Everyone was screaming. Chaos ruled. Then, from nowhere she appeared. With surgical precision, she dismantled her pen, quickly cut a slit into the man’s neck and inserted the pen barrel. As color returned to the man’s face our hero wipes her brow and everyone cheers for joy.
Isn’t TV Great? You may never use your […]

For the Franchisor: How do you make the start up phase easy for the Franchisee?
For the Frachisee: How does the Franchisor make the start up phase easy for you.
This is the sort of question both parties should be asking themselves and for the Franchisor reviewing it often to make sure they have the best systems […]

It’s probably thought of as a no go zone, the franchisor wants their members to follow a system, and the franchisee wants to have a system that ensures ongoing viability, and therefore $$ in the bank to fund their lifestyle.
For most the entreprenerial activity in a franchise will happen at the “top end”, where the […]

Dear Seller,
I only have a few minutes, but I understand you’re interested in what you can do to capture my attention and entice me to want to set up a meeting with you.
Let me say this loud and clear right now - you have no idea what my day is like. You may think you […]

The exceptional organisation according to Tom Peters associate Ed Michaels, is one that provides and nurtures rigourously the following…
“Remarkable challenges, rapid professional growth, respect, satisfaction, fun, stunning opportunity, exceptional reward, amazing peer group, full membership in ‘Club Adventure’, maximized future employability…”
All this leads to attracting more of the right people both internally and externally. In […]

From our forum to you here are more favourites from the last year.
Entrepreneurs mind set
Keeping employees happy
Exceptional yet?
Most of these also got lots of views from our members so that’s useful. But mainly I see these as having the scope to get people involved, mindsets and keeping people happy… I guess there is always the […]

I, like many of you, know running a small business can be a lonely existence - you need to wear many hats and keep up to date with the latest developments and thinking. It was one of the reasons we started this site.
But I am not one to rest on my laurels and just use […]

No this is not about Homer Simpson getting a helper monkey! it’s about the ideal clients we all want to chase, but hey there are issues about going for gold, its time, money and often our attitude.
Firstly the ideal customer “monkey” is at the top of the tree, try to climb it too fast you […]

Tired of handing out pens and other junk at trade shows that don’t give you any return on your investment? Consider the benefit of a 4″ x 6″ postcard.
A postcard is a great trade show handout …. IF, it is backed by an effective idea. Many describe a great postcard handout as little more […]

 Okay world, here are my 3 favourite articles for the period Sept 2006 - 2007 our first year of www.freebusinesstips.com.au
Jenny Stilwell  3 pillars… Because at the time it knocked me flat! I loved the depth yet a simplstic approach that ANYONE in business could follow. I love most of Jenny’s work and so the link […]

Take a business or division of a business that is doing okay, (note… not doing exceptional, just okay…) take a good hard look, is it doing what you want, chances are no, you would prefer an exceptionally performing team right? So what to do?
You could do a review, and implement some extra training… chances are […]

Today you are doing what SPECIFICALLY…
- to make your business more profitable?
- to cause the staff to LOVE you?
- to cause the customers to LOVE you and your team?
- to cause your suppliers to jump through hoops to give you great deals (and LOVE you)?
- to ensure your workplace is the best place […]

Caring for your staff can lead to respect, the word caring means showing positive and real interest towards each other. I am suggesting we take a caring approach to build the love we have so we can avoid, bullying in the workplace, foster greater connection with our customers and staff.
This article mixes well with “Your […]

Your staff and great service… EASY!
When it comes to service, practically all organisations I come across say they aim to have great service and if they don’t have it they will work on it. Problem is not many know how to make their service great, let alone good. Lets check out a bunch of points […]

Every man and his dog seems to be creating web pages, so the question for those serious about things “webological” would be to say “how do I make an offering that can set my business apart fromt he rest?” Well thanks for asking… Here is an outline to get the ball rolling. sure […]

Ask the 2 big questions in your buisness, What’s working and what’s not.
Jot down a list of each, perhaps a coloumn each or a sheet of paper each. Take a solid look at the list and ask what can I do about the things that need to be better, and what can I learn about […]

Lets take something simple and make it complex… WHY? because it seemed like the way to go at the time.
Seriously though many simple tasks can become buried in red tape, and often its our own red tape. Now that is tragic!
I recall being asked to create a checklist of a procedure of a commonly repeated […]

Have you heard of the 30 Day Challenge yet?
Judging by how slow the servers have been for the last 24 hours I guess a lot of you have!
The 30 Day Challenge is a great concept by Ed Dale (and a couple of other guys whose names escape me right this second). The guys are offering […]

Seems silly to say that, but reverse goal setting can work a treat to make things work.
Another way of putting it is to begin with the end in mind. Create the visual outcome in your minds eye, then step backwards bit by bit until you get to the present time, and you will then […]

Remember when you were a kid? Lunch time held a certain magic. What did mom pack? The anticipation … the apprehension … the delight — and sometimes the disappointment at finding your stupid apple had crushed your snack cake.
If you’ve been using the same approach with your customers and clients for very long … […]

I almost laughed out loud. A clerk tried to explain the features and benefits of a hair dyer to a woman who had a small child with her. The clerk’s sales attempt was interrupted every 20 seconds with, “Mommy, look at this!”, followed by mommy’s horrified look as she foresaw three possible outcomes: 1) […]

I was getting my daily dose of Darren Rowse today and saw a very interesting new concept.
This has enormous potential, especially for those of us who can convey thoughts and concepts much better standing at a white board than we can with the written word.
I love it! I can’t wait to learn how to […]

