Dov Charney and the Question of Personal Ethics in Business

Yesterday, I wrote a story about American Apparel founder and former CEO Dov Charney’s new apparel company, which he plans to build into a rival of his former company. So far, we don’t actually know the name of the company, but we do know that it’s based in…

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Differentiating Customers and Vendors in QuickBooks

Question: I have a vendor who has become a customer. QuickBooks will not let me use the same name. What do I do? Answer: You can use a variation of the name, such as “ABC Company” for the customer and “ABC Company Inc.” for the vendor. Alternatively, you can do something as simple as adding…

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4 Promotional Marketing Tips from Netflix’s Hit Series, ‘Stranger Things’

Everyone from my friends to my parents binge-watched Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things.” In fact, I had to put my hands over my ears anytime I entered the break room because my co-workers kept revealing spoilers. And, like everyone else, I felt a huge void in my life the moment I finished the last episode. Not…

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Listen to Me!

This is what you clients want. This is what your staff wants. This is what your colleagues want. This is what baby boomers want. This is what millennials want. This is what my kids want. This is what my wife wants. This is a nearly universal truth. People want to be heard. Listen. Listening is…

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3 Types of Business Plans: Which Do You Have? Part 2

In my last article, I wrote about the first type of business plan, which is really having no plan at all. The sad fact is that more than 90 percent of business owners and sales representatives have no real plan for their businesses or their lives. The second of the three types of plans is…

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Describe Your Best World

Do you know what success looks like for you? I’m amazed by the number of people who are dissatisfied with their current situations but cannot describe what their personal happiness would look like. In “Alice in Wonderland,” the Cheshire Cat tells Alice that if you don’t know where you want to go, then “it really…

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8 ‘Gilmore Girls’-inspired Promotions Perfect for Fall

With fall just weeks away, I’ve been thinking about all the reasons to be excited for it. Pumpkin spice lattes, cozy sweaters, football season and, of course, the “Gilmore Girls” revival. Honestly, there is nothing more fall than “Gilmore Girls,” which is set in the fictional New England town of Stars Hollow. And with Netflix…

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