Ask an Expert Articles

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Friday, 17th February 2006 @ 2:55 AM

In my consultancy, I often mention planograms. Retailers’ eyes often glaze over and they mention that they are only relevant for big retailers, but don’t they have a role in all retail business? A planogram is a visual representation of what a category should look like to maximise sales. It should include all the products and shelving and provide the optimum layout of the category to maximise sales. This is a powerful tool to enable you to manage space effectively and hen... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Wednesday, 15th February 2006 @ 6:41 PM

“Wouldn’t it be a better place to work if we did not have customers?” “This business would be so much tidier without customers! “ I am sure someone has whispered that in your organisation - but, out of ear-shot of management. But, let’s be honest, customers are a pain and they are expensive to attract; let’s eliminate them and make life easier for everyone. You can’t afford to have customers– turn your customers into clients Companies use interruption marketin... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @ Wednesday, 15th February 2006 @ 1:56 AM

People don't reads signs, you heard people say it, you have had said it yourself. What is the point of putting a signage strategy in your business when nobody reads them in the first place. Let's look at his popular myth in more detail. Firstly, all retailers have to accept that consumers today are inundated with messages on signs, as a result, the majority are not read. Any sign that looks amateurish, too complicated or is not targeted is, in today's over signed world, ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Morris @ Saturday, 11th February 2006 @ 3:57 PM

A committed employee is extraordinarily valuable. You can gain staff commitment by meeting people’s key needs: paying attention to people at all levels; trusting and being trusted; tolerating individuality; and creating a blame-free, can-do culture. But why go through all these? What is the importance of gaining trust and commitment? It all goes down to the fact that when a company gains the trust and commitment of their employees they establish employee retention. And employee retention is vita... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Morris @ Thursday, 9th February 2006 @ 8:12 AM

Stay at home moms, school children or just about anyone who wants to raise some funds for either a good cause or for some personal reasons need not worry about which fundraising idea they would use and considering that there are actually a of fundraising ideas out there. It’s actually up to you to pick the one that it suitable for you target market. Common as well as tried and tested fundraising ideas that are sure to be able to earn you a lot of money are the following: 1. The Ba... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Mark Silver @ Monday, 6th February 2006 @ 9:03 AM

I have a recommendation for you for 2006: Take a risk and be inauthentic. Authenticity, being yourself, is the foundation of your health, and the health of your business. But, it can also be a source of stagnation, and, eventually, your death. It has to do primarily with how many of us learn. For most of us, we learn by "monkey see (or read, or hear) - monkey do." It's the easiest way I know to learn- we emulate someone else's (hopefully) experienced and masterful... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Tom Perkins @ Sunday, 5th February 2006 @ 6:05 AM

In July 2005, another curious law went into effect. This one, called the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (JFPA) has several surprises for business owners in terms of sending routine faxes to their customers. This new law just doesn’t impact the sending of what we would think of as “junk” faxes. It addresses several other areas that will impact how you do business via fax. What is a Junk Fax? Understandably, we would think of a junk fax as an unsolicited fax. However, under JFPA, un... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By jim mack @ Saturday, 4th February 2006 @ 3:22 AM

Public speaking ranks right up there with death in terms of the things we are terribly afraid to do. Whether it’s the fear of being watched closely by others, or the insecurity and self-conscious feeling of slipping up during the presentation, these six tips will help you give a polished, professional speech that you (and your audience) can be proud of! 1. Know your audience. This is the single best piece of advice for delivering a presentation that really hits home. What are there inter... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dave Kauppi @ Friday, 3rd February 2006 @ 11:36 PM

The letter of intent is an essential step in facilitating the sale of a business. The purpose is to establish the economic framework for buyer and business seller to move to the due diligence phase. It basically says that with all the available information I have thus far seen and if that all stands the scrutiny of due diligence, I am willing to buy your business for X dollars under Y payment terms. It is however, non- binding pending the execution of mutually acceptable purchase agreements. ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Mark Silver @ Friday, 27th January 2006 @ 1:00 AM

