From Walls to Success

As another year rapidly comes to a close it is once again time to access your performance. If you are like me, I'm sure 2010 may read like the famous Clint Eastwood movie, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".

Most likely there were highs and lows, good times and bad. That is just the way life goes. My key to describing a successful year is having the good times far outweigh the bad and completely forgetting the ugly times all together.

The past few years have no doubt been challenging, but 2010 offered that proverbial 'light at the end of the tunnel'. The worst is truly behind us as long as you have the right frame of mind that the best is yet to come. While these may sound like a bunch of clichés (because they are) the only thing that really matters is faith in what the future may hold.

Positive energy produces positive results, while negativity destroys not only your heart but your soul as well. I personally can attest to this as fact, having battled wall after wall just to scratch and scrape myself to a level of cautious optimism. From there I achieved a small level of success. I was fortunate to take that small level of success and build upon it to reach a level of success that I never dreamed possible.

The one constant though this whole process has been faith, faith in God and faith in the plan that he has for me. If you can stay true to this, the possibilities in this world are endless.

Analyzing Your Website's Performance

For just about anyone in business today a properly designed website is one of the most important marketing tools needed to successfully grow your business. Society is rapidly switching to the Internet as their primary form of researching a company's product or service and formulating their purchasing decisions based soley on what they uncover.

You can spend thousands of dollars on your website design but if you have no way of analyzing search data, you will have no idea what kind of return on investment it will provide.

There are plenty of website design companies that tell you they can help analyze your search data but their is only one company that actually specializes in it. ROI Analytics helps you harness the power of the Internet by providing the necessary system that will track every aspect of how your site is being searched. The best part about it all is that ROI Analytics is willing to show you what they can do for you and your company's marketing effort before a single dime comes out of your pocket by offering a free trial of their state of the art search system.

Their ROI software offers a multitude of reports that will provide you with a thorough understanding of how your website is being searched and by whom. It takes all the guess work out of wondering if your marketing message is cutting through to your core consumer.

The best way to get started is the visit ROI Analytics to see for yourself how easy it is to start maximizing your website's return on investment today.

The Power of Promotional Products

In these difficult economic times, business owners are always looking for ways to trim their budget in order to control the cost side of the company. One area that inevitably gets slashed to the extreme is sales and marketing. This decision is actually counterproductive to weathering a down turn in business as in the long run it will most likely cost you additional sales down the road.

One way to approach the situation is to thoroughly examine all of your current marketing programs to determine which ones are causing a lift in sales and which ones are just money down the drain. One powerful tool to help guarantee a solid return on your investment are promotional products. In a recent study conducted by the Advertising Specialty Institute it was found that promotional products out performed nearly every other type of advertising, including TV, radio, and print in terms of Cost Per Impression (CPI). It also discovered that certain items have much better staying power, keeping your company’s products or service top of mind much longer than a .30 second radio spot.

One of the primary goals of a promotional product is to create impressions with your target market. Just like any good advertising campaign repetition creates familiarity which in turn increases the probability a consumer will reward you with their business. The study went on to identify the items that created the highest number of impressions. The following numbers are based on a monthly basis.

Tote bags: 1,038
Caps/Hats: 476
Shirts: 365
Writing Instruments: 363
Desk Accessories: 294
Glassware/Ceramics: 251
Calendars: 227
Other Apparel: 64

Do not underestimate the promotional power of a logoed bag. The study found that bags are the most frequently used apparel item in the promotional world. It was determined that on the average a bag was used over nine times per month. Caps/Hats were second; averaging six times, followed by shirts which averaged five times.

The key thing to remember when planning your next promotional product campaign is that people tend to hold onto things that are useful. The longer it stays in their possession the more exposure that item will generate; providing an excellent return on your investment.

Four Basic What's for the New Year

As we begin yet another New Year it offers us the chance to reflect back on the past and plan ahead for the future. Looking back I am sure you will find some things that went well and some things that did not. You may want to go as far as making a list of accomplishments and failures in an effort to build on your success and learn from your mistakes. As a suggestion for review maybe you want to examine these four “what’s” as an exercise for improvement.

