grow business: Don't Be An ATM! - 08/12/08 07:39 AM
Do you remember when ATM machines first became popular? No one wanted to use them because we thought other people could steal our money after we left. We always stood right there at the ATM machine and waited to be sure no one could come behind us and make an additional withdrawal or transaction. We were … (8 comments)
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grow business: Getting Agents To Splash - 08/11/08 01:30 PM
I bit the bullet and decided to sponsor my local community. I've got a ton of ideas of ways to make the best use of that sponsorship. I'll go into details on how I'm using my localism community later!
For now, I have a question for you. I'd really like to … (9 comments)
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grow business: Unique Marketing Contest - Summer Edition! - 08/09/08 01:19 PM
Have We Got A Contest For YOU!
I've been talking alot about marketing by giving you suggestions for unique marketing ideas. Many others in the Rain have also been talking about marketing in general - getting yourself all geared up for end of Summer sales by planning your marketing now. So, … (29 comments)
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grow business: Want to Come Out and Play (and Get Clients Now While We're At It)? - 08/04/08 10:16 PM
I absolutely love having fun. It is the best part of the day to me. I've also got a lot of kids (6, to be exact). They usually provide all the entertainment my husband and I could possibly need. On occasion, I attempt to find my own fun outside of the … (27 comments)
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grow business: A Great Closing Gift Idea: Gas Cards! - 07/25/08 01:52 PM
What's the point of a closing gift? To thank your client for their business and to wish them well in their new real estate adventure, right? Well, I've seen a multitude of closing gift ideas ranging from gift cards to Lowe's or Home Depot to plants (which stick around forever if … (12 comments)
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grow business: Clothing Optional! - 07/09/08 09:21 AM
Ok, I saw a newscast last week about a development in Florida that is setting up a nude pool area in an effort to attract more buyers. Hmmm... I guess that pretty much covers it all, huh (no pun intended)?
Talk about slick marketing moves! After doing some brief research, it … (17 comments)
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grow business: Use widgets to grow your business to Generation X and Next - 06/11/08 07:26 PM
What is a Widget? A widget is just a cool tool to help present information in new, eye catching ways. Using widgets can help you grow your business to the Generation X and Generation Next. The baby boom generation is not into this so much, but many of this generation are … (2 comments)
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grow business: Guess What's Coming Back to Town at Active Rain! - 05/09/08 11:04 AM
Guess what's coming back to Active Rain??The Unique Marketing Idea Contest!
Did you miss your shot at submitting a unique marketing idea in the last contest? If so, this is your opportunity to get in on the fun, the action, the out-of-the-box thinking, and the POINTS!!
Check Out All Past … (4 comments)
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grow business: The Hidden Thing About Blogging - 05/07/08 11:23 AM
Let's face it...we all started blogging for business reasons. Maybe it was to build name recognition, to get the word out about our business, or to pick up new clients. And these are all perfectly good reasons to blog! In the last few months though, I've started noticing something else when … (9 comments)
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grow business: Making Top Producer Work For You - Part 3 - 05/01/08 02:25 PM
In this series, I've been talking about utilizing more of the features in Top Producer to make it work better for you. In the introduction to the series, I talked about the frustrations agents have using Top Producer in Making Top Producer Work For You. In part one of the series, … (11 comments)
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grow business: Unique Marketing Ideas - May - 05/01/08 12:25 PM
Have you wanted to add a little spruce to your marketing diet? Well, here are a few ideas that I hope will get your noodle cooking in the right direction! If you'd like assistance in designing even more ideas or implementing any of these, just give me a holler!
There aren't … (10 comments)
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grow business: And The Winner Is!!! - 03/30/08 07:32 PM
First of all, thank you so much to everyone who has participated in this exciting contest! Whether you submitted an entry or simply commented on the submissions to help refine them, you've all made this a wonderful contest!
