Preventative chip protection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46WmHdd5Y_g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

THE HOLY GRAIL IN BATHTUB COATINGS.

What are the differences between tub coatings???

We at COGENT COATINGS In an effort to produce the best possible coatings need info and feed back. 
What makes YOUR coating work for YOU??? Is it price, ease of use, availability, dry time, mix ratio??? so on and so on ............

Remember that WE CAN control the products we use and if WE CAN put together all of the things we want out of a coating into one product then WE will have truly created the HOLY GRAIL of bathtub coatings.

Please post YOUR comments and feel free to say what YOU don't like as well. Please dont use product names as WE don't want to pick any fights or hurt any feelings. This is an effort to produce superior coatings at affordable prices FOR US BY US!!

Remember

 STRENGTH IN NUMBERS---- Produces RESULTS IN ACTIONS!!!!

Lets get together I'll host in Clifton NJ.............. :)

NO CYBER BULLING OR BASHING!!!!!

YOU POST WILL BE DELETED A.S.A.P

Why am I getting Orange Peel…HELP!!!

Posted by: FUJI

Why am I getting Orange Peel is one of the most common questions we get asked at FUJI Spray.

“Orange peel is a certain kind of finish that may develop on painted and cast surfaces, even screen protectors. The texture resembles the surface of the skin of an orange (fruit).”

Paint sprayed on a smooth surface (such as the body of a car or the surface of a furniture piece or cabinet) should dry into a smooth surface. At times various factors can cause it to dry into a bumpy surface resembling this texture.

Orange Peel can be prevented altogether by changing the painting technique or the properties of the material being used.

Here is a quick checklist to consider if you are experiencing orange peel….

1.    Does the material being sprayed need to be thinned?

§  As a rule of thumb most materials need to be thinned.

2.    How wide of a fan are you spraying and how far away are you from the surface?

§  Usually 4-5” wide from 6-8” inches away works best.

3.    Are you moving the gun properly?

§  Moving the gun like an Orchestra Conductor, with a loose wrist works best.

4.    Are you overlapping correctly?

§  We suggest that you should aim to overlap 1/3 – 1/2 with each pass

The number one issue for orange peel is that the material is too thick.

To remedy this, add more thinner (or appropriate solvent) to the mixture. For fast drying products such as lacquers, you may also want to add a lacquer slowing agent such as Floetrol. This will slow the drying time allowing the material to flow out and level nicely.

With the newer water-based materials orange peel is usually a result of spraying on too thick of a film. Try spraying an extremely THIN FILM, but still WET coat. A wet coat being “no dry spots that you think will flow together” and at the other end “no puddles or runs”.

Remember don’t turn the air down too much.  The more air used, the finer the atomisation will be.

This is why we suggest leaving the air control valve fully open when experimenting with a new coating material, otherwise it will cause confusion. If the air control valve is fully open (or perhaps removed for Latex spraying) then orange peel can only be one cause – our number one factor, the material being sprayed is too thick and must be thinned.

Spraying takes practice (both with the gun and the material you are working with). No one can be a master finisher on their first attempt. As they say “practice makes perfect”.  Happy Spraying!!

How to Avoid Getting a Speeding Ticket and Myths

We Refinishers Are Exposed To Tickets More Than The Average Joe. Traffic Cop Tells All: How to Avoid Getting a Speeding Ticket (and Other Tips)

Okay, so the best way to avoid getting a speeding ticket is not to speed, but you knew that. What you really want to know is, how do you speed and not get a ticket?

By Matt Peckham 

Matthias Clamer / Getty Images

Okay, so the best way to avoid getting a speeding ticket is not to speed, but you knew that. What you really want to know is, how do you speed and not get a ticket?

One way: Go 189 m.p.h. That’s insane, of course, and you’d have to be to drive that fast anywhere not a speedway or the Bonneville Salt Flats, but according to former traffic cop Mike Brucks, that’s what it took for him to let a speeder go.

