Think of a Recession as Bikini Season for your Budget

You know that feeling that accompanies spring? Right next to “I’ve got to do something about the clutter in the garage” is “I sure did pack on the pounds over the holidays- and I left them on!”
Well, when’s the last time you put your budget on the scale? Just like our bellies, our spending can […]

Idenitifying cash creators

Do an expense shake down. Take time at least once a year to scrutinize each and each and every company expense. Remember that old habits die hard. Evaluate you travel expenses, telecommunicate expenses,insurance costs, subscriptions, and so on. If the expense doesn’t contribute company’s profitably, eliminate it. You’re  just about guaranteed to find areas in […]

Responding to what you’ve discovered

Responding to your market is critical to being market-focused. You can generate information and communicate it internally, but unless you respond to market needs, nothing gets accomplished. Your company should be driven by:

An understanding of what your customers want
The knowledge of how to meet the customers’ needs
The delivery of the product or service customers want

Many […]

How to write a positioning statement

The purpose of writing a positioning statement is to ensure that all of your marketing activities for a customer group are consistent and clear. (And it saves you tons of time in the long run.) Initially, focus on writing a positioning statement that’s only used internally. In the future, you may end up using it […]

Spend time talking to your customers

When all else fails, ask your customers why they buy from you! Ask these questions of your 80/20 customers:

What are we doing that’s great? What is working?
What isn’t working and needs improvement?
What else would you like to see from our company? What else could we do to make your life easier?
If we ceased to exist, […]

Kicking your value up a notch

Take out your big-strategy guns and kick it up a notch. To increase your value, you need to create something that is better or different than your competitors. By construction your value chain, you now know what you can do in specific areas to improve. In this section, you find out how to have a […]

Creating a strategy-focused organization

Organizations that are strategy-focused are more effective with their resources, have higher employee retention, and make more money because they serve their markets better than their counterparts. And they stay in business longer because they proactively respond to the environment around them. Want to create a culture that’s strategy-focused? Here’s a hit list of ideas […]

Anthropologie, a nationwide retail store

"A female about 30 to 45 years old, college or post-graduate education, married with kids or in a committed relationship, professional or ex-professional, annual household income of $150,000 to $200,000. She’s well-read and well-traveled. She’s very aware - she gets our references, whether it’s to a town in Europe or to a book or a […]

See Your Business Through a Customer’s Eyes

Original article featuring Erica Olsen: http://www.mastercard.com/us/business/en/smallbiz/articles/archive/0205Customer.html
Considering the time and effort you invest in
your business, it may be hard to stand back and see your company from a
different perspective. Discover strategies that will help you to
understand how customers experience your business.
By Tara Remiasz
Imagine you’re traveling for business. After your flight takes off
and you settle into […]

What is Trader Joe’s Strategy?

What is Trader Joe’s strategy? The strategy encompasses carrying highly selective products, offering private-label products, offering small, neighborhood stores that exude warmth, providing attentive employees and offering extraordinary value.
Trader Joe’s is committed to providing selective products that cannot be found in grocery stores. It does not carry commodities such as soft drinks. The company […]