Ask an Expert Articles

Business » Ask an Expert | By Ann Knapp @ Friday, 28th March 2008 @ 1:44 AM

In this day and age, safety is of prime concern in relation to the operation of mail rooms. From three-person operations to corporate mail centers, well-developed mail center security procedures can be easily adopted by any mailroom. From in-house accidents to more menacing outside dangers, businesses rely on a fully functioning mail room, which requires vigilance and organization. To protect your employees and business, consider the following procedures recommended by the United States P... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Steve Scott @ Thursday, 27th March 2008 @ 3:58 PM

Putting off something that should be done now until a later time is what we have come to think of as procrastination. You might associate procrastination with someone who doesn't take the garbage out right away, or someone who puts off cleaning the storm drains until there is a real clog. However, procrastination is present in business situations as well. Some of the most brilliant, work oriented people are guilty of procrastination in business. Here's a bit of a story about a man ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Monday, 24th March 2008 @ 4:17 PM

What is "money consciousness?" It is how one thinks, both consciously and unconsciously, about money. Now, if I told you that 1% of the people control over 50% of the money in the United States, would you believe me? Well, the distribution of wealth is that skewed. What about this 1% who have the wealth - do you think that these people are any smarter than everyone else? Do you think they are luckier? Well, they aren't. The 1% of the population that c... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Monday, 24th March 2008 @ 12:03 AM

Why should you publish an e-zine (i.e., an e-mailed newsletter)? To revisit your customers and potential customers in your target market. It reminds them about you, and it gives them reasons to return to your site. Your e-zines can deliver one or more of the following: New info about your site (the easiest model to create/maintain) New product/service introductions/upgrade announcements Brand new content exclusive to subscribers (the hardest model, since it involve... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By John Barth @ Saturday, 22nd March 2008 @ 5:14 PM

Are you dissatisfied with the print quality of your thermal transfer or direct thermal printer? Do they have unwanted lines and/or blank spots in the print? If so, your thermal transfer printhead might need cleaned or even replaced. The printhead is the most critical component of your thermal printer and one of the most delicate. Before deciding whether or not you need a new thermal transfer printhead, you should first clean it properly. You can clean a printhead by rubbing it with an alcohol pa... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Eric Corl @ Saturday, 22nd March 2008 @ 4:05 PM

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is the governmental agency in charge of granting patents to inventors. As USPTO.gov states, For over 200 years, the basic role of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has remained the same: to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries (Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution). The major function of the... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Eric Corl @ Friday, 21st March 2008 @ 11:02 PM

One of the primary driving forces that bring inventions to light is the profit motive. While Hollywood and the media tend to glorify the selfless inventor, the truth is that many of the most basic technologies we have would not have come to pass without the incentive of selling it. Venture capitalist Paul Graham explains this in his essay, "How to Make Wealth." "Developing new technology is a pain in the ass. It is, as Edison said, one percent inspiration and ninety-nine perce... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Thursday, 20th March 2008 @ 11:35 AM

Auto responders are remarkable, versatile programs that do so much more than just automatically answer your email. Here are 8 ideas that will help you to creatively and productively use your auto responder to transform the casual visitor into a profitable customer. Use your auto responder to: 1. Publish a newsletter. Certain quality auto responders will manage subscriptions and follow-up with interested prospects. Your newsletter can keep your visitors informed about your services or pro... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Thursday, 20th March 2008 @ 11:23 AM

Often when I recommend to one of my clients that they create a plan for their home business they ask, "Why?" I understand the inquiry. I mean, why spend time putting together such a document? Why not just do what you need to do to build it? Right? Now, typically I try not to answer a question with a question - that can be annoying for the person who asked me a question! However, sometimes I do, which is the case here. I ask my clients, "Well, when you go on... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Wednesday, 19th March 2008 @ 1:56 PM

Did you know that on average, everyone has a mental Rolodex of 250 people that they know? If that is the case, do you think that staying in touch with people would enable you to tap into more people's mental Rolodexes? Can you see how doing so will benefit you and your business? Consider that a newsletter, or e-zine, rich with valuable content is an easy way to stay in touch with people. Getting an e-zine started and publishing one regularly is not as challenging as most peo... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Saturday, 15th March 2008 @ 3:06 PM

