Ask Mr Marketing

Getting fired on Christmas Eve by a man with no business acumen proved to be a blessing. He’s since gone bankrupt, while today I run two successful businesses.

And have you met “Christmas” Carol Tiernan, who offers some of the best job-hunting and hiring advice this author has seen in a LONG time?

By making all stakeholders comfortable with all the names and logos and being transparent that changes are afoot, the probable transition of a company to a new name can go smoothly without customers wondering what happened or why they don’t know who you are.

Were I starting a business today, I’d consider every marketing tool available — from public relations to skywriting — to determine how to best reach the audience within the available budget.

Here's a guy's dog who has it all figured out.

Wearing a baseball cap to Costco means I’m just another guy in the crowd. The Panama hat, though, is easy to spot…even from a distance. This means I stand out…and that’s what it’s all about these days!

While everything’s not perfect, I look at all I’ve got…and I am grateful for a good life. Thank you for being a part of it, and happy holiday.

Always double-check contracted work yourself. As Harry Truman famously said: “The buck stops here.”

Tomorrow’s success depends on investments you make today, whether it’s in people, technology, or vendor relations. And as my friends at Winco reminded me, cutting corners can easily drive away the very sales you’re looking to make.

Your company should always be looking for strategic relationships to help expand your audience and improve chances of making a sale.

As the most obvious stopping point for area guests, your visitors center’s doing a poor job. That awful woman had us wondering if choosing Santa Barbara was a mistake.

Effective selling is all about your attitude. Recognize going in that you have nothing to lose. Then go for it anyway.