Love on the rocks.

Parts 1 and 2 have brought us to this stage of my better-bank-deal quest.

Thank you so much for reading and responding!

Today the plot finally crystallises.

Bert

As Sheryl the Specialised Case Manager presaged, Bert the Bank Manager and I had ‘fruitful conversations’ (via email).

Alas, the fruit was small, hard and bitter:

1. No relief on annual or monthly fees.
2. A total annual interest saving of … wait for it … $126.

Barry

I told Barry the Twitter Team Guy.

No response.

Con

Con the Home Loan Officer rang me once more for good measure, but to no effect.

Sheryl

I had an email chat with Sheryl (pleasantries removed to save space):

Hi, Sheryl,

Just thought I’d have a quiet word with you while I deliberate.

Do you feel happy with how this resolution is panning out?

Hi, Paul,

I am only happy if you are.

I can see that Bert is trying his best to assist you but ultimately the decisions will lay with you.

So Paul, are you happy with the way this is panning out?

Having achieved a mere 6.3% of my target saving of $2,000 I feel rather deflated.

I can’t tell whether this is truly the best ABank can do, or whether it’s the best they can do for a ‘little person’ like me.

After all this time and effort and drama, a saving of just $126 per year seems pretty paltry.

It doesn’t really inspire me to forge a 40-year alliance with ABank that showers us both in riches.

I think I may have to wait to see what the Choice initiative comes up with.

If it turns out that you guys really have done the best you can for me, I’ll accept my $126 with grace and apologise humbly for wasting everyone’s time.

If, however, Choice turns up a raft of significantly better deals, I’ll probably feel very let down that you guys couldn’t do likewise for me ahead of time.

Does this description of how I feel make sense to you, Sheryl?

To be honest saving money and discussing lending matters via email is not as effective as a verbal conversation… would you consider a conversation with Bert? This may lead to further options.

I assure you we want to help and we are doing all that we can at this moment. We would love to see you as one of our long term customers so I think it is time for an actual chat. Your thoughts?

As a writer, verbal isn’t my forte.

That’s probably why I’ve failed in all phone and face-to-face discussions to date.

I understand that much business is conducted this way.

I don’t understand why these ‘further options’ can’t be put in print. When I first took my loans, the terms were written in great detail.

Unless, of course, you’re talking about a negotiation – which I find even less desirable.

My readers have been following this story with interest.

As I feel confused and dispirited, I’ll seek their objective advice before getting back to you.

I do realise you’re trying, Sheryl.

I suspect I’m simply unsuited to your systems.

Paul

I’m tired, disheartened and torn.

Should I:

a)    Accept my modest fate.

b)    Battle on via email or Twitter.

c)    Pick up the phone.

d)    Send the wife in.

e)    Turn this into a novel and pay my loans with the proceeds.

f)     Change banks.

g)    Try something else (describe).

Unless you (or Choice) come up with something significant,

this could be …

The End

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

Where have all the comments gone?

We love hearing what you have to say, and stories you might have, so fear not, you’re still able to comment!  We’ve moved the party over to our new place, The Pulse.  Come and join the conversation on this post here.

Blink and you may miss it.

Here’s a business tip I learnt the hard way:

If you get a gig, job, order, project, piece of work or commission, do it NOW.

If you don’t, it may not be there tomorrow.

For several reasons.

Unkind Cut

A large IT firm gave me 100 recruitment ads to critique.

I toiled for much of Easter, getting 50 done.

Then I rewarded myself with a couple of days off.

When my client returned to work, he found his budget slashed by overseas corporate masters.

He was forced to cancel the project.

He paid me for what I’d done, which was half of what I could’ve done, had I pressed on.

As this happened when I was just starting out, I felt the revenue loss keenly.

Mind Altering

I was asked to source radio jingles for an automotive firm.

I offered the job to Adam, who quoted $3000.

The client approved the quote and Adam pulled several all-nighters to write, perform and record some rippers in double-quick time.

But before I could send them to the client, she abruptly changed her mind and tried to cancel the project.

Fortunately, I still had her email approval, so we had her cold.

Had Adam waited a few days, he’d have missed out on a lucrative gig.

Off Balance

Of course, this hot-iron-striking advice flies in the face of all our warm fuzzies about taking care of ourselves in business.

