Manufacturing in the United States is alive, well and growing
Despite the underlying premise that United States manufacturing is a dead or dying business, manufacturing here in the states is alive, well and actually on the incline. “The U.S. is fast becoming one of the lowest-cost countries for manufacturing in the developed world,” says CNBC, citing the Boston Consulting Group. BCG found that the average […]
Synchronizing your business — Find your passion, pick your cause and get involved
Have you ever watched a flock of geese soar through the air? Their synchronized patterns help them conserve energy, communicate and keep track of one another. Understanding and adhering to their patterns is a critical part of their survival. If you are managing people, you have a lot in common with a flock of geese. […]
Jim Burkett: Seven disciplines that can mean the difference between success and failure
Why do more than 38,000 U.S. businesses go bankrupt each year? Obviously filing for bankruptcy wasn’t management’s aim. Management in these companies simply allowed the “wrong things” to happen. These wrong things represent problems that have been allowed to fester, persist and multiply. As the problems went unrecognized and unresolved, they compromised carrying out essential […]
Kelly Borth: Turn up your marketing with real-life customer experiences
There’s no question about it, when a customer sings the praises of a particular product or company, people listen. It is more believable than a company touting its own message. The popularity of social media and review sites has proven this to be a powerful marketing truth. People believe and trust what other people have […]
The perils of rewarding for outcomes
Have you ever been caught in the trap of using the words “performance” and “results” interchangeably? The distinction between the two is important to consider if you want to get the best out of both. It’s pretty simple, actually. Results are the outcomes you produce and performance is how you get there. However, here’s something […]
Why you should plan your business expansion ahead of time
An old proverb says the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is now. The same thing goes for planning to grow your business and expand on your facility and services. While you might take a year to decide exactly when to break ground on a building expansion […]
2013 SoMe Impact Awards – Large Category
SBN Interactive proudly presents the Midwest Social Media Summit inaugural class of SoMe Impact Award winners! These awards recognize marketing executives who took a leap of faith into the groundbreaking world of social media and in doing so, drove substantial value for their companies. Nominations were received from the Cleveland, Akron, Columbus and Pittsburgh regions […]
Ravi Kathuria: Is your customer engagement model an asset or a liability?
How well thought-out and executed is your customer engagement model? Is it something that has developed by default without proactive and deliberate thought? In your company, does every salesperson and service-delivery team member develop his or her own engagement model? Simple sales typically involve commodity items such as printers or copiers. The customer’s engagement with […]
CreateAthon 2013
Forty marketing professionals. Fifteen pots of coffee. A hundred new marketing ideas. All in just 24 hours, on zero sleep and at zero cost to the community. The WhiteSpace Creative 2013 CreateAthon was our largest, most substantial effort yet. One agency re-branding three deserving nonprofits — the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet, the Battered Women’s Shelter […]
How to earn a good name
It’s safe to say that individuals are more likely to do business with organizations they trust. With that in mind, establishing and preserving a good name is critical to the long-term success of any organization. In my book “Trust Is The Tie-Breaker” I provide checklists, step-by-step instructions and real-world examples organizations need to succeed. Here […]