Most distributor owners started their own business because they had a dream of making more money and having more fun than working for someone else. However, for many distributor owners, those dreams have turned into nightmares. All the responsibilities of business ownership can be very exhausting, distracting and no fun. Business owners not only have…
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Licensed Trump Merchandise Has Almost Disappeared From Stores, But Trump Campaign Store Carries On
The Trump brand has seen licensing agreements disappear dramatically of late. In 2015, before Trump’s presidency, 19 companies were paying the Trump Organization to produce or distribute Trump-branded goods. Today, only two remain. Yet, the Trump campaign store is still a major mover of merchandise. What gives?…
Read MorePersistence, Patience and Pasta
Early on in building my distributorship to $20 million (I sold that business in the early ’90s to focus on our franchise model), I realized there were only four activities that would make me wealthy. Today at Proforma we call these the 4 Pillars of Success. Earn new customers. Sell more to current customers. Hire…
Read MoreHow Can I Upgrade?
Question: How do I upgrade from QuickBooks Pro to Premier? Answer: QuickBooks makes it easy to upgrade from Pro to Premier. First, download Premier; then back up your QuickBooks company file. Print out your balance sheet and income statement on the accrual basis. When you are ready to upgrade, go to “File,” “Open” or “Restore…
Read MoreBuy The Shrimp Farm: The Power of Negative Selling
When we first started franchising Proforma in the late 1980s, most people in our industry scoffed at our business model. So, we reached out to people outside our industry to start building our franchise concept. In the late 1980s, there was no internet! So we relied on advertising in business publications and attending “own your…
Read MoreMy 5 Favorite Promotions of the Week, Part 3
Hello again, fellow promotional professionals. For my blog this week, I wanted to share some new promotional products that caught my attention. Were there any awesome promotions I missed that you think I should have included? Let me know in the comments section! 1. NASA Retro Merchandise According…
Read MoreMy 5 Favorite Promotions of the Week
Hello, fellow promotional enthusiasts. As usual, I’ve been on high alert this week searching for the top promotional products in the wild. This week, we have some limited edition drinkware and movie-themed merchandise making the rounds on the internet, and I love it all. Keep reading for my top picks! 1. Lady Gaga x Urban…
Read MoreMy 5 Favorite Promotions of the Week
Because I didn’t get to blog last week, this post is more like my five favorite promotions of the last two weeks. Promotional products have been making major headlines this week, thanks to their uniqueness, and I wanted to showcase some of my favorites! Keep reading for my top five. 1. Doritos “Guardians of the…
Read MoreMy 5 Favorite Promotions of the Week
The other day, I got lunch at this fast-casual, healthy restaurant in Philadelphia that I frequent often (because they have the best sweet potato hummus). On this particular visit, it was raining, so I paid extra attention to the paper bag the cashier handed me, as I realized this bag would not stand up well…
Read MoreHow Would Your Customers Feel About a 20 Percent Price Increase?
If you had to increase your prices 20 percent tomorrow, how would your customers react? After you absorbed unflattering comments and disappointment, your customers would buy fewer products, if they bought any at all. Beyond our industry, consider what we buy every day: clothing, footwear, housewares, electronics and so on. How would you feel the…
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