What’s the difference between a business model and a business plan? It depends on who you ask. Business plan means a lot of different things to different people, and so does business model. I’ve complained occasionally about confusing terminology, but I guess it’s just the way things are. There are similar problems with strategic plan, annual plan, etc. What I really don’t like is people saying “don’t do a business plan; do a business model instead.” My favorite definition of the business model is the excellent book Business Model Generation, by…
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Most Topular Stories
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Challenge: Can You Tell a Business Model from a Business Plan?
Planning Startup Stories7 Feb 2012 | 8:45 am -
Comment and Highlight on Websites with commentto
Mashable!8 Feb 2012 | 8:30 pmThe Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: commentto Quick Pitch: Comment anywhere. Genius Idea: Commentto is a browser add-on service that allows users to highlight, bookmark, comment, save and share bookmarks and excerpts on websites. Do you ever want to add extra knowledge to a news story or other content on the web? Well, browser add-on commentto lets you comment on anything you want. Commentto allows users to highlight… -
Throw Away the Maps
chrisbrogan.com6 Feb 2012 | 1:30 amPeople judge us by the path they’ve seen us walk before. They can’t anticipate our future steps. We, ourselves, look to how things have been, what seems to be the lay of the land, without realizing that the maps are not the territory. Want to succeed at work? Then don’t try to do your job. Instead, work towards something larger, more meaningful, and something that blends your convictions internally with your best ability to help others externally. Want to create something new? Then throw away the old, or maybe join two disparate old things together into something new. The… -
Is this tattoo infographic the real deal? [infographic]
Holy Kaw!8 Feb 2012 | 8:05 pmSo, the question is, did Polish artist Paul Marcinkowski make his infographic love permanent as part of a school project? We doubt it, but if the unthinkable is true, he’ll just have to point to that spot under his belly button to explain. Via Forbes. Like infographics? Not that much. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Daily Wrap: January's List of Apps You Need to See and more
ReadWriteWeb8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmDan Rowinski rounds up the best apps, in our opinion, of January 2012. This and more in today's Daily Wrap. Sometimes it's difficult to catch everything that hits tech media in a day, so we wrap up some of the most talked about stories. We give you a daily recap of what you missed in the ReadWriteWeb Community, including a link to some of the most popular discussions in our offsite communities on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ as well. Sponsor New iPhone, iPad and Android Apps for January 2012 In what is surely a labor of love, Dan Rowinski combs through the mass of apps released…
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Planning Startup Stories
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Challenge: Can You Tell a Business Model from a Business Plan?
7 Feb 2012 | 8:45 amWhat’s the difference between a business model and a business plan? It depends on who you ask. Business plan means a lot of different things to different people, and so does business model. I’ve complained occasionally about confusing terminology, but I guess it’s just the way things are. There are similar problems with strategic plan, annual plan, etc. What I really don’t like is people saying “don’t do a business plan; do a business model instead.” My favorite definition of the business model is the excellent book Business Model Generation, by… -
How Contagion Can Help You Forecast Sales
6 Feb 2012 | 8:45 amCan we talk about beauty in numbers? Amidst all the nervousness about forecasting new products, does it not make sense, and add elegance too, to talk about the classic s-curve we see in nature? So many natural phenomena show an increase along a natural S-curve and bell curve like the two shown here on the right. Which, by the way, was done with Excel. And I’m going to explain it here and give you the formulas, so you can use them in your own sales forecasting. If you like this sort of thing. What we see there is a natural projection of a good product — like cell phones or… -
Make My Business Analysis Intuitive, Please.
3 Feb 2012 | 8:42 amAre you thinking type or feeling? Analytical or intuitive? There are studies, there are tests, there’s a whole body of work on personality types dividing people into types. Most of us have heard of this, but if you haven’t, and you’re curious, you could find out more with this google search. It’s about the work of Carl Jung, the Myers Briggs tests, etc. There are more factors than just this one division, but this division — thinking vs. feeling, analytical vs. intuitive — is interesting to me. I’ve had a career focused on business planning, metrics,… -
Blaming Angels and VCs for Choosing is Like Blaming Up for Down
2 Feb 2012 | 2:35 pmI was happily reading Sramana Mitrea’s The Other 99% of Entrepreneurs on Read/Write Web, agreeing with every detail, when I ran into a snag. It’s in italics in this quote from Sramana’s post. Over 99% of entrepreneurs who seek funding get rejected. Yet, the entire world is focused on the 1% that is “fundable.” The media, when pitched a startup story, is interested in who funded the venture. They seldom ask how much revenue the company has or if it is profitable. Incubators take pride in how exclusive they are and how many “deals” they… -
Are You a Trep?
30 Jan 2012 | 8:46 amShall we start calling entrepreneurs treps instead. In this post last October I joined Robert Jones and Rieva Lesonsky and a few others in a quest for a better word for “entrepreneur.” Robert started it with 5 reasons we need a new word for entrepreneurs and Rieva followed with what does it really mean to be an entrepreneur. As far as I’m concerned we failed to come up with a better word. A few days ago, however, somebody on Twitter called themselves a “trep.” I think that might just work. What if we started calling ourselves and other entrepreneurs treps?
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Mashable!
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Comment and Highlight on Websites with commentto
8 Feb 2012 | 8:30 pmThe Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: commentto Quick Pitch: Comment anywhere. Genius Idea: Commentto is a browser add-on service that allows users to highlight, bookmark, comment, save and share bookmarks and excerpts on websites. Do you ever want to add extra knowledge to a news story or other content on the web? Well, browser add-on commentto lets you comment on anything you want. Commentto allows users to highlight… -
Twitter Comedy: How to Be Funny in 140 Characters
8 Feb 2012 | 7:37 pmComedy is king on Twitter. Professional humorists and armchair standups alike have amassed legions of followers that hang on every 140-character quip. Twitter humor is a brand-builder, a great writing exercise, and if you’re really good, it might even land you a job (but probably not, so settle down). So, what does it take to get laughs at this 24/7 digital cocktail party? We asked some of the funniest tweeters around for their tips on cracking wise in the one-liner Renaissance. 1. Start by Being Funny in the First Place Bill Corbett knows a thing or two about landing short quips. He's… -
Check in at Walgreens and Receive Tweet Deal Coupons [VIDEO]
8 Feb 2012 | 7:22 pmWalgreens is tweeting mobile coupons to customers who check in on mobile apps including Foursquare, Yelp and Facebook — letting customers in on deals while they shop. The retailer is taking advantage of knowing who is in one of its 8,000 national locations. It is one of 40 companies currently using LocalResponse technology, which aggregates more than 1 billion checkins per month. January check-in tweet deals at Walgreens included discounts on Halls cough drops coupon, flu shots and Energizer batteries, according to AdAge. LocalResponse is a check-in aggregator that collects publicly… -
‘Walk Off the Earth’ Gets 50 Million YouTube Views in a Month [VIDEO]
8 Feb 2012 | 7:02 pmMeet Walk off the Earth, the ultra-talented quintet that turned its version of a sleeper hit into a viral phenomenon on YouTube and earned itself a record deal. The Canadian indie band posted a video covering Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” last month, and it has since been viewed on YouTube nearly 50 million times. The clip shows the band playing on a single guitar. One strums the guitar while the others tap and pluck along. Now the band — which has been together for nearly six years — has earned itself a record deal with Columbia Records. The captivating… -
DKNY Takes Top Honors at Fashion 2.0 Awards
8 Feb 2012 | 6:41 pmAfter nabbing four of the eight awards handed out at last year’s Fashion 2.0 Awards, apparel brand DKNY was once again recognized for its use of digital media, taking home awards for Best Twitter and Best Blog by a Fashion Brand. The honors are well deserved. DKNY’s Twitter account and Tumblr blog, both of which are run by Donna Karan International SVP of Global Communciations Aliza Licht, are entertaining, informative and exceptionally on-brand. The Twitter account features, among other things, live blogs of CW show Gossip Girl each week, and frequently engages in conversations…
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chrisbrogan.com
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Throw Away the Maps
6 Feb 2012 | 1:30 amPeople judge us by the path they’ve seen us walk before. They can’t anticipate our future steps. We, ourselves, look to how things have been, what seems to be the lay of the land, without realizing that the maps are not the territory. Want to succeed at work? Then don’t try to do your job. Instead, work towards something larger, more meaningful, and something that blends your convictions internally with your best ability to help others externally. Want to create something new? Then throw away the old, or maybe join two disparate old things together into something new. The… -
The Next Social Networks
5 Feb 2012 | 1:30 amThe rage in social networks right now is Pinterest, partly because it’s probably the first social network that has a much higher adoption rate by females than males, and partly because it’s an interesting concept: somewhere between visual social bookmarking and scrapbooking. What also might not be immediately obvious is that it’s just “easier” to interact there. In that way, Pinterest has something in common with Instagram, which is community around photos. What I’m interested in, though, is Gentlemint, which I keep calling “Pinterest for… -
Learn From Adele – Build Your Platform
3 Feb 2012 | 1:30 amJacq and I just watched Adele Live At The Royal Albert Hall (amazon affiliate link), and though every song was just wonderfully done, I found myself fascinated by what Adele was doing in between each song. Because even though most people would be interested in hearing her belt out her amazing repertoire of hits, what I took away from the performance was Adele’s real magical ability: the ability to resonate with her audience. What Adele Could Teach You About Impact I’m writing something about this right now for my upcoming book with Julien Smith, but I had to share some of the… -
Rob Gokee is a Musical Wizard
2 Feb 2012 | 8:05 amI had such a great experience working with award winning musical composer Rob Gokee. We did some musical work together, and the process was so amazing. Rob helped me create my theme song for Shhh! The Secret Show. So anyhow, he and I sat down to do an interview, and it’s a bit long, but it’s totally worth it. We talk about what collaboration feels like at a distance, what it takes to get music like this made for your own show, and a lot more. Rob’s a hero to me, and has been part of the community for a while. I was so fortunate to have worked with him. Can’t see the… -
Build Your Platform – Start
30 Jan 2012 | 1:30 amThe following is part ONE of a series called Build Your Platform. If you find it interesting, please consider subscribing for free to get the rest of the series. This post is long. You might want to bookmark it for later. The age of social media oversaturation is upon us. People are declaring Twitter bankruptcy to go along with their email bankruptcy. They cite not wanting to start on yet another social network as their reason for not getting more involved with Google+. And just as soon as you start getting into Pinterest, you hear about Path, but wait: there’s Gentlemint, which is…
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Holy Kaw!