The object was to come up with a unique marketing idea - something … (16 comments)
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grow business: Seminar Idea - What About This? - 03/26/08 01:22 PM
I read about a great idea that Lanre Bailey came up with - setting up a seminar for first-time home sellers. I thought that was a fantastic idea and one that I hadn't heard occuring before. Well, that got me to thinking about another area where agents could promote themselves using seminars and … (14 comments)
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grow business: The Best of Both Worlds - 03/21/08 05:00 PM
Have you ever noticed just how convincing children can be? When they want something, they can convince a whole world of strangers that they deserve to have it. I know. I've got 4 children with twins on the way in about 1 week. The 3 oldest are really good at "pleeeeeeeeaaase." After 13 years at … (13 comments)
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grow business: Last Chance: Unique Marketing Contest Ends Today! - 03/21/08 12:01 PM
Today is your last chance to enter the Most Unique Marketing Idea Contest! There are some awesome prizes being given out - including points! Also, if you haven't already done so, check out the group Unique Marketing Contest to see some of the almost 30 ideas that have already been posted. This … (11 comments)
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grow business: Most Unique Marketing Idea Contest - One Week Left! - 03/16/08 04:44 PM
There's just one week left to get your submission in for the Most Unique Marketing Idea Contest!! And boy, let me tell ya - there are some fantastic ideas already posted.
If you've been looking for a unique way to market to FSBOs, conduct Open Houses, or ways to promote yourself, head … (11 comments)
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grow business: Using Top Producer for Lead Management Part 2 - 03/13/08 01:38 PM
In this series, I've been talking about utilizing Top Producer. In the first part of the series, I talked about the frustrations agents have using Top Producer in Making Top Producer Work For You. In part two of the series, I bean talking about How to Use Top Producer for Lead Management, which discussed capturing lead information from your website … (8 comments)
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grow business: Need a Unique Marketing Idea Contest Judge - 03/11/08 05:01 PM
Hey there -
If you haven't already heard about it, there's a contest going on in search of the Most Unique Marketing Idea. Well, the entries are starting to come in and I find that one thing I didn't plan in advance for was judging the submissions. So, now I've found that … (5 comments)
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grow business: Don't Miss This Contest! - 03/11/08 04:19 PM
There's a contest going on that you may want to participate in as well as tell your clients about. The search for the Most Unque Marketing Idea is on! There are some terrific prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners - including tons of POINTS!
So put your thinking caps on … (1 comments)
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grow business: Don't Wait For Agents to Refer You - Take The Bull By The Horn! - 03/11/08 11:01 AM
Our clients are typically real estate agents but I thought I would venture outside of my comfort zone and talk to the stagers out there (now that I know you exist and what you do!!). One of the questions we get from many client prospects is this:"Can you put together an expired listing … (37 comments)
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grow business: Contest: Most Unique Marketing Idea! - 03/10/08 02:28 PM
Have We Got A Contest For YOU!
I've been talking alot lately about marketing by giving you suggestions for unique marketing ideas for February and March. Many others in the Rain have also been talking about marketing in general - getting yourself all geared up for Spring sales by planning your marketing now. So, what better … (92 comments)
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grow business: Using Top Producer For Lead Management - 03/04/08 10:07 AM
In a previous post, I talked about the frustrations many agents have with utilizing Top Producer. Well, this is the second in a series about Making Top Producer Work For You.
In this post, we'll discuss ways to use Top Producer to manage your leads. We'll focus on these two features:
capture lead … (15 comments)
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grow business: Setting an Example - 03/03/08 05:19 PM
So many Virtual Assistants have joined our industry that it has literally exploded! This is a great thing for our industry! Not only are there tons of programs available to teach aspiring Virtual Assistants how to work with real estate professionals, but many of these classes can be taken online. This is making … (9 comments)
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grow business: Unique Marketing Ideas - April - 03/03/08 02:19 PM
Have you wanted to add a little spruce to your marketing diet? Well, here are a few ideas that I hope will get your noodles cooking in the right direction! If you'd like to have assistance in designing even more ideas or implementing these, just give me a holler!
