Running your business on a day to day basis means you have a fantastic idea of what’s going on. Part of that commitment to knowing what is going on with your market includes knowing the things that influence your customers to buy what you are selling. On Friday, during a meeting with a client, I […]
Business tips
What’s in a name? An opportunity, that’s what!
Getting your business noticed is critical. A take-away food shop underneath our offices has changed hands for about the 4th time in sixteen- (16) months. It’s been a loser for every single owner. The new owner will come in, as usual, and try to stamp his style on the business. With this take-away there are […]
What To Do When The Customer Complains
Mistakes can happen and they can happen a lot. We all try to minimise them in our business, but nobody’s perfect. So, how should you deal with complaining customers? 4% of dissatisfied clients complain 91% of dissatisfied clients will not do business with you again 80% of dissatisfied clients tell 10 people 20% of dissatisfied […]
How I made a fortune in 2 hours – and you can too!
A rejection that led to a million dollar business Back in 2000 I had a call from a guy who was making his own product in his garage and wanted to sell it on the Internet. He had been searching for a while for distributors of his product, with little success. I went and met […]
How a moron does business – the case of the “Cookies, Cakes & Cartridges” business
(This article was written on August 25, 2004. Because it has a half decent message I’ve republished it so more people get to read it.) We had a guy called Paul come in and make his pitch for our ink/laser cartridge business. The business he is with provides free delivery and a free cake with each […]
Why The Heck Does He Want Me To Manage Him?
I had a meeting today with a businessman and his manager. They flew up from Sydney to have a chat. They were great guys. Both very intelligent, very switched on and very committed. Good and decent people. They came to discuss us managing a part of his business. During the meeting it came out that […]
Why it doesn’t matter if your business idea is already taken
As a marketing guy I get to see a lot of new business ideas. And a lot of old ideas. Some good, some bad. Do you have a business idea that could make you millions? Good for you. Pursue your dreams and I hope you make it big. Real big. But a new idea isn’t […]
Good Things Come In Small Packages
Small business fights for survival as big operators continue to muscle in on the market. The conglomerates have the upper hand because of their buying and pricing power, management systems and marketing experience. Undoubtedly big operators have significant advantages, but small business has its benefits too. To increase market share, boost productivity and widen profit […]
Why do people spend 4-5 years at University, but they can’t get a job?
This has been one of my most popular articles – hope you find it of interest. Here’s how to increase your chances 1000% for getting the job you want! It’s happened again today. It happens quite a lot. It happens about three- (3) times a week. It usually comes in the form of an innocent […]
Establishing the Culture of a Business
This is apparently a true story. A real study. Scientists studying behaviour placed 5 monkeys in a cage. This cage has a ladder. At the top of the ladder is a bunch of bananas. Big, ripe, juicy bananas. The cage is also fitted with some heavy duty sprinklers that, when activated, would absolutely drench the […]