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Is this tattoo infographic the real deal? [infographic]
8 Feb 2012 | 8:05 pmSo, the question is, did Polish artist Paul Marcinkowski make his infographic love permanent as part of a school project? We doubt it, but if the unthinkable is true, he’ll just have to point to that spot under his belly button to explain. Via Forbes. Like infographics? Not that much. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Harry Potter in 60 seconds [video]
8 Feb 2012 | 7:49 pmYou resisted the hype for so long, but now, curiosity has gotten the better of you and it’s simply not possible to live another minute without knowing what all the excitement was about. Lucky for you, catching up won’t involve spending a valuable week’s vacation holed up with a ten-pound book in hand thanks to the efforts of Ian Holliday and company. If you like what you see, be sure to follow the YouTube link and give them a hand winning the Virgin Radio Fake Film Festival 2012 contest. It’s what Dumbledore would have wanted. Full story at YouTube via The Mary Sue. -
SYNC: Even in a backwards world, love finds a way [video]
8 Feb 2012 | 7:20 pmDirected by Alberto Corral and filmed with an iPhone 4 and Steadicam Smoothee, SYNC takes a unique approach to retelling a classic story of love at first sight. Full story at YouTube via PetaPixel. Unique movies. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Every nerd’s worst nightmare: World’s largest dodgeball game [video]
8 Feb 2012 | 6:57 pmIf dodgeball day in gym class left you nursing wounds both physical and psychological during the eternity that is a bad grade school experience, you might not appreciate the efforts of 4,979 people at the University of Alberta trying to set a new world record. On the other hand, if dodgeball marked the high point of your glory days, revel in the chaos… Full story at Vimeo via Official Hype. Games from the good old days. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Text while you walk (safely this time)
8 Feb 2012 | 6:18 pmIf you’re ever twisted your ankle off a curb, bumped a stranger, or walked into a street post while texting—you need this app. ‘Transparent Screen’ for Android allows you to look through your device so you can anticipate any dangerous obstacles in your way while you’re texting on-the-go by harnessing the power of your camera to create the illusion of transparency. Just watch out for your battery life while using the app, as it’ll drain quickly. Full story at GeekOSystem. All the top tech. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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ReadWriteWeb
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Daily Wrap: January's List of Apps You Need to See and more
8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pmDan Rowinski rounds up the best apps, in our opinion, of January 2012. This and more in today's Daily Wrap. Sometimes it's difficult to catch everything that hits tech media in a day, so we wrap up some of the most talked about stories. We give you a daily recap of what you missed in the ReadWriteWeb Community, including a link to some of the most popular discussions in our offsite communities on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ as well. Sponsor New iPhone, iPad and Android Apps for January 2012 In what is surely a labor of love, Dan Rowinski combs through the mass of apps released… -
Stop Saying "Finally"
8 Feb 2012 | 5:50 pmFIIIINALLY! Google released a Chrome beta for Android! GODDDDD. What took them so long? All the Ice Cream Sandwich users have been waiting, like, FOREVER! Finally, Tweetbot for iPad came out. I've only been asking them for, like, EIGHT MONTHS! Jeez. Apple fiiiinally released iTunes Match after a whole month, and it didn't even work right! Listen to how this sounds. How do we, the tech bloggers, get away with headlines like this? Where do users get off complaining impatiently about updates to a service that costs them $2.99? Or a free service? Let's have a reality check. Remember how awesome… -
10 Ways to Win Over Writers
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 pmAs a PR person, product developer, CEO or whatever, you're probably more interested in getting noticed by the media than developing a relationship with a particular writer. That's one way to go about it. Then there's that old-fashioned "building a relationship with a real person not a robot" idea. You know, treating people like people and taking the time to get to know them. Oh right, yeah, forgot about that. Writers, like artists, are sensitive to ideas and people. But not every writer will get you or your product - and in the tech world as in any world, each writer has their own… -
Nginx Continues Growth, Adds Commercial Offerings
8 Feb 2012 | 4:30 pmAccording to the Netcraft Web Server Survey for February 2012, Nginx was "the only server to experience a non-negligible market share increase this month" by picking up 0.27 percentage points. Good news for the upstart Web server, just as the brand-new company behind Nginx takes the wraps off its commercial packages. Nginx has had quite the growth spurt over the past year. In February of last year Nginx had 7.57% of the market, or about 21 million domains hosted with Nginx. Microsoft had 20.04%, or about 57 million. Apache was at 60.10%, with more than 171 million domains. Sponsor… -
Do Your Users Get You? Test Them With Solidify
8 Feb 2012 | 3:59 pmZURB launched yet another handy design application to help anyone test Web products they're working on. This one is called Solidify. It takes care of one of the most annoying parts of building an interface: testing clickable prototypes. Solidify lets you build a working test of your design and give it to users to see if it makes sense to them. It also gives you analytics on how your testers performed. Along with the new app, ZURB opened a new apps page showcasing all the great Web design helpers it has made, many of which we've covered on ReadWriteWeb. ZURB's tools let you make simple…
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How to Change the World
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Raising Money: What Not to Say and What Not to Believe #OfficeandGuyK
20 Jan 2012 | 10:46 amOver the past two weeks via my partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve provided templates of models for you to create enchanting PowerPoint pitches, Word business plans, and Excel financial models. They are all available for you to download from my SkyDrive account. I hope these documents and blog posts help you save a boatload of time and increase the quality of your efforts.I leave you with two sets of top ten lies: one of entrepreneurs and one of investors so that you know what not to say and what not to believe. Top Ten Lies of Entrepreneurs “Our projections are… -
Design a Sam Adams beer
20 Jan 2012 | 8:24 amNow this is a fun project. I’m helping Sam Adams “tap” the knowledge of beer drinkers and crowd source its next brew. Join the party by getting the app and designing your beer: The final brew will be released in Austin in the first week of March. #sponsored -
How to Create an Enchanting Financial Forecast #OfficeandGuyK
17 Jan 2012 | 1:52 pmThis is the third post in my Microsoft partnership, and it’s all about numbers. The topic is crafting your financial forecast to include in your pitch. Bill Reichert, my partner at Garage Technology Ventures, created an Excel model and wrote this blog post. There’s a lesson in this too: Get the best person for the job. His grasp of financial models and how to present them exceeds mine by two orders of magnitude. The Purpose of Financial Projections When it comes to financial projections, there are two types of entrepreneurs: first, the “visionary entrepreneur” who… -
How to Create an Enchanting Business Plan #OfficeandGuyK
12 Jan 2012 | 8:16 amHere is the second post in my series about planning, pitching, and launching a new business venture. In partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve created a Word document that outlines a good business plan. It’s saved to my SkyDrive folder here. Feel free to download it and use it as inspiration. And if you’re working with a partner, you can use the free Word Web App to stay in sync. I provided the PowerPoint document before the Word document because a good business plan is an elaboration of a good pitch as opposed to a good pitch being a distillation of good business plan. -
How to Create an Enchanting Pitch #OfficeandGuyK
9 Jan 2012 | 8:01 amWelcome to the first in a series of blog posts I’ll be doing as part of a partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps. Over the next two weeks, I’ll cover everything a budding entrepreneur needs to turn an idea into an enchanting investment opportunity—from the perfect pitch to a killer business plan to financial forecasts. I’m going to start with a little dissertation on creating effective PowerPoint pitches for your company. I embedded the sample deck for you to click through by using the PowerPoint Web App. When you’re ready to get started, you can download the…
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Rush on Business
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False Advertising Lawsuit Filed Against Hall of Famer George Brett's Company
8 Feb 2012 | 7:30 amA false advertising lawsuit has been filed against Brett Bros. Sports International, Inc. by an Iowa man. The President of the company is none other than Hall of Famer and legendary baseball player, George Brett. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa seeks class action status and more than $5 million in damages according to the Complaint filed on February 6, 2012. The allegations center on the alleged health and/or performance benefits of the necklaces that many young athletes seem to wear these days. -
Iowa LLC Law: Anonymity in Filing Good for Confidentiality
7 Feb 2012 | 6:15 amOne of the nice benefits of filing an LLC in Iowa is that the owners are not required to disclose the members in filings with the Iowa Secretary of State. In many instances when filing a Certificate of Organization, I won't list the member(s) to provide anonymity to the member(s) on the public search site. Instead, I'll sign as the organizer and use our law office address as the registered office for the company. In biennial report filings, I'll sign as the registered agent or authorized representative. This strategy is helpful when business owners don't want others to know… -
Should You Include Your Spouse When Forming an Iowa LLC?
