You know, those really important outside groups of people whose behaviors can help or hinder any business, non-profit or association manager in achieving his or her objectives? Are you persuading those key stakeholders - especially those whose behaviors affect your unit the MOST - to your way of thinking, then moving them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed? Oh, as a manager, you say you're covered...more
Do classified ads really work? Should you include an email address or fax number in them? How about a call to action? Questions like these are often brought to the attention of OhioHelp.net, an Ohio-based company specializing in helping businesses worldwide with their marketing, public relations and freelance writing services. Here are some top tips they offer based on their own client projects. TOP TIPS FROM OHIOHELP.NET I. CLASSIFIED AD...more
How popular is online shopping? And is there room for improvement? Let's check out some pros and cons of automated shopping and see. Digital carts offer convenience for people around the globe 24 hours a day. Yet an estimated 4 percent of shoppers make purchases, up from 3.5 percent in 2003, reported by DoubleClick, an online marketing company. And approximately 30 percent of shopping carts are abandoned, according to recent surveys by BizRate.com, a shopping search engine. The main reasons for shopping cart abandonment are*: High shipping prices (72%) Comparison shopping or browsing (61%) Changed mind (56%) Saving items for later purchase (51%) Total cost of items is too high (43%) Checkout process is too long (41%) Checkout requires too much personal information (35%) Site requires registration before purchase (34%) Site is unstable or unreliable (31%) Checkout process is confusing (27%)To decrease shopping cart abandonment and increase sales, simple minor improvements in automation can be highly effective. Here are some tips that work best for clients and workers alike of OhioHelp.net, an Ohio-based company that specializes in helping businesses worldwide with their...more
Are people interested in ebooks? And if so, what are the best ways to sell them? The following statistics reported by the Open eBook Forum, a non-profit organization for the electronic book publishing industry, definitely show an interest in ebooks. Note the Forum boasts members like Microsoft Corporation, Adobe Systems, McGraw-Hill, Random House,...more
Some day-to-day work issues can turn into big headaches for small businesses. For example, not having enough help during a busy season or new promotion can hurt production, sales and customer relations in the fulfillment of orders and customer service. A quick glance at the following stats reported by the US. Small Business Administration, shows...more
Last month I was invited to participate in a charity golf tournament in Las Vegas to celebrate the life of the late dancing legend Gregory Hines. The event was held to raise funds and awareness of the tragic disease that took this entertainer's life. Although we were focusing on this serious matter, it was a true pleasure to meet all the celebrities and people whom I would not normally have the opportunity to meet while living here in San Diego. However, what really left an impression with me the most was a conversation I had with Gregory Hines's father, Maurice. I went up to him and simply asked this question: "What was it about Gregory's upbringing that made him such a leader in his art?" "Well, it's like this," began his proud dad in an authoritative manner. "All we did was watch what he loved to do and then encourage him to continue doing it. You should've seen his eyes light up when he was only a child dancing for the family. When we put a ball in his hand, he didn't share the same passion so we simply took it away." "That's it?" I asked in a surprised tone. "Yes, it's as simple as that," he replied. "You see so many people try to push...more
It's Friday night, you're sitting at a restaurant, and as your meal arrives, the server says, "Now, don't touch that plate. It's hot." What's the first thing you do?Well, 99% of the time you're going to touch that plate,...more
Staying ahead of the marketing curve seems to be a never-ending quest. Marketing doesn't have to be as complex as some people make it out to be. It's simply a matter of understanding who you are marketing to - your ideal customers - and...more
No matter how great your idea is, if the market isn't ready for it, or if it's already saturated, you just won't profit from it, at least not at the moment. So how do you know if it's just another great idea or a money tree ripe...more
The complete article together with preactical excersises and Coaching tips can be found at www.my1stBusiness.com.Getting on the radio can be a great tactical move as part of your overall publicity effort, but you do need to have a story idea or an...more
Defining a long-term investment in the stock market.For some "long term" would mean holding a stock position over the weekend. For others, it may mean holding a security for at least 1 year for the purpose of declaring a long-term capital gain, thus...more
Leaving school, getting a new job, or even a raise at your current one, has most people considering their next great purchase. Few think about the affect this could have on their future. Rather than pay down the debt they carry, many...more