Treasure Hunting For The Best Customers

Tom Egelhoff

Treasure hunters are an interesting breed. They don’t just hit the woods and start looking under rocks or pick a stream and start panning for gold.They look for the signs and clues of where treasure is likely to be. They might use history…

Are Your Ads Invisible?

Tom Egelhoff

Were there tire ads in the newspaper today? Could you answer that truthfully under oath? Chances are you didn’t see any tire ads when you read the paper even though they were there. So how did you miss them? Your “Filter”.Your…

Time to Start Making the BIG Bucks

Tom Egelhoff

It’s August already. Where does the time go? If you’re a retailer I don’t have to tell you it’s planning time. But I will just in case.Four big profitable spending events are coming. All or some of the following events could…

How To Create A Buying Comfort Zone

Tom Egelhoff

Long before the “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision, corporations were considered legal entities, or “people” in the eyes of the law.But what about your customers? How do they see your business?Do they see a cold…

Time to Plan Your Annual GRAND OPENING!

Tom Egelhoff

Yes, you heard me right, “Annual Grand Opening.” Every retail business should have a grand opening once a year. Here are the two biggest reasons for an Annual Grand Opening New LocalsA sizeable amount of Bozeman Magazine readers are not…

How to Save on Business Travel

Tom Egelhoff

Sooner or later you’ll have to travel someplace on business. It might be a trade show, informational conference or industry retreat. Poor planning can result in much larger travel costs then you might like. Here are some tips to help make…

Outsourcing is Not a Four Letter Word

Tom Egelhoff

New business owners are very conscious of every penny. When you mention sending anything out of house to be done by someone else they often feel the need to blow into a paper bag.       Too expensive! Too expensive they…

Stop Using Out of Date Marketing

Tom Egelhoff

We know from past experience that customers buy things based more on emotion than logic. This actually makes marketing and advertising easier because the advertising and marketing messages can be tailored to a wide range of customers. But times have…

Why The Free Market And Capitalism Work

Tom Egelhoff

Nobel prize winning economist, Milton Friedman (1912-2006) said, “So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear, that there is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle…

New Smarter Goals For 2016

Tom Egelhoff

As 2015 winds down it’s time for an assessment of the past year and to think about goals and procedures for 2016. The first order of business is usually to sit down with all the info and set goals for the coming year. Nothing wrong with this…

Creative Ways Your Small Business Can Give Back to Your Community

Tom Egelhoff

Few people realize how often small businesses are solicited for donations to worthy causes. Some businesses are hit harder than others. Grocery stores and print shops, for example get many requests each week to donate food or printing to the…

Time to Think About Christmas

Tom Egelhoff

It’s that time of year. If you’re a retail location you have probably already placed your order for Christmas merchandise. But that’s only the start of how to have a successful holiday shopping season.If I asked 100 business owners…

What Are Your Customers REALLY Thinking?

Tom Egelhoff

How many customers do you service in a year? For some companies it might be only one or two. For others it could be thousands or even millions. But do you have any idea what or how they think?Some customers will never darken your door because some…

Do Your Competitors Fear You?

Tom Egelhoff

Fear gives one business a distinct advantage over another. Fear creates urgency in your competitor that can create mistakes and increase your advantage. It’s an important part of business to always keep competitors thinking about you rather…

How To Start a Business When You’re Broke

Tom Egelhoff

Each day millions of great business ideas are never started because the person with the great idea thinks they have no money. This is flawed thinking.It’s not that you have no money it’s the fact that you don’t know you have…

How Much DOES Labor Cost?

Tom Egelhoff

Hiring that first employee can be a stressful event. The questions are unending. Do I really need an employee? I’m busy but am I busy enough all the time or are there ebbs and flows in my business where an employee might not be needed?What if…

First Quarter “Red Flags”

Tom Egelhoff

The first quarter of 2015 has ended.

Low-Cost Local Advertising Ideas

Tom Egelhoff

Advertising is expensive! I hear that a lot. If that’s the case why are newspapers, radio, TV, Internet and every other thing I see and hear packed with ads?The kneejerk response might be, “I have to keep my name out…

How to Use Social Media to Grow Your Business

Tom Egelhoff

Social Media is becoming more and more popular with the general public. Many people are almost forced to have a Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn page because most of their friends do.So it’s imperative that business has a presence there too. But…

Challenges for Montana Businesses

Tom Egelhoff

It’s always a challenge to dust off my crystal ball each January and take a shot at predicting the future of our local economy.No question that 2014 was an up and down year. Unemployment, stock market roller coaster ride, gold stagnant and gas…