Lansing Debt Relief Attorneys

Making Print Pieces For Your Law Firm? Here Are Some Pro Tips.

2013-11-27T09:46:00.000-08:00

Today's tips come courtesy of Ritter's Communication, a Florida print and marketing company.

Looking for something really different that will add a "WOW" factor to your printed piece? Think Ink! Here are a few ideas on how you can add tone, scent, glitz or gloss to your printed project:

Opaque Inks
Tinted Varnishes
Scented Inks
Spot Varnishes
Metallic Inks
Fluorescent Inks
Heat-Sensitive Inks
Fade-Resistant Inks (signage, posters, prints)
UV Coating and Lamination
Custom Color Matching

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ask for samples and ink drawdowns whenever possible. And don't forget to to do your ink drawdowns on the actual paper stock you will be printing on.

Sick Of Slides In Marketing and Advertising Presentations?

2013-05-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBase

I remember when the SellingPower.Com newsletter arrived in my inbox and one article in particular caught my eye - Four Rules for Creating Slides with Impact, written by Rhonda Abrams, author of Winning Presentation in a Day.

I’ll talk about the article itself in a minute but the reason it caught my eye is that I’ve recently witnessed two presentation (or should we say “PowerPoint”) episodes. PowerPoint has become to presentations what Hoover was to vacuum cleaners in that the brand name is synonymous with the task.

Anyway, the first of these presentations related to some of the training we deliver. I must admit that we do use PowerPoint to get some messages across because we find it the best way to quickly and efficiently disseminate some of the process information we have. We do, however, avoid the death by PowerPoint scenario but there are some people who see PowerPoint and immediately think “Oh, no.” This happened on a recent programme we were rolling out. We received feedback from a first workshop that more or less demanded no more PowerPoint. It was said that it just made people switch off. This is a clear case of Distortion & Generalisation. The audience saw PowerPoint and thought “all PowerPoint presentations are bad” - Generalisation. The Distortion comes when you don’t want PowerPoint because you think it’s going to be bad and you distort the experience to suit your own needs - “I told you it would be bad”.

So, to keep the customer happy we ran the second workshop without PowerPoint and did a ‘chalk and talk’. It worked well, and it was interactive and enjoyable. However, we didn’t get all our points across in the time available: too much time was taken drawing and listing points on flip charts! Funnily enough, the feedback given after this workshop was; “we don’t mind PowerPoint if it’s appropriate”! PowerPoint is not all bad. But it’s a tool to help you present, not a replacement for the content of your presentation.

The second PowerPoint episode came during a recent development centre that we were running for one of our clients. I was an observer during a customer scenario. The delegates go through a full business simulation and interact in a role play using actors as the customers … and boy, are those actors good! During a customer meeting the sales guy was supposed to have prepared a presentation but he was unhappy with this and decided that he needed more information before he could put a presentation together (similar to a Fiat Impatto presentation I assembled a few years back in grad school). He failed to set the customer’s expectation of what he was doing: they wanted a presentation and he came without one. Predictably enough, the customer asked the sales exec if he had his presentation ready and he said no. The customer was upset and the meeting didn’t go well.

Now, the funny thing is, that the customer wanted a presentation about how his company could install new equipment over a weekend. The sales guy believed they wanted a presentation about the kit itself and he didn’t have enough information about their needs. The sad thing was, that a services consultant was at the meeting and had all the information in his head to satisfy the customer. All he needed to do was stand up and ‘talk and chalk’ the customer through his experience. Had he done that he would have saved the day - but he thought he had to have a formal presentation. In these cases a ‘chalk and talk’ is far more appropriate and effective than a formal presentation. So a sad case of no PowerPoint, no presentation = unhappy customer. A presentation does not mean PowerPoint!

Now, the reason PowerPoint gets a bad name is that most people don’t know how to use it. This brings me back to the Abrams article - see, I promised I’d get back to it. Although Abrams writes in the context of sales presentations and not training - and there is definitely a difference in style between the two – what she says makes sense and is well worth a read. The only quibble I have is when she states that 1 or 2 slides per minute should be a maximum. To be fair, she does concede that others think 3 or 4 per 20 minute presentation is best. I believe that your maximum should be 1 to 2 slides for every twenty minutes. Why? Well, for starters, it means that your audience has no choice but to focus on you and you, in turn, have only yourself to rely on. Presentations should be all about you!

Cost Cutting: What You Can Learn from Small Business

2012-10-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

(Photo credit: squareintheteeth)

With millions of job cuts in the U.S. over the past few years, and big businesses laying off tens of thousands more each week, it may seem that payroll reduction is the Global 2000’s antidote to the down economy - not unlike how automation and conveyor systems were tha answer for manufacturing in the not too distant past). Unfortunately, such tactics are short-sighted one-time savings that can have prolonged negative impacts on the top line by curbing consumer spending and dragging down financial outlooks and markets further.

Yet, while big business is kicking labor costs to the curb, an unlikely hero — the small and mid-size business sector — is showing signs of more sustainable financial performance by trimming costs on the loading dock. Small businesses are pulling other levers for prolonged financial improvements: cutting supply chain costs and improving cash management.

There was a Wall Street Journal article that cited a survey of 1,000 businesses in which a growing number of small and mid-size businesses reported renegotiating long-term fixed-cost supply contracts. This is consistent with my recent discussions with a food service company that said, “this is the best supply market we’ve seen in years. We’re now locking in long-term commitments with suppliers for commodities we used to hedge.”

Yet, long-term commitments are only one way small and mid-size businesses are securing better supply terms and costs. Many are using faster and more reliable payments to reap additional savings and goodwill with suppliers. As reported in a previous post, companies that have automated or improved their invoicing and payment report additional discounts of 0.5% up to 4% for faster payment.

