Here's your Thursday edition (running two days late, oops)...
Finance tip: Holidays
Stay with family and friends. If you're looking at going on holiday, but the costs seem prohibitive, consider staying with family and/or friends, even if only on some nights. It can reduce your overall bill by a massive chunk. Recently, I went to Ireland with my girlfriend, and the fact that we were able to stay with her family reduced the total cost by close to 50 percent! Alternatively, if you don't have family in the area, consider couch-surfing. This is a new way to travel where you simply crash on someone's couch, generally for free. Networks are springing up worldwide (check out www.couchsurfing.com)
Business tip: Relationships
Vet your customers and suppliers. If at all possible, try to get to know a new customer/supplier before taking them on, especially if they are going to be a major part of your business. Read their marketing material, speak to staff members, ask their management about their goals and aims. Get to know them both in and out of their own environments. Are they easily flustered? Are they organised? Do their staff work well as a team? How long have their employees worked for them? Are they regarded as good payers? Are they willing to go the extra mile to accommodate you? You'd be amazed how much you can learn about a company just by sitting in reception on an unannounced visit!
No comments:
Post a Comment
What was the first thing that came to mind when you read this post?