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Are you going to let the "Credit Crunch" crunch you? Even though the present negative press and media coverage is enough to make you pack up and head for the hills - don't! Or, burying your head in the sand isn't going to help either - you need to take some positive action!

In ignorance, many companies pull the plug on their marketing budgets when times get tough - but that is very short sighted. Why is your business in decline? It's because you have less clients, or your current clients are spending less.

So what is the solution?

Yes, you need more clients or encourage those you work with to spend more with you. As a marketing company, we often have people come to us when they are in trouble. Through months or possibly years of neglect of their sales pipeline, they have reached difficultly where their cash flow dries up, and their forward forecasts will no longer gain them credit with their bankers. That's such an awful place to reach! So, please learn from other's mistakes and concentrate your efforts on sales and marketing.

So - how's your sales pipeline?

Have you dedicated sufficient man hours or staff to ensure that new business will continue to flow your way? It's highly recommended to introduce new practices in the current climate and here are a few suggestions to get you going:

Re-educate your sales staff to the new demands of business under the Credit Crunch i.e. you are going to have to negotiate harder than before and deliver more

Re-evaluate your current spend on marketing and where possible increase it

Adapt new methods of lead generation and find new sources

Network with increased intensity amongst your clients, prospects, collaborators, partners, suppliers and competitors

Rekindle your relationship with current clients and ensure you are getting your share of business if other suppliers are involved

Tighten your credit control to ensure constant cash flow

Take fewer financial risks than before, and if possible, increase the level of deposits on orders to spread your risk or costs (if applicable)

Introduce something new (Product or service) to make sure your visibility levels remain high with current and potential clients

Automate your sales pipeline using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system like www.salesforce.com - so you never ever miss another lead or opportunity, and you can track your sales pipeline accurately

Ensure that you confirm at least 30% of this quarter's pipeline - more if possible

Ensure you are using the internet to your advantage using Search Engine Optimisation, Web 2 practices such as blogging, and raise your presence in social networking and book-marking sites such as Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Facebook etc

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Cool Stupid!, arent they?

There is no longer any doubt that internet dating is convenient. Within the space of a few years it has gone from being a fad to socially legitimate dating option. It's no wonder! You can log in from anywhere at any time and browse hundreds of potential dates in a matter of minutes. Built in communication tools allow you to email, chat and even video chat; all at the touch of a button.

We all have a limited amount of spare time. And one of the most commons reasons, or so I understand, is having children. I call them biology's little time consumers. Lest I represent myself, I want to make it clear; I do NOT have children. I don't pretend to have the knowledge to write an advice piece on what it is like to be a single parent as it relates to romance and sex.

Though I do NOT have kids of my own, I do have single parent friends. I' have also been known to dip my toes in the single daddy pool once or twice. From that, I have acquired a little experience about the ins and outs of dating someone who has children which I share with you now.

Like kids

Seriously. If you don't like kids, don't want kids, have no real desire to be around kids, I would think twice before agreeing to go out with someone already packing reproductive baggage. Guess what? They aren't going anywhere. Yes, there's always the possibility of you coming around and becoming endeared to these specific children and there's nothing wrong with testing those waters. Just beware: if you don't like kids, don't get attached to your new sweetie too quickly.

Are you ready to come in second, always?

I've heard so many parents say that they thought they had met the love of their life until they had a baby. Then it was game over, heart totally belongs to that little thing. Of course that's how it is. Its biological. You can't fight city hall, people. When you're dating someone who already has that strong of an emotional tie to another person, you have to be realistic about where their allegiance is going to be and put your ego on the back-burner.

All children have two parents

So lucky you have met an amazing guy. He's funny, he's smart, he's hard working AND he's good looking! You're smitten. His five year old is adorable and lo and behold the little darlin' thinks you're just great. Then you meet The Mother. No, I'm not talking about his mother. It's scarier than that; it's The Baby Mama.

I have heard that separated parents can have a very respectful and even friendly relationship. If that's the case here, then you can breathe a sigh of relief. Sort of. Because no matter how well the parents get along, and no matter how well you get along with the other parent, there will be baggage that needs dealing with. Hopefully for the kid's sake, the other parent will always be around.

Really, all of these points can be summed up by saying: be secure. That's the bottom line. Between dealing with still-around exes, coming in second place in your significant others priority list, and dealing with the sometimes bumbling awkwardness of becoming acclimated to dealing with kids, an insecure person will see those insecurities magnified.

Failing to master and overcome your insecurities means the relationship will not last. If luck is on your side, you will find someone who is aware and patient enough to understand your predicament. And they'll hold your hand while you navigate the sometimes stormy waters.

Before you rush out to have 50,000 brochures printed and all of your company vehicles wrapped in vinyl, you need to take a minute to ensure that your marketing materials are going to deliver the results you are looking for. While achieving maximum results is probably something that you won?t be able to do without the help of an experienced marketing professional, there are several things that you can to improve your own results.

Have your marketing materials professionally designed. Even though you and your family and friends may love the new brochure that you designed in Microsoft Word, chances are that it is not going to be as effective as a brochure from a professional graphic designer . As a result your return on investment will be lower.

Have your printed marketing materials produced in full color. Full color printing has been shown to significantly increase response rates compared to any other combination of colors and can be surprisingly affordable for even the smallest of businesses. Another benefit is that it makes your company appear larger and more established while improving your credibility.

Include a call to action in all of your marketing materials. The most beautifully designed brochure will deliver poor results if it doesn?t clearly tell your prospect what they need to do. Do you want them to call you? To visit your web site? To send you something? Tell them exactly what you want and when you want it and your results will improve dramatically.

Include your URL on all of your marketing materials. From your business cards to your vehicles and everything in between, your URL needs to be easily accessible in order to open up another opportunity to expose your company to your prospects and clients.

Ensure that your company?s image stands out from your competitors. No matter how much you love your biggest competitor?s color scheme or style of advertising, copying it will not work for you. Small businesses often try to emulate other companies with the mindset of ? if it works for them it will work for me ? which is not true and will hurt your business in the long run.

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I have good brakes - Do you have good insurance? bumper sticker

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