Terminix Warns About Increased Termite Activity Due to Warm, Wet Winter
Termites thrive in warm, wet environments. Unfortunately many homeowners in the southeast, including those in Columbia can expect to see higher termite activity than normal due to the above-average temperatures…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, commercial-real-estate, environmental, on-the-move, residential-real-estate
Officials target telecom companies
By Katie Ritchie Spam phone calls and Do Not Call List registrations hit records last year. Safehome.org, an organization that investigates and evaluates home and personal safety products and…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
Reward your winners, ditch your losers
By Jerry Bellune Which unprofitable products, services and procedures do you and your people put up with? Who are your least productive people and what do they do to…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
The Ultimate Gift: A Road Map for Funeral Wishes
By Laird W. Green CFP® from Abacus Planning Group “Facing death with a sense of practicality, equanimity, and clarity is the ultimate gift you can leave your children, friends, and…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, banking-and-finance, on-the-move
Need to upgrade your cell phone?
By Katie Ritchie How long does technology last? Last week I answered part of reader Linda Sinclair’s question. When do you need to upgrade your cell? If you listened…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
Your advertising can change your results
By Jerry Bellune 40 years ago, ace copywriter Denny Hatch heard Dorothy Kerr of US News & World Report say, “If you want to be successful in direct mail,…
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Avoid Being the Cobbler with Bad Shoes
By Amanda Loveday NP Strategy For many of us, our day-to-day activities are dictated by the services we provide to our customers – so much so, that we too…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, non-profit, on-the-move
How to cut your customer acquisition cost
By Jerry Bellune Why don’t your customers refer? Here are 7 reasons from our friend Ruth King: 1. You have no active, non-pressure program so they don’t think about…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
Is it time to upgrade your computer?
By Katie Ritchie How long should you keep your cell phone or computer before it’s time for an upgrade? One of our readers, Linda Sinclair, emailed to ask. There…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
A Roadmap to Your Savings Journey
By Curtis Loftis South Carolina State Treasurer Saving money can be like driving a car. Your desired destination may be near or far, the direction you choose might change,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, banking-and-finance, education, on-the-move
Your book can change your life
By Jerry Bellune Could writing and publishing your book take your success in life to a higher level? It has in mine. 15 years ago, I was struggling to…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
Check scam targets Generation Z
By Katie Ritchie A new scam is taking advantage of 20-somethings. The Federal Trade Commission said consumers in their twenties have been hardest hit by fake check scams. Median…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
DNA scam hits Lexington County
By Katie Ritchie Have you gotten a suspicious call offering you “free” or “Medicare-funded” testing? Chronicle reader Paul Donahue recently got a suspicious call. He reached out to me…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
Your advantage is always in jeopardy
By Jerry Bellune You don’t have to be a football fan to appreciate 3 lessons from the Super Bowl. You may recall the year the Atlanta Falcons ran all…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
Cutting-Edge Direct Primary Care and On-Site Clinics Can Save You Money
By Brian Morris President, Fulcrum Risk Solutions Whether you are an employer trying to manage healthcare costs, or an employee trying to stay healthy, it’s important to stay…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
Windows Defender malfunctioning?
By Katie Ritchie Tech-Savvy Chronicle reader Elizabeth Lindler called me last week. She got to the Windows Update screen from the 1/23 column and was able to install the…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
Don’t ruin your reputation online
By Katie Ritchie and Jerry Bellune Business owners know the importance of a strong online presence, says our ace Tech Talk columnist Katie Ritchie. Even if you don’t sell…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, technology
Top reasons to embrace an education in the trades
By Earl McLeod Executive Director Building Industry Association of SC If you know a student that is seeking a path that will lead to personal fulfillment, a career and technical…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, construction, education, employment, on-the-move
Give customers memorable experiences
by Jerry Bellune Here’s a competitive strategy: Create memorable experiences your customers can share with friends and have everyone talking about you and your products. The Wall Street Journal…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
Beware new package delivery scam
By Katie Ritchie Are you expecting a package? If you get a text on your phone asking to set delivery preferences, you’ve been targeted by a new scam. Here’s…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, technology
Going the extra mile for clients: A guide
By Jean Cecil Frick NP Strategy For those of us in the professional services industry, clients are our bread and butter. We are constantly looking for ways to…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
The results of being an extra miler
By Jerry Bellune You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate this story and the important business lesson you will discover in it. Joe Burrow transferred from…
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‘Critical issue’ requires update
By Katie Ritchie Do you use Windows 10? You may need to update your computer. The NSA alerted Microsoft to a vulnerability. The software giant released a patch to…
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Your 2020 whats, hows and whys
By Jerry Bellune We met with our Congressman earlier this month to talk about his 2020 agenda. He is a busy man whose district covers a lot of territory…
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Is your phone eavesdropping?