We’ve had wonderful suggestions about negotiating realistic deadlines, operating within our limits, maintaining work-life balance and so on.

But as GFC II threatens, I wonder if we can afford to dawdle on such shifting sands.

Vexed issues are best handled by the fine minds that inhabit this space.

And so I put it to you.

Your View

When you get a piece of business, do you:

a)    Luxuriate in the prospect and do it as, and when, you see fit.

b)    Seize it as if it were your last meal on earth and devour it on the spot.

c)    Attend to it fairly smartly, but without unseemly haste.

d)    Handle it some other way (please describe).

?

The clock’s ticking.

Let’s get to work!

…

No?

…

How about later?

…

…

Never mind.

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

                                                Have you been tempted?

These days, ‘conflict of interest’ seems to mean:

If it’s in my interest, there’s no conflict!

I don’t quite see it that way.

But I have.

Old School

When working for an ad agency, I was surprised to find myself writing for two BIG FIVE* clients in the same week.

I strive to do my best. So unless two clients have markedly different stories to tell, I feel conflicted that I can serve only one properly.

This means the second client gets a lesser deal, which upsets me.

As there was little light between these two clients, I asked the boss if we could cut one free and give the other our all.

I argued that in so doing so, we’d:

1. Capture the high moral ground (and thus sleep well at night).
2. Help our remaining client dominate their market (resulting in a growing spend).
3. Differentiate ourselves as a truly ethical supplier (and thus gain new, like-minded clients).

The boss regarded me as if I were insane, then explained that our foreign masters would be highly unamused if we sacked a million-dollar client for ethics.

The trouble was, we only had one studio.

As work for both clients grew, we told them we had separate creative facilities for each. Though technically true, the separation was a line of masking tape on the carpet and a direction not to look when the other side was printing.

One day, the bigger client sacked us, citing conflict of interest.

Not long after, the second client also left. As did many staff.

Conflict resolved.

New School

When I went freelance, I finally had the glorious chance to practise what I preached.

Instead, terrified of insolvency, I grabbed every client I could.

So much for ethics!

To my knowledge, no client was harmed in the conflict; but that’s splitting hairs.

It’s only now, years later, that I can ‘afford’ the luxury of focusing on one client in each sector.

But some things still sting.

Not Again!

Lately I’ve been doing a truckload of work for a BIG FOUR client.

Last week I was offered a job for this company’s arch rival.

The gig was perfect: fun, lucrative, interesting and right up my alley.

I could’ve done it without anyone knowing.

But that wouldn’t have been right.

So I knocked it back with gritted teeth.

My grateful client told me they were loyal and that I’d be rewarded.

There was talk of karma.

The Great Wheel

So, I’ve gone from angel to mercenary and back again.

I’ve learnt that conflicts of interest, while appearing external, really dwell within.

So how strong is your moral compass?

Have you foregone instant loot for chronic brownies?

Did you come back as a sea-eagle?

Do you think business and ethics can coexist?

Or, in today’s cut-throat world,

do good guys finish

last

?

* i.e. five fierce, roughly equal competitors dominated this sector.

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

                                                  

                                                     I had it, but lost it.

Early adopters are where it’s at.

While fairly hip to the groove, I got a very nasty shock on dipping my toe in the iTunes pool.

The following lesson may save you from losing your entire music collection.

It also teaches the value of taking extra special care of customers new to what you do.

Apple Virgin

As a former DJ, married to a dancing queen, I had many CDs.

Long a PC advocate (despite their many failings) I was wary of Apple iTunes.

Then Fonnie inexplicably received a free iPod shuffle when buying jeans.

Suddenly there was no barrier to exploring this extraordinary new technology.

Hats off to Apple, I thought.

Learning the Steps

We worked out how to load some of our CDs onto iTunes.

We bought a few new iTune songs for good measure.

Then we transferred 281 tracks to our free aluminium fragment.

Suddenly, we had enough music to drive us interstate. And back.

The Great Declutter

I was sold.

Very soon, so were our CDs.

After months of persuasion, Fonnie agreed to burn all our CDs to her PC, after which I liquidated them on eBay.

I revelled in reclaimed space. Never had I been paid to tech up.

