Business: 3 Simple Keys Will Make Your Customers Stick

3 Simple Keys Will Make Your Customers Stick

Written by Denise O'Berry

Do you spend a lot of time and energy courting prospective new customers, hoping to pump up your bottom line? If so, you're probably missing an untapped source of sales that exists right inside your company -- there's truth in repparttar

statement that your customer list is your most valuable asset.

There are a gold mine of opportunities to make easier sales and create a loyal following of customers that will return time and again by using your existing customer base to grow your sales. But when I ask small business owners what action they are taking to keep in touch with current customers, repparttar 103724 answer is normally 'we don't.'

How do you turn a pile of dusty invoices and sales receipts into profit generators for your business? How can you create loyal customers who will return time and again to increase your small business bottom line? There are three keys to creating customer loyalty.

Key #1: Know Who They Are Do you? Compile and maintain a list of your customers. Track their habits. Monitor your list so you know when they are doing business with you differently. Then ask why.

Key #2: Know What They're Worth I overheard a remark repparttar 103725 other day. It was, "Oh, that lady. I barely pay attention to her. She comes in twice a week, but only spends about five dollars. What a waste of my time."

How Nov. 15, 2004 Deadline for Sarbanes Oxley 404 Compliance Affects You

Written by Chris Anderson

How Nov. 15, 2004 Deadline for Sarbanes Oxley 404 Compliance Affects You

Public companies have 90 days from repparttar end of their fiscal year to comply. For those with market capitalization of $75 million or more, this clock starts on Nov. 15, 2004; while all others with less than $75 million market capitalization begin July 15, 2005.

Fast Relief for Sarbanes Oxley Section 404 Compliance

Section 404 of repparttar 103723 Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires management to confirm repparttar 103724 effectiveness of their IT and financial controls in an "internal control report", which is contained within repparttar 103725 annual report (10-K) issued to repparttar 103726 public. But what exactly is an internal control report, and why is it important to you?

The Section 404 Internal Control Report

First, repparttar 103727 internal control report must affirm management’s responsibility for controls and procedure, and second, it must contain an assessment of repparttar 103728 effectiveness of repparttar 103729 internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. Although both of these issues might at first appear difficult to solve, they are actually not as hard as you would think.

Management’s Responsibility for Controls and Procedures

Affirming management’s responsibility for controls and procedures means more than to simply say management believes in or trusts their system. The affirmation will also need to include a program for a code of ethics for senior financial officers. The program must include prompt disclosures of any changes to your ethics program. So how do you do this?

Business Ethics and Compliance Program

You can easily implement a business ethics program using a step-by-step guide for developing your firm’s business ethics and compliance program. This manual will save you time researching, writing and editing your program. It provides sample policies, surveys, forms and training session outlines that are fully editable using MS Word. And it is also fully endorsed by The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) as a tool to maintain a culture of integrity.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>