In times of conflict you can take one of two positions. First the position is that of having your heels dug in and believing you are RIGHT. The second position is where you care enough to understand what is motivating the other persons behavior. My recommendation, as you might have guessed, is the second.

Just to make a point, Id like you to think back to the last argument you had with your spouse, parent, child, a friend or in a business situation. Do you see yourself in the argument? Now, I ask you which position did you take? The first, you say? I thought so. If you had taken the position of trying to understand the others position, there most likely would not have been an argument. We humans are not perfect. As such, we sometimes we fall into our stuff. At these times we are not the best people we could be. But, it is the person who recognizes that they are in their stuff and makes a new behavior decision that makes a good partner.

You might be thinking, Thanks for the info, Ed, but why do I have to always be the person who makes the change, the person who makes it works? Why cant it be the other guy once in a while? My answer to you is simply that you are the one who figured it out first. Get out of your stuff and, as Nike says, JUST DO IT.Listed below are some additional tactics to help you resolve conflict.

1. Evaluate your, and your partners, conflict management styles. Understanding each other is a great start.

2. Identify and plan strategies to deal with non-productive behaviors before they crop up.

3. Give positive feedback as often as possible so the relationship does not take on a negative tone through only fire fighting interactions.

4. Confront problem situations at once rather than waiting for the situation to escalate.

5, Invite comments from all stakeholders early in every project, especially your alliance partners.

6. Consider using humor and maybe even humility in certain situations.

7. Encourage dissent at a time and place that serves all involved.

8. Review the value of the alliance relationship. Determine how much your circles of interest overlap. Ask if winning this battle will get you closer to an OSR, or further away from it.

9. When you hear something you dont like, repeat it back in an informational way. See if the message you received was the same as it was intended. Misunderstanding is the root of much conflict.

10. Know your buttons and dont allow them to be pushed. You have control in this area.

11. Completely listen to what the other guy has to say before you open your mouth. Remember the adage, Listen twice before speaking once. Thats why God gave you two ears and only one mouth.

12. Remember the principle of saving face. In some societies, it is a matter of life or death. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, this is not usually the situation in North America.

13. Keep your ego in check. Be clear on the difference between high self-esteem and high ego. One serves and one does not. Need I say more?

14. Appoint a devils advocate and allow them to be involved in projects from the start, all the way through completion. Their job is to be a pain in the neck. Its not that they are just picking on a certain person or position. This keeps people from taking a dissenting opinion personally.

15. Keep the consequences of your decisions in mind.

16. Value the opinion of others. Focus on the clarity of the water, not the spring from which it flows.

I understand that building Outrageously Successful Relationships can be difficult at times. My best advise for you: Know the value of your relationships. Know where you want the relationships to go and stay on course. Accept that quality Partnering just takes time and effort. Accept that there isnt any magic–just dedicated implementation.

To access helpful additional information from Ed Rigsbee at no charge, please visit www.rigsbee.com/downloadaccess.htm/.

Adapted from, Developing Strategic Alliances, by Ed Rigsbee, CSP. Ed Rigsbee is also the author of PartnerShift-How to Profit from the Partnering Trend and The Art of Partnering. Rigsbee has over 1,000 published articles to his credit and is a regular keynote presenter at corporate and trade association conferences across North America. He can be reached at 800-839-1520. For a treasure trove of additional information and ideas, visit his Partnering University Web Site at http://www.Rigsbee.com or http://www.EdRigsbee.com

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Communication of project status to project stakeholders must be performed continuously throughout the projects lifecycle to ensure that everyone has current information. A communications plan should be part of an overall project plan and the types of exchanges identified in that plan may consist of the following:

- Project Status Reports

- Project Budget Reports

- Quality Assurance Reports

- Cost Variance Reports

- Schedule Variance Reports

- Resource Utilization/Projection Reports

- Change Control Documents

- Risk Assessments

- Open Issues/Action Items Reports

- Weekly Project Status Meeting Agenda and Minutes

The communications plan should also outline the following key components:

- Recipients of each report

- Method of delivery of reports to each recipient (email, letter, etc)

- Frequency of delivery of each report to those recipients (daily, weekly, etc)

- Individual responsible for preparing and distributing each report

Practical reporting would primarily be considered scheduled project status reports without significant issues. Interim reports may be considered unscheduled, yet required due to a significant issue which requires immediate attention. Project stakeholders dislike surprises and in the event of extremely significant circumstances, that information should be communicated immediately, particularly if it may have a negative impact on the project.

