Amidst everyone's busy life, one may, in one time or the other, stop and think-one person has a steady nine to five job, generating a steady income, may want, or wishes that she can stay at home and be with the kids... but has no choice, one must earn, to make a living. Others, may not want to stay at home, but wishes still, could make a larger income and be their own boss. Others still, are not satisfied, or do not enjoy what they do at work,...more
One of the first questions people ask when they are purchasing something is, "What does is cost?". There is no exception when it comes to surety bond shopping. Unfortunately, bonds are really considered a form of credit and the same rate does not apply to all applicants. It is not that agents do want to give you a better idea of the costs of a bond, it is that they can not without applications being completed.Usually, once a principal is told...more
I constantly receive questions and complaints from my creative professional clients about what to do when a prospect claims, "I can't afford your prices, but I want your services." My clients are frustrated, because they are usually being told this while standing in a mansion-like home, furnished with top-of-the-line furniture, with a beautifully manicured lawn, and three luxury cars parked in a four-car garage.How much your client can afford is relative to their values and beliefs of what is important. It is not your job to lower your price so the client can afford you. It is your job to help the client see the connections between their values and your services, regardless of how much money they've spent on other items. In other words, don't lower your price because the client says she can't afford you.What a client can and cannot afford is all relative. For example, I know a woman who enjoys eating out at expensive restaurants, though she claims she cannot afford to go on vacation every year. On the flip side, I know families who rarely eat out and cook low cost meals at home, so they can afford to vacation twice a year. Therefore, it is valuable to the first woman to eat...more
"Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something." (Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido)Thomas Alva Edison failed in his experiment for thousands of times before he was able to invent the electric light bulb. Laurence Peter failed when more than 20 publishers rejected his book, "The Peter Principle," before it became a best-seller....more
You have seen them advertised on your television. Likely, you have gotten their solicitations in your mailbox. Your neighbor has one and he just got a brand new gas grille for free! So, what am I talking about? Cash back credit cards, of course. Millions of consumers are making the switch over from plain credit cards to cash back cards. They have...more
I just had a phone conversation with a client who had a familiar story to tell. He had built his business on the model of an entrepreneurial sales force. Give them a territory, pay them straight commission, and tell them they are in business for themselves, free to develop the customers they chose with the products they wanted.And for a couple decades it had worked well. The business grew and expanded. More entrepreneurial sales people were added, and the model was duplicated over and over again.So far so good. But then the growth in sales began to slow down. Three flat or declining years in a row has caused this company president to question the status quo. Not only is business flat, but he's unable to get his sales force to promote the lines that he wants to promote, he's unable to get them to use some of the new technology that the company wants them to use, and he's unable to get them to prospect for new customers. Now he's faced with an experienced sales force, who for the most part, are unmanageable.The culprit? A sales model that was built on the concept of the entrepreneurial salesperson. There was a time when this model was effective, but in today's competitive economy,...more
I've heard many people say they get lonely and miss being around work associates when they work at home. You should consider this as you think about starting a home-based business. Will you be able to work by yourself, will you get lonely?There are...more
Isn't it great each year we get to have an opportunity to "start over" and put the past behind us? We get to start with a fresh, clean slate. We can do that at any point throughout the year, but it helps that masses of people join the resolution...more
Many people today believe in order to become wealthy they either have to be born into wealth or have a lot of money to make money. The fact is this just isn't true. Building wealth is a mechanical process and because it's so simple it's quite...more
It is not uncommon for families or individuals to find themselves in the midst of credit card debt. Many people wonder if credit card debt consolidation is for them. What is involved in this process? Basically, a credit card balance transfer takes...more
If you are having difficulty knowing what to charge, then check out your competition and find out what they're doing. Find out if they post prices or fees on their website or if they have "packages" or deals. Do they have payment options?While you...more
To work at home seems to be the "Dream of Our Time". For women, in particular, it provides a way to combine motherhood with earning an income, without sacrificing time with the family. There are several ways to work from home so we can be with our...more