Success only runs one direction....
This question comes from innocent curiosity, so please don’t read anything into it.
If someone is a proponent of “buy U.S. only,” are they, by extension, against U.S. exports (i.e., people of foreign countries buying our goods instead of their own)?
Just one of those questions that has always had me perplexed.
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Reported by numerous retailers, Olivia Mullin (personalized stationery products) has closed their doors. According to faxes and emails being received by stores who have orders pending, their credit cards are being refunded for any product that’s sold out, with a message that the company has ceased to do business. [click here to continue…]
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Here it comes…the second wave of rules instituted as part of the Credit Card Act of 2009. Beginning in February, card issuers will be held to a plethora of new standards…which means a plethora of new charges and changes are quickly hitting consumers now, in anticipation of lost revenue.
While I don’t pretend to be an expert when it comes to figuring out all the ins and outs of issuing banks, Jean Chatzky (Financial Editor, NBC) is. Here are a few of her tips to keep in mind as credit card statements begin landing in your mailbox: [click here to continue…]
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They say “imitation is the highest form of flattery,” but c’mon. Seriously? Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, announces his idea–pick two stores, spend $25 each per month?
Color me crazy, but that sounds just a tad bit familiar.
Subtracting one store does not an original idea make, Bill.
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One of the most often asked questions during media interviews about The 3/50 Project is “Does it work?”…which is second only to “Do consumers ‘get it’?”
Yup. To both.
But hey, don’t just take my word for it. [click here to continue…]
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While The 3/50 Project applies all year long, today is special–today is the day business owners hope to see crowds and cash, both of which have been in short supply the past couple of years. Today is Black Friday 3/50 Friday.
Among the crush of national chains opening at 4:00 a.m. and parking lots packed with crazed, coupon carrying shoppers, there are thousands of terrific smaller businesses, providing unique gifts and treats–many with just as appealing prices and considerably better service. [click here to continue…]
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Something tells me this is one of those moments I’ll look back years from now, seeing it as a turning point for The 3/50 Project…. Great piece, deserving of a huge thanks to Joanna (our CNN producer) for shining the limelight this direction.
Featured father/daughter team Jim and Kelly DelRosso (owners of Semplice in Montclair, NJ) remind us just how many small businesses are family owned and operated. We may call them “brick and mortars,” but the reality is they’re really “hearts and souls.”
Here’s to a few million more consumer eyeballs point our way!
Editor’s note: If anyone has an inside track to one of the national morning programs, please contact me asap. We need to keep this ball rolling as fourth quarter holidays approach, and the best way to do that is to get The 3/50 Project in front of the largest consumer audience possible.
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Yes, times are tough. And yes, a lot of businesses are up against a wall financially. And yes, there are a lot of vendors getting “declines” when they run credit cards for ready-to-ship orders. But wait a minute…. How did retailers get themselves into this dysfunctional “pay up front” system, eradicating N30 terms, erasing any possibility of pulling revenue out of the product before the bills are due?
They didn’t. This one began on the vendor side. [click here to continue…]
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