Thinking Aloud
5 Ways To Boost Holiday Sales This Season
As consumers continue to shift their holiday shopping from the Friday to the Monday after Thanksgiving, it is obviously extremely important for small businesses to strategize how they are going to capitalize on this potential influx of buy-happy consumers. Gabriel Shaoolian, CEO and founder of Blue Fountain Media offers 5 strategies small businesses can take to take advantage of the holiday shopping opportunity.
Creating Loyal Customers – A Different Perspective
Every business owner knows that satisfying - and retaining - customers is as important as anything they do to achieve and maintain success. But many may not remember that employee satisfaction is an important key to customer satisfaction, says Bill McBean, author of "The Facts of Business Life: What Every Successful Business Owner Knows that You Don’t".
No Logical Relation Between Employment And Health Care: Kenneth Arrow
Famous for his "possibility theorem" which says it’s impossible to construct a social welfare function out of individual preference, economist Kenneth Arrow once said there's really no relation between employment and healthcare.
5 Self-Defeating Habits That Prevent Your Success
Many times, people engage in self-sabotaging behavior without even realizing that they're doing it. Here are five self-defeating habits that tend to prevent your success.
5 Tools Your Business Needs For 2014
It's time to start thinking about how to improve your business for 2014. We've got five essential tools your business needs for the next calendar year, regardless of where you are in your fiscal cycle.
No Need To Reinvent The Wheel?
Many European companies have failed to generate organic growth. It’s not that growth isn’t important or that there isn’t any money to invest. The problem is that the methods used to guide a new innovation down the road from just an idea into a real pile of money are so limited, says Pekka A. Viljakainen, author of “No Fear: Business Leadership for the Digital Age“.
Four Questions To Ask Your Potential IT Partner To Ensure Effective Communication
Julie May, CEO of bytes of knowledge (b:ok) shares the four questions you should ask ask potential IT firms to ensure you work with a firm that proactively listens, stays focused and keeps you in the know.
Five Ways Your Company May Be Scaring Away Innovative Ideas
Scary creatures and evil spirits are fine on Halloween night. But they have no place in your brainstorming sessions, where they’re sure to terrorize everyone in the room and thwart any fresh, innovative thinking. Mitchell Rigie and Keith Harmeyer, idea generation experts and co-authors of SmartStorming: The Game-Changing Process for Generating Bigger, Better Ideas, have some tips for how to exorcize the most disruptive brainstorming demons.
Your Inner Zentrepreneur: An Extraordinary Mix Of Power And Grace
When people hear the word Zentrepreneur, several questions typically come to mind. What is a zentrepreneur? John J. Murphy, author of "Zentrepreneur", explains.
Five Unrealistic Expectations We Have Of “Smart” Phones And Other Devices
Our smartphones, tablets, and other devices are technological marvels, but unfortunately, they’ve diverted our attention away from what people can accomplish in conversations.
Geoffrey Tumlin shares five unrealistic expectations we have for our digital devices.
11 Strategies To Help Enterprising Women Take Advantage Of Right Now
If you’re ready to jump on the elevator and push the “break the glass ceiling” button with your fellow women, read on for 11 tips from Vickie Milazzo, author of "Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman", to help you get where you want to be.
Why You Must Open Your Doors To Stakeholders Who Criticize — Even Demonize —...
Bill Shireman and Bruce Piasecki explain how to engage outraged stakeholders in a “dance of dialogue” that creates trust and fosters positive change and future growth.
There’s No Such Thing As A Bad Idea (Or Is There?)
Brainstorming experts have long held that every idea, however impractical, is worthy of consideration. But in practice, many of us have come across our share of unmistakable duds. Mitchell Rigie and Keith Harmeyer, coauthors of SmartStorming, explain why lots of good can come from bad ideas.
CNBC’s The Profit: Finally… A Reality TV Show With Valuable Lessons
CNBC’s new show, The Profit, starring businessman Marcus Lemonis, should be required, must-see-TV for any small business owner. Jason Sentell, Product Marketing Manager at Wasp, shares some of the lessons he picked up from watching The Profit.
