Profit Magazine - February 2008

FORWARDTHINKING

SARS? It’s a war out there. And if your life involves human contact or stepping outside your front door, you might want to enlist Nozin, a new product from Coral Gables, Florida–based Nozin LLC.

BEAT_CTH_OE W_OINT_TER_IES

The flu and the common cold are bad enough.

Now we also have to worry about bird flu and

“Somebody described it as the love child of Purell and Airborne, which is hilarious,” says John Willimann, executive vice president and CSO—that’s chief science officer—of Nozin. You apply the alcohol-based solution inside the rim of your nostrils, using a cotton swab. It’s designed to kill germs you already carry and prevent your nose from picking up other nasty suspects.

Willimann says Nozin works similarly to hand sanitizers but has more staying power. Hands don’t let germs into the body—they merely deliver germs to entry points, such as the nose.

“Hand sanitizers are great,” Willimann says, “but after you use them, the next thing you touch—the next hand you shake or the next doorknob you touch—can repopulate the hands really easily. This product lasts much longer.”

In fact, it lasts up to eight hours, according to Willimann. The idea is to use Nozin in combination with other good-hygiene habits to keep yourself in fighting shape. Your boss will appreciate it, too. Nozin is available at www.nozin.com.

LINDY GROENING

C _RO_ECR_YP_CO_LR_IA _NT_GE

According to the Clean Air Council, each ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees. So, can starting a recycling program at work make a difference to the environment

and make your business more profitable? For the connection to be direct, you should focus on reducing waste in the first place. You can then focus on persuading people to change their work habits so that recycling becomes a part of the daily routine. Here are some tips on how to get started: t %FUFSNJOF UIF EFQBSUNFOUT UIBU XJMM QBSUJDJQBUF BOE XIBU UZQFT PG XBTUF XJMM be recycled. t &EVDBUF QBSUJDJQBOUT CZ EJTUSJCVUJOH DMFBS BOE FBTZ UP GPMMPX HVJEFMJOFT t 1SPNPUF UIF QSPHSBN T TVDDFTT ZPV MM IFMQ QFPQMF TUJDL XJUI UIFJS OFX IBCJUT t $MPTF UIF MPPQ *G ZPV SF OPU QVSDIBTJOH SFDZDMFE NBUFSJBMT TVDI BT QFSDFOU postconsumer paper for office use, then you’re not really recycling.

Additional Resources t 5IF 6 4 &OWJSPONFOUBM 1SPUFDUJPO "HFODZ 8BTUF8JTF 1SPHSBN XXX FQB .gov/wastewise t 5IF (SFFO 1BHFT *OUFSOBUJPOBM 3FDZDMJOH 3FTPVSDFT XXX FDP XFC DPN t 5IF &OWJSPONFOUBM %FGFOTF 'VOE XXX FOWJSPONFOUBMEFGFOTF PSH

ELIJAH MERCHÁN

THE ROI
OF A THANK-YOU NOTE

There’s a simple way that anyone in your company can increase loyalty, grow sales, and improve profit margins. How? With something we all learned how to do at our mother’s knee: say thank you.

Many companies spend millions of dollars implementing wonderfully sophisticated software systems to help them know, understand, and anticipate the needs of their customers. But if you’re not in the big leagues or if you’re still looking for just a little more edge on the competition, there may be something you’re overlooking.

Etiquette experts, sales and service specialists, protocol officers, and marketing mavens all agree: good manners never go out of style, and the value of a thank-you is enormous.

Experts in the field of customer retention remind us that in most industries, when customers stay with a company longer, they are more profitable. They tend to purchase more and complain less, and they are not as sensitive to price increases. In other words, the time it takes to say thanks is well worth the effort.

You might choose to express your appreciation via phone or e-mail, in a handwritten note, or with computer-generated communication. Whatever you choose, follow these guidelines to create a positive impact: