Selected by franchiseking

• 
  The Franchise King Blog

• The Health Care Reform Bill; Here's The International Franchise Association's Stance

  The Franchise King

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pm

  Let me start out by stating this; I am not a member of The International Franchise Association. (IFA) That's full disclosure, folks. One thing that I feel they do a stellar job with is lobbying. Matthew Shay, it's leader, knows how to work it over on Capitol Hill. The IFA just made it's position known concerning health care reform. I grabbed this off of their website; "The Senate’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will not reduce the cost of health insurance for franchised employers, and we cannot support health care legislation that fails this basic test,” said IFA Vice…

• Franchise Success And Franchise Failure; Please Keep Head Out Of Sand

  The Franchise King

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:04 am

  It may be too late for that guy(This is a post from a strategic partner of mine, Paul Segreto. Paul has been there and done that in franchising. and he wrote this a while back) I can personally relate to the trials and tribulations of owning franchise businesses as I have “been there and done that” and have experiences on both ends of the spectrum from achieving overwhelming success to dealing with bitter failure. I have definitely come to understand the fine line between success and failure in trying to nail down the American Dream.I know it is sometimes counterproductive to even mention…

• Kauffman Foundation Funded Study Reveals GLOBAL Impact Of An Economic Recession

  The Franchise King

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:14 am

  In a study just released, and brought to my attention via M Booth And Associates in New York City, there is clear evidence of the impact of this recession on the world entrepreneur community.The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) wrote that;"Our research shows that new and young firms have been the primary source of new jobs in the United States over the past three decades," said Robert Litan, vice president of Research & Policy at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which funded the study. "While business exits are a normal part of a healthy entrepreneurial…

• The Franchise King® Is Not Being Paranoid

  The Franchise King

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:48 am

        Small Business Loans Drop By $10 Billion(From CNN.com, today)"Some banks are unapologetic about their cutbacks. Small business defaults are soaring, and banks are under pressure to shore up their balance sheets and reduce their exposure to risky loans. Two key small business lenders, CIT Group and Advanta, filed for bankruptcy this month."This is not paranoia. This is reality.I have been telling folks this for the last month via; Radio programs Interviews Blog articles Phone consults Franchise seminars Social media WhiteHouse.Gov Some folks feel that I am sometimes a little…

• Franchising And Veterans; A Good Fit?

  The Franchise King

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:39 am

  On Veteran's Day, I was asked to join two rather energetic and engaging women on their weekly small business radio program, to discuss how military veterans fit into the scheme of things with regards to franchise ownership. I'm from this school of thought; Military veterans can be great franchise owners. It's just that we don't live in a perfect world, and some people, veterans or not, just shouldn't be small business/franchise owners at all. No way. no how. (For lots of reasons) Now back to the ladies from Boost Your Business Radio. Who are they? Rieva Lesonsky owns GrowBiz MediaShe was the…

• 
  Mashable!

• Droid Does: A Price Drop

  Adam Ostrow

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:04 pm

  When it was released earlier this month, the retail price for the Motorola Droid was $200 for new activations on Verizon. Although Verizon is staying firm with that price point for now, it appears that some of its retailers are not. Specifically, Amazon and Dell have both cut prices on the smartphone to $150 and $120, respectively. The news comes just one day after news broke of price cuts by online retailers on other devices not named iPhone: the Palm Pre and Pixi. Of course, the device cost shouldn’t really play a huge role in consumer’s decision given the total costs of ownership for…

• Top 10 News Readers Judged by Mashable Readers

  Barb Dybwad

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pm

  Each Friday we choose a Lunchtime Poll topic to get a sense of how Mashable readers feel about the chosen topic of the week. Below are the results from last Friday’s poll, where we asked for your favorite news reader. Is your favorite app or service not represented in the list? Let us know in the comments! And to make sure your vote counts next time, be sure to vote in this week’s Lunchtime Poll, where we want to know your favorite video-sharing service. A surprising number of readers in the top 10 were Mac apps, and enough of you said you’d switched to using Twitter as your…

• HOW TO: Use Social Media to Find Black Friday Deals

  Susan Payton

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pm

  Susan Payton is the Managing Partner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an internet marketing firm. She blogs at The Marketing Eggspert Blog, and teaches marketing courses at Marketing EggSchool. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing. We’re a week away from Black Friday and just a few years ago, if you wanted to find the best deals, you had to wait for the sales flyers to hit your newspaper or mailbox. You’d make a list of what you wanted and get your game plan together. But that’s all changed because of social media. Tools like iPhone apps, blogs, Twitter, and Facebook…

• LUNCHTIME POLL: What’s Your Favorite Video Sharing Service?