6 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amI am often asked whether a business person should include their spouse when forming an Iowa small business LLC. Circumstances may vary but there are usually some benefits to filing an LLC as a single-member rather than having two or more members. First, single-member LLC owners are not required to file a separate tax return for their business. Additionally, it may help your family from an asset protection standpoint. I discuss these issues in the video below. -
Where to Incorporate or Form an LLC for Your Iowa Small Business?
4 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amI've addressed the issue of where to incorporate or form an LLC for your Iowa small business a few times on the blog. In general, Iowa small businesses would do well to incorporate or form their LLCs right here in Iowa. But I am asked often enough that I thought it might be helpful to prepare a video on the topic. -
Should a Spouse Sign a Franchise Agreement?
3 Feb 2012 | 7:47 amI recently received an inquiry on the blog asking whether or not a spouse should sign a franchise agreement. Circumstances may vary, but in general, I usually recommend that spouses don't sign the franchise agreement if they aren't going to be involved in the franchise business. It's my view there is no reason your family should throw all your eggs in one basket by having both spouses sign a personal guarantee. If a franchisor tells you it's required for the spouse to sign, push back. There is no such legal requirement. Plus, most franchise agreements have transfer provisions that allow the…
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Small Business News, Tips, Advice - Small Business Trends
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Understanding Women Workers
8 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amOne of the secrets to getting the most from your employees is understanding the challenges they face, not only in the workplace but in the rest of their lives. A comprehensive new report, Women & the Workplace, by Inforum and Sphere Trending has some insights on a key group of employees: women. The recent recession had been dubbed a “mancession” as men lost jobs in record numbers. By comparison, the study found, women fared better at keeping jobs (however, men are faring better in the current recovery). Not only that, but “Single, childless women in their 20s are more likely than… -
Is It Time to Fire That Client?
8 Feb 2012 | 8:30 amThere’s a natural lifecycle for any freelancer’s business. When you’re just starting out, you indiscriminately look to attract as many clients as you can to build your business. But inevitably, some clients won’t be the right fit. Whether it’s an overly-demanding client who’s prone to instant message you any time of day (or night), an indecisive client who’s sole feedback usually entails “that’s not quite it,” or the client who’s perennially slow to pay, some clients just aren’t worth the business. An extension of the Pareto Principle says that 20% of your… -
How To Build a Rockin’ LinkedIn Presence
8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amLet’s face it: Too many of us spend a lot of time actively ignoring LinkedIn. We don’t intend to, it’s just not as flashy as some of the other social networks. But if you haven’t checked out the business social networking site lately, it’s time to stop ignoring LinkedIn and go back. Because the site has added a host of new features in recent months that have helped transform it from a static resume site to a full-blown business networking site that SMBs will want to take advantage of. One feature small business owners want to specifically be aware of is the ability to create company… -
The Time Suck of Social Media
8 Feb 2012 | 2:30 amSocial media is a tremendous investment in time, but so critical to most small businesses today. There’s no question you need social media for your marketing, branding and PR efforts. But what is the best way to get the most out of social media for your venture? Boosting Your Social IQ The time suck of social media. We all know the value of social media for small business. This said, learning about social media has become a real time suck for many small business owners, especially the learning curve required to gain skill and a competitive advantage in this new field of marketing. Here… -
A Picture Is Worth A 1000 Words: Pinterest Is On To Something
7 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amOk, I am a Pinterest newbie, arriving on the site because of the enthusiasm of an artist friend, Ann Kelle. As a surface designer, naturally Pinterest is one of her online stomping grounds. However, I’m a writer active in the small business arena so I was slow to respond to her excitement and reminders. However, after attending a series of small business classes filled with artists and shop owners in the home and decor industry, it was easy to see that this social network is a mainstay for this creative group of entrepreneurs. And I wanted to know why. So I finally signed up. And…
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MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog
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How Social Media Is Changing the Agency/Client Relationship
8 Feb 2012 | 10:03 amThis week on the Marketing Smarts Podcast, we discuss the evolving relationship between agencies and clients in the era of social media. Our guest is Glenn Engler, CEO of Digital Influence Group, a full-service digital agency with “social media at the core” of everything they do. The jumping-off point for our interview was that “social at the core” position. I wanted to know what that meant, and Glenn explained that, in a nutshell, it doesn’t make sense for an agency to offer “social” as a capability to its clients (as in, “We can also do… -
5 Super Bowl XVLI Ads That Could Have Been Improved with a Mobile Call-to-Action
8 Feb 2012 | 6:49 amMarketers buy into the Super Bowl telecast because it is the one time of the year when consumers are actually tuning in to commercials instead of muting the volume or fast-forwarding on their DVR. Here’s an old school recipe for success: One part new product or service offering upgrade A tear-inducing script (Tears can be a result of hilarity or a message that pulls at the heartstrings.) One teaspoon of a timely message (Think Valentine’s Day and/or tax season.) A cute animal or hot celebrity A tease in the media What’s missing in this day of 24/7 social, mobile consumers? Mobile calls… -
The Questions I Would Ask If I Were Marketing Your Business
7 Feb 2012 | 6:53 amAdvice from Internet marketing pundits is becoming like rock and roll was to a previous generation—it sounds like just a bunch of noise. Every blog-as-media-outlet, thought-leader platform, and social technology company’s website screams top 10 ways to do this and how-to posts to do that. And marketing professionals are left trying to filter the wheat from the chaff. The challenge marketing and brand managers face today, however, is not the basic how-tos of social media. They need less of the top five and top sevens and top 10s, and more content that marries the tactical to-dos… -
How to Deliver Your Sales Pitch, So Folks Listen
6 Feb 2012 | 6:56 amA guest post by Sarika Periwal of karmaCRM. Talking is the best tool of a salesperson. The only way that you have face to face of convincing a person to buy a specific product or service is by convincing them that they need it. This includes highlighting the benefits that the product brings to their life to make it simpler. It also means that to be a successful salesperson you need to have impeccable communication skills. However, this is not an inherent skill but one that has to be developed through practice. Here are a few things that you should keep in mind when you next deliver your sales… -
Free Friday: Marketing Smarts Podcasts
3 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amOn this Free Friday, check out all the free Marketing Smarts podcasts organized neatly on one page for you. Hosted by MarketingProfs own Matt Grant, this weekly podcast features in-depth interviews with bright, engaging marketers. You’ll get insights and advice that will inspire you to pump up your marketing. Podcast topics include: Making the Most of a Mobile Moment (with Tim Hayden of 44Doors) Sally Hogshead and the $500 Cup of Coffee (with author Sally Hogshead) Have You Killed an Innovation Today? (with author and professor David Owen) Calculating the ROI of Social Media (with guest…
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Social Media Clubhouse
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Deep Lessons About Shallow Conclusions
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amTo my great chagrin, I find I am as guilty as anyone of drawing shallow conclusions about the role and value or social media in a marketing plan. I read this article in Ad Age about an Australian study whose research proved that no more than 1% of fans actually engage with brands on Facebook. In other words, fans may "like" your page, but it's pretty meaningless, because they don't talk about you. So, I concluded, why spend a lot of time on Facebook, especially if you are a small business with limited resources. And I wrote that on Google+, home of the serious conversation. read more -
The Evolution of Super Bowl Advertising
7 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amEveryone loves the Super Bowl. Even if you’re not crazy about watching football, you can stick around the watch clever advertising at its best. But you probably noticed that Super Bowl XLVI was a little different from its predecessors. Social media helped brands change the rules of Super Bowl ads. On average, a 30 second spot during the game of the year put a company back about $3.5 million so it makes sense that they would want to get as much value as possible from this enormous expense. This year, brands came up with creative tactics to get plenty of bang for their buck(s). -
Three Creative Ways of Using Google+ Hangouts
6 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amThere are so many shiny new toys in the social media sphere…sometimes we can’t keep up. Google has a tendency to test out new ideas (remember Google Buzz?) and this time around they have spun out Google Plus Hangouts. It’s an opportunity for individuals or businesses to utilize this virtual “hangout” to communicate with others in their community or business via video. The only disadvantage that appears right away is the restriction of 10 people per hangout. However, when it comes to meetings and having the chance to build a deeper relationship among community members sometimes fewer… -
Social Media Clubhouse Newsletter (01/3/12)
3 Feb 2012 | 11:01 amFEBRUARY BOOK CLUB: THE SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST We're proud to feature great titles in 2012 with monthly reviews and complimentary webinars hosting some of the social media industry's most innovative authors. We received a lot of great feedback last year and want to thank you for supporting the Book Club, our publishing partners and the authors. read more -
Finding Out the Difference Between Personal and Private
3 Feb 2012 | 7:07 amAll of us that are active in some respect on social networks will sooner or later end up in a situation where we don't know if we should publish an update or not, so did I, back in September. read more
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The Franchise King
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Business Entities: Should Franchisees Incorporate?
