Scott Lindsay's Articles in Business - Article Content Provider

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Product Launching And Purely Perfect Profitability Should you apologize for the prices you have to charge online? I suppose that all depends on the reasons for your pricing structure. Many new online business owners feel as though they need to apologize for the price they affix to a product or service. In some cases the individual has made the item they specialize in for gifts or special occasions prior to business launch. They often view this as an act of love. They derive great pleasure in creating the item or perform... Why Use Affiliate Revenue To Grow Your Business Startup businesses may be fairly reserved in how they develop their business. For instance the use of an affiliate revenue program may be far from the mind of most startup business owner. I think one of the primary reasons the use of an affiliate program does not appeal to many conservative business owners is a belief that the business will not be as successful if they have to surrender some of the profit for each sale to a third party. In essence these entrepreneurs v... Product Creation And The Art Of Proper Pricing Some entrepreneurs short-change themselves when it comes to fixing a price for the products they create. Often individuals do not factor in accurate costs that can lead to a realistic price that allows the business to recoup expenses in research and development. It is also possible to fail to take into account other factors such as site development costs and administration, overhead and general profit required after expenses. There are two primary ways entrepreneurs look a... Product Creation And The Odd Couple I heard a story recently about two animals that are very different from each other. The first is the American buffalo. The head of the buffalo is build pointing toward the earth. The buffalo eats grass and is especially equipped to do so. The second animal is a giraffe. This animal has an extended neck and has a hard time seeing something right in front of them. The buffalo has a hard time looking up and the giraffe has a hard time looking down. Face it these animals are very... Home-based Business And The Hobbyist Like me you have probably had someone say, “Find a way to make your hobby pay you.” Believe it or not this is often the birthing place of home-based businesses. Perhaps you have never considered taking what you consider fun and turning it into a way to earn income for yourself or your family. Consider John Moldovan who immigrated to America from Romania via Austria. He involved himself in other work, but his passion was making wooden furniture. He eventually competed in... Team Building Requires A Vision Caster Summary: An open approach to change is a disarming approach while a firm approach to change is almost assured to result in a defensive posture among your team members. How exactly do you do that? If you are seeking to build a new team profile in an existing business, but are fighting the status quo it may be time for an object lesson. We’ve all experienced those moments when existing employees will say something like, “We’ve never done it that way before.” As a team ... Team Building Work Without Walls Summary: What if your team regularly had time they could spend together dreaming big dreams and pooling intellectual and intuitive resources (call it a game plan if you will) for the company to take the next step, to stir the sleeping giant, and to take a chance? Imagine a basketball team taking to the court. Something strange has happened to this team. Somehow a potent force field has surrounded each player. The opposing team can get to these players, but their own teamma... The Joy Of Affiliate Revenue Why would anyone sign up for affiliate revenue programs when they could launch their own business site and derive a greater portion of each sale? Why sell products for someone else when you could select a product you want to make available? For many fledgling entrepreneurs affiliate revenue programs offer an opportunity that may otherwise be unavailable. When an individual develops an affiliate revenue site using web builder software they are combining a cost effect... Entrepreneurialism And Pigeon Guano We were all horrified to see the Interstate 35W bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minnesota collapsed in 2007. What may be surprising is a Discovery Channel report that indicates pigeons may be partially responsible for the collapse. Certainly experts aren’t looking to the pigeon as the brainchild of some terrorist plot, but the pigeons apparently do create a problem, and not just for bridges. This DC report indicates pigeon guano is highly corrosive. Since these... Coaching – Embrace The Difficulty “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein Albert Einstein lived a vibrant life filled with one success after another, yet for every success attributed to his genius he faced many of the same setbacks common to the rest of mankind. It is reported that Einstein had a speech impediment and at least one teacher thought he may be too ill equipped mentally to attend school. However, his genius was soon discovered and he began to learn at a rapid ... Customer Service Is Long-term Advertising Have you ever considered premier customer service