An Effective but Risky Strategy for Late-Paying Clients

admin — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 09:49:41 +0000

Project Infomation

I still did not receive my payment for month-old work. I’m kind of hesitant to speed up work on your project because I have several projects in progress and my priorities are shifted towards the paid ones. So a web developer emailed me the other day. By the way, we (my business partner and I in a web development venture) like her a lot: She is fast, professional, has reasonable rates, and does high-quality work.

Her email was in response to my asking her to give us a sense of when we can expect more project deliverables, as well as to ask if she could devote more time to our project.

Client : Insight Studio
Date : 20 Feb, 2018
Skills : Project Planning

Challenge & Solution

Her reply was a bit of a shock to us. We had paid her up front when we began work, and since put two checks in the mail. Apparently she had not received these two checks, which did not make sense. Also, while we knew she was awaiting payment, she never told us that she was on the brink of slowing down work on the project.

Grab the audience's attention

It got our attention. We scrambled to get her on the phone and resolve the problem. It used her leverage over us — our need to get work done.

Use the right strategy to call for action

We needed the project done, and so had some conversations about how to phase her out quickly (after all, we thought the check was in the mail). Her move could have cost her a lot of work.

Solve the issue in an appropriate way

She should have sent a warning first, so that we could have resolved the situation without taking it to the brink. After all, honest mistakes on both of our parts led to this problem.

Our Process

The above strategy got our attention, because we really wanted to accelerate progress on our project and, so far, she was our main resource (and design/usability is the bottleneck on this project). At the same time, it got us frustrated, too, because it came as a surprise given that we thought the “checks were in the mail.

Improve sales & operations & production planning

Determine the right inventory level

Optimize the supply chain for perfect order planning

Improve sales & operations & production planning

Result Driven

So, we called her immediately to find out how we could resolve the situation. When we did, we learned that she had moved her office without our knowledge, and so her checks were most likely being forwarded. After our talk, she did accelerate her work, and in fact exceeded our expectations (Credit: sitepoint.com)

Reduced lead time by 43%

Decreased variability by 50%

Lowered the risk of back-order by 95%

Increased stock for finished goods by 10%

How Social Media Drives New Business: Six Case Studies

admin — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 09:49:11 +0000

Project Infomation

Businesses both big and small are flocking to social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Foursquare. The fact is that a presence on these platforms not only allows companies to engage in conversations with consumers, but also serves as an outlet to drive sales through deals and coupons.

And while major brands like Starbucks, Virgin, and Levi’s have been participating in the social web for some time now, the rate of adoption among small businesses is increasing too. According to a recent University of Maryland study, social media adoption by small businesses has doubled from 12% to 24% in the last year.

Client : Insight Studio
Date : 20 Feb, 2018
Skills : Project Planning

Challenge & Solution

But as these businesses look to Facebook and Twitter to connect with customers, many are finding that some strategies work and some do not produce results. We’ll be exploring these questions at a panel on Social Media and Businesses at our Social Currency CrunchUp on July 30. We’ve found some local and national businesses using social media effectively, ranging from Levi’s to a creme brulee cart, whose case studies are below. Some of these businesses will be sharing their experiences at the CrunchUp.

Marketing strategy

The company’s marketing VP Ann Nadeau tells me that because of the economy the hotel industry’s marketing budgets have shrunk, and social media efforts have proved to be a great way to both drive sales and build loyalty.

Social Media Utilization

The company’s social media efforts are not solely deal based. This summer, Joie De Vivre encouraged consumers to enter its Road Trippin’ California contest, which asked people to submit videos on YouTube that share why they love California.

Customer Service Support

In terms of using social media for customer service, Nadeau says that each property hotel manager is responsible for monitoring conversations and reviews on Twitter, Facebook, and Yelp.

Our Process

Food from street carts have become a foodie favorite for San Franciscans. Food carts travel from neighborhood to neighborhood, offering their delicacies to a range of local foodies. But without a set location, how do these carts let consumers know where they will be? Well, through Twitter of course.

Improve sales & operations & production planning

Determine the right inventory level

Optimize the supply chain for perfect order planning

Improve sales & operations & production planning

Result Driven

Curtis Kimball, the man behind the enormously popular Creme Brulee Cart in San Francisco, has quickly amassed over 12,000 followers in a little over a year. (Credit: techcrunch.com)

Financial Services – Facal & Cía

An Effective but Risky Strategy for Late-Paying Clients

Project Infomation

Challenge & Solution

Grab the audience's attention

Use the right strategy to call for action

Solve the issue in an appropriate way

Our Process

Result Driven

Reduced lead time by 43%

Decreased variability by 50%

Lowered the risk of back-order by 95%

Increased stock for finished goods by 10%

How Social Media Drives New Business: Six Case Studies

Project Infomation

Challenge & Solution

Marketing strategy

Social Media Utilization

Customer Service Support

Our Process

Result Driven

Reduced lead time by 43%

Decreased variability by 50%

Lowered the risk of back-order by 95%

Increased stock for finished goods by 10%