Managing After the Recession
Customer service is a vital part of any business offering services or products to the public. Yet managers are allowing customer service associates to have conversations at their posts and the conversation continues while customers are paying for their product or wanting to ask a question. Leaving a store without being acknowledged is common. The recession took a toll on America’s self-esteem as people holding Master degrees began working in fast food. The recession is ending and as bank accounts grow, people want to spend. No one wants to be ignored or treated badly when shopping so managers need to learn how to manage after the recession.
Customer service used to be priority at any retail business. Consumers get punished for staying with a service instead of getting incentives to stay. New customers are given lower prices and incentives to sign up. Phone representatives are rude more often than not. Read reviews of satellite TV companies, cell phone services, and internet providers to see how established customers are not respected. Managers have to turn this around and regain consumer trust or face losing a large customer base. Retraining those employees who face the public is necessary. Incentive programs for established account holders motivate potential buyers to try your services. Business is based on profit and profit is gained with repeat customers.
Changing values in America puts a shadow over trust in service and pride. Keeping the doors open for one more day is a worry to put away. Keeping the doors open for a year by serving those who spend at your business is the goal. Letting consumers go elsewhere for a better experience is not acceptable so managers need to relearn managing so associates pay attention to the shopper instead of the handsome new-hire. Returning to old fashion values instead of running full speed ahead without a plan will bring profit.
- Written by Phillip (Phil) Thow Scottsdale, AZ
Models Take a Backseat to Professionals in the Business World
It's no surprise that the business world is full of men and women who have snuck in by using their good looks. In the end, however, aesthetics means nothing if you don't come across as professional. Making sure that you dress appropriately and professionally as a woman guarantees that your smarts will be taken seriously.
Certain fields like the law demand a respectable and rather conservative look. Avoid wearing heels. Stick to neutral colored flats or don no more than a one or two inch heel. Skirts should be to the knee or below. Ditch hip-hugging cuts and choose A-line skirts that don't show off all of your curves. Judges, bosses and any upper management position are more interested in your earning potential. Long hair should be pulled back in a bun, ponytail or professional up-do. Big hoops and other glittery jewelry should be reserved for the club. While fancy tights and stocking with designs may be in fashion, the office is not a catwalk. Neutral colors for pantyhose will keep eyes off of your legs and focused on your brain. Nails prove important, too. Spend $10 to get a manicure to ensure that dirt, chipped paint and uneven nails don't enter the workplace. Earth tones, light pinks and French manicures can all give off a professional appearance. Long, fake nails are rarely a good idea.
Certainly, some women try to get by with cute outfits that may draw attention for a day, but in the end, it's a woman's earning potential that will push her up the corporate ladder. Rely on your smarts and intellect rather than good looks. Bosses know that beauty is temporary but smart is forever.
- Written by Phillip (Phil) Thow Scottsdale, AZ
Preventing the IRS from Seizing Your Wallet as an Independent Contractor
People rarely receive a friendly letter from the IRS. For independent contractors, tax season can be a nightmare. Calculating your share in federal and state taxes can make a year of hard work reduced to nothing. However, an abundance of resources online help to clarify the tricky tax system. Independent contractors can ensure that their fair share does not involve their entire bank account by being informed of various deductions.
Most dedicated workers dip into their wallets several times throughout the year to make important purchases. Not many know, however, that as independent contractors, they can deduct the cost of supplies and materials. This includes computer paper, office furniture, pens and pencils, and anything that relates to a person's business within reason. The IRS may not believe that a $5000 ceramic fountain constitutes a necessary purchase for a freelance writer, so use your best judgment. Dog walkers can write off running shoes; Internet connections cab be deducted for content or curriculum developers; daycare providers can claim snacks. All of these examples reflect purchases that an independent contractor has made for business use. The IRS classifies such expenses as deductable, so use them to your advantage by keeping receipts and good records. Since the IRS can perform an audit for up to three years, keep electronic or paper copies of purchases in the event that they question expenses.
Using these deductions are part of your rights as a taxpayer and citizen. Independent contractors contribute as much to the economy as regular employees. The latter, however, are eligible for unemployment and other social services. Independent contractors can rarely claim unemployment benefits. Being familiar with those expenses that make up reasonable and fair deductions is thus necessary to make sure that the government will not yank away too much of your hard-earned profit.
- Written by Phillip (Phil) Thow Scottsdale, AZ
Search Engine Optimization and Online Businesses
Today’s online business is in competition with major corporations and department stores which can sell at lower prices due to size. Getting your products or services viewed is a difficult thing to do. A physical store can be advertised in newspapers, flyers, and billboards. An online business builds a customer base through its ranking on the search engines people use the most. The methods used to move your new online business up the rankings are interesting.
Web design and hosting websites will set-up your new business for you by finding you a domain and registering a domain name. They will then get your website up and running with all the necessary shopping utilities: Shopping cart, check out, shipping calculators, and link to your financial service. They also offer to provide search engine optimization services to put your website in the top two pages of the search engines results. To do this, the web host will pay individuals all over the World to click on your URL. They may ask people to put your keywords in the search bar or purchase an item. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will be linked to your online business so the webhost will get people to follow you. You will need to interact with your followers or you will lose them. By promoting your business people who would normally miss your new website will find it at the top of the search engines once they enter their search criteria. This type of aggressive advertising allows small internet businesses to compete with the biggest retailers.
Understanding the differences in a physical store and a website store will get you moving toward profit quickly. Advertising on the internet is a lot harder because targeting one city or one demographic is impossible unless you have the backing of experienced web hosting. They are the advertising agencies of the cyber world and they know how to get your business going.