8 Feb 2012 | 7:17 amWhen you’re signing your franchise agreement, (your contract with the franchisor) you’re going to notice a spot on the contract that asks for your official business name and entity. If you didn’t bother to set these things up, you’re blood pressure could start to rise. But, that won’t happen to you. That’s because you have read lots of franchise articles, so you’re prepared. Like the one below, which features my interview with Nellie Akalp, the CEO of CorpNet® Incorporation Services About Franchise Business… -
What Is a Franchise Ownership Advisor?
6 Feb 2012 | 6:42 pmIf you’re in the hunt for a franchise, you’re going to run into all sorts of, franchise “experts,” franchise consultants, and franchise brokers; even if you don’t want to. And, it’s only because you’ve put yourself out there-you’re shopping online for franchise business opportunities. You may even find yourself getting aggravated by all of the emails and phone calls that you’ll be receiving from franchise brokers and franchise consultants. Don’t fret. Here’s what I want you to do if you start getting… -
File Tax Returns For Free With New H&R Block Mobile App
5 Feb 2012 | 1:04 pm2012 Tax News From H&R Block H&R Block just launched its new tax preparation filing app for the iPhone and Android smartphones with a great offer for tax filers this season. This new “on-the-go” tax filing option features a free simple federal tax and state tax return through Feb. 29. The H&R Block At Home™ smartphone app is free to download and offers the same H&R Block guarantees of free audit support, free audit representation, accurate calculations and the maximum tax refund to which the taxpayer is entitled. Jason Houseworth, president of H&R… -
New Franchise Association Launched!
2 Feb 2012 | 8:36 amSeemingly out of nowhere, a brand new franchise association has been started, and it’s core focus is on these 3 things; 1. Transparency 2. Ethics 3. Vetted memberships Here’s what I found on the franchise association website; SELECTION OF INDIVIDUAL FRANCHISEES “A Franchisor should select and accept as Individual Franchisees only those who, upon reasonable investigation, appear to possess the basic skills, education, personal qualities and financial resources sufficient to carry on the franchised business.” Wow. -
Introducing: Franchwire
31 Jan 2012 | 7:18 pm(This is a guest post from Dave Choate) The Wonderful World Of FranchWire Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a grizzled veteran in the world of franchising, one thing remains the same: There’s always learning to do. One thing you can do is turn to fellow franchise industry professionals. In fact, we’d encourage it, and in an effort to continue to expand the horizons of what resources are available for franchises, we’d like to introduce FranchWire. So what is FranchWire? That’s an excellent question, reader! FranchWire was created just this year…
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BusinessWeek.com -- Small Business
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DIY Apps Save Small Businesses Time, Money
6 Feb 2012 | 8:25 pmA study estimates that small companies have cut 725.3 million annual employee hours by using mobile apps, equaling $17.6 billion in savings -
Turning Girls into Tech Entrepreneurs with a Single App
6 Feb 2012 | 8:23 pmTechnovation Challenge is a contest for high school students run by Iridescent, which uses online software called App Inventor -
For Some U.S. Manufacturers, Time to Head Home
2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmMore companies are assessing the true cost of outsourcing -
Michigan Wants More Immigrants
2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmRepublican Governor Rick Snyder wants to attract talented foreigners he sees as crucial to the economy -
After Hedge Funds, a Career Rejuvenation
2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmA TSA inspection helped Julie Macklowe switch careers from hedge fund manager to entrepreneur, selling luxury, travel-friendly toiletry kits
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Small Business Labs
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The Global, Human, Strategic Accountant
8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amThe CPA Success blog has a good article on the new Chartered Global Management Accountant designation. This is a joint effort between two large accounting associations, the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. This is interesting for several reasons. First, the accounting profession realizes businesses of all sizes are increasingly global. This means accounting professionals need to have the skills to advise their clients on global issues. It's good to see accountants looking to lead in this arena. Second, the new accounting designation is designed to… -
The Rise of Small and Micro Manufacturing
7 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amU.S. manufacturing is on a roll. The New York Times recently called manufacturing a "Surprising Bright Spot in the U.S. Economy", the sector has added 330,00 jobs over the last two years, manufacturing economic indicators continue to rise and the President has made manufacturing the center of his economic policy. The times are even more exciting for small (less than 100 employees) and micro (less than 5 employees) manufacturers. Most people don't realize how many small manufacturers there are the U.S. According to the National Institute of Standards and… -
Euromonitor's Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012
6 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amEuromonitor released their Top 10 Consumer Trends of 2012 recently. The trends I found most interesting are: Consumer vigilantes speak up! On and offline protest is in the spotlight, pressuring brands towards greater accountability and genuine innovation. DIY life - Consumers are revelling in their ability to track and control their health, identity, communication and buying habits. Reality culture and consumers: Scripted reality or celebrities living the dream - consumers are gripped, sharing views and being moved to change their purchasing behaviour. I found these… -
Solid Jobs Report
5 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amThe January Employment Situation Summary from the BLS was quite positive. Total non-farm employment increased 234,000 and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3%. More importantly, private employment increased by 257,000, more than off-setting a small decline in government employment. This continues a trend towards stronger private sector hiring. Over the last 12 months private sector employment is up 2.1% while government employment is down 1.2% (this nets to a 1.5% overall increase). This is really good news - private sector hiring is always the key to… -
The Rise of Storytelling
2 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amOver the last few months a hot topic in the media has been business storytelling. Entrepreneur's How to Become Your Company's Storyteller is a good example. It explains the reason business stories are becoming so important: "These days, corporate-weary consumers care more and more about buying locally, supporting independent businesses and owning products that are made sustainably and responsibly. They want to know the story of what they're buying, who is selling it and what causes it may support." Another good story on small business storytelling is…
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Small Biz Survival
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Bonus way to get more locals to follow you online
7 Feb 2012 | 3:42 amTourism groups and small businesses both struggle with a common question: once we get online, how do we get local people to follow, like or friend us? OK, now that you're in the room with yourlocals, how do you get them to follow, likeand friend you? Last week, I shared three ways to get locals to follow you online. I deleted two comments off that post (because they came in a flood of spam) that suggested the fourth, bonus method to get more locals to follow you: Hold local events. This gives you a chance to talk about your online efforts in an offline setting. You can create events of… -
Alternatives to small business loans
6 Feb 2012 | 4:29 amMany small businesses can't qualify for a small business loan from a traditional local bank. A bad credit record disqualifies many. Lending standards have tightened. Some small towns are limited by local banks that don't support small business; others don't have locally-owned banks any more. The good news is that alternatives are available. We'll be profiling alternatives to traditional small business loans in this new series on financing. First up: BoeFly. BoeFly helps small businesses get loans from banks all over. BoeFly doesn't make loans. It helps small businesses get loans from banks… -
Step up to the Brag Basket
3 Feb 2012 | 4:56 amThe Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. Step up and share some good news. Step basket photo by Joe Shlabotnik on Flickr. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one Feb 3-5, 2012. Have some good news this week? Put it in the Brag Basket. Don't hold back because of that word, "brag." When you hold back, you hide your good news and accomplishments that might inspire others. Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. What can you do in the Brag Basket? introduce yourself share some great news from this week congratulate a… -
3 ways to get locals to follow you online
31 Jan 2012 | 4:50 amTourism groups and small businesses both struggle with a common question: once we get online, how do we get local people to follow, like or friend us? Online friends join local friends for atweetup in Alva. Here are 3 quick ideas on how to get connected with the locals: 1. Talk about local issues. When you talk about the topics that local people care about, they are more likely to engage with you. 2. Tell local people about it. Talk in person, talk with them online, make business cards for your blog and Twitter and hand them out to locals. 3. Invite locals to participate. Ask them to… -
What to do if you can't pick a niche
30 Jan 2012 | 5:29 amPicking the right niche for your business is a large task. I hear from many small business people who have several different targets, but can't pick one to be their niche. This seems to be especially true for freelancers, consultants, and other independent business folks. Time to pick a direction. If you have trouble deciding on a single niche, here's my advice: Spend one month focused on one of your possible niches. Pick your favorite target, and decide to spend one full month focused on them. Find those folks, connect with them online and offline, find out as much as you can about…
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Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
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Turn Your Business Into a Community Building Platform
8 Feb 2012 | 5:36 amTurn Your Business Into a Community Building PlatformThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I believe the future of business and commitment building resides in the idea of viewing your business as a platform for your community. The notion of a platform is one that receives a fair amount of play in various contexts. An author is said to possess a platform when they have built a following. Consultants might work with a business owner to build a platform through speaking, writing, blogging and connecting in social media. And finally, many tech firms have built platforms by creating open source… -
Is Your Marketing Producing the Results You Expected
7 Feb 2012 | 5:58 amIs Your Marketing Producing the Results You ExpectedThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Quipol Image:One-Fat-Man via Flickr CC The poll question above is a bit loaded and, not that I want to skew the results, the answer for most lies in the fact that they don’t really know what results they expected or what result they are actually getting. Mostly they know the results aren’t what they had hoped for, but that’s another issue. Setting expectations One of the simplest, yet most effective, things you can do is set expectations or goals for your marketing. You can create… -
This Is a Message from Your Heart
6 Feb 2012 | 5:51 amThis Is a Message from Your HeartThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I had a heart scan the other day – mainly because I’m old and my spouse is convincing in the most loving way. a4gpa via Flickr CCIf you’ve never done it, it’s a pretty incredible experience to get to watch the awesome mechanical miracle that is you heart spray blood in and out through a series of valves, tubes, chambers, levers and doors that any engineer would be challenged to recreate. More often than not the heart is the subject of poems and songs about romance and love but in addition to being a physical… -
Weekend Favs February Four
4 Feb 2012 | 5:32 amWeekend Favs February FourThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week. I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from Flickr or from my own travels. First run of the day Telluride Good stuff I found this week: Quipol – Easily create and embed social polls that are very easy to use and very good looking Transcribe – free online tool that makes it much easier… -
Does Your Marketing Make the Grade
1 Feb 2012 | 5:02 amDoes Your Marketing Make the GradeThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing podcast with Laura Fitton (Click to play or right click and “Save As” to download – Subscribe now via iTunes or subscribe via other RSS device (Google Listen) A number of years ago Hubspot created something called the Website Grader, a tool that graded a number of important aspects about a website and concocted a score or grade based on those factors. Although no tool can really accurately measure the effectiveness of a website, the tool had a nice marketing bent to it and was a pretty simple…
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John Battelle's Search Blog
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Larry Page’s “Tidal Wave Moment”?
