The Abbotsford Mysteries
on Nov 18, 2009 in Finding new business Marketing Uncategorized brand competitor analysis image visual merchandising window displays Impressed by The Shoppologist’s ‘university of walking around’ approach, I tried it myself. I found three mysteries in just 100 m of local shops!   Tax Agent To my mind, this window does not emanate professional credibility. Yet it’s been l...

Diamonds & Stones
on Nov 16, 2009 in Uncategorized benefits of owning a business having a bad day When I was a recruiter, I used to quiz candidates about the best and worst days of their various jobs. This elicited far better answers than the old: ‘Tell us a bit about yourself’. As our community grows, I thought this’d be a fascinating exer...

Blessed Are The Baby Boomers
on Nov 11, 2009 in Uncategorized Work life balance semi-retirement working part time I used to think baby boomers were only good at skewing charts, devouring tax dollars and abandoning mother/baby centres in parks. Today I can report that boomers add significant value to my life. It’s called semi-retirement and it’s fabulous. Den...

Four Good Reasons to Use Skype
on Nov 9, 2009 in Doing business online Uncategorized phone bill Skype       Any questions?   Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire      ...

The Business of Babies
on Nov 4, 2009 in Work life balance working from home children maternity leave Sonia Cuff is the proud mum of a new baby daughter. Today she shares her experiences of caring for a newborn while continuing to run her own business, a feat not for the faint-hearted! Congratulations from all of us at SBO, Sonia!   Whoever said ...

The Tender Trap
on Nov 2, 2009 in Finding new business Uncategorized pitches tenders Large, lucrative (especially government) tenders can seem the holy grail of business. Get one and you’re set. Bidding for tenders, however, is tricky. In addition to the myriad draconian requirements of the fat tender document itself, there are unw...

The Money or The Box? Part 2
on Oct 28, 2009 in admin customer service office supplies toner Read Part 1 Day 8 After a week, my fax, printer, photocopier and scanner were still down. As was my enthusiasm for online discount shopping. No courier. No toner. Three phone conversations. Frustration. I rang the customer service chap one more time.

The Money or The Box?
on Oct 26, 2009 in admin customer service office supplies toner Part 1 of 2 My toner ran out last week. This took down my fax, printer, photocopier and scanner. A price check showed my usual bricks-and-mortar supplier was 25% off the pace. Keen to save some loot and trusting a 1-3 day delivery promise, I bought o...

How dealing with loss makes you a better business owner
on Oct 21, 2009 in Uncategorized working from home grief isolation loss A change of pace today. Author and founder of Nationwide Networking Ben Angel shares a personal account of the challenges of running a business while dealing with the loss of a loved one. Sometimes we forget that business owners are real people. Wh...

Putting the OUCH into vouchers
on Oct 19, 2009 in Uncategorized customer loyalty loyalty programs loyalty schemes vouchers In Paul’s ludicrous fantasy world of truth and light, business is cherished, money is prized and value lasts longer than six months. In the real world of vouchers, however, none of this happens. And I can’t see why. Purchase My wife and I bought...