Fonnie was less enthusiastic, fearing for the safety of our 3,173 hits and memories.

The Great Promise

No worries! I cried. We can back up our music to your new iPhone!

If the iPhone goes down, we’ve got the PC.

If the PC goes down, we’ve got the iPhone.

She’ll be right, Mate!

Then the PC went down.

I replaced the hard drive and reinstalled all software.

But I could NOT back up from the iPhone.

The Great Depression

Two lifetimes of music, gone in a heartbeat.

I called my Hardware Guy.

Then my Software Guy.

Neither could help.

My Hardware Guy asked an Apple Store Guy who said:

If you buy songs from iTunes, you can get them back, but if you acquire songs from CDs you lose them. Welcome to the Kingdom of Apple!

I was extremely upset.

And too terrified to tell Fonnie her worst fear had been realised.

Forensic Foray

After two weeks of deep sadness, an IT colleague offered to recover our music files from the damaged hard drive.

I’d read that the only way to secure private data was to smash dead drives with a large hammer.

I’d been keen to do this, but something had stopped me.

The following evening, all our songs were restored – minus the CD artwork I’d painstakingly scanned, cropped and optimised.

Decision

Words can’t describe my relief.

What I can describe is my decision to abort our imminent iPad and MacBook Pro purchases.

I was on the brink of becoming an Apple convert.

But a system, however elegant, which compels newbies to abandon their old worlds is not for me.

It’s like me telling new clients they’re forbidden to use the words ‘expert’ and ‘service’ on their websites.

This saga concerns CDs. Imagine if I’d moved my entire business to a new system, then lost everything because I missed something in the manual.

Early adoption has its place. But from now on I plan to do a bit more looking before I leap. Lest I end up an orphan.

I’ll also be taking much greater care of new customers unfamiliar with my wares.

What say you?

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

                                      Fine in principle. What about practice?

Have you heard of the Pareto Principle (also called the 80-20 rule)?

It says that for many things, 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes.

In business, this means 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your clients.

I’ve found this principle extremely useful.

But does it work for you?

Numbers Game

I run a spreadsheet that tracks all my business metrics.

So far this year, 80% of my revenue has come from 29% of my clients.

The last two years it was 36% and 30%.

I’m a bit off the pace, but this is because I’ve vigorously reduced risk by increasing and diversifying my client portfolio.

You may recall I lost one client worth 82% of my business and took two years to recover.

Talk about all your eggs in one basket!

I won’t do that again.

Tardy Performer

For years I encountered the Pareto Principle in almost every business book I read. But because it sounded technical, I resisted analysing my customers.

This was so dumb. Once I bit the bullet, it took all of ten minutes to collate the figures.

And jolly useful figures they’ve been, too.

Anger Management

When my top client annoys me, I check my spreadsheet.

If a retort imperils 28% of my income, I bite my tongue (and do something really nice for the client).

If, on the other hand, a 0.1% client is demanding freebies, refusing to do proper briefs and complaining about my work, I know I can ‘retire’ them with relative impunity. (And live a longer, happier life.)

Cents of Perspective

This year, my biggest client has spent almost 200 times more than my smallest.

I prize all client relationships. But next time I have conflicting deadlines, who do you think I’m going to squeeze in first?

Insights like this make the Pareto Principle a wonderful commercial ‘compass’.

The fact I was slow to embrace it makes me wonder if you’re tracking this vital stat.

If you are, I’d love to know how you use it and what you reckon.

If not, here’s a quick recipe for success:

Pareto Pronto

1. List your clients vertically.
2. Add up what they’ve paid this year and put each client’s total next to it.
3. Sort clients in descending order of value.
4. Calculate total revenue for all clients.
5. Express each client’s contribution as a percentage of this total.
6. Working down, see how many clients it takes to account for 80% of your revenue. (A cumulative column makes this a snap, if you know how to spreadsheet.)
7. Divide this figure by your number of clients.
8. Bingo! You now know what percentage of your clients generates 80% of your loot.

How did you go?

Is it close to 20%?

Do please let us know.

That way, we can all see if we’re rank amateurs

or principled performers.

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

                                                     Look don’t touch.

I’m as unfashionable as they come.

I thought the aim of fashion parades was to sell clothes.

This appears not to be the case.