7 Feb 2012 | 10:54 amWho remembers the moment, back in 1995, when Bill Gates wrote his famous Internet Tidal Wave Memo? In it he rallied his entire organization to the cause of the Internet, calling the new platform an existential threat/opportunity for Microsoft’s entire business. In the memo Gates wrote: “I assign the Internet the highest level of importance. In this memo I want to make clear that our focus on the Internet is crucial to every part of our business. The Internet is the most important single development to come along since the IBM PC was introduced in 1981.” The memo runs more… -
Now All That’s Left Is To Write It
7 Feb 2012 | 9:27 amFor posterity, if nothing else, here’s what my desk looks like at the moment. After a particularly enlightening whiteboard session with Steven Johnson late last week, then further musings on the back of bar menus and borrowed receipt-tape with my wife, and finally after waking up and scribbling notes in the middle of the night, I finally have a working outline of The Next Book. No, it’s not supposed to make much sense. Yet. Now all I have to do is write it. -
Do You Think The US Government Is Monitoring Social Media?
3 Feb 2012 | 8:49 amI had the news on in the background while performing morning ablutions. It was tuned to CBS This Morning – Charlie Rose has recently joined the lineup and my wife, a former news producer, favors both Rose and the Tiffany Network. But the piece that was running as I washed the sleep from my eyes was simply unbelievable. It was about the two unfortunate british tourists detained by Homeland Security over jokes on Twitter about “destroying America” (a colloquialism for partying – think “tear up the town”) and “digging up Marilyn Monroe” whilst in… -
In Which I Officially Declare RSS Is Truly Alive And Well.
2 Feb 2012 | 7:50 pmI promise, for at least 18 months, to not bring this topic up again. But I do feel the need to report to all you RSS lovin’ freaks out there that the combined interactions on my two posts – 680 and still counting – have exceeded the reach of my RSS feed (which clocked in at a miserable 664 the day I posted the first missive). And as I said in my original post: If I get more comments and tweets on this post than I have “reach” by Google Feedburner status, well, that’s enough for me to pronounce RSS Alive and Well (by my own metric of nodding along, of course). If… -
It’s Not Whether Google’s Threatened. It’s Asking Ourselves: What Commons Do We Wish For?
2 Feb 2012 | 10:40 amIf Facebook’s IPO filing does anything besides mint a lot of millionaires, it will be to shine a rather unsettling light on a fact most of us would rather not acknowledge: The web as we know it is rather like our polar ice caps: under severe, long-term attack by forces of our own creation. And if we lose the web, well, we lose more than funny cat videos and occasionally brilliant blog posts. We lose a commons, an ecosystem, a “tangled bank” where serendipity, dirt, and iterative trial and error drive open innovation. Google’s been the focus of most of this analysis…
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BizSugar / Published News
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Investors Fund Solutions Rather Than Technology
8 Feb 2012 | 8:31 pmToo many entrepreneurs develop a new product without regard to market demand, then build an entire strategy based on creating a need, rather than acting on an existing market need. Investors characterize this approach as a "solution looking for a problem." These don't get funded.16 Vote(s) -
Can You Legally Sell Wikipedia Content (Like in an eBook, for Example)?
8 Feb 2012 | 8:23 pmThis is something I've been wondering about for a while: Can you take Wikipedia content, repackage it, and sell it (in ebook form, for example)? Is that legal? I did some digging and here's what I found out. 16 Vote(s) -
Kenji Crosland: What Makes a Person an Entrepreneur?
8 Feb 2012 | 7:41 pmWhat makes a person an entrepreneur? Maybe it's just a decision to do something different with your life. That's how BizSugar Contributor of the Week Kenji Crosland discovered his passion.16 Vote(s) -
Selling Products on Facebook Business Pages with an Online Store App
8 Feb 2012 | 12:27 pmTransform your Facebook business page into an e-commerce tool for your business by adding an online store app that lets you promote and sell products directly on Facebook -- Facebook sales opportunities can be amplified with a direct plug-in application that adds an online store complete with e-23 Vote(s) -
The Gift of Glorious Gab – 3 Tips for Supersonic Copy
8 Feb 2012 | 12:23 pm3 tips for writing supersonic copy that resonates with your voice and inspires authenticity and trust!18 Vote(s)
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NEO Biz Blog
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Nominations Open For The 2012 Small Business Book Awards
16 Jan 2012 | 6:59 pmBusiness books are among the most-read non-fiction books around, and the major publishing houses continue to pump out great business books written by great authors. Avid readers of business books now have an opportunity to nominate, show their support for, and vote on their favorite business books. The Best Small Business Book Awards initiative is produced by Small Business Trends, a Cleveland area online publication, which along with its sister sites, serves over 4,000,000 small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually. The site was founded by Anita Campbell, widely regarded… -
Ohio Author Snags an Amazing Business Book Review
24 Dec 2011 | 1:07 pmCleveland, Ohio franchise expert Joel Libava just released a new book targeting anyone thinking of starting a business in 2012. It's titled, "Become a Franchise Owner! The Start-Up Guide to Lowering Risk, Making Money, and Owning What You Do" And, it's starting to garner some amazing reviews from some of the top authorities in business. From Small Business Trends; "I’ve read books about franchising before, and one thing I’ve noticed is that they tend to support one line of thinking – their line. Become a Franchise Owner doesn’t do this. Libava tells it like it is even if it includes… -
New Business Book Released By Cleveland Author
5 Dec 2011 | 7:03 pmJust in time for the New Year, a new business book just released by a Cleveland author, promises to help those that feel that they are in serious, "Career Pain." _____________________________________________________ With more and more professionals looking for alternatives to traditional corporate employment, Joel Libava, "The Franchise King®” and the author of Become a Franchise Owner!: The Start-Up Guide to Lowering Risk, Making Money, and Owning What you Do (Wiley; Hardcover and e-book; December 2011; $21.95; 978-1-1180-9402-0) explains the joys and perils of the franchise model. -
Why is the Cuyahoga County Library Allowing This?
