Business Tips by Chris Reich
Tips from growing a business to dealing with disputesFear
Stumble into a conversation about the Presidential election and the topic of fear quickly comes up. McCain scares me. Obama scares me. You'll hear one of these statements almost every time you ask someone about their leanings in this election.Do we have that much to...
Hire the Right Person
Why do so many employers hire duds and then bemoan their performance? My previous post was about favorable treatment of employees. Now I'd like to talk about choosing the right people.When hiring, it's important to choose the right person for the job. Okay, that's...
Employee Treatment
Want to keep your best talent? Little things make a big difference.I often hear from managers and CEOs about how hard it is to find and keep good people. "Nobody wants to work these days." I don't believe that's true and I don't believe it takes a lot of money to...
What If You Could Put Time in a Bottle
Supposedly we live in age of leisure brought about by technology. We don't have to grow or find our own food, build our own house, gather wood for heat or cook over an open fire. With the basics covered, we've all got loads of spare time. Seth Godin elaborates on this...
Is the Customer Always Right?
The customer isn't always right. That being the case, how do you handle an angry customer who just happens to be wrong? Here's an example. A client of mine runs a successful e-commerce site. To process a purchase on the client's site, the buyer must enter the correct...
Fix SOMETHING
Seth Godin (I highly recommend his books) has a post today on a theme that I constantly try to get across. Fixing the One Big ThingI am always amazed at the resistance to fixing the biggest problems a business may have. The objections usually center on cost or time....
More vs Better
Let's assume you want to improve your business. You know things could be better and you identify a couple areas that need work. Before launching an improvement effort, consider whether you want 'more' or 'better'.It is important to set the focus of more or better in...
Fight On…
We're in the middle of a rough business season. Many businesses are struggling. What to do?It's a good time to stick together. Take care of your best customers. Take good care of your employees. Take care of your suppliers. Don't get "heavy handed" with anyone. Now's...
Obama Gets It—Marketing
Put politics aside for a moment. Okay?Barack Obama did something brilliant this past week. He showed us exactly how to use today's technology for marketing.Those who registered on Obama's website, and probably contributed money, would get a text message telling them...
Before You Measure It
Businesses are measuring everything these days. There is a prevailing philosophy that something can't be made 'better' unless it's measured to establish a benchmark. This sounds reasonable, and there is a grain of truth in it, but it's not always necessary to...
Better
Here's a simple idea to improve your business. Get an inexpensive notebook---not a computer, the paper kind though you could use your computer. I think this is best done on paper so you'll look at it, however.At the end of every day, make two entries. First, put down...
Medical Advice
The typical doctor's office almost always has one fiercely loyal employee. This is the one who "protects" the doctor. She's the one that blocks your calls. She's the one that will handle your question for you---no need to talk with the doctor. Sometimes she's...
My Biggest Mistake
Confession time. I make mistakes too.The biggest mistakes I've made over the years all have a common thread. I've compromised what I know the client needs with what the client thought they needed.If you're in business, you've faced this situation. The big project. You...
Two Choices
In a slow economy you have two choices. The one you choose will determine how fast your business recovers---it could even determine if your business recovers.1. Cut back employees and expenses. Focus on cuts. Compete on price---after all, it's a tough market.2....
Cutting Back? Support the People You Keep!
If you've cut staff, support the people you've kept. Start with assurance. Tell them if everyone works together, business will improve. Tell them this is a problem with the economy, not with them. This might seem obvious, but many employers will tell remaining people...
A Website is Never Done
I know of people who have "under construction" pages up on their website. They mistakenly think they will reach a point when their site will be done.Websites are never done. They are always under construction. If your website is "done", that is, you haven't changed or...
Email and Desperation
Don't push.No doubt, we're in a serious slow down. Many small businesses are suffering. The pressure is huge. Your best source of business is your customer base. The relationships you've built can keep you going through the hard times. True enough. But there is a...
Too Much Email?
I have been on a work and speaking tour for a while and haven't had a chance to post. This morning while browsing the news, blogs and email, I was surprised to discover a recurring theme. It goes like this: We're getting too much email. It takes too much time and...