Do Business Well

Amazon.com used to use the theme “Earth’s Biggest Book‑store.” No longer. They’ve changed it. The new theme is “Earth’s Biggest Selection.”

Person of the year Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, says, “It’s very natural for a customer to wonder, can you really be the best place to buy music, books and electronics? In the physical world, the answer is almost always no. But on the Internet all the physical constraints go away.” (A sign of the times: The company recently registered “Amazoneverywhere.net as a Website name.) Continue Reading »

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With consumers spending more money on landscaping and their lawns, it is not surprising the purchase incidence of garden equipment, furniture, and decor is strong as well. Purchase incidence of garden equipment, furniture, and decorative items for the garden (i.e., garden hardware) was 42 percent in 2003, down slightly from results of 47 percent in 2001. Continue Reading »

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Even if you managed to obtain adequate finances for your business, one of the biggest traps is cash flow. Cash flow basically means the movement of money into your business (from the sale of your goods or services) and the movement of money out of it (to suppliers, the bank, other creditors and employees). The relationship of these two flows is very important. Many businesses go under because although they are owed a lot of money they do not have enough in hand to pay the bank/their own debts. There is nothing more frustrating than knowing you are owed 0,000 but not having enough cash in hand to pay for the weekly shop. Continue Reading »

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The majority of people who work from home, whether they be working for giant corporations or in one-man bands, work by themselves. On the one hand, that means they are extremely efficient — no interruptions, no joking during meetings, no office politicking around the coffee machine, or gossiping in the lunch break — but it also means that homeworkers can feel terribly alone and isolated.

`I found that working six hours a day at home was worth more than eight in the office,’ says Emma Dally, now Publishing Director for The National Magazine Company. ‘There are so few interruptions that you are able to work very intensively.’ Continue Reading »

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A recent survey by the psychology department at Swansea University found that the major difficulty experienced by people who had just started working from home was the inability to separate their work and home life. That was not just because they themselves found it hard, but because family and friends found it equally hard to accept that the person who was previously ‘mum’ or ‘dad’ at home was now also a worker. ‘They found it very difficult to accept the change in roles,’ says Professor Osborne. ‘It was hard for partners and kids to comprehend that the person who had previously been available when at home, no longer was, and that they had a new role inside the home.’ Continue Reading »

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Crime in a variety of guises is on the increase. One of the major growth industries of our time is the supply of equipment to companies and individuals for deterring the thief. New devices for protecting vehicles and contractors’ plant are now on the market to meet the rise in car and equipment theft. Your firm could be suffering a steady drain on its resources through petty or substantial theft. Save money by reviewing all aspects of security.

1. Regularly review your company security arrangements

The thief soon spots any weaknesses in security routines that have been established and practised over a long period of time. These practices and routines become known to all concerned, including the thief, and the tendency is for slackness to creep into the routines anyway. A review of security practices will act as a deterrent. Continue Reading »

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• Plan your letter in rough. Note down, in logical sequence, all the points you want to cover.
• Use the correct name, title and address of the recipient. Check the spelling of names and quote the reference if you are replying to a letter.
• Write simply, clearly and concisely. Leave no room for any doubt as to what you mean. Give all details. Answer all questions.
• Divide the letter into paragraphs, each dealing with one point only.
• Make sure that your tone is appropriate for both the situation and the recipient. Be courteous at all costs. Don’t accuse, nag, talk down, preach or brag.
• Read your letter aloud to yourself. Does it sound polite? Should you cut, prune or rewrite sections?

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One of the most powerful ways to teach and communicate is through stories. And one of the best ways to engage your customers is to think of your communications as a narrative. Even the blandest material can be spiced up by giving it an engaging rhythm and making it familiar and involving. At the same time, even the most exciting information can be made boring by presenting it as a list of facts, without any personality or tension. Like a good storyteller, you have to consider how your story will engage your audience. Now I’m not proposing that you try to disguise your marketing and sales messages as gripping drama. Customers are too savvy for that and they’ll call your bluff. But you can still include a narrative thread to draw people in. An online health products retailer could, for example, includes a storyline in its email communication that features real people and the impact that health products have had on their lives. By following the lives of a cast of characters over an extended time period, readers become engaged in the story and follow it. The important thing to remember is that people like stories, remember them, and enjoy telling them to others. Continue Reading »

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1. What is your organisation’s attitude towards sexism and sexual harassment?
2. Summarise your organisation’s written policy on sexual harassment.
3. If it doesn’t have a policy, who should you choose to make management aware of the problem?
4. How should you go about this and by when?

An organisational policy is essential. But the real onus of minimising the possibility of being harassed is on you. Here is some sound advice:

Maintain a good self-image

Know yourself. Value yourself. Remember that you have a right to be taken seriously in the workplace. Continue Reading »

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I’ve made several mentions of AC International’s recent entry into the water bottle business. A large portion of our sales is made to companies who want either to sell or give away bottles with their name, logo, and/or message on the side. For less than two dollar apiece, a dealer can give customers who’ve purchased a bike a bottle that has the dealer’s store name and phone number emblazoned on the side.

With this range of possible advertising venues in mind, you’ll now want to begin to decide what approach to take to get your message out. Part of that process will include whether or not to use an advertising agency. Continue Reading »

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