Archive for October, 2011

Remembering Something About the Customer

Posted on: October 31st, 2011 by admin No Comments

Written By Dr. Jerry Osteryoung

Published 10/31/2011 in Florida Small Business

“Worry about being better; bigger will take care of itself. Think one customer at a time and take care of each one the best way you can.”~Gary Comer

I really enjoy running, especially with my black lab Sophie. I have competed in a number of 5K races and am now working up to a 10K race. While my finish times are not great, I usually do pretty well among my age group.

About two months ago, while in Ft. Lauderdale, I went into a running store called Runner’s Depot. I was looking for a new pair of running shoes, and this store happened to be very close to my hotel.

The salesman at Runner’s Depot convinced me to buy a pair of Newtons, a new type of running shoe that encourages you to lean forward as you run so you land on the balls of your feet rather than your heels. This form of running, which is sometimes referred to as “Chi Running,” is great because it takes the load off my joints, especially my knees.

On my last trip to Ft. Lauderdale, I did not take my Newtons. I only had room in my luggage for one pair of shoes, and I had to pick a pair that could be used for both running and walking around.

During this trip, I stopped in the Runner’s Depot to buy a case that would allow me to carry my iPhone and listen to music while I run. When I walked into the store, the salesman — the same one who sold me the Newtons — said he saw me jogging over the 17th Street Bridge and asked me if there was a problem with the shoes. Newtons come in a very distinctive and recognizable color, and he had noticed that I was not wearing them.

As you can imagine, I felt great that months later this salesman remembered me and had noticed me running over the bridge. His consideration and concern made me a customer for life.

The point of this story is to demonstrate how establishing a personal relationship with your customers can dramatically impact the way they feel about your business. By asking about the shoes, the salesman was, in effect, telling me that he cared about me and wanted me to be the best I could. It did not take much effort for the salesman to notice me, but it made a super impression on me.

The secret here is having your employees recall some personal detail about your customers when they come back. There are many computer programs designed to help you store this information and access it easily at a later date.

Now go out and observe your staff and see how they are greeting your customers. The more personal they can make the interaction, the better. Training is very important and can be helpful in teaching your employees how to make this happen.

You can do this!

For Link to Full Story: http://www.floridatrend.com/small_biz_article.asp?aID=55937

City Offers Businesses Great Marketing Opportunity

Posted on: October 25th, 2011 by Beau Falgout No Comments

PALM COAST BUSINESSES: YOUR SUCCESS IS IN THE BAG

Thousands of visitors are coming to Palm Coast every weekend, either for special city events or for exciting youth sports tournaments. And each one receives a bag filled with coupons and mementoes that inform them of the extraordinary goods and services available to them while they’re staying in Palm Coast.

Your business can and should be in this bag!! If you have flyers, small promotional gift items or coupons that will sell your business to visitors, please contact Becky Gunter, Palm Coast Recreation Superintendent, at 386-986-2309. She’ll give you all the details about City event schedules and how you can assure your business’ name and service is right up front, face-to-face with thousands of Palm Coast guests. It’s in the bag!

Register Now For QuickBooks – Class Delayed One Week

Posted on: October 20th, 2011 by Joe Roy No Comments

This Class has been delayed one week and will start on November 2nd. There is still time to register!

This 4 week workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the QuickBooks™ software – one of the most recognized accounting software packages available. Led by Steve Barnier, CPA, CFP™, the owner of Giglio Sarote Tax Accounting, and Financial Services. From 2001 to 2009, Steve built a successful CPA firm in the Tampa area, before moving to Palm Coast. As the past CFO for a large corporation, Steve has learned skills and procedures that are easily scaled down to be useful tools in many small businesses.

A Little Good News For a Change

Posted on: October 18th, 2011 by Joe Roy No Comments

State Business Tax Climate

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NFIB: Small Business Optimism Sees Modest Gains

By Kate Rogers

Published October 11, 2011

| FOXBusiness

After six months of decline, small-business owners are feeling a bit more optimistic. The National Federation of Independent Business’ Small Business Optimism gained 0.8 point during September, though the increase is hardly cause for celebration, according to the NFIB.

Bill Dunkelberg, chief economist for the NFIB, said that although the index showed gains, many of the index components are still in negative territory. The net percent of small business owners expecting better business conditions in the next six months was -22%, up four points from August. However, it is 32 percentage points lower than January.

Twenty-eight percent of small-business owners ranked poor sales as their top concern, as they have for the past three years. The net percent of all business owners reporting higher sales in the past three months fell to -10%, with more firms reporting sales trending down rather than up. However, this is one of the best readings in more than 40 months, the NFIB reported.

“Basically the optimism, or pessimism, index has been locked in the same range for years now,” Dunkelberg said. “Two things are clear—the things that generate GDP are not happening, and owners are very pessimistic about the future course of the economy.”

The net percent of small business owners expecting higher real sales (seasonally adjusted) was up 6 points from August to -6% of all owners, however this is still 19 points below January’s reading. Employment saw little movement, with 11% of business owners planning to hire, and 12% planning to cut down their workforce.

“It’s a horrible number, so with expectations for the economy and sales growth, there are still more firms thinking these fields will go down rather than up,” Dunkelberg said. “Who will hire, or buy new equipment with that number?”

According to the index, owners aren’t investing in their businesses. In the past six months, the frequency of reported capital outlays fell two points to 50% of all firms making such expenditures.

Dunkelberg said if President Obama’s jobs plan were to pass, even in pieces, he feels it would do little to ease the concerns of small-business owners or bring their optimism outlook up.

“Small business owners don’t need tax cuts, they need customers,” he said. “Government needs to get its act together and show a plan to solve the deficit, so we feel like we aren’t going to look like Greece. Then those that are working will be more willing to spend.”