Here are a few unique holidays … (10 comments)
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grow business: Making Top Producer Work For You - 03/03/08 12:58 PM
I've read lots of blog posts about agents who are frustrated with Top Producer. I've heard:
It's not user-friendlyIt's too difficult to navigateI don't know what it is capable ofIt's too hard to figure outIt takes too much time to learnWell, let me tell you that there are some really great features … (22 comments)
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grow business: Stay Calm...When What You Really Want To Do Is Scream! - 02/29/08 07:10 PM
It happens to the best of us. You know - you get into a discussion with someone but you disagree with their points. You politely but firmly state your own views only to have the other person say something totally off the wall. This happens in blogging as well as in … (17 comments)
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grow business: Don't Be Like Everyone Else! - 02/29/08 12:59 PM
Using Unusual Marketing Opportunities
Let me start off by saying that traditional marketing methods work. And everyone's doing it. Agents across the world send out recipe cards, sports schedules, and calendars. That's because, when sent to the right people, these things are kept for a long, long time. And they are usually … (15 comments)
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grow business: Forget About It! - 02/27/08 08:05 PM
I have a confession to make. I'll just call it "pregnancy brain loss." What happens is that I go into a room and forget what I went in there for. I'll pick up the phone and forget who I was going to call. Did I take my medicine today? Did I turn on … (8 comments)
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grow business: Are You a VA or Agent In Ohio? - 02/25/08 11:39 AM
If so, we've got a new group for you! The group has been formed to promote VAs in Ohio as well as to share tips on technology and working efficiently and effectively for our clients.
Agents in Ohio are more than welcome as this may be the venue for you to ask questions you've … (0 comments)
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grow business: New Group for Ohio VAs and Agents! - 02/25/08 11:37 AM
Hi everybody!
I'm really excited today! A new group has been started for Virtual Assistants in Ohio. The group has been formed to promote VAs in Ohio as well as to share tips on technology and working efficiently and effectively for our clients.
Agents in Ohio are more than welcome as this may be the … (0 comments)
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grow business: Help Me, Help You! - 02/22/08 01:08 PM
Have you ever seen the movie "Jerry Maguire?" The scene in the bathroom where he's trying to convince his only client to cut him some slack. He yells over and over, in different inflections, "Help ME, help YOU!" Well, that's me! Call me your personal Jerry Maguire! You see, I need … (5 comments)
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grow business: Are You Branding The Right Thing? - 02/21/08 12:38 PM
I've been reading lately about agents getting up-to-speed with branding and I think that's terrific!! There are three things I believe every agent should have:
A niche marketA brand for their nicheA Virtual Assistant 8-)What I've been reading, however, has me a little concerned. Are you branding the right thing? That's my question and, before … (6 comments)
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grow business: Is There a Right or Wrong Way to Get Started? - 02/19/08 03:28 PM
So many folks are becoming real estate agents these days and are told they should hang their license with this brokerage or that for this reason or the other. Coldwell Banker, RE/MAX, Keller Williams, Prudential - the list goes on and on.
Another big issue to consider as a new agent is whether or … (11 comments)
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grow business: Is It Truly "Unprofessional"? - 02/17/08 06:10 PM
I came across a blog today where the agent was wondering about taking her child with her to an open house. Some comments were made about how taking a child to work was "unprofessional." That got me to thinking. (And I really hope this doesn't turn into a controversial subject.) Why is it … (13 comments)
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grow business: Calling all Ohio-Based Virtual Assistants! - 02/17/08 03:31 PM
A new group has been started for VAs that live and play in Ohio! Come join us in sharing advice, motivating each other to reach our goals, and getting to know one another!
The group can be found here: http://activerain.com/groups/OhioVAs
Come on over! The weather's great (of course, I mean virtually because it's still … (0 comments)
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grow business: Which Category Are You In? (I Hope #1!!) - 02/15/08 04:51 PM
It's boring. It's mundane. It isn't relevant. It's the same old thing that every other realtor is doing. What am I talking about??
Your Marketing!!
There are three main groups of real estate professionals:
Those who are effectively utilizing marketing campaigns to grow their businesses.Those who are haphazardly using some kind of marketing campaign, … (2 comments)
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grow business: Missing the Gems - Past Clients - 02/14/08 01:29 PM
Are you passing up what could be one of your greatest sources of new business? Because, if you did your job the way that I'm hoping you did, you helped someone (a single person, couple, or family) get into a new home one day in the not-too-distant past. I'm talking about your past clients!
New clients are … (9 comments)
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grow business: March Unique Marketing Ideas! - 02/12/08 03:55 PM
Have you wanted to add a little spruce to your marketing diet? Well, here are a few ideas that I hope will get your noodles cooking in the right direction! If you'd like to have assistance in designing even more ideas or implementing these, just give me a holler!