- Written by Phillip (Phil) Thow Scottsdale, AZ
Spring Cleaning is Not Just for Your House
Whether it is springtime or not, the fact is many of us think of spring as time for a total house cleanup or cleanout. You can use that same thought process to clean up your budget. Let’s examine the similarities and reap the benefits.
Clean one room at a time. Whether you are cleaning your house out or working on a thorough cleansing of your budget, starting with one area will help in many ways. For starters, the process of just starting is profoundly helpful to the whole ‘making progress’ excitement. This excitement builds and continues to motivate you. Starting in one room is a highly recommend tactic for achieving progress when cleaning the house. Starting with one debt first also creates the snowball effect which helps you create momentum to keep tackling each area (debt) one by one until they are all gone.
Start small. Just as above where it is recommended that you start in one area, of debt or house cleaning, it’s highly recommended that you start small. One drawer or closet is all it takes to feel the euphoric high of clutter freedom and spring cleanliness. Starting with the smallest debt first will help you achieve that same euphoria at a much quicker pace; thus freeing up money to start on the second debt even quicker. Progress is intoxicating.
Take your time. This is your budget, your house, your progress. Not your neighbor’s or your brother’s.
Knowing that you only need to compare yourself with yourself is the most important tip of all. Just like you don’t need to keep up with the Joneses and end up in a downward financial spiral, you don’t need to compare yourself with anyone else on your progress; except of course with yourself. It’s important to note where you started and as you knock each debt off of the pyramid, feel the power that is you climbing to the top of your financial control.
- Written by Phillip (Phil) Thow Scottsdale, AZ
Tax Preparation Software for Small Businesses
Using an accountant or licensed tax preparer year around is expensive. You pay any taxes you owe then pay the preparer for the service and it is just another expense in a hard economy. The fact is tax preparation is not really that hard. The forms are intimidating or hard to understand but the software cuts through the confusing language, putting it in plain English. Software designed for tax preparation and small businesses is less expensive and makes the process much easier.
Before April 15 every year the market is full of tax preparation software made for every type and size of business. On April 16, they go on sale, sometimes for half price. At that low price it is worth trying. Shop around to find the software best suited to your needs. Small business software will have the ability to do estimated quarterly taxes, sales tax, state tax, federal tax, and property tax. Each presented separately with instructions and all you do is put in the numbers and answer questions when prompted. Year around tax preparation software costs a lot less than an accountant and is just as accurate.
Each year the software will update at a lower price than purchasing it brand new every year. The updates keep everything current so you do not have to worry about finding forms and any changes will be explained in the update. Millions of people use small business software and are pleased with its usability. Most software packages come with free customer support and resources for answering any tax related questions that arise. Some even come with a guarantee of accuracy and will pay any penalties caused by mistakes in their software.
Making a profit is the whole point of owning a business so any time you can save money you should. The software for small business tax preparation will make estimated and yearly forms easy to fill out. Find places where you are over paying and get advice from the makers who update their product every year. You will not need an accountant any longer.
- Written by Phillip (Phil) Thow Scottsdale, AZ
When planning a DIY bathroom remodel you need to create a detailed plan of action. You never want to jump into a complex job that involves details you might have overlooked and get stuck in the middle. It is a good idea to make a list of everything you want completed. If you are planning on changing the layout you need to consider the plumbing that needs rerouted and the skill that is required. You can knock down the walls on your own and maybe even build the new ones if creating an addition but you would probably want an expert electrician and plumber involved to ensure that the work is done properly.
The ADG Bathroom Remodeling website offers helpful tools to help get you started. You can use the online estimator to help determine what your cost will be for the project you are planning and read through informative articles on how to do basic plumbing, electrical or other contract work. If you feel that your DIY bathroom remodel job is too complex to handle on your own you can always use the contact us link to speak to a professional. The ADG website offers design specialists and professional contractors as well as finance consultants to help you complete your project. The design specialists will help you with the layout plans for your space after the contractor comes out to your home to measure the space. The finance consultants are able to help you understand your estimate as well as keep you within your budget and the contractors of course will do the work.
Business consulting, management training, and business gurus like Phillip Thow can help you to improve the way your business runs. But if you really want your staff to work together well, youve got to establish an air of respect in your workplace. This isnt just respect for management; its respect for every staff member. As a manager, the easiest way to establish this is to show how much you respect your workers. Business guru Phillip Thow can help with some advice here, as well.
The easiest way to show respect is to listen really listen, not just nod your head and absorb some information. The fastest way to gain a persons respect is by showing them respect in return.
One easy way to let someone know youre interested in what theyre saying is by actually listening to everything theyre saying. In todays world, this can mean some practice; most people arent used to doing this. But if you really try, you can usually find something interesting in every sentence. You can practice this with everyone you talk with.
Another suggestion is to talk less than your conversation partner. Many people are simply waiting for the next opportunity to talk about themselves; it shows a lot of respect for someone when youre actually more interested in what they have to say than what you think about it. It shows you value their opinion, and youre not just waiting to override it.
Asking valid questions can show a person that youre really interested. By asking respectful questions that clarify a persons point, you show that youre really considering all sides of their opinon.
There, now. Was that so hard? Phillip Thow would be proud. Business consulting wont ever be able to teach you how to get along with people, but if you practice your interpersonal skills, youll be a much better businessman. Check out some other business ideas from Phillip Thow.
- Written By: Phil Thow |
