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... or dusting. 3. Wear protective clothing. Take all appropriate safety measure... gloves, eye protection, protective clothing, etc. Work hygiene practices such...

... of them-and leave the small contractors' Health insurance to someone else. Being all things to all people is impossible. Local hardware store B didn't suffer any sales downturn when the big hardware store opened, either. Store B thrives by selling merchandise the big store doesn't. It specializes in the hardware ranchers and farmers need. By targeting a class of customers, Store B also successfully cross-sells its customers clothing, hunting and fishing equipment, toys, and animals. The key is that the clothes are Western-style or work clothes ranchers and farmers like. The toys are things like tractors, plastic animals, and trucks. Store B found that it can sell its customers almost anything related to farms and ranches. Small independent agencies can thrive by identifying a type of business that large agencies inadequately service. ... challenge from large stores offering more merchandise, often at lower prices. Two such stores have successfully competed against their huge invaders, setting a great example for independent insurance agencies. Independent hardware store A probably has 1/20th the floor space, stock, and selection of the competition. However, there's plenty of variety among the items they carry. For example, they carry parts for every sink manufacturer. So even though I can't buy a sink at Store A, I can find the parts to fix any sink. More importantly, someone is always available to tell me how to do the repair and help me get the right part the first time. Store A's price is sometimes a nickel or two higher than the competition's, but the free advice and help are worth it. Store ...

...diation. A variety of protective clothing is available: vests, jackets, aprons...t wool and specially treated cotton clothing items are comfortable, and they a...

...retail outlets that purchase his clothing. He's too small to try to impact the...their own. Likewise, the auto manufacturers have successfully promoted adv...

... share among independent women’s clothing stores. Research revealed that many ...

... Here are a few suggestions for dealing with the impact of the Internet on your sales career: AVOID A COMMODITY MENTALITY A commodity mentality is the belief that what you sell is no better or worse than anyone else's product and there's no inherent value in doing business with you. With this mentality, the only way to differentiate yourself is by is offering the lowest price. Sanitone has successfully differentiated its clothing care products in the dry-cleaning and shirt-laundering business. The company is so successful that it limits the number of customers it will serve in an area and charges more than competitors. The company proves its claim that Sanitone-processed shirts are cleaner and brighter. What others sell as a commodity, Sanitone has transformed into a brand. GET ON THE CUSTOMER'S SIDE OF THE TABLE - AND STAY THERE The worst ... researching LCD projectors. After making his selection, he called a dealer he had bought products from over the years. The salesperson asked him a series of questions, such as, What size room will it be used in? What material will you be projecting? How far will the projector be from the screen? ' After getting all the answers, the salesperson recommended another projector from the same manufacturer. The salesperson's knowledge tilted the balance. Customers, particularly business-to-business buyers, want support from knowledgeable people. The goal is to be perceived as a buyer's resource. MAKE SURE YOUR WEB SITE IS CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY Survey your customers to find out how your Web site can best serve their needs. Ask them the key questions, such as What will make it convenient, efficient, and easy for them ...

... be. A family-owned Los Angeles clothing manufacturer has grown profitably fo...

...successfully differentiated its clothing care products in the dry-cleaning an...

... Levi's store might be the best way to get the right fit after all, at least for now. Dry cleaners often tell customers that they can check the status of their orders via the cleaner's website. This is a good example of using technology to take a step backwards. It's high-tech, but it isn't useful. Give customers same-day service, and they don't need to check on when their clothes will be ready. We want to get into the E-economy, ' says an insurance agency vice president. Why? ' asks the marketing executive. Everybody in our office thinks it's the way to go, ' the vice president responds. More nonsense. Unless there's a valid, compelling reason to commit extensive resources to E-commerce, don't jump. 2. The Web isn't the only game in ... goes down today, nothing gold can stay. Robert Frost There are no more power elites. Manuel Castels in The Information Age The painfully obvious implication of these quotes can be seen in the business world: IBM pulls its PCs out of retail venues because it no longer considers them profitable. The Wall Street Journal reported that in 1998, there were $301 billion in sales via the Internet, while the manufacturing sector did $350 billion in overall business. It took the Internet roughly 36 months to reach this figure; manufacturing needed 150 years. However, Bill Gates once warned that Microsoft's supremacy could be temporary. Nothing stays in place because there are no more power elites, pillars, safe harbors, or certainties. This leaves the question of how businesses can stay on track and out of trouble ...

... to ANSI standards (copies of which are available from ANSI, 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018) . TORSO PROTECTION There's no part of your anatomy you want to protect more than the torso, because without it, you're nothing. Many hazards can threaten the torso: heat, splashes from hot metals and liquids, impacts, cuts, acids, and radiation. A variety of protective clothing is available: vests, jackets, aprons, coveralls, and full body suits. Fire-retardant wool and specially treated cotton clothing items are comfortable, and they adapt well to a variety of workplace temperatures. Other types of protection include leather, rubberized fabrics, and disposable suits. RESPIRATOR PROTECTION OSHA has requirements for respirators to control occupational diseases caused by breathing air contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, ... eye hazards can be found in nearly every industry, but BLS reported that more than 40% of injuries studied occurred among craft workers such as mechanics, repair persons, carpenters, and plumbers. Over a third of the injured workers were operatives, such as assemblers, sanders, and grinding machine operators. Laborers suffered about one-fifth of the eye injuries. Almost half the injured workers were employed in manufacturing; slightly more than 20% were in construction. HOW CAN EYE INJURIES BE PREVENTED? Always wear effective eye protection. OSHA standards require employers to provide workers with suitable eye protection. To be effective, the eyewear must be of the appropriate type for the hazard encountered and properly fitted. For example, the BLS survey showed that 94% of the injuries to workers wearing eye protection resulted ...