Getting Employees To Adopt The Right Culture
How many times during the day does a customer stop by or call, and ask toonly speak with you, the shop owner? Do you know why? It’s because in general,the experience the customer has when dealing with the owner of a business ismuch different than when dealing with an employee. The owner goes out of
Would You Really Help A Friend In Trouble? Here’s Your Chance
A guest editorial by Joe Mittelman, vice president of The Aftermarket Foundation The function of The Aftermarket Foundationis to locate and assist people from the aftermarket who, because of catastrophic injury or terrible illness, have fallen on hard times and financially have no other place to turn. The Aftermarket Foundation was started 50 years ago
Big Changes for Local Search Engine Results with New Google+ Local
If you haven’t heard, Google Places is being replaced by Google+ Local pages. This big change will affect local search results on Google, so keep on reading if you want high local search rankings. Each business has a Google Placespage that can include business contact information, hours, reviews and pictures. You can see an example
What Every Customer Needs To Hear
This will not only let yourcustomers know that you were paying attention when they were speaking to you,but will communicate that you truly understand the positions that they arein. Try sayingsomething like, “Jim, I know you mentioned that you’re on a tight budget thismonth, so I took the liberty of exploring some options for you.
Do You Fire or Promote?
Have you heard the story about the know-it-all employee who really happens to be a great performer? Recently, I was reading the book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni who applies the story to an executive who works at a fictitious computer company in Silicon Valley. Early in this CEO’s career, as
Marketing During Tough Economic Times
These are any campaigns where you reach potential customers while they are outside of their homes and workplaces. Little league games, charity drives, local fairs, etc., are all good examples. So do this … Each Monday put 10 business cards in your pocket, and make sure you pass them all out, off premise, by the
Four Tips for Running a Family Business
Since its inception over 70 years ago, Bremen Castings has been a company at the forefront of the foundry industry having won numerous awards for its safety, technology and environment-friendly manufacturing. “In an industry with strong traditional roots, it’s important to have your company stay on course and to keep up with the times,”
How to Use E-Verify System to Check Employment Eligibility
The following article from SEMA eNews gives a brief introduction to the federal government’s “E-Verify” system, which allows employers to check employment eligibility documents against a federal database. The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld an Arizona law that requires employers in Arizona to use the system. In addition to Arizona, some other states have variations
Protecting Your Shop’s Reputation: Be Wary Of Threats To Your Brand Name
Unfortunately, protecting your brand has become more of a challenge in the Internet age. Complaints that were once handled in person and in private are often shared online, potentially alienating new customers and making it difficult for shop owners to resolve issues. Even worse, because of the anonymous nature of the Internet, some shop owners
Leading By Example: Focus On Core Strengths To Build A Stronger Team
He had a lot of time to reflect on life and who he was during his long stay at the South Pole Advance Base weather station in 1934, where temps averaged -60 degrees in the winter. He was alone and the closest human was 123 miles away. Segueing from that example, in this article I’d
Do You Have What it Takes to be the Performance Engine Builder of the Year?
Performance engine builders are a dedicated bunch. All they care about is winning – and sometimes they employ “creative” methods to win races. With that in mind, Engine builders of all sizes and types are eligible – and encouraged – to enter the Performance Engine Builder of the Year contest. “We are excited to be
To Succeed in Business Reality, You
How are your business dreams looking today? I’m not hearing about many dreams. Maybe some nightmares, but few dreams. To be truthful, we need to look at the good signs. For one, business is picking up. There seems to be a positive attitude in many places. But how many more years like 2011 can you