Here are a few unique holidays … (5 comments)
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grow business: Are You Ready To Give Up? - 02/12/08 12:39 PM
Are you ready to throw in the towel? Tired of following-up on leads? Tired of calling people who said they were ready but keep telling you "not now?" Tired of going to house after house, only to have the buyer say "not this one?" Tired of writing contract after contract, only … (17 comments)
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grow business: Who's Got on Purple Stretch Pants?? - 02/08/08 04:55 PM
We all have a choice...
We can choose to be the best at what we do or we can choose not to be the best. We can choose to excel at whatever we put our hands to or we can choose to just get by. Why am I saying this? Aftter all, … (13 comments)
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grow business: The Great Balancing Act! - 02/07/08 02:01 PM
Let's face it... Being an entrepreneur is not as easy as one might think. How many times have people said they envy you because you can set your own hours, work when you want to work, and watch your favorite soap operas at your leisure in the middle of the day? But it … (4 comments)
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grow business: How VAs Charge for Services - 02/07/08 11:13 AM
After you've decided how you want to use a Virtual Assistant, you will need to consider several things to help in deciding which one you will work with.
Aside from finding a VA who provides the services you need, pricing is the next biggest issue.
Most VAs provide their services in these ways:
Retainer … (4 comments)
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grow business: Grow Your Business In Kansas City - Join Our Networking Group - 02/04/08 12:43 PM
Want to grow your business with referrals? Join our Business Networking International (BNI) group today! Our group is growing and is looking to fill industry seats including: accountant, handy-man, attourney and many, many more! This is an easy way to grow your business and network with other professionals. Group meets Wednesday … (0 comments)
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grow business: Am I Too Big (Or, GASP! Too Small) ? - 02/03/08 04:10 PM
Are you too big? Too small? Somewhere stuck in the middle? Or do you have absolutely no idea? What am I talking about?
At what point in your business should you consider utilizing a Virtual Assistant?
This is a question that has plagued many real estate professionals so lets talk about it!
Realtors … (6 comments)
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grow business: Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Leave Real Estate - 01/29/08 10:33 AM
In a comment I made on someone else's blog, I started this and decided to develop it into a Top 10 List. So, on that note...
The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Leave The Real Estate Business To Sell Cars
car salesmen have to go out in the rain or snow … (7 comments)
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grow business: What's Happening in NE Ohio? - 01/28/08 10:44 AM
As I don't currently have any clients in Ohio, I typically am unable to answer questions other realtors ask me about the climate and market here. So, I thought I'd come to the experts!
If you work in Ohio, how are things? Slow? High foreclosure rates? Picking up? What's happening in Ohio?
It … (2 comments)
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grow business: The Most Unique Way To Use A Blog - 01/28/08 10:36 AM
I'd love to hear some of the unique ways that you are utilizing your blogs. I have several clients who are interested in using a blog but don't want to do the typical "what's in my head" type of blogging. So, I thought I'd ask where the experts are for some … (5 comments)
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grow business: How to Use a VA for Lead Management - 01/26/08 01:50 PM
One of the most important pieces in growing your real estate business is getting leads, right? You want buyers. You want sellers. You'd love to get a buyer and a seller out of the same person. But it would be nice if they were of the real variety, wouldn't it? By real, I … (2 comments)
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grow business: Everybody's Doing It - Why Aren't You? - 01/26/08 01:03 PM
It's true. Doctors are doing it. Lawyers are doing it. Engineers are doing it. So are banks, chiropractors, coaches, and more. What am I talking about, you ask?
Focusing on a niche!
That's right. So many professionals have realized that, by focusing on a niche market, their businesses have expanded greatly. How, you … (10 comments)
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grow business: The VA - How on Earth Do You Get Started? - 01/22/08 05:39 PM
Agents are hearing all about how they should utilize Virtual Assistants but no concrete information about how to go about doing that. So here's a series that will give you all you need to know about actually using a VA!
How on Earth do you get started??
