what every consultant needs to hear

This was received out of the blue yesterday after not having been in touch with a member of the Board of one of my existing clients for a couple of years (I guess all is going well!):

We have had such a good experience with ModPay at the {client name}, I would be grateful for information on setting up ModPay with a non-profit in Philadelphia... Would you be kind enough to call me at {phone number}?

Makes us proud to help and to be referred over and over again.

Will paper check acceptance at retail locations become a thing of the past?

Whole Foods is a leader in the retail food industry They may stop accepting checks at the point of sale-does this mean checks will become a dinosaur someday? This story in the LA Times may predict our future.
What do you think?

blog block

From time to time people create new phrases that actually describe something I have witnessed yet searched for a term for its correct and concise description.

Blog block.

In the meeting this morning some of my colleagues expressed a reluctance to start their own blog as a means of marketing themselves. As if they were not capable of this (not the case), they had a block preventing them from starting, like the dreaded "writer's block."

My blog block comes from time to time. But in my case I want to express something and keep a regular schedule blogging but don't know quite what or how to say it in virtual words. Or I know I can't say it completely effectively and then just move on to something else more tangible.

Blog block.

I wonder if some of my colleagues and fellow bloggers also experience this, as misery LOVES company--do you ever get blog block?

Would you like to save $4000 a year?

It pains me to meet a nonprofit to find out that their credit card rates and other online donor services are so out of the market that they could realize savings of $4000 a year, that's a 50% savings! It happened again last week in Stamford.

Not that they are foolish or asleep at the wheel; on the contrary. It's just that my trained and objective eye can find new ways to give them the same functionality (actually better!) for less.

Once a controller came up to me after a presentation meeting at which I won their business and said, "You don't realize what you've just done-you saved us enough money to take one of our staffers and make her a full time employee."

Now that's good for the employee and for the organization. And it makes me feel good too, that I am able to help out in a new way.

What can we do for you?

Thanks!

First, I want to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving.

Be thankful for:

· the business relationships you have earned this past year,

· for the friends you rely on,

· for the family that surrounds you, and

· for those who are trying to make significant changes to preserve, and improve, our way of life.

Second, thanks to those of you who are my clients.

Finally and not insignificant in the least, thank you for the gift that is Gotham.

Thank you to those who have referred business to me (you know who you are and how special that is to me).

I value my entire network of business relationships, for whom I try to provide the attention and service we all deserve but seldom receive.

Have a great holiday!

podcast...cooooool

I never did a radio show before but was thrilled when Liz Kopyscinski, Vice President Belray Asset Management, asked me to spend a half-hour on her weekly podcast about local businesses. It went so fast and when you enjoy doing something it's easy to speak about it! Thanks, Liz, for the invite and I hope all of you enjoy listening:

http://www.belraycommunity.com/radio/belray-radio.html