  Barb Dybwad

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm

  It’s Friday, people, which means that not only is it Follow Friday, it’s also time for the Lunchtime Poll! Last week we wanted to know about your favorite news reader (or whether you use RSS at all). We’ll have the results for you later today, but let’s get a head start on the new poll: what’s your favorite video sharing service? We’ll start off with some responses from the staff here at Mashable, and let you fine folks have at it in the comments. Be sure to let us know along with your vote why you chose it as your favorite. We’ll post the results…

• Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters

  Tamar Weinberg

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:57 pm

  Thanks to this week’s advertisers and partners for enabling us to bring you the latest social media news and resources. Mashable’s sponsors are as social media savvy as our readers! Advertise with us and get noticed. Help us to help you. Mashable is seeking out site sponsors for our large, diverse audience — social media users, venture capitalists, early adopters, developers, bloggers, and many more. You’ll receive hundreds of thousands of views a day in addition to weekly recognition to thank you as our premium sponsors. Are you interested? Contact us for more information…

• 
  Small Business Trends

• Investing in IT Helps Your Business Move Ahead, Benchmarking Shows

  Rieva Lesonsky

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:50 am

  The recession is cutting into small and midsized businesses’ IT spending, and some industries are hurting more than others, according to the results of the latest IT Effectiveness Index (ITEI) survey. The ITEI is a benchmarking tool that measures the technology effectiveness of small and midsized businesses. (Small Business Trends is one of the partners of the study.) According to the latest survey, the manufacturing industry has been hit hardest, with 66 percent of people in this industry delaying, halting or canceling IT projects, and a similar number reducing capital expenses. Also hard…

• Careers: Talking Turkey

  Staci Wood

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  Every year I do a certain number of holiday cartoons. While they always sell well, they’re among the hardest ideas to generate. Thanksgiving is the hardest. Halloween and Christmas have tons of great stuff to play with, and Valentine’s Day is pretty good, but Thanksgiving is pretty much just turkey. One year I got to thinking about how bad it has to be being a turkey in November, and that led to a host of other holiday animals’ woes. Except for the groundhog. He sleeps, he wakes up. Shadow, no shadow, back to sleep. Nice and easy. So I thought it would be funny to have other…

• Vote for the Best Small Business Books of 2009

  Staci Wood

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:09 am

  It’s time to vote on your favorite small business books of 2009. For the second year in a row we are holding the Best Small Business Book Awards – Reader’s Choice. This year the Awards are bigger and better than ever.  A total of 47 books have been nominated. And you can help choose the winners. The 10 books that get the most votes from readers like you will receive a Reader’s Choice Award. Following are some FAQs that explain the Awards and how to vote. What are the Awards? The Small Business Book Awards, presented by Small Business Trends, recognize the year’s best new books for…

• SMBs to Increase 2010 Email Marketing, Social Media Spend

  Lisa Barone

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  Earlier this week, we shared the results of a study from VerticalResponse, Inc. that found that more than 25 percent of respondents would not cancel their health care if given a public option. But that was only half the survey. The rest of the survey quizzed SMB owners on their planned usage and spend for email marketing, social media, search engine marketing and online banner ads for the coming year of 2010. Here’s a snapshot of where SMB owners said they would and would not be spending their budgets. 74.1 percent will increase their email marketing spend. 68.3 percent will increase their…

• The Burger King $1 Cheeseburger: How Much Does It Really Cost?

