Casual Articles - Business

Sales Lessons from Simple-Speak
Immediately after dropping off breakfast for me and my brother, the waitress was suddenly overcome with sheer excitement. It was as if she had remembered something incredibly important, or maybe had just a few too many cups of coffee. She leaned in and exclaimed, “I’ll be right back with some ketchup for you!”The waitress scurried away, returning a few seconds later with a bottle of ketchup, which she proudly placed square in the middle of the table. With her hands on her apron, she admired her job well done.Puz

ys, you don’t have the time to spend the money.”

The next generation may have a grand scheme to turn the traditional printing business into a media empire or a liquor business into an entertainment enterprise. A few years back the second generation of a well known Chicago area computer leasing and IT Services Firm tried to turn it into an Internet Venture Firm with disastrous results.

Before you just as

How to Increase Your Confidence
People are constantly looking for someone to help direct them in their lives and to assist them in making the right choices. Demonstrating confidence in everything you do will spur others to put their trust in you. Sometimes we may have to pretend we're more confident than we really are, hence the saying, "Fake it 'til you make it." I've seen plenty of people of only average to mediocre ability influence more effectively than others who were more naturally gifted than they were simply because the

As Penn State professor William Rothwell ominously points out in the forward to Exit Right: A Guided Tour of Succession Planning for Families in Business Together, more than 40% of the people who run the closely held operations that comprise 80% of the North American economy will retire by 2007. It makes me wonder, what is going to happen to all of those businesses? Although it is a noble gesture, passing a business down to the next generation is more often than not, unsuccessful. In fact, statistics show that only one-third of all family businesses are successfully transferred to the next generation and only 13% are transferred onto the third generation.

Many family business consultants say the primary reason for this low survival rate is the failure to develop and effectively plan for the transfer of ownership and management of the closely held family business. I agree that this is a factor, but in my dealing with family businesses I find that there are some more fundamental reasons.

The first is that the next generation has a lot different life style than the business founder and entrepreneur. They do not share the same drive and commitment that dad needed to build the business from scratch. They go to the good schools, get a taste of the good life and generally do not share the passion of the business founder. I recently was involved in selling a produce distributor. I found that most of the firms were in their second or third generation. I asked a third generation owner why this particular industry had such success with keeping the business in the family. He said, “When you are up and on the docks at 3 am and work 12 hour days, you don’t have the time to spend the money.”

Before you just as

Stage Glass, This Has Nothing to do With the Theatre
The Stage Glass or glass platen is the most commonly broken part on you Overhead Projector. I would like to share a few of the stories that I have had the pleasure of listening to when my customers call in looking to replace this part.Replacing your Overhead Projector Stage Glass is probably one of the easiest repair jobs that any end user of an Overhead Projector can perform. What is a Stage Glass? It is the glass platen where you lay your transparencies when projectors. The Stage Glass or Glass platen as some may refer

ss down to the next generation is more often than not, unsuccessful. In fact, statistics show that only one-third of all family businesses are successfully transferred to the next generation and only 13% are transferred onto the third generation.

Before you just as

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone in the Job Search
Most everyone these days knows what a comfort zone is. My definition is the place, environment and tasks that we have learned to do and feel comfortable with--a comfort zone.Lots of people feel devastated when they have lost a job as their comfort zone no longer exists. In other words, the time, place, co-workers, tasks which have been performed on the job don't exist any more. It's an uncomfortable place to be in. There is no sense of direction.However, if we as workers realize that a comfort zone can disappear at

anagement of the closely held family business. I agree that this is a factor, but in my dealing with family businesses I find that there are some more fundamental reasons.

Before you just as

Digital Signage
Digital signage is the newest player to the world of out-of-home advertising, and has been taking over the industry with a vengeance. The term digital signage refers to screens both large and small that are used to show content and advertising. The screens are usually networked to a main content server which can usually be administered from anywhere in the world where an internet connection is available.The benefits of digital signage are clear, and are being realized by thousands of retailers, government instituti

s, get a taste of the good life and generally do not share the passion of the business founder. I recently was involved in selling a produce distributor. I found that most of the firms were in their second or third generation. I asked a third generation owner why this particular industry had such success with keeping the business in the family. He said, “When you are up and on the docks at 3 am and work 12 hour days, you don’t have the time to spend the money.”

Before you just as

Career Transitions : Fearless Flyers
You may have read one of my previous articles on career transitioning which described how to create complementary careers for yourself. This article will introduce you to three people I call Fearless Flyers because they have taken the leap of faith that many of us would only dream of considering.Fearless Flyer #1 worked for a big gym equipment manufacturer. In fact, she was a regional sales manager for them, doing quite well with sales, I might add. As she visited various gyms, she observed people using the facilities.

ys, you don’t have the time to spend the money.”

Before you just assume that your torch will be carried by the next generation, make sure that the next generation even wants to run the business. Imagine the loss in value that would have occurred if the real estate billionaire from the western suburbs had turned his empire over to his son who simply wanted to produce plays.

Are your heirs even capable of running your business? Have you held on to the reins so tightly that the kids involved in the business have not been able to develop their decision-making or leadership skills? Do they command company respect because of their personal strength and skills or are they grudgingly granted respect because they are the child of the owner? If that is the case, the odds are not good for them taking over when you retire.

Another big challenge is trying to balance fairness in employing many children or even grandchildren in a family business with various skill levels, compensation levels and ownership levels. The jealousy and in fighting can absolutely grind the company’s progress to a halt.

The business owner must make some difficult decisions when he or she decides it is time for them to retire. Why did I create this business? Was it to keep this business in the family for generations or was it to provide for my family for generations? If the desire and the capability of the children are not evident and the company is large enough, it may be the right decision to first get outside board members actively involved as step one.

Step two would be to hire professional management to run the business. A second alternative is to sell the company while you are still running it and it can command its hi

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In this short article on accountability, you'll get three key things.
-Learn key behaviors to make accountability a part of your success story.
-Understand how your organizational culture can support accountability.
-Master key questions to drive results.

The marriage of interactive kiosk technology with digital signage opens a world of possibilities to the smart marketer.

In the current complex and competitive market, managing the sales process is an important factor for most businesses. By automating a company’s sales process and efforts, one can increase its productivity.

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