“I clocked a guy on a crotch-rocket bike doing 189 mph,” said Brucks in an interview with Popular Mechanics. “Just let him go. Since police departments began to get sued for chasing speeders, around 1995, there’s a fine line. You have to determine if you can catch him, if chasing him will cause an accident for him, for you, for the public. There’s no way to catch anyone like that.”

After working as a military traffic cop for six years, Brucks joined the El Paso Police Department where he dueled with speeders for 22 years from the back of Kawasakis and Harley-Davidsons before retiring last May. Over the course of his career, he says he issued nearly 40,000 tickets. Why motorcycles? Because they trump cars when it comes to catching speeders: You can accelerate faster, says Bruck, and they’re easier to navigate through traffic.

What were his favorite hiding places? Overpasses and bridges on freeways, but even then, he notes, location was everything: “If there are a lot of exits, I can miss [a speeder] who can maybe get off at an exit, and then it’s too late to catch him.”

A lot of people assume, rightly or wrongly, that the margin over the posted limit you can speed before a traffic cop’s going to bother is around 10 m.p.h. For Bruck, it was more like 20 m.p.h., at least in areas he says had “a lot of visibility,” though it sounds like anything exceeding 80 m.p.h. was cause for pursuit. ”Above 75 mph things just happen so fast, [whether it's] a flat tire, a coyote, wind, dirt, or rocks,” he says. “It’s not that much better now that cars are safer; reaction times are still the same.”

While talking your way out of a ticket is probably next to impossible, Bruck says someone speeding to get to a family member just sent to the hospital might do the trick. Also: if you’re tracking down your spouse, who’s having (or about to have) an affair.

“I clocked a woman coming down from New Mexico on Highway 54 at 111 mph,” says Bruck. “She had just been stopped for going 90 mph 15 minutes [earlier] in New Mexico … She had been crying, and the tears didn’t just start — they’d been going on a long time, you can tell. She was on her way to a motel in El Paso to catch her husband who was shacked up with another woman there, cheating. How do you write a ticket for that?”

Try this:

Pull your license and insurance papers out and put them on the dash in front of you before he gets out of his car or off his bike. Put your hands on your head or the dash in front of the wheel. Apologize for making him stop you and explain that you know traffic stops are fraught with danger and tell the truth about your speeding. If it is dark don't forget to turn your interior lights on before reaches your vehicle in addition to everything else.

Check out these myths:

6 Myths That Are NOT Going

To Help You Win Your Case

(Avoid This Loser Advice!)

Let’s just debunk a few myths quickly. This should save you from spending money on ridiculous scams and relying on faulty tactics.

Myth #1:

I wasn’t really speeding and the officer will have to tell the truth (I have notes).

Nope. He won’t. You can’t hope to challenge the officer’s recollection of the events.

If there were three other cars and a truck coming down the road at the same time as you, he will say there was only one and he will be believed.

(You don’t think the court is going to take your word, or the word of your biased witness, against his, do you? I hope not.)

Myth #2:

There is a mistake on my ticket.

Possible. But it must be a fatal flaw and not an immaterial mistake. If the license plate # is wrong but the officer identifies your car – you lose.

If your name is spelled wrong – you still lose. If the ticket says a Grey Saab and you have a red pick-up – you win that one. (Save your money and don’t buy the book.)

Myth #3:

Try to get your case postponed hoping the officer doesn’t show.

When the officer does show up, what do you do then?

(There’s actually a book out there that advocates finding out when the officer is on vacation and trying to schedule the trial then. Sure, the cops at the station will be happy to hand out their work and vacation schedules. Why not ask them for addresses and their kid’s schools while you’re at it!)

Myth #4:

Claim “Speeding out of necessity”, or some other “can’t fail” excuse.

(There better be someone bleeding in your back seat to make this one work.)

Myth #5:

Plea bargain to go to traffic school.

Why in the world would you want to do that when you can get 100% off? Most pleas fall on deaf ears. These folks go through case after case after case and have heard it all before.

If they are willing to negotiate, they will ask you.

