June 2005

COTC @ BusinessBlogCasting

by Michael Cage · 0 comments

in On Entrepreneurship

You can find this week’s Carnival of the Capitalists at BusinessBlogCasting. There’s a new format they used … it’s worth checking out.

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Client Education: The Missing Key to Growing Small Business Profits

by Michael Cage · 1 comment

in On Marketing To Small Businesses

Client Education: The Missing Key to Growing Small Business Profits Note: This was originally written for a computer reseller and consulting newsletter, so you’ll see reference to technology and VARs throughout. Don’t let it stop you from reading. The information inside is valid for any and every kind of small business — retail, b2b, even ...

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COTC @ Blog Business World

June 20

Wayne Hurlburt has this week’s Carnival of the Capitalists. (Better brew a pot of coffee and pull out a notepad … it’s a long one with plenty of great entries.)

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Selling consulting services at premium prices

June 20 On Entrepreneurship

Recently, a friend and business associate paid $4,700 to an I.T. consultant and computer reseller. So what, you say? It’s interesting because it was the highest bid he received for the solution, and the next closest bid, from a professional and capable company, was $3,500, over $1,000 less! Why did my friend, Tom, choose the ...

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Grow Your Small Business With The 80/20 Principle

June 18

Growing Your Small Business With The 80/20 Principle by Michael Cage Over 100 years ago, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that the majority of his country’s wealth was controlled by a minority of his country’s population. He found the same imbalance in other countries, and observed that the ratio stood at 80% of the wealth ...

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Steve Jobs on how to avoid the fear you have something to lose

June 16

Like a good Mac geek, I can’t help but pass along a nice quote from Steve Jobs at Stanford University’s Commencement: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice…Remembering you are going to die is the best way ...

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Why Starbucks Wins & What Local Businesses Can Learn From Them

June 14 On Local Business Marketing

Yesterday, I posted about two nasty experiences I had with employees and closing times (see A Simple Way to Happier Customers)… …it’s time for the flip-side. Three weeks ago I pulled an all-nighter. Around 5am, craving caffeine, I decided it was time for a Starbucks break. I hopped in the car and drove down the ...

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A Simple Way to Happier Customers

June 13

A few nights back I drove (way too fast, ahem) towards Hollywood Video to pick up a few DVDs. The time was 11:57 when I pulled up to the curb and hopped out of my car. As I approached the door, the clerk on the other side noticed me, raced towards the door and quickly ...

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Entrepreneur quiz and top 10 list

June 9

Fun post at Fractals of Change on the top 10 ways to tell if you are an entrepreneur. My personal favorites: 10. You can’t bring yourself to call anyone “boss”. 8. Instead of saying “there oughtta be a law”, you say “there could be a business…” 2. You have to take two zeros OFF the ...

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How to uncover Marketing and Business Breakthroughs

June 7

Every interaction you or your staff has with clients is an opportunity to spot a breakthrough marketing opportunity. During a recent coaching conversation, Mike L., an IT consultant and computer reseller in Idaho mentioned in passing that many of his business clients had been asking him about digital photography. Not for business use, but for ...

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