One of the things that my father always taught me was that the first impression that you make is the most important.  If you screw that up, chances are that you will never be able to recover.

So as a business person, I have followed his advice religiously.  When I am meeting a client for the first time, I make sure to do a bit of rehearsal beforehand, and make sure to brush my teeth.  I also make sure that everything is in its place and that I am organized for my meeting.

I have also put my diploma display in a central position in the room, so that they can see my credentials immediately.  I find that most people gaze long and hard at each college diploma frame to get a grasp of my education background.  Considering that I went to one of the most prestigious schools in the country, most of them are impressed even before we sit down to chat.

For the most part, I do succeed at making a great impression the first time, but when I fail, I make sure to ask for feedback from the customer as to what I could have done better.  Most of them have given me some constructive criticism, and I apply it so that I can be more likely to succeed for the next client.

Technorati Tags: college diploma frame, diploma display

With the current down economy, a lot of retailers are finding that consumers are differentiation much more than they  used to between necessary and unnecessary spending.

For instance, even with Halloween coming up, people are spending less on costumes and candy than they usually do.  Even families with kids deem this a luxury, and therefore unnecessary spending.  As a result, they are finding ways to cut costs.  Kids are still getting Halloween, just at a cheaper price.

On the other hand, medical expenses such as medications and equipment are one of those things people don’t skimp on — they save money in other areas to be sure they have the funds for stuff they really need.  So retailers of things like wheel chair lifts and lift chair recliners are still finding their products in demand.

If you are thinking about starting a business, this is an important distinction to make, and to use to your advantage if you can.  Businesses that provide products or services that people feel are more necessary will do better in hard times than those that are seen as more luxury types of things.  If you can find a way to take advantage of this, your business may do very well!

Technorati Tags: Halloween, lift chair recliners, wheel chair lifts

I don’t speak a word of French. I don’t have any particular need or desire to learn the language. And yet, if you give me a product or business with a French name then there’s a good chance that I’m going to think favorably of it.

I’m not sure exactly where my affection for French names comes from. I don’t particularly adore specific things that are from France. And yet, send me to a boutique shop that sells brands like 3 Pommes and Oh la la couture and there’s a decent chance that I’m going to come out of there with something new of my own.

Perhaps it’s just the fact that I’ve read so many books and watched so many movies over the years. They all depict France as so romantic and wonderful. The hint of a flirty French name makes me feel like a product is a little bit sexy even if it’s not intended to be sexy at all. There’s an appeal there that goes beyond what I’m really being sold. Consciously I know that I won’t like the product only because of the name but there’s an emotional attachment that makes it of interest.

I wonder if this happens to anyone else. Am I the only one who gets lured in by a good French name?

Technorati Tags: 3 Pommes, Oh la la couture

There are some types of industries in which the equipment that you purchase for the industry really needs to be rugged. That’s because fragile equipment just wouldn’t get the job done.

Some examples of industries where rugged matters include:

• Demolition and construction. If you’re knocking down a huge building for a demolition then you want equipment that is going to stand up to the test. The same is true if you’re building a large structure.
• Landscaping. There is a reason that topsoil screening machines, compost screens and other landscaping equipment are designed with sturdy materials; they need to be rugged to do this type of outdoor work.
• Sports Equipment. Most sports equipment has to be designed to be rugged. That’s particularly true when you’re looking at equipment for outdoor sports. It’s even truer if you’re looking at outdoor sports machines like ATVs. The rougher the sport and the more likely it is to be played in bad weather, the more rugged the equipment is going to have to be.

These examples show that any industry which involves construction, destruction or physical contact is an industry that may require rugged equipment. When buying equipment for these things, it’s important to review the equipment to make sure that durability is a strong feature of the item.

Technorati Tags: compost screens, topsoil screening machines

The aerospace industry is a perfect example of a place where what looks perfect on paper doesn’t always work perfectly in practice. In some cases we literally have to go back to the drawing board. Here is how it typically works.

An engineer in one location sits in front of a computer and comes up with a plan. He (or she) uses special CAD software to design and literally draw whatever device he is working on. So if our project is to make a missile, he essentially builds a cyber model of a missile. Then he sends this blueprint to a team that builds an actual mock up.

Another team usually in another part of the country (or world) then prints out the plans and schematics. But often times the plan hits some snags along the way. The people building it find that they have to make some improvisations. Changes to CAD drawings during mockups are then marked, usually just by hand. Using a document imaging service the plans are then sent back to the engineer who revises his work and makes sure everything will work in cyber world. If everything is OK, work on the mockup continues. If not, then sometimes we have to start over again from scratch.

Technorati Tags: CAD software, document imaging service