to be a part of your advertising budget? I am envisioning glazed looks and a sudden shift in interest. Since I don’t want you to tune this out I’ll jump right into the details. If you have an unhappy customer you will also find that most of them will become advertisers for your business. Of course they won’t be the type of advertisers you are looking for. In the past, radio advertising representatives were often told by ... Entrepreneurialism – Nonconformists Urged To Apply A non-conformist is described as one who does not conform to, or refuses to be bound by, accepted customs, or practices. In the past nonconformists may have been called troublemakers because they refused to accept a singular standard simply because it was expected. Sometimes non-conformist tendencies can get a person into trouble, but sometimes being a nonconformist can be a good thing. How does that idea play out in entrepreneurialism? You would think that due to the s... Security Safety And Small Business When I log onto the computer for the first time each day I have a security feature that tells me if there are issues that need to be addressed. The issue could be something as small as downloading a new update or performing a routine scan. The system can even alert me if an attack on my system has been launched and then prevents it. Every business needs security. For brick and mortar stores that typically means either a security guard and/or motion sensing alarms. For onli... Traffic Building At The Opera House There is a woman in Kansas named Debbie. Every Saturday she opens up a former opera house as a place for a farmer’s market. She has used this old building as a craft shop and a place to build her designs, but that season has passed. Today, Debbie works to line up entertainment. Visitors can find the typical produce, home-baked good and crafts, but Debbie knows that she has to keep solid foot traffic coming in if she is going to succeed in her most recent business venture.... Entrepreneurialism Looking For A Change In Life Have you ever wondered why so many people are attracted to game shows or the lottery? Let’s see… * fabulous wealth * exciting prizes * a better life I’d like to suggest there is something different at work in these get-rich-quick ideas that are heavily linked to our culture at large. * the potential to be in the spotlight if only for a brief moment in time. * the underlying hope that there might be a way out of a current job. When lotto winners are asked wh... Coaching – Never Work A Day In Your Life Have you come to the conclusion you are having a bad week? I came across a top ten list recently that delineated reasons for leaving work early. This list is designed to amuse, but it could be you have felt this way from time to time. Reasons to leave work… 1. Not spending enough quality time with the kitchen appliances. 2. Came dressed in only a towel...again. 3. Ran out of paper clips. 4. I've decided to telecommute. 5. Ambassador to Belgium is at the Whit... Customer Service – A Proactive Step A farm equipment company in Canada is blazing a new trail in customer service. REM Enterprises Inc. of Saskatchewan, Canada has developed a “Charter of Values”. This charter essentially lets customers know what they can expect from the company whether they are a customer or not. The basics of the REM charter is… * Joy * Character * Integrity * Honour One of the statements in regards to character reads, “We are committed to corporate and personal integrity every da... Coaching The Big Game Of Business Summary: If you are a business owner you are the coach calling in the plays and working to defeat whatever it is that is in opposition to your winning the game. This could be working through your business plan, working through marketing issues, hiring new staff, developing new product lines and realizing that you are responsible for calling the plays – you can’t simply sit on the sidelines and hope things turn out all right. Imagine the football coach leading his team on t... Team Building – The Vegetarian Connection Summary: In team building you have to help each member learn to work with other members of the team. There is no way you will find a complete team that looks at everything the exact same way. In fact, if you did find a group of workers that held identical views on everything you would likely discover this to be a liability and not an asset. There are so many different ways to go about helping business owners understand the concept of personality dynamics in the workplace. ... Product Launching And The Emotional Connection A product launch can be extremely easy or it can be complicated beyond expectation. For example if you are simply creating a product based on a variation on a non-patented product it may be fairly easy to launch the product. This is often seen with candy, baked goods and other edible items. There are numerous companies on the web that revolve around confectionery items including brownie, cookies and candy. Obviously there may be other issues you need to address with ... Entrepreneurialism Takes A Village Former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton once wrote a book called “It Takes A Village”. In that book Clinton indicates that every adult has some influence over the way a child ultimately views the world and how those children relate to that world. This