By Katie Ritchie The secret is out: our smartphones and assistants are listening in. The default settings on devices allow our voices to be recorded. The recordings are collected,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
The Importance of Brand Reputation in a Crisis
By Erin Sanders Senior Communications Advisor with NP Strategy When a crisis hits your organization – and it will – it’s important to have a solid crisis management plan…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
Don’t forget your medicine
By Katie Ritchie The weeks after the New Year are usually dedicated to creating new habits. Many folks want to get to the gym or eat better. The habit…
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Do you have a future on YouTube?
By Jerry Bellune What can you learn from an 8-year-old entrepreneur? How to sell lemonade? It’s far simpler than that. What has made Ryan Kaji highly successful is that…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
3 Steps to Improve your Public Engagement In 2020
By Jesica Johnson Mackey NP Strategy 2020 is here, and if you haven’t already, now is the time to identify some New Year’s resolutions for your company or organization.…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
Foreign spies use your chat app
By Katie Ritchie Many of us are wary of the way companies and apps use and misuse our private information. Facebook and Twitter are common offenders. Last week the…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
Develop your own millionaire habits
By Jerry Bellune Thomas C. Corley spent 5 years studying wealthy people. He found that they practice many of the same daily habits, such as reading, exercising, sleeping at…
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Giving becomes enlightened self-interest
By Jerry Bellune Last week, 15 local authors and 5 of us from our publishing company gathered at the library to autograph books. These books make unique gifts because…
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How to beat the Grinch in 2020
By Jerry Bellune How do you get the Grinch to go away? Think about where you want to go, what you want to do and write it down, advises…
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Shopping for CBD? Let Quality and Verifiability be Your Guide
By W. Louis Miles Founder, Clarity Nutraceuticals Like many native South Carolinians I applauded when state legislators allowed industrial hemp to be legally grown here. Putting family farms back in…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: advice, health-care, on-the-move
FTC settlements protect consumers
By Katie Ritchie Every month it seems like news breaks of another big scam or data breach. This week I wanted to focus on some positive news. First is…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
5 Tips to Plan your 2020 Social Media Strategy
By Sarah Robinson NP Strategy This year has flown by, and as the New Year approaches, so do the deadlines for 2020 planning. If you’re getting started with…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
Google gathering your health data
By Katie Ritchie Have you heard about “Project Nightingale?” It’s not a covert military operation. It’s the name of the partnership between tech giant Google and Ascension. one of…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
Want to be the low price leader?
By Jerry Bellune No, you don’t. Leave that to Walmart. Our friend Ruth King tells the story about Chuck the auto mechanic and Charles the Master Jaguar Craftsman. Chuck’s…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
Holidays not the time for less vigilance
By Sheriff Leon Lott We are in the midst of the holiday season when most of us more-deeply embrace that which we all want: “Peace on earth; good will toward…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, life, on-the-move
How to earn your prospects’ trust
By Katie Ritchie Occasionally you may have to cold call. It’s no fun, but there are ways to get in the door. Here are 2 suggested by so-called experts…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
Beware dangerous phone chargers
By Katie Ritchie It has happened to all of us. You’re out and about and realize your phone is running low. It’s especially common when you’re traveling. Airport waiting…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
How to create effective marketing? It’s simple use your magic!
By Ken Gasque Magic is the most powerful tool you have. Use it! And the most powerful tool for creating magic is a pencil. It is a magic wand…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
Business Communications in an Era of Fake News
By Alfred Leach NP Strategy No one knows what to believe anymore. Misinformation, disinformation and propaganda are being shared from an ever-increasing breadth of “fake news” sources (from social media…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, on-the-move
Have you planned your exit strategy?
By Jerry Bellune This time of year many of us have much to be thankful for. And those of us who have been at it many years are starting…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, business-services, marketing-and-communications
Do Not Call Registry data book released
By Katie Ritchie Over the last year, robocalls have been a popular Tech Talk topic. One of the resources I mentioned for stopping telemarketers was the Do Not Call…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, technology
4 magic words to deal with fear
By Jerry Bellune Physicist Albert Einstein said that to solve problems we’ve never dealt with before we must develop a new way of thinking about the problems and our…
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State Treasurer’s Office Works to ‘Serve Those Who Serve’
By South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis Our nation’s military members know what it means to serve. They are selfless individuals who have committed themselves to safeguarding our country, its…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, government, on-the-move
Simplify cooking and grocery shopping
By Katie Ritchie Have you planned your Thanksgiving menu? How about your holiday meal grocery shopping list? If you still need to work on it, there are free apps…
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Making Your Event Stand Out Through Sponsorships
By Emily Eckert NP Strategy Think back to an event that stuck out in your mind. The one you attended where your mouth dropped open when you walked in,…
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The 20% rule of costs and returns
By Jerry Bellune A friend called the other day to pick our brains. He wants to start a small weekly newspaper in his community and wanted to know what…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
