Internet Marketing – What Comes First?

Someone asked me recently, if I were to expand an existing professional services business onto the internet, what marketing steps would I take first: set up a web site, a shopping cart, a newsletter, or a blog? This is a very good question. Five years ago most Internet marketing specialists would have all responded in chorus, “A website, of...

Is Six Sigma worth the investment for a small or medium sized business?

Is Six Sigma worth the investment? First let's define Six Sigma in terms we can all understand. It's a quality control process that is data driven What that means is the result is measured in numbers, in particular, numbers of defects . To achieve Six Sigma you should have less than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Opportunities for what? I...

The Sales Training Series: How To Sell Solutions

Salespeople are commonly told to sell solutions and value rather than just product features. But when the time comes to present their products, they fall back on generic scripts with no direct connection to any specific needs the customer has revealed. The customer winds up in a one-sided conversation, listening to the salesperson present too many...

Three Secrets You Need to Know About the Monkey Mind So That You Can Stop Spinning!

The term “monkey mind� was originally coined by Zen Buddhist monks to describe the condition of your mind racing from one thought to the next, creating mental churn that saps you of vital life force energy. We here in the Western world experience it as that which keeps us in busywork mentality, feeling overwhelmed, susceptible to...

Tax Planning Tip for 2007 – Income

The beginning of a new year is a time for contemplation, reflection and doing a little planning. As 2007 quickly approaches, you need to give some thought to your tax planning for the year. Tax Planning Tip for 2007 – Income If you complain because you feel you are paying far too much in taxes, you may be right. So, is the...

Procrastination…

Procrastination can kill good ideas before they even start, and can turn great opportunities into missed opportunities. This is something that entrepreneurs and business people in general need to minimize. This are article comes from ScienceDaily.com and a study from the University of Calgary. It provides an in-depth and interesting look into...

Dealing with Tax Debt

While many people fear being audited by the IRS for past tax returns, owing back taxes is actually a more stressful situation. If you owe, there are a couple of ways to deal with the situation. Dealing with Tax Debt First things first. The best advice on deal with back taxes is to…well, deal with them. Many people make the mistake of...

4 Last-Minute, Year-End Tax Strategies That Can Save You Money

FSI Tax Corp is alerting taxpayers to end-of-the-year actions they can take to reduce their 2006 tax bills. After the New Year, it will be too late to take advantage of many tax-saving opportunities, such as reducing 2006 income, exploring available tax credits and pursuing all legitimate 2006 write-offs. ...

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint

Guy Kawasaki,  Apple Evangelist turned  Venture Capitalist (Garage.com) also blogs.  As I was wandering the net, I ran into a posting/rant about Powerpoint presentations.  As he tends to see a lot of them, the  good, the bad and the ugly,  he has a couple pointers about what you should do, and what you shouldn't. He summarizes it...

How To Find Focus And Turn Your Talent Into A Thriving Professional Business

There are tons of books and articles available to help professionals start up their business, but few that give practical insights on how to nurture your business once it's out of its infancy. At some point, every self-employed professional reaches the same dilemma: how to build a strong brand and grow their business without taking on too many...