The news today is saying they will drop 600 jobs at Ford in Geelong in the casting plant, as they can get the engines cheaper o/s. That might be true but what about the carnage… not just the jobs, the investment.
The Victorian Government has put in over 60million dollars investing in the car maker to […]

Trade shows and expos are the bane of many business peoples life that has to contend with them, from the organising, the results required, to staffing the stall, then the logistics, the giveaways, the data base and so on. And what if you get asked to do a talk? Ohh it can all get too […]

Ford may dump workers at its Geelong (Aust) plant in a chance to rebound from a slump in sales of its larger engines produced at the plant. This has people from all sectors of Government and industry bodies jumping to try and stem the flow on effect this may have IF it happens. My view, […]

I feel we have a fairly unique product here at Free Business Tips.
One of the reasons the blog and the rest of the site is unique is because, well, to be honest we had no idea what a blog ’should be’ and what it ’should do’ and what they features ’should have’.
This means that we […]

Its back to the basics… I see all sorts of wonderful things in the modern age, from ipods and iphones to lap tops that do wireless broadband and lots on between, but any one can tell in this hustle and bustle age that many of the basics are missing, good service (any one can tell […]

I was checking out our Technorati rank today and saw that Adam Brucker; Founder and Managing Director of Criterion Advisors, a training and consulting firm based in Boulder, Colorado has named our site in his list of 143 Of The Best Business Links On The Web.
I thought that was fanatasic (of course) and headed over […]

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t argue that pop queen Madonna and domestic doyenne Martha Stewart are two master marketers.  One is a calculated maverick who’s stayed at what has to be the world’s toughest and most fickle business for nearly a quarter century.  The other turned an at-home catering business into a multimedia […]

The genius of humor obviously pertains to communication, but humor is not just a secondary form of genius. Humor is vital. However, there is a wrong way and a right way to use it.
Here are my suggestions for improving your sense of humor: First, find out what your strong suit is, humor-wise. Ask a friend […]

I racked a fresh shell of 00 Buck into the chamber of my 12-gauge shotgun and drew the weapon to my shoulder. As I took careful aim at the dead tree branch about 30 feet above and 10 feet down range of me, my friend asked, “What are you doing?”
“Creative problem-solving,” I answered.
The smooth squeeze […]

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.” In addition, if you keep doing what you have always done when conditions radically change, you will get a lot less than you have always gotten. How much can you accomplish when you really see things as they are - […]

I couldn’t help myself. It just sort of slipped out. “Well, Shelly … you’re gonna have to either get a shorter banner or taller kindergarteners.”
A brief moment of silence was broken by her laughter letting me know I hadn’t “blown it” and that she had a sense of humor — something I really like in […]

Ok, I admit it. I am a raving fan of one of my suppliers.
I tell my friends and colleagues about them.
I have referred dozens of people to them.
I have used them several times, and plan to use them again.
Ashop Commerce is a leading provider of hosted shopping cart software. They offer a complete solution for […]

Well, I guess not much got done that afternoon, but I bet there is never any bad ideas there….

I walked into the office of my Chiropractor/Acupuncturist and signed in. There on the desk were three pens. One looked like a syringe, another was a crooked pen and the third looked like a bone.
“What are these,” I asked, knowing full well they were pens.
“They’re pens,” the doctor replied. ” I’m trying to decide which […]

Our society is moving toward a view of artistic genius that is both new and old. It is new in the sense that truly incredible tools and technologies are now available for creative work. It is old because our present view of the artist’s place in society has much more in common with the Middle […]

Here’s a thought – Imagine two years down the track (visualise clearly now) that you have a business that is running itself, and people call you saying how brilliant the staff are, the range of services is to die for and they love the level of service they get! You drop in to the office […]

Businesses help to build a $1 Million dream…
A 22 year old entrepreneur aims to make $1 Million whilst bed bound with a dislocated hip and small businesses are helping out. Richard Stratton came up with the theonebigad.com business web site whilst bed bound with a dislocated hip. He plans to use the money to promote […]

Some times it’s too Easy to see the bad stuff in customer service, so now lets use this as motivation to get really good at customer service.
Ask…

What does our team do at the first greeting of a prospect? (imagine a retail environment).

What do they do BEFORE the first greeting (customer is looking in the window, […]

There’s talk from time to time about business being too top heavy, too greedy, too much aimed at getting bigger, too much emphasis on global markets. All of that happens and a range of studies and anecdotal evidence shows that bigger is often not better, in fact it can be like a person with too […]

I Just watched a very compelling and inded  inspiring  interview on TV, (Talking Heads ABC TV May 7th) with the legendary Australian entrepreneur and businessman Dick Smith. At age 62 he has achieved more than many would consider doing in two lifetimes, let alone one.
For those overseas (and those locals who may have forgotten.) Dick […]

When I say “green” I am talking about the environmentally conscious consumer, also called “Cultural Creatives” or the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) market which includes about 50 million people. If you are trying to reach them, ya gotta go green. They are all about a better lifestyle for the planet over the long […]

Because street smarts are so important to every part of your life, here is a quick review of the major elements that go into street smarts. Print this list out and keep it with you, for a regular reminder to be street smart every day.
I. Heightened Awareness
A. Trust your intuition
B. Develop perceptiveness and ability to […]

Our primary focus is to work with our clients to grow the value of their businesses. It is the value of the business which ultimately delivers wealth and returns to business owners and shareholders.
From a business valuation perspective, there are a number of factors which will influence the value of your business, some of […]