Continue reading Last-Minute Gift? There's an App for That

Last-Minute Gift? There's an App for That originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In an episode of The Office, Michael Scott wasn't impressed with his company's move towards technology. He thought the old-school approaches still worked, such as giving gift baskets away to former customers. Of course, it was a disaster. These customers left because of a lack of technology, as well as high prices.

As with any comedy, there was truth to both sides. Actually, we can get sucked into too much technology. And yes, customer gifts can be a good idea. After all, it costs much more money to acquire customers than than to keep them.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: A Good Idea to Give Gifts to Customers?

Entrepreneur's Journal: A Good Idea to Give Gifts to Customers? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's usually tough finding the right gift for an entrepreneur. Hey, the best thing would probably be a loan or some customers, right?

OK, being realistic, there are some gifts to consider. Let's take a look:

The Cloud: It's all the rage right now -- that is, on-demand software services. The good news is that much of it is affordable. Take a look at Salesforce.com (CRM). The company has a small business edition of its customer relationship management (CRM) offering that comes to only $50 per year.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Best holiday gift for the entrepreneur?

Entrepreneur's Journal: Best holiday gift for the entrepreneur? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The head of Walmart.com says that Halloween sales were particularly strong. And, he thinks the upcoming holiday season will do just as well. "Customers are still spending for the holidays. Halloween was very good for us, so I suspect that Christmas is going to be great," said Raul Vazquez in a talk with Reuters.

The website may be benefiting from the fact that parent Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) cut holiday prices early this year, about a month ahead of the normal Thanksgiving weekend time frame.

But there could be other explanations. Wal-Mart has been especially good at tying its website to its stores. Customers can order items on the internet and pick them up at the local retail outlet, saving shipping charges. This combination of convenience and low price may be increasing use of the website.

The other reason the site may be doing well is the rotation away from buying goods in stores and toward buying online. While same-store sales at many big retailers are relatively flat, e-commerce revenue is expected to rise over 20% in the last two months of the year.

Or, there is one other explanation. Wal-Mart may be doing better than most investors think.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Happy holidays for Walmart.com originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tired of seeing your expensive and carefully chosen gifts end up months later as the flotsam and jetsam of post-holiday shores?

It's fun to buy stuff. But remember last year's failures -- that robotic pet that broke two weeks after Christmas and the pricey pale pink cashmere sweater your husband will never wear. And now he wants another iPod, like the one that went missing a few months ago?

This year choose gifts that will keep on giving. For your immediate family -- especially your kids -- make finding a gift that will actually appreciate in value a priority. Even if you end up buying them some cheap junk to fill up all the space under the Christmas tree, be sure to choose at least one gem that will last and hopefully grow in value.

The following is a range of gift ideas could apply to spouses, kids, mom, dad and even grandma and grandpa. They may not be worth more next year, but you can bet that in 20, 40 or 60 years time, they will all be worth more than that HDTV you're contemplating buying now.

1. Jewelry. Think gold, silver platinum. You can't go wrong.

2. Gold or silver coins. Put one or two in a nice velvet bag. They are pretty and fun as well as excellent stores of value.

3. Savings bonds. It's hard to jazz these up. But get your kids or nieces and nephews some to sock away. They may not squeal with delight when they open the envelope, but they will appreciate them later on.

Continue reading Gifts that keep on giving: These 10 will appreciate in value

Gifts that keep on giving: These 10 will appreciate in value originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Nov 2006 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Will you 'pay it forward' with Oprah or rely on good ol' consumption? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.