I think of this story about success often. There were two boys who grew up together. They were the best of friends. They mostly enjoyed going fishing together just about every day at a nearby lake. One of the boys went on to college, went to work for a large corporation, worked hard for decades,…
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Sales vs. Marketing: How Do You Get Clients?
With all the extra work getting all the logos and items you need when you start a new client, you’re really busy for two or three weeks producing these orders, and you stop networking and cold calling. So when the orders are completed, your pipeline is empty and you have to start all over again. I call this the cycle of doom. How do you get out of the cycle of doom? Simple: marketing your business…
Read MoreMatters of Convenience: Is Your Company Policy for the Client’s Benefit, or Yours?
How often do we say our decisions or policies are made for the benefit of the customer when the reality is they are self-serving? In business, one of the keys to fostering long-lasting relationships is transparency. People may not like specific policies or decisions, but they will accept them when they are carried out openly and honestly…
Read MoreWho’s Planting Your Garden?
What gets planted grows. So who’s planting your garden? Are you letting others plant seeds of doubt, worry and failure? Because those seeds can grow into ever increasing weeds of doubt, worry and failure in your garden of life. Perhaps it’s time for you to do some weeding in your life and garden. Perhaps it’s time to get rid of those weeds…
Read MoreWhen Should I Upgrade to QuickBooks Premier 2022?
Question: I have QuickBooks Premier 2019. I keep getting pop-ups telling me to upgrade to Premier 2022. I know I need to upgrade to 2022, and that it’s a subscription. Should I just go ahead and do it? Answer: Your QB Premier 2019 will be upgraded at no additional charge through May 2022. The subscription that you will be purchasing is an annual one…
Read MoreWhat’s the Right Blogging Platform for My Promo Business?
You’ve decided to step up your marketing and start a blog to publish content. Before you start, since this is a long-term strategy, it is wise to make an informed decision about where to house your content to get the most benefit from this effort. First off, you want to think about your long-term business goals…
Read MoreThe All-New Google Analytics 4: What Distributors Need to Know
Google Analytics has undergone many iterations over the years. But as the web has evolved and gone mobile, and data tracking regulations go into effect, the popular tool has become increasingly inaccurate. In order to solve that, Google has launched a whole new tool, Google Analytics 4. Here’s what promo distributors should know…
Read MoreValidation Is for Parking Receipts
You need validation for your parking receipt if you want free parking. That’s all you need validation for. You don’t need validation from others that you are successful. You don’t need validation from others that you are right. You don’t need validation from others that you are worthy. If you know you are successful, right…
Read MoreThe Bueller Principle: Why Moving Too Fast Harms Your Clients and Your Business
We often move throughout our day with neither thought nor purpose. Sadly, this same whirlybird approach is applied to the work presented to clients on a far-too-regular basis—especially as it relates to promotional products. If you want to stand out from the product pushers and grow your business, it’s time to not just work with thought and purpose, but to share that with your clients…
Read MoreHow to Plan for Year-End on QuickBooks
Many accounting systems can be quite complicated at year-end, requiring that you manually close the income and expense accounts into your balance sheet. This zeroes out the income and expense accounts to be ready to start another year. This is how your income and expenses go to zero at the start of a new year…
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