Your advertising can change your results
March 4, 2020
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,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, marketing-and-communications
Avoid Being the Cobbler with Bad Shoes
March 3, 2020
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
February 26, 2020
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…
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Is it time to upgrade your computer?
February 25, 2020
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…
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A Roadmap to Your Savings Journey
February 24, 2020
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
February 19, 2020
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…
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Check scam targets Generation Z
February 18, 2020
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…
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DNA scam hits Lexington County
February 12, 2020
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…
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Your advantage is always in jeopardy
February 12, 2020
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…
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Cutting-Edge Direct Primary Care and On-Site Clinics Can Save You Money
February 11, 2020
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?
February 5, 2020
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…
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Don’t ruin your reputation online
February 5, 2020
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…
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Top reasons to embrace an education in the trades
February 2, 2020
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
January 29, 2020
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…
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Beware new package delivery scam
January 29, 2020
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…
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Going the extra mile for clients: A guide
January 28, 2020
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
January 22, 2020
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
January 21, 2020
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
January 15, 2020
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?
January 14, 2020
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,…
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The Importance of Brand Reputation in a Crisis
January 13, 2020
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
January 8, 2020
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?
January 8, 2020
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…
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3 Steps to Improve your Public Engagement In 2020
January 6, 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
January 2, 2020
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…
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Develop your own millionaire habits
January 2, 2020
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
December 26, 2019
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
December 26, 2019
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
December 18, 2019
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…
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FTC settlements protect consumers
December 17, 2019
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…
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5 Tips to Plan your 2020 Social Media Strategy
December 16, 2019
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
December 13, 2019
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…
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Want to be the low price leader?
December 11, 2019
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…
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Holidays not the time for less vigilance
December 9, 2019
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…
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How to earn your prospects’ trust
December 4, 2019
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…
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Beware dangerous phone chargers
December 3, 2019
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…
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How to create effective marketing? It’s simple use your magic!
December 2, 2019
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…
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Business Communications in an Era of Fake News
December 2, 2019
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?
December 2, 2019
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…
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Do Not Call Registry data book released
November 25, 2019
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…
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4 magic words to deal with fear
November 25, 2019
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’
November 20, 2019
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…
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Simplify cooking and grocery shopping
November 19, 2019
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
November 18, 2019
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
November 13, 2019
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…
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Just hang up on a robot
November 13, 2019
By Katie Ritchie If you’ve been bombarded by more robocalls than usual in the last 2 months, you aren’t alone. A reader emailed to report he has gotten calls…
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End of the Year Finances…4 Reasons Why They Are So Important
November 10, 2019
Caffeinated Conversations: Tuesday, November 12th at 7:45 am at the United Way of the Midlands Expect the Unexpected Mike Tyson, former heavyweight champion of the world, once made…
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SC vulnerable to ID theft, fraud
November 6, 2019
By Katie Ritchie Identity theft and fraud are serious issues. From January 1, 2005, to August 31, 2019, there have been 10,818 breaches. That comes out to 1.6 billion…
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Your 3 best connecting strategies
November 6, 2019
By Jerry Bellune MaryEllen Tribby believes “connecting” is a better word than “networking.” Her 3 best connecting strategies are: 1. Cultivate relationships. Project an image of warmth, approachability, understanding,…
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Bipartisanship: in Business and in Politics
November 4, 2019
By Sam Johnson NP Strategy Senator John McCain notably stated that “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act despite our fears.” He understood that…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, marketing-and-communications, non-profit