article is not about Clinton’s book, but rather the concept of how interrelated we are as a culture. When it comes to entrepreneurialism on the Internet it truly does take a village for your business to succeed. This art... Coaching - How Are Your Using Your Business Magnet I don’t remember what grade it was, but there was a time when one my long list of teachers demonstrated the wonderful world of magnets. This was the first time I’d heard the term, “Opposites attract.” The north end of the magnet always seemed to fall for the south end of another magnet. If, however I tried to place two south ends together I was in for a wrestling match. The two would repel each other in dynamic ways. This little experiment has applications for business ... Forums – A Consumer Centric Approach If you’ve participated in a forum lately you may have stumbled across blatant advertising from individuals who obviously have no interest in the forum, its members or the subjects being discussed. Many forums not only frown on this type of spamming, but when they catch you they will likely ban you from future involvement on their forum. If you want to use a forum to market your business you need to make sure you follow a few netiquette tips. If you are going to invo... Entrepreneurialism – A Walk In The Dark When you chart a course for entrepreneurialism the experience can be exhilarating, stressful, encouraging, discouraging, promising or filled with pitfalls. And the way you would describe your feelings can change moment to moment. The above roller coaster description is one of the reasons some individuals feel entrepreneurialism is something they would like to pursue, but apprehension hangs over the possibility like a black cloud. One of the best ways I can describe the ... Entrepreneurialism And The Dwarf House Entrepreneurialism is a dynamic that has two primary sources of influence – passion and necessity. To become an entrepreneur is enjoyable when you have a passion for a business idea you are passionate about. However, if you have to become an entrepreneur in response to a fight or flight mentality the story might be different. This is the true story of a young man who served his country in World War II, but had no idea what he could do to make a living once he was discha... Coaching – Developing A Position Of Strength It is incredible to me to see how many businesses operate with a mindset that gives every indication they do not want to succeed. These business operate from a position of weakness and essentially live off the charity of a few friends, family and business associates who purchase from these businesses out of a sense of grudging pity. These businesses do not have the best price. They may not even have the best product, but somehow they hang on wondering why it is so hard for... Customer Service – The Network Factor Have you ever been to a business event and noticed how interested people seem to be in everyone else? The long and short of their noticeable efforts is to make connections with other business people. To some this process can seem disingenuous, but in most cases this networking activity can mean the difference in getting a contract, making an impact, closing a deal and feeling as if you have been heard. For many the idea of self-promotion is a turn off. They would almost ra... Business – Did You Understand That? There are times in the corporate world where we may get frustrated with our boss. They may even say things we may agree with, but sometimes they won’t even make sense. The following statements are from memos or emails from some well known national and international businesses. The names of the businesses have been removed to avoid any unintentional embarrassment. As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictur... Customer Service – The President Murdered Grandma It has been said that President Franklin D. Roosevelt was tired of the typical small talk and flattery he received when meeting with adoring guests at various White House receptions. FDR was certain that guests really weren’t listening to what he had to say, so at one particular event President Roosevelt decided he would make the exact same comment to each guest to see if, in fact, they were listening. As the guests arrived and shook the President’s hand he smiled politely an... Entrepreneurialism – Passion Equations “Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” –Harold Whitman The world in which we live is filled with frightened people. Life has a way of driving the passion for life out of us. If you are reading this because you have an interest in entrepreneurialism then you must have either spark of life or a dream demanding release. Otherwise you would not be h... Customer Service – Serving Stinging Scorpions With A Smile There is a story about a man who was traveling in the desert. His travels had been long and the days had been hot. He came upon a small brook trickling through a small oasis. He desperately sought a drink to refresh himself, but noticed the largest pool (which was small by any standard) had a scorpion clinging to a small rock on the side of the brook. It seems that the scorpion had fallen into the water and was having difficulty getting out. With the scorpion in the water ... Coaching – The Passionate Pursuit Of Possibilities If you hate the work that you’re doing right now, you are not alone. According to a Harris Interactive Survey… Only 20 percent of respondents feel very passionate about their jobs While 33 percent believe they have reached a dead end in their career And 21 percent are eager to change careers. According to this survey less than half of all respondents were satisfied with their present career path. “Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I ... Entrepreneurialism – Facing The Fear Factor What is it that stops someone from pursuing a dream? Fear! Fear is a great debilitator in the world of entrepreneurialism. It is fear that causes us to halt when we need to step forward. It is fear that views any risk as an insurmountable obstacle. It is fear that will keep the ‘dream’ alive only in the most private of thoughts. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the fa... Customer Service – On A Lone Desert Highway We’ve all heard stories of motorists who come across a gas station in the middle of nowhere. These gas stations have very few convenience items and charge a great deal for both their fuel as well foodstuffs they may have available. When viewing movies these locations have absolutely no other buildings around them and typically feature two gentlemen tipping back in a chair watching sparse traffic come and go. When we view this scenario on television these individuals see... Entrepreneurialism – How To Treat Customers There are so many things to consider when moving headlong into any entrepreneurial dream. You have to calculate risk and reward, you have to look at organization and details, you have to understand financial management, and you need to know how to develop and express your dream. These can be daunting tasks. Because there is so much riding on the success or failure of your entrepreneurial dream it can also be easy to fall into a trap of ‘win at all costs’. What this means i... Entrepreneurialism – A Duck By Any Different Color There once was an ugly duckling with feathers all stubby and brown. He didn’t realize he would one day be a swan so any face-to-face marketing technique he ever used ultimately resulted in widespread ridicule. This of course led the duck/swan to venture away from his family (who also considered him a bit of an odd duck). Everywhere the duck went he was ridiculed and chased away from other better established (and finely groomed) business fowl. Then one day while stayin... List Building And The County Fair The country fair was bright and festive with just a hint of carnival atmosphere. Funnel cakes were available along with a delightful strawberry lemonade that could only be found at fairs. Of course there were turkey legs and corn on the cob. Little boys donned cowboy hats and little girls wore pigtails. In the event center dozens of business were lined up in uniform booths. Each business worked to entice visitors to at least look at what they had to offer. In some booths ... Customer Service – Customers Serving Customers? Did you know that an online business forum could pay significant dividends in customer service? Customer service is a very important aspect of your online business. Some businesses err on the side of too little interest shown to customers while others can be extremely overbearing and smother a new client until they consider a restraining order. There is a middle ground that can show your customers you care without pushing them to make an additional purchase. The strugg... Web Branding: As The Onion Peels Web branding is the process of condensing the focus of your web-based business to the point where there is clarity about what makes you unique. This process is more than simply coming up with a clever slogan; it is defining your business so precisely that you define a new category or description for your business. Ford developed the assembly line. Coke provided tradition and consistency and now commands an incredible market share in soda. Campbell’s perfected condens... Simplicity In Form And Function Web design is an issue web owners routinely often misunderstand. Questions arise as to the look and feel of the website. There are questions as to whether a new site design is needed. These questions can be taxing on the psyche of the website owner. One of the primary mantras for site design is simplicity. The whole notion that a website must be simplified can actually render website owners a bit confused. If your idea of a simplified site is to remove items from your w... Business Accountability At Home "We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." - Catherine Pulsifer One of the greatest killers of successful ecommerce is a lack of accountability. When these individuals worked for someone else they were held accountable and were kept ‘on task’. As a home-based business owner it can be very difficult to stay the course. Beyond the discovery of your priorities it might make sense to identify an acco... The Extra Mile Principle "To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity." - Douglas Adams The sincerity and integrity mentioned in the above quote often leads to trust. Trust turns a prospect into a customer. For home-based businesses the customer is the lifeblood of the economic fuel that runs your business. You can have the hull of a business, but without the fuel of customer support you’re just a nice looking sh... Keep