I always recommend that people and companies position themselves as world-class experts (see http://tinyurl.com/2dqrykh). Pick a niche that you can be great at, go after that niche ferociously, and make sure the world knows you're one of the best at the tiny little niche that you have picked. There's more money in niches and it’s the best way to stand out. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs are nervous to limit the scope of their services because they worry they will miss out on something. But it is well known that you'll make a lot more money in the long run when you specialize, because you will have less competition, better brand recognition, and you will produce better results when you do the work that you are best at. More on These Guys Know Parking

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This isn't the first time that I have written about the customer service provided by Ladin Lincoln Mercury & Hyundai and their Sales Manager Gary Faga. See http://tinyurl.com/ygeyx4w. Here is an update on Gary and his company.

More on Does Customer Service Get Any Better Than This?

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I was having lunch with a group of filmmakers this week — I make it a habit to meet with several filmmakers a month, partly to see what deals they're working on and partly to provide education and mentorship to these individuals who work hard to make their Hollywood dreams come true.

 

These weren't "wannabe" filmmakers. These were sophisticated people — people who had advanced degrees. One was a CPA who prepared the private placement memorandum for his production company so that they could produce their latest film. Another was a 20 year veteran of the studios who now wanted to work independently. But what everybody had in common was the extreme frustration that comes with raising capital. 

More on Would You Try to Sell a Blue Car to Someone Who Wants a Yellow Boat?

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This article is the third in a series by my colleague and friend Eric Shaw of http://www.nycreditinc.com. Eric is one of the top credit analysts in the market. I regularly go to Eric to help me analyze client issues and for assistance in making a variety of business decisions. Not to mention, Eric is a rock star when it comes to networking. He has a lot to offer and I would like to bring it to my readers over the next several weeks:

 

Beginning of Contributor Notes:

 

When you're not satisfied with the information standard credit data provides, several often overlooked tools can make you more comfortable about extending credit - without the hassle or UCC fillings.

 

Eric Shaw, president of New York Credit, Inc., explains how using these low-cost, under-utilized tools can help you determine a customer's creditability and guarantee payment. 

More on Do You Want a Few Secret Weapons to Boost Sales and Improve Collections?

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You might have heard that many of the credit card companies and the home mortgage companies are reducing the lines of their many millions of customers. Millions of credit reduction letters are going out from all manners of companies.

More on Is The Credit Crisis Costing Your Business Revenue?

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Every once in a while, you see somebody spot an opportunity and take the initiative to address it in a way that is different from everybody else. There is some sparkle that some people bring to bear, which provides them with rewards that were there for the taking, but that everybody else left on the table.

More on Growing Your Business: Opportunity And Initiative

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One of the main problems that I notice in business owners is that they generally don't understand the difference between sales and marketing. In fact, I recently had a client who hired a successful VP of Marketing away from a competitor to be his National VP of Sales. But in this new role, the poor guy failed miserably. My client could not understand why a success story in one firm could fail so prolifically in his. I saw the issue in 20 seconds:

More on Growing Your Business: Thirsty Horses

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Every once in a while, I stumble onto an entrepreneurial company that is such an enormous success that you can only call it a home run — out of the park. I had the rare opportunity to meet such a company in the last several months.

More on A Home Run Out Of The Park: Lumineers

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Have you ever sat through a presentation where someone was trying to sell something to you and it droned on and on for such an extended period of time that you nearly fell asleep? Unfortunately, I've sat through my fair share of these types of presentations, and as a result of being the recipient of this type of talk, I've developed the 90-second rule to help prevent the awful results that are received when somebody rambles on.

More on The 90-Second Rule

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Money is entirely about priorities. People can spend it any way that they choose. They can buy fancy cars that suck up a lot of gas, or they can buy more economical vehicles that are more energy efficient and socially responsible. People can be selfish or people can be lavish, but the one thing that we can all agree on is that people can spend their own money in any way that they want.

More on Growing Your Business: Money Is About Priorities

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