School and Life

The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

Take a Business Survey

If you want to know what your customers are thinking and how they feel about your company, just ask them. By asking them you will probably get as many as 80% who will give you the honest answers that you need. You will be giving customers and serious prospects a chance to say how they really feel about your business; what products they like, don't like and want to see in the future. Whether the responses are good or bad, it's information you need to improve.

Information drives the business world and the more you have, the better chance you'll have to to succeed in your target market. It's like playing golf; if you don't know what you're doing wrong, how can you improve your game and score? Maybe that's why I take extra golf balls every time I play. Next time I'll take a survey of the others in my foursome and I'm sure I'll get some answers.
More on this subject and others in my book "The Jelly Bean Principle" available at amazon.co or signed copies at 877-700-1322.

Using Credit Lines

These are great sources of capital because you only pay interest when you need to use the money. You can borrow and pay back over and over again without any additional approval. Use the money at will and only pay the minimum monthly payment or more when you have it available. They can be set up at your bank, brokerage firm or tied to a home equity loan. You don't have to be a large business to get a credit line.

All the paperwork to qualify is done in the beginning and as long as you follow the terms, you won't have to do it again except for maybe some updates. The smart way to do this is to set up a credit line before you get into a cash flow problem so the money is avalable immediately. These are usually the best sources of quick cash because you control the purse strings.
More on Raising Capital Quickly in chapter 22 of my book "When the Shit Hits the Fan" available at bookstores, Amazon, Kindle etc.

Creativity

The creative person wants to be a know-it-all. He wants to know about all kinds of things; ancient history, nineteenth century mathematics, current manufacturing techniques, flower arranging and hog futures. Because he never knows when these ideas might come together to form a new idea. It may happen six minutes later or six months or six years down the road. But he has faith that it will happen.
By Carl Ally (Advertising Icon)

Business Books as Holiday Gifts

Knowledge and Ideas are a great gift and these books were written from over 30+ years of experience (Most available for Kindle & other ebooks)

In the USA (Amazon, B&N, bookstores)
The jelly Bean Principle (Oak Tree Books)
When the Shit Hits the Fan (Career Press)
90 Days to Success a as Small Business Owner (Cengage Learning)

In the UK and Europe (amazon.co.uk)
Save Your Business (Crimson Publ)

In india
23 Reasons Why Businesses Fail (Jaico Books)

Lessons Learned

Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you're generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make.
By Donald Trump

Value Added Service

We've probably all heard that term but do we really understand what it means? Value added service is providing your product or service with "more service." Something extra, something the customer didn't expect but received anyway. Something that makes you stand out from your competitors because they are not doing it. They are not doing it because it's too much trouble, too costly or because they never thought of it.

Some people really want the extras and are willing to be loyal to a business to get them. Value added service can be as simple as a big smile during the purchase or as much as helping a customer assemble something that comes in 50 parts. Or really anything in between that is not usually provided with a similiar purchase. If you care about your customers and want them to return, find a way to add value to what they buy from you.
More on Value Added Services in chapter 83 of my book "The Jelly Bean Principle" available at amazon.com or signed copies 877-700-1322