Take Note

BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER Perhaps we were just meant to be involved in small businesses. The Harvard Business Review reports the human brain seems to be "hard-wired" to work best in groups of no larger than 150 members and as businesses grow past that limit there's a tendency for employees to break off and work in smaller units.   SIGN OF THE TIMES Retailers can sell more product by placing a defining number on in-store promotional signs. The food and branding laboratories at the University of Illinois report placing specific numbers on signs-such as "Limit three per customer"-will prompt consumers to buy at least one more item than they normally would.   BRAND NO LONGER AN ISSUE An American Demographics report in March reveals women shoppers are far less brand influenced than they used to be. When asked if the brands they bought reflected on who they are, 49 percent of women respondents strongly disagreed. In fact, only 24 percent strongly agreed that they were concerned about what others think of them.

BOOK SMARTS VERSUS STREET SMARTS Slightly more than half of the entrepreneurs polled by American Express studied business in school-with 40 percent earning a bachelor's degree. But the poll reported the vast majority of entrepreneurs say they learned the most useful information at the University of Hard Knocks. Fewer than one of five said a formal education was their primary source of knowledge on starting and running a business.   SELLING 20 PERCENT MORE IS EASY Even as retailers fight for new customers, some can boost sales 20 percent just with better service to those they already have. So says Leo J. Shapiro & Associates, a Chicago, IL, market research firm, in a report on retailing for Arthur Andersen. Shapiro notes that supermarkets get the 20 percent sales boost simply by making sure they don't run out of stock and by helping customers look for goods.