(Unless of course you like pleading with hard-asses and hope to be allowed to go to traffic school as a remote prize).

Myth #6:

I can trip up the officer through my clever questions and reduce his credibility.

If you are really, really good, you may catch Officer Stone on some inconsistency. But it is highly doubtful you can beat him this way.

He is trained and does this all the time. Remember, the court is on his side.

So if you thought any of the above tricks were going to get you off, think again.

Gimmicks don’t work.

The above information was taken from the Speeding Ticket Fixer web-site

Choosing the Correct Air Cap Set

Here are some suggestions from FUJI SPRAY

Choosing the correct air cap set for your HVLP spray gun can sometimes be a chore. Not to mention when your selection may be the wrong one, then it would become a over the years through trial and error and by speaking to our distributors and customers headache.

Some of our customer inquiries at Fuji Spray are related to air cap selection. Therefore, we have compiled a few simple guidelines when selecting the correct air cap set for the job you are finishing.

For the most part when answering such customer questions we often suggest one of the following air cap sets:

• 1.0 mm
• 1.3 mm
• 1.8 mm

1.0 mm Air Cap Set:

The 1.0 mm which is our fine to medium output is great for most fine finishing including many water-based / borne coatings. It allows for a thinner, wet coat to be applied. It is also good when using nitrocellulose lacquers, sealer, cellulose, acrylics, synthetics, polyurethane, stains, varnish, and primers.

1.3 mm Air Cap Set:

Our standard air cap set is the 1.3mm which is ideal for most fine finishing products. This air cap set is also great for when using nitrocellulose lacquers, water-based finishes, varnish, urethanes, enamel, latex for louver doors, trims and cabinets, and oil based paints.

1.8mm Air Cap Set:

The 1.8 mm is our high output air cap set. It is ideal for larger surfaces, and thicker layers. It is also great when using catalyzed lacquers, primers, varnish, urethanes, enamel, industrial coating (higher viscosity), sealers, polyurethane, oil based paints, epoxy enamels, plastic, adhesives, floor paving paints, latex (walls), splatter paints and multi fleck paints.

Over the years we have found that for the most part set ups ranging from 1.0mm-1.5mm should be ideal for most fine finishing applications.

To take the headache out of guessing wrong, located on our website at tubklass.com is the completed Fuji Quick Reference Sheet illustrating the guidelines and finish usage for air cap set ranging from 0.8mm to our highest at 2.5mm. You can also find additional information on finish problems & solutions, viscosity cup index and spray patterns.

Not every setup will be identical for every user. Other considerations include; percentage of thinning, temperature, humidity, location, elevation above sea water, strength of the turbine motor, and distance of the spray gun from the work in progress.

Always remember that these are guidelines and experimentation is always the best way to decide which set up works best in the end.

Happy Spraying!

10 Things Employees Want More Than a Raise

 

Making big money is often less important to employees than satisfying these basic needs.

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Contrary to popular belief, employees value many things more than the amount of money they're being paid.  If they're treated right, employees will not only work for less, they'll be happier and more productive as they do so.

Based upon hundreds of conversations I've had about bosses and jobs, here's what employees really want:

1. To feel proud.

When asked what they do for a living, employees want to boast rather than apologize. They want the people they meet to be at least a little impressed, even if it's only because the employee has taken on a job that's generally thankless.

2. To be treated fairly.

While almost everyone realizes that life isn't fair, employees don't want the boss to make life more unfair than it already is.  Employees hate favoritism.  They expect the perks and promotions to go to the people who work hard, not the people who kiss butt.

3. To respect the boss.

Employees want respect from the boss, of course, but just as strong is the need to feel respectfor the boss!  Employees want to believe in that their boss is a leader who is worthy of their loyalty.

4. To be heard out.

Employees hate it when the boss doesn't have the time or the interest to listen to what they have to say. Employees don't expect the boss to always take their advice, but if the boss won't hear them out they (rightly) assume the boss doesn't care about them.

