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The X-Factor in Debt Collection ... Accessing finance can be a real problem for many small businesses, especially if they are growing fast. One option many businesses don't consider is factoring, or cashflow lending as it is sometimes called. Getting into business for yourself is a pretty big decision to make. Time is one of the many reasons people sell themselves into the idea of being their own boss. Not having to battle the peak hour traffic in the morning would definitely be reason enough! Money is another big motivator for the shift into owning a business - as this will eventually feed the desired lifestyle many business owners seek. Advertising is basically a necessity for any small business today although some still don't or won't use it either because they don't know how to use it or rely on referrals which in itself is a form of indirect advertising. To market your business effectively is to position your product/service favourably in your consumers mind - to attract attention. Over the years, the market for most products/services has become extremely competitive offering consumers a lot more choice. How do you launch a brand or product? PENNY YOUNG looks at the variety of ways in which you can create a launch to suit your product and to maximise marketing. Successfully building your product or packaging your services are essential ingredients for business success. Choosing the perfect
location for your business is not easy. STUART FINLAYSON offers insights
into finding the right site. Choosing
a location is more a science than a lottery. It's one of the most important
decisions you will make when setting up a retail business. There are two sides
to every story, and we take a look at how training works in 'real life'
and in a variety of industries, from the perspective of employee and
employer. Research shows that the climate for training in the workplace
is changing, in style and in numbers. How do most people define customer service? In a basic form: Service that is given to customers - or lack of sadly enough! Each persons perception of service, either excellent or poor, really depends on their experience as a customer as well as the level of service they expect to receive as a customer - now and in the future. Stories From The Shop-Floor ... There are two sides
to every story, and we take a look at how training works in 'real life'
and in a variety of industries, from the perspective of employee and
employer. Research shows that the climate for training in the workplace
is changing, in style and in numbers. Ann-Maree Moodie talks to 29-year-old Anita Paulsen, co-principal of Tasmanian seafood processor Salty Seas, whose apprenticeship gave her the opportunity to run her own business.
Here's
how to reduce your working hours and Increase your income …
We've all heard
time is our greatest asset, and how you invest your time is one of the
keys to business success. Understanding this, have you sufficiently
assessed how you spend your time and how it could possibly be used more
effectively?
How To Boost Your Conversion
Rate … Conversion rates
are often given little thought by the average business owner, and invariable
when I ask someone out of the blue, they take a guess. That's not good
enough - you have to start measuring it NOW.
How To Change Your Mindset
And Become A Marketing Genius … It's time to unlock
the amazingly simple truth about marketing, an area of business that
so often eludes comprehension, yet it's by far the most important ingredient
of being a success.
Mind Rich ... The Seeds
Of Wealth … It has been said
that your current reality is your past futures becoming real. Or, put
another way, your position today is the result of all the decisions
you made in the past.
How to get you STAFF
working like a TEAM! … All too often the
cry is heard 'you can't get good people' or 'why can't I get my people
to do as I tell them'. Well here's a few ideas that may make life a
lot easier.
How to produce Advertising
that isn't a waste of money … Ask any accountant…advertising
is an expense… Right? Wrong or at least it doesn't have to be. Done
correctly advertising can make you thousands of dollars in extra revenue,
done incorrectly it can cost you more!
In today's competitive
business world, Business Coaching can mean the difference between success
and failure. Working in conjunction with a Business Coach can help you
develop the winning strategies to take your business to success and
beyond.
Ever wondered how
to wow your customers or the customers of a friend in business or a
business acquaintance? One of the most under utilised, yet, extremely
effective methods is the "Host Beneficiary" or host ben for short.
Host Beneficiaries…
(Who wants to be a millionaire) … Ever wondered how
to wow your customers or the customers of a friend in business or a
business acquaintance? One of the most under utilised, yet, extremely
effective methods is the "Host Beneficiary" or host ben for short.
The Forgotten Secret
To Incredible Business Success And Growth … Dozens of industries
across Australia are taking advantage of the oldest marketing strategy
in the world, selling skills while many businesses struggle on, oblivious
to the benefits.
"Cash customers
and ADS that sell" Most people wrongly
believe that good ads have to be funny, well written or visually dramatic.
The truth is, the very best ads work because of the strategy behind
them.
Sales in focus from the team at ACTION International
Business Coaches ... Dozens of industries across
Australia are taking advantage of the oldest marketing strategy in the
world, selling skills while many businesses struggle on, oblivious to
the benefits.
From
Brad Sugars New Book "INSTANT CASHFLOW" ...
Now imagine a business like
that for a moment, where you didn't have to work there - would the business
WORK? I mean would it function properly? Would all of the systems and
the people integrate to get the result you wanted, the result the customer
wanted? Of course it wouldn't.
TEAM BUILDING An ACTION Approach To Team Building
...
