It’s very hard to convince business owners to hire until they’re absolutely certain they need to. Employees are often the most expensive investment a business makes.

Many businesses’ existence revolves around two numbers, revenue and payroll. Payroll can often be up to 70% of a firm’s operating costs.

To read more on this excellent article in CNN money Click here

The first T (Take) enables you to take credit cards from customers without setting up a merchant account and without buying/renting a machine to swipe their cards. The program provides a scanner attachment for your iPhone or Android phone that attaches with a connection through your headphone jack. Best of all, the scanner is free and the transaction charge is 2.75 percent, no minimum monthly fees and is completely portable.

The second T is (Track) called CarCheckup. It tracks and records your mileage and as a second benefit reads the car’s computer to check the error lights and dashboard alerts to alert you to problems. Tool cost is $149.79.

Number 3 (Twitter) allows you to connect with prospects and interact with them. The program is Free.

The forth (Travel) is a travel scanner is a portable tool with two versions. The least expensive is $199.00 from major retailers. A faster, color version is about $100.00 more.

The fifth (Take) is an app that takes away the aggravation you get from holding on the phone for service, tech expert and the founders estimate the app will save the average person at least 60 hours per year. This app uses technology to get through the phone tree until it reaches a live person. It is an iPhone app and costs $1.00 and I’m ordering the app today.

At least three of the 5 T’s will work for me and if you travel on business, all will probably help you.

In an article reported in the Toronto Globe and Mail’s Report on Business someone outside this business writes of his Public Relations company’s successes as a result of continuing entries in to awards competitions. If you have heard me speak on the subject you know I’m a strong believer in the benefits of entering every competition available for any company in the creative fields.

Here’s the link to this article on winning awards.

This was sent to me by Bob Gernon, Toronto Consultant and friend.

Lifestyle is style over amount. And style is an art—the art of living. You can’t buy style with money. You can’t buy good taste with money. You can only buy more with money. Lifestyle is culture—the appreciation of good music, dance, art, sculpture, literature, plays and the art of living well. It’s a taste for the fine, the unique, the beautiful.

Lifestyle also means rewarding excellence wherever you find it by not taking the small things of life for granted. I wanted to illustrate this with a personal anecdote:

Many years ago my lady friend and I were on a trip to Carmel, California, for some shopping and exploring. On the way we stopped at a service station. As soon as we parked our car in front of the pumps, a young man, about eighteen or nineteen, came bouncing out to the car and with a big smile said, “Can I help you?”

“Yes,” I answered, “A full tank of gas, please.” I wasn’t prepared for what followed. In this day and age of self-service and deteriorating customer treatment, this young man checked every tire, washed every window—even the sunroof—singing and whistling the whole time. We couldn’t believe both the quality of service & his upbeat attitude about his work.

When he brought the bill, I said to the young man, “Hey, you really have taken good care of us. I appreciate it.”

He replied, “I really enjoy working. It’s fun for me and I get to meet nice people like you.”

This kid was really something!

I said, “We’re on our way to Carmel and we want to get some milkshakes. Can you tell us where we can find the nearest Baskin-Robbins?”

“Baskin-Robbins is just a few blocks away,” he said as he gave us exact directions. Then he added, “Don’t park out front—park around to the side so your car won’t get sideswiped.”

What a kid!

As we got to the ice cream store we ordered milkshakes, except that instead of two, we ordered three. Then we drove back to the station. Our young friend dashed out to greet us. “Hey, I see you got your milkshakes.”

“Yes, and this one is for you!”

His mouth fell open. “For me?”

“Sure. With all the fantastic service you gave us, I couldn’t leave you out of the milkshake deal.”

“Wow!” was his astonished reply.

As we drove off I could see him in my rear-view mirror just standing there, grinning from ear to ear.

Now, what did this little act of generosity cost me? Only about two dollars—you see, it’s not the money, it’s the style.

Well, I must have been feeling especially creative that day, so upon our arrival in Carmel I drove directly to a flower shop. As we walked inside I said to the florist, “I need a long-stemmed rose for my lady to carry while we go shopping in Carmel.”

The florist, a rather unromantic type, replied, “We sell them by the dozen.”

“I don’t need a dozen,” I said, “just one.”

“Well,” he replied haughtily, “it will cost you two dollars.”

“Wonderful,” I exclaimed. “There’s nothing worse than a cheap rose.”

Selecting the rose with some deliberation, I handed it to my friend. She was so impressed! And the cost? Two dollars. Just two dollars. A bit later she looked up and said, “Jim, I must be the only woman in Carmel today carrying a rose.” And I believe she probably was.

Can you imagine the opportunity to create magic with those around you, and all for the cost of a few dollars, some imagination and care. Remember, it is not the amount that matters but the thought and care that often has the greatest impact upon those you love.

The China effect has produced several realities. One, where once savvy distributors could go off-shore and produce goods allowing for 60 – 80% gross profit margins the new reality is that distributors still go off shore but so does everyone elso and now the margins have been cut for everyone, supplier and distributor alike. So goes free enterprise.

The web has accelerated the trend as companies such as Branders, 4 Imprint and others attempt to compete only on price. Branders, in a relatively short time has become a major factor in the industry. Others will find places in the maze of the internet.

As never before, Distributors will have to find their niche. I cannot see the total demise of the distributor model. There will always be a need for relationships. However, relationships to be meaningful must have benefits to both parties. Distributors are evolving. Some are moving to the Web, others are becoming more of full service organizations where promo products are only part of their market. A surprising number are beginning to specialize by becoming the “go to” company for specific needs. There are now ‘trade show’ specialists, event marketers, loyalty marketers, marketing companies who use promo products in the programs they design for their clients and companies who specialize in company store programs. New niche players are created each day as bright people continue to enter the business.

In the same manner, suppliers are becoming decorators and source goods from all continents to keep current in the market place. They too become specialists in specific product group. And as always, new entrepreneurs emerge with new products and they may even manufacture them in North America.

To read the entire article Please click here

To institute chanage in your own business, call me at 905-475-9161 or email me please.

The premise of the book is that the brain is capable of amazing acts of repair and recovery. It challenges the idea that as we age our capacity for learning diminishes. Utilizing real case studies, the book illustrates how people have managed to raise IQ’s, enable learning skills, and overcome apathy that inhibits intellectual growth in people over 55 year of age.
Readers will find the discussions useful in their own lives and will know others who can benefit from the ideas presented.

The Chicago Tribune stated – “Lucid and absolutely fascinating.” The Washington Post said – “Readers will want to read entire sections aloud and pass the book on to someone who can benefit from it.” The NY Times commented – “(….the book) has implications for all human beings, not to mention human culture, human learning and human history.”

To institute change in your business call me at 905-475-9161 or email me to initiate discussion.