A growing business lives and dies by repeat customers or clients, especially in uncertain economic times like these. Studies show it can cost up to 10 times more to land a new customer than to [Read More]

“To build a product idea you need to understand what your customers’ needs are,” says Chris Miller, founder of Lancaster, Pa.–based Innovation Focus, which helps companies design and facilitate business development programs to foster growth. [Read More]

Competitive advantage is a hot buzz concept in business today, but in his book Hidden in Plain Sight, Erich Joachimsthaler makes the case that a focus on “customer advantage” is a surer path to growth. [Read More]

When a company seeks to define and attain its goals, a mission statement is often at the heart of that effort. The concept may sound simple, but summing up the essence of a complex organization [Read More]

While it certainly makes sense for a company to focus on its main product, Behar believes much of Starbucks’ subsequent growth and success can be attributed to the fact that it became a people-centered organization, [Read More]

From a small bank in Oklahoma that offers customers a park to relax in, complete with walking trails and a gazebo, to retail outlets that deliver highly customized music and video presentations, companies across all [Read More]

Geeks are smart, but skeptical (think Bill Gates, Mark Cuban), and savvy marketers need to approach them in the right forums, with the right messages, in the right style. Here are some ways to reach [Read More]