Take a look at the report yourself as I’d love your thoughts on the findings! Thanks!
About the author: Matt Batt has been fortunate to work with the very best media relations professionals and interesting clients as founder of Pipeline Media Relations, a firm focused on helping connect great stories & resources with various media outlets.
Windows 7 is Microsoft’s new operating system set to make it’s debut on October 22nd.
Based on my usage over the past few months, Windows 7 is shaping up to be the best OS Microsoft has ever offered. It does more than Vista and most importantly is much easier to use. Sometimes the promise of “new and improved” turns out to be true after all!
There are real improvements in several areas.
Faster bootup
More intuitive user interface
Improved data backup tools
Improved recognition of networks and connected devices
Support for touch screen displays
And, it takes less “horsepower” (system resources) to accomplish these things.
If you want to make the move to Windows 7, Vista users can perform an upgrade installation (i.e. you don’t have to reinstall the operating system). Windows XP users however, will have to perform a complete re-installation of the operating system, programs and data.
If you are not happy using Vista then you should consider upgrading sooner rather than later. Remember, besides the financial cost, your valuable time is involved.
Once Windows 7 is officially released on the 22nd, new PC’s will be available with Windows 7 pre-installed.
One final important note – All current XP and Vista users qualify for “upgrade” pricing. Complete product and pricing details are available at http://www.microsoftstore.com
About the author: Bill Rush is the owner of Rush Technologies Inc. Rush Technologies can help you transform your burdensome technology infrastructure into your most valuable asset. You may contact Bill directly at BillRush@RushTech.net.
These days it seems that we have collectively resigned ourselves to the fact that Customer Service “just ain’t what it used to be”. What that really tells us is that we all have opportunities to differentiate ourselves from “everyone else” by providing great customer service to our clients. And from a business growth standpoint, the best source of increased business and referral business should be our current customers and clients. After all, they are the ones that know us best and should be willing to tell others about us.
With that in mind, we recently sponsored a seminar that provided the following Customer Service tips. See where you can improve so that your customers become “Raving Fans” of your business.
10 Commandments of Customer Service
Don’t expect your customers to tolerate customer service mistakes
Always do what you say you will do when you say you will do it
Never, ever make a promise that you are not sure you can keep because promise-breaking is the same as lying
Never try to remember your promises; put them on a task list
Remember that unacknowledged communication is the most profound form of disrespect
Respond to every inbound phone call or email in half the time your customers expect
Review your task list before the end of the day to make sure you have not broken any promises
If it appears that you won’t be able to keep a promise, always re-negotiate before the deadline
Use auto-responders and voice mail greetings to communicate your absence so you don’t appear non-responsive
Communication technology problems are never acceptable excuses for breaking promises, so make sure your technology is working
About the author: Dan Sawchuk, CPA, is a co-founder of the LaCo Business Blog. Dan is the Business Development Manager with Accounting Freedom, Ltd. and Payroll Specialists, Inc. in Mundelein, IL. You may contact Dan directly at Dan@accountingfreedom.com.
Are you an insurance agent, or are you an insurance agent that specializes in liability insurance for mobile disc jockeys and musical groups?
Recently I was doing some research on federal e-mail marketing laws, and I happened upon a website for a company that helps winemakers do e-mail marketing. Talk about a very specific niche. Not liquor distributors, but only people who actually make wine.
At first glance, this may look restrictive. But think about it. If you pick a niche like that, you have several competitive advantages.
You can easily become known as an authority in that particular niche or industry.
You can very easily cross-promote other services or products that would be of interest to that niche.
You quickly become acquainted with the specific needs and wants of that niche, so you can service them better than your competitors who are “general practitioners.”
Give this some honest thought. If you were considering a product, and had the choice between a generic product and one that is specifically geared to your industry, which would you pick? Research shows that people overwhelmingly choose something that is specifically tailored to them.
How can you adapt this to your business model?
About the author: Brent Allan is the “Small Biz Marketing Wiz” who specializes in unconventional marketing methods for small businesses. He is the editor and head honcho for BizWarrior Online. He kind of likes this concept of doing a small marketing tidbit every Monday.
Business networking can be a tremendously useful tool – but it can also be very confusing. What should I say? What should I expect? Is it worth my time and effort to attend networking events? How do I know what is expected of me?
I’m no networking expert, but I have recently had to process a lot of these questions for myself. Here are a few of my personal tips for effective business networking:
1) Networking is About Making Contacts, NOT Generating Business
Why so emphatic? Because other networkers can identify people who are at a networking event just to sell you their stuff or services. And guess what? They don’t usually like it. There are obviously plenty of exceptions, but in general this is a solid rule. So if it’s not about generating business, why bother? Because the business will follow if you are making good contacts.
2) Identify the Type of Group Up Front
Don’t be afraid to call someone and ask the questions. Is the group open to anyone or restricted by category or industry? Is the group a social meeting or does it actively generate referrals within the group? Is the group a free gathering or will it require an application and membership fee? How much is the membership fee and how often can you visit before making a membership decision?
All different types of groups can be effective depending on what you are looking for. Consider what you need out of networking, and pick the group(s) that work best for you.
3) Tighten Up Your “Elevator Speech”
An “Elevator Speech” is your 60-second introduction to yourself and your business. But here’s a good tip – you don’t need to share EVERYTHING in your 60-seconds. Give an introduction and include a story or testimonial that will make it memorable. In a networking environment, your introduction will be enough to generate more conversation later with anyone who is interested in what you do. You can go into all the detail you want at that later point with only the folks who are truly interested!
About the author: Matthew Cook is a co-founder of the LaCo Business Blog. Matt owns and operates One Stop Seminars, promoting educational events throughout Lake County, Illinois. You may contact Matt directly at Matthew.Cook@OneStopSeminars.com.
Windows 7 is Microsoft’s new operating system set to make it’s debut on October 22nd.
These days it seems that we have collectively resigned ourselves to the fact that Customer Service “just ain’t what it used to be”. What that really tells us is that we all have opportunities to differentiate ourselves from “everyone else” by providing great customer service to our clients. And from a business growth standpoint, the best source of increased business and referral business should be our current customers and clients. After all, they are the ones that know us best and should be willing to tell others about us.
Business networking can be a tremendously useful tool – but it can also be very confusing. What should I say? What should I expect? Is it worth my time and effort to attend networking events? How do I know what is expected of me?
