Posts Tagged ‘Mistakes’
The Real Cost of Bad Customer Service
Customer Service is sacred to any business, but how can you really measure the significance of its impact? So called bad customer service stems from the reluctance to embrace what the customer actually wants and how to effectively deliver it. If you can direct your customer as quickly as possible to the desired destination then…
Read MoreTop 10 Regrets Franchisees Have After Starting a Franchise
If there’s one thing we hear a lot at America’s Best Franchises, it’s “I wish I’d known THAT before I bought my franchise.” “THAT” can be critical to success in franchising. There are so many things you need to know to start and run a franchise. Following are the Top 10 mistakes franchisees will make…
Read MoreA Solution for the High Cost of Poor Customer Service
When I go shopping, I have a tendency to wear my business hat while I walk around the stores. I assess the quality of service I receive to gauge how well the business is doing and if it’s losing sales because of poor service. It’s like being my own self-assigned mystery shopper. The only thing…
Read MoreSometimes Nothing is Better
There is a required critical mass in terms of marketing. Sometimes it’s actually better to do nothing as opposed to underfunding an effort. In this conversation underfunding could mean not having enough money but it could just as easily mean not being willing to commit the time, the focus or have the discipline to honoring…
Read MoreCommon Pitfalls When Seeking Financing for Your Small Business
Small business owners often seek working capital to help with business growth, refinance existing business debt, or to purchase/update technology or equipment. When you are seeking financing for your small business, there are things you should be aware of to help streamline the process and time period it takes to fund your loan request. In…
Read MoreAngel Investment Red Flags
Last week at an angel investment meeting one of our group members asked whether anybody had a list of red flag problems that would immediately eliminate a startup from consideration by angel investors. That seemed like a good idea to me then. And over the weekend somebody asked a similar question in Quora: what are some…
Read MoreDo You Make Excuses When Customers Complain?
What do you do when customers complain? Do you listen? Do you try explaining or rationalizing your responses? One thing we can agree on from the top. When you serve customers, it’s not always easy to manage complaints. There’s a fine line between explaining and crossing over into the excuse realm. And, I’ve got a bad customer…
Read More5 Don’ts of Thought Leadership
So you know what to do to be an effective thought leader in your industry, but are you familiar with the don’ts? Here are a few points to avoid and what you should be doing instead for a truly impactful thought leadership. 1. Don’t Take Absolutely Every Opportunity to Promote Yourself It’s easy to fall…
Read More9 Smartest Ways to Avoid Faulty Loans
Loans are vital for small businesses looking to grow and build their credit history. Yet obtaining an SMB loan isn’t easy, and many applicants never qualify. Desperate for funding, they turn to companies that promise loan approvals and low-interest rates, but most of these companies are scammers preying on small business owners. Fortunately, most scammers…
Read MoreIt’s a Trap! 5 Mistakes That Too Many Business Owners Make
The life of a business owner can prove to be a very exciting and financially fruitful time. It will also be a learning curve of good and bad decisions. Making mistakes is human nature, but make too many as a business owner and it will cost you dearly. Owning a business isn’t a piece of…
Read More