st March 2006 @ 3:56 PM

Podcasts has evolved from being just a hobby for the music enthusiasts to a serious marketing tool adopted by large multinational corporations. In fact, it's evolution and transformation is tied closely to that of blogs. The reason is because podcasts is basically just an audio mp3 file which is distributed using Rss feeds. Think of podcasts as your different radio channels. You can tune in to a classical channel, or rock channel or jazz channel and so on. Initially the... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Morris @ Friday, 3rd March 2006 @ 3:57 AM

This methodology allows you to define in a quantifyable manner the compliance tasks involved in your company. All of the companies which use a type of Sarbanes Oxley software have the same financial data collection and their reporting needs are not really one and the same. For this reason, you should ask for help from your auditor or even an IT solution provider who is qualified and has a proven track record with regards to Sarbanes Oxley compliance issues. If you are unfamiliar with this you sh... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dave Kauppi @ Thursday, 2nd March 2006 @ 9:06 AM

If you are a minority interest shareholder in a privately held company, watch out for these Red Flags: · The majority shareholder grants himself a salary and benefit package way above the going market rate – in effect granting him a constructive dividend · No dividends are paid from a very profitable company · He begins using the company as his personal piggy bank · You are removed from your Board of Director position · Company financial information is withheld... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Wednesday, 22nd February 2006 @ 8:54 PM

As a consultant working with retailers, one of the first questions I ask a client is can they paint a picture for me of a typical customer. Some clients can be very specific, whilst others just give me a blank look, then follow it up by saying everyone is a potential customer; how can they paint a picture of a typical customer? Alas, very few retailers can claim to have the whole of society as a customer base, the rest of us have to target specific consumer groups. Historically, t... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Morris @ Wednesday, 22nd February 2006 @ 7:31 PM

What better way is there to promote your business than by distributing brochures? Say you want to have a garage sale. If you compare a black-and-white flyer with a full-color brochure, which one do you think will capture more attention? - A full color brochure is a sure-fire way to promote your business. - A brochure is a single-sheet document which comes in several sizes. It can be mailed or personally handed out to people and is considered as one of the best promotional materials. ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Friday, 17th February 2006 @ 6:48 PM

The perception in the marketplace, according to research, is that customer service is declining. Whether consumer expectations have increased or services have declined over the last few years is debatable. The fact is, perception is truth, in the consumers’ eyes. Having stated that, some businesses still seem to excel in customer service and get rave reviews from consumers, surely they have a different strategy. Internal Customers Remain The Same It is my view that everyo... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Morris @ Friday, 17th February 2006 @ 6:42 PM

Are you aware that some of the things we use in our everyday lives are plastics? When we talk about convenience, durability, efficiency, stability, usefulness and practicality in the things we use nowadays, chances are, those things are made out of plastic. One example of this is Zip-lock plastic bags for storing foods. Another one is the Coleman or Rubbermaid coolers we use to keep preserve foods while camping outside or going out of town and water jugs to keep our beverages cool and a h... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Friday, 17th February 2006 @ 6:32 PM

This may seem a strange topic to introduce. Yet, it is the most under-used skill by many retail managers, but one of the most important roles in their supervision. 1. You Are the Maitre of Your Business Your role is take that of a maitre d’hotel. You should meet your guests (customers), welcome them and ensure they leave with a positive feeling about your business. You should set aside at least one hour a day to walk the store and talk to customers. 2. Overcoming Embarras... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Friday, 17th February 2006 @ 6:08 PM

On 10th January 2005, McDonalds’ USA announced it was entering the premium coffee industry. It would sell premium coffee at a premium price. A business recognised for fast food at a low price point is re-engineering itself to provide an up-market coffee, yet coffee is looked on as the second most common commodity product after oil. Is this an opportunity to go head to head with Starbucks? I think not. I believe a Starbucks consumer will remain a Starbucks consumer and will not shift to M... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Friday, 17th February 2006 @ 6:07 PM

The University of Exeter in the United Kingdom recently published research financed by Barclays Bank, which has implications for everyone who is serving the general population. This research shows that consumers shop establishments based on one of the two personal profiles. Approximately 50% of the population is defined as hunters when they go out into the public arena. They know what they want, they are focused on the task in front of them and they do not want anyone or anything... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Friday, 17th February 2006 @ 6:00 PM

The move towards global businesses and particularly John Stanley’s global retailing may excite business people, but the challenge is in providing what the customer really wants, not what you think they want. Let me give you two examples. Firstly, from New Zealand, the country’s leading retailer is publishing very healthy net profits and has nearly every Kiwi as an advocate. They have become a household name. Their company philosophy has worked in New Zealand. The journey ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Friday, 17th February 2006 @ 2:56 AM

Each product category in your store has a best seller. This product will not necessarily be the cheapest or lowest gross profit item, but it will be the favourite product purchased by your customers in that category. You can use this to your advantage if you introduce some simple management strategies… 1. Identify the best sellers in each category To take advantage of the best seller concept, you’ll need to know the best seller in each category. For some categories, for example b... more...