Do Business Well

Going to a workshop may seem attractive. Yes, you can pick up some skills. But it’s difficult to transfer these skills to your work environment. The so-called university model of training (sending employees to outside educational institutions) has proven relatively ineffective. On the average, you can expect to see the transfer of no more than 5 to 20 percent of the desired skills two years after the training program. Continue Reading »

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It’s almost Meeting Failure-Proof

Keep in mind that most meetings aren’t very effective as they are now run. When you get a chance to facilitate or record, it will be because your group has agreed that it is worth trying something new. You are probably going to look good no matter what you do. The mere presence of a facilitator, recorder, and group memory will do wonders. Even if you think you have done a lousy job, your group may well be impressed just because it will all be so new. Explain that you are learning and will make mistakes. Ask people to help you stay in your role and remain neutral. You are there to help them. It’s their meeting and they share the responsibility for making it a success. Continue Reading »

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Purchase History

<FIRST PURCHASE DATE, LAST PURCHASE DATE, PURCHASE FREQUENCY, PURCHASE VALUE (ACTUAL PURCHASES OR AVERAGE PURCHASE), PRODUCTS PURCHASED, PURCHASE DRIVER (WEBSITE “WALK-ON,” EMAIL RESPONSE, BANNER CLICK-THROUGH … )>

Because past purchases are among the leading predictors of future interest, you should use the information contained in the customer’s purchase history to determine the timing, offer, targeting, and personalization of your promotional communication. If, for example, you bought book from BarnesandNoble, you’ve probably been identified as someone who’s interested in high-tech business books, which means there’s a good chance you’d be interested in Geoffrey Moore’s Inside the Tornado. Continue Reading »

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Assuming a meeting is necessary, here are some guidelines for running meetings in an intelligent and decisive manner.

Practical arrangements

If you are elected as either chairperson or secretary, you will be involved in the pre-meeting arrangements. The secretary makes most of these practical arrangements. But he or she should do this in consultation with the chairperson, who needs to be kept fully informed of developments.

Let’s take a look at the when, where and how of an effective meeting: Continue Reading »

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Record decisions

Don’t allow the discussion to reach a hurried and unsatisfactory conclusion. Make sure that the final conclusion is clearly stated.

If a substantial number of group members are still in disagreement, invite them to draw up a minority report. Make sure that decisions are recorded in writing. Within a day or two you may have forgotten the details of even the most important meeting. Writing down decisions ensures that everyone knows what they are supposed to do. In this way your meetings will culminate in action. Continue Reading »

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i. Each team member should have a clear, updated job description with well- defined accountabilities and levels of authorisation. However, don’t create rigid reporting systems that will stifle creativity. Promote a culture of participation, innovation and sharing.

ii. Team members should be encouraged to take ownership of their business unit, section or area. They must be encouraged to take total responsibility. In return, you must treat them as partners. Ask them for their input and advice. Consult with them on changes. Involve them as deeply as possible in all aspects of the business.

iii. It has been said that human beings can never get enough recognition. We all hunger for praise, compliments and being somebody special. So honour, respect and stroke those team members who earn it. And do it with sincerity and integrity. Go out of your way to catch people doing something right. Celebrate outstanding achievements. Continue Reading »

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Your new assignment may sound like a “mission impossible”:

• You’ve been chosen to direct an important new company project, which involves putting together a group comprised of both new and experienced employees.
• You’re the manager who has been brought in after a takeover and asked to shape up a department.
• You’ve survived a merger or reorganization, but your new job— streamlining the department you’ve been managing—may prove to be an even bigger challenge.

Naturally, you’ll feel anxious about building a new staff or department. To proceed with fewer problems, keep your mission in mind and follow these three steps: Continue Reading »

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Even the most fair-minded male executives are sometimes guilty of unintentional discrimination against women on their staff, according to a study undertaken by Catalyst, a national research and advisory organization. The reason: Male managers‘ perceptions of women are often based on traditional cultural values rather than current work and family realities.

“One result is that men and women feel uncomfortable dealing with each other, and that can lead to communication and productivity problems,” says Lisa Hicks, a senior associate at Catalyst, New York, NY. Here are some of the most typical situations in which men’s well- intentioned behavior can backfire and how you can reduce the possibility of having it affect you and your female staff members: Continue Reading »

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This subsection was kindly contributed by Glen Freeman, Brunel University. Background

The traditional high street retailer W. H. Smith plc has already established new channels to market through the Internet, digital television and WAP mobile phones. The company has a huge high street presence in the UK, with 1,500 stores nationwide. It also now has stores across the globe on major transport routes at airports and railway stations, and already has over 5 million members registered with its ‘club card‘ scheme. These are already loyal W. H. Smith customers who have experienced the company through its stores. Moving this confidence online will be far easier than trying to generate new business online. Continue Reading »

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In the early days of franchising, franchise associations the world over saw themselves exclusively as franchisor representatives, and the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (FASA) was no exception. However, the widely held assumption that FASA would lave been automatically biased against franchisees was incorrect wen then. From the outset, FASA was concerned with the promotion 4 ethical franchising in the widest sense of the word and today, this organisation embraces within its membership franchisors, franchiees and service providers.

The Franchise Agreement:
Some practical pointers

The franchise agreement forms the basis of all dealings with future franchisees. Given its importance, it should cover every possible angle, and its drafting is best left to an accomplished professional in this field.

From the prospective franchisor’s viewpoint

It happens from time to time that newcomers to franchising ask us to let them copy an existing franchise agreement. This cannot be recommended. Ethics aside, to withstand possible challenges at a later stage, franchise agreements need to be drafted to reflect the realities of the business and the environment within which it operates. This is one of the rare cases where misguided action results only in cons, with the best will in the world, no pros can be found. Consider the following: Continue Reading »

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