Blog entries

Online Business Forums Can Help You Grow Your Business

Steve Marr — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:24:09 +0100

Online business forums provide a plethora of information you can use to help your business. The Business Proverbs’ site provides articles geared toward general Christian Business. In addition to our site, look for blogs or forums on issues helpful to your business.

Start with the Google search engine. Look for groups that fit your business category and needs. You want to locate sites that provide direct assistance and information for you. An effective site will allow you to...

Keeping Our Word

Steve Marr — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:18:09 +0100

Many people routinely lie. They make promises they don’t intend to keep. The Lord spoke through Hosea and said, “They spout empty words and make covenants they don't intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer's field.” (Hosea 10:4, NLT) Unfortunately, some Christians also fail to keep their word. They may even become angry when someone holds them accountable. Here are examples from my experience.

I had agreed...

Why Employers Want Access to Your Facebook Page

Steve Marr — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:22:08 +0100

More employers are asking prospective and current employees for access to their Facebook accounts. While many believe this is an invasion of privacy, employers have the right to ask. Likewise, employees have the right to decline. The question is should you?

The job market is still a buyers’ market with many qualified applicants seeking every open position. Any time you decline to furnish information to an employer, it could be reason enough to hire someone els...

J P Morgan’s $2 Billion Loss: A Biblical Perspective

Steve Marr — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:50:32 +0100

Jamie Dimon, Chairman of J P Morgan, announced last week that the bank suffered a $2 billion dollar trading loss, with a possible additional $1 billion in losses to be reported next quarter. News media announced that the stock plunged 10%. We need to take a close look at this and address the following lessons to apply to our businesses.

Before sending an e-mail or making a phone call t...

Sometimes Pain Is Necessary

Steve Marr — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:29:33 +0100

Pain is often an uninvited teacher. Paul understood this when he wrote, “Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while--yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.” (2 Corinthians 7:8-9, NIV) Paul confronted an issue, not just to cause pain; but to...

Buy Facebook Stock?

Steve Marr — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:57:21 +0100

Facebook is going public shortly; the stock was priced at between $28.00 and $35.00 per share. Early indications show buyers are ready to eat up the stock. Should You?

I don’t get into investment advise on this site, just businesses issu...

Let Customers Choose Communication Style

Steve Marr — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:44:22 +0100

Communication with customers is an important priority in business. You need to communicate with them on a regular basis.

Most of us use the method that easiest for us. We may prefer e-mail, regular mail, phone, or fax. However, our customers may prefer a different method. Ask each customer how he or she prefers to receive information; then, adapt as possible.

One size does not always fit all. Adapting to your customers’ preferences will strengthen custo...

The Power of Pricing in 9’s

Steve Marr — Thu, 03 May 2012 09:19:35 +0100

Stores often price goods using 99 cents as the last two numbers. Ex: $1.99, 9.99, 7.99. The rationale is to make the price look lower to the customer. Does the strategy work? After all, anybody can easily round off a $9.99 item to $10.

A number of studies have demonstrated that customers tend to place more prominence on numbers to the left of the decimal rather than to the right. Perhaps we have become accustomed to pricing using 99 at the end. Most customers do not a...

Balancing Commitments with Current Demands

Steve Marr — Wed, 02 May 2012 08:20:33 +0100

Every day the urgent intrudes into our business routines in ways that cause us to struggle with previous commitments. Here’s an example from my day. I take a phone call ten minutes before I have a scheduled telephone appointment. I had hoped the call would be short; but two minutes before my scheduled call, I could see that I needed another 10 or 15 minutes to resolve issues. I explained that I would need to call back later because I had an appointment.

Encyclopedia Britannica Stops Publishing

Steve Marr — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:16:25 +0100

Encyclopedia Britannica halted publishing of the printed encyclopedia after a 244 year run. While many of us grew up using this and other encyclopedias for school reports, the printed volumes have been a dead product for years. Management was slow to take action. John the Baptist said, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:10, NIV)

Is College Debt the New Debtors’ Prison?

Steve Marr — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:09:04 +0100

Student loans now push one trillion dollars! That’s enough money to fund an 11 week vacation for every American worker. While no individual student is responsible for that debt, the average student graduates with between $25,000 and $27,000 in debt. Some graduate with over $100,000 in loans and amounts between $40,000 and $60,000 are common. A $100,000 student loan is equivalent to a ho...