It’s been all over the news for weeks and people everywhere are getting fired-up about it. Even President Obama recently aired his complaints to ABC News, saying it was unfair to customers. We’re talking about bank fees. So what’s up with these bank fees and why are banks charging them to customers? It’s simple economics, really. Banks profit by loaning consumers and … [Read more...]
Why Banks are like Flower Shops
Years ago, I invested in a flower shop. It wasn’t your typical corner flower shop filled with red carnations and yellow roses. In fact, we didn’t even have a shop. All we had was a van for deliveries. I researched the flower industry and found that flower shops have very high margins, but very small profits. The main reason for this is the overhead cost and the fact that … [Read more...]
How to market your Internet Bank
A reader of this blog recently asked my advice on the most economical and effective way to market an Internet bank. The truth is – basic marketing rules still apply. Like with marketing traditional banks, your primary concern should be who your audience is. Internet banks attract a very specific kind of banking customer – one that is computer savvy and comfortable doing … [Read more...]
What are they doing on those phones?
Everywhere you look these days, people are on their smart phones. They are on them while they’re waiting for their flight at the airport, while waiting for their food at a restaurant, and even while waiting for the movie to start or the light at the intersection to change. They are either checking e-mails, sending text messages, watching movies, playing games, taking … [Read more...]
Times are a changing…
As a small business owner, I remember the days when deposits had to be made at my bank by 2:00 PM. The mailman would sometimes be late coming by my office, so I would always stress out over covering the checks I needed to pay or had already written. I even kept a map of all the bank branches so that if a client called to pick up a check, I knew where I could make the deposit … [Read more...]