5. To have a personal life.

For many bosses (especially entrepreneurs) work is a way of life.  Employees, however, usually think of friends and family as their "real" life.  Even when they're committed to their job, they get twitchy when work keeps them away too much.

6. To be coached not micromanaged.

Employees want the boss's help when 1) they ask for it, or 2) they're floundering so badly they're afraid to ask for it.  What employees don't want is to have the boss looking over their shoulder all the time.

7. To see the assh*les get fired.

In almost every workplace there are one or two jerks who make life miserable for everybody.  Almost more than anything else, employees want the boss to fire those jerks. If the boss doesn't, employees know he's either a weakling, a fool, or a jerk himself.

8. To feel less stress.

People hate the sense that they've got too much to do and not enough time to do it. Bosses must plan carefully, anticipate problems and set realistic goals, so that they don't accidentally and unnecessarily add stress to employees' lives.

9. To have a little security.

No sane employee expects lifetime employment.  Even so, it's hard to concentrate when you feel as if a sword is hanging over your head. Employees want to know that they're not wasting their time when they're giving your their best.

10. To beat the competition.

Finally, never underestimate the power of teamwork, especially when teamwork means grinding the other team into the dust.  Employees don't want to be team players; they want to play on the winning team.

Why isn't money on the list of desires? Well, as it happens, I've seldom heard anybody complain about their salary per se, except in the context of the above desires (i.e. "they don't pay me enough to put up with this.")

Satisfy the ten desires above and your employees will remain loyal and hardworking, even if you're paying them less (and maybe even far less) than they might earn elsewhere.

BY GEOFFREY JAMES

HVLP Turbine vs Conventional spray guns

Whether you're doing a refinishing job on a simple woodworking project such as a wall-mounted coat rack, or tackling something more complex, such as refinishing your grandfather's antique rolltop desk, you'll need a little knowledge and some basic finishing equipment to get the job done right. There are two basic types of finishing spray guns available on the market. The newer ones are high-volume, low-pressure guns, also known as HVLP, and then there's "Old Faithful," the conventional spray gun. Both of these guns do a good job of putting on finishes, but each has its own design differences that you will have to consider before you decide which you want to buy.

Conventional spray guns operate at a basic, high pressure. They connect to an air compressor and the finish is "blasted" onto your project using this high pressure. Because this high-pressure finely atomizes the spray, in that it produces very fine particles, this gives a very nice smooth application, whether it be a clear shellac, varnish or paint. Despite this excellent end result, conventional spray guns are only about 30% effective. 30% of the finish actually ends up where it's supposed to go, on the wood. The other 70% is released to the atmosphere. This both wastes material and is detrimental to the environment as well.

The high-volume low-pressure spray guns are new to those who like to tackle "do-it-yourself" projects. These guns increase transfer efficiency, which means that much more of the finish medium is actually transferred to the wood instead of wasted. Unfortunately, many of the solvents used today in wood finishing products are detrimental to air quality. Therefore, not only is it industry standard to use the high-volume low-pressure guns, but it is actually mandatory to use a high-pressure low-volume gun, as ordered many local governments and state. With the HVLP system, air is delivered at much higher volume, but with a much lower pressure, so that more finish ends up on the wood instead of in the air.

There are two different types of high-volume low-pressure spray gun systems on the market. The first utilizes pre-existing equipment, because it converts the traditional spray gun system into a high-volume low-pressure system. This is known as a "conversion high-volume low-pressure spray gun." With this system, the spray gun still runs off an air compressor just as a conventional spray gun does, but it uses much lower pressure, about 25 pounds per square inch. It's not as efficient as the newer turbine air system, but it is still much better than a conventional spray gun and is a cost-effective alternative for someone who already owns an air compressor.

The second type of high-volume low-pressure spray gun is the most efficient, and this is suitable for someone who doesn't already own an air compressor. This spray gun operates off of an air turbine instead of air compressor. This delivers an extremely high volume of air at very low pressure, about four to six pounds per square inch. This is more costly than an air compressor, but because it is so much more efficient, it may be worth the investment if you don't already own an air compressor.

