• LEADERSHIP: Maybe Perception is Reality, the Power of Positive



• MANAGEMENT: Got 'Been There, Done That' Syndrome?



• MARKETING: 5 Mistakes Business Owners Make



• MARKETING: Location is Nothing (Ideas are Everything!)



• PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: It's a Woman's World



• RETAIL: The Power of Free



• RETAIL (SPA): Jane Wurwand on Reaching Your Retail Potential



• STRATEGY: Small Businesses Put Charity into the Business Plan



• STYLE: Fierce Furies by Sonna Brado, Brocato and Jaazz (Spokane WA)



• TECHNOLOGY: Social Sites Create Domino Effect in Building Clientele



• TRENDS: How Consumers Shopping Habits are Changing



• TRENDS: Tweens Window Shop Online then Get Parents to Buy



• Inspiration: "If life teaches you nothing else, know this for sure: when you get the chance, go for it." - Oprah Winfrey, TV Talk Show Host and Entrepreneur

August 8, 2008

LEADERSHIP:  Maybe Perception is Reality, the Power of Positive
- blog.guykawasaki.com
 
Scientists in two studies at the University of Virginia discovered that softball players and golfers who had good days perceived balls and golf holes as larger than the players who had bad days. The question is: Did this difference in perception cause the player to have better days or did the day's performance cause the players to perceive the ball and holes as bigger?

MANAGEMENT:  Got 'Been There, Done That' Syndrome?
- marketingprofs.com
 
The most creative CEOs I've met don't aspire to learn from the 'best in class' in their industry—especially when the best in class aren't all that great," he says. Instead, they look far outside their industries and their standard way of thinking for solutions that lead to groundbreaking change.

MARKETING:  5 Mistakes Business Owners Make
- businessknowhow.com
 
Wondering why your marketing isn't working all that well? Never fear, help is here. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) many marketing challenges can be traced back to a handful of marketing mistakes.
 
 
MARKETING: Location is Nothing (Ideas are Everything!)
- reportonbusiness.com
 
As small business owners, we often have a multi-faceted job description: President/Executive Assistant/Janitor. Finding time to implement new initiatives can be difficult among all our other tasks. As an entrepreneur, I am always brainstorming new marketing activities. But at the start of my business —when I was the sole staff member — the ideas never left my head. Some entrepreneurship coaches suggest that the start of your business, or the start of the calendar year, is the best time to begin organizing your marketing activities. I disagree with their advice. Like me, you may have not known about a marketing calendar when you opened shop, or even at the start of this calendar year. Instead, the best time to begin is right now — once you have learned the techniques.
 

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:  It's a Woman's World
- rtoonline.com
 
The role of women in business has changed dramatically in the past 50 years, although those in male-dominated businesses still feel the playing field is not yet level. This career guide for women in the RTO Online training series offers tips for success, starting with: Don't buy into the glass-ceiling stereotype.

RETAIL:  The Power of Free - marketingprofs.com
 
If there's one thing your customers can't resist, it's the idea of getting something for free. Those who want some proof need look no further than an article written by Alina Tugend for the New York Times, in which she discusses the results of a study headed by Dan Ariely, a professor of behavioral economics at Duke University.


RETAIL: Reaching Your Retail Potential - Jane Wurwand, Dermalogica
- renewprofessional.com


To make the most of our potential as professionals, we must take charge. This is reflected in every interaction with the client, and it begins with attitude. Why does your client come to you, really? Is it simply to have the surface of their skin cleansed, exfoliated and hydrated? Please think again.

STRATEGY:  Small Businesses Put Charity into the Business Plan
- wall street journal online
 
Doing good can engender the loyalty of consumers and employees. And it can set a firm apart from rivals. "We are a for-profit business," says Matt Fleischer, 32, "but that doesn't mean that we can't benefit our company as well as develop our community through cause branding and cause marketing."

STYLE:  Fierce Furies Colletion in Beauty Launchpad by Sonna Brado, Brocato Artist (Owner of Jaazz, Spokane WA)
 
Sonna Brado had the inspired idea to have her models’ hair mimic the weapons they were holding, but it wasn’t an easy task. With the assistance of everything from paint cans to wigs to Brocato products, the hairstyles are nothing short of extraordinary.

TECHNOLOGY:  Social Sites Create Domino Effect in Building Clientele
- newsday.com
 
Think online social networking sites are just for singles and high school and college students? Well, think again, say small- business experts. With hundreds of millions of registered users frequenting such sites as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn, it's time your small business started to look at ways to leverage these and other social networks to boost business. It's virtually low or no cost for entry," explains Adam Schwam of Garden City-based Sandwire, an information technology consultancy. "It allows individuals to post information about themselves, others and their business to a wider audience than they would normally meet in person."

TRENDS:  How Consumers Shopping Habits are Changing
- NRF stores.com
 
Consumers are cutting back, focusing on needs instead of wants and worrying about employment, a study found. More than 90% say they research products online before heading to the store, with many taking fewer trips and shopping closer to home.
 
 
TRENDS: Tweens Window Shop Online then Get Parents to Buy
- mediapost.com

It's prime time for the back-to-school advertising onslaught, as retailers shilling laptops, apparel and school supplies hone in on parents and their school-age children. And according to new data from Performics, Tweens are increasingly using search to make product recommendations and find pricing info for their parents. 

 

GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY:  PBA Tax Alert for Businesses on Stimulus Package - Professional Beauty Association
 
There is more to the Economic Stimulus Act than the rebates that most of us will be receiving this summer. Included in the Economic Stimulus Act are two provisions to help small businesses. These opportunities are only available in 2008, so if you want to take advantage you must act quickly. These provisions have not received as much press as the rebates have. But, overlooking these provisions could be a costly mistake. Here is what you need to know to take advantage of the new law.
 

August Promotions are online NOW!
Download a FREE COPY of our Magazine! [click here].
 
Ready to order? Call 800-251-4247, fax to 425-251-5202,
or visit your closest Salon Services Showroom today!

Make a Difference! Salon Services has partnered with David Hanen, Founder and Owner of LOMA-Pearatin, to donate a dollar for each bottle of "Pink Bow" Fortifying Repairative Serum that you purchase between now and October 2008. Proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation's annual 3-Day Walk - our own Stacy Kurtz is walking! Read about her story or make a donation online [click here].  

 

 
BONUS: Feeling the pinch? Fuel Economy Tips from Edmunds.com
Changing habits can improve your fuel economy. So which new habits should you adopt? Using a Ford Mustang and a Land Rover as test vehicles, Edmunds.com conducted tests in real-world conditions to see what habits might help you to conserve pricy fuel. Their best finds included:

• Using cruise control increased gas mileage up to 14 percent.
• Avoiding hard acceleration and braking saved up to 37 percent.
• Driving the speed limit saved as much as 14 percent.