Perhaps you can decode this unusual business practice.

Perfect Setting

It was a balmy night.

The parade was in a restored, century-old pier warehouse.

Outside, beautiful people were thick as flies; possibly thicker.

But with 30 girls for every guy, it was fun to take notes.

Object of the Game

We were there to witness six new designer ranges.

This wasn’t the insane haute couture you see on TV. Fonnie assured me there’d be items she could actually buy and wear.

Her excitement was infectious as we entered the twinkling interior.

This lost its potency when I found the bar closed, our seats tiny and the temperature raised.

We perspired among the preened as the show didn’t start.

Slow Time

Twenty minutes later, it did. Quite well, with a phalanx of golden beams rendering every face in detail.

Spotting two DJs and a pleasing array of bass bins, I looked forward to an uplifting anthem to put everyone in a buying mood.

What we got was …

Portishead.

Downer

I’d always associated this song with suicide.

So, apparently, had the set designers.

And the models.

Cold, harsh beams replaced lambent lights.

The models slouched into view, thin as World Vision brochures and with an attitude of utter ennui.

I looked to the wall screens, but they simply relayed what was happening in black and white!

I asked Fonnie what was going on.

She postulated that the down music, sad models and cold lighting were designed to make you look at the clothes.

As my restless eye settled back on the outfits, I realised this was working.

But it sure wasn’t fun.

Upper

At length, a couple of really nice sparkly outfits appeared.

Fonnie thought so too and jabbed my ribs.

‘Cool!’ I thought. ‘Not a total loss.’

I pictured clients snapping these up online via jewel-studded iPhones.

But this wasn’t the case at all.

When we got home, neither of the nice outfits was for sale on the designer’s website … or anywhere else!

Summary Execution

No grog. Crap music. Cold lights. Miserable waifs.

And items not available for purchase.

I’d do the exact opposite. Hell, I’d flog frocks in the foyer.

A fashion show seems a very odd way to do business.

Can you please explain it to me?

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

Today we welcome back Leah Klugt from The Golden Goose. Leah recently transformed her business’ name and brand and kindly shares her experience and insights with you. Welcome back Leah!  Naomi 

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet – or would it?

Brand Power – Demonstrated.

It’s not often in the design world that you get to see direct results. Sure –  we know our service works! We know that customers choose based on design. We know that a well branded business enables you to be easily recognised and remembered by your target client.

I’ve taken the opportunity to use my own business as a case study for others –  to prove it works.

The Old Me

I now shudder when I think about our previous name and branding. “Inkblot Design Studio”, ugh! How wrong it was for the type of business I run, and how wrong for the clients I get!

When your business image doesn’t match your business’ personality –  you have a brand problem that needs to be solved.

As a graphic design and branding firm, it felt completely hypocritical for me to feel the way I did about my old branding and name. Particularly when coaching clients through the branding process!

Where is the Passion?

Another thing our old branding lacked was the brilliant passion that shone through the whole customer service experience.

When you aren’t passionate about the image of your business –  you aren’t proud either. This has a significant effect on how bold you are in your actions for your business.

A striking business card on thick stock with an embossed logo mark on the front is going to get you going far more than something you printed out at home!

Just Do It

It got to the point that it was a “now or never” scenario. The studio had been alive and kicking for just over a year. It was like it had self-actualised over that year.

Since I was so unsatisfied with the name and branding –  why not change it? Why not give the business the vibrancy and passion it deserved? Why not hand some of this energy to our clients, and make them see the quality of the service they were receiving reflected in our branded materials?

I didn’t want to wait any longer…  I didn’t want to continue trading with the way I felt.

This is where The Golden Goose Design Studio was born.

The New Me

The Golden Goose was like plastic surgery gone right! From ugly duckling to gorgeous swan (or goose!).

From the decision to change the business name til the launch was less than 2 months. This included a complete name change, new business branding, new business newsletter, blog, website, complete new set of branded business materials and a complete overhaul of everything from business cards to the studio’s terms and conditions.

When I decided to rename and rebrand my business I hadn’t in a million years dreamed of the work that would fall into my lap the following month.

By accurately reflecting my business’ personality in both the name and the branding –  I had completely changed people’s perspective of the business and were suddenly landing the better contracts that we were targeting.

