Profit-Building Strategies for Business Owners articles from August 1992

Profit-Building Strategies for Business Owners archives from August 1992

Prepare a business plan that puts your company on the right track.
August 1, 1992... Whether you're starting out in your own business for the first time, expanding, or branching out into new areas, you need to draw up a business plan before you make your move. Any financing you seek--from either a bank or venture...

How to come out on top when you negotiate a deal. (includes related article)
August 1, 1992... We all negotiate far more than we imagine. Each time you want to satisfy one of your needs, you must negotiate in one way or another. This is true in personal as well as business situations. In business, negotiations can occur in your office,...

How to protect yourself against computer crashes.
August 1, 1992... If your business is computer-dependent, will you be down for the count when your system is down? What is computer-dependent? Picture what would happen if your computer suddenly blanked out and all your data went to digital heaven, never...

How to organize your files for greater efficiency.
August 1, 1992... It's surprising how many business people tolerate a state of confusion on their desks that they wouldn't permit in their stockrooms, shipping rooms or on their employees' desks. Some even boast that they can instantly pull out of the mess any...

What you should know to avoid getting stuck with bad checks. (includes related article)
August 1, 1992... Just about everyone who owns and manages a business sometimes has checks that he or she has deposited that are returned from the bank uncollected. The number of bad checks you get depends, naturally, on your kind of operation and volume of...

Ideas to help you cut your business phone bills.
August 1, 1992... Do you hit the ceiling every time you receive your monthly business telephone bill? Here are some rules you and your employees can follow to make sure every call is essential and doesn't run unnecessarily long. * The most obvious way to...

Steps you can take to increase productivity of your employees.
August 1, 1992... Increasing your employees' productivity will help keep costs down and profits up. But improving productivity can be difficult because so many factors are involved. Among them are the state of the economy and government policies, the kind...

Flextime - what's in it for you: more employees are finding out.
August 1, 1992... Out of sheer habit, most employers set a 40-hour, nine-to-five work week for full-time employees without giving it much thought. But more and more companies are starting to rethink this standard. Many are considering flextime. The term...

Pros and cons of owning a business condominium.
August 1, 1992... I'm considering buying a condominium for my corporation, a wholesale food brokerage. I don't know anything about condos -- this would be a 2,800-squarefoot office in a large building -- and I'd appreciate your comments on the pros and cons of...

Nine tests of your effectiveness when you face your customers. (customer relations)
August 1, 1992... When it comes to sales, are you working harder and spending more time and money than your volume justifies? Then it will pay to examine how you handle the most important part of selling -- the time you spend in the presence of the customer....

Choose a new company name that's an asset to your business.
August 1, 1992... Many people don't give much thought to naming their business when starting out. With all the other start-up problems, it's easy to take the owner's name or initials, usually with some description added: R.J. Smith's Plumbing Company, Rose &...

Publicity is much more than free advertising.
August 1, 1992... Trade associations often provide their members with advice on how to get publicity. Publicity, they point out, is free advertising. You've taken the advice to heart. Whenever your business acquires a new product line, promotes an...