SmallBusinessNewz

Real Life Business Lessons from Labor Day Weekend

My wife and I went shopping for a new bed over the holiday weekend, which just happens to be a big time for furniture sales. We went to a couple different furniture stores, both of which had friendly and helpful salespeople. In fact they were both so friendly, it really brought to mind my recent article about befriending customers as I watched them reach out and do just that. Good Sales Practices

Training Your Mind for Business

I made the craziest discovery recently, and decided I just had to share…A while back I was about to hop on a plane. So I was in the little airport shop looking for a fresh book or magazine to read. On a whim, I decided I wanted to work a few logic puzzles. As a kid in elementary school, I was put in the special “smart kids” program. And one of our tasks each week was to do a packet of all different kinds of puzzles. Rhebus, word seek, fill in the blank, you name it. And there was always a logic puzzle in there.

Consumers Want to Be Heard

The following is a repost (with slight changes/modifications) of something I wrote earlier this year. Still relevant and I wanted to share with all of you. The following happens all the time.

WSJ Gives Advice for Small Business Survival

Call it a "recession", an "economic slowdown" or "market re-adjustment", but either way, small business owners are bracing in the face of uncertain times, wondering which way to move to survive!

Street Vendors and Business Lessons

Last week when I was in NY, I passed a street vendor selling sunglasses for $5 a pair. They were clearly copies of best selling designs from top designers, and had fairly obvious quality flaws. It would be a miracle if any of those sunglasses lasted more than a couple of weeks. And yet several people were still buying them. Why? Was it an impulse buy walking down the street?

You are Your Own Best Advisor

Everybody is a customer. That includes you. No matter how much or how little shopping you do, you must be doing some, and giving somebody your business. Try this: Every time you deal with a business, whether it be doing some grocery shopping at the Super Wal-Mart, ordering a necklace online, or simply depositing some money into your checking account, evaluate your experience as the customer.

The Last Business Lesson of the Apprentice Season

A two-hour live season finale of the Celebrity version of The Apprentice seems somewhat frivolous. It’s almost as if Trump is taking this seriously. Maybe this gives us a little more insight on how un-seriously Trump takes the regular seasons when someone will actually be working for him.

Marketing Lessons From Recessions

 

Apprentice Business Lessons: Team Quality, Details...

I loved the interviews as part of the narrowing down process in the first few seasons of The Apprentice. I think the last couple of seasons they moved away from that, but now they brought it back. Considering that none of these people will actually be working for Trump, this time it seems kind of superfluous. What’s the point? Let’s get back to the game… and the lessons!

Latest Apprentice Business Lessons

In Last Thursday’s episode the teams had to build and sell a Quiznos sandwich. I think this episode really showed where the celebrity candidates are weakest, and that is in genuine business and marketing. They could not rely on their celebrity so everything came down to how to market a new sandwich to the average person on the street. But on with the lessons… Business Lesson One: Savor victory, but don’t gloat.