I was recently teaching marketing to a whole flock of spiritual healers at the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism. Now, these folks aren't slouches. Some of them are extremely successful corporate consultants, highly visible doctors used to addressing hundreds of people at conferences, a nationally published spiritual weight-loss expert with a 100,000 clients under her belt, and a variety of other practitioners, all of whom have had a certain amount of success on their own.more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Dave Kauppi @ Wednesday, 25th January 2006 @ 6:33 AM

Perhaps the most important business transaction you will ever pursue is the sale of your business. Many business owners attempt to do it themselves and when asked if they got a good deal, many respond with “I think so,” or “I got my asking price,” or “I really don’t know,” or “It was a disaster.” Often times these very capable business people approach the sale of their business with less formality than in the sale of a home. The purpose of this article is to answer the questions – Why would I u... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Sean D'Souza @ Wednesday, 25th January 2006 @ 5:13 AM

Here's why ‘WHY’ is such a profit-making marketing trigger. “Stop taking two and three plates of food,” my mother said to me angrily. I was at a wedding and seven years old. Back then, at a lot of the weddings we used to go to, the food would be pre-served on a plate. I could never get enough of those calorie-ridden platters. Waylaying different waiters, (so I would not be recognised), I’d polish 3-4 plates without blinking an eye. ============================= Mum w... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Robert Provencher @ Wednesday, 25th January 2006 @ 4:37 AM

Marketing your photography studio does not have to be expensive. I've used hundreds of low cost marketing strategies over the last twenty five years and managed to build my photography studio to the point where I am one the busiest and most successful studios in my city. Here's a few tips for you: 1. Create a photo display. A photography display can be as simple as displaying a few small portraits at a store and offering some free information about your studio or more elaborate ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Paul Duxbury @

I am sure that like me you have read so many books and articles that explain in great detail how to make it big on the Internet and in particular on what is rapidly becoming the World's Marketplace - eBay! However, it's so often the things that we do wrong rather than the things that we spend so many hours ensuring we are doing right that lead to failure! In fact it’s surprisingly easy to kill your eBay business off in double quick time, if you’re not careful. Sure, you can sta... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Paul Duxbury @

Since the dawn of the Internet, many online businessmen have tried to capitalize on a variety of aspects that they hoped would become profitable. They have tried diversity in the form of purchasing resale rights; superiority of numbers in the form of affiliate programs; consistency in the form of mailing lists; and subterfuge in the form o back links and back doors. One of the more profitable aspects that have yet to be fully exploited is exclusivity, through paid membership sites. The ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Charles Kassotis @

Anyone who has hired an attorney for legal representation is entitled to frequent communication and status reports. Every client deserves to know where the case is headed and get an update on the attorney’s progress, or lack of it. If you are thinking about retaining a lawyer, or already have one, here are a few pointers about what to expect from or initiate with your legal counselor. 1. Clients should receive status reports on case developments. Any action that your attorney takes on y... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Paul Duxbury @

It’s probably one of the most frequently asked questions on those forums dedicated to online business and internet marketing. Can you really make money on the internet? The simple answer is yes you could make money online! The Internet is not only for finding information about obscure or not so obscure things and chatting in the endless chat rooms that exist to cater for every type of person. It can also be an excellent place to create a second or in some instances even a primary income... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Stanley @

Retailers invest large amounts of money to get consumers into their businesses with the aim of selling them products. Owners monitor conversion rates, i.e. count the number of customers entering the store versus actual buyers to enable them to monitor success. Team members are encouraged to approach consumers to build relationships and make a sale. But, is the process really working? Many of us as potential buyers are either ignoring the messages or are confused by the mess... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Grover Rutter @

Someone once said, “The best time to start thinking about your retirement is BEFORE your boss does!” Sage advice, wouldn’t you agree? Yet, it is estimated that seven out of ten closely held business owners spend little or no time thinking about the value of one of their largest retirement assets: Their business! Regardless of the number of years in business, whether you are the only employee, or you have hundreds of employees; one thing is true for all business owners. You will exit your ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Cynthia Macy @

Business Consulting is an excellent work-at-home business. It offers the benefits of low start-up cost, ease of entry, high income potential, home-based and operated world-wide, potential for residual income and recurring and/or passive income. If you have some knowledge and expertise in your field, many who lack your knowledge and skills would gladly pay for your services. The big money comes from performing services for businesses instead of individuals. Today, information is K... more...