  Joel Libava

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:16 pm

  I’ll admit it. Most of the time I am biased. I am usually out there trying to protect prospective franchisees. I try to provide tons of information to them about the realities of being a franchise owner. I also try to provide tips that current franchisees can use to grow their businesses. It’s not that I’m against the franchisor. Franchisors provide that entrepreneurial spark — that service or product idea that they have systematized to sell to others. If it wasn’t for the franchisor, hundreds of thousands of people would never have had a shot at small business…

• 
  OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN

• Small Business Owners Share Their Favorite Features of American Express

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:49 pm

  From Polly Schneider Traylor: In January 2005, Rebecca Schreiber took a gamble. After a career working in a steady job at the Department of Commerce she followed her passion for financial planning, and put out a shingle as an independent financial planner after earning her certification. There was a lot at stake in this decision: she wanted to represent young professionals at reasonable hourly fees, not well-heeled clients who were interested in managing their wealth. The model wasn't typical, she says, recalling the days in her early 20s when she was looking for advice from a financial…

• 4 Ways to Use Twitter Lists for Marketing

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:38 pm

  From Rohit Bhargava: Ok, so maybe you have a Twitter account set up and have started checking out the site, or maybe you’re still among the ranks of small business owners who haven’t found that compelling reason to get off the sidelines and start trying to use the site. Recently, Twitter launched a new feature that allows users to create lists of people on Twitter … making the site infinitely more useful for users who need some help navigating the flood of information that comes from the site.  1. Improve your PR “hit rate.” For several years now, there…

• Lessons Learned From AdMob: 2 Tips From a Great Deal

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:08 pm

  From SCOTT BELSKY: The founder and CEO of AdMob, Omar Hamoui, recently sold his business to Google for $750 million, just three years after founding the company. But behind this great deal is a great story about maniacal focus, thoughtful negotiation, and a good perspective on life. A recent blog entry in the Wall Street Journal’s Venture Capital section shares some of the lessons learned throughout the AdMob experience by Hamoui and his first hire, Russell Buckley. As quoted from an interview conducted by WSJ: On the value of ideas vs. execution: “…far too many…

• The Nightmare of Embezzlement, and How to Avoid It

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:37 pm

  From Jonathan Weber: Embezzlement by an employee is among the worst nightmares of any business owner, and it’s surprisingly common. We’ve had a string of such cases in the news here in Missoula in recent weeks, including the case of a bank teller-supervisor who stole some $800,000 over a nine-year period, a bookkeeper at an architecture firm who took $240,000, a treasurer for a local ambulance service who stole $160,000, and a woman who took $227,000 from two different construction companies that employed her as a bookkeeper. That’s a lot of embezzlement for a small place…

• Intranet and Collaboration Solutions for Small Businesses

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:22 pm

  From Christina Warren: In the old days, an intranet -- that is, a private computer network inside an organization as opposed to the Internet which is a network between organizations -- was often reserved for large corporations with hundreds or thousands of employees. With advances in technology and the advent of virtual offices and cloud computing, that’s changing. Even very small businesses can benefit from having an intranet for sharing and collaborating with employees and clients.   Think of an intranet as your own private portal where authorized users can log in and share…

• 
  Rush on Business

• Small Business Blogs for the Soul

  12 Nov 2009 | 5:41 am

  The Franchise King has a great list of 20 small business blogs that have the right stuff. These blogs possess some of the best content on the Web when it comes to small business. Be sure to check them out!  

• Shareholder Agreement Gotcha Under Iowa Business Law?

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  Throughout this blog you will see posts that recommend business people enter into a shareholder agreement when they start a corporation with multiple shareholders. But did you know that unless your shareholder agreement states otherwise, your shareholder agreement may only be valid for 10 years pursuant to Iowa corporate law? Chapter 490.732 of the Iowa Code seems to indicate exactly that (although I have never seen it applied in a case yet). I think this is something that maybe even some of the most experienced corporate attorneys may not realize. So don't be surprised. You should…

• What Employers Need to Know About H1N1

  23 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am

  In a recent interview I was asked about what employers need to know about the H1N1 virus as a follow up to my recent post on how employers need to be prepared for H1N1.  I didn't have a lot of time to respond as the question came towards the end of the program and we ran out of time. As a follow up, I thought I would mention that Connecticut employment lawyer, Daniel Schwartz, has a great post on H1N1 and the workplace. Daniel lists some available resources and has several recommendations for employers to get ready for the flu season: Update (or create) a Business Continuity Policy with…

• Insight on Business Interview

  22 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am

  I had the pleasure of sitting down for an interview with Michael Libbie yesterday. We talked blogging, discrimination cases, franchising and other issues. If you didn't catch it live you can watch the podcast here. (The interview begins at about the 30 minute mark). If you haven't heard about Des Moines Local Live, you should check it out. It's an Internet radio station with 50 local radio hosts talking everything from business to sports.  A real testament to Des Moines' Internet-blogging presence.  

