Tag Archives: business

Familiarity And Contempt

If you’re looking to buy stuff, it’s a great time to make new friends. For example, there was an offer by my cable provider to those who use another service for cable to be a “triple playcustomer (TV, internet, and VOIP) for $70 a month. Considering that I play more than double that just for TV, it seems like a pretty good deal, right?

Children's Valentine, 1940–1950

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Not for me it isn’t. I’m a current customer and, therefore, not eligible for that rate.  I’m not singling out the cable company – they’re hardly the only firm that makes more attractive business deals available to folks with whom they aren’t currently doing business.  Wireless carriers, financial services (Free stock trades!  Better interest rates!  Shiny toasters!), magazines and others often treat their new flames better than they do those to whom they’ve been “married” for years.  So on this Valentine’s Day, I’m reminded that maybe that familiarity leads to some contempt and maybe divorce? Continue reading

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Filed under Consulting, Helpful Hints

Stand There And Sing

Did you watch the Grammy Awards last night?  There were some remarkable performances and of course I took away a business point from a few of them.  Actually, the point first occurred to me a week or two ago as I watched Adele perform on an episode of Live From The Artists Den.  She was in a small venue, accompanied by just a pianist and an acoustic guitar.  No frills, just a young woman, some basic support, and her voice.  It was remarkable.

English: Adele

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Watching her again last evening, as well as the moving tribute to Whitney Houston by Jennifer Hudson, the business point hit me again so I’d like to share it this morning. Continue reading

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Filed under Reality checks, Thinking Aloud, What's Going On

Will This Make Me Look Fat?

Our fun this Foodie Friday begins with an answer to one of the questions I’ve been told never to answer.  No, I’m not going to post pictures of anyone you know in new jeans and have you decide if they look fat.  Instead. I’m going to posit the question as one we might all ask the purveyors of a prepackaged food and make a broader business point.

For today’s victim example, let’s take something that we all know isn’t really the best meal choice – a frozen pizza.  Since it’s Friday and we’re celebrating, maybe we choose to eat the “individual pizza” (yes, that’s in the name) as a treat for finishing the work week.  Reading the label it’s only 770 calories.  Not too bad, until we read on and realize that we’ve been lied to.  Good business? Continue reading

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Filed under Helpful Hints, Reality checks