16 Feb 2011
Breaking Up is Hard to Do…
The restaurants and promenades in the Docklands (Melbourne) were packed on Monday, night with couples. It was after all Valentine’s Day – the day when everyone declares their undying love for each other… well, at least their “commercial love”.
Apparently, if NAB has anything to do with it, February 15th is now the official day of the year to break off a bad relationship – the “unValentines Day”. I wonder how long it will take for chocolatiers, greeting card companies and florists to create some products to commemorate this special occasion?
The obvious question that no one seems to be asking is “why was the NAB dating both the ANZ and CBA in the first place?”
Read More
04 Dec 2010
Is Inventory Killing Your Business?
Did you know that inventory is one of the great hidden costs of business?
Business owners should understand its importance of keeping it under control. Visit http://www.financialforeplaybook.com for more on this story…
Is Inventory Killing Your Business?
Did you know that inventory is one of the great hidden costs of business?Very few business owners understand its importance and the significance of keeping it under control. Inventory ties up your cash while providing little benefit to revenue – until the items are sold. Excessive inventory can weigh a business down and ultimately lead to revenue losses.
Excess inventory is so often the primary cause of cash flow problems that it is worth your time and effort to consider how your current stock holdings are affecting the health of your business. And it’s why you should have a clear understanding of how much inventory you have, how much you should realistically have, what it’s worth today, and how old it is.
Every time you buy stock for your business, you should see the purchase as an investment. Like any other investment, you should expect it to provide you with a financial return in a short period of time. If there is a significant gap between when you buy the goods and when you turn them into cash by selling them and collecting the money, you need to re-assess the value of your investment.
When you spend before you earn you are effectively taking out a loan for the intervening period. Very often this will require a ‘real’ loan from some sort of finance company, a delay in paying suppliers or a delay in paying yourself. If you want to improve the cash flow and health of your business quickly and without spending a dime on advertising, take some time out today to review your stock levels and get rid of excess inventory.
“I’m your biggest fan, I’ll follow you until you love me
Papa, paparazzi
Baby, there’s no other superstar, you know that I’ll be
Your papa, paparazzi”
In today’s challenging business environment, customers demand more from the products and services they buy—they want what they want, when and how they want it. And if they do not get it from you, they can and will obtain it from one of your competitors. Therefore, creating raving fans—customers who love what you do and are willing to follow, listen and respond to your call(s) to action —can give you a significant strategic advantage and improve your bottom line.
Now some of you may be wondering “what does Lady GaGa have to do with best business and branding tactics?” She’s never attended business school nor does she have a history of entrepreneurship. While it is easy to question her outlandish costumes, her repetitive child-like lyrics, and her over-the-top media stunts, it is hard to ignore her obvious musical talent and her ability to be at the right place at the right time with the right tune. Whether you love or hate her (and 99% of you are definitely in one camp or another), it is difficult to ignore the tremendous achievements of this branding genius.
Less than 18 months ago, she was virtually unknown – and today she has two platinum selling albums and is the envy of artists that have been in the business for decades.
How did she do it?
Read More
23 Aug 2010
Is Bottled Water Making us Stupid?
Bottled water is one of the most profitable drink products in the world, selling for 3000 to 9000 times what most of us pay for the perfectly safe, inexpensive liquid that comes out of our tap at home.
To put this in context, paying $2.40-3.90 for a 750ml bottle of water is equivalent to:
- $10,000 for a tuna sandwich at your local cafe or
- A bill from your water company this month for $3000/tonne of water (as opposed to the going rate of $1.2/tonne)
According to the Australasian Bottled Water Institute, Australians consume over 250 million litres a year at a price of $385 million. We have been systematically brainwashed by the beverage industry to believe that our tap water is somehow unsafe or insufficient – look around and you will see that there are now hundreds of brands competing for your attention with clever marketing campaigns designed to scare, seduce and mislead us to part with our hard earned money.
Read More
18 Aug 2010
Could You Make $6 Billion & Still Be Bankrupt?
If you’re a small-mid size business owner and struggling to make your operation both profitable and cash flow positive, don’t beat yourself up too much! Even some of the largest corporations in this country are getting it wrong and stuffing up every day. Take the CBA for example – one of the largest banks in Australia recently announced a $6 billion profit for 2009-10. To put this in context, this equates to around a 17 per cent return on investors’ funds, which is impressive indeed in these tough economic times.
Too bad the CBA is technically bankrupt – meaning they don’t have enough liquid assets to cover the debt as it is coming due.
But how can this be, you might ask? The answer is simpler than you might think and it applies to ALL companies (big and small) – Profit is pointless and cash flow is KING! More businesses in Australia go under every year due to lack of cash flow than any other single reason. No business, even financial institutions which are afforded many governmental protections and safeguards, are exempt from this basic law of the economic jungle.