A conceivable justification for an interim report would be the identification of a faulty part that necessitates contacting a supplier for replacement and the delay may affect the project timeline. Other possible scenarios could be having to contact the Internet service provider due to a failed communications link to corporate headquarters which is affecting project productivity or the necessity to request additional funding due to new project requirements that recently came to light (scope creep).

Project sponsors, clients, and other stakeholders usually do not require an equal level of reporting detail as compared to project team members, but they still need to be aware of progress and problems. The method of communication also may depend on who the recipient is and the reason for the communication. Communicating certain information via email may be inappropriate and the project manager could determine, based on criticality or sensitivity, that it would be best to present it in person to the stakeholder. Managing the communications requirement of a project requires a clear understanding that without effective communication between all stakeholders, additional elements of risk are introduced which could affect successful completion of the project within its allocated budget and timeline.

Written by Claudio LoCicero, M.S.

Over his career he has held several technical and management positions both in the United States and overseas within the private and government sectors.

He holds a Master of Science in Information Technology with an Information Security Specialization from a university designated as a National Security Agency Certified Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance. He also holds numerous professional certifications such as the Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation, along with several other professional certifications from Cisco, Microsoft, and the National Security Agency (NSA).

He is an active member of the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), and the Project Management Institute (PMI).

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If your business needs to improve cash flow, there are many opportunities available to obtain financing. A slow sales cycle, a long wait on accounts receivables, and even recovering from unforeseen circumstances can put a hold on day-to-day business operations. Youll find many reasons to consider factoring, especially if you have limited credit or do not want to pursue a loan through a bank or other financial institution.

Businesses of all sizes and consider it as a way to make the most of their resources. Instead of granting a line of credit that needs to be paid back, a factoring company can provide cash up front that is valued against your accounts receivable invoices. This means that you can free up the cash that is waiting to be paid, and use the money immediately for operations or equipment you need today.

Accounts receivable invoices that are 30, 60, or 90 days overdue may be difficult to claim, especially when your business is having difficulty keeping up with operations in the first place. One of the primary reasons to consider factoring is simply to clear up your outstanding receivables. A factoring company can help you collect any and all receivables, and you will no longer need to be involved with the customer. Reasons to consider factoring go beyond a basic collections process; in most cases, the customer does not even know that their account has been turned over to somebody else. Instead, they receive a notice and phone calls to simply pay their outstanding invoice, in much the same way that you would have initiated the call or letter when pursuing the account.

There are other reasons to consider factoring for your business, especially if you are finding it difficult to extend early payment discounts or improve your company equity because of mounting receivables. Since the factoring company can help with credit screening and monitoring, you will not need to take action by calling credit bureaus and other reporting companies. A factoring company may also offer invoice processing services, making it much easier and more efficient to turnaround a payment once it has been received.

Other reasons to consider factoring involve building credit, both for yourself and your customers. Factoring helps customers pay off their bills on time, instead of having to be sent to collections agencies or being reported to the credit bureau immediately. Factoring companies set the terms and guidelines of the new agreement, and are much more likely to receive the payment from the customer after a few tries. In either case, you will receive the money immediately after selling the invoice to the factoring company. In turn, you will not compromise your own credits status or standing because you are able to pay your bills on time.

Even more reasons to consider factoring involve early payment discounts. If you are sending a bulk number of invoices to the company, you may be able to take advantage of early payment discounts and volume discounts for services. This can help reduce or lower fees associated with the transactions, and make it more favorable for the long-term.

There are many reasons to consider factoring when you need cash for business operations immediately. Factoring offers an alternative to pursuing a bank loan and damaging your credit report.

If you are seeking a factoring company, then Diversified Financial Services is the smart choice. Our Financial Consultants are ready to answer any factoring questions. Call today 800-954-0012.

Thomas McCarthy has designed, developed & implemented financial systems for many years. Thomas was a Factoring customer for over 7 years prior becoming a business owner and webmaster.

