Can Group Buying Save the Newspaper Business?
Although many media pundits have declared that newspapers are in a death spiral, group buying may — just may — have an antidote. Let’s jump through the math. In 2009, the Newspaper Association of America logged roughly $25 billion in advertising revenues. Three-quarters of that was from display advertising. That’s a shocking $23 billion plunge […]
HOW's 2010 Design Salary Report
Over the past 2 years, news about the economy has been dicey at best, so it doesn’t come as a shock that some of that same uncertainty shows up in the latest HOW salary survey. The average national salary for designers dropped slightly—from $9,753 in 2008 to $48,983 in 2010. Raises and bonuses dipped a bit, […]
Taking Your Invoicing and Accounts Receivable Management Online
A long-standing cash flow dilemma is finding the right balance between getting fast receipt of customer payments and minimizing fees and discounts associated with collecting those payments as quickly as possible. Finding payment methods that fit the needs of your business and offering the options that are right for your customer base adds to the […]
Global Business Forum at FESPA Americas Tackles Business Growth Agenda
FESPA Invites North American Print CEOs to Join Exclusive Interactive Event At FESPA Americas (Orlando, Florida, 24-26 February 2011), FESPA will host a two-day Global Business Forum (February 24-25 2011), bringing together printers from North America, Latin America and Europe. The FESPA Global Business Forum is a strategic level event that sets out to develop […]
The Psychology Behind Making Sales and Setting Price Points
Setting price points and making sales involves a delicate balance between offering value (i.e., what the customer demands) and making profits (i.e., what you need). Here are a few techniques that create value for your customers while keeping your profit margins reasonable. In some cases you can even get your customer to buy considerably more […]
7 things you need to know about your sales department
Managing sales? What is that? A frightening number of CEOs are so accustomed to handling sales on their own that even when they do get around to hiring a sale team, they neglect to put in place a process for building and tracking a sales pipeline. A sure sign that a sales organization is suffering […]
New Wave of IRS Audits Will Affect Your Small Business
Have you gotten an audit letter from the IRS yet? The agency is auditing 2,000 companies this year at random as part of its Employment Tax National Research Project (NRP). If you haven’t received an audit letter, that doesn’t mean you can relax. The IRS will continue performing 2,000 random audits each year through 2012. […]
Sappi Announces European Price Increase for Specialty Products
Sappi Fine Paper Europe said that it will increase prices for its specialty products in European and overeseas markets by 8% for deliveries as of November 1. The increase follows an earlier one by Sappi this year as demand for specialty products remains strong. “Our first price rise has barely compensated for the extraordinary cost […]
Postal Rate Increases for 2011 Denied! HOWEVER – Expect Increases!
The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has declined the USPS’s request for a 5.6% increase, which had been proposed to take effect in January 2011, and was filed under the Extraordinary Circumstances rule. The Extraordinary Circumstances rule allows the USPS to increase rates above the CPI rate cap during “exceptional or extraordinary circumstances”. This is great […]
Which Way will PRC Rule in Exigent Postal Rate Case?
With less than two weeks before the Postal Regulatory Commission decides on the U.S. Postal Service’s exigent rate hike proposal, both sides are clearly on edge. The money-losing USPS says it needs the exigent rate hike desperately, while already-stretched catalogers say a postage increase will force them to cut back on mailings. Plus, the legality […]
31 Small Business Tax Deductions For Home & Office
Since deducting expenses from your top-line revenues reduces your tax burden, it’s easy to be too aggressive in claiming them. However, not deducting all that you are allowed leaves money on table. Use the following checklist of rules to reduce your taxable income as much as legally possible. (Note: Due to the complexity of tax laws, […]
Marketers brace for paper cost increase
Direct marketers and catalogers are preparing to face paper cost increases this fall, while also planning for a possible significant postal rate increase in January. Marketers say volatility in the paper market in recent years, due to economic instability, has made it difficult for them to project costs from one year to the next. Many […]