What should I be doing more of?

This would be the category where you put all of things that “moved the dial” for you in the past; the cause and effect of success so to speak. Did you meet a contact from networking that generated new business? Did having a written plan of attack keep you focused? Did taking a closer look at expenses uncover some savings? Whatever they were, make it a priority to incorporate more of these productive activities into your daily routine.

What should I be doing less of?

This would be the category for all your non productive activities or as one colleague of mine once put it “organizing your sock drawer.” Everyone has house keeping chores that need to get done, but do not let them become the center of attention or take up more time than they absolutely have to. If an activity is not directly related to either servicing an existing customer or finding some new ones it needs to be minimized as much as possible.

What should I do differently?

This would be the category for change. These are not things that should be eliminated rather examined and tweaked as to turn a negative into a positive. Just because you tried something and it failed does not mean you should give up. It may simply mean you need to take a different approach to the subject in an effort to positively impact the outcome. Where do you think expressions like “you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar” came from?

What should I stop doing altogether?

Saving the hardest for last, this would be the category for all of your bad habits. Anything that wastes time, money, energy, or all of the above needs to be eliminated. These could include meetings that accomplish nothing, complaining about things without working to change them, idle gossip, finger pointing, negative thinking, etc. These are all a tremendous waste of time that uses up way too much energy that only end up costing you money in the long run.

Some Year End Thoughts

As we rapidly approach the end of another year it is important to not only begin to plan for the upcoming year, but to also take some time to reflect back on the last 12 months. They often say that in order to know where you are going you need to take a look at where you have been.

The following are a few thoughts to keep in mind as you take a look back and begin to take a glimpse ahead.

- No matter what you do in life you need to have a plan. The other day I heard former NFL player and head coach Herm Edwards say that "a goal without a plan is just a wish." We all want to do better in our business and our personal lives but without a clear cut strategy to actually achieve this, it really is nothing more than a wish.

- Create accountability for not just those around you, but yourself as well. To me one of the greatest motivators in life is a mirror. If you cannot look yourself in the eye, then who else in this world can you? While nobody is perfect, we can still strive for perfection. In order to do this you have to be willing to make an honest assessment of yourself and also be willing to change the things about yourself that are getting in the way of your goals.

- One of the biggest lessons I learned this year is that you are far more effective in your life when you enjoy what you are doing. To be able to get up everyday with a true sense of enthusiasm for what needs to get done makes doing it a pleasure, not a chore. There will always be unpleasant tasks that you have to do, but never stop striving to gear your energy towards the things in life you enjoy the most.

- While reflecting on the past can be a positive experience, dwelling upon it is a waste of time. Getting caught up in things that cannot be changed will only sap the energy that can be applied toward things that you are able to change. We need to use the past as a tool for understanding what has worked and what has failed. Resist the temptation to use it as a crutch or an excuse.

- The most important thing I rely upon on a daily basis is my faith. Primarily, faith in God and faith in myself to try and listen to what he is telling me. Your life is very simply a series of roads. Each crossroad in your life is a decision. Each decision you make is another road you go down. Your goals are your destination and your faith is your GPS.

Key Elements of the Sales Process- Define Your Target

There are several steps involved in creating an effective sales process. They are separate pieces that build upon one another. One of these steps is finding who you want to sell to. As a sales person you have to fully understand your product or service’s features and benefits. This will allow you to match them with a current need in the marketplace. Anyone who can benefit by having this need fulfilled becomes a potential customer. If you are selling to a specific industry, your prospect list may be small and highly defined. If your product has wider appeal, your prospect list can be extremely large and thus harder to manage. This is why taking the time initially to identify the best prospects for what you have to sell will pay dividends in the long run.