Not only had I changed other’s view on the business, but I had also changed mine. It now has the capacity to be the business I always knew it was.

Exciting times!

Have you ever renamed or rebranded your business? What affect did it have? Or is it still holding you back?

Leah Klugt, The Golden Goose

             My confidence in local manufacturing, retail and enterprise is shattered.

Last month I made a conscious decision to:

• Buy an Australian-made product, not an import.
• Pay for high quality, instead of going el cheapo.
• Deal with a sole trader, rather than a corporation.

What a FOOL!

Fan Dancer

I needed a ceiling fan for my small, airless bedroom. I’m a light sleeper, so it had to be SILENT.

The bored, gum-chewing girl at the big lighting chain said Australian-made was the way to go.

But when she compounded her lassitude by yelling a quote from the other end of the store, I decided to deal with someone who cared.

I found a small, specialist fan retailer who confirmed that he had a high-quality, whisper-quiet Australian-made fan with a 100 W light.

Fan Tastic

I paid him $438. Two days after his promised delivery date, the fan arrived.

I paid a master electrician $195 to install it properly. The light was dimmer than I’d expected, but I put that down to my aging sight.

For ten nights I enjoyed cool, peaceful bliss.

Then the light failed.

Following the manual, I retrieved a blown, 75 W bulb.

Fan Fair

I told the retailer, who said:

‘Bulbs that come with all light products are usually not the best quality. Sometimes they last 2 minutes, sometimes 2 years. I’m not sure why a 75 W bulb was sent; it should’ve been a 100 W. If you’d like reimbursement, contact the warranty line. Good luck.’

Opting to cut to the chase, I bought a 100 W bulb from an electrical shop. It cost all of $5.95.

After installing the bulb, I turned the fan on.

It started clicking.

It clicked all through that hot, summer night.

Driving me out of my clicking skull.

Fan Tale

I told the manufacturer, who said:

‘I’m happy to send a service agent, but I must inform you of our warranty policy. If the agent finds it’s not a product fault but something caused at installation or done when you changed the bulb, a charge of $85 will apply.’

I argued that, but for the faulty, lower-rated bulb, I needn’t have touched the jolly fan. And that I’d bought a high-quality, Australian-made unit to avoid precisely this kind of drama.

He offered to send a replacement 100 W bulb.

A week later, a poorly packed 75 W bulb arrived, without a note, in two pieces.

After my next email, he escalated the matter to his boss, who said:

‘The rating of the light fitting is 100 W, which is the basis of what is offered for sale. It is a 100 W light fitting. You can fit a 100 W, a 75 W or any lesser value bulb.’

I replied:

‘This valuable information was not conveyed by either of the fan retailers with which I dealt.

I asked for a ‘100 W light’ and was told I’d get one. I thought ‘light’ meant ‘light fitting plus bulb’. I’m a literal chap, but this distinction escaped me.

During my purchase inquiries, I was assured your brand was a worthy investment in quality. It would’ve been very helpful to know of this bulb phenomenon.

I’d be grateful if you could indicate where this information resides on your website; I didn’t encounter it when researching my purchase.’

Neither the retailer, the manufacturer nor the boss have replied.

Tick ticka tick tick tick …

Ticka ticka tick …

Ticka ticka ticka tick tick ticka … ad libitum.

Fan Tasm

I know there are good operators out there. But experiences like this destroy their hard work.

I’ve long heard people bemoan the decline of Australian manufacturing.

Lately, we’ve heard retailers are ‘doing it tough’.

And ‘little guys’ are getting squeezed.

After this debacle, I’m not surprised by any of it.

Are you?

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

Today the Small Business Owner blog is pleased to welcome Leah Klugt from Inkblot Design Studio, who shares some great insights into knowing your target market.  Welcome Leah!  Naomi

You’ve heard the saying “know your target market” a thousand times – heck if you’re brave enough to Google it you will get about 49,400,000 results!

With the bombardment of articles about the subject, we’ve somehow missed the GLORIOUS reality for us as business owners if we get the concept right.

Have you really, REALLY taken the time to look in-depth at your ideal client or customer? If you cannot immediately tell me 4 things about your ideal client – you need to keep reading. If you can, read on regardless, you may find out a thing or two.