In addition, better cash management can help win favored terms even in today’s tight credit markets. Example: the WSJ article reported that 1800Diapers Inc. “was able to use the fact that it had available capital to secure a better deal when it negotiated new leases for two of its warehouses.”

In short, small and mid-size businesses — possibly because they already operate at lean staffing levels — are looking beyond headcount reductions to more sustainable savings approaches. Big business would be wise to put down the headcount hatchet in favor of improved spend and cash management tactics that can provide near-term gains and keep them (and their supply chains) viable for the longhaul.

Steel Buildings - What You Should Know

2012-08-30T11:18:00.002-07:00

The purchase of a steel building and the ability to put it up yourself can save you a lot of time and money when compared to the complexity and costs of a more conventional structure. This is why using with cold drawn steel bar has quickly altered the industry and turned into the common way to put a steel building together. The purchase price of the building is far from the overall cost of your project, however. You should consider all of the ancillary costs of building with steel before embarking on your construction project.

The first item to consider is a concrete foundation. A concrete foundation may not be required in some agricultural applications, but for any other type of use it is strongly recommended. A concrete foundation is necessary for the stability and subsequent durability of the steel structure. A concrete foundation can vary from $6 to $10 per square foot. This cost should be added in to the price of the building for your initial budget computations. Most steel building manufacturers or suppliers will supply an Anchor Bolt Plan for your foundation with the purchase price of the building. However, the anchor bolts will have to be supplied by the company you hire to pour the foundation.

Most steel buildings do not have doors included in the price, except in some pre-ordained sizes known as “kits.” In most instances, doors are an added expense. You can purchase overhead and walk doors from the building supplier or source them locally.

Permits for a steel building are the buyer’s responsibility. Both the acquisition and costs of approval from a local building code office rest “on the shoulders” of the purchaser. Be sure that a steel building will be approved for your jobsite location before purchasing.

If you have not purchased land for your steel building, it is best to acquire the necessary parcel before purchase of any steel building. Never assume that land will be available at the price you need when you require it, or that the land will automatically be approved for steel building construction once purchased. Most steel building suppliers will want to ship your building within six months of purchase, so the time element in acquiring land is short. Land preparation is also the responsibility of the purchaser. You need to figure in the additional costs to your project of clearing, grading, and leveling the land. Also, be sure to check to make sure the land meets up to standards. Once you sign over the property, it is your responsibility to take care of any mess. A way to avoid that kind of situation is to do building shell testing by a professional as well as several other energy services before you make a leap of faith.

Delivery costs of a steel building can be expensive. Make sure that the transportation costs for your steel building are not “hidden” in the contract and instead are expressed as a separate charge. Your site needs to be accessible by at least one 18-wheeled truck. Stay away from “married” or “shared” loads, as although these are portrayed as cost-saving they can become a nightmare if components from another building order get mixed up with yours. No one wants to ever deal with that kind of mess!

The final major expense in pricing out your steel building project is the erection of the building. Unless you have experience in erecting a steel building, you will need professional expertise as most steel buildings, large or small, require a qualified erector. Contact several local companies to determine the best company to use for erecting your building, and confirm those costs before purchase of your steel building.

Landscaping Legally

2012-06-27T08:08:00.004-07:00

shrubs (Photo credit: miki)

Summer is full under swing, and you may be well ready to bust out your gardening tools and get to work on the backyard fence and bushes. You may be thinking of some trees and plants you would like to add to your backyard scene, and maybe even some lawn decorations that would make your property look a bit fancy. Before starting however, have you considered the legal consequences of making big changes to your property? Many homeowners would be surprised to learn of all the restrictions and regulations they face when it comes to landscaping projects, and penalties and fines can come up for even small projects. The truth is, neighborhood home prices are influenced by the neighborhood as a whole, and if there is one sore thumb in the mix, then everyone suffers for it. 7&rt qy22

Most typically offenses come in the form of making changes to items that border other properties. This includes bushes, hedges and fences, where property possession is in a gray zone. To avoid any legal mess, talk with your neighbors first to see if they are okay with you making any big changes so close to their property. Even if you plan on planting a few trees or putting up a few decorative items, you may well be in your rights to do so, but try and be on good terms with your neighbors, as it may help you in the long run.

If you're looking for some backyard renovation ideas, then talk to your local city council to see what is appropriate and what is not.

Trench Shoring woes

2012-04-16T08:13:00.003-07:00

Traditional trench shoring or Timbering. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)One of the most common legal troubles facing the construction industry are lawsuits regarding improper use of on site trench shoring equipment for excavation projects. Trench shoring refers to the use of equipment to support the sides of trench walls to prevent the walls from collapsing. When conditions get a bit wet, or when construction workers are working around loose soil, the sides of the walls can cave in, crushing or suffocating anyone unfortunate enough to be at the bottom of the trench.

Because these kinds of accidents rarely occur, and because the walls of a trench usually look quite secure, it is a safety cost that many construction companies try to cut out of their budgets. That certainly comes back to bite them later when lawsuits can range in the millions of dollars, putting their company completely out of business.

Solutions for this problem is quite simple. Just by investing in some proper steel trench shields or other shoring safety equipment, fewer accidents and deaths would occur, and fewer businesses would go out of business from a lawsuit that could be easily avoided.

Welcome!

2011-12-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Lansing Debt Relief Attorneys blog!
This is the new homepage of http://legaltechinsights.blogspot.com/

Lansing Debt Relief Attorneys

Making Print Pieces For Your Law Firm? Here Are Some Pro Tips.

Related articles

Sick Of Slides In Marketing and Advertising Presentations?

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Cost Cutting: What You Can Learn from Small Business

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Steel Buildings - What You Should Know

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Landscaping Legally

Trench Shoring woes

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Welcome!