Winning Investors: High Fives, KISS & Tell, and Slippery Fingers
By far, the most common question we receive at BizPro is a simple “How do I get my business started?” or “How do I get money for my business?” While these seem to be the most basic, obvious questions anyone could ask, you’d be surprised just how many people forget to. The answer is quite simple: prove, beyond a doubt, to anyone with sufficient cash that your idea/company model will function, survive, and profit. That’s it! Maybe the simplicity and vagueness of the answer is what drives many entrepreneurs to loose sight of that most important part of planning a new business; how will it get started? In order to successfully communicate your proof to any lender or investor, it would help to understand what they consider to be valid “proof”. While the possibilities here are virtually endless, there are at least five main items any lender is sure to evaluate. Be sure they’re in your plan!
Mini-Quiz: Change Run-ons into Full Sentences
Clear sentences are the building blocks of clear messages. Because customers use the information in your e-mail to decide or do something, they like concise, definite sentences. One common sentence error is run-on sentences. Run-ons are usually two or more sentences patched together with commas.
Caring for Your Customers
You probably think I am going to say something like, “The customer is always right.” Right?? Wrong.
I have many philosophies when dealing with customers, but I definitely do not believe that the customer is always right. However, when the customer is wrong, you must handle the situation delicately.
Get Your Hands In The Cookie Jar
This article provides specific instructions on using cookies in ASP.NET applications and discusses a few issues we should be thinking about when using them.
What is Sp^m?
Ask anybody and with a very few exceptions they will tell you “I hate sp^m.” Heck, even people who send spam say they hate it. Hating spam is so universal it’s almost like hating cancer. Problem is, everyone defines *sp^m* differently:
Mini-Quiz: Use Plain Language
Do your e-mails sound like they were written by the same person who writes tax forms? They shouldn’t. Your customer service e-mails should be written in plain, easy-to-understand language.
Using XSLT to Assist Regression Testing
Regression testing is an important software-testing technique in which the output of a program before a change was made is compared to the output after the change in order to determine whether the change introduced bugs.
Developing Efficient Meetings
How would you describe meetings you have attended in the past?
Mini-Quiz: Write for Global Customers
The web and e-mail now enable customers to reach you from any part of the globe. It is estimated that 510 million non-native English speakers–global customers– will be online by 2003. And even your nearby customers may not be native English speakers. Idioms, such as spread ourselves too thin or think outside the box, may be unclear to global customers who are confused by the expression’s literal meaning.
Building Strong Leaders Around You
In today’s business world, conflicts are inevitable, but they don’t have to be costly or time-consuming.