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Flash vs Substance

September 1st, 2009

A book that teaches you how to get rich is flash. A book that teaches you the inner workings of the financial system is substance.
A handbag that has the logo of a company printed all over it is flash. A handbag that lasts for 20 years and remains aesthetically pleasing is substance.
A customer [...]

The Sweet Spot for Performance

July 27th, 2009

If you set the bar too low, it’s not worth doing.
If you set the bar too high, it’s unrealistic.
If you set the bar comfortably where people know they can do it, it becomes a mundane chore.
If you set the bar uncomfortably high where people believe they can do it with some hard work and faith, [...]

Same Soap. Different Products.

July 22nd, 2009

When a company makes artisan soaps and sells them individually, they have their 1st product.
When they cut the soap in half, repackage it, and call it a “Traveller’s Pack”, they have their 2nd product.
When they cut the soap into the shape of little animals and call it a “Kid’s Fun Size”, they have their 3rd [...]

Sell Something Bigger

July 14th, 2009

Ikea doesn’t sell furniture.  It sells what your home could look like.
Starbucks doesn’t sell coffee.  It sells a little indulgence in your busy life.
State Farm doesn’t sell insurance.  It sells the comfort of knowing that you and your loved ones are covered.

Don’t sell stuff.  Sell aspirations.

Art as an Advantage

July 3rd, 2009

How is art important to your business?
If you ask this question to most business people, chances are you’ll be given a blank look.
What is art anyways?  From Wikipedia, “art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions.”  The critical piece here is [...]

Give a Man a Fish…

June 17th, 2009

Have you heard about Kiva?

Kiva is a non-profit organization that facilitates micro-lending to entrepreneurs in developing countries.
The idea is to provide qualified people with money they need to start a business.  This way, they can make a living, create jobs, and improve lives through a sustainable mean.  When the loan money has been repaid, you [...]

Creativity - A Leap of Faith

June 9th, 2009

I bet you’ve heard of websites done in HTML or Flash.  But how about one made in YouTube?  Yes, YouTube, the video site.
Words can’t do this clever company’s website justice - go ahead and take a look: http://booneoakley.com

Brilliant, isn’t it?

Now, imagine you’ve never seen this site before.  Your company’s web developer suggests to you, “Why [...]

inFlow 4.5 stars from CNET editors

May 8th, 2009

Today, the editors from CNET download.com decided to do a review of our beloved inFlow Inventory Software.

The verdict?

“inFlow’s many options may not find use in every type of business, but this versatile program can be tailored to nearly any small business. We highly recommend this download for its ease of use, numerous options and free [...]