A blog about whatever pops into my head, although usually business, network marketing or inspirational
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With the continued growth of online shopping, more and more packages are being delivered to homes every day. This increase in deliveries, however, has brought an increase in missing packages and has led to growing concerns over package security.
Enter FedEx Delivery Manager®. This tool empowers you to request to have packages delivered to nearby locations instead of your porch. With convenient and secure package pickup nationwide at FedEx Office, Walgreens and other locations, you won’t have to worry about packages being stolen from your porch.FedEx Delivery Manager allows you to have packages delivered to convenient pickup locations, including FedEx Office, Walgreens, Albertsons and Krogers. There is no additional charge for this service.
UPS Access Point™ lockers help you get fast and secure pickup and drop-off on your schedule. They join the thousands of local businesses, grocery stores, and The UPS Store® locations that make up the UPS Access Point network. All lockers are completely self-service and most are accessible 24 hours a day.I wrote a blog post about Amazon lockers in January 2016:
The locker consists of quite a few compartments of various sizes. When you use the Amazon Locker option at checkout, it instructs UPS or other vendor to take that package to the locker. The driver scans the barcode on the shipping label and the correct sized compartment door opens automatically. The package is placed inside and Amazon will then email a special code to you. When you go to the locker and enter your code, or scan the barcode that is included in the email, the locker opens automatically.So, there are quite a few options to having your packages delivered, so you don't have to leave them on your porch while you're gone!
It’s not official by the calendar yet, but with the time change behind us and wintry weather across sections of the U.S., we’re already well launched into the winter season. Like any other time of year, winter can bring both enhancements and challenges to a healthy sleep routine. Short days and long nights can make for cozy, quiet, restful evenings. For many people, the quick pace of the fall quiets down a bit during winter, helping us slow down and relax.Although the first day of winter is coming up this Friday.
But there are also pitfalls to watch for. The extended darkness leads to changes in circadian rhythms, which can throw our sleep routines off course, and leave us feeling sluggish, low-energy, and tired—even after a long night spent in bed. Millions of people, particularly those in the northern areas of the U.S., cope with wintertime Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can have a significant negative impact on sleep and mood, as well as appetite and energy levels for things like exercise.
The key to sleeping well in winter? Know what to watch for in changes to your sleep. Know the daily habits—both good and bad—that are likely to affect your ability to rest at night. Here are my top sleep tips for the season: the most important things to pay attention to this winter, for sleeping well right through until spring.
We’ve got a long winter ahead of us. With a little planning and some daily attention, this season can be a restful one, full of relaxation and plenty of nourishing rest.
The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70 percent. The probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20 percent.That's because your existing customers already know, like, and trust you and your product and/or service. And the same with your former clients...unless something bad happened, you should be able to sell to them fairly easily if you can get them to come back.
80 percent of your future profits will come from just 20 percent of your existing customers.The Pareto Principle in action again. A lot of experts say you should fire your bad customers, but unless they're really abusing you or your business, it often takes time for customers to develop:
The average repeat customer spends 67 percent more in months 31-36 of their relationship with a business than they do in months 0-6.An article in YFS Magazine (Young, Fabulous & Self-Employed) states:
Leading experts recommend that businesses spend 75% of their marketing budget to retaining existing customers (and re-engage them). Yet surprisingly, most companies do the exact opposite. Even larger corporations like Max Factor cosmetics and Target (not just the little SMBs) make the mistake of spending too much money chasing new customers (or ones that have left) and often ignore their existing ones.They didn't say much about marketing to former customers, so I modified their percentages to come up with the 60:30:10 Marketing Plan.
Every dollar spent on direct marketing to retain existing customers is actually worth fifty times the equivalent amount spent chasing new customers. With above the line advertising (traditional mass media advertising: newspapers, television, radio, outdoor, Internet), it is very hard to capture the attention of new customers, embed your message in their mind and compel them to act.
It is much easier (and cheaper) to reinforce your message with an existing customer and encourage repeat visits.And some additional tips:
One of the best ways to market to existing, former, or potential clients is with direct mail and the best way to use direct mail is with SendOutCards.
- Spend 75% of your Marketing Budget on Existing Customers
- Prepare to Maximize Return on Investment (ROI)
- Realize that Frequency Lifts Sales by 75% More Than Upselling
- Brick and Mortar? Focus on Customers Within a 6-mile radius
Roasting chestnuts over an open fire is a quintessential holiday tradition pulled straight out of a Normal Rockwell painting (and a Nat King Cole song). If you’ve only heard about roasted chestnuts, but never tried them yourself, you’re in for a treat. After roasting, the nut is turned into a tender, earthy delight more like a mushroom or potato than a nut. When roasted over a fire, the added smoky flavor enhances the taste even more.Here is a link to their illustrated guide to roasting chestnuts. Unfortunately, I have an electric stove so no open fire roasting for me this year.