Intel’s New Core vPro Processors May Redefine Business Mobility Devices
Intel's recent announcement of its new 4th generation Core™ vPro™ processors may mean that by the middle of 2014 the distinction between business and consumer oriented mobility devices are likely to be much more differentiated.
An Opinion On Company-Initiated Social Functions For Employees
by Stacey Thompson
Working from home (telecommuting) might be a real trendy thing nowadays, but chances are that most of the people you know are...
The Challenge Of Figuring Out Your Pre-Money Valuation
One of the single most important challenges entrepreneurs face is calculating a realistic, defensible pre-money valuation. Alan Lobock, co-founder of Worthworm shares how you can do it right.
Improving Creativity Is Easier When You Learn To Leverage Personalities
There is no single special type of creative person. There are many types of creative people and we all have our own creative styles. First you need to learn your personality type. Then you need to put it to use, says David B. Goldstein, co-author of "Creative You: Using Your Personality Type to Thrive".
Is A USP A Thing Of The Past?
It’s worth thinking of your USP as the one thing you set your stall by: the offering you protect at all costs which in turn helps you maintain your customer base and market position, says Sean Blanks, marketing director of www.cartridgesave.co.uk.
Profitable Small Business Ideas For Would-Be Entrepreneurs
Brandon Peters suggests some ideas on what small businesses wannabe entrepreneurs might like to think about.
The Well Workforce: Healthy Equals Wealthy And Wise
Not only will a mentally healthy workforce directly translate to direct benefits for the American worker, it will bolster businesses' bottom lines by greatly reducing lost productivity, absenteeism, and worker's compensation and disability claims, says Melissa Thompson, CEO of TalkSession.
Democratizing The Tools Of Design
As design thinking gains momentum and increasingly permeates the collective conscience of business, a struggle over who "owns" design has emerged, sa.ys Kevin Bennett, co-author of "Solving Problems with Design Thinking: Ten Stories of What Works"
Why Good Entrepreneurs Are Like Scientists
The next time you consider conceptualising, developing and launching a new product or business, consider embracing the tenets of empiricism, Walter Lim recommends.
Why We’d Get A Lot More Done If We Switched To A 12 Week...
Most of us view the 365 day year as a natural execution cycle. Brian P. Moran explains why there’s a fatal flaw in annualized thinking and offers six reasons why we’d be more motivated and productive if we redefined our year to last just 12 weeks.
The Power to Transform – Overcoming The Enemies of Learning
There are forces at work that are committed to making sure that you never learn. Chris Majer, author of "The Power to Transform: 90 Days to a New You", exposes a few of the more important ones along with strategies on how to deal with them.
Mass Miscommunication: How Misusing Digital Tools Undermines Results
Technology offers more and more opportunities to connect with others, yet the way we use it often creates disconnects. Geoffrey Tumlin shares ten counterintuitive but concrete tips to help you avoid high-tech pitfalls and communicate effectively.
Say No to A Working Vacation: 9 Ways to Make the Most of Your...
For far too many of today’s professionals, pre-vacation excitement is mixed with worry. Will this finally be the year I get to really unwind? they wonder. Or will my vacation be held hostage by work once again? Brian Moran provides some unique, pre-vacation planning advice to help you get it all done before you take off.
6 Things The Kardashians Can Teach Us About Branding
Often chastised for their relentless desire for fame, the Kardashians can actually offer a lot of great lessons to marketers out there.
The New Normal: Mobile First
The catch phrase that has most recently begun to pop up throughout the innovation and technology entrepreneurial landscape is: “Mobile First". Jonathan Erwin, CEO of Red e App explains why Mobile First is more than the future of business.
Six Reasons People Aren’t Buying Your Stuff
How do you react when a potential client decides not to work with you? Most people take it personally and go into despair. Why? Because they’re looking at the situation from their point of view instead of the point of view of the potential client.