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Infographic: Improving Customer Service May 12, 2013 // Terry DatesNo Comments »This excellent infographic from GetApp has some great ideas for any business wanting to improve their customer service.
According to their figures, poor customer service costs $338.5 Billion annually. Providing great customer service is really important because it leads to repeat business and satisfied clients, whereas poor customer service will do just the opposite and increase churn rate and your costs.
Take a look at the infographic to find out the main reasons why the majority of helpdesks fail and you might also get a laugh from their list of some of the most overused, meaningless customer service phrases that will only succeed in annoying your customer base.
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3 Surprising Tips That Will Save Your Business Money May 10, 2013 // Terry Dates
Companies often don’t realize the many small ways they can save money. When business owners are focused on the day-to-day minutiae of running a business, it’s easy to overlook small costs that add up over time.Thankfully, it’s also easy to stop losing out and start capitalizing on areas where your business can save. A few simple changes in areas often overlooked can slash business costs dramatically.
Stay Loyal to a Brand
Committing to using one or two brands — especially during travel — eventually results in lower costs. Committing your total annual spending in these areas gives you the benefit of added perks like free rental days, frequent flyer miles, and points. Your loyalty also gives you leverage to negotiate better deals. Most car
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Which Day Is Best To Email Your Opt In List? Apr 18, 2013 // Terry Dates
Which day to mail is an age-old question I’ve been hearing for years.
Small business owners want to know the secret sauce to getting their email opened.
Yep. I do too.
The problem is, it keeps changing.
The dynamics of technology and people’s changing needs will continue to make this a moving target.
But what that success looks like varies from person to person.
And lest you think email is dead — well, you’re wrong. Email is very much alive. If you’re not connecting with your customers via email, you are making a huge mistake.
So back to which day to send.
That would be a key question for you to ask your list.
Take three minutes to watch this video and learn how you can find the answer to the “which day do I send” question.
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Which day(s) do you send to your list? How did you f
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Top 5 Tips for Dealing with the Loss of Key Personnel Apr 13, 2013 // Terry Dates
1. Its important that you stay positive when your employee hands in their resignation. Although it may not seem like it at the time, the majority of changes will ultimately lead to better things down the road. Perhaps you will find someone even better or maybe just someone cheaper.
Whatever the eventual outcome, it is important that you dont let on to the rest of your staff about how difficult it will be without this person as you risk devaluing the rest of your workforce or starting a mass exodus.
2. Dont let the person leave on bad terms. Make sure that they know that you knew they were an important past of the business and that you valued their contribution.
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5 Critical Components of Most Profitable Businesses Online Apr 10, 2013 // Terry Dates
Most profitable businesses found on the internet all follow the same fundamental strategy in terms of using content to help improve sales! In fact it can be said that your business profitability will flourish by aligning certain key elements in a synergistic fashion to make this happen!Here’s a quick look at 5 common yet critical components any business needs to have in place in order to survive and thrive on the internet!
Useful Information
You’ll need information and lots of it to build sites and circulate or distribute freely to help increase your exposure online! The very first step you must take online if business profitability is to be yours is to create an awareness of who you are and what you offer!
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What’s the Difference Between a Pyramid Scheme and a Ponzi Scheme? Apr 05, 2013 // Terry DatesThe difference between pyramid schemes and Ponzi schemes is in the methodology. Pyramid schemes rely on multiple levels of investors, each promising exorbitant returns to the succeeding level, whereas Ponzi schemes feature a central figure who promises exorbitant returns to all investors.
Knowing risk as they do, those at BusinessInsurance.org want to help you recognize and steer clear of these dangerous investments:
Pyramid Schemes
Pyramid schemes are organized into investor levels. At each level, investors are responsible for recruiting new investors and obtaining money from them. It begins when one person asks a small group of people for a sum of money in exchange for a promise of large returns. Each of those investors must then approach another small group of investors and make the same promises. A
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Allocation Of The Purchase Price When Selling A California Small Business Mar 28, 2013 // Terry Dates
There are a handful of key asset categories in allocating or breaking down the purchase price of a business during the sale process. In many instances buyers and sellers have different desires in how to “chop up” the purchase price. The allocation in required to complete the transaction. Below are the most common used asset allocation classes.
In my opinion the actual asset value of each category is not so important here. For instance, many times buyers and seller try to really figure out what the Fixtures and Equipment are really worth and plug that real value into the allocation. Don’t lose sight on the bigger, more important picture here. What is most important about the allocation is the tax ramifications involved not actual values. For a buyer you are setting up you initial book values in these categories for future depreciation purposes. For a