Regardless of whether you are using a high-volume low-pressure spray gun or a conventional spray gun, you still must protect yourself by spraying in a well-ventilated area and use proper safety equipment, including a respirator. In addition, many manufacturers now produce several water-based finishes that are not flammable. In addition, because they use water as a base instead of something like lacquer, they are much easier to use and also cause less harm to the environment than do traditional finishes.

by: Megan Cherry

How to Get Clients to Pay Invoices Promptly

1.   1

Make your payment policies clear at the time your services are retained. However yourbusiness is approved, whether it's by a client meeting, or by you submitting a bid, at some point, your client must agree to your estimated price for the work they want done. If your payment policies are stated clearly on your contract, bid, or whatever document you use to bind the contract, you are ahead of the game.

2.   2

Accept all forms of payment and encourage credit card payment. If possible, take credit cards. In this way, you are sure to be paid in timely fashion even if the client doesn't have the funds at the current moment. Shop for a merchant account provider and set up credit card processing for your business

3.   3

Get a deposit in advance. Unless you have a relationship of long standing with the client, get money in advance, and then plan to collect some more midway through the job. Usually, this is 30/30/40 - 30% in advance (to bind you, and to enable you to purchase materials), 30% upon completion of some agreed-upon benchmark, such as delivery of comps (rough sketches, if you are an artist, or small printouts if you make signs or do other design type work, etc), and the balance upon completion. By the way, make sure it's clear that "completion" means on the day you deliver it - not whenever they feel like it.

4.   4

Always let the customer pay when they offer. One of the dumbest things business owners do is shoot themselves in the foot by not accepting a check when it's offered. Many times, a client will ask, "Do you need a check now?" and the business owner says, "No, that's okay, we'll get it at the end." Don't do this! If the customer is happy to pay up front -let him!

5.   5

Make arrangements for payment before you deliver the final product. Hold back enough so that they will need to pay you before you deliver the finished job. It is notunprofessional for you to do so, though many business owners consider this a "low-rent" practice. It's not low-rent - it does not telegraph to your clients that you cannot afford to await payment - it lets them know that you are a professional accustomed to being paid for your work in a timely manner. Just say something like, "Hey, Mr. Jones, I have your job all ready to deliver. Can you have a check ready for me if I swing by around 3 PM?. The balance due is $470.78."

6.   6

Follow up every day until you receive your money. Obviously, you should try to get paid before this need arises. However, sometimes, you have a lapse in judgment, or you're lulled into a sense of security by a client you've had no problems with in the past. The thing is, once your client realizes your payment policies are lax, s/he will opportunistically attempt to exploit it every time. And remember - every minute that you are working to get paid is a minute that (A) you are working a second time for money you've already earned and (B) you are not working on a new job, which still needs to be finished on time, and you're running that job later by the minute.

7.   7

Apply your payment policies to every single customer. Don't give your friend Joe's buddy a bye on this. If anything, treat friends of friends with even less trust than a stranger - they often attempt to take advantage of your cozy relationship with their brother, buddy, whatever. If this guy has not paid you by your due date, call him immediately and ask for payment. If you are put off till the next day, call again the very next morning.

8.   8

Contact the credit agencies. Printing a warning on the bottom of your invoices is fine, but if you fail to follow it up, you won't ever be taken seriously. Contact the credit agencies, Experian, TRW, etc., and report late-payers. If it's their first time, call the client first, and let them know that you're terribly sorry to do it, but unless you receive their payment before the 30 day deadline, you will have to report it to the credit agencies, thus damaging their credit. It's a powerful incentive to pay.

8 Things Really Successful People Do

Real success takes discipline and methodology. Here are eight things the most successful people are meticulous about getting right.

 

Most people claim to want success. But not everyone is willing to do the hard work and the smart work to get there. Often opportunities present themselves and because people are distracted, they miss them or give up on them before things fully develop.