9 Oct 2011 | 10:06 amI ran across something really scary the other day. As I was scanning The Cleveland Plain Dealer, I noticed that the Mayfield Regional Library was holding some type of "Franchise Fest." Since I'm in the franchise industry, and I live in Cleveland, I was curious as to who was putting this "Fest" on. The Franchise Fest is being led by a ghost. Boo! There is no mention of the entity that's holding this "event." It gets better; if you're interested in attending this Cleveland franchise event, you have to fill out a Cuyahoga County Libray form. Then, when you hit… -
Cleveland Area Investor Seminar Being Held for Prospective Franchise Owners
21 Sep 2011 | 5:53 amA Sport Clips Salon (This is a sponsored post.) Northeast Ohio residents interested in being their own bosses are going to have an opportunity presented to them on September 27th. This opportunity should fit in quite well with our sports-minded town.... Did you know that Sport Clips is the fastest-growing concept in the $60 billion hair care industry; they’ve doubled in size in just 4 years and currently have over 807 stores nationwide. They plan on opening more than 120 new stores across the US next year and have 1,000 open by 2013, if not by 2012. Sport Clips is…
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Social Media Marketing
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Foursquare in Context
29 Jan 2012 | 8:11 pmIf you're a regular user of services like Twitter or Foursquare, you've undoubtedly been met with skeptics and naysayers who wonder aloud, "Why would I want to tell anyone what I'm having for lunch?" or "Why would I care if someone is having a ham sandwich?"Fair enough, but the inquisitors fail to take into account the all-important factor in any conversation, whether it's in person or online: context.Context is what allows us to make sense of much of the world around us. "He's so bad!" could have two very different meanings, depending on the the rest of the conversation surrounding it. With… -
Social Media and Travel
26 Jan 2012 | 9:37 pmIf you're like me, you spend a good deal of time on the road. Whether it's at an airport, on a train or in a car, you're mobile and your digital life is mobile too.The pervasiveness of tablets and smartphones (in addition to the already ubiquitous laptop) is growing daily. Just this week, Apple announced that it sold 37 million iPhones and 15.4 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2011 alone. It means that more of us are doing things on the web (or mobile web, as the case may be) while we're on the go, and there are certain things those of us in the digital world look for when we travel -… -
Revealing a New Ford in a New Way
13 Dec 2011 | 6:00 pmFord Motor Company has been at the forefront of social media for some time. The Fiesta Movement, the Explorer reveal on Facebook, Doug the Spokespuppet, Ford Social (formerly known as The Ford Story) and being the first brand on Google+ all stand as examples of Ford's success that spans from clever campaigns to a daily commitment to engage.Ford played a significant part in how the automotive industry thinks about social media (and in some cases how large companies think about social media) and now, as we near the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), at Ford we have an… -
Infographic: 5 Companies That Are Rocking Social Media
29 Nov 2011 | 8:47 amThis infographic was created by Voltier Digital, a content marketing agency based in Florida, specializing on the creation and promotion of impactful content marketing campaigns for businesses of all sizes.We all know the usual names of companies that are doing well in social media. I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the lesser-knowns and why they've had success, either on an ongoing basis or with some one-off efforts that stood out.And since infographics are all the rage, what better way to look at them? Of course, for SEO purposes, I've listed them here as… -
Twitter Business Guide
7 Oct 2011 | 8:53 pmI was recently introduced to a compact guidebook for businesses trying to get a sense of Twitter. The microblogging site that allows you to update in no more than 140 characters at at time is deceptively complex and nuanced - especially for a newcomer.This short guide, entitled Twitter Business Guide: Communication and Marketing was written by Jean-Christophe Barré and Dr. Andreas Schroeter and in just 32 pages covers some of the things that may be keeping you and your business away from this platform. For someone who is new to Twitter, this e-book will prove a helpful compass as you…
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@ProBlogger
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How to Succinctly Report a Blog Issue to Tech Support
8 Feb 2012 | 6:07 amThis guest post is by Matthew Setter of Malt Blue. How often do you find it happening to you? You discover an issue with your site, or one of your community members emails you to tell you about it, and soon you start to see tweets about it too. Maybe it’s as simple as an error message that detracts from the professional appearance of your site. Perhaps the contact form doesn’t send messages to your contact email address. Or is it that the whole site just displays as a blank page, otherwise known as the white page of death? You’re not a programmer, a software engineer or a seasoned… -
Make Your Blog Load Faster than ProBlogger: Part 2
7 Feb 2012 | 12:05 pmThis guest post is by Devesh of WP Kube. A few months ago, I wrote a guest post here called How to Make Your Blog Load Faster than ProBlogger. Today, I’ll go into some more detailed advice to help you speed up your site even more. If you’re a blogger, you already know about the importance of blog loading speed, and the role it plays in search engine rank and marketing your blog. But if this is new territory for you, here are three quick reasons why you need to speed up your blog: Google includes website loading speed as an important metric in their ranking algorithm. If you want… -
How I Beat my Best Month Ever by Doing Something Good, Better [Case Study]
7 Feb 2012 | 6:04 amMid-December 2010: on my photography site, we launched a new campaign—our first ever 12 Days of Christmas promotion. The result was my biggest month of earnings ever up to that point. The idea was simple: offer discounts on 12 products over the 12 days leading up to Christmas. I used a mix of my own ebooks and products from other photography sites with affiliate commissions. The result was massive. Not only did we see some great revenue generated, it created some lovely buzz on the site. Due to the success of the 2010 campaign, in mid-December 2011 we launched our second 12 Days of… -
Six Steps to Make Sure Your Site Is Ready to Go Viral
6 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amThis guest post is by Nancy Sathre-Vogel of Family on Bikes. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Surely Google Analytics was confusing my site with another, way more popular site. There was no way my visitor numbers could be so high! And yet they were. One of my posts had taken off and was spreading like wildfire. Those viral post phenomena that happen to others were now happening to me. The first day, 17,000 visitors came to my website. The next day we topped out at 56,000. Readers were coming in droves. It was exciting. It was exhilarating. My site, viral! Wow! And then I took a… -
How to Handle Criticism: a Practical Guide
5 Feb 2012 | 12:03 pmImage by Stuart RichardsAs bloggers, each of us has to deal with criticism. Blogging is a very public activity—almost all of us has the goal of gaining readers to our blogs—and the more people you reach, the more likely it is that you’ll hear criticisms. “You’re wrong…” “How can you say that? You don’t know what you’re talking about.” “I couldn’t disagree more…” “This is the last time I read this blog!” These are just some of the criticisms bloggers regularly face—I’ve received versions of…
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Brian Solis
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Meet the Mother of All Processes
8 Feb 2012 | 10:32 amGuest post by John M. Bernard, author of the new book, Business at the Speed of Now, and Chairman and Founder of Mass Ingenuity. Imagine going to work in one of Henry Ford’s factories a century ago, proud that management referred to you a “hand” or a “hammer” or maybe even a “wrench.” The labels reflected Ford’s emphasis on automation and management’s view of laborers as mere cogs in the machine. Screw this nut onto that bolt; weld this strap to that frame; do it over and over and over again until your brain froze with boredom. Of course, management needed workers to get the… -
2011 Was the Year of the Mobile Consumer, What’s in Store for 2012? Value.
7 Feb 2012 | 10:10 amChris Silva, my colleague at Altimeter Group, released a useful report today that I wanted to share with you here. Mobile is important and I believe you know this. However, when we consider mobile, we often think about the experience when and where it begins. But, we often miss the opportunity to lead a more meaningful journey as it may travel from small screen to larger screens across laptops, desktops and beyond. And along the way, we must now determine our role in this journey to provide information, shape decisions, and influence behavior. In Chris’ report, he reminds us that 2011… -
Season 2 Finale: How Yamaha invests in new customer experiences
3 Feb 2012 | 10:52 amThis is it…the Season Finale! And, what a way to end Season 2 of (R)evolution…. In this episode, Yamaha shares what is by far the most expansive view of disruptive technology’s impact on business infrastructure and culture on the show to date. What you’ll see is a genuine discussion with Jeff Hawley and Rick Williams of Yamaha explore how an already successful business is exploring new opportunities to better define the customer experience before, during and after transactions. It comes down to workflow. Nowadays, it either works for you or works against you. Here,… -
Smartphones, Tablets, PCs, The Devices People Use to Discover Information in Social Media (and when)
2 Feb 2012 | 3:13 pmMy friends over at bit.ly published an interesting graph that reveals the devices as well as the days/times that people use different devices and how and when they consume information. As you can imagine, it’s across the board, but as you can see, there are waves that every device follows, except the desktop. Desktops are of course the devices that we can assume people use during work hours. As such, they are most heavily used on weekdays before noon. Interestingly enough, phone traffic peaks at about the same times, but not to similar effects. What’s also telling is that tablets… -
What’s Love Got to Do with It? The 3P’s of Identity
2 Feb 2012 | 6:16 amGuest post by Allison Cerra, author of Identity Shift With the 2012 Presidential election looming, there’s no shortage of polls to help narrow the field of candidates. I find a recent one from Fox News to be particularly fascinating. Among other questions, Republican primary voters were asked which Republican presidential candidate is most likeable and which they would most trust with a nuclear weapon. While Newt Gingrich scored at the top of the heap in earning the trust vote, he scored only marginally well on the likeability scale. The topic was discussed on the network’s “Fox &…
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Copyblogger
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The “New” SEO Secret Weapon
8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amIf you have a web site, you may have noticed one of two things about the traffic you get from search engines. Your search traffic may have dried up overnight, with once-healthy streams turning into a sad little trickle. Or you may have noticed a nice, steady improvement as you’ve climbed higher in the SERPs (search engine results pages), while other sites that used to outrank you suddenly evaporated. There’s a super-secret new ingredient in SEO. It was always a factor, but it’s become even more important recently, as the Google team relentlessly declares war on what they see… -
8 Quick Tips for Writing Bullet Points People Actually Want to Read
7 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amIt’s a Twitterized world, we’re just living in it. Blog posts, Tweets, quick videos, Google+, the Facebook Timeline, and tens of thousands of images pinned to digital boards are flying past us faster than we can read them. Faster than we can even scan them, depending on the time of day. What does this mean for writers trying to cut through it all? At least two things that I can think of: You’d better know how to write a compelling headline You’d better know how to write bullet points that grab (and keep) your reader We’re not telling you to keep your copy short. -
7 Crucial Tactics for Writing a Wildly Successful Guest Post
6 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amWe all know that guest posts grow blogs. But not many people realize that tactical guest posting grows careers. Most bloggers I see pump out these articles while reciting the mantra “quantity over quality”; there’s no real strategy and there are no real long-term benefits. In this post I am going to show you the seven crucial tactics for writing a radically successful guest post. Done right, these strategies will get you more email subscribers, coveted Google ranking positions, and a big head-start on your content marketing goals. Who am I to teach you about guest blogging? -
7 Smashing Social Media Marketing Links
4 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amThis week on The Lede … What really works on Twitter One thing social media copywriters should never do 9 productive social media hacks A reminder of the power of the original social media If you just can’t wait for The Lede every Saturday, and you want even more practical, useable links than the seven we highlight here every week, follow @copyblogger on Twitter. It’s painless. Really. // 9 Social Media Hacks You Need to Embrace Now Mr. Baer makes a good case that though social media is inexpensive in monetary terms, it can get good and costly when it comes to spending your… -
Whether You Call it Blogging or Not, Online Content Still Rules
3 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amWhat if most of the business world stopped blogging tomorrow? Would you stop as well? No, if that happened, you’d find yourself sitting on the opportunity of a lifetime. Social networking sites would explode with likes and retweets and pins and +1s of your original content all day long. This is why the annual “blogging is dead” claim is so dumb. Even if it were true, your continued content production would dominate the web in every way. So, instead of worrying about the latest claimed trend or alarming decline of the moment, stay the course. Original content creation is the…
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The Content Marketing Revolution
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What Can a Super Bowl Ad Buy You in Content Marketing?
