Art for Race Fans

2008-09 UPPER DECK S.P. AUTHENTIC HOLOVIEW F.X.: LOT OF 9 HOCKEY CARDS (MINT) US $10.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 14:18:37 PST

5 X 1991-92 OPC ALL STAR CARD US $1.29 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:04:13 PST

1986-87 OPC PHILADELPHIA FLYERS CARD LOT US $1.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:07:30 PST

2005-06 UPD ALL TIME GREATEST FINALIST CARD LOT US $2.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:18:09 PST

2005-06 ULTRA SCORING KINGS CARD LOT US $1.29 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:19:14 PST

2006-07 HOT PROSPECTS NHL STARS CARD LOT US $3.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:20:19 PST

2006-07 HOT PROSPECTS NHL GOALIE CARD LOT US $3.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:24:28 PST

09-10 UPPER DECK BASE CARDS SERIES 1 PICK 20 CARDS US $0.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:32:00 PST

1985-86 OPC CANADIENS GAINEY+ ROBINSON+CARBONNEAU US $1.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:34:08 PST

1981-82 OPC CANADIENS ROBINSON+SHUTT+TREMBLAY CARD US $1.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:35:12 PST

3 X 1983-84 OPC # 199 CANADIENS MARIO TREMBLAY CARD US $1.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:48:15 PST

1982-83 OPC CANADIENS GAINEY+SHUTT+HOULE CARD US $1.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:49:32 PST

1980S OPC FLYERS WHALERS PENGUINS RICK MACLEISH CARD US $1.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:50:46 PST

1970S-80S OPC WHALERS RANGERS NICK FOTIU CARD US $1.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 15:56:39 PST

1970S-80S OPC WINGS PENGUINS PETER MAHOVLICH CARD US $1.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:00:36 PST

1989-90 NORTH CAROLINAS COLLEGIAL CARD LOT US $1.49 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:01:51 PST

5 X 2008-09 NATIONAL HOCKEY DAY # HCD05 BRASSARD ROOKIE US $4.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:09:15 PST

5 X 2008-09 NATIONAL HOCKEY DAY # HCD 09 JOE SAKIC US $1.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:10:32 PST

1984-85 OPC NORDIQUES STASTNY HUNTER GOULET CARD US $1.29 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:22:39 PST

1977-78 OPC MONTREAL CANADIENS CARD LOT US $1.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:23:46 PST

1987-88 OPC SABRES TOM BARRASSO DAVE ANDREYCHUK CARD US $1.29 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:24:49 PST

8 X 1981-82 TCMA # 8 RANGERS ANDY BATHGATE CARD US $1.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:30:48 PST

2009-10 UD CARD #18 - 10 CARDS LOT **CAREY PRICE** US $7.89 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:32:20 PST

3 X 1989-90 OPC # 189 NY RANGERS GUY LAFLEUR CARD US $1.29 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:33:00 PST

Kasper, Steve RC O-Pee-Chee NHL OPC Hockey 4 Card Lot US $1.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:37:16 PST

11/12 Certified STEPHEN WEISS /25 Mirror Gold Signatures #130 AUTO US $9.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 16:43:57 PST

1996-97 COLLECTOR CHOICE FINISH SET ``U PICK`` 10/0.99 US $0.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 17:09:17 PST

09/10 SP Authentic COLIN WILSON RC AUTO FW /999 Future Watch Rookie Autograph US $9.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 17:22:06 PST

2010 TOPPS PLATINUM WWE WRESTLING CARD KOFI KINGSTON x4 US $4.00 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 18:03:23 PST

2010 TOPPS PLATINUM WWE CARD LOT BETH PHOENIX x3 DIVA US $3.00 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 18:14:51 PST

09 10 champs hockey lot you pick 10 finish your set Crosby Gretzky US $1.95 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 18:40:52 PST

2010-11 Upper Deck Series 1 Finish Your Set - Pick 15 US $0.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 19:01:21 PST

2010-11 Upper Deck Series 2 Finish Your Set - Pick 15 US $0.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 19:01:35 PST

2011-12 Upper Deck Series 1 Finish Your Set - Pick 15 US $0.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 19:02:12 PST

08 09 OPC o pee chee base cards you pick 20 finish your set US $1.95 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 19:07:20 PST

07/08 Andrew Cogliano YOUNG GUNS ROOKIE # 470 + ARTIFACTS ROOKIE # 232 NM/MINT US $6.75 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 19:43:49 PST

Rob Blake Rookie, 2 Clr.Gold Jersey, Rare Auto Lot US $15.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 20:11:30 PST

