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Vanity numbers can spice up a toll-free number. There is a difference between getting a number that is easy to remember, and grabbing a number that relates to your brand, your product or your service. While a generic toll-free number with 1800 prefix shows the customers that they won’t be charged for the call, a snazzy vanity number works as a memorable advertisement for your brand or offerings. How do Vanity Numbers Aid Branding? The most common forms of vanity number are generic vanity numbers. For example, generic vanity numbers...

Starting up a new and exciting business can be pretty daunting at first, and there is much planning to be done as a whole. You must make absolute sure that it’s what you want to progress as it is a substantial commitment, however done in the right way it could pay off big time. Here we take a peek at the some of the bare basic queries and insights you need to keep in mind before jumping into the deep end. The Sector The sector you ultimately opt for can be driven by one of two main things – your personal expertise or your personal...

If you have been working under someone for a long time, you can sometimes feel helpless about the things you want to do and the things that you feel need to be done. If you’re not the boss, you often have little or no say in the way the business works or how it can work better. Once you’ve become your own boss, however, you get to call the shots and since you know what it was like to be in the shoes of an employee, you would want to do what you can to make the lives of those working under you a little better. Here are some things...

Time and again we read on blogs of valiant, heroic acts by individuals that change and indeed save lives. Sadly we also get to read about the way such heroes are treated in all too many cases, and are left wondering why anyone bothers to help anyone else anymore. Where once goodwill and support were given for acts of kindness one now tends to find a legal defense instead, ready to take in fees any money that should have been to reward. The most recent case of this was of Nigel Haskett, a McDonald’s employee. In 2008 Mr Haskett was...

Research shows that sales are not generated with offers, discounts or prices alone, but people choose to buy a product or service when they make an emotional connection. What better way to make a personal connection with the product or service than to tell a story. No wonder, good sales people we meet are good story tellers too. Here are a few story-telling tips that will help your business prosper. Practice your message You know your sales material but to sell you must have a message that does not come across as generic. Your customers...

There are many ways in which calendars can be used to promote your business. Primarily, calendars represent a low cost, but also act as an effective way to market yourself to existing and new clients. Calendars can be designed in such a way as to feature prominent logos and slogans, and can be produced at low costs, while still being able to demonstrate a commitment to high quality design. With different options available for customising calendars, you can use them as a way to insert your brand into the daily life of an office or business. One...

Some of the most eccentric marketing methods in the world are also some of the most in spring and outright effective. This creative approach to marketing is not only (generally speaking) cost effective but also more enjoyable for the public. Many will not indulge in this method of marketing on the grounds that the results are often unpredictable and it comes with a substantial amount of risk. However, if you wish to stand out from the standard mass-marketing crowd, then innovation is key – unfortunately there are still many out there...

Negotiations are an important part of our daily lives. Every situation we have to deal with is different and there are essential aspects we must consider prior to settling on a strategy. In most cases, it all depends on the purpose of the negotiation and on the person with whom we’re talking to. To get what we want, great skills are mandatory. Let us assume that you feel entitled for a salary raise but your boss has no intention in giving it to you. How do you approach the problem? Emphasize how valuable you are to the company Are you...

Operational Excellence (OE) as a concept has now been in existence for a couple of years. The first projects aiming to implement OE have been delivered and the results are now becoming apparent but so are the challenges. Unfortunately not all Operational Excellence projects are delivered smoothly and not all end successfully.  The following is a compilation of the most common challenges that can derail Operational Excellence projects. It is not a complete list and it does not give all the aspects of the challenges. However, it does point...

Marketing seems to be the most “fun” part of owning a business, or maybe it seems sort of glamorous thanks to shows like Mad Men. Marketing is the part of my business that can feel great because of a successful campaign or terrible because I should have just taken $500 and flushed it down the toilet. At least if I flushed it, I would have saved myself the time it took to implement said failed campaign. I’ve had my successes, but I want to share my failures so that maybe I can spare another small business owner the wasted cash and...