QUESTION: What are some of the warning signs of serious financial debt?
Answer:If you are lying awake at night worrying about money, you may be in a serious debt situation.
What are some of the warning signs of serious debt and financial risk? • The total amount of your debt increases each month. • You have not reduced your total debt for six consecutive months. • You have accumulated debt without a plan to be debt free. • You are unable to make routine minimum monthly payments on credit cards and loans. • You are at or over your limit on credit cards. • You skip paying some bills in order to pay others. • You are receiving phone calls and letters from collection and credit agencies. • You are making day-to-day purchases like groceries and movie tickets on credit cards because you do not have the cash to pay for them. • You write cheques that bounce. • You argue with your spouse or family about money or are afraid to talk to your spouse or family about money. • If you are experiencing just one of these stressors...
Talk to us... call today for a free discrete consultation... with our caring and compassionate advice...
In Niagara Falls call 905.356.8463
In Welland call 905.732.9100 For other locations in South Central Ontario call 1.866.549.8463 for a location near you.
QUESTION: What good are bothersome customer surveys?
Answer: Surveys are key components in the healthy development of every business. If conducted properly, you will: • Learn real reasons why good customers like your business, • Identify critical elements that need improvement,• Discover how to be unique in your competitive marketplace, and,
• Increase your ETDBW!
Keep in mind that nobody wants to fill out a questionnaire and that often results in worthless responses. Rather, respect your customer’s time and conduct a personalized inquiry, all the while taking notes. Ask questions such as:
• Why did you initially call us?
• What brings you back? • What could be improved or done differently?
• How can we be easier to do business with? • If you recommended us to others, what would you tell them?
Need help transforming surveys into profitable growth initiatives? Why not trust a qualified and experienced advisor from Growth Associates? Call today for a complementary review of your company’s survey objectives! You may never look back.
Visit www.growth-associates.com/contact.html for a FREE Business Effectiveness Evaluation.
QUESTION: How do the changes to auto insurance effective September 1st affect me?
ANSWER:Finance Minister Dwight Duncan has introduced reforms based on recommendations provided by the Superintendant of Financial Services Commission of Ontario’s (FSCO’s) Five-Year Automobile Insurance Review report. This proposal includes 41 reforms to Ontario’s current automobile insurance product. The reforms fall under three main categories: measures to protect consumers, measures to increase consumer choice, and measures to streamline the auto insurance system and reduce transaction costs. “They are consumer-focused and should help stabilize auto insurance rates, while still providing the coverage Ontario drivers need” said Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario CEO Randy Carroll. “Rate stabilization” generally refers to a halting of the rising trend in rates. Therefore, these changes may mean that premiums stop rising, but do not actually decrease. With increased “choice” being implemented, the consumer may be able to buy down their current coverage for Accident Benefits thereby reducing their premium. The Minister of Finance has implemented automobile insurance reforms as part of a regulations package that is effective September 1st, 2010. You technically can change your policy mid-term as of September 1st, but it is recommended that you wait until your renewal. The savings in premium from any reductions in coverage will be so minimal, that it may not be worth it. With regards to overall reductions, if your insurer has implemented a rate increase since your last renewal, you will see the increase on your next renewal despite the reduction in Accident Benefits coverage.
For a review of your auto insurance coverage, be sure to call our office.
QUESTION: Should I use a visual (illustration or photo) in my ad?
ANSWER:Absolutely. Visuals are key in grabbing the reader’s attention and drawing them into your ad. When you compare an ad with visuals to an ad that has no visuals the statistics speak for themselves. According to the Newspaper Association of America, “Ads with visuals that occupy about 50% of the total ad space are nearly 30% more likely to attract readers. Plus, when a visual makes up nearly 75% of the ad space, readers are 48% more likely to take note of the ad.” As you can see, visuals in your ad truly do make a difference in making your ad stand out from the crowd. If you are advertising a specific product, try and get a picture of the product in use. This will help the readers to visualize themselves using the product. If you are advertising a service that doesn’t lend itself to an image, use a picture that symbolizes the message you are trying to get across. I always recommend for advertisers to use pictures of themselves or staff in their ads because people want to do business with people they know and/or trust.
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If you are interested in making your advertising more effective call one of The Business Link’s Marketing Professionals today.
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