Your “time to sell”, the actual time in front of a potential customer is the most important part of your job. Developing a properly targeted call list will provide the best use of this time. Before you ever step foot into the door, you will have the confidence that you truly are able to fulfill a need. Once you are in front of a properly targeted prospect, you greatly increase your probability of closing the sale.

Having a targeted call list will also increase your ability to gain quality referrals. If you can relay to other business associates exactly who you are looking to meet, right down to the company name and key contact person, you are much more likely to get a positive response. This is especially important when your other efforts to engage this prospect have not been successful.

Knowing who you want to call on and why will keep you organized as you schedule your time. This allows you to properly plan your selling strategy so your energy is spent on being productive rather than being busy. You can make all the sales calls in the world, but at the end of the day you will still be measured on actual sales.

There are many tools available when trying to define your target accounts. Proper research can identify prospects by such variables as specific industry, number of employees, annual revenue, locations ect… You need to determine what variables define your ideal customer. Sorting your prospects accordingly enables you to create your target list.

Properly developing a target call list can be somewhat time consuming at first. However, once it is in place it will keep you on track in your selling efforts. It can continually evolve as you add new prospects and remove ones that no longer fit. It provides you the best chance to stay focused and remain one step ahead of your competition.

Key Elements of the Sales Process: Establishing the Objectives

If you are in the sales profession or are about to enter one you already know the whole premise of your job; get someone to buy what you are selling. That is obviously the main objective. On the surface it seems simple enough, but in order to be successful at this task there a number of variables which must be planned out in advance. First there must be defined parameters which will guide the entire sales process. These will establish company expectations, customer expectations, and most importantly what is expected from the individuals who will be executing the sales call. Clearly defining these objectives is the first step towards building an effective sales process.

When looking at company expectations in light of sales, they must first determine their overall objectives. Do they want to grow sales volume in terms of total units sold, increased sales revenue, improved margin on what is sold or widen the distribution of where their products are sold? In most cases they will want all of the above. The company needs to set the big picture objectives first. Once the overall goals are determined, they can then break them down across territories, divisions, or individual sales personnel. By making each objective as clear and concise as possible they will ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to what is expected.

Another aspect that is equally, if not more important is making every objective reasonable. Unreasonable goals either too high or too low are the main cause for disconnect between those setting the goals and those who carry them out. Realistic
objectives that take into account past performance, market conditions, and the competitive environment are vital to managing and motivating the sales effort.

The next area that needs to be considered is the time frame to achieve the objective. The shorter the time frame the more relevant the objective becomes. The most effective increment, daily, weekly, or monthly will depend on the type of business. All sales objectives should be reviewed at the very least on a monthly basis. Anything longer than this will reduce focus on the selling effort.

The final step is to break down each objective to correlate with individual expectations. This should then be communicated to each and every person involved in the sales process. If everyone knows what is expected of them, they can devote all their effort on achieving their goals. If each individual achieves their assigned objectives, the overall company will surely achieve theirs.

The Fourth Quarter

Next week brings the month of October and for most companies the final quarter of their business year. 2009 has undoubtedly been a challenge for most of us. The recession has taken its toll on business as most companies have had to trim their work force, cut back on spending, and put any plans of expansion on hold. These tough times have put the business world on the defensive trying fend off any further deterioration of their core business.

To liken the situation to a football game, many of us enter the 4th quarter down big on the scoreboard with no real offense to try and close the gap. At this point you have two choices; pull the starters and write this year off as a total loss, or put a few different plays in the game plan to try and shake things up. If what you have been doing all year hasn't worked maybe it is time to survey the team for some new ideas and give them a shot. The worse that can happen is you stay on the same downward spiral, but chances are some new initiatives will yield some different results.

Do not fall into the trap of telling yourself that things will be better next year and you will start anew in January. All that does is put you three months further in the hole.

Now is the time for action to try and put some points on the board. You may very well still lose the game, but you can take satisfaction in the fact you that went down fighting, not sitting it out on the bench.

