The North Central Florida Business Report

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s… an incredible marketing and public relations tool. Let’s examine the role and use of animals in corporate logos, marketing and sales campaigns. Use of animals in corporate marketing can be cost-effective, highly effective and memorable. It’s time to put your [...]

How are you communicating with potential customers online? What is your website saying to them, and what kind of impact is that having on your business? The last thing that you want your website to do is “we-we-we” on people. Successful businesses are customer-centric and so are their websites. Last month, more than 372 million [...]

by Chad Paris You might have heard of the benefits of “going green” in attracting customers and doing your part to help the planet. “Greening” refers to the sustainable business practices that are incorporated into both a business’s actions and products, and while some might label it a trend, I consider it essential if you [...]

Have you ever thought about the disadvantages of talking too much, especially if you’re in sales? The effects can have a negative impact on both your results and your personal income. Unfortunately, most salespeople start selling too soon, and the simple reason is because they’re talking too much. When you’re doing all of the talking, [...]

Businesses familiar with the feast-or-famine aspect of Gator football season can find company in businesses whose livelihoods depend on special times of year, whether it’s the recent winter holiday gift-giving, this month’s Valentine’s Day or prom in the spring. Local businesses that bank on seasonal bursts of activity for their year-round income have found creative [...]

Are you taking advantage of Google and other search engines’ new focus on local search engine optimization (SEO)? If not, it could be costing you sales. Over the past two years, search engine results for local products or services have changed drastically and often come back with maps of your local area and corresponding “map [...]

Here’s some advice from local experts on how to create or redesign your card to make it as effective as possible.

It is no surprise than many businesses are finding it harder to close deals these days. In today’s hyper-competitive environment there are very few products left that simply sell themselves, and savvy customers are not responding to the old “used car salesman” attempts to manipulate or pressure them into purchases.
Given these challenges, it is imperative that you focus each of your salespeople on the one thing I believe will make them successful going forward: the mindset of a consultative sales expert.

Facebook is working hard to help you promote your business, and if you’re not already taking advantage, you should be. The website, which has overtaken Google as the most visited in the U.S., has a suite of social tools designed to help you market your business. First, it allows you to create a business page [...]

When you run a business and interact with hundreds of customers and numerous suppliers each week, one thing is certain: People are going to talk about you. The key is to make sure that when they do, their comments are positive.
How can you do that? Here are 10 tips.