Download our FREE EBook “Growing Your Company Without Debt” learn how Invoice Factoring may be right for your company at: http://www.dfsfactoring.com

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Writing a business plan can be intimidating. It is however a necessary step towards earning a business loan for the launch or expansion of a professional practice or small to mid size business. Gaining an understanding about the expectations that the bank, government or other type of investor have about the contents of your business plan can help you to get started.

The following is a comprehensive list of the basic components of a business plan focused on securing financing:

1. Executive summary
The executive summary of your business plan should be a short paragraph that summarizes:
• Core strengths and point of difference business offers
• Projected sales and profitability
• Details with regards to financing request

A mission statement is a single sentence that communicates the core values of the practice or business. It establishes the reason for being for the organization.
A vision statement is a single statement that communicates business goals for the next 3-5 years in terms of the most appropriate benchmarks whether they are market share, reputation or financial.

The objectives of this section of your business plan are to present the strengths of the core management team as well as the projected costs of the employees:

• Biography of the founding team members and relevance
• Staffing requirements
• Core strategies to manage team

A discussion on the business environment in your business plan demonstrates expertise as well as comprehension of the changing dynamics of the marketplace:

• Industry overview
• Positioning statement
• An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
• Competitive grid
• Barriers to entry

A marketing plan is relevant to a business plan whether it accounts for traditional or non-traditional promotional types of activities:

• Consumer insight
• Description of service, promotional activity, location, fees
• Core strategies to market practice

Outlining the operations of your business may account for standard, special or proprietary processes:

• Core strategies to operate practice

Financial statements enclosed within your business plan need to be achievable rather than overly optimistic:

• 3 year detailed sales projection
• 3 year detailed profit and loss statement

Your business plan should identify which risks you consider to be inherent to the business and how you expect to handle them. It should detail the core strategies you plan to employ in order to mitigate risks.

Remember that the objective of your business plan is to communicate why you are a good candidate for this business loan. Ideally your business plan will have demonstrated expertise accompanied by achievable sales projections, key ingredients to developing the perception that your business is a low risk investment to a bank, government or other type of investor.

Bekhor Management is a full service business and marketing consulting firm in Toronto, Ontario focused on building better business for professional practices. Our services include marketing, branding, strategic planning and business planning. Sandra Bekhor speaks, teaches and writes about practice development for various professional associations. We invite you to visit the marketing and business planning resources on our website or call us at 416-969-9600 for an initial consultation without fee or obligation.

Copyright 2007 Sandra Bekhor. All rights reserved. You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article and give the author credit.

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It is quite easy for those who are very close to a business to lose sight of changes that are occurring in that business. This can happen to the best of owners and managers. Yet there are steps that can be taken after opening your dollar store that will help reduce the risks associated with this happening to you. These steps should be made a part of a routine business analysis that is managed by the business owner.

There are many aspects of the business that need to be examined. Start with the traffic and demographics of the surrounding area. Have there been significant changes in traffic flow into the store, flows in main streets and into the parking lot? How about tenant businesses in the immediate area? Have there been and significant changes especially with surrounding anchor businesses? Invest the time to really collect data and then to analyze that data for changes since opening your dollar store.

Next examine sales data. This should include total sales as well as by-department sales results. Have there been significant changes? Have new departments risen to the top and former top selling departments dropping to the bottom? What are the reasons for those changes? Are there problems associated with those changes? Are actions required to recover sales levels? Is there a need to adjust inventory levels to match those sales? This is important data for managing the purchasing of merchandise after opening your dollar store.

Operating data is the next to be examined. This includes looking for changes to business operating hours, store layout changes, and other daily operational details. After opening your dollar store it is important that most operational aspects of the business remain systematized. Any changes should be made only after supporting data says that those changes are appropriate. If changes are found that were not planned, understand not only what drove the change to be made but also how a part of your operating system could change without proper data and planning.

How about on the staffing and personnel front; have changes occurred? Have there been any key player losses or gains? Has the reporting structure changed? When opening a dollar store staffing is a key expense that needs to be carefully managed. Has staffing levels remained appropriate for sales levels?

