Cornerstone Business Solutions > Articles by: Chris Hunter

Spyware, Adware — Be Aware!

by | Feb 24, 2016 | Viruses

With all the focus on spam emails and computer viruses, another invasion of our computer systems has gone almost unnoticed. Right now a hidden program on your hard drive could be stealing your financial details or waiting to redirect your browser the next time you try...

Successfully Selling Services

by | Jan 30, 2016 | Selling Skills, Selling Skills

If traditionally most business owners have focused their energy on selling a product, more and more are trying their hand at offering services rather than goods. Recent data shows that service firms – which offer expertise in areas as diverse as Web marketing,...

Sure Fire Ways to Blow an Interview

by | Dec 30, 2015 | Job Search Strategies

1. Knowing a little or nothing about the company 2. Negative attitude 3. Poor communication skills 4. Rambling, disconnected the answers 5. Inappropriate behavior 6. Failure to make eye contact 7. Failure to ask questions 8. In proper dress 9. No career direction/not...

The Best Loyalty Money Can Buy

by | Nov 6, 2015 | Customer Satisfaction

Customer loyalty is something that used to be earned, but now is purchased. Think about it. We receive “loyalty” points by spending money with certain retailers or using specific credit cards, and in exchange for the points we accumulate get free travel...

The Business Lunch: How to Plan It and Survive It

by | Mar 26, 2016 | Meetings

Carefully planned and executed, the business lunch can be a valuable tool for acquiring new business, gathering market intelligence, or increasing business from existing customers. It’s also a way of smoothing over little hiccups that occur from time to time in the...

The Case Study and How to Shorten It

by | Jan 24, 2016 | Marketing Strategies

Case studies (or case histories as they’re sometimes called) are a highly effective way to promote a business. They can show how a product is used and what it can accomplish for the user. They can relate the history of a consulting assignment and detail the...

The Consumer Shift to Value

by | Jan 21, 2016 | Market Research

Retail environments around the world are changing. The change is structural and irreversible, and it’s based on a shift to value as a purchasing goal. Retailers that offer what the consumer perceives as value will come out on top; those that can’t compete...

The Deadly Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make

by | Nov 24, 2015 | Start-Ups

A large organization can make a large mistake but their momentum will carry them past it and their reserves will patch up the damage. When a smaller entrepreneurial business makes a big mistake, it’s frequently enough to kill off the business. Here are six big...

The Facts of Going Online

by | Feb 2, 2016 | Web Sites & E-Marketing - Part 2

Every businessperson knows someone who claims to have made a fortune by “going online” with their business. Many organizations have successfully transitioned to trading on the Internet, but an equal or perhaps greater number have tried and failed....

The Four Phases of CRM

by | Nov 3, 2015 | Customer Relationship Management

CRM stands for “Customer Relationship Management.” It’s all about getting to know your customers and using this knowledge to form profitable relationships with them. CRM has been around in various forms as long as there have been vendors and...

The Importance of a Marketing Plan

by | Jan 19, 2016 | Marketing Plans

A marketing plan clarifies the key marketing elements of a business and maps out directions, objectives and activities for the business and its employees. The marketing plan draws on the broader perspectives outlined in a firm’s business plan. The business plan...
The Internet Speed-To-Market Trap

The Internet Speed-To-Market Trap

by | Mar 24, 2016 | Business Development

Entrepreneurs are generally known for being in a hurry, and many could not resist the urge to move as quickly as possible when the advent of the Internet dramatically compressed business and product development cycles. In the years before the Internet, the phrase...

The Trade Show and How to Use It

by | Jan 31, 2016 | Trade Shows

Trade shows are a part of every industry. They can sometimes seem to be expensive gabfests without a hard-core business purpose, or else expensive networking opportunities that take business owners and team members away from the office and chargeable hours. But used...

The Workable Office

by | Mar 26, 2016 | General - Operations

The modern office is full of equipment that is intended to make the most of our human capital. The computing power of the devices found in most small businesses is likely to exceed that used to get man to the moon, but not every office is set up in such a way that...

Top Tips for Business Buyers and Sellers

by | Nov 22, 2015 | Selling a Business

Buying or selling a business is a time-consuming and often stressful activity. Vendors usually feel they’ve got less from the sale than they wanted, while purchasers often feel they’ve paid too much. About the best thing both parties can do is to be...

Training Your Team Members Online

by | Jan 2, 2016 | Training Programs

In today’s business environment, plenty has been said about the importance of keeping team members well educated and equipped with enough of the latest industry work practices, tricks and procedures to bring maximum value to employers. Popular belief says that...

