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10 Ways You Can Be a Platinum Customer™

November 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Austin’s finest

I love Upper Crust Bakery on Burnet Road in Austin. Great birthday cakes, eclairs and great service. They always know what I want and make me feel special. A few weeks ago, one of their terrific staff told me I was a great customer. Wow!

That got me thinking. What can customers do to give great “business service”? This would help businesses have better sales and create more Platinum Customers™. It’s just what our economy needs: all of us to play a positive role and take responsibility. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Management, Financials, Marketing Strategy, Planning & Vision, Pricing, Sales, Small Business/Entrepreneur History Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How can you have a breakthrough in business every day?

October 1, 2010 By 2 Comments

There’s nothing better than to have a “Eureka” moment when you own a business. You struggle and come at the problem from different angles and all of a sudden there’s a “flash” and a “pop” and it all fits nicely in place.

When this happens to you, do you:

  1. Breathe a sigh of relief?
  2. Jump for joy?
  3. Clap your hands?
  4. Slap the back of the nearest “ole fella” whether you know them or not, whether they have played any part in this or not?
  5. Just go back to slugging it out on the next problem?

I hope you do 1-4 because breakthroughs, no matter how small, deserve a “hurrah”. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Management, Planning & Vision, Research Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Podcast: State of Texas Business Today

January 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Podcast with Jan Triplett, one of Texans giving their perspective on the State of the State

How are we doing? Since there is no legislature in session, the Governor will not give a state of the state address this January. So Ben Philpott of KUT radio (90.5FM) and the Texas Tribune asked some of us who are living through it to give our perceptions.

The interview, entitled “Their State of the State”,  is worth a listen. You’ll hear what I, the Comptroller’s representative R J Desilva, and others have to say about how well Texas business is doing. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Management, Financials, Research, Sales Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Hidden Business Management Gem

August 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

#1 Hidden Gem: Austin History Center

What’s a hidden business management gem? One that makes you feel powerful, all knowing. One that you love to tell those special peers about so they can be part of the inner circle. I have one I want to share with you.

Mine is the Austin History Center. Before you say “Huh?”, this is not a museum although it has exhibits. It is not just about Austin because it has materials — particularly papers — that go beyond Austin, Travis County, or Texas. It is not a library although it has books. And maps, family archives, newspapers — over 1 million items of primary research and published documents from Austin’s founding through today. It is considered one of  the US best archival libraries with great archivists to help you find what you did not know even existed.

Take some time to explore what it can do for you as an Owner. It is a great “center” of business information because if there is a study or report on Austin, chances are they have it. You can read it for free. You can even copy it but you can’t take it out.

And, it’s a great place to keep up with what’s happening in local government since City Council minutes and other documents. See what everyone REALLY said, promised, etc.

Want the inside story on a local business? They probably have a file on it. Many of us insiders recycle our papers by giving them to the Austin History Center as well as those brochures, white papers etc. we have gotten from you over the years at trade shows, in the mail etc. You can discover a wealth of information there and make your own contribution to the “business history of Austin”.

Of course, it has great information about the people of Austin and who’s who or who was who. If you are new to town, you can set up a score card to keep track of everyone you need or want to know. So, great networking info here. For first hand contacts and preserving Austin consider joining The Austin History Center Association. Nice people and important work.

There is history here of course. This was originally a Carnegie Library and Austin’s first library. Go on the behind the scenes tour for the scoop. And, check out the photo lab. Many of the pictures of Austin you see in the Austin American-Statesman and elsewhere are courtesy of the Austin History Center. You can even order some for your office or store – extremely reasonable and unique.

And, if you are into Christmas and model trains, it has been my favorite place for getting into the holiday spirit. They usually set aside a Sunday after Thanksgiving for the public to enjoy music, decorations, goodies, and meeting railroaders. Hopefully, the economy won’t get to them this year!

Austin History Center
810 Guadalupe St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 974-7480

Monday, closed | Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Sunday, 12 noon-6 p.m.

Watch the KLRU Downtown video about the Austin History Center.

What is your favorite business gem?

Filed Under: Business Management, Resources Tagged With: , , , , ,

What’s in a name?

August 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Les Barker, poet & singer

When people start a business, one of the first things they try to come up with is a name. Why are names so important? Is a table still a table if you call it a chair? Comic poet and songwriter Les Barker has a piece called An Infinite Number of Occasional Tables —  because sometimes it’s a chair.

Seriously. More than ten years ago now one of our favorite clients decided the time had come to reconsider their name. They had almost 50 years of history and awards behind it. But, the name did not reflect what they did now. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Management Tagged With: , , , , , , ,