Don’t forget where you came from
When I was growing up, there was this old man who lived just outside town. When strangers asked directions, he unfailingly replied, “Mister, all roads lead to Cassopolis.”
Customer Service: A Powerful Growth Tool
Strategies to keep your customers clamoring for more.
New Funding Sources for Minority-Owned Firms
Digital Library > Building and Inspiring an Organization > Minority-owned firms “New Funding Sources for Minority-Owned Firms” One of the first hurdles that minority-owned firms face is financing. In a 1999 Federal Reserve study, 68.5% of small businesses owned by black men were denied loans in the past three years. The vast majority of small-business owners (regardless of race) said…
Do the Right Thing
Digital Library > Building and Inspiring an Organization > Ethics “Do the Right Thing” With business moving at a rapid pace, ethical dilemmas will arise at a faster rate — ranging from the able-bodied trying to get a handicapped sticker for easy parking to insider trading. At a recent ethics seminar for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Marsha Egan, a…
Year-Round Tax Help
Digital Library > Legal Issues and Taxes > Taxes “Year-Round Tax Help” Hot off the Internal Revenue Service press: "Small Business Resource Guide — CD2000," a one-stop source of easy-to-access federal tax and regulatory information. The CD contains business tax forms, instructions, IRS publications, and information on how to prepare a business plan and find financing. The CD also offers…
More Tales From the New Economy
Digital Library > Defining and Serving a Market > Target marketing “More Tales From the New Economy” Entrepreneurs speak out on the changing nature of their businesses: Used Musical Instrument Store: "eBay, Harmony Central, Musician’s Friend and other Internet auction sites have hurt us. There still are those customers that must feel and play before buying, and we obviously cater…
Establish a Culture of Success
Digital Library > Human Resources Management > Employee selection “Establish a Culture of Success” Companies can grow fast. Unfortunately, employees don’t always keep up, says John M. Cook, CEO of The Profit Recovery Group, an Atlanta-based company that provides recovery audit services. "You’re always wrestling with the fact that companies can grow that fast, people often can’t," says Cook. "One…
Europeans Move to Web
Digital Library > Operations and Technology > Internet “Europeans Move to Web” Europe’s information and communication technology grew 12% in 1999, beating that year’s U.S. growth rate of 8.1%, reports the European Information Technology Observatory (EITO). This trend is expected to continue through 2001. Half of the European Union’s population will be Internet users by 2003 vs. 20% currently, estimates…
Getting Paid For Paper Trash
Digital Library > Operations and Technology > Sustainable business practices “Getting Paid For Paper Trash” Who says you have to pay companies to haul away your paper trash? An increasing demand in paper recycling is causing a reversal in haulers’ rate structures. Instead of charging, they’re now paying. For example, one such company now pays $30 per ton. They even…