Business Articles

Creativity and Innovation Management: Incubation and Insight by Kal Bishop
Two of the most common terms in the field of creativity include Eureka! Or Aha! Often these terms are used to describe that moment when an idea has occurred “out of the blue.” This whole set of terminology and the inherent assumptions are misleading.

How to Create Trust by Steve Kaye
Trust is the key to success. Here's how to win trust from others.

Job Search Tips - How to Increase Your Success by Steve Kaye
Your success finding a job will determine your future. Here are three things that you must do.

Quality vs. Quantity by Jenny Kerwin
There is a battle in Call Centers. The teams are Quality vs. Quantity; two performance factors that don’t seem to get along. Representative Super Speedy says, “I’ve taken more calls than anyone on the team today. My average handle time is the lowest on the floor.” Coach Level Head breaks it down for him, “But your quality scores are below everyone else on your team.”

What Online Millionaires Tell Me They Are Worried About by Jeff Smith
I got to speak with 12 different online millionaires this last weekend - each earning their first million online with little or no help from home. Want to know what scared these massive achievers?

How To Write Ads That Get Response by Lisa Packer
Your ads have a job to do -- are they doing it? If all they do is lay around and attract attention to themselves, you need to fire them. Here's how to write ads that do the job of selling your product or service.

How To Write Sales Letters That Deliver by Lisa Packer
Tired of sending out sales letters that generate anemic response? You could blame your list, or decide you just didn’t send out a high enough volume to get the replies you were looking for. Or, you could face the truth: Your sales letter just didn’t have what it takes.

How to Create Ads that Sell with Little Effort by Douglas Titchmarsh
Coming up with ad copy which really sells is never easy. But you can find a better way...

Tales From The Corporate Frontlines: Diversity And Success, In The Workplace by Josh Greenberg
Research shows that an organization can create a success-oriented, cooperative and caring work environment that draws intellectual strength and produces innovative solutions from the synergy of its people. However, a diverse workforce means that the managers within your organization must be capable of capitalizing on the mixture of genders, cultural backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles present in your staff to respond to business opportunities more rapidly and creatively. This article illustrates how one manager recognized and used a diverse team to achieve the best possible work product for the company, and win new business as well.

Tales From The Corporate Frontlines: Senior Management And Directional Change by Josh Greenberg
AlphaMeasure defines senior management as the team of individuals at the highest level who have the day-to-day responsibilities of operating the organization. This competency covers topics such as strategic leadership, corporate vision, and corporate direction. The following short story illustrates how undertaking a drastic directional change within a company requires planning, engagement, and honest evaluation by the top levels of management, those who are ultimately responsible for implementation of the changes.

Beyond Repair: The Fixed-price Model by Steve Pickard
I certainly don't think the majority of vendors who use a fixed-price model are trying to rip you off. In fact, when I started my business that's the way we worked — which is why we have such great insight into the flaws in the system. But there needs to be a transparency to the work. You need to know exactly what you're getting, how long it takes, and how much it costs. You need to know that you're only paying for time actually spent on your account. And you need to know that no risk will ever be taken with your system just to maintain your contractor's profitability. The inherent structure of fixed pricing makes this kind of transparency an impossibility. Here's why.

The 70% Solution: Practical Testing and Version Control by Steve Pickard
A deadline for the sake of a deadline is a dangerous pitfall that can consume an entire project and stymie it to the point that it never launches. Over the years I've come up with six simple rules that help deadlines become more meaningful, while keeping the developers, the user community, the CFO and the CEO all satisfied.

Get Down With OCP: Evaluating DBA Job Applicants in an OCP World by Robert Hamel
Evaluating DBA candidates can be difficult in the OCP world. Here's some tips to help you make the right choice.

Strategic Outsourcing: Testing the Outsourcing Waters and Staying Afloat by Jenne Wason
Outcourcing IT is becoming increasingly popular with companies. Here's some ideas to help you make the right decisions and the best return on your investment...

One Cover Letter Secret You Cant Afford To Miss by Jimmy Sweeney
Suppose you were the hiring manager, your desk piled high with cover letters and resumes to sort through. Which of the following cover letter greetings would grab your attention?

A Killer Secret To Get Your Cover Letter Read by Jimmy Sweeney
You have three seconds to nab your reader in any written communication. Do it with a smashing title or headline!

Top 5 Tips for College Grads Entering the Working World by Andy Masters
Euphoria from cap-and-gown celebrations will quickly turn to real world culture shock for many college graduates this year. Certainly, landing a job is concern number one, but how will these young professionals fare once they begin their career? Are they actually prepared for what lies ahead? Andy Masters, author of the newly released book Life After College: What to Expect and How to Succeed in Your Career, offers several pieces of advice for college graduates to get their career off to a great start:

Age Old Marketing Technique Improves Business Plan Executive Summaries by Michael Elia
This one technique is the key to the ultimate success of your business plan and its ability to attract potential investors. More importantly, it will help you raise money for your business…potentially a lot of it.

Can What Someone Does Off-hours Affect Your Business? by Dave Taylor
How much do you have to worry about what people who are part of your possibly far-flung "virtual" corporation do when they're not working directly for you? The answer may surprise you, and if you're a manager, even a virtual one, this is essential reading.

Job Interviews -- The Four Worst Objections You’ll Face and How to Deal with Them by Ann Wilson
Dealing with tough questions and objections is an essential part of job interviews. Here are four common ones that derail many candidates. Read on to find out what they are and how you can deal with them.