My Three Keys to Success

When I think about what it takes to be truly successful at something there are many factors that come into play. Obviously, hard work and a certain degree of talent are very important, but they do not offer any guarantee of success. A bit of luck and a break here and there certainly can be helpful but obviously cannot be counted on.

After giving this thought, I have determined my own personal keys to success-perseverance, persistence, and faith.

Perseverance:

The Free Dictionary defines perseverance as "Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness".

My definition is a bit simpler, "Never Say Die."

I have always strived to persevere through all the many obstacles and challenges I faced in both my professional and personal life. I wish I could say I have been incredibly successful in this ambitious endeavor, but that would just be a plain lie. What I have done is continue to keep the whole concept of perseverance "top of mind" as I plow forward. When you take phrases such as "this is hopeless", "I have no chance",or "I should give up" out of your vocabulary you have taken the first step to making perseverance a valuable part of your approach toward life.

Persistence:

The Free Dictionary defines persistence as " To be obstinately repetitious, insistent, or tenacious. To hold firmly and steadfastly to a purpose, state, or undertaking despite obstacles, warnings, or setbacks."

My personal definition is once again is rather simple "Never Ever Quit"

I look at persistence as a family trait that was passed down through the generations. Growing up in a competitive atmosphere, I was given few chances to quit in my life no matter how bad I was getting beat. This has stuck with me over the years as I do not look at failure as an option. While I will be the first to admit there were many times in my life when I wanted to quit and I still fight the urge on a regular basis, I found a way to dig down deep and keep moving forward.

Faith:

The Free Dictionary defines faith as "Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing."

My personal definition is taken from an old Phillies slogan "You Gotta Believe"

For the purpose of this discussion faith is not my belief in God as that is a whole other subject, rather it is the belief in myself and my ability. You have to be able to take past success and translate it into future success. It is my firm belief that everyone who walks this earth has a talent or ability they can rely on to generate some form of success. You need to have faith in that ability and do everything in your power to maximize its potential. When you study people that have been extremely successful in their lives, I would be willing to bet that you will find that faith in themselves was their driving force.

Short and Long Term Marketing Strategies

Whether you have a formal written plan for your business or just a bunch of great ideas in your head, there are always going to be goals you set out to achieve. You will often think in terms of what do I want to accomplish in the next six months, as well as where do I want to be in five years. These short and long term goals are what drive your business. From a planning standpoint, you must also develop short and long term strategies to reach these goals.


Short term strategies revolve around cause and effect actions. You will institute an action and then measure the result. For example, if you run an ad in the paper, or send out a direct mail coupon, you can easily track your response rate. Depending on the amount of new business you generate, you can measure the effectiveness of the campaign. Most of the times these strategies involve costly advertising, so you must be sure you are reaching your target market, as well as creating a “call to action” for your potential customers.
Other examples of short term strategies are Internet websites, informational brochures, press releases, trade shows, and samplings. All these can be used to create a cause and effect reaction from potential customers. These are crucial in launching a new business as well as growing an existing one. As long as you’re reaching your target market, these activities will provide an immediate return on investment. If they don’t, then your overall advertising message needs to be reevaluated.


Long term strategies are much more subliminal in nature. They encompass all the activities that reach people in a subtle way. Networking is probably the best long term strategy you can engage in. Many people have misconceptions about networking. It is not about going to events to drum up customers. Rather it is all about developing relationships. People tend to buy from people they like or feel they have something in common with. Much like planted seeds, if properly nurtured, these relationships will grow over time and yield incremental business. Other examples of long term strategies are participating in trade and civic organizations, giving presentations, and donating time to charitable events. All these activities will generate positive goodwill for you and your company. Word of mouth is your best form of advertising. While this is an overused cliché, it will generate more business than many other tactics.


By incorporating both short and long term strategies into your marketing plan, you will lay the proper groundwork for short and long term success. While very different in nature, they are both effective in building a solid approach to accomplishing your goals. The key is to make sure you properly balance your efforts in order to maximize all the benefits these strategies can provide.

