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Bob Francis
Business Baby Boomers Benefit From Exit Strategy
Business: Strategic Planning • Published: July 19, 2011
When it comes to retirement the majority of businesses will simply close down. The failure rate for business transfers in the small business sector is very high. Many business owners are reliant on selling their business to fund their retirement. But without a succession and exit plan they will be reliant on family and the state during their retirement.
Why Should We Embrace Sustainability?
News and Society: Environmental • Published: January 18, 2011
Sustainability is one of the latest buzz words in business today. But what is sustainability as applied to businesses and isn't it an unnecessary additional cost? Sustainability in most people's eyes is about 'green' issues.
Poor Sales Performance Wrecks Chances at Exhibition
Business: Sales • Published: May 14, 2010
Exhibitions can be very expensive. Yet many companies do not put the effort into planning and training to ensure the maximum return for this expenditure.
Social Networking For Small Businesses
Business: Small Business • Published: May 12, 2010
Can social networking sites benefit small businesses? Social Media is now! But is it suited to small businesses?
Ten Top Tips For Website Improvement
Internet and Businesses Online: Web Development • Published: November 29, 2009
Many small companies have a website built and then do nothing with it. This is mostly due to fear of the unknown and their fear of technology. Subsequently they are surprised and disappointed that the website 'does not work' for them. Consequently they do not bother developing the site as a tool for sales and marketing and it is left to gather cyber dust. However following some simple tips or rules of thumb the company can make the site a very productive channel to market.
How Tendering Can Improve Sales For SMEs
Business: Marketing • Published: September 22, 2009
Tendering tends to be a problem for most SMEs. Some whose business is totally reliant on tenders to win orders are adept and know how to play the Tenders game, but the majority are not.
Metrics in Sales Management
Business: Sales Management • Published: May 21, 2009
How do you measure your sales personnel's performance? The majority of sales managers will answer that question by saying that they look at the results (i.e. orders) either on their own or against arbitrary targets. Some may even monitor billings or sales as after all orders do get canceled or the size of the orders gets reduced. However these performances have occurred as a result of efforts applied anything up to 6 months earlier. So what then is the answer?
Consultative Or Transactional Selling - What Are They?
Business: Sales • Published: April 13, 2009
The art (or science) of selling has evolved from the foot in the door, fast talking approach to a much more considered business like and customer focused method. This has developed due to changes in the way businesses purchase, to increasing competition and the standardisation and globalisation of products and services. This article will briefly explains this change and sets out the differences between transactional and consultative selling.
12 Tips on How to Win More Tenders Or Proposals
Business: Marketing • Published: April 8, 2009
In order to win business many small companies need to submit tenders, proposals or quotations to government organisations as well as larger commercial companies. However many do not know how to do so and others have a very low success rate, often below 20%. Here are 12 tips which will help these businesses to improve their win rate.
Don't Just Survive, But Prosper in a Downturn
Business: Marketing • Published: September 18, 2008
You will see many people talk about surviving in a downturn. But few use this time as a unique opportunity to develop and grow YOUR business. How?
Simple Guidelines For Producing Marketing Collateral
Business: Marketing • Published: September 17, 2008
The universal acceptance of the internet and its use for providing detailed information on products or services means that there is no need for printed marketing collateral. Or is there? This article discusses the use of marketing collateral and provides some simple guidelines for producing these documents.
7 Deadly Sins That Stop Businesses Growing
Business: Sales • Published: June 9, 2008
In an economic downturn increased pressure is applied to the sales team to 'do better' or sell more without really defining what that means. Most business managers and many sales managers will commit some if not all of the seven deadly sins and inadvertently contribute to the problem.
10 First Aid Marketing Tips
Business: Marketing • Published: April 23, 2008
Expenditure on marketing is frequently targeted for savings when an economic slowdown is on the horizon. Many would argue that this is the time to increase or at least maintain budgets. Here we show ways of maximising the marketing budget with 10 tips on free or low cost marketing.
E-marketing - Part of An SME's Amoury
Internet and Businesses Online: Internet Marketing • Published: January 18, 2008
This is an outline of typical e-marketing campaign and what it can do for customers. How e-marketing can help each of the stakeholders in a business and the benefits accruing are explained.
Improve Relationships With Your Customers by Managing Your Database Better
Business: Customer Service • Published: January 17, 2008
It can be as much as seven times more expensive to recruit a new customer than to obtain business from an existing one. Yet many organisations have no systematic process for recording and using customer and prospect data.
SMS Text Marketing
Business: Marketing • Published: January 17, 2008
The growth in SMS and more recently MMS messaging is set to continue. Now businesses are using this technology to reach their customers and to build relationships with them.
Benefits of Hosted Software For Start-up and Small Businesses
Computers and Technology: Software • Published: January 17, 2008
A major cost for start-up and small businesses is the cost of IT and software. Now there is a new solution, which is the use of hosted services, to provide the functionality needed.
Sales Performance Improvement
Business: Sales Management • Published: January 4, 2008
Working harder is not always the solution for a business whose sales are declining or at best static. Working smarter is. This paper outlines a few simple steps that any business owner can take to improve their lot. However there are many more that will really accelerate growth but getting advice from an experience practitioner will ensure better implementation of any sales improvement program.
Are You Backing Up Your Data?
Computers and Technology: Data Recovery • Published: January 4, 2008
Research from government departments shows that, of the companies that lose their data (customer records, financial information etc.,) most tend to go out of business within 18 months. Since it can take up to 12 months to de register a company, most go out of business very quickly indeed. Could it happen to you?
Website Optimisation For Beginners - Or Seven Steps To Website Heaven
Internet and Businesses Online: Internet Marketing • Published: December 11, 2007
Web optimisation is the process or rather series of processes that when carried out well will ensure that your site is seen by the people who need to see it -your customers. Many businesses will seek out companies who are experienced in this area to optimise their site.
Branding Is Not Just For The Big Boys
Business: Branding • Published: November 20, 2007
We are all aware of branding. We see it everyday in our daily activities. Whether it is branding in the supermarket, on television ads and magazines. But these are mainly large companies with very large budgets. This article is focused the importance of branding for small to medium enterprises. (SMEs)