Your Eye On The Prize “You can't move so fast that you try to change the mores faster than people can accept it. That doesn't mean you do nothing, but it means that you do the things that need to be done according to priority.” - Eleanor Roosevelt Many home-based businesses begin with a very specific goal in mind. The destination is firmly fixed in the minds of the entrepreneur. However that goal is rarely realized in an ‘overnight success’ fashion. When an entrepreneur discovers this they c... No Barriers: An Aging Population Breathes New Life Into Entrepreneurialism “Age is no barrier. It's a limitation you put on your mind.” - Anonymous We’ve all seen the hamster running in the wheel. He’s going nowhere, but he’s fast. This concept is clearly understood by a workforce that is aging and a business climate that is outsourcing or looking to a younger generation to fill critical roles in the workplace while often demanding more from their present employees.. “Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.” - Douglas MacArthur T... The Fear Factor In Russian Business Startups “Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.” – Bill Gates In communist or even socialist governments there tends to be lackluster entrepreneurial efforts. The individual wishing to start the business often finds little in the way of ‘vested interest’ in co... Protect The Visionary? “You cannot protect something by building a fence around it and thinking that this will help it survive.” Wim Wenders In America there is a push to provide protectionist status to American positions to ensure the viability of American business as well as American jobs. Does this idea make sense for the entrepreneur? The Internet has provided a means of tapping into a radical new business model. This model relies on the ability of a business to reach beyond the border... Of Frogs And Visionaries It begins as an idea. Once fully developed, the idea takes on a life that has roots in marketing, research, customer service and personal vision while wrapped in a unique blanket of promise. The growth of the entrepreneurial spirit has much to do with creativity. The following quote is not attributable to any author, but certainly goes to the heart of being a pioneer in business; “Visionary people are visionary partly because of the very great many things they don't see.” ... Entrepreneurial Research And Testing "Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again." - Franklin P. Jones Becoming an entrepreneur is about taking an idea and making a successful business from the sale of the idea. If the idea is a product, the sale of the product will require more than simple creativity and innovation. “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” – Niels Bohr In the 1980’s a father in ... Business Success: The Action Connection “Be patient and calm - for no one can catch fish in anger.” - Herbert Hoover Becoming a successful entrepreneur may rely more on perseverance than skill. The development of a business plan needs to allow room for initial failure and financial difficulties. Many entrepreneurs go without a paycheck for a significant period of time as they work to establish a business for the future. "Energy and persistence conquer all things." - Benjamin Franklin As an entrepreneur ... Entrepreneurial Transitions Once you undertake the development of a business you utilize a variety of entrepreneurial skills. You find yourself working hard to keep things going, but there’s a real sense of satisfaction in the work. Recently I was told of a woman who had started her twenty-first business. In each case the business was related to cooking. The good news was this woman was a capable businesswoman and an excellent cook. The problem for this woman was that she got tired of running a bu... 8 Traits Of The Perfect Entrepreneur If you’ve considered the possibility of becoming an entrepreneur there are eight traits that are important in describing the perfect entrepreneur. 1. Risk Taker – Entrepreneurs understand that in order to make a profit they will need to assume a certain level of financial risk. 2. Business Manager – Entrepreneurs have a keen understanding of finance and are well equipped to manage the finances of a business. 3. Organizer – Entrepreneurs are well equipped in the area ... Entrepreneurialism: Research Vs. Intuition In the development of a business there is a certain amount of research that must be conducted. Most entrepreneurs find themselves immersed in some form of research whether they like it or not. For many burgeoning entrepreneurs there is a question of whether intense research or personal intuition is the best course of action in determining the direction needed in business decisions. Henry Ford once said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is. Which is the probable reas... Entrepreneurialism And Mentorship Today’s motivation for young entrepreneurs is being fueled through a variety of mentor-based programs that work to assist in the development of great ideas while pointing out potholes to avoid. Organizations like Entrepreneurs Only (EO) are working to foster growth in young entrepreneurs with a sizeable dream. The organization further encourages philanthropy as part of the goodwill associated with establishing the vision. Make no mistake, becoming an entrepreneur is as...