One might think that widespread, credible, instantaneous communication puts a lot of power into consumer's hands, and it does, but one would also have to wonder why bad customer service is still so prevalent.
Categories: Marketing | Customer Service | Entrepreneurialism | Competitive Advantage
4 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 5:53 PM
This generally joyous season of giving is also a stressful shopping season for many. Great customer service can make the difference between cheerful "Noels" and grumpy "Bah! Humbugs!" In the best organizations, excellent customer service is an ingrained habit, not just a marketing initiative.
Categories: Corporate Culture | Customer Service | Entrepreneurialism
2 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 5:24 PM
Here is a fascinating story about groups from extreme poles of the political spectrum finding common ground in opposition to the federal government's sweeping, yet vague, criminal justice machinery:
Right and Left Join Forces on Criminal Justice
Categories: Entrepreneurialism | Leadership | Ethics
0 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 11:46 PM
Some of the upscale thrift stores along Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles organize their used clothing by decade. Browsing through the racks, one sees that the items from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s are vibrant, daring, and in surprisingly good condition. They were obviously very well made. One also notes that nearly 100% of these shirts, dresses, skirts, jackets and pants were made in the USA.
Categories: Corporate Culture | Entrepreneurialism | Leadership | Family
7 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 6:14 PM
Third-party perspectives help a company better know itself, even as a one-person start-up. After your business gets big, outside points of view become essential, because when you reach the top of a mountain, you can see a lot, but you can no longer see the mountain.
Categories: Corporate Culture | Management Skills | Entrepreneurialism | Leadership | Competitive Advantage
10 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 12:25 AM
For those with an entrepreneurial spirit, trends and fads are fun to spot, but it's extremely important to distinguish the two. Fads come and go reasonably quickly, with a small window of profitability. Obvious examples are pet rocks, pogs, and Pokemon cards. Trends mirror or exploit large-scale socio-economic shifts, and offer varied and sometimes repeating profit life cycle opportunities.
Categories: Marketing | Entrepreneurialism | Investing | Competitive Advantage
10 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 3:31 PM
Most of us run businesses considerably smaller than Bank of America - or even Exxon. A good way for us "mere mortals" to keep track of things is to enlist more of our coworkers to review expenditures - by signing or approving checks. I know that check generation and bill paying can be automated, but the time saved sometimes deprives us of valuable oversight and coworker education. Few things help coworkers appreciate the business more than reviewing a month's checks, and understanding - in very concrete terms - the real costs of doing business.
Categories: Corporate Culture | Management Skills | Entrepreneurialism | Finance | Economics
2 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 10:57 PM
