The outlook for 2005 is out; it is going to be yet another challenging year, with the recent increase in oil prices finally settling in. Economic growth rate is going to be modest and the traditional manufacturing engine of growth may be hard-pressed with the Singapore -US free trade agreement being in effect.For the normal man-in-the-street, this can be the right opportunity to take stock of his financial direction and start on a totally new...more
Secured Credit Card is similar to a prepaid credit card since the funds you are using are actually yours and not the issuer of the credit card. Generally people who apply for secured credit card or prepaid credit card are people with poor credit or unemployed. Prepaid Credit Card spending limit is the amount of money you loaded to the card. There are no interest or finance charges on a prepaid card. With secured credit card, your credit line...more
Microsoft Business Solutions is Microsoft subdivision and historically it is joining several products development companies under one roof: Great Plains Software, Navision Software, Microsoft CRM (this one was developed by MBS), Solomon Software, SMS: QuickSell 2000 - which is now Microsoft Retail Management System.Let's first look at your ERP system selection (without Retail Solution). Your options are:Microsoft Great Plains. If you remember successful mid-size application - Great Plains Dynamics, pioneered on Mac and Windows graphical platforms in the mid 1990th. This is now Microsoft Great Plains, Great Plains Standard and Microsoft Small Business Manager (scaled down Great Plains version, using he same technology - Great Plains Dexterity). Currently it is version 8.0, the only database platform option is Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE. Ctree and Pervasive SQL were abandoned, the last version, supporting these platforms was 7.5. You should consider Microsoft Great Plains if you are in: USA, Canada, Latin America, UK, South Africa, Australia - these are markets, where former Great Plains Software had successful penetrationMicrosoft Navision. This product had success on European...more
A fickle stock market encourages good-humored mockery. Recently, as I watched the premiere of a sitcom, an obvious omission breached television etiquette. Silence followed every exaggerated comedic set-up. There was no laugh track. Where were the premeditated giggles from the show's "audience?" At last, the viewer determines the funny moment. It...more
Do you ever wonder why some people seem to get all the lucky breaks in business while others struggle to barely get by? They seem to be in the right place at the right time. Fact is, maybe they're not at the right place at the right time; maybe they just know how to make things "happen." As a business advisor I often see people begin and end a...more
With the end of the year fast approaching, now is a great time to take stock of 2004. It is likely that your company set specific goals at the beginning of the year. As you review the past year, the question that must be asked is, "Have I achieved my goals? Has my company achieved the outcomes we set?" If your answer is yes, congratulations! If not, what stopped you?There are always unplanned occurrences that prevent us from accomplishing all the goals we set. However, our roadblocks are often as simple as getting caught up in the day to day activities of running our business. Without constant reminders of our vision and goals, they probably won't materialize. It's as simple as that. The difference between those who achieve a desired outcome and those who don't is evident. The most common causes of failure in achieving a desired outcome are a lack of goals and focus, lack of direction, lack of appropriate action and lack of being willing to risk - and risk big. On the other hand, those who seem to get the desired result have specific goals, clearly visualize what they want, have clear direction, take massive action and are willing to take incredible risks. One of my goals for 2004...more
Either simply a looker-on or a player in the world of business, you see millions piling into the accounts of world's most famous businessmen and naturally the question pops "How?", wondering what is the alchemy they've discovered? Yet, there is no...more
Sarah is a young woman who attended one of my sales negotiation training programs shortly after taking a new job. When I asked her how she did with her salary negotiation, she replied, "Well, I didn't negotiate. I was offered $44,000 and I took it....more
You've heard marketing and advertising gurus quip, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak." Advertising initiatives best reach their target audience with benefits and the "wow" effect, not the value or features of their product or service. This may work...more
Sure, as tactics usually presented to business, non-profit and association managers, special events, brochures and news releases are fine. But they're not the high-octane PR firepower you need to deliver growth results like new proposals for...more
I went to my barber a few days ago. We talked about his hobby, which is playing poker, and his nephew who is a boxer, and about my job and my kids, etc., etc. I told him where my son, a high school senior, wants to go to college. It is a rather...more
Today, good credit is the one constant necessity needed to succeed in any endeavor, from starting a new business venture to purchasing a home. Without having established prior good credit and maintaining this status, re-establishing decent credit can...more