Below is a list of Business Ideas that will give you something to think about in Business.
Each of the Business Ideas is a short read so take the time to read a few and think how you can do things differently in your business.
Marketing is an Investment Sales & Marketing Marketing is an investment and should not be looked upon as an expense. |
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Reduce Drop in Disruptions Time Management Reduce drop-in disruptions How much of your day is disrupted by others dropping in to chat |
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Get Your Business in the Local Paper Advertising Local people and local businesses always like to read about local events. |
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Remind Your Customers Advertising We all like a friendly reminder to help us manage the things we need to do. |
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Create Passive Advertising Advertising Passive advertising is a form of marketing that doesn't require regular renewal |
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Establish a Dress Standard Business Basics Accepted (or expected) business dress standards over the past few years have continued to relax. |
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Take Action! Business Basics It doesn't matter what the size of your business is or how successful it's been, every business can improve its results. |
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Get to Know your Landlord Business Basics Most businesses start their business with a landlord, so it is a critical relationship to their business success. |
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K.I.S.S. Business Basics Apply the K.I.S.S principle Jargon often used in business to say "Keep it Simple, Stupid" or "Keep It Short & Simple" |
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Networking is Important Business Development Networking is an enjoyable way to market and develop your business - and it simply involves making opportunities to tell other people about your business. |
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Get to Know Your Bank Manager Business Development In these days of increasing electronic Customer service there is a growing reduction in personal relationships |
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Represent your Business Business Development Do you view your business as stand-alone rather as part of a larger industry and the local business community. |
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Get to Know your Competitor Business Development Competition is tough - and to beat your competitor you need to know them very well. |
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Customer Churn is Healthy Business Development Customer Churn is a term which describes the normal cycle of Customers leaving or simply no longer requiring your business. |
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Slow Growth is Going Backwards Business Development If your business is not growing by 10% a year it's going backwards ! |
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Schedule your Purchases Cash Flow Management Timing is everything in cash flow management and while most organisations (and people) will manage their balance by delayed payment few ever consider delayed (or timely) purchase. |
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Control Credit Terms Cash Flow Management Have you every thought that giving credit to Customers means that you are acting like a bank |
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Thank your Customers Customer Service We all like to feel special and Customers are no different. Whenever you get an opportunity to thank your Customer, do it - but on one condition it must be sincere. |
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Organise your Customer Contact Points Customer Service Make sure the point at which you serve your Customer is set up to do it efficiently. |
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Give a Guarantee Customer Service Any purchase can be a time of uncertainty for the Customer and you can remove part of that uncertainty by standing by your product with a guarantee. |
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Leave a Lasting Impression Customer Service First impressions are important in any relationship and we all know that first impressions are strong - so do you take any time to think about how you're presenting yourself for the first time when it |
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Smile Until it Hurts Customer Service Smiles are infectious and can improve the way in which your Customers view you and this could improve their business with you. |
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Be Contactable Customer Service Make sure your Customers can contact you at a time that is convenient for them |
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Respond to Customer Complaints Customer Service Research shows that most Customers don't complain ... they simply loose faith on service and quietly move on. |
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Who Needs a Job Description Employment Yes, everyone knows you need them - but have you got them in your business? |
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Only Employ Workers Employment Why is it that most business owners or managers tend to put up with employees who don't appear to want to work? |
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Don't Gamble your Home Financial Financing a new or expanding (or sometimes struggling) business is always a difficult issue. |
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Invoice Regularly Financial There are three different times that most businesses will pay your invoices: |
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Customers Expect you to Make a Profit Financial Don't be shy about being in business to make a profit - Customers expect you to make as profit as they know that's why you are in business. |
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Electronic before Paper Information Technology We live in an electronic age and while making sure we manage relationships we also need to use the new technology to simplify our business, keep costs down where possible and save our environment. |
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Buy the Right Technology Information Technology Buy the right technology - not just the best or latest technology. |
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Management Needs to Support Staff Management Every business owner needs to work hard at getting the right people and then "letting them do the job" they are employed to do - this means allowing them to make decisions in their role. |
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Don't Use Techno Babble Management Jargon is a great way to talk about complex issues in a brief way - but only if you understand it. |
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Plan for the Unforeseen Planning Good planning is an art. It's an art to be able to plan for the unforeseen. |
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What's your Vision for the Future Planning Every business, no matter how small, needs a vision for the future. Vision is simply about making a statement of what your business will be and when it will be achieved. |
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Budget for the Worst Planning Budget for the worst (or minimum) - and then set hard targets above budget to strive towards - sometimes called "stretch targets". |
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Lost Business is Serious Quality It's harder to win new Customers than it is to keep them ... but sometimes we do loose Customers as a result of not delivering their requirements. |
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First Impressions are Important Quality It might sound like a tired old line, but it's not as tired as the first impression that some businesses give to potential Customers. |
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Extend your Warranty / Guarantee Quality What is the Warranty/Guarantee that you provide to your Customers? If you don't have a Warranty/Guarantee with your business products/services then you need to create one ... now! |
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Give Something Away Sales & Marketing Everyone likes something for nothing - it creates a feeling of value (you're reading this free newsletter aren't you?). |
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Build your Brand Sales & Marketing Your brand helps you establish a difference for your business or product in the market. We all know the big global brands but sometimes forget that they started as a small business or product many yea |
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Use Colour to Get Noticed Sales & Marketing Colour is a great way to make your business stand out from the rest of the (colourless) businesses around you. |
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Create a Company Profile Sales & Marketing Every business needs a simple (physical) document that promotes the range of products and services they provide. It can range from a single page through a small folding document to a bound presentatio |
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Where did your Customers Hear About You? Sales & Marketing Ask every potential Customer where they heard about your business. We're sure you've heard the quote "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, and the trouble is I don't know which half.& |
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Ask for a Testimonial Sales & Marketing A Testimonial is a simple statement of good service that your Customer will allow you to share publicly with potential new Customers. |
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If You Move, Tell Everyone Sales & Marketing Don't get your business lost in the move by not telling anyone. If you're moving you business premises, use it as an opportunity to tell as many Customers, colleagues, friends and family as possible |
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