Reported by Patricia C. Amend


Office Technology;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

The laptop computer has never lived up to its potential as a tool for traveling executives, thanks mainly to its unlighted liquid-crystal display (LCD) sc...  Read story

Compensation;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

Many a well-meaning employer has come up with a generous benefit package in the belief that it will tie employees to the company -- only to find that turn...  Read story

Customer Service;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

Here's one way to get employees to focus on customer service: set specific, measurable goals, with rewards for achieving them. That's what Ed Loke did, a...  Read story

Recruiting;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

Hiring top managers can be tricky, especially if the top candidates are employed by customers. "We've had recruitment firms offer their services, but the...  Read story

Quote Of The Month;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

"One of our ironclad rules is 'Never do business with anybody you don't like.' If you don't like somebody, there's a reason. Chances are it's because you...  Read story

Selling Out;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

If you want to get top dollar when you sell your company, it pays to spend some time and money marketing it to potential buyers. That's what Randall Wise...  Read story

Outside Advisers;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

If you're holding off on appointing an outside board for fear that you won't be able to find good people, take a tip from Marvin Chell, founder and chairm...  Read story

Law;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

Don't deprive yourself of an important management tool just because state courts have been treating policy statements in employee handbooks as binding con...  Read story

Marketing;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

Advertising and promotion can help, but the most critical component of your marketing program may well be your telephone. It is on the phone, after all, ...  Read story

Banking;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Aug 1, 1987

No bank is going to loan you money unless it is confident of your cash flow and gets enough collateral to protect its investment. So why, on top of that,...  Read story

Sales;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

Think twice before piling on cash incentives as a means of motivating your salespeople. "Cash commissions have become such an integral part of sales comp...  Read story

Finance;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

Imagine being in this business: you borrow money at 5.5%, then lend it out to the same people at 19% to 20%. That's a nice return if you can get it, and ...  Read story

Managing People;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

Loss of focus is an occupational hazard faced by most managers of growing companies. The bigger a company gets, the more distractions there are. As a res...  Read story

Taxes;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

Here's something you need like a bad heart: a new federal tax on corporations. If you're not paying it, moreover, you'd better call your accountant. You ...  Read story

Benefits;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

If you're thinking about offering a stop-smoking clinic to employees, don't make the mistake of scheduling it during the vacation season. Smokers who mis...  Read story

Capital;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

If your need for capital is growing, you may be tempted to move your business to a larger bank. Before you do, however, be sure that it's set up to give ...  Read story

Quote Of The Month;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

"There's an adage I always keep in mind: If you've got a choice between brilliance, luck, and timing, take timing first, luck second, and brilliance third...  Read story

Compensation;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

It seems early to be thinking about annual bonuses, but this year you may need to do more thinking than usual. That's because of a quirk in the Tax Refor...  Read story

Law;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

If you have trouble understanding your potential liability under federal hiring laws, you aren't alone. So do the judges who interpret them. In March, an...  Read story

Motivation;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Jun 1, 1987

Every chief executive knows that mistakes are an inevitable, and necessary, part of doing business. Provided they are openly admitted, they can play an i...  Read story

Perks;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

Don't let recruiting pressures force you into a hasty decision to provide your sales and service people with company cars. "It's a trap," says Stephen Al...  Read story

Communications;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

You are away on a business trip and need a document from your home office. Overnight mail won't help: you need it right away. Although ZapMail is no...  Read story

Troubleshooting;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

It's all well and good to develop friendly relationships with your customers and suppliers, but don't shut your eyes to signs of trouble. Some are fairly...  Read story

Marketing;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

Whatever you're selling, you could have trouble getting customers to buy it if your company comes across as the fledgling enterprise it may well be. That...  Read story

Company Meetings;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

If you're planning a company retreat, don't make the common mistake of scheduling meetings from dawn to dusk in a misguided attempt to justify the expense...  Read story

Opportunities;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

To exploit new business opportunities, you have to know what your real strengths are, which may involve rethinking the business you are in. That, at any ...  Read story

Mailings;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

If you're into mass mailings, you're probably throwing away money. In 1986, 76.2 billion pieces were mailed first class alone, and a good percentage of t...  Read story

Law;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

Punitive-damage awards are now commonplace in product-liability lawsuits, and the consequences are grave: the awards, which often reach six figures or mor...  Read story

Compensation;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  May 1, 1987

Just because employees are conscientious and hardworking, you can't count on them to ask for a raise when they feel they deserve one. Often your best wor...  Read story

Recruiting;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

If your help-wanted ads aren't turning up the right kind of candidates, maybe you should consider offering an incentive designed to attract them. That wa...  Read story

Customer Relations;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

Customers can be a good source of new product ideas, but if you don't acknowledge their contributions, you may be missing out on a chance to win their loy...  Read story

Resources;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

We all know that slides can spruce up almost any presentation, whether to customers, investors, or employees, but at the rates charged by graphic-arts and...  Read story

Finance;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

The new federal law known as COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) may contain a hidden bonus for some small companies -- a provision tha...  Read story

Contracts;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

Most business deals depend on trust to some extent, but don't make the mistake of signing a contract, sending it off to a customer, and charging ahead on ...  Read story

Marketing;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

Many businesses are launched on a hunch about a market for a particular product or service, but just because your hunch pans out and sales take off, don't...  Read story

Purchasing;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

If your supplier's sales rep is being unusually cooperative these days, it could be that he's just a terrific guy. Then again, it could mean that you're ...  Read story

Credit;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

Sometimes it pays to keep your problems to yourself. That's what Jim Ansara decided when he suddenly discovered in late 1985 that his company, Shawmut De...  Read story

Office Equipment;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend and Bruce G. Posner |  Apr 1, 1987

The new tax law may increase the temptation to lease office equipment, but don't fall for it, at least not when you're shopping for small photocopiers. Wi...  Read story

Sales Motivation;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Mar 1, 1987

You say your salespeople have a hard time getting revved up for that first Monday-morning call? You say they aren't aggressive enough on the phone? Mayb...  Read story

Quote Of The Month;

By Reported by Patricia C. Amend |  Mar 1, 1987

"Bear in mind that a lot of your ideas are going to be losers. The sooner you recognize that you've got a loser and drop it, the sooner you can get on to...  Read story

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