• How to Catch the Business Investor's Eye

  19 Oct 2009 | 7:25 pm

  Need capital for your business? Looking for an investor? If so, you should take the opportunity to attend a seminar from the Business Innovation Zone of Central Iowa (BIZ) on how to get your business into shape and attract an investor's eye. Adam Claypool of DeWaay Investment Banking is the speaker. I have worked with Adam on several occasions so I know this will be a worthwhile opportunity to listen to one of central Iowa's more prominent investment bankers. The presentation is this Wednesday, October 21st at the Des Moines Partnership offices, 700 Locust Street, Suite 100, Des Moines, Iowa.

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  The Franchise Blog 4 Vets

• Veteran Business Owners (VBO's); Are You Experiencing Social Media Marketing Fear?

  The Franchise King

  20 Nov 2009 | 5:38 am

  Are you using social media marketing to help your business grow? Or, are you waiting for business to come through your door, because your business is just that good? Paul Segreto, a strategic partner of mine, recently wrote a nice...

• Maid Brigade Awards A Free Franchise!

  The Franchise King

  9 Nov 2009 | 7:39 am

  Veterans Day is November 11th, and a lucky military veteran just won a free franchise start-up! Maid Brigade is a 300+ franchise unit residential cleaning franchise out of Atlanta, Ga.Read more here!

• New Franchise Talk Show Added To BlogTalk Radio

  The Franchise King

  9 Nov 2009 | 6:15 am

  Here's a chance to get the straight scoop on the business of franchising, from two franchise professionals who don't seem to have a problem saying what sometimes needs to be said... Sometimes, it's not all good. Read about the show,...

• Einstein's Bagels Comes To San Antonio

  The Franchise King

  2 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am

  Charles Loflin, a local San Antonio entrepreneur with ownership in more than 28 eateries, celebrates the grand opening of his Einstein Bros. Bagels franchise location at 12730 IH-10 West in San Antonio, Texas. It is the brand's first franchise location...

• Veteran Takes 7-Eleven Up On It's Veteran Franchise Discount Offer

  The Franchise King

  26 Oct 2009 | 3:21 am

  Randy Harrell and his wife, Kristi, are slated to take over as franchisee in early November at the 7-Eleven store on Dunlawton Avenue in Port Orange, Fla for an undisclosed price. The Air Force Veteran was attracted to the offer...

• 
  Holy Kaw!

• Why the right fertilizer can cut greenhouse gases

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:32 pm

  In a stinky Science development, researchers have discovered that using alternative types of fertilizers can cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, at least in one part of the US. Nitrogen fetilizers are often necessary to yielding sufficient crops, but their use leads to the release of nitrous oxide, a major atmosphere enemy. Fertilizer use is one reason an estimated seventy-eight percent of America’s nitrous oxide emissions come from agriculture. But scientists have compared those emissions with newly developed fertilizers formulated with “controlled release” polymer-coated…

• Capturing water in sloooow mooootion

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pm

  Some things just look cooler in slow motion. Jell-O? Totally better. A punch to the face? Way more awesome. Photographer Martin Waugh spends his day watching single droplets of water, capturing the tiny and beautiful splashes with super slo-mo video. Check out the video from Discovery and you’ll definitely never look at a leaky sink the same way again. Science geekiness galore. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Netherlands to charge drivers by the kilometer

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pm

  The Netherlands is proposing charging drivers by the kilometer. Other taxes would be eliminated. Vehicles would be tracked by GPS. Doesn’t this make sense? Get rid of all the other taxes and tolls and simply pay-as-you-go. Or is it even simpler to use only the fuel tax to pay for roads? Think any of this could ever happen in the U.S.? Netherlanders are very practical people. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Rosetta Project stores 13,000 pages and 1,500 languages on 2.8" analog disk

