Monthly Archives: December 2010

Happy 2011 (if you want it)

Behind The Scenes, Uncategorized,

A couple of weeks ago, one of my Facebook ‘friends” wrote a post about the evil mother-of-all-snowstorms that was headed to Cincinnati on Christmas Day. As we know now, that didn’t happen here. He had little evidence of his prediction. Yet, some folks get their jollies spreading gloom, doom, and fear.

I’ve talked with a lot of individuals in my network in these last weeks of 2010. They all have a very positive outlook on the New Year. Positive thoughts bring positive energy.

I’m blessed that the business I started two years ago has had sustainable growth over the past 12 months. I can’t wait to get started on 2011.

Has the economy bounced back to pre-2006 levels? Not quite. But in many sectors, spending and consumer confidence HAS improved. Many are still out of work, but I know a LOT of folks who are getting hired! My business was better in 2010 than in the year before. It’s allowed me to make capital improvements for all the clients I’m going to serve next year.

Let’s take the naysayers, the doom and gloomers, and the fear mongers and kick them to the curb starting right now! When that ball drops, whether it’s Times Square or Fountain Square; think of it as a fuse being lit. All of us who are small businesses or solopreneurs have the power to make some 2011 fireworks of our own happen.

Are you ready?

That’s a wrap.

9 Reasons to Keep Satisfied Customers

Behind The Scenes, Who Uses Video, , , , , , , ,

Here’s something that’s worth keeping around:

  • 98% of dissatisfied customers never complain, they just leave.
  • 85% of dissatisfied customers tell nine people about their poor experience. 13% tell 20 people.
  • A satisfied customer tells just five people.
  • Over five years, a typical company loses 80% of its customers; 65% because of a negative experience with the company.
  • 75% of the reasons a customer leaves has nothing to do with the product.
  • Retain just 5% of your customers, and profits will increase from 25% to 55%.
  • The top five businesses in any industry have over 90% customer retention. Most businesses average 80%.
  • For every 1% improvement in customer rate sustained over five years, there is a 20% improvement in operating income.

and finally,

The number one reason why customers switch companies is that they don’t feel appreciated.

Ask me, and I’ll show you how using video makes for higher customer loyalty.

–That’s a wrap.

Making Memories – Preserving Memories

Uncategorized, , ,

There are no treasured possessions greater than memories. Holidays always underscore that fact. When I was growing up, or when I was going home for the holidays, I had the most fun digging thru the family pictures. There was always a point during the holidays when Dad would set up the slide projector and focus it on a nearby wall.

We had a deep, wide cardboard box filled with other boxes – narrow plastic ones holding the 35mm slides, and each one labeled with its contents. There was a box for my 10th birthday. One for my sister’s wedding, Two or three containing the remnants of a Mexican vacation. One that attempted to document our family’s move cross country.

The lamp on the projector was hot, and bits of dust bunny flotsam hung in the stream of light emanating from the lens. For awhile we laughed and shared stories about what was going on in each of the pictures.

Then, the trips home became fewer. I never knew time to move so fast in my life. Mom passed first, in 1996. Dad in 2005. My sister had the big box buried in the back of a closet.

This year, I had her send me the box so I could start making digital copies of all those old slides. I was surprised at which slides were now fading and which ones still looked pretty good. But with this great software, I was able to make many of them brighter and sharper than ever.

Now, my sister and I don’t have to wait for those too few times when we get together to look at those old photos. There’s no more hot, musty slide projector – we can view them on our computer, or laptop, even our TV if we choose.

Do you have a big box of slides like that somewhere? Go take a look. Many of them may be starting to fade. If you’d like to preserve and pass on those memories, I can scan them to DVD for you. Each member of your family can have their own copy. Let me know if you’d like more information.

–That’s a wrap.