Transitioning Between Generations

by | Nov 16, 2015 | Family Businesses, Leadership

The family business is often the basis of a family’s wealth. It generates the funds that feed and clothe two or three generations concurrently, and can also be something that is a source of pride and to which all family members have a deep emotional attachment....

Trend Analysis for Business Planning

by | Nov 9, 2015 | Business Plans

To plan the future of your business you need to be aware of where your industry is going and track the trends that are taking place. Industry trends can change quickly and require intensive and ongoing analysis to determine just what’s happening. For instance, a...

Value Delivers B2B Profits

by | Jan 26, 2016 | Pricing

B2B marketing is never easy because you’re usually dealing with somebody that has costs very much in mind. However, even more important than getting something at the right price is making a purchase that delivers real business value. Value isn’t just about...

What Do We Mean by ‘Metrics’?

by | Mar 27, 2016 | Performance Management

Everyone’s heard the expression “What you can measure you can manage”, but just having measurements isn’t the full story. You need to have the right measurements, and then be able to interpret them and use them to develop effective business...

What Makes a Great Project Manager?

by | May 3, 2017 | Project Management

Companies typically dedicate a lot of resources towards finding new clients and revenue generating projects. However, an equal amount of resources should also be directed towards finding the right project manager (PM). Each new project will come with numerous unique...

What Your Team Members Really Want

by | Jan 1, 2016 | Retention

It can be a costly blow to lose a key team member in a professional services firm. There’s the possibility of their taking some business with them, of course, but also the cost of sourcing a replacement and the expense to the firm of getting the new person up to...

Why Can’t I Remember Your Name?

by | Jan 26, 2016 | Networking

You’re terrible with names. You forget someone’s name within ten seconds of their introduction, and it embarrasses you. In fact, it’s possible you won’t even approach someone whose name you have forgotten. As a result, you will miss out on a...

Why Do Lenders Require Collateral?

by | Nov 30, 2015 | Borrowing Basics

Getting an unsecured business loan is nearly impossible these days unless you are tremendously wealthy, a multi-national organization or don’t really need the money. The one exception would be a government bailout. Thus, collateral does matters. However, banks...

Wi-Fi Security and How to Get It

by | Feb 9, 2016 | Computer Hardware

Wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi) is really useful. You can be sitting in a hotel lobby that’s a wireless “hot spot” and use your laptop without having to find a place to plug in a cable or telephone connection. That’s the good part, but from the...

Writing Better Direct Mail Marketing Pieces

by | Jan 17, 2016 | Direct Mail

How often do you get a piece of “junk” mail? Twice a week? Every day? It’s so common that for many people their unsolicited correspondence even outnumbers the bills they receive. Yet direct mail is still a powerful and valuable advertising medium. Major users include...

You Can’t Know Everything

by | Jan 30, 2016 | Selling Skills, Selling Skills

There are some people who always seem to know everything. They can answer almost any question on any subject and convince you that their knowledge is superior than yours. Further interrogation will usually prove that their knowledge is less than comprehensive and that...

You Can’t Know Everything

by | Apr 3, 2016 | Selling Skills, Selling Skills

There are some people who always seem to know everything. They can answer almost any question on any subject and convince you that their knowledge is superior than yours. Further interrogation will usually prove that their knowledge is less than comprehensive and that...

Your Business Card – In Wallets or Wastebaskets?

by | Nov 8, 2015 | Image

Business cards are a small but very important marketing element. They are a big part of the first impression you make on someone you meet for the first time, and every time they look at your business card for your contact details they are reminded of that impression...

Your Business Card — In Wallets or Wastebaskets?

by | Jan 9, 2016 | Branding

Business cards are a small but very important marketing element. They are a big part of the first impression you make on someone you meet for the first time, and every time they look at your business card for your contact details they are reminded of that impression...

Your Image Needs Constant Attention

by | Nov 8, 2015 | Image

A survey by mailing services company Pitney Bowes revealed that less than a quarter of small firms were actively working with staff to enhance their company image. For example, only 25 percent of the participants said they were focused on improving their employees...

Your Image Needs Constant Attention

by | Jan 11, 2016 | Branding

A survey by mailing services company Pitney Bowes revealed that less than a quarter of small firms were actively working with staff to enhance their company image. For example, only 25 percent of the participants said they were focused on improving their employees...

Your Old PC Can Be a Crook’s Goldmine

by | Feb 9, 2016 | Computer Hardware

Every PC in your office has information on its hard drive that could be damaging if it falls into the wrong hands. Confidential client information, taxation returns, bank account details, HR records — the typical computer in an accounting firm is a repository of...

Chris Hunter, MBA

Chris’ combination of academic credentials, career experience and temperament ideally suit his calling as a business development advisor. Clients say he has a mind for business and a heart for service.
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