Years ago, I had an office in New York City, right down from Madison Square Garden. My little office was on the fourth floor of a small commercial building. There were several small businesses housed on my floor. My small business neighbor was also my accountant. I'll never forget the words Tony the Accountant said to me one afternoon when he peeked into my office for a chat. He said, "Always ask yourself, what can I do to make money TODAY?"Your...more
Sun canopies are used in both commercial and residential environments to provide shade cover for businesses and homes. A wide range of temporary, permanent, and custom shade covers exists. Many businesses prefer temporary shade covers that provide economical solutions to the problems of heat and sun in open areas. Other businesses involved in frequent outdoor activities invest in permanent, Modular shade structures to give clients and...more
There is urban legend going around, created by some "gurus" trying to sell their books, that you can manage an entire self-storage facility from a "kiosk", basically a walk-up automated teller like an ATM machine. Although the concept of having a "robot" manage a self-storage facility is attractive from a cost-savings and low management perspective, it is, unfortunately, a fantasy with about as much practicality as the photon torpedo out of Star Trek.The reasons you cannot manage a self-storage facility from a kiosk are numerous:A kiosk only works if the customer knows what they're doingThe reason that ATM machines can function smoothly is that just about everyone knows how to work one. But can you imagine what would happen is nobody had used an ATM before. They'd try and put their card in upside down and break it off trying to shove it in. They'd forget to pull the cash out on time, and have it sucked back in. In their frustration, they'd beat the machine to a pulp.The kiosk concept for self-storage facilities is new and different, and nobody knows how it works.Somebody has to manage the kioskJust as an ATM machine requires constant, daily management, such as re-stocking it with...more
Toronto, Canada - GAO Instruments (www.GAOInstruments.com) has announced the availability of its compact single fiber fusion splicer specifically designed for single mode fiber, multi-mode fiber, dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF), non-zero dispersion-shifted fiber (NZ-DSF), and erbium-doped fiber (EDF). The single fiber fusion splicer detects the...more
When Jim Ballack started his own courier business, he did not have the money to buy an off the shelf PBX system. He was shocked to find that just the installation and setup would cost him in the thousands. Other complications arose as well. His service staff wanted an email productivity suite combined with a messaging system, which meant more...more
Online fax is one form of "cloud computing" which has become extremely popular with many home business owners. One of the main reasons for this growing popularity of online or Internet faxing is the mobility it gives to any business. Your home business is no longer "just" located in the home or home office, you can take it with you, no matter where you go!Online faxing is simply using your current email system and the Internet to send and receive all your faxes. You and your business can be reached anywhere anytime, as long as you have Internet access. And these days the web is everywhere.You can use any mobile device as a fax machine such as cell phones, pdas, netbooks, laptops, smart phones... and just about any other gadget or device which has web access. This really takes your home business and liberates it from the home office or location. You can have your office anywhere.Besides this complete portability, there are several other important reasons why many home business owners are switching over to this new modern way of faxing. First, there is no need for an extra fax phone line since everything is done online. There is no need for a fax machine or inks, toners and papers....more
When writing your first business plan (and perhaps what you hope is your only business plan), you will naturally be a bit unsure about how to proceed. Although a wealth of information about business plan writing is available, knowing how to focus...more
Six Sigma training has a ton of great tools and uses for you and your company. Call centers have an amazing purpose when it comes to putting to use those tools and making the best of their problem solving abilities. With call centers, the processes...more
When you are ready to seek private investment in your business, a private placement memorandum may be required by your states law. Even if it is not, this document is highly recommended as it can protect your business from claims of fraud down the...more
Whether you create a business plan for external sources (generally potential investors, lenders, or partners) or for internal guidance for your management and staff, the outline of required sections is generally the same. However, there are some key...more
How does six sigma training affect the finance industry? It definitely does, Six sigma applies to a lot of areas of business, risk management, internal processes and investment activities are all included. While a lot of companies have had a great...more
The traditional vessels for Christmas hampers have always been baskets and boxes. Its time to think outside the box and have some fun choosing unique and personalized vessels for your Christmas hampers.Some of the best Xmas hampers have had their...more