6 Feb 2012 | 7:14 amSo, another Super Bowl gone. For those who advertised during the Super Bowl, the average cost of a Super Bowl ad this year was $3.5 million to promote their brand in front of 111 million viewers. For those counting, that’s $116,000 per second. Back in 2008 I looked at how much content marketing you could buy for the price of a Super Bowl ad. Four years ago, the price for a 30-second-spot was $2.7 million (folks, in this market, the economy is working just fine). That bought you A LOT of content. Today, you can buy even more. Here are a few examples. 47 Issues of Your Own… -
Lethal Generosity: The Key To Your Online Content Strategy
2 Feb 2012 | 6:16 pmThe concept of Lethal Generosity was first coined by social media pioneer Shel Israel in 2008. Simply put: Lethal Generosity is the concept that the most generous members of any social media company are the most credible and influential and as such, they can devastate their competition in the marketplace. In short, the company whose representative posts the most tips, links, advice, case studies, best practices that followers find useful will always [rise] to the top, not just in influence but also in search results. The more outbound links you post, the more inbound links you are likely… -
47 Essential Social Media Tools for Content Marketers
1 Feb 2012 | 9:29 amIt’s hard to believe the sheer number of social media tools we use everyday to help grow the Content Marketing Institute and SocialTract, as well as my own personal brand. Since there are so many, I decided to update this post from almost three years ago. It’s amazing the number of social media and content marketing tools that I continue to use, as well as the many that died over the years from lack of use. Which ones am I missing that you cannot live without? [disclaimer: many of the tools below are CMI partner tools] The Basics LinkedIn - Start the practice of connecting… -
McDonald’s Social Media Goes Wrong? Not a Chance
26 Jan 2012 | 4:49 pmYou’d have to be living in a cave not to be aware of the now historic McDonald’s Twitter campaign launched a few days ago. If you’ve been out of it for a while, here’s the CliffsNotes version: McDonald’s promoted a Tweet using the Twitter hashtag #McDStories that went like this: ‘When u make something w/pride, people can taste it,’ – McD potato supplier #McDStories http://t.co/HaPM5G9F‘ (source). The link is a video of McDonald’s potato supplier Frank Martinez and includes a heartwarming story about his life as a potato farmer. -
Tablet Content Marketing: Crazy Stats and Time to Move
25 Jan 2012 | 4:14 amIf you are not up on the latest statistics on the tablet, here are some to chew on: Apple reported first quarter earnings, selling over 15 million iPads during the quarter. This is a 111% increase from the previous quarter. In just under two years, Apple has now sold over 55 million units. According to Pew Internet’s latest findings, the share of Americans who own a tablet computer nearly doubled from December 2011 to January 2012. The number of Americans now owning at least one tablet device is now at 29%. Tablet: The Curl-Up Device Historically in marketing, we have talked about…
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Understanding Marketing
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5 Small Business PR Stories Week Of Feb. 6
5 Feb 2012 | 4:38 pmHere are some great PR opportunities for the week of Feb. 6-11. The following tips are part of the UnderstandingMarketing.com small business PR PITCH series helping entrepreneurs develop “Publicity Ideas That Create Headlines.” 1: Best And Worst Super Bowl Ads - The day after the Super Bowl is always filled with talk about what happened on the football field as well as off the field. Which companies produced your favorite spots? Which companies fell short? Which companies offended people? Everyone from marketing and advertising experts to psychologists and even family counselors… -
How To Get Food Truck PR
2 Feb 2012 | 3:52 pmphoto credit: Miami New Times How To Get Food Truck PR Over the last five years food trucks have been highly successful in just about every corner of the U.S. In every major city, you can find a food truck downtown at lunch on almost every day of the week, serving up delectable orders that span all kinds of tastes. From an operator’s standpoint, the million-dollar question is how to get food truck PR. Below is a Q&A with Jim Heins of the popular food truck, @LatinBurger. Jim was recently featured on The Food Network and he talks about how he gets a lot of his food truck PR coverage. -
27 Small Business PR Ideas For February
30 Jan 2012 | 6:30 pmHere are 27 ways entrepreneurs can seek out small business PR opportunities during the month of February. Download the PR Toolkit for Small Business to receive additional tips on how to write a press release, press release headline and how to build a relationship with a reporter. Small Business PR Pitches This Week: 1: Florida GOP Primary: The Florida GOP Primary is held on Tuesday, Jan. 31. The candidates have been intensely campaigning across the state of Florida for almost ten days. Even after all the votes are in, small businesses impacted by issues of importance will still be able to… -
18 Ways Your Social Media PR Is Failing
24 Jan 2012 | 5:56 pmIt’s easy to start going down the road of doing social media PR but then get off course. Here are 18 ways your social media PR is failing and some explanations of how to do a course correction: 1: Connect With Reporters - Social media PR is highly effective when the laws of social media are applied. This means you have to follow key reporters in order to build effective relationships with them. You can’t engage with people who aren’t in your network. 2: Openly Pitch Reporters - Once you’ve started following those reporters, it’s important to focus on building the… -
5 Small Business PR Pitches Week Of Jan. 23
22 Jan 2012 | 5:25 pmHere are five small business PR pitch ideas entrepreneurs can use during the week of Jan. 23 to get media exposure for their companies. Each of the five small business PR pitch ideas explains the story background and offers some different ways entrepreneurs can build story pitches that will interest reporters. The following ideas are part of UnderstandingMarketing.com’s PITCH series helping small businesses build publicity ideas that create headlines. 1: Weather - One of the hottest stories of the week will be the weather patterns across much of the country. Okay perhaps…
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Business Pundit
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10 Signs You Started 2012 Out on the Wrong Foot
7 Feb 2012 | 12:03 pmShare Half-assed resolutions aside, there are a number of ways you can examine the success of your new year thus far. If you don’t believe in ‘starting the year off wrong’ since our concept of years/the calendar is completely fabricated (or other various reasons), good for you. You don’t have to superstitiously worry about hidden omens in your day-to-day life which predict the happiness or unhappiness of the next 12 months. For the rest of us, here are 10 reasons you know that 2012 is off to a bad start. Fighting Through New Years Image Source While… -
How Small Businesses Are Using Social Media [Infographic]
6 Feb 2012 | 3:59 amIt’s undeniable that small businesses today benefit greatly from the use of social media sites. Whether for promoting their enterprise, reaching out to clients and responding to queries from customers, regular networking efforts on social media indeed has its rewards. A big chunk of entrepreneurs using Facebook, Twitter and so on belong to the small business industry. It should be noted, however, that even the Fortune 500 companies are also taking advantage of these sites. Apart from the real time communication that the sites offer, it’s absolutely free to promote a business and keep in… -
10 Biggest Threats to Internet Freedom Now That SOPA/PIPA is Dead
2 Feb 2012 | 10:04 amShare If you missed the blackout of thousands of sites across the Internet on January 18th, including Wikipedia and a black bar over the Google logo…well what the hell are you doing reading this, grandma?! I told you not to Google my name. SOPA and PIPA are two bills that would be absolutely devastating for freedom on the Internet. Thanks to the Herculean organizing efforts behind the January 18th blackout, SOPA and PIPA are effectively dead. But SOPA/PIPA were not the first and will certainly not be the last attempts to stifle Internet freedom. So prepare your DDoS… -
The Business Behind Girl Scouts of the USA
31 Jan 2012 | 11:38 amIn addition to bringing smiles to millions of people each year (those Samoas are pure heaven), Girl Scout Cookies rake in over $700 million in revenue and contribute over 200 billion calories to the obesity epidemic. This interesting infographic from Top Business Degrees takes a look at these and other interesting business numbers behind the Girl Scouts of the USA. From: Top Business Degrees Another interesting point in the infographic is that being a member of the Girls Scouts seems to drastically increase a woman’s chances of political office. It would be interesting to know if this… -
100th Year Anniversary of the BBB
27 Jan 2012 | 6:07 amBelieve it or not, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has been around for 100 years. Their latest infographic provides a highlight of their biggest events from the first BBB in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1912 to the release of their app in 2011. In 1930, BBBs developed Truth in Advertising Standards, something most consumers can appreciate. According to the inforgraphic, Harry S. Truman said of BBBs, “They have gone to work to clean out the shady areas in the commercial world.” Eleanor Roosevelt said in 1951, “it’s a service I think we’ve all taken for granted.” In 2010 they helped…
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What Works for Business - Business.com
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Use Social Media to Network During Conferences
8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amThere is an old adage that seems to have been lost in recent years: Business is about relationships. With so many transactions going on the Internet these days, there has been a sort of disconnect that has even affected face to face dealings in the past five years, especially. But with the rise of social networking and the way so many companies have been using it to touch base with customers and potential customers, that is now changing once again and the world is going back to normal. While it is important to utilize social networking for your customer base, that isn’t where the tool… -
Is Using Amazon as a Conversion Example a Good Idea?
3 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amEveryone’s looking for the next best thing. Companies everywhere want better conversion rates, higher quality customers, and more efficient sales processes. Naturally, most start looking around at what the competition’s doing. Often, when I’m strategizing with a client about conversion and usability of their site, the client will say, “Let’s just copy Amazon.” The client’s rationale is that Amazon has already spent millions of dollars testing different options and scenarios, so they clearly know what works. This is true – Amazon has invested millions in gathering data,… -
Take Flight With Savings on Your Business Travel Costs
31 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amAs businesses grow, many expand to different regions, setting up offices in various cities. However, with expansion comes the challenge of keeping the company connected and whole. Managers and other employees are sent to other areas, where they rack up costs along the way. As a result of hotels, car rentals, flights and other fees, constantly sending employees abroad can be a costly expense for any business. According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the forecast for 2012 is that companies will spend close to $261 billion in travel expenses. So, is your business part of that… -
The Best and Worst Business Credit Card Issuers
27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amThe credit card landscape has changed significantly since the Credit Card Act took effect in February 2010. Overall, this piece of reformatory legislation increased transparency and consumer rights in the general-use (personal) credit card space, curing many of the ills that pervaded prior to the Great Recession. Perhaps it’s most important provision brought debt stability to personal credit cards by prohibiting issuers from increasing interest rates on existing debt unless a cardholder becomes at least 60 days delinquent on payment. The CARD Act does not pertain to small business credit… -
How to Green Your Office
24 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amDo you want to make your office a greener and more efficient place but just aren’t sure how to start? Greening your office can be a lot easier than you think. Check out some ideas below to get started: Print on opposite side of recycled paper Did you know that about 71 million tons of paper and paperboard are used in the United States each year? So instead of tossing out those extra reports after the meeting, why not flip them upside down and put them back in the printer to be used one more time. Change to an eco-font that uses less ink To cut down on printing costs and ink cartridge…
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Small Business Daily News, Blogs, Commentary
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8 Great Apps for Small Businesses
8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amBy Karen Axelton The SBA recently held a nationwide competition to spur development of great apps for small businesses. Some $20,000 in total prize money went to the winning app developers. Now the SBA has announced the winning apps, which can help you do everything from finding loan opportunities to finding contracting opportunities, get notifications about SBIR solicitations and much more. You can see a list of the winning apps at the SBA website. And don’t forget to check out the SBA’s own app–it will help you easily find an SBA counselor near you, no matter where you are. -
7 Behaviors That Sabotage Sales Success
7 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amDo you or your sales team repeatedly run up against the same obstacles when trying to make the sale? You may be sabotaging yourself. In today’s guest post, sales expert Darryl Rosen reveals the seven behaviors that could be shutting down your sales. After hundreds of coaching sessions with sales professionals all over the country, I’ve identified behaviors that continually drive sales performance down. The good news is that a smart and motivated salesperson can easily reverse selling mistakes by making small changes in his or her behavior. Here are seven behaviors to avoid or change. 1. -
Do Your Customers Love Your Business?
6 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amBy Rieva Lesonsky Are there businesses you absolutely love? Companies that make your life easier, simpler or just plain happier? (You know who they are.) Now think about your own business. Do your customers feel the same way about you? Do they love your business? Unless you’re earning customers’ love (not like, not lukewarm “OK”), you’ve got something to worry about. With customers relying on social media to share information about businesses like never before, getting one customer to love you can quickly translate into hundreds or thousands. (Conversely, having one customer hate… -
Mobile Shopping, Facebook Advertising, Content Marketing and More
3 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amBy Rieva Lesonsky Did you miss any of my blog posts from around the Net this week? No worries, just read on below. Do you really know how your employees feel about working for you? If you want to keep them, you’d better. Get the scoop in my post on Anita Campbell’s Small Business Trends. We all know consumers are going mobile–when shopping, that is. But what are they buying and on what devices? Find out in my post on Network Solutions‘ GrowSmartBusiness blog. Do you use content marketing to attract customers? (Or are you not even sure what “content… -
Six Things Your Business Can Learn From Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google
2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amDo you sometimes feel your small business can’t compare with today’s giants– Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google? Try learning from them instead. In today’s guest post, Phil Simon, author of The Age of the Platform: How Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google Have Redefined Business, shares six secrets for learning from the “big four.” In case you haven’t noticed, four platform-based companies have fundamentally altered the business landscape, and the rest of us would be wise to adapt. Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, aka the Gang of Four, thrive in a state of constant…
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Internet Marketing for Business - Jim Kukral - Small Business Web Consultant
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F$%#, That’s Good Marketing
7 Feb 2012 | 1:44 pmIf you haven’t seen the highly debated Clint Eastwood/Chrysler Superbowl ad yet, watch it below. I just wanted to point out, politics aside, that it’s a great ad with great copywriting. “It’s halftime in America” is an amazing line. I would swear Aaron Sorkin wrote this ad. I know Clint has denied any support of Obama in the ad, but if I was Obama I’d take the concept and run with it. Great metaphor. Great copywriting. F$%#, that’s good marketing. Don’t you agree? -
Ideas Are Worthless
2 Feb 2012 | 5:56 amThis is an excerpt from my book entitled “Business Around A Lifestyle“. Ideas Are Worthless Right now there are 10 people out there making moves and taking action on the same idea you have in your head. The difference between you and them is that they are going to give it a try, and you are going to keep thinking that just having the idea is good enough. It’s not. Ideas as worthless unless they are acted upon. As a marketing person with several books I get contacted multiple times a day by people who have great ideas and want me to make them happen for them. The conversation… -
The Things You Don’t Have To Do
31 Jan 2012 | 11:42 amBelow is a short excerpt from my soon to be released book entitled “Business Around a Lifestyle“. The Things You Don’t Have To Do Inevitably if you read any books on success you’re going to read a lot about all the things you HAVE to do to succeed. Things like travel a lot or hire an accountant or even things like “make lists and set goals”. Yes, I know those are things I said you have to do. I’m contradicting myself right now just to make a point. You don’t HAVE to do anything. Books like mine, and others like it, are giving you guidelines to follow, not rules set in… -
How I Accidentally Made $3,000 Last Friday
30 Jan 2012 | 10:48 amThe video says it all. Free blog setup link here. -
When’s The Last Time You Got Paid For A Blog Post?
29 Jan 2012 | 11:21 amI keep having this argument over and over. On Facebook, Twitter, email, you name it. As I continue to push my mantra of “everyone should publish a book” around the Internets, I keep getting a very few people pushing back on me with one of the following objections. 1. Not everyone should have a book because it just makes more crap out there. 2. Books are better/different and should be researched and a lot more put into them. 3. If everyone writes a book, the world will end. 4. Blogs are a much better way to communicate your message. 5. And other reasons why people who are writing…