Other aspects of the business including marketing and sales, business management and strategic planning should also be made a part of this examination. When opening your dollar store you will find that the retail discount business is very fluid and that planned and unplanned changes can occur. Only by monitoring the overall effectiveness of all aspects of the business can the right changes occur. Likewise the changes that are accompanied by unexpected or unfavorable consequences can be reversed. Dont forget to conduct a thorough review of costs. Extra focus should be placed on the cost-of-goods-sold, payroll and lease costs.

Only by conducting a thorough examination of your business can you make the right business adjustments to help keep you on the road to success. When opening your dollar store invest the time to continually improve business performance.

To Your Dollar Store Success!

Do you want to own your own Dollar Store?

Visit http://www.openingadollarstore.com for more information.
http://www.onlineauctionsmadesimple.net

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In todays regulatory environment, timely, accurate and comprehensive information is more critical than ever. While traditional business intelligence (BI) solutions have dominated the corporate environment based on their ability to quickly query, access and then report on information, they often lack the processes and metrics needed to measure and manage business performance. As a result, business performance management (BPM) solutions are gaining momentum as a more complete way to address the need for financial transparency and provide users with a means to act on information.

Companies are starting to realize that traditional business intelligence is not enough to improve business performance, said Crispin Read, Chief Marketing Officer at Cartesis, the worlds leading specialist in finance and business performance management software. BPM solutions are filling this gap, allowing companies to achieve faster, more flexible planning cycles and to gain deeper financial insight.

BPM: A More Integrated Approach to BI

Business Intelligence solutions unlock critical management information and attempt to put that information in front of decision makers who need it to run the business. However, one of the challenges with BI tools has been that the data that they do unlock isnt always consistent across the enterprise. For example, BI tools cant add up revenue numbers in different currencies because they lack the financial intelligence to translate from one currency to the other.

Another area where business intelligence solutions have fallen short is in addressing the requirement for financial transparency, one reason some traditional BI vendors have acquired BPM vendors for financial and performance management capabilities. The need for such transparency is greatest within finance departments where specific challenges demand just one set of numbers and ideally one set of applications. Whereas a business user of a BI query tool is generally satisfied with the content he gets and how this helps him look into defining next weeks stock ordering, the group controller or CFO needs the most accurate, real-time information for mission-critical functions such as budgeting, planning, compliance with financial reporting regulations, and performance improvement.

BI infrastructures have also become increasingly complex and costly, with large corporations managing dozens of silos encompassing OLAP databases, data integration tools, reporting tools and query and reporting analysis tools.

Evolving perfectly to address these BI challenges is BPM with its more integrated, holistic approach.

Performance management is sort of changing the mindset of BI and moving it away from the spot approach where five or six reporting tools are involved, said John Van Decker, Senior Vice President and Principal Research Fellow at the Robert Frances Group, an IT research and advisory firm based in Westport, CT.

Accuracy and Control

Beyond transparency, BPM systems, such as the Cartesis 10 business performance management suite, ensure the consistency and accuracy of information that finance departments need to meet the requirements of external stakeholders and legal/regulatory bodies. Financial information cant be used if it isnt 100 percent accurate, and there is tremendous cost if it is inaccurate, including the potential for criminal charges against the CFO and other employees. And with so much riding on the accuracy of a companys numbers, finance departments need greater control over the budgeting and reporting processes and the ability to look deeper into the numbers.

Companies have to report accurate numbers; if they dont then they are in breach of a number of laws, and penalties will come down on the companies and the people who work for them, Cartesis Read said. And accuracy is not only mission-critical for financial consolidation and statutory reporting applications but for planning, budgeting and forecasting, he said. If you dont know at the end of the month if you are over budget or under budget, then you are flying blind and youll crash the company.

Once a corporation is certain it has accurate information, getting that information to key decision makers quickly is vital. Cartesis 10 employs a single data model that ensures one source of accurate, consistent data between applications, as well as between the people and business processes involved. The suite also provides auditing controls to allow the finance department to easily review and verify every accounting step from source to disclosure.

Meet with a Cartesis specialist to discuss how your company can benefit from Cartesis 10.

Related Links
Cartesis 10 product page
Cartesis Finance product page

Cartesis is PepsiAmericas Choice for a New Generation of Financial Applications

Cartesis: Business Performance Management (BPM)
http://www.cartesis.com/en/

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Executive Strategic & Business Planning
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Most people consider a business plan as only something a large or formal business needs today, but it isnt! Anyone in business for themselves and, in reality, many working folk wanting to develop their careers should consider a business plan of their own.

Most only feel a business plan is needed when going into business with someone, or going to the bank to raise finance for a business. This is so untrue because, when all is said and done, a simple business plan is nothing more than a plan or reaffirmation of what you intend doing to achieve your goals in a business.

Business plans need not be a complicated document that only your accountant or a business administrator can put together. It should rather be an outline of what kind of business you want to create and how you plan to create it. If one thinks about that statement, then you will most likely agree that this could really apply to almost anyones life too.

However, lets stick with creating a business plan for any small business and then consider applying it to other areas of your life. A typical business plan would consist of a basic skeleton that could be used as the outline to any other type of plan, such as your own career plan and would cover these main points:

1. A summary of your potential business, which could be broken down into the following areas: its objectives, its mission and what will make up its main elements to succeed.

2. A company summary what you have achieved or know you can offer.

3. Your services or products.

4. Analysis of the potential market in summary form.

5. A summary of your strategy and how you intend to implement it.

6. Management summary your skills and those involved with you in implementing the plan.

7. Financial Plan what will be needed in the way of capital to put all this into practice.

Now all you have to do is add the meat to that skeleton and you have a working business plan. Once you have created your business plan then you will be able to go over it in detail and see if, or where, your main weaknesses lie in the plan. If you are not an expert in any of the fields covered above, then talk to someone who knows about that area. For example, discuss the financials with an accountant and the people involved in the financial side of your life.

Once you have the business plan and you (and all the important players) are happy with it, then all you have to do is break down the plan into smaller achievable bits and implement those bits. If you refer to your business plan on a regular basis and continually check you are achieving your targets, then you should reach your goal.

However, if you are not achieving your targets and goals along the way then it is time to revisit the plan and see where you are coming up short - or if you must re-plan or call in help on a certain point or in a weak area. This is where your business plan becomes your lifeline. If you need additional capital for example, it is easier going to a bank with an existing business plan and explaining why you need additional funding. You also should then be in a position to show them what you are going to do to solve this problem so that it does not happen in the future.

If you look at the basic outline of the business plan we have given you here, then you will see this could be applied to all kinds of situations in your life - like career plans and goals - and not only as a basic business plan.

Michael Russell
Your Independent Business Plan guide.

Uses of Business Plans
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Electronic product development includes a highly developed theoretical and practical management of all features relevant to the design, development and manufacture of modern compound electronic systems and sub systems.

Electronic product development involves design methodologies and procedures that are established by making use of sophisticated industrial standard computer aided design software. The other electronic product development activities include thermal analysis, electromagnetic field plotting, advanced PCB design and simulation.

Companies offering courses on electronic product development also concentrate on how health and safety and other lawful issues focused on electronic based products can be integrated into the product development, along with guidance on all other matters related to electronic product development. These courses have been formulated for system designers, circuit designers, PCB designers, technical managers, technical sales and technologists in addition to mechanical and production engineers working in an electronic atmosphere. Most of these courses take place over the Internet. These courses are a great way to investigate business and management issues that are above all relevant to electronic product development, together with project management and lead-free execution. These companies also provide a wide variety of consulting services for producers of electronic products. They help at any stage of product development, from inception to installation, or act as a support team or can even deliver a finished product.

Electronic product development deals with matters of engineering design for simplicity of construction and test. It also includes compliance with relevant legislation and meeting end user expectations. Company designers dealing with electronic product development have to make sure that they comply with the EMC and LVD directions of the European Community if these electronic products are to be promoted in Europe. Electronic product development has to also concentrate on environmental issues, PCB design, product invention, product assembly, test plans and design for thermal issues.

Electronic product development on the whole includes activities such as product design intent certification, competitive comparisons, product viability study, product cost estimates, regulatory requirements, industrial design, models, and mock-up schematics.

Product Development provides detailed information on Product Development, New Product Development, Product Design And Development, Product Development Processes and more. Product Development is affiliated with Enterprise Risk Management.

Consumer Product Development
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Product Development Training
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Medical Product Development
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Pharmaceutical Product Development
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Tourism Product Development
Tourism product development is mainly undertaken to facilitate product diversification, development or improvement of tourism products with the help of knowledgeable and qualified staff. It aims at enhancing visitor experience by building consensus a...

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As we enter the month of December each year, we often wonder where the year has gone, how quickly it has passed and what we did or did not accomplish. He end of each year finds us thinking about holidays, gifts, parties and friends, as well as the closing out of another business year. The end of the year is a time to look back on the previous year and look forward to the next.

And while reflecting on the past year, a strategic thinking business coach would like to suggest that you take time to remember and to give thanks for the great things that happened in your business. And to build on all of the positive things that you accomplished this past year and carry that positive momentum into next year.

Your strategic thinking business coach would also like to advise you take time to think about what you would like to do different in the next year. Now is a very good time to look at the lessons learned from any mistakes that you might have made and apply those lessons learned to correct past mistakes.

The end of the year is also the time to review and update the elements of your strategic plan and business plan; set your goals for the new year and develop and commit to an action plan to achieve the goals. If you use a strategic thinking approach to your planning, you will not wait to plan your integrated marketing communications activities, since it usually takes at least thirty days to develop a plan. If you wait to get started, it may be February or March before the plan is in action and you will have lost a couple months of opportunities.

And finally, your strategic thinking coach strongly recommends that you set aside some time for yourself to help rejuvenate, re-energize and re-focus for the new year in business. Start the new year with an arsenal filled with energy, strategic thinking and planning and a clear vision of what and where you want your business to be.

If you would like to learn more about how a strategic thinking business coach can serve as a guide and facilitator to you and your business, please contact Glenn Ebersole today through his website at www.businesscoach4u.com or by email at jgecoach@aol.com

Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of business coaching, marketing, public relations, management, strategic planning and engineering. Glenn is the Founder and Chief Executive of two Lancaster, PA based consulting practices: The Renaissance Group, a creative marketing, public relations, strategic planning and business development consulting firm and J. G. Ebersole Associates, an independent professional engineering, marketing, and management consulting firm. He is a Certified Facilitator and serves as a business coach and a strategic planning facilitator and consultant to a diverse list of clients. Glenn is also the author of a monthly newsletter, Glenns Guiding Lines Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach and has published more than 250 articles on business.

To find out more about the benefits & rewards of effectively working with a strategic thinking business coach, please contact Glenn Ebersole through his web site at http://www.businesscoach4u.com or jgecoach@aol.com

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Start your year with specific and measurable business goals. For example: I want to earn $200,000 in 2008. Or, I want my newsletter distribution to double.

Create a plan to achieve your goals. We have all heard about the person/business who was at the right place at the right time and became the “overnight success”. Luck favors the prepared. You do not know what the future will bring - but you can control your reaction to it.

Craft your plan to describe who your market is, what problem they have, the existing solutions to their problem, your solution, why your solution is best (and for who), and why they should trust you. If you already have clients, poll them to find out more about why they use you.

Note: there are two major types of plans: strategic plans and business plans. A strategic plan is focused on creating a clear path for achieving your goals, while a business plan is focused on funding for the goals. Create a strategic plan for yourself, and a business plan when you are seeking outside investors (and you already have a strategic plan).

Test your plan. Which plan is best? The one that produces the results you want. How do you pick that plan? You measure. For example, to increase newsletter sign-ups on your website, try different offers, wordings, font sizes, location of sign-up box, colors, etc. Split test - compare “A” vs. “B”. Pick the one that works. And continue to refine.

Anticipate your results. Imagine you wanted 25 new clients in 2008. Do you have the resources to handle them? At your current rates, can you afford to have these new clients (how much time does acquiring and maintaining a new client take, and what is your time worth)?

Get help with your business. You started your business because of specific skills or products that only you can provide. Focus your time on your specialty. Working on and working in your business are very different skills.

If you are considering a shift in your business direction, contact me. My specialty is creating creative, customized, and effective plans that achieve your business goals.

Jay Hamilton-Roth founded Many Good Ideas (http://www.ManyGoodIdeas.com) to help small businesses brainstorm, design, and implement effective marketing strategies. He combines creativity with common sense to demystify the process of getting great results. He has used his high-tech background from MIT to help him launch five businesses. He consults with companies in a wide range of industries and publishes a free monthly marketing newsletter (Creative Business Ideas) and a daily blog.

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