By Linda Bruce People are always asking me where I get my creative ideas. I’m a firm believer in living a creative life. For all of us, being creative is much more enjoyable and inspiring than living a monotonous routine. A creative life increases understanding and appreciation of new ideas, of other people, and the […]
Author Archive | mainguru
The Art Of Plagiarism
So much of what this and other industry publications are about is the encouragement to steal. That’s right, I said steal! Steal our ideas, steal our plans, steal our thoughts about what the business of balloons has to offer. We’re like P.T. Barnum who gave everything away in the name of publicity. However, the thievery […]
SELL! SELL! SELL! Marketing is good stuff.
Marketing is good stuff. Sales is better! At least initially. That is, we are sales driven—” Tom Peters. It is the proverbial bottom line, the fuel that enables the rest of the company to run—The Sale. It is the ultimate vote of confidence, the meeting of minds between what your company has to offer and […]
The Need for Speed
(As reprinted from Issue 4/5, 1998) If I were to ask you what is the most mundane and tedious task you face each business day, you might respond with paperwork, tax preparation, or inventory counting. But if you think about it, actually the most tedious and time-consuming task we are presented with each and every […]
The Problem Solver: Perfecting Solutions Through Communication or “No Problems – No Business!”
(As reprinted from Issue 3, 1998) No on likes to be the bearer of bad news. No one goes looking to make mistakes. No one revels in being chastised by customers for something gone wrong. However, no one is perfect. We live in a flawed world, so no matter how good we are at what […]
Problem Solver – What’s in a Name?
(As reprinted from Issue 6, 1998) For me, it all started with a “tree.” The phone rang and on the other end of the line was a party planner asking if we make “balloon trees.” Now my first instinct was to reply, “palm or maple,” but not wanting to sound like a wise-guy, I opted […]
Five Design Techniques to Turn Your Marketing Pieces into Marketing Masterpieces
By Karen Saunders It’s almost 5 o’clock on Friday afternoon. Do you know where your newest marketing pieces are? If you’re a small business owner, they may be buried on your desk because you’ve got so many other important details to handle. Or they’re still sitting on your assistant’s desk where she’s staring at them […]
At Your Service: Gaining the Competitive Edge
by Mimi Donaldson More time is spent in stressful work. We have less time for leisure. Standards are changing. Aging baby boomers want to enjoy work; they demand service. The ever-growing demand for more customer service focuses us on gaining the edge. Smart entrepreneurs treat customers more than right. And managers need to become “trainers” […]
Are Digital Storage Devices Stealing Your Business Pictures?
By L. Douglas Keeney Think about the last time you looked for a picture at work. Was it easy to find? Probably not. Despite the increasing amount of digital cameras sold, few people are uploading and storing these photos in a way that’s organized and accessible. In the workplace, digital pictures are used for everything, […]
My Kingdom for a New Idea
(As reprinted from Issue 1, 1999) Just recently back from sunny Florida. Well, actually it was cold, wet and windy most of our stay, but it was great being away from home for a bit. On our agenda was lounging like the rich and famous down in Palm Beach, soaring north to Cape Canaveral for […]