1971-72 SUN NHL ACTION PLAYER PHOTOS: LOT OF 18 HAWKS US $41.99 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 20:37:38 PST

LOT of (11) dif Roman Hamrlik cards RC Insert SEE LIST US $1.75 End Date: Monday Feb-06-2012 23:07:36 PST

2011-12 VICTORY COMPLETE YOUR SET PICK 12 CARDS! US $1.25 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 3:57:03 PST

2009/10 UD GAME JERSEY JOFFREY LUPUL (GJ-JL) 2COLOR US $6.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 5:23:43 PST

2009/10 UD GAME JERSEY ALEXANDER FROLOV (GJ2-AF) US $4.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 5:32:19 PST

2010 UD COLLECTORS CHOICE RESERVE LOT OF 10 ROOKIES RC US $5.49 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 6:38:07 PST

2010-11 DONRUSS COMPLETE YOUR SET PICK 12 CARDS! US $1.25 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 7:00:28 PST

3 Old Topps Football Card Smith Kruger Cissell Eskimos US $21.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 7:48:31 PST

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 STICKERS PICK 20 FOR $1.00 US $1.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 7:51:31 PST

2009 Topps T206 YOU PICK 10 lot - Jeter, RCs etc !! US $3.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 9:24:47 PST

2002 OPC 02/03 O PEE CHEE....LOT OF 150 BASE CARDS US $3.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 9:41:05 PST

2011 Topps Heritage BASE CARDS "You Pick" Lot of 10 US $2.50 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 11:09:12 PST

LOT 70 UD CHOICE RESERVE 1998 UPPER DECK ALL DIFF YZERMAN JAGR MANY STARS US $25.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 11:18:02 PST

Last time, we discussed 5 of the 10 signs that your business may be heading for trouble. All involved looking at the structure of your top line, your sales. Now we want to move on to the next five signs.

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#6 – High employee turnover

When you lose employees, customers are affected – they deal with less experienced people who don’t know your business or the customer’s needs as well as long-time employees.

There’s a concept from Harvard Business School called The Service – Profit Chain. It says that employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction leads to revenue growth. And revenue growth leads to profit growth.

So the chain starts with employee satisfaction. High employee turnover is often a sign of unhappy employees. That is why this is such an important early warning sign. Plus the costs of training people so they’re fully productive are significant.

#7 – Costs rising faster than sales

Costs rise for a number of reasons. As your sales rise, so will your costs. If they don’t, why do you need that cost at all? So rising costs are expected. However, it’s a bad sign if costs are rising faster than sales. You have less and less profit on each dollar of sales.

#8 – Disproportionate purchases from one vendor.

Sign #5 was being too dependent on a single customer. We don’t want to be dependent on any vendor either. This applies not just at the enterprise level, but within product categories as well.

If you’re too dependent on any one vendor in any one category, your vendor may have too much leverage in your business. They can pass on cost increases to you that you may not be able to pass on to your customers.

So it’s important to diversify your vendor base or at least have a back-up plan for needed supplies. Maybe you still use your vendor, but you know who you would go to if need be.

#9 – Unwarranted increase in receivables

It’s great to make sales, but not if you don’t get paid! That’s worse than not making the sale at all because it costs you money to make a sale. Slow paying customers also create problems because you can’t pay your bills with receivables; you need cash!

This is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses right now. Their customers are paying slower, which means receivables are growing. Make sure you’re the squeaky wheel – you have to keep after them, make some noise, so you stay high on the list. Consider offering a discount for early payment or, even better, change your terms to cash-on-delivery if possible. And best of all, ask for prepayment. But that’s a whole other show!

If you can’t afford to offer a discount, make sure you’re charging a late fee and notifying your customers regularly of their balance due. Get on the phone and call them. See when they will pay and then follow-up if they don’t.

#10 – Unjustifiable inventory build-up

Depending on your business, inventory may be even less liquid than receivables. First, you have to sell it; then you have to collect on the sale.

Inventory that’s not turning over is dead-weight. So if your inventory is building up too fast, your business will likely experience a cash crunch at some point. Get slow moving inventory out the door, even if you have to give it away!

How does that help, you ask? Because space is costly for any business. And shelf space is an incredible asset for retailers. Having a product sitting there as dead weight costs any business a little bit; it costs retailers a lot!

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Thanks so much for reading our post today. Join us next time when we ask, “Do we need to take the social out of social media?” Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

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Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/biggsuccess/00349-031209.mp3

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(Image in today's post by asifthebes)

jasoncalacanis posted a photo: