Want more sales? Try these 40 tips for increasing business and profit.

1. Be nice, all of the time

2. Under-promise, over-deliver

3. Track everything

4. Advertise for profit

5. Hold a contest

6. Provide great customer support

7. Offer free shipping

8. Include warranties and guarantees

9. Distribute

We all need a vacation. I have heard this more times than I can count from not just entrepreneurs but everybody that works. The stress of daily life and work can take its toll on your body and your sanity.

Ever see an advertisement that really creeped you out? You have to wonder if the shock value of a creepy ad outweighs the repulsive reflex potential of viewing these ads. Some ads are intentionally creepy, others are not.

You guys know I love free stuff! So I had to share one of the things I use the most in my work: brushes.

For a busy entrepreneur, time management is imperative. It seems as though every second of the day is important, and if time is continually being wasted, you start to feel unproductive.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the graphic design industry is expected to grow by nearly 10 percent through 2016, and so now seems like a prime time to think about moving ahead to make way for the “junior” designers

If you’re a graphic designer, you know you need an online portfolio. You probably have one already. And if you don’t, you can always find free Flash, JavaScript and plug-ins for popular CMS systems such as Wordpress, Joomla! and others.

One of the most important elements to any graphic project is color. Especially when it comes to logos, color is a widely used stimulant to evoke a feeling, memory, state of mind or mood.

Look around the web for information on what to include in your graphic design proposal, and you’ll come across things such as “executive summary,” “current situation,” “competition,” etc. Hogwash.

A proposal is just that — a proposal and not a contract.

Productivity software is generally described as software that makes businesses (or people) more productive. Simple and self-explanatory. But each niche profession (or personality) has a unique set of tasks that productivity software can automate or otherwise make more efficient.