In the current economic climate it is important that you pay attention to your credit standing, especially if you believe you have a poor credit rating. So, are you on a credit blacklist?The straight answer is no, you're not. In fact there is no such thing as a credit blacklist. This is popular myth.Credit reference agencies by law may only display factual information about people, most of this information is provided directly by lenders and...more
Do you cringe every time the phone rings or constantly have to look at the caller id before answering? Do you dread picking up and opening your mail? If these are two things that have become less then a pleasant experience in your life, it is more then likely due to excessive calls from delinquent bill collectors. However, ignoring the persistent telephone calls and collection notices will not make the problem disappear and will only cause and...more
At some point in our lives most of us have heard the old saying, "The customer is always right". This means that even when they're wrong they're right. This is the number one most important rule in giving good customer service. Implementing this rule is absolutely necessary for a business to be 100% successful.People have communicated with each other since the world began. It's part of our everyday lives. Think about all the people that you communicate with throughout your day. You would probably be amazed at the number. How many of these people were in a, what you could call, "Customer Service" position?No matter what time a person starts work the chances are good that they are going to stop at a gas station, coffee shop, a fast food restaurant, or maybe even a party store to grab a cup of coffee. When you go inside or drive up to the window, the employee that is taking your order is required to give you good customer service. An employee that has been properly trained will have their focus on you, the customer, not having a food fight with their co-workers or talking on their cell phone. (The order being correct is a thumb's up from me.)The majority of the places that you shop...more
Credit cards are almost a necessity today, but they need to be used with accountability. Having a good credit score will help you with a good interest rate on your mortgage, get a car loan and make other important purchases in you life. A low or damaged credit score could raise your interest rates and make borrowing money very expensiveYou need a...more
Bill the HandymanMy friend Bill is a handyman, in a big city. His work involves advertising of his business, receiving responses and dealing with them, booking visits to prospective future jobs and quoting, sometimes re-quoting as someone has undercut him and he has a bit more space in his original quote, he can go lower. So, about 70% of his time...more
Small business owners across the country, have been affected by the challenges of this economy more than any other type of business. They are the group that has the least resources and leverage to counter what is taking place in their businesses. Phones that rang relentlessly only 1 year ago, are barely ringing today, if at all. Customer cancellations are abundant.They are experiencing declining sales, increasing costs and decreasing lines of credit. Plus, they are realizing a shortage of cash that cannot be generated quickly enough to stay competitive. It's no wonder advertising and marketing budgets have been substantially reduced, it not eliminated. So, what's next for the small business owner, and how do they survive? In some cases, a business cannot be saved, as the pressures of this economy can weigh too heavy. However, for those small businesses determined not to give up, there is help and resources from all 3 branches of governmnet; city, state and federal?First, there are two choices these business owners must make; to struggle through, taking no action, while hoping for a quick economic turnaround or map out a plan for survival. For the entrepreneur who is determined to...more
As a result of the rapid growth of the popularity of the internet, and the growth in access to various information systems online, there is a completely new breed of investing that is beginning to take shape, creating virtual investors who...more
With each passing day, families across America and indeed most of the world are watching their bills pile up and their savings and investments disappear. The 'funny' thing is the rich are still getting richer, while the rest of us struggle just to...more
There's no doubt about it: LinkedIn is one of the greatest job search tools available today. Not only can you "advertise" your availability and display career endorsements, but being viewable on LinkedIn is a boon to executive recruiters that may...more
"Franchising dates back to at least the 1850s; Isaac Singer, who made improvements to an existing model of a sewing machine, wanted to increase the distribution of his sewing machines. His effort, though unsuccessful in the long run, was among the...more
I feel like I've had the same hair style for years. That is until about six months ago. Since then I've unleashed my inner Linda Evangelista and played around with a few different styles and even colors! A few months ago, I decided I would try the...more
Another element that is extremely, extremely important to include in your credibility kit is testimonials. Testimonials are very, very important and you need to start to think about it. If you're not getting testimonials now you need to do it, and...more