Category Archives: Case Studies

CASE STUDY: A Coffee Ship with a Kick Part 1–A Job Well Done

  By E.T. Barton | February 14, 2012 - 11:04 pm | Case Studies, Getting Customers, Small Business Advice, Spotlights
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In previous case studies, I said that I wouldn’t call out the name of any businesses that I named in my Case Studies.  I said that because I do not wish to inadvertently harm any businesses that I discussed.  I am about to break that rule, however… but for a reason.  I am naming this business because I think they are doing so much right, they deserve the accolades.  However, no matter what business you are in, there is always room for improvement.  So today, I will name this business, point out everything they are doing right, and then make recommendations on how to make their business even better.  AND THE “AWESOME JOB AWARD” GOES TO… JAVA JOE’S Today’s case study is a little coffee shop in Ventura, California named Java Joe’s (www.MyJavaJoes.com).  Located right off a freeway exit, they are in a shopping center that thrives on “turn over” … Continue reading →

Lesson Learned: A Faster Way to Setup A New Computer

  By E.T. Barton | December 20, 2011 - 9:23 pm | About, Case Studies, Lessons Learned, Money Making Tips, Money Saving Tips, Step-by-Step Instructions
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This past weekend has been yet another eventful “Lesson Learned the Hard Way” weekend.  This weekend, I had my laptop die an untimely death.  To say it was unexpected would be a lie.  I saw the signs; I knew it was going to stop working for me sooner rather than later.  Thus, at the first sign of serious trouble, I began to think of laptops I have loved and lost over the years.  As I did, I suddenly realized a very disturbing fact:  I have gone through four laptops in nine years. As you can imagine, I was not delighted by this realization.  I was in fact, a bit aggravated.  Although my last computer lasted just shy of four years, I felt it had not been nearly long enough.  Since my computers have never had a virus before, and since I  am gentle with my computers and never, ever drop … Continue reading →

The SpongeBob SquarePants School of Business

  By E.T. Barton | November 28, 2011 - 10:42 pm | Case Studies, Getting Customers, Increasing Profits, Money Saving Tips, Small Business Advice, Spotlights
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  Okay, I have a confession to make:  I am a Mom.  Even worse, I am a Mom with a Toddler.  What that means is that as a “Mom with a Toddler,” I know all the words to “Elmo’s World.”  I also know how to “Do the Pigeon” and that “C is for Cookie” (which is good enough for me).  I know how to read Dora’s map, and I know Hannah Montana’s true identity. What’s more… I know “who lives in a Pineapple under the sea.” Why do I know these things, you may wonder? Well, as any Moms with Toddlers will tell you, having a toddler means having some cartoon playing over and over and over again on the TV.  For a mom, that means no matter how much you try ignore your children or their shows, bits of information tend to sneak into your subconscious until suddenly you’ve … Continue reading →

Bookkeepers – Have You Protected Your Own Backside?

  By E.T. Barton | July 18, 2011 - 7:46 pm | Bookkeeping, Case Studies, Fighting Fraud, Internal Controls, Money Saving Tips, Step-by-Step Instructions, Virtual Bookkeeping
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Hello Readers (and especially the Bookkeepers), Today, I am going to talk about something that is really close to home for me.  I’m going to talk about ME!  (Yay!… My favorite subject.)  Okay – all kidding aside.  Something interesting happened to me this weekend.  This past weekend, I was actually accused of being in collusion with an Embezzler for the first time EVER!  ME!  The Embezzler Slayer (a term I’ve lovingly dubbed myself).  The Creator of the Diary of a Bad, Bad Bookkeeper.  I kid you not.  Someone actually said to my face that they believed embezzlement happened when I was doing the books for a company a few years ago, and that I was therefore “an accessory to the crime.”  As you can imagine, first I was angry.  This is the first time in 15 years of bookkeeping that anyone has dared accuse me of such a thing.  I … Continue reading →

CASE STUDY: Coffee Shop with a Kick Part 2–What They Can Do Better

  By E.T. Barton | May 31, 2011 - 10:15 am | Case Studies, Getting Customers, Small Business Advice, Spotlights
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[Ad#Adsense] In yesterday’s post, CASE STUDY: A Coffee Ship with a Kick Part 1–A Job Well Done, I talked about a great little coffee shop in Ventura California named Java Joe’s (www.MyJavaJoes.com).  In that post, I discussed all the things they are doing right to keep their customers coming back.  Today, I am going to discuss what they can do better to make even more money (since every business has room to improve).  After that, I discuss how some of these principles can be applied to any business, whether you’re a bookkeeper or something else.  What Java Joe’s Can Do Better As I said yesterday, there is always something a business can do to make things better. This wonderful coffee shop is no exception. Here are some things that the coffee shop can do better: The Parking: Unfortunately, this coffee shop is located in a Plaza that has “30 Minute … Continue reading →