It's time to beat the old bad customer service drum again. I know, I'm sick of beating the drum, too, but as long as bad customer service runs rampant through so many businesses I feel it is my entrepreneurial duty to bring it to your attention. So grab a pew and prepare to listen to the sermon I've preached before: bad customer service is the bane of business. If the Almighty smote down every business that dispenses bad customer service the...more
If there is not enough diversity in your employee base or there is high turnover with certain groups of employees, your organization will not be able to leverage the power of diversity. Building diversity in a company through recruiting and retention is an important step to creating an inclusive workplace. Are your recruiting efforts doing the following? Here are some tips to help build diversity in your organization through recruitment: - Begin...more
Abstract: Delegation is art and science. Effective leaders know when and how to delegate in order to 1) get more done and 2) develop people. This article provides tips for effective delegation.As a project leader, manager, or business owner, you may suffer from a fatal disease - one that can suck the very life force from not only you but from everyone and everything around you. The disease is called delegitis and its symptoms include:- Feeling overwhelmed not just by the amount of work but also by the broad range of work that you need to do.- The nagging suspicion that people around you - your employees and staff - are not as competent as you always thought.- The increasing sense of responsibility with the knowledge that there's no one who can do the work as good as you and as fast as you.- The meltdown that occurs when you DO count on others and things go south.If you've ever experienced these symptoms, you may have delegitis. In its final stages, it can devastate a team or company. In this article, we'll talk about the causes (delegitis is actually spread from monkey bites!) and the cures.Delegitis Linked to Monkey BitesHas this happened to you: You're walking down the hall...more
Real estate success? It happens by way of the many things you repeatedly do right, and it is your habits that ensure they get done. Here are some habits to develop for your real estate investing success.Ask for people's names, and tell them yours. People are your most valuable resource in real estate investing. The more you know, the more likely...more
It's true, You can make a lot of money by investing in real estate. Yet, many investors are not. And when you look at their real estate investment strategy, it's no surprise.The problem is that they have been brainwashed by the so called real estate investment gurus. You know the ones that I am talking about. The ones that tell you that for a few...more
A Business Necessity - CommunicationThis business necessity is often something we tend to NOT think about since we feel it's something that is always there. What is this necessity? Communication. Communication happens every day. We talk to people. They talk to us. We read letters that come in the mail. We send information via the computer to friends and family all over the world. Communication is everywhere.When it comes to a business, communication (or the lack of it) can mean the difference between a thriving business with good customer relations or a business that continually has problems since customers can't get in touch with you to order products, to handle problems AND receive good reports.So, here are some of the inexpensive ways to keep in touch with your customers and have them keep in touch with you!EmailThis is one of the basic necessities of running a business online. You should have one basic e-mail address (maybe support@yourbusiness.com) or specialized addresses if it would make it easier for you to keep track of incoming messages. Some specialized e-mail addresses might include (returns@yourbusiness.com), (ordering@yourbusiness.com), etcÂ… Email is not 100...more
The beginning of a new year is a time when many of us make resolutions, some resolutions are intended to improve aspects of our personal life and some are professional life-based resolutions to achieve certain goals. Among the personal and...more
Successful business relationships are based on Value, Competence, Trust, and Propriety.ValueValue: The customer's perception of your worth, excellence, usefulness, or importance. Value addresses the customer's question, "What can this person or...more
Judgment is the process of forming an opinion of something by making a comparison. While judgment can play an important role in decisions we must make to live productively, sometimes the thoughts we hold are what prevent us from having what we most...more
Support functions like training often are the first to feel the impact of difficult times. Ironically, the crunch comes at a time when many businesses may benefit from their services.Let me be clear at the outset, during lean times especially,...more
Proper Funding is a pre-requisite for the successful operation of a Home Based Business. The fact is that without sufficient funds even the best planned Home Based Business whether it is big or small is bound to fail. Cash is an important ingredient...more
Have you sat down and really thought about your financial future? I know people are busy these days and you think "well I'm young now and I'll have time to do it later." You're dead wrong. You are NEVER too young to start saving for retirement!They...more