Truly successful people don't leave much to chance. They are disciplined and focused.  They constantly seek new methods to achieve more, in bigger and faster ways. Listed below are eight different practices that will help you concentrate your efforts on rising above the tide.

1. Make Materialism Irrelevant

Fancy cars and houses are all well and good, but many foolishly focus on the byproducts of success, rather than concentrating on building sustainable success in the first place. Establish a bare minimum for your material needs, and then you can enjoy the benefits of success, debt and stress free.

2. Enhance Knowledge

Success comes faster to those who are open, active learners. The higher up the success ladder you climb, the more complex the systems and opportunities that are presented to you. Absorb all the information you can and if you sense a gap you can't fill, connect with people who have the knowledge you need.

3. Manage Relationship Expectations

People in your life require time. Successful individuals attract folk and so they have to carefully regulate the time they can spend with others. It's hard to limit the time you share and still make people feel important. Make choices about the people who matter to you and determine how you each can get value from your interactions. Then make sure they understand your limitations so they don't take it personally when you can't be present.

4. Practice Emotional Self-Awareness

Not all successful people are calm and nice. In fact, many can be volatile. But most are very aware of their tempers and idiosyncrasies. They know how to use their emotions to get what they want from life and work hard to make sure feelings don't become a detriment. Know yourself and learn how to let your emotions work for you in positive ways.

5. Commit to a Physical Ideal 

Everyone has a vision of their own perfect body. They don't have to be fashion models or athletes to be happy. But physical health is a consideration in their life and it's a big distraction when it gets out of whack. Determine the body you believe is worth working for and set a game plan to achieve and maintain it.

6. Gain Clarity About Spirituality

There are many highly successful people like Richard Branson and Warren Buffettwho don't consider religion to be important or relevant. But they have a clear point of view as to the role spirituality plays in their life. Find your own way to be at one with the universe and be clear and deliberate in how you practice.

7. Adhere to a Code of Ethics  

Really successful people live by rules. They may not be the rules of others, but consistency is important for them to maintain power and stability. Their individual view of how the world works is the basis for how they believe people should be treated and they will defend it until their dying day. Determine your ethical lines and broadcast them loud and clear so people around you know where you stand.

8. Focus on Time Efficiency

Prioritization is a key component of success. You can't reach your pinnacle if you are wasting time on distractions. Integration of activities frees up time for greater achievement. Spend your time on activities that are fun, enlightening and productive and soon you'll have gained hours to reap the benefits of success.

Ultimately, really successful people live their lives by design instead of default, so if you want to be one of them, dedicate time and effort to determining the plan for yourpreferred future and execute that plan in a focused and consistent manner.

By Kevin Daum 

Top 5 Tips for Dealing with Troublesome Customers

Advice for small, home and micro business owners.

1. The most important rule to abide by when dealing with awkward customers (and also potentially the hardest one to stick to) is to remain patient. Becoming impatient with customers is very unprofessional (even if they are argumentative and demanding) because they are only trying to get a resolution to their problems.

2. You must maintain a positive outlook at all times, even if the stress of the situation is getting you down. Negativity will only result in increasing the hostility of a problem customer even further.

3. Try to listen more than you actually speak to disgruntled customers. This is important to help you understand what their actual grievance is. Listening carefully increases the likelihood that you will be able to solve their problem.

4. Whatever you do, don’t argue back with a customer, regardless of what they say or the accusations they make. Dealing with a confrontation with your own hostility will only make a bad situation far worse.

5. If you find yourself spending far too much of your time on one problem customer you need to evaluate if this the best decision for the overall health of your business. The customer is not always right and as a small business with a limited amount of resources you may find life easier if you just stop dealing with this person altogether.

By: Stefan Töpfer

How to End the Small Business Feast and Famine Sales Cycle

Do you have feast and famine months in your small business?

Times when you’re so busy you don’t know where to turn and then times when it’s so quiet that you’re desperately willing the phone to ring with a new customer?

Avoiding the feast and famine cycle is one of the hardest parts of small business sales and one of the key early focuses of my small business coaching.

