Newsletter Blogs

3 Types of Business Plans: Which Do You Have? Part 1
August 15, 2016 at 4:06 pm

All business owners and sales reps know they should have a plan, right? We’ve all heard the saying, “If we fail to plan, then we are planning to fail,” right? There are three types of business plans, and in my next three articles I will address them. The first and most common type of plan…

Software Sunset: Why You Should Update QuickBooks Every 3 Years
August 12, 2016 at 6:07 pm

Question: Why can't I email out of my QuickBooks Premier 2013 anymore? Answer: “Software sunset.” Intuit, the company that owns QuickBooks, like other software providers, continually upgrades and improves its products. And, from time to time, it stops supporting the older software in favor of the more recent versions. The QuickBooks products have been evolving…

Who Talks on Elevators Anyway?
August 11, 2016 at 3:11 pm

A frequently asked question that I get at speaking engagements is, “What is your elevator speech?” Or, I’m asked to help someone craft an elevator speech. Here’s what I don’t like about elevator speeches: They’re canned. They are a one-size-fits-all recitation that’s not going to win anyone any business. It’s not that I’m down on being…

The Best and the Worst Olympics Logos
August 10, 2016 at 4:57 pm

Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Simone Biles—these are some of the standouts at this year's Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But, while I've been marveling at all the amazing athletic performances this year, there's one thing I can't quit thinking about: this year's logo. …

Largest Gathering Ever of Industry Technology Leaders
August 9, 2016 at 5:24 pm

More than 100 technologists and business leaders will meet next week in San Francisco at the PPAI Technology Summit. This is largest-ever gathering of industry technology leaders. You can view the PPAI Technology Summit agenda here. The summit will include discussions on search engine optimization, security, project management and about a dozen other relevant topics, including industry…

Go for the Gold
August 8, 2016 at 12:44 pm

This weekend marked the start of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. I watched a variety of events and, like the rest of the country, I was in awe of the many young athletes competing their hearts out. The positive energy and sheer desire to win was evident in every competitor—as was the heartbreaking…

Would You Sell a Meaningless T-shirt?
August 3, 2016 at 6:42 pm

Here’s a riddle for you: What do you get when you remove the concert from a concert tee? Nothing more than a meaningless T-shirt. If that’s what you want from your apparel, you’re in luck. Recently, Justin Bieber has provided you with two options. But don’t believe the hype. And, I’m begging you, don’t follow in Bieber’s merchandising footsteps...

3 Promotional Products for a Truly Endless Summer
August 2, 2016 at 6:19 pm

Well, folks, August is here. For many of us, that's last call on summer. Students are going back to school, the sun is out a for a slightly shorter amount of time than it was in July and, before we know it, we'll be wearing jackets to walk to work once again. But, all is…

What You See Is What You Get
August 1, 2016 at 3:20 pm

This article is the last in a three-part series about using visualization to achieve your goals. Last time, I mentioned that, during our waking hours, we deal with approximately 8 million bits of information. Our brains filter out the information they're not aware we need. When we practice visualization by vividly picturing our goals, we…

Pricing for Beginners
July 29, 2016 at 5:53 pm

Question: I am new to the business. Do you have any advice as to how to price items? Answer: Pricing is complex. On one hand, you want to maximize sales, but if you price items too low, you might end up doing lots of work and making very little profit. Also, if you are known…