Houston, Palm Coast set pace for growth in total personal income

Posted on: October 17th, 2011 by Beau Falgout No Comments

Written by G. Scott Thomas

The Business Journals / October 17, 2011

The local income base is expanding more rapidly in Houston than in any other major metropolitan area.

Houston’s total personal income (TPI) grew at an annual rate of 5.69 percent between 2000 and 2010. That was the fastest pace set by any of America’s 75 major metros, according to an On Numbers analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

TPI is the total amount of money earned by all residents of a given area in a given year, encompassing everything from wages and salaries to dividends and welfare checks. A major metropolitan area is defined as a market with TPI greater than $25 billion.

Houston’s TPI grew from $162.0 billion in 2000 to $281.8 billion a decade later, yielding an annual growth rate of 5.69 percent. The runners-up over the 10-year period were Baton Rouge, La., where TPI grew by 5.65 percent per year, and San Antonio, with an annual gain of 5.44 percent.

The following database covers 366 metro areas, including the 75 that are classified as major. Use the tabs to isolate the list to major markets and/or a particular state. Or simply hit the Search button to see everything at once.

Palm Coast, Fla., a small metro on the Atlantic coast, posted the fastest TPI growth rate for a market of any size. Its total personal income increased by 9.69 percent per year between 2000 and 2010.

On Numbers will devote the week to examining the pace of income growth. Tomorrow’s installment will focus on long-term changes in TPI between 1970 and 2010.

Do You Know Where Your Money Goes

Posted on: October 12th, 2011 by Joe Roy No Comments

Have you ever thought about the impact you make by spending your money at local companies headquartered in Flager County? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t spend very much time thinking about this – there’s just too much to do! Well, IT’S TIME TO RETHINK YOUR SPENDING HABITS!

For every $100 that you spend with a local merchant, between $65 and $70 stays within the community and gets spent over and over again month after month. Compare this same $100 spent with merchants headquartered outside Flagler County and you’ll find that less than $30 stays within the community. Still unsure of the IMPACT of your spending??

Buy local and together, we’ll add 1 job at a time. Growing our economy is not the responsibility of Washington – it’s personal and we can make a difference.

Susan Amat: How to keep growing pains from killing your business

Posted on: October 11th, 2011 by Beau Falgout No Comments

Written By: Susan Amat

Special to the Miami Herald / October 10, 2011

We have all heard the stories where growth almost kills a company — servers crashing when too many orders flood in, canceling orders because manufacturers can’t handle the volume, or losing opportunities because of existing engagements.

Sometimes a spike in sales is a short-lived experience, but it also could be a warning to analyze your current practices to prepare for the evolution of your company. The key considerations in surviving growth are the same across industries. Whether your business is service- or product-based, you must keep your attention on:

• Maintaining the consistency of your customer service to retain customers.

• Watching your cash flow and keeping enough cash on hand.

• Getting credit lines that can grow with your business — both from banks and your suppliers.

• Keeping your existing staff and training new staff efficiently to maintain your culture and values.

• Choosing opportunities (expanding territories, pursuing accounts, developing products) based on the best return on investment.

Let’s examine a few local success stories and their lessons learned.

4 Reasons Why A Business Owner Should Attend the B2B Expo

Posted on: October 3rd, 2011 by Ky Ekinci No Comments

…but before I get to 5 reasons, I must tell you that the registration closes today at 5PM. So you gotta act on it if you see the wisdom in attending the Palm Coast Busines2Business Expo in Hammock Beach on October 7th.

You can register for $100 for the full package (10AM to 7PM) including lunch, sessions, and vendor booth; or for only $10 (yes, ten dollars) for the afternoon sessions and cocktail party (1PM-7PM). You can register here.

1. Make a Statement

Make a statement that you support Business and Entrepreneurial Spirit in Palm Coast and Flagler County. By attending you will send a message to local business organizations, to the City of Palm Coast and Flagler County officials that you could have chosen to do business anywhere but you chose Palm Coast & Flagler County. You are a contributing member of the business community locally, and you are assuming a leadership role by participating in the first ever Business2Business Expo.

2. Networking and Creating Visibility for Your Company

There will be dozens of fellow business owners to network with as well as folks from the City of Palm Coast in charge of purchasing. You will get a chance to have quality time with all the participants. You will create visibility for your company at your vendor booth.

3. Take a break from working ‘in’ your business

Take a break from working in your business, and work on your business for one day. We all get so caught up in the “day by day” activities of running a business, it’s easy to miss the the birds-eye view sometimes. You will get to chat with other business owners, learn about their experiences; and will attend multiple educational sessions which will in turn plant the right questions in your head to take your business to the next level.

4. A Great Setting and a Free Lunch and Cocktail Party

Hammock Beach Resort is one of the most upscale resorts in entire Central and Northern Florida. You will get to enjoy this great setting. And who says there is no such think as a free lunch? There absolutely is. The full attendance package not only includes a lunch but a cocktail party as well!

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You can register for $100 for the full package (10-7PM) including lunch, sessions, and vendor booth, or for only $10 (yes, ten dollars) for the afternoon sessions and cocktail party (1PM-7PM). Register here.

LAST DAY TO REGISTER for Full Day Passes and Exhibition Space

Posted on: October 3rd, 2011 by Beau Falgout No Comments

Registration for the 1st Annual Flagler County Business to Business Expo will close at 5 p.m. today for those businesses and persons interested in Full Day Passes and/or Exhibition Space. Afternoon Floor Passes will be available up until the event. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to showcase your products and services to the business community. Also, there will be a raffle for the new Microsoft Windows 7 and Office Suite during the luncheon. Registration available at: https://secure.palmcoastgov.com/Expo.