Business Writing

In todays business world, effective writing is more essential than ever! Companies want people who communicate clearly, effectively, and without error because it saves everyone time and money. But how do you make sure you have the skills to success? Let Business Writing Clear and Simple teach you the basics of good business writing from organizing your thoughts and ideas to keeping your correspondence clear and concise. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the workforce, this...Read Full Story

A new buzz word has emerged in the retail space relevant to both retailers and manufacturers: Space Productivity Optimization (SPO) also referred to as Store Mapping or Store Configuration Database or Space Measurement. Similarly to Category Management which was a buzz work for 2 decades before it became an established practice with a definition that everyone agreed to, SPO made a shy appearance about 3 years ago when RGIS (a then inventory services company) started experimenting with a few...Read Full Story

Recruitment, Integration, Retention in the 21st centuryBy Michalis A. MichaelGetting the Right People on the BusThis is a parallel borrowed from Jim Collins’s book “Good to Great” that has nothing to do with a bus drive and everything to do with a roller coaster ride! Getting the right people on the bus is a good start but that’s all it is. To keep them for the duration of the ride and to keep them fulfilled in all aspects is a challenge by far more demanding than selecting and attracting...Read Full Story

I know many people who grow thinking of becoming a writer. I, myself, had dreams of making a living a as a serious writer. To this day, I have yet to finish one of the novels that I’ve started. Half-way through, I wasn’t quite happy with what I’ve written. I always wanted to write something creative and profound; something that no one could think of before. I haven’t quite reached that point yet. One thing I am quite good at writing is telling other people information on how to make choices...Read Full Story

When you start talking about something as artsy as voice in writing, people think: “What am I supposed to be writing, a novel?” Well, sure, if you want to. Who am I to stifle anyone’s creativity? But voice matters in professional writing, too. It matters because voice – or, to be less than particular about it, you might call it tone here too – is a big part of the impression you make on your reader. Are you an expert, writing about your area of expertise? Are you an employee, writing to ask...Read Full Story

With less than 200,000 hits on Google search “Inventory Accuracy” does not exactly qualify as one of the most popular business subjects. Especially if compared to buzz words or phrases such as “Customer Loyalty” (2 million hits), Innovation (134 million hits) etc. However if Inventory Accuracy (IA) is connected to 2 of the biggest unresolved (industry-wide) pains of the retail industry – and not only- then it follows that IA deserves more attention from the business community than it...Read Full Story

Some people think a sense of rhythm is just for music. Not so. Rhythm is a big part of writing, and you need to develop an ear for it. Here’s what happens when you don’t vary your rhythm: I feel sick. I will be going home. I will make up the work tomorrow. I feel sick, too, reading that. Is this person an android, or are they doing a poor imitation of Dr. Seuss? Neither. They simply lack rhythm. Same goes for the person who writes this way: I have come to tell you that I can no...Read Full Story

Okay, this post is about research, but delving into the mysteries of the universe sounds so much cooler. You could research that, after all, couldn’t you? Whether your research is mundane or really mysterious, doing the right amount of it is important, because otherwise you simply waste time. To get the most out of your research time, write down a series of questions that tells you exactly what you’re looking for. Don’t know? That’s where the first half of the writing process kicks in. Ask...Read Full Story

Even business writing is all about romance. People just fall in love with the sound of their own words. Hey, don’t be ashamed. We all do it.The problem is, readers don’t love the sound of those words. They often don’t even understand those words. So those romantic business writers defeat the whole purpose of the effort.Sometimes the problem is just too many words at once. In so many words, the bottom line gets lost (or choked off). Think of finding the bottom line as a kind of art – or even a...Read Full Story

The government is notorious for bureau-speak. All big institutions fall prey to it, because people inside the system tend to think longer and more complicated means better. But a few brave souls in the belly of the beast are fighting back. They’ve raised the banner of a “plain language” movement, and they’ve been trying to introduce the idea of clear writing to federal agencies. You can read about them at their website http://www.plainlanguage.gov/, where you’ll also find a lot of good tips...Read Full Story