Member Blog Posts in "Marketing and Advertising"

Five Steps for Measuring Customer Loyalty

posted on January 24, 2012

Investing in customer loyalty isn't just good business, it's good money.  For every 1% improvement in your customer retention rate, operating income will improve by 20% and just a 5%  reduction in customer defections can lead to an 85% boost in profits. Companies that lead their markets in customer loyalty generate operating margins of 13%, while laggards had margins of just 2%?  The bottom line is that customer loyalty is good for the bottom line! Read more »

Author: Laura Patterson

How to get people to ENGAGE with your company Online.

posted on January 12, 2012

Ever at had a Bad First Date?  Or get that excited, nervous feeling when you REALLY want it to work out?  With websites, your first impression may be all you get.  Here’s a guide to knowing you’re making the right first impression. Read more »

Author: Benjamin Roberts

Get More Analytical in 2012

posted on January 8, 2012

As business professionals we make a variety of important decisions every day – from what markets and customers to serve, to what products to offer, from how to improve customer loyalty, to which people to hire and what infrastructure we should buy, and so on. Some of us make these decisions based on experience, others more intuitively. In today’s dynamic environment, we’re learning that companies that make fact-based decisions experience better performance. Read more »

Author: Laura Patterson

What's a $10 Synthetic Blend Oil FLASH DEAL?

posted on May 10, 2011

When sales aren't where you want them to be, you get creative.  I guess we look to others in how they are doing things and try to come up with something that will give you the opportunity to show new customers what you can do.  Flexing that creative muscle is what we did in the creation of our FLASH DEALs.For example, we created a flashdeal on Synthetic Blend Oil Changes. You can see that post right here as a good example: Read more »

Author: Frank Bellucci

There’s A Square Barcode In Your Future (QR code)

posted on April 20, 2011

It’s hard to imagine what the world would be like without barcodes. Although the idea behind them goes back to the 1940s, they really didn’t come into use until the mid-70s. Today, hardly anything gets by without having a barcode associated with it. Now that the barcode has come of age, there’s a second generation on the way. Developed in 1994 by Denso-Wave to track auto parts for its parent company, Toyota, the QR (Quick Recognition) code carries a lot more information than simple numbers and letters. Read more »

Author: Fred Meek

Is a Franchise right for you?

posted on March 15, 2011

Is a Franchise Right for You? Before you go ahead and invest in a franchise, you want to sit down and be honest with yourself. You need to think about how much money you have to invest. Just as importantly, you should assess your personal skills and abilities. Read more »

Author: Dena Largent

Ten Things I Learned In Line At The Super Bowl

posted on February 25, 2011

I’m a Packer’s fan by marriage (18 yrs) , so when the Pack made it to the Super Bowl this year and it was to be held in Dallas, a mere three hour drive from our house in Austin, I knew it was only a matter of time and money before my husband exclaimed, “we’re going to the Super Bowl baby!”.  And he did, and we did.And it was ….a learning experience. I grew up in Dallas and was a Cowboys fan by geography… and I went to the same chuch that Coach Landry went to so it was practically part of my religious upbringing. What’s that word? Indoctrination? Read more »

Author: Julie Niehoff

Think Before You Send

posted on January 31, 2011

 They just keep coming. Unsolicited emails from people who want me to sign up for their email about their coaching service, business reinvention seminar, special offers for those group buying programs, yoga classes, webinars promising to make my business shine and so many  more. Some of them were the annoying business card ninjas from the last networking event. You've met them. They hurl out their cards as if the goal of the event is to see who can get rid of the most cards without really making a personal connection. Read more »

Author: Marilyn McCray

Welcome Back Austin!!!

posted on January 28, 2011

My apologies for the time away from writing but my family suffered a tremendous loss over the holidays and I am just now getting back to a routine.This morning's Austin American-Statesman article on the front page of the Business section also made me just want to get out and share.  Angelos Angelou, a highly respected local economist who offers annual outlooks on the Austin economy states that we will be at a 6% unemployment rate within the next two years.  If you look back at the graphs I posted last month on the local unemployment trends, you will see that Austin has alr Read more »

Author: George Mora

Is it Worth Your Time?

posted on January 8, 2011

While running a business it can be very easy to get caught up in the day to day tasks, chores, responsibilities and other often bothersome details. After all, running a business certainly entails a lot of effort, ranging from accounting to marketing, from sales to customer service, from product development to logistics, to human resources and on down the line. And that doesn’t even count answering emails and responding to phone calls! Read more »

Author: Trish Aikman