Creating Brand Ambassadors

Everyone in business understands the power of "word of mouth" advertising. There is nothing more powerful than having someone provide unsolicited approval of your products or services to a potential customer. Just think about how you purchase products and services in your own life. I guarantee there is something you bought based upon the recommendation of a friend, family member, or business associate. As a business owner or manager the trick is to harness the power of suggestion by creating your own team of Brand Ambassadors.

A Brand Ambassador can very simply be someone or a group of people that you enlist to spread the word about your products or services to their particular circle of influence. A good starting point to find such a group is always with your current customers. As long as they are happy and completely satisfied with you, they would make an excellent spokesperson to spread the good word to others. To compensate their efforts, you could offer a discount off their next purchase, a referral fee based upon new business, or something as simple as a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant. You are not out to buy their opinion as this may lead to unwanted tactics on their part, rather you want to reward them for spreading the word about your company.

Another approach to developing a Brand Ambassador program is to hire and train individuals to professionally promote your product or service. What makes this tactic even more impactful is to find people whom already have positive influence among their peers. Why do you think someone like Tiger Woods makes more money from endorsements than he does from playing golf. You do not have to go out and hire a celebrity, but rather seek out the people in your local community that are well respected as well as well connected.

The most important aspect of a successful Brand Ambassador's program is to fully leverage the power of influence. Traditional advertising is no longer breaking through to the listening or viewing audience. The old ways of reaching potential customers are rapidly becoming obsolete. Social interaction and an open exchange of information have a far greater impact on buying decisions then a radio or billboard ad. Given the way information is exchanged today, it presents a perfect opportunity to utilize Brand Ambassadors as an integral part of your overall marketing plan.

A Novel by Jeff Onorato-The SIN of Addison Hall

An old college buddy of mine from Lehigh University, Jeff Onorato has just published his first novel, The SIN of Addison Hall. Let me be one of the first to congratulate Jeff on a job well done. Below is a brief description as provided by the author.



Review

Shari Goldhagen, Author of Family and Other Accidents, says, “With echoes of Vonnegut, Jeffrey Onorato creates a vivid, chilling dystopia where beauty rules. What's even scarier is how close to home his world hits”. --Direct from ARC review



Description

Breaking the Mold of a Traditional Hero Results in a Gripping Tale of Fiction... First-time author soars with his spellbinding story of a man fighting with human nature... Residing in a country where beautiful people are considered superior, Addison Hall is an anomaly. A mildly repugnant man, he is forced by the twisted hierarchy of his dictator to live in less than adequate living situations. The days become increasingly arduous as he toils in an unpleasant job, stricken with the disappointment of his current situation. Besides the dark comedy of his disastrous attempts at romance and his friend’s antics, Addison s life is fairly dull. Then he meets Otka, a beautiful woman who owns the local coffee shop. After witnessing a chance encounter where Addison risks his life to save the life of a dog, Otka takes an obvious interest in him. Addison is perplexed by her reciprocated intrigue. Past experiences with such a valued creature of the opposite sex has left him tainted and doubting her motives. Jeffrey Onorato sensationally draws us into his world of relatable characters and witty dialect. He victoriously shatters the conventions of the true-blue hero to create a story that has both depth and originality. The SIN of Addison Hall entrances the reader with delicious conflicts of human wanting and wavering uncertainty with an ending that will leave you begging for more.

If you are interested in purchasing the book directly please go to Block Island Books or it can also be found on Amazon.

Making Customer Service your Top Priority

Most anyone will agree that customer service is one of the most important parts of your company’s overall strategy to conducting business. Without customers you really don’t have a business. If this is the case, why is it mostly everyone as consumers can easily cite examples of poor customer service in their daily lives? I believe every company either has or thinks it has good customer service. However, if certain steps are not taken to ensure this, the reality of their situation is often far worse than their perceptions.

The level of customer service begins at the top in any organization. The company’s leaders must buy into the fact that they not only need to meet their customer’s needs, but actually strive to exceed them. They must develop a company culture that understands this concept. In today’s world competition is tougher than ever. If you can’t provide goods or service when somebody wants them, there are often four or five other companies ready to fill this void. You rarely get a second chance once you drop the ball. If the company’s leaders do not accept this fact, or are not willing to provide the necessary resources to meet their customer’s needs, they will soon find themselves scrambling for business.

Proper training is one way to develop a company culture that embraces excellent customer service. Every employee must understand what is expected of them when interacting with customers. Is there a uniform way to answer the phone? Are there set procedures in place when a customer has a question or problem? Is there an established chain of command to make sure that issues are handled in a timely fashion? And most importantly is everyone trained to carry out these company procedures? How you handle the problem is far more important than the problem itself. A customer must always feel their best interests are being taken into consideration, even when you can’t give into their demands. It is far better to say no with a smile, than yes with an attitude.

Getting feedback from your customers is an excellent way to track and measure your level of service. You should not only benchmark your company against your competition, but also against the goals you set for yourself. Once again remember you are trying to not only meet, but exceed your customer’s expectations. Written surveys are one way to gage customer satisfaction. This can be useful to obtain feedback on a wide variety of company functions. Always allow for written comments, as these usually will help shed light on problem areas. Management’s interaction with customers is an excellent way to not only measure the overall efforts, but to also show the level of commitment the company has towards their needs. You always feel better if you have the chance to talk to someone who actually sets policy, not just someone who carries it out.

In today’s world of bigger, faster, better you need to be the company that gets it right the first time, and if you don’t, you quickly rectify your mistakes. If you consistently make this part of how you conduct business, your customer’s loyalty will continue to grow. Meeting and exceeding the customer’s expectations in the products and service you provide today is the best way to ensure future growth and success.

Turning a Dream into a Vision

No matter if you own your own business or work for someone else, everyone has dreams of what they want their future to be. Maybe you want to expand your current business, start your own, get promoted, or sell your company and retire. What ever the case may be, these dreams are an important part of your current life as well as a guiding force for your future. What most people do not realize is that without a vision, these dreams will simply remain what they currently are; a dream.

If a dream is thought of as an idea, then a vision would be the plan. It is not enough to simply want to do something, you have to develop a road map that carefully plots how you will achieve it. You have to be able to visualize yourself in your new role as you work towards making that dream an actuality. You have to put aside all doubt that may be holding you back, and develop the confidence you will succeed. Fear of failure should not be seen as a deterrent to your dream, rather it should be incorporated into your vision as a motivational tool.

In life, too many dreams go unfulfilled. Time marches on and the window for making them come true tends to close. If you have a vision, and remain truly committed to the task at hand, you give yourself a good chance to make your dream a reality. You may not achieve everything you set out to accomplish, but I guarantee you will not let that dream die.

Take some time to review your current situation as well as your plans for the future. Write down where you want to be this time next year, in three years, five years and so on. Then write down how you think you are going to get there and be as specific as possible. Make sure you account for all the obstacles that stand in your way, as well as the benefits derived from getting there. By completing this fairly basic exercise, you will have taken the first important step in turning your dream into a vision.

Key Elements of the Marketing Plan: Setting and Allocating the Budget

In order to create a comprehensive marketing plan, you need to incorporate certain key elements. Once you have determined your goals and objectives, you then develop strategies to achieve them. Having done this, you can assign responsibility and set time lines for tasks to be completed. The next step of the process is setting and allocating a budget.This allows you to align your financial resources with your overall plan.

There are several ways to determine an appropriate budget that provides a cost effective way to market your business. One way is to allocate a certain percent of your sales towards your media and promotional plan. This method allows for increased spending as your overall sales volume grows. As long as there is profitable sales growth, this approach makes sense. Another way is to institute a “cents per unit sold” budget. For example, if you sell 100,000 boxes of product, and you allocate .10 per box, you would have a $10,000 marketing budget. If you have a set margin per unit, this is a good approach to use. For smaller companies another way to determine a budget is to use a monthly figure based on available cash flow. This will give you better control of your spending, however you must still allocate enough money to support the marketing effort.
Whatever method you use to set the budget, it is important that you allocate a realistic amount that enables proper execution of the plan’s strategies.

Once you have a total budget, you need to determine how much is going to be spent on media (i.e. print, radio, direct mail) and how much on promotion (i.e. samplings, special events, customer entertainment). This will largely depend on the particular business you are in. The main idea is to develop a mix that allows you to allocate resources for the activities that will be most effective in growing your sales. Understanding your product and the marketplace you compete in will make this process easier to implement.

An important part of the budget process, is to build in ways to maximize the money spent. If you are buying radio, negotiate additional promotional value that ties your product or service into their on-air activities. Form “trade for mention” opportunities with all your media partners. Develop cross promotional programs with complimentary products and services. There are numerous ways to leverage the money you currently spend. By doing this on a consistent basis you will stretch your marketing dollars.

Setting and properly allocating a budget gives you the best chance to utilize the financial resources you have to grow your business. While this process will take some time and effort, it will provide a solid return on your investment.

Effectively Manage your Accounts Payable

In today's economy it is vital that all your business processes are as efficient as possible. Many times there are hidden cost savings in analyzing how you are currently running your business and finding better ways to perform many of the basic functions that are involved on a day to day basis.

One area that is often over looked are your accounts payable. We are sometimes all to aware of our receivables and the problems they can cause, but have you ever stopped to think about over payments and erroneous billing? Chances are you are losing money through your current payment procedures and not even aware of it.

APEX Analytix is a company that specializes in developing audit software that can effectively manage your accounts payable process. It is designed to detect over payments, billing errors, and potential billing fraud. With APEX Analytix audit software you can have the piece of mind knowing that every payment you make is being closely monitored for accuracy. As one of the fastest growing companies providing accounts payable audit software, APEX Analytix is on the cutting edge of the latest technology designed for error prevention and fraud detection.

The best part of their audit software is that in a relatively short period of time it can actually pay for itself by detecting existing errors and through continuous monitoring, preventing future ones. For more information on this dynamic cost savings tool, please visit; APEX Analytix. They can provide everything you need to know on how to provide peace of mind that your accounts payable are accurate and safe.

Getting Your Message Across in a Big Way

There are many facets to advertising your company and the products or services you provide. Traditional means often include a strategy that incorporates print, radio, or television. You can also use the Internet through your website or various forms of social media like Linked In or Facebook. One area that is often over looked is your actual place of business. Are you actively promoting yourself through the use of in-store signage? If you have customers that regularly visit your place of business, in house signage is a great way to communicate with them.

A great example of this type of advertising are wall calendars. They come in a number of sizes and can easily be installed just about anywhere. The are usually made out of a dry erase material so you can constantly change your message. One company who is leading the way is wallcalendar.us. They have developed a number of impact full applications designed to attract and educate customers on what you have to offer.

One particular application that has been extremely successful are
large restaurant calendars. They are an eye catching piece that can let customers know what is going on in your place. A large restaurant calendar is the perfect way to communicate nightly specials, new menu items, and special events. Placed in central location they are sure to catch the eye of anyone coming in and out of your place. It has been shown that people will remember what they see much better than what they hear. Your large restaurant calendar can become a primary source of keeping your customers informed and bringing them back time after time.

WallCalendars.us has developed portable signage products for a number of applications. The main focus is getting your message into the mind of everyone who sees it. This is a great way to remain "top of mind" with your employees, your guests and visitors, and most importantly your customers.

