Today's marketplace is extraordinarily competitive. Whether you sell merchandise online or in a brick-and-mortar retail store, the prices you pay for inventory can mean the difference between profit and financial ruin. Sole proprietorships and small, family run businesses often have the most to gain - or lose - in the game of inventory acquisition and resale. Thankfully, liquidators have stepped in to fill the gap by providing businesses with...more
What would you think if you saw a sign that read, "Entrepreneurs Wanted"? Many people would see such a sign as a rare opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. They've long envisioned a life where they could make their own hours, follow their passions, and not have to feel as though the people above them are trying to keep them down. Others would view such a sign with suspicion. They might ask, "What's the catch?" They might even come up with a...more
When it comes to business most of us take one side or the other: Business owners are either viewed as helpful visionaries or evil devils. The evil view feels that the heads of major corporations exist to fleece our pockets and take our money. They'd roll us in the alley given the chance. If you're looking for a bad guy, few compare to the faceless evil of corporate America so often portrayed in today's media. The evil corporation is out to get your money!If you ever bother to take a second look with the good light turned on, you will have to admit that successful businesses are there helping us fulfill our needs and desires at every turn in ways we could never achieve without them. Are they being good and helpful, or are they evil and opportunistic? Well here's the low down. Are they in it for themselves? Absolutely! Are they also in it for you? Absolutely! Fundamentally successful businesses are started for two reasons.1. To help themselves (selfish devils)2. To help others (kind-hearted angels)Is it possible they could do both? Yes, they can do both. In fact they need to do both to remain useful to themselves and to remain useful to others.Think about your favourite store. It...more
Looking back I can't believe how long it took me to truly understand what a business was for. I'd heard it repeated countless times, albeit for the most part by parrots and non-believers. I'd seen it portrayed in posters and articles all around me, but somehow I remained blind to the message. Like many of us, I was brought up believing that to make...more
To run a successful business, you have to understand the reasons that people have for going to a business to satisfy their needs instead of taking care of their problems on their own. When trying to carry out a particular task or satisfy a particular need, a business can have a significant advantage over the individual. Let's look at some simple...more
In today's high-paced, competitive workforce an effective office manager is key to successful business operation. As an effective office manager you need to understand your role, and your key objectives.The key responsibility of any office manager is to ensure the smooth operation of day-to-day business. There are three levels required to accomplish any large task (like running an office)1. Strategic Planning and Monitoring2. Tactical Planning and Monitoring3. Execution of the Plan An Office Manager is a tactical manager. As a tactical manager you normally have the following key responsibilities. 1. Understand the strategic plan. This is harder than it sounds. It is not always easy to get a clear vision of your objectives from your leadership team. Keep asking for it until you get it, and accept and understand that you may never get a clear answer on this. Ask how your performance will be measured. If you can't get a straight answer on the objectives, you can often figure them out by what you are being measured on. Strategic planners measure their staff on things that reflect what they want done. Your real objective is to meet not just the measurements, but also to meet the intent...more
Fundamentally there are only two ways to grow your business: increase the amount of money coming in and cut costs. If you are just starting out your cost cutting opportunities are small so you need to turn your focus to taking in more money.Here are...more
Since the primary purpose of a successful business is to help customers with their problems it stands to reason that a business would be organized around the way customers look at problems.The Customers PerspectiveThe typical problem solving cycle of...more
We know why people want things:1. to meet basic needs,2. to save time or effort,3. to get peace of mind,4. it appeals to their image or ego,5. fun or enjoyment,We also know why people go looking for help with these things:1. ...more
Could evil corporate America actually be helping us?When it comes to business most of us take one side of the other: Business owners are either viewed as helpful visionaries or evil devils. The evil view feels that the heads of major corporations...more
If you want to design your business so that it provides the best possible experience for your customers, you have to think about the customer process. People go through the same steps every time that they look for a product to help them satisfy one...more
For any business to be successful, the people inside the business must understand why people would want their products or services. Understanding the 5 reasons people ask for help, and the 5 corresponding benefits they receive is critical to...more