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:50 pm

  There’s little doubt that 100’s of languages will disappear in the next hundred years. The loss of these languages is a loss of human history and cultural diversity. That’s where the Rosetta Project comes in. As part of the Long Now Foundation, the Rosetta Project plans to archive thousand’s of languages for millennia. A first step is the creation of a durable storage medium that can easily be deciphered in the future—just like the Rosetta Stone. The prototype Rosetta Disk is a 2.8” (7.1cm) disk made of nickel. The disk is housed in a stainless steel…

• Tech nerds take it all off

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pm

  A techie strip club would probably feature plenty of outlets, free wi-fi and dancers flinging off Geekologie-brand undies to a song of remixed iPhone ringtones. Calm down, pervs, there’s no plans in the works for nekkid techie discotheque (that I know of), but, in the meantime, get your dweeb kicks with the Nude Tech Calendar 2010. London’s top new media entrepreneurs stepped out from behind their computers and stripped down for the 24 picture, limited edition calendar. Proceeds go to Take Heart India, a charity that raises funds for IT education programs for blind and disabled…

• 
  DailyFranchiseNews.com

• Eliminating the Excess

  Rhonda Sanderson

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:35 am

  The holidays have become synonymous with excess but this year, you can spoon into something just as sweet but without the guilt. Chain Leader reported that Tasti D-Lite has announced several new menu offerings for the months of November and December. In November, Tasti D-Lite will feature a combination of historically popular and new fall flavors - Apple Pie, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Pie and new Pumpkin Cheesecake - as a complement to its daily rotation of more than 100 flavors. Adhering to Tasti D-Lite's mission of offering lower-calorie, guilt-free treats, each of these featured flavors…

• The Changing Franchise Marketplace – EXPLAINED!

  Rhonda Sanderson

  17 Nov 2009 | 11:50 am

  If you lost your job today, would you search for a new one or go into business for yourself? It’s a question many Americans have had to answer over the past year but making that decision is not easy – especially if you’ve never even fathomed owning a business before. The upside is that franchising allows you to strike out on your own without having to develop a concept from scratch and it provides you with a built-in support system to help you every step of the way. Crain’s Chicago Business recently posted a great Q&A with Laurie Pollock, a woman who helps potential Chicago-area…

• A Fresh New Look

  Rhonda Sanderson

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:16 am

  What does a brand like Tossed need to complement its fresher than fresh ingredients? An equally fresh appearance, of course. Fast Casual reported that the Fort Lauderdale-based upscale salad chain recently unveiled a new logo and look designed by Good Studio and JBI Interiors, respectively. The goal of the overall look and feel of the restaurant is to display a more urban design, accomplished though the use of modern colors, furniture and construction materials. For example, embossed plywood is used in one of the seating areas that can be easily painted and installed. The wooden tables are…

• Birmingham Bumps Up its Value

  Rhonda Sanderson

  13 Nov 2009 | 8:34 am

  Talk about a company that’s beating the odds! The Birmingham Business Journal reported that economy extended stay lodging brand Value Place is expanding its presence in the Birmingham region. Value Place opened its first Birmingham location in Pelham last year, followed by a Bessemer location, which opened in June, said Gina McKee, vice president of franchise development. She said the chain is currently evaluating sites for three additional franchisee-owned properties. McKee said the chain has identified a spot at Highway 78 and Roebuck Drive and another at Interstate 59 and Chalkville…

• Simplifying the Internet with WSI’s Daren Coudriet

  Rhonda Sanderson

  12 Nov 2009 | 7:57 am

  Is your franchise looking to build its presence online? If so, Daren Coudriet is the man to speak to. Coudriet, 44, has been in technology consulting and internet solutions for more than two decades and counted companies like The New York Times, Standard & Poor’s and Amtrak as clients. Just about six years ago, Coudriet became a WSI franchisee and recently moved his business from the Boston area to State College, Pa. Started with WSI on 1/1/2004 (coming up on sixth anniversary) and has been growing his client base ever since. DailyFranchiseNews recently sat down with Coudriet to find…

• 
  How to Change the World

• The 19 bloggers Inc. thinks you should read

  GuyKawasaki

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pm

  Inc. named 19 bloggers that you should read. We’ve aggregated them all in one place: Inc19.alltop.

• How to Get Found

  GuyKawasaki

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pm

  The reality is that people and technology is getting better and better a blocking out unwanted interruptions—aka, “marketