Category Archives: Business

Daniel Drimmer Built New Company Around Positive Customer Experience

Many real estate companies think only of their bottom line, how to make the most money they can from their tenants. The good ones, however, realize that putting the customer first can translate to long-term residencies and higher occupancy rates. Best of all, happy customers lead to higher referral rates and a strong brand.

One new company in Canada is emphasizing customer service at the forefront of its corporate vision. Starlight Apartments is the brainchild of Daniel Drimmer, a veteran of Canadian residential real estate. Having built one real estate company into a major player, Drimmer could have easily retired after completing the largest multi-residential transaction of the year in Canada in 2010. Drimmer, however, had other ideas.

Drimmer brings years of experience developing ground-breaking techniques, such as online property tours and the use of social media tools, to his new endeavor. Starlight Apartments burst onto the scene in September 2011 with 5,500 rental units spread across Canada. In the months since the launch, the company has already acquired an additional 60 units in a building in Mississauga, Ontario and plans to have a total of 10,000 units in its portfolio by the end of 2012.

Starlight President Daniel Drimmer believes that their emphasis on personal attention, customer service, and professionalism will set them apart from other real estate companies. They believe in providing a positive and satisfying experience for those searching for apartments on their website, viewing virtual tours on video sites, and interacting with the company directory through conversations on social media sites. Once potential tenants are ready to visit a property in person, expert property managers will be available to answer all questions and help potential customers transition into happy residents. Starlight has chosen several different property managers rather than a single, national company. This ensures that each manager is familiar with the specific city and property and will give residents the personal attention they require.

In this second decade of the 21st century it is imperative that businesses find a way to distinguish themselves from the competition. Focusing on providing a positive customer experience is a good place to start. New and existing businesses alike may find that putting the customer first will help them build a loyal following — one smile at a time.

Follow Starlight Investments Limited on Twitter.

Image courtesy Payton Chung via Creative Commons license.

December 15, 2011Permalink 1 Comment

5 Ways to Find Local Truck Driving Jobs

You are probably like most truckers who love to drive and want to be close to home. The economy has made all jobs more difficult to find, but it can be done. You just have to look in unusual places to find the work you seek. If you are currently unemployed, then the first suggestion is no surprise.

1. Local unemployment offices offer resources in finding jobs.
They often have the inside track to which local companies are hiring and which ones aren’t. If your driving record is good and your past employers will give you a good reference then they may even recommend you themselves.

2. Classifieds
You would be surprised what kind of calls you would get by putting out a traditional classified. Online ones are okay, but if you put out an ad in the local paper saying that you are a great trucker with good references then someone is bound to notice. This works better in smaller cities than it does in metropolitan locations since smaller papers run more noticeable classifieds with less ads in them.

3. Pounding the pavement and going from company to company works as well.
This old fashioned method to finding jobs may seem antique for some, but you will be surprised what opportunities open up when you do this. Remember to put on nice clothing and look professional because you never know who you will be talking to. You may not have much success at first but after awhile you will succeed.

4. Check online
By this time you have spent money on an ad, spent hours at the unemployment office, and have worn blisters into your feet going to every imaginable company in town. It’s still possible in this economy you haven’t found a job yet but you can always check online. There are multiple resources for you to check out to find trucking jobs. Everything from load boards to day in day out jobs can be found online now. All you have to do is pound the keyboard and you will find what you are looking for.

5. Word of mouth
The last and final resort is to ask your friends. There might be an individual hiring you didn’t know about, a company that doesn’t post open advertisements, or even jobs that are about to open up. A lot of smaller trucking companies will only take you from word of mouth from one of their drivers so this is the best option to start work for them.

The important thing in this economy is to keep trying. You can find the work you want near your home if you put time into it. Until you do, make finding a job your full-time job for the time being. If you are currently without a truck, you can always visit a used truck dealer or if you are looking for a way to make ends meet in the meantime you can also sell used trucks. Keep your head up though and don’t give up, the right job is right around the corner!

Mark is a contributing writer for TruckertoTrucker.com, a site dedicated to all aspects of the trucking industry from the love of the road, to the practical aspects of trucking like maintenance, sales and repair.

March 10, 2011Permalink Leave a comment

Set up a Recognition Program

There is a plethora of documentation in the business world supporting the idea that recognizing the performance of employees does, in fact, inspire better and better performance. By setting up rewards and recognition programs , companies are able to create an upward spiral of success both for individual employees, and for their entire company.

Awards and rewards are a form of positive feedback. Each award won generate positive feelings and motivates employees to seek the next award. Companies with a regular program of rewards send a clear message to their employees as to what they consider to be outstanding performance and how much they value that performance. Companies that set high goals for their staff and then don’t acknowledge when those goals are met quickly find themselves with an unmotivated or even hostile work environment as employees lose faith in management and owners.

Recognition programs require a commitment on behalf of management. They must take the time to set the program standards and the resultant rewards. They must then implement and administer the program consistently. This is an ongoing duty, not a one-time event. However, the improvement in employee performance and company morale will quickly translate to better profit margins and improved customer relationships that will secure the financial future of the company.

February 19, 2011Permalink Leave a comment

Marlabs BPO

One key element that helps to identify a thriving company is growth. A company that is continuing to reach new goals, increase their influence in the market, and increase the company size is well on their way to success.

Another key element of a thriving company is change. While the old saying “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” is still applicable, it is also important to try new ideas and promote growth.

One way to make room for new ideas and processes is by outsourcing some of the older or more basic processes. While each process is an important part of the business, there are some that could easily be done elsewhere and will free up time and resources for other pursuits.

Marlabs, an IT and business services firm, has developed services in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) to help their customers shift different processes offshore.

From the beginning Marlabs walks with their customers through each process to see what could be reasonably outsourced to best benefit the company and meet their needs. Once the outsourced processes are identified they begin the transition process. This includes hiring, determining what technology will be needed, set-up, and training. When everything is set up and ready to go they run a “Pilot” phase. This is to ensure that everything is running smoothly and the needs of the customer are being met. Sometimes the “Pilot” process is run in conjunction with the original process to track the results and make sure that progress is being made. Finally the full process is integrated into the offshore location. Tracking is continued to make sure that results are continuing to be achieved and customers are given access to their own web-based application so that they maintain control and can continue to track results as well.

Outsourcing can be a viable option for any company that wants to continuing growing and changing. Making the transition on your own can be quite challenging; however with an established company to help you, the transition can be much smoother.

November 20, 2010Permalink Leave a comment

Changing Face of Direct Sales

In the internet age, it isn’t just bricks and mortar companies that are changing the way they do business. Everyone knows of e-tail success stories like amazon.com and zappos.com and how traditional companies are being forced to move some or all of their business online to meet the needs of the internet generations. What’s more interesting is how direct sales, an industry that relies on in person contact to make their pitch and close with customers, is beginning to utilize the internet to improve their performance.

You need look no further than social media pages like Southwestern Company on Facebook to see how companies can utilize the internet to reach not only their employees and interns, but customers themselves. These types of pages offer consumers a place to share praise and criticism of their experiences with salespeople and a forum for southwestern to directly address those critics on a case-by-case basis.

Other companies, such as Avon and Fuller Brush, make use of their main websites to not only sell products directly, but as informational and recruiting tools for new sales reps. The Direct Selling Association uses the internet to educate their members about laws and regulations and also reaches out to the general public to educate them about ethical sales tactics and how to identify scams and avoid dangerous situations.

September 17, 2010Permalink Leave a comment