Business growth tips for SMB from author Eric Gilboord

Quick shortcuts (in search of)
by Seth Goden

There aren't many actual shortcuts.

There are merely direct paths...

Most people don't take them, because they frighten us--too direct, I guess. It's easy to avoid the things that frighten us if we wander around for a while. Stalling takes many forms, and one of them looks like a shortcut.

Things that look like shortcuts are actually detours (disguised as less work).

15 Relationship Truths for Tough Times
by Marcandangel.com

I read these truths today and couldn't help but realize they are equally true for business relationships. I've often said I wouldn't want to work with any client or supplier who I didn't want in my own home. Take a look through these truths and consider the folks around you. It may be time to end some relationships and begin others.
A2E

These 15 relationship truths may be a bit difficult to accept at times, but in the end, they will help you weed out the wrong relationships, make room for the right ones, and nurture the people who are most important to you.

Great Customer Service is the Only Option - 2 stories and 13 Tips
by Eric Gilboord from 'Just Tell Me More'

Where Would We Be Without Customers
Customers are the most important component of your marketing program. You can have the best product or service and the most knowledgeable and impressive staff, but without a happy customer, you may have no one to make the sale to. No sales lead to fewer staff or at best, a less-qualified staff, leading to a downward spiral. This situation may sound like a doom and gloom prediction, but a solution is not far out of your reach. 

In fact, there are many steps you can take to not only secure your relationship with existing customers but also attract and retain new ones. The old adage ‘‘Treat customers as you wish to be treated’’ has never been more relevant. Competition is fierce and small companies are stealing business from formidable competitors through solid, reliable customer service. The stigma of small companies being too small to handle customer needs is disappearing.

Large companies often hire people on contract (consultants, small suppliers, etc.) for many of the jobs that were salaried positions in the recent past. You have a better opportunity to compete with larger competitors and win new business than ever before. Great customer service can even the playing field and make all the difference in the world to your business.