Good question! The first thing is … (2 comments)
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grow business: What, What, What is all this Hype? - 01/22/08 11:34 AM
Everywhere you turn, you're hearing or reading something about using a Virtual Assistant. "They will help you grow your business." "They will help you streamline your processes." They are all the rage. But you haven't yet made the jump. The obvious reason is because you still have no idea how specifically … (3 comments)
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grow business: Hey! Let Go of My Stick! - 01/20/08 08:21 PM
I've been reading a lot this evening (probably too much!) and keep "hearing" the same thing over and over from realtors regarding using a Virtual Assistant.
I can't let go.
Having started your business as a sole proprietor and wearing every hat imaginable to make it all happen, it is completely understandable that … (2 comments)
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grow business: Question: Using Localism to Expand Your Client Base - 01/20/08 09:51 AM
I've come to love the Active Rain community in the last few weeks that I've joined and started participating. However, I have a question.
Do any of you who are VAs use Localism to try and expand your client base? If so, how do you do it? I know how the realtors are … (10 comments)
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grow business: That Time Management Issue - 01/19/08 05:43 PM
Leads are coming in left and right - from both buyers AND sellers. Your drip e-mail campaign has been set up but you need to stay on top of the tasks that need to be implemented. You got a new listing yesterday afternoon but, as of 5 p.m. today, you STILL … (9 comments)
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grow business: Dealing with Difficult People - 01/19/08 01:41 PM
Is it just me? Am I the only one who gets to deal with difficult people? And, by difficult, I don't mean indecisive or wishy-washy. I mean, people/clients who yell at you. People/clients who treat you like the hired hand, but with less respect. People/clients who feel you are at their … (68 comments)
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grow business: Why Hire Someone When I Can Do It MYSELF?? - 01/19/08 10:54 AM
The Virtual Assistant industry is all the rage lately but how many of you have thought about it only to conclude, why would I pay someone to do something I'm perfectly capable of doing myself? After all, I've been a real estate agent for _____ (fill in the blank) years and … (7 comments)
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grow business: The Whole Thing About Blogging - 01/18/08 09:01 PM
Ok, I have to admit. I started this whole blogging thing a little leary. I thought I didn't have time for it. I thought it wouldn't be worth my while. I thought it would make me unproductive. I thought, who on earth wants to hear what's in my head and why … (21 comments)
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grow business: Goal-Setting is Key! Have you set YOUR 2008 Goals? - 01/16/08 11:02 AM
As I stated previously in my post entitled "The Secret to Growing Your Business," you need to set goals in order to grow your business. Have you set your goals for 2008? If not, now is the time to go for it!
The beginning of the year is always a great time … (4 comments)
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grow business: How to Use Tasks to Accomplish Your Goals - 01/15/08 07:54 PM
In my previous post, we talked about Setting Goals. Today, let's talk about using tasks to accomplish your goals.
What is one of the business goals you've set? I know - You want to make the Million Dollar Club this year! Do you realize that this particular goal can be broken down into smaller, more bite-sized pieces (or tasks) that … (2 comments)
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grow business: The Secret to Growing Your Business... - 01/11/08 08:57 PM
Do you want to grow your business? I mean, really grow your business? Do you want to take vacations and have your commissions from sales pay for it easily? Do you want to know you'll be able to pay for your children's higher education? Well, I've got a secret to tell you … (7 comments)
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grow business: Following through with LINKED-IN - 11/18/07 01:21 PM
Are you LINKED-IN? Last night I made another terrific connection through Active Rain and was able to introduce my connection to my husband (who is in the exotic car business) through www.linkedin.com/in/JackHDavis .
A small world made even smaller by the advances in Internet technology, I found that the gentleman's wife had … (18 comments)
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grow business: Great Marketing Idea - 02/24/07 02:45 PM
Creating co-branded marketing campaigns that feature your ideal referral partners -- the business people whose products and services best complement your own -- is an excellent way to immediately reach a large number of potential customers. A co-branding arrangement is also a powerful tool for attracting valuable new referral partners.
By co-branding, … (4 comments)
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grow business: Is it time to make a change? - 02/21/07 11:38 AM
What are you doing differently to help your business grow. "If you do the things you always do you will always get what you always get" what have you done to keep up with the times? Have you increased your Internet presence? Do you even have a website? Are you constantly improving your customer service? Do … (0 comments)
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