It’s hard because in the famine times:

·         you’ll be frustrated at the lack of activity

·         you’ll be stressed about maintaining cash flow

·         you’ll doubt your ability and business idea

·         you’ll waste money with knee jerk advertising

But I’ve got some good news for you.

I’m going to show you exactly why the feast and famine cycle occurs and how to rid your business of it forever.

Building a Sales Pipeline

The key to ending the feast and famine cycle is to build a sales pipeline.

Like the pipeline that comes into your house to carry water.

If your water supplier has a problem, and the water stops flowing through the pipe, your supply dries up and nothing happens when you turn the tap.

That’s the feast and famine cycle in a nutshell.

You have to ensure that you feed your sales pipeline with a constant flow of new opportunities.

The more opportunities you have coming into your sales pipeline, the lower the risk of famine.

How to Find New Opportunities

I suggest that you pick five small business marketing activities that you focus on every day to pro-actively add opportunities to your sales pipeline.

Such as building a blog for of compelling relevant content, connecting with people who could use your services via LinkedIn, using small business email marketing visiting local business in your town or city to start relationships.  The list is endless, hence why you need to focus.

Why five?

It’s not a magic number but if you do less than five you risk not having enough new opportunities coming into the sales pipeline, and if you do more you risk getting overwhelmed and not doing your best at any.

Building a Small Business Marketing Mix that Works

Consider these three questions to help you pick your five focused small business marketing activities:

1. What’s already working?

How did you find your current or past customers?  Take a look at all of your current and past customers and review how you found them.  Review any activities that worked for you previously, has anything changed, have you stopped doing something?  Can you make that activity work for you again?

2. What can you start today?

Don’t pick things that will take a long of time to get started.

If you’re already in famine you need to get opportunities into your sales pipeline quickly, don’t wait two months to get your website redesigned or to go on a course about how to use Twitter for business.

Focus on things you can start today, when you have opportunities in your sales pipeline you can easily review the results of your marketing mix and decide if you should add something that will help you build for the future.

3. What do you enjoy?

It’s no good having an activity in your small business marketing mix that you don’t enjoy, you’ll put off doing it and hate every moment of it.  That isn’t the best way to build your sales pipeline.

Focus on marketing activities that you are willing to commit to 100%, that you’ll be motivated to spend enough time on to get results.

Don’t Copy Your Competitors

Notice that I didn’t say “look at what your competitors are doing”.  That’s because you need to stand out from your competitors and pick five methods that you are happy with.

It doesn’t matter what your competitors are doing – build a small business marketing mix that you enjoy and that will work for you.

Get Help to Fill Your Sales Pipeline

You don’t have to fill your sales pipeline on your own.

It’s good to have five focus small business marketing activities for continually adding new opportunities to your pipeline, but you can get other people to help you – more hands to the pump as the saying goes.

Remember to ask past customers, colleagues, friends and family if they know anyone who could use your products and services or if they have requirements themselves – you’re looking for new opportunities, not always just new customers.

One of the reasons you should build customer relationships is that customers who are willing to be advocates for your business can spread the word and help build your sales pipeline.

Never Turn off the Supply

The two dangers with the feast and famine cycle are that you are not proactive enough to constantly fill the sales pipeline and that when you get too busy you stop.

If you stop adding to the pipeline the supply will go dry, contacts will go cold and sooner or later you’ll be in famine.

Always ensure that you keep adding to the sales pipeline.  Find ways to be more efficient with your small business marketing when you’re busy but never stop your focus activities, the more opportunities you have in your pipeline the better.

Summary

To end the feast and famine cycle in your small business you need to be constantly proactive, focus on a small number of marketing activities and never stop filling your sales pipeline with fresh opportunities.

Have you experienced the feast and famine in your own small business?  Please leave a comment and let me know how you’ve coped with it.

 By: Robert Peters

Robert Peters is a Small Business Advisor, Coach & Consultant who helps grow sustainable and profitable businesses.