the dangling carrot
cultivating your business vision
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Shopping Carts that Do it All
Jun 27th
We currently have a few customers who sell retail with a large quantity of products available online. Both customers had purchased shopping carts that had “pre-loaded” inventories – meaning that the shopping carts have large selections of inventory and the website owner does not have to add any of it. This is a huge benefit, but there are some drawbacks:
- Pricing is controlled by the “shopping cart”
- Every company utilizing the shopping cart has the same inventory and the same look
- Prices can be high
- Some shopping carts do not allow names in the URL to be hidden so browsers know that they have “left” the retailers site.
The benefits are:
- The shopping cart is supported by the Shopping Cart Company
- Inventory is updated by the shopping cart as well as prices (retailer doesn’t need to hire staff to maintain inventory
- Some Shopping carts do allow names in the URL do be hidden so browsers don’t know they have “left” the retailers site
So – we recommend that you determine your need, your audience, and your budget and find a shopping cart that meets your needs.
How to Get (& Give) the Best from your Team
Apr 8th
I have always pushed myself to be the jack-of-all-trades – Even taking on responsibilities in areas of my weakness – GRAPHICS. I learned all I could and would even struggle for hours on a project that would have only taken one of our Graphic Artists 15 minutes.
I have since learned to optimize my strengths. Though we make sure that each team member learns at least the basics of each other’s jobs (like having the sales team understand FTP’s and how long it takes to modify images, or program what non-techies think is a “simple change”, etc). This ensures that everyone has an appreciation for their co-workers and their talents. And when our team members truly have an understanding of each other’s gifts, we not only work better, but we’re happier. Happiness breeds increased productivity and creativity, and our customers see the end results!
So – our solution to getting (and giving) the most from our team – is taking some time from the busy work schedule to learn all aspects of our business.
Who Says a Pig Isn’t Pretty? Don’t Pass Up on a Small Opportunity just because you Missed a Bigger One
Mar 24th
This past weekend was the Deerfield Beach Pig Out in the Park Event. The Deerfield Beach Chamber hosts this annual Barbecue Contest and Community event. Sponsors received publicity in the Chamber collateral, coverage on the website, and an 8 foot Pig Banner to decorate with the company name on it. Everyone on our staff had previous engagements that weekend and could not attend – so we did not participate.
Just prior to the event, a chamber member, who had seen our business card, called and asked if one of our artists could paint the Pig Banner for Toshiba – the end result is the photo above. We weren’t able to be at the event, but our artist’s work was on display – and our company name was at the bottom of the banner. We researched what was current on the Toshiba website, and incorporated it in the design – eco innovation. We have received many comments on how great of a job we did and 2 calls already requesting that we do some graphics work.
SO – the big lesson for us, is that we will seize opportunities – good ones, of course, no matter how big or small. Good luck with your pigs!
Holiday Giving is all About the Thank You!
Dec 15th
It is definitely a tough time to be giving business gifts. So – how do can you thank your clients for their loyalty and support? By giving them the gift of generating more BUZZ about their business which will hopefully generate more customers for them.
You can take the time to post a comment on their blog post or Facebook Fan page, or a recommendation on LinkedIn. If your customer is not computer savvy, take the time to pen a good old fashioned handwritten testimonial. When you really think about it, will your client appreciate a basket of caramel corn or more customers (don’t get me wrong because I do love caramel corn, but my waistline would prefer the customers).
So, in the season of giving thanks, let’s actually give thanks!