Category: Tools and Information

Conflict Management: How to Turn Any Conflicts into Opportunities | Lifehack

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There’s a lot out there written on conflict from how to ask what you really want and how to understand what the other side really wants.

But what I have seen from those materials is that most of them have been written in bubbles using armchair philosophy with almost zero empirical evidence and applicability in real life.

It’s like the case with the orange. One side just wants the orange bark while the other side wants the inside of the orange. You solve the case by giving them both what they need and there you have it, you’ve solved the conflict.

In real life, both sides want the entire orange and they are not willing to budge a centimeter until they get it and that’s why I’m making this guide. No more armchair philosophy, no more talking in the bubble. We are entering the real world and this is how you will solve the conflicts and get what you want.

Read More

How To Get Great Testimonials (Without Pressuring or Badgering) | marketingforhippies.com

~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

I’m often asked, “How do you get good testimonials?”

Of course, the truest answer is, “Do good work.”

Without that, nothing I am about to say holds much water.

But, if we don’t acknowledge that it’s possible to do wonderful work and not be furnished with written testimonials from the very people you served, well… then my advice wouldn’t hold much water either.

Read More

Top 6 Ways to Communicate with Your Customers | Small Business Trends

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Companies communicate with their customers in so many ways these days. They send email, surveys, post information on social media and their websites, call, chat, or text them. Not all of these forms of business communication are welcomed by the customer when they happen or are even effective. What is critical to their success is for each company to actually find how customers want to communicate with them and how to keep track of it all.

How Do Your Customers Prefer to Communicate?

Effective business communication methods can change by industry, customer segment, or issue. Here is a place to start to determine what is best for your set of customers and how to analyze these interactions:

Read More

9 Smart Bookkeeping Tips for Small Businesses | AllBusiness.com

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Are you a numbers person? Some small business owners love going over their books—after all, it’s their personal scorecard of how well the business is doing. Others dread dealing with numbers or get so caught up in day-to-day operations that they neglect their bookkeeping.

Whether you love it or hate it, good bookkeeping is essential to small business success. Here are nine bookkeeping tips for small businesses that will help put your business in the black.

Read More

Sonic Soak cleans clothes on the go with sound waves | New Atlas

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Finding time to wash your clothes is difficult enough at home, but it’s even more of a hassle when you’re traveling. The Sonic Soak is designed to act like a tiny, portable washing machine, using sound waves to clean clothes – including your delicates – as well as jewelry, toothbrushes, cutlery, baby items, fruit, veggies and basically whatever else can be thrown into a tub of water with it.

Read More

18 Gmail settings that will change how you think about your inbox | Fast Company

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When it comes to managing email, you need every advantage you can get.

Google recognizes this. The company has packed Gmail with dozens of advanced options that can save you time and add powerful possibilities into your inbox. The only problem is that there are so many of them—scattered across so many places—that it’s all too easy to overlook something useful.

Read More

How to Prevent a Cash Flow Crisis in Your Business | AllBusiness.com

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Cash flow from operations is still the number-one way that U.S. small and midsize businesses finance growth. But just about every small business runs into situations where the cash just isn’t flowing. When that happens, where do you turn?

Some 37% of U.S. small and midsize businesses in the C2FO Working Capital Outlook Survey 2017 say their need for liquidity increased significantly last year compared to the previous year, while 34% say it increased slightly. All told, nearly three-fourths of small and midsize businesses in the survey have greater need of liquidity than they did in 2016.

Read More

What Everyone Ought to Know About Followup with Clients | Small Business Trends

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Knowing how to follow up with prospects correctly and avoid annoying them at the same time is key. You don’t want your follow-ups to run people away and lead to a missed opportunity so keep these tips in mind.

Include a Time-Sensitive Offer in Your Initial Pitch

I don’t know a single person who loves sending follow-ups. Thus, it’s safe to assume that everyone’s initial intention is to get an answer on the first try and avoid the whole follow up process altogether.

This should always be your goal – to send a thorough, specific, and valuable pitch that prompts the recipient to respond as soon as humanly possible.

To achieve this, consider including a deadline in your initial pitch to create a sense of urgency. If you’re freelance hoping to land a new client, mention that your calendar is filling up quickly and you’re offering a limited time trial discount.

Read More

High-Paying Trade Jobs Sit Empty, While High School Grads Line Up For University | NPR

~ jessicahwang1 ~ Leave a comment

Like most other American high school students, Garret Morgan had it drummed into him constantly: Go to college. Get a bachelor’s degree.

“All through my life it was, ‘if you don’t go to college you’re going to end up on the streets,’ ” Morgan said. “Everybody’s so gung-ho about going to college.”

So he tried it for a while. Then he quit and started training as an ironworker, which is what he is doing on a weekday morning in a nondescript high-ceilinged building with a concrete floor in an industrial park near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Read more