Free-Articles-Offline :
Articles Primarily on Offline Business Topics

... but good to know for Internet business also

Hope you enjoy them. Use the "Contact Form" from this site's navigation bar to send me your comments!

To your Success!
Dr.Diane

The #1 Reason Why Small Businesses Fail and What To Do About It.
In times of high unemployment, many people are forced to get into jobs they never thought they would consider before -- like selling, for example. The #1 reason why small businesses fail is because of lack of revenue. You can say all you want about all other aspects of management -- the fact is if you have no sales, your business is doomed. And, if you're wanting to get in business but are not prepared to sell, then don't do it....click here for more

Training New Employees – What’s a Genuine Mistake?
It's a sure thing that, while being trained (and even after), people will make mistakes. It is up to management and supervisors to identify what types of mistakes are being made and recognize the context within which these mistakes are made. There are three types of mistakes...click here for more

Training New People -- The First 3 Months Are The Most Crucial
When training new people, the first three months are most crucial. We all know that in the back of our minds but we don’t usually do anything special about it. As managers or supervisors, the first month should take up attention 100% . The second month 50%, the third 20%, decreasing according to the level and complexity of the job...click here for more

How to Prepare and Plan for Meetings and Keep Them on Schedule
Most people don’t know how to prepare and plan for meetings and keep them on schedule. Meetings must be kept on time, from bottom management to top, especially today when every one in the workplace is over-worked and under-staffed...click here for more

The Importance Of Continuous Training And How To Cut Meeting Times In Half
When the need for continuous training is mentioned, management often perceives a fearful picture: “ah, too much work”, “no time”, “another workload that we don’t need”, “no money to buy material” and bring in trainers. Training does not necessarily mean the staff has to attend a one-day or even half-day meeting. The importance of continuous training and how to cut meeting times in half illustrates this...click here for more

Stress Management In The Workplace – Do You Know Where Your Employees Are At?
Stress in the workplace has increased in the last years, fueled by increased workloads, company mergers and cut backs, economy shake-downs and the likes. As employees worry about their future in the face of these downsizing, closings and reorganizations, other elements in the workplace also contribute to the stress of today's workers...click here for more

Advertising, Sales and Marketing, ONline Or OFFline - Are They the Same Thing?
For years I've been advocating that "sales and marketing" are not the same. Recently I came across an article somewhere on the Internet about "advertising and marketing" not being the same. And a new light went on...click here for more

Talent Recognition -- The Enemy Is Us
With all the talk about the shortage of talented people in our corporations today, why are we not recognizing those already in our midst? According to experts in the field of hiring, training and development, there is great potential within our very own companies. It just needs talent recognition...click here for more

Gross Margin Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. How Does This Affect Bottom Line Profit?
Remember the time when all wholesale manufacturer’s prices were accompanied by the user-friendly statement, “suggested list price”? In some cases the statement is still present, but the user can no longer use it! How does the Gross Margin affect the bottom line Profit?...click here for more

Employee Training – Making Sure To Train New Employees Contextually
From my experience in working with or within different organizations, I have found that in most cases, companies leave a lot of new employees in the hands of ill-fitted staff members for training. Making sure to train new employees contextually, means to be aware of the surrounding of the training taking place...click here for more

Personnel Management – Hiring and Keeping Good Employees in the Organization
Keeping good employees in the organization starts, of course, with hiring the right people in the first place. Treating them right and making them part of the organization is the next step. Treating them right means treating them at their level...click here for more

Employees Management – Limiting the Firing by Hiring Right In the First Place
One common request for discussion in my communication classes in the area of employees management is the dealing with firing employees. Of course, limiting the firing requires the hiring right in the first place...click here for more

Improving Organization – Simplifying Your Filing System
In keeping with simple things that will make a big difference in improving organization and ultimately bottom line profits, a large percentage of time is spent on looking for files. It goes without saying that simplifying your filing system will go a long way in improving organization...click here for more

Bottom Line Profits - Simple Things That Will Improve Your Bottom Line Profits
Companies are always looking for improving bottom line profits. But too often, small things that can make big differences are overlooked. One of these small things is the setting up of house rules that, multiplied by many employees, can add up to a whole lot of time cost savings...click here for more

Leveraging The Ratio Of Clerical to Management Activities To Improve Bottom Line
In the last decades reshuffling of companies and organizations mergers, cut backs and downsizing, a lot of managers found themselves without secretarial and clerical help. And, finding themselves without these ‘luxuries’ meant that they now had to do the traditional tasks themselves that these support people used to carry out...click here for more

Should I Register My Business As A Proprietorship or a Corporation?
A lot of people ask me that question: “When I register my business, should I register as a Proprietorship or a Corporation? Well, that can depend on a lot of things. First is location. Different states, provinces, municipalities require certain particular processes...click here for more

Where Will The Money Come From to Start a Business?
At some point, after you’ve decided that you would like to start a business, and after you’ve brainstormed the type of business it’s going to be, your question will be "How much money will it take to start and operate the business and do I have the money for it?” If the answer to the last question is ‘no’, then the next question will be “Where do I get the money?”...click here for more

Providing the Environment for Effective Corporate Organization.
One of the first responsibilities of top management is to provide the environment for effective communication. Diversity was the buzzword of the 90's as TQM and Re-engineering were in the 70's and 80's. Now it is teamwork and speed. But all are based on communication -- in different ways, depending on cultural and managerial and survival needs...click here for more

Simple Things Can Improve Communication and Cost Between Corporate Departments.
Administrative and management communication goes on in all departments of an organization. In most companies, there is one department that specializes in providing "administration" or “logistics” support, guidance and standards to all other departments -- at least there should be...click here for more

The Importance Of Planning Product Cost And Pricing Right From The Start.
Too many small companies don't plan the costing of their products or services ahead of time with a wide area understanding of the now and future activities of a product. In other words a product needs to be priced as well as costed before you start selling it...click here for more

The Effect of the Changed Role and Elimination of Secretaries in Corporate Human Resources
A lot has happened in the last couple of decades in corporate human resources. For one thing Secretaries have become Administrative Assistants. Women don’t like to be called secretaries anymore. But, unfortunately...click here for more

The Changed Old-Young, Male-Female Human Resources of Reshuffled Corporate Jobs
Back in the eighties, many companies began to try to get older workers to do younger people's work. This was caused by the fact that more baby boomers were going after managerial jobs then there were jobs available at that level...click here for more

Home Office Planning
Three things to consider first when planning your home office. So you decided to set up an office at home. Or you've had a home office for some time but you realize that a makeover is due now. Where do you begin? ....click here for more

Challenge Or Problem - Which is It?
In business, over the years, I have seen many common words and phrases become adapted to management for specific or altogether new meanings. Challenge and problem are two of them....click here for more

The ADMINISTRATION Division of a Business
Administration. That's a large department. Much inter-departmental activities may be coordinated or funneled through here, such as accounts payable & receivable, information systems, sales and service, credit and collection, office management, executive administration ...click here for more

The EXECUTIVE Division of a Business
A New Management Level Created. The doing away with surplus secretaries and clerical people in the last years has created a new management level. click here for more

The FINANCE Division of a Business
When it comes to the financial area of a business, figures don't lie! In other words, half of the communication problems are eliminated by the simple fact that people are working with figures in finance and accounting departments. Two plus two equal four. You can't misinterpret that! Well, may be verbally, but not on paper. click here for more

The PRODUCTION Division of a Business
Simple Improvement Between Plant And Office. The previous era of TQM and Re-engineering training has served too well to bring out the types of situations found in plants across our nations. click here for more

Check my blog also...