Where I live I often see ads on telephone poles, street signs, and in the newspaper stating something like this: "Earn thousand of dollars a month - from your home - Processing Medical Billing Claims." On the surface these ads may seem appealing. However, what's behind these may be a work at home scam. Often these types of ads do not fully disclose all of the details. For example, they do not tell you that: * You may have to work many hours without pay * ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Marsha Friedman @ Wednesday, 12th March 2008 @ 6:02 AM

As a national pr firm, we work with many types of media. But when it comes to talk radio we are specialists in helping our clients gain national recognition, sell books and popularize their causes. And our clients keep coming back for more national media attention. Fact is - talk radio may honestly be one of the best-kept national pr secrets there is. There are many reasons why this is true - but let me give you ten to start with: 1. THE RIGHT DEMOGRAPHICS. Every year Talkers Magazine d... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Wednesday, 12th March 2008 @ 2:52 AM

Writing a business plan can seem daunting. However, with a little bit of planning, it won't be for you. Worth noting here is that I'm not a fan of big, fat business plans that sit on a book-shelf or in a filing cabinet. My idea of a good business plan is one that is simple, easy to read, and accessible. Think of your business plan as your road map. You want it handy to look at so you stay on course. Before you go investing a lot of time (and possibly money) on ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Tuesday, 11th March 2008 @ 7:08 PM

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase, "Are you tracking with me?" Over the years, from time to time, I've heard public speakers use this phrase. It was a way for the speaker to take a pulse and see if their listeners were engaged in what they were saying. But, then one day I got to thinking, "How many people are tracking?" I wondered how many people actual track what they are doing in their businesses. How many home business owners take a pul... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Tuesday, 11th March 2008 @ 5:39 PM

This past Halloween I was trick or treating with my kids. As they went up to each house I waited at the bottom of each driveway - as did most of the other parents. I heard two of the fathers speaking. One said to the other, "Well, it's one of those MLM/network marketing things, but the product is so good." I chuckled to myself. He was discounting the network marketing aspect, when, in fact, it's because of network marketing that he's enjoying the benefits of the... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 8:03 PM

Well, nothing, necessarily. It's really a matter of which network marketing business you choose, knowing what to do and then going out there and doing it. So, let's take a look at what to look for in a network marketing business. Essentially there are 12 items to consider: 1. Make sure that the Company is well established. Ask yourself: How many years has the company been in business? A general rule of thumb is 10 years because you can determine what type of repu... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Kimberly Anne @ Friday, 7th March 2008 @ 7:52 PM

We see auto responders all of the time. Well, we don't actually see the auto responder - we see the email messages that auto responder services send. For example, did you recently ask for on line help by submitting a form with your contact information and question? After submitting the form, did you receive an email confirming receipt of your question - you know something like "Do not respond to this email. It has been automatically generated. We're sending this message ... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Jason OConnor @ Monday, 3rd March 2008 @ 5:47 AM

If you're planning on hiring a Web design firm or freelancer to build you a new business website, then you ought to read this article before you make the hire. One key concept that many would-be entrepreneurs and business people miss is understanding market needs in advance. In other words, many people make the mistake of developing a product or service before they know if there is a need for it in the marketplace. This can be extended to websites as well. Since a website is an ext... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Phoenix Delray @ Sunday, 2nd March 2008 @ 7:48 PM

Mixing drinks is about more than just using the right cocktail shakers, it is also important to remember that bartenders interact with people constantly, and as such, need to have excellent people skills. An engaging personality, good grooming, a great memory, the ability to be both fast and efficient, and an extensive knowledge of beer, wines, cocktails, and liquor are all absolute musts. When you begin work at a new bar, begin by opening all of the coolers and cabinets to get an ide... more...

Business » Ask an Expert | By Chris Robertson @ Saturday, 1st March 2008 @ 11:41 PM

Soda machines are very popular these days particularly in hospitals, colleges, bus stands and airports. We like convenience, options, low prices, and vending machines offer all of these. Vending machines, an extremely profitable market, have become a significant new battleground in the soft-drink business. We're in a period of intense competition among bottlers and full-line vending operators for the control of soft-drink vending machines. While installing choose an indoor location ... more...