March Issue of Profit Well Worth Price

While walking past the International News stand over at the Atrium on Bay a business magazine caught my eye. The headline “inside the fabulous NEW INTERNET” screamed typical business magazine tries to be hip and with it. The “21 ESSENTIAL WEB TOOLS: What every entrepreneur should use” will probably make IT and PR departments worry. But then I looked inside and discovered a darn good issue.

Highlights include...

• A pair of study summaries that tell managers to let sales people talk AND what the academics say your project feedback should be if you want them to succeed.
• Things businesses can learn but probably won't unless they mentioned the Oscars.
  
• Sales management “sins” and some suggestions to get them on the path toward redemption.
• A feel good corp article on GoodLife Fitness that gives you a hint at where they are going next.
• Transparency and why it's not garbage for your business from the trash man, founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK .
  
• Rick Spence claiming to have been part of the problem with past federal government policy planning proposals and now wanting to avoid the sausage. Still his call for HELP makes sense.
  
• A profile on Michael McDerment's baby FreshBooks which has been getting some solid reviews from businesses using it to take some of the tedium out of billing.
• How to get better rates for your corps cell phone fleet (and no it's not just about using number portability to jump ship on March 14th) and stop the bleeding.
• A column from Jeff Dennis who some might think is on Sherlock Holmes' 20% solution.
• Reader questions with 74 year old high school dropout, Member of the Order of Canada and Executive Chairman of the fine menswear company Harry Rosen.
  
• Things every board, business owner and employee need to know about insurance for the working wounded, disability and succession planning to ensure you getting hit by a bus doesn't kill your business.
• Five boxing exercises to get you in fighting shape.
  

Even the darn inserts are by my judgment over 70% useful (a real rarity these days in Canadian publishing). The Scotiabank scenario is real food for thought and the nuggets of cost control and outsourcing tips could keep many a firm from a nasty surprise. Any national firm thinking of exporting should not miss the free Canadian Exporting for Dummies book offer from the Feds or their solid informational insert.

Well worth a multiple of $4.50+Tax but lets not tell Rogers.