Putting together the "dream
team" for your business can be as easy as taking an "action" rather
than "information approach". With a plethora of training options open
to employers it can often be puzzling when trying to find the strategies
that are going to achieve results.
Want to know how to sell? All you have to do
is ask ...
Have you ever answered a
question with a question? Would that make a difference to your conversion
rate? The answer to the latter is most definitely yes! Asking questions
not only increases your conversion rate, but builds rapport with your
customer and ensures that the sale becomes their idea and not yours.
People plus systems equals great sales ...
When you ask many of the
greatest salespeople in history what their secret is many would answer
- personality. But when asked how to quantify and teach personality
to others these super salespeople are often stumped.
How To Sell Price Focused Shoppers ...
The most common complaint
we get today as business coaches to small to medium business owners
is that we can't compete with the big guys on price. The perception
in the market place is that people are shopping on price alone.
Gone are the days when home
based business was limited to tupperware parties and the sole operating
seamstress. With the advent of new technology, the thirst for a lifestyle
greater than 9-5 and the changing dynamics of the modern day family
more and more people are turning towards professional home based businesses.
Want marketing that works? there is only one
road ...
It's called testing and measuring.
Most people hate it. That's because it means 'there is a chance, however
remote, that every marketing strategy you try will not work the first
time'.
Here's the Profit In Your Business ...
When it comes to profit a
large percentage of businesses have a problem with expenses not income.
Hundreds of business owners the coaches meet in their normal week are
wasting thousands of dollars on many different unnecessary expenses.
Use a sales script & watch your business fly ...
The one rule of
thumb to use in any business is what you can measure you can manage
and grow. The ultimate test of a superior sales person is how consistent
their results are and taking that one-step further ... how consistent
are the results of the team.
5
Reasons Why You Need a Mentor ...
All businesses
reach their plateau before they reach their full potential. What's needed
when this happens is a catalyst for further growth ... a business mentor.
It hadn't taken
long for Bill to open up. Sure at the start of the conversation he had
sounded positive about the way his business was performing. 'Yeah it's
going pretty good, can't complain, could always do with a bit more',
the sort of comments I'd heard many times before. Comments that really
mean, business could be doing a WHOLE lot better ...
The Changing Face Of Consumer Values ...
Have you ever
argued with your parents about how different your beliefs in today's
society are as opposed to when they were your age?.
Paying for ads
that don't pull is like pouring money down the drain.
Why you should never view advertising as an expense ...
Advertising is
really an investment, one that can give you unequalled returns.
Does your business have too many customers ...
How getting too many new
customers can send your business broke. You've been retrenched.
You're no spring chicken. You're a bit dazed. What next? Most people
like you don't go back to corporate life, they start their own small
business. How? There's a lot of help out there. There can be no
doubt that the right advisor or director can make a real difference
in your business. How do you decide whether to establish a board of
directors, board of advisors or both?
Taking
Care of Staff Takes Care of Business ...
In just seven years,
Cheryl Durey has turned her business into a multi-million-dollar operation
by building on a foundation of creating an ideal workplace.
Take a Direct Route
To Marketing ...
With all the hype
about internet business marketing, does old snail mail still play a
valuable role? In his business building strategic marketing series,
GRANT BELCHER looks at the benefits of Direct Marketing.
SARAH CUMBERLAND
spoke to Mary Rossi, pioneering founder of a successful niche travel
business, and her daughter, Claudia Rossi Hudson, its current managing
director.
Survive The Slowdown
By Benchmarking ...
With talk of Australia
teetering on recession, there is no doubt that businesses need to work
smarter if they are going to keep their head above water. SARAH CUMBERLAND
reveals how benchmarking is becoming an important part of managing a
small business in today's economy.
Maggie Webber and Small
Business ...
Maggie Webber had
a seemingly ideal life. As wife of professional golfer Brett Ogle, Webber
jetted between five homes around the world and lived a life of luxury.
But the material things weren't enough.
Retail Customers For
Life (At Least) ...
Retailing is not about making
a sale, it is about keeping customers for life. In reality, that's about
seven years but, in that time, one person can do a lot of shopping!
...
Seven
Steps To Customer Heaven ...
The
word 'service' means at least seven things to businesses who want to
keep their customers happy. But that's just the beginning, the bottom
line to building loyalty.
Recruiting The Right Sales Team ... While you want
staff who can do the job you're offering and who are interested in it,
the crucial factor in choosing the right team is personality. You can
teach them the job, but you can't teach them how to be the right person!.
Mapping
the Way to Negotiation ...
Successful negotiation
in business takes skill but it is also about tactics. SARAH CUMBERLAND
tracks a communications consultant through this minefield and maps a
course to a win-win situation.
Ambush
Your Way To The Big Time ... Fancy half a million
dollars worth of free advertising? Try ambush marketing. Get it right
and it will catapult your company name into a mass audience arena beyond
the wildest dreams of your actual promotions budget.
Westfield
Make A Positive First Impression ...
Retailing
is dynamic, demanding and a constant challenge. To thrive in this industry,
your business needs to be tuned in to your customer needs and expectations.
Nobody can have too much knowledge on the subject.
Currency
Issues In Trading Around The World ...
Australian importers
and exporters face so many uncertainties in international trade. On
top of the issues you face within the domestic market, there are so
many other factors to consider
Australia has
one of the most complicated pay structures in the world and with the
Year 2000 threat looming, it's not likely to get easier. Even if your
business is small, life might be easier if you implement specific software
that can handle your payroll or consider outsourcing it.
Australia now
has an electronic gateway from our farms direct to Asia. Called FoodConnect
Australia, the Internet-based trading service is being trialled as a
service for food exporters that will open doors to new markets and facilitate
fast business communications and secure electronic trading transactions.
Australia has
a unique opportunity to quickly develop into the world's leading global
small business nation, according to Dr Ian Lin, managing director of
the Quo Vadis Consulting Group* and a business and social strategist
and futurist. Communications
in a Bottle ...
"Real life" productions
are experiencing a surge in popularity. You only have to look at the
success of talk back radio and programs such as RPA, Sylvania Waters
and radio station's 2MMM's 'House of Horrors' to appreciate that people
prefer the credibility of real life education, entertainment and information
to carefully scripted performances by actors.
Good retailing
is based on good layout and planning of your store. Sarah Cumberland
looks at what it takes to set up shop to fully maximise your business
trade. Nothing
Ventured, Nothing Changed ...
Lack of cashflow
is the big threat to small business and two women have found a way to
ease that strain for the right customers. They're in the business of
providing venture capital for 'small fry' and in the current economic
climate, there is no shortage of opportunities!.
Cultivating Customer Loyalty ... There is an art
to keeping customers and it is a mix of well tested strategies and new
methods which have been inspired and developed through technology. It
costs seven times as much to find a new customer as to retain one, and
so you need to explore all possible methods if you want to maximise
your customer base.
Techno Power Boosts DIY Marketing ... Promotion and
marketing are vital to the success of almost every small business. With
the help of new technology, you can now create a professional image
for your products and reduce costs while you're doing it! .
Within the next
10 years, 25% of the workforce is likely to be based at home. There
are many benefits in having a home office but the lifestyle doesn't
suit everyone.
Strategic Alliances Winning with well placed friends ...
Building a strong
relationship with another business is often the best way to grow and
develop your own small business.
Going it alone in business
doesn't necessarily mean having to make every decision and consider
every action without the input of others. Having a good support group
can be an essential part of solopreneur success, says Robert Gerrish,
a coach who specialises in the business of sole operators.
Confessions Of A Bank Manager ...
Getting a bank
manager to approve your business loan application is hard work. You
need to be armed with a solid business plan along with good legal and
accounting advice.
What makes a successful franchise? ...
Through franchising
a small business can become a multi-national organisation. Kentucky
Fried Chicken, McDonalds, the Holiday Inn and The Body Shop are just
a few examples of franshise success stories.
Companies who
keep their staff happy are reaping the rewards. From increased company
loyalty to lower staff turnover rates and higher productivity levels.
For years we've
gazed in wonder at the so-called 'economic miracles' of many of our
trading partners. Even though it seems to be 'un-Australian' to recognise
achievement in this country, I think we should be looking at ourselves
as some sort of economic miracle.
A brands true
value extends beyond the product itself to include the corporate reputation,
writes David Hawkins. What is a Ford, a Holden or a can of Heinz baked
beans? What does it mean for a product to carry these brand names? What
relationship does the product or service have with the end user?.
What's love got to do with it? ... The latest industrial
relations laws have heralded a new era in employer/employee relations.
It may well be a retrograde step resurrecting the master/servant relationship
of the dark ages far from the enlightened days we now enjoy.
Unfortunately,
the trust that existed between companies and their employees during
the 50s has been blasted out of existence by the business trends of
the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Greed, short-term focus and unethical leadership
have all contributed to a growing cynicism in the workplace.
New players chase banks' business loans ...
Now that the major
banks have cut their rates, it would seem to be only a matter of time
before mortgage originators start to do the same.
Ever since the
Franchise Code Council (FCC) folded in 1996 there's been a regulatory
void on the franchising front. But it now seems that hole is about to
be plugged.
GST: The Overseas Experience ...
Chartered accountants
Mann Judd sounded its worldwide affiliates in a recent survey and found
that some form of GST is the international rule rather than the exception.
Intellectual Property: IP inventory ...
I recommend that
every business conduct an IP inventory.
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