Targeted Information is Key to your Marketing Efforts

A crucial part of any marketing plan and business development strategy is prospecting for new business. In order to effectively grow you need to always continue to build your customer base. While there are many ways to do this one of the most widely used strategies is the use of marketing lists. No matter what kind of business you are in there are companies that can generate a mailing lead list that will effectively target your designated audience. The most important thing to remember when utilizing this strategy, is your results completely depend on the quality of the information you receive.

One company that has a long history of providing quality lists is
America Heritage Data Corporation. Their databases are among the best in the industry and consistently produce results that move the dial. American Heritage Data has built their reputation on some basic core values such as quality, integrity, reliability, and customer service. The most important aspect of this company is that they stand behind their product, which is something hard to find in the
marketing list industry.

America Heritage Data can provide consumer, general and specialty business, and mortgage mailing lists. They constantly update their database to ensure you are receiving the most current information that is possible.

Before you embark on your next direct mail campaign, take a hard look at your current information provider as your primary goal should be to maximize your investment by gaining the highest return rate possible. If they cannot guarantee the results you are looking for, chances are American Heritage Data can.

Searching for Your Next Car?

I think that most everyone would agree that the Internet has become the best tool for conducting searches. Anything and everything can be found on the net just by entering in some key words and clicking your mouse. The problem is finding websites that can provide all the information you are looking for in a clear and concise manner. When it comes to researching cars I have found that perfect site.

Car Connection provides every bit of information you could possibly need when researching your next automobile. The information is laid out in a very organized fashion and the site is very easy to navigate.

Perhaps you are interested in GMC models, there is a whole section on anything you would want to know. Everything about the latest and greatest models is included, as Car Connection leaves no stone unturned.

The other day I saw a commercial for the new Honda Fit and it peaked my curiosity. I found that Car Connection had the most thorough Honda Fit review as well as provided pricing and links to other sites' reviews as well.

Car Connection is also able to provide the most up to date information for new models. Take for instance the Audi S5, they compiled information from a number of sources and put into one comprehensive review. You end up having everything you need to know right at your finger tips.

I decided to give this site a test drive and research my dream car the BMW M5. At a list price of $85,000 you can understand why it is a dream, but the Car Connection did not disappoint. One of their best features is the "bottom line" where they pull no punches and provide both the plus and minus of every car. Believe or not, even an $85,000 car as a minus or two.

So they next time you are in the market for a new car or just feel like going to a virtual car show, check out Car Connection and I'll think you'll agree it raises the bar for Internet research.

Tips and Techniques for your Trade Show Display

If you have the type of business that is involved in setting up displays at trade shows, expos, or any other type of special event you want to make sure you have the proper display equipment. Not only do you need display equipment that will present your company in a professional manner, you need it to be practical as well. I have found a company Camelback Displays that can provide everything you need to stand out from the crowd and attract more visitors to your trade show booth.

Since 1999, Camelback Displays, Inc. has been the leader in providing real options for companies needing trade show booths. They have one of the widest array of products in the industry. Here are few of their most popular products.

Banner Stands:

The company offers all types of banner stands that are used for a variety of uses at trade fairs, retail outlets, entry ways, informational areas. They come complete with full printing and graphic design. Banner stand styles include indoor, outdoor, retractable (works like a projector screen), rod-tension style, adjustable, flying banners, and more.

Pipe and Drape:

Is used at trade shows or trade fairs to make trade show booths. They are made of aluminum pipes and fire retardant fabrics that can make 10x10, 10x20 or 20x20 booths. Schools, universities, churches, hotels, and the hospitality industry uses pipe and drape to make rooms or partition off areas.

Table Skirts:

There is a supply of full assortment of different types of blank or printed table skirts which can be used for tables, back drops, stage skirting and more. Full color printing or silk screening can be used to apply logos, artwork, marketing messages or anything else that needs be displayed. Fabric is also fire retardant and comes with a certificate from a testing organization.

Other applications include everything from hanging signs to unique exhibits, flooring and furniture. So the next time your are planning an exhibit and are looking for some innovative ideas think of Camelback Displays as you one stop source for all your display needs.