If you could pick and choose your clients, who would you choose?

Keep these people in mind and consider the following;

1. Your ideal client

The more knowledge you have of your target market, the more accurate your campaigns can be.

What do they wear? Where do they shop? How old are they, are they male or female? How many children do they have? Is it the soccer mum or the truckie dad? Which brand of car do they drive? What do they do for entertainment? Where do they go on holidays? Where do they get their hair done?

2. How can you know more about them?

How can you research them, study their habits? How can you find out answers to the above questions?

3. Creating REAL relationships

Jump on LinkedIn and Twitter. Start making relationships.

Meet them for a casual lunch or coffee. Don’t just send out a bunch of DL Flyers or cards and hope to get a response! Be proactive and relational in your approach.

I’m not talking about the Amway kind of relationships either. Don’t SELL! If you don’t have a genuine interest in people (other than to sell to them), don’t bother – customers/clients can spot someone who isn’t genuine from a mile away!

4. From friends to friendlier…

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know! Learn who’s in contact with who and don’t be scared start a conversation – it’s the best thing you will ever push yourself to do.

Find things that you have in common with your target market. This will help you in your initial conversations. Be yourself!

Sell, sell, sell?

Customers have had enough of age-old “selling techniques”. They don’t want to feel manipulated or used. They want to feel loved, appreciated and cared for.

I don’t know about you, but the minute I feel like I’m being sold to I close up like a clam. Don’t try to sell/promote to someone before you even have a slight relationship with them!

Never ceases to amaze me that real estate agents haven’t changed their style of communication and sales ‘pitches’ over the years. The minute one opens that aren’t pushy and don’t want to sell you something you don’t want to buy -  I will be their #1 client!

Relationship, relationship, relationship

Take the focus of yourself, and put it on others. Good old SELFLESSNESS is actually beneficial.

To truly know your target market means not to waste another cent on pointless advertising – and that sounds good to me!

Leah Klugt, Inkblot Design Studio

                                                       View to a kill.

Speaking of redundancy, how’s the shift in television?

I can now view 16 free-to-air channels!

In response, the pay TV sector is doing odd things.

Instead of nurturing a dwindling client base, their desperate measures are breaking hearts and losing minds.

Lessons for us here, I reckon.

Drop Zone

I noticed the first pay TV tactic a couple of years ago.

Black van convoys disgorged young, uniformed zealots who huddled and high-fived before flitting across my suburb like so many incendiaries.

Soon my street resounded to thumped doors and high-energy pitches.

Just the things to make me pretend I wasn’t home.

But my dogs gave me away, and I had to endure a ten-minute scripted diatribe about why life was pointless without pay TV.

I didn’t buy it.

Golden Needles

I did, however, read the brochure thrust at me as the horde moved on.

Pay TV did have some interesting programs.

But, like Schmackos in a Kong Wobbler, they were locked in an impenetrable barrier and fed piecemeal.

It was uncanny how each good program was unique in its channel, such that five channels had to be bought to cobble one night’s entertainment.

I’ve since found I’m not alone in my thinking.

I Like Your New Stuff Better Than Your Old Stuff

Recently, I heard of a friend who’d been a pay TV customer for a decade.

When she saw an ad offering extraordinary discounts, bonuses and freebies to new customers, she rang the firm to seek same.

On being curtly informed that the largesse was for newbies only, she posited that:

1. Her chronic custom was much more valuable than a fresh sign-up.
2. Her loyalty was worth some reward.

The answer was still no.

So she cancelled her subscription altogether.

Then she told my wife.

Who told me.

Who told you.

Ad Nauseum

I’ve since asked others about their pay TV experiences.

The recurring theme is advertising.

The pleasure of watching a paid program is being eroded by a growing number of ads for that show, other shows and other channels.

The repetition is said to rival free-to-air television.

And that’s saying something.

So, it seems the last advantage of pay TV is drowning in self-promotion.

Showtime

It seems obvious to me that pay TV will go the way of brick cladding.

While I decry its survival tactics, I don’t have any better ideas.

Therefore, is this stressed sector merely doing all it can?

Or are there better, smarter ways to get back in the limelight?

You’ve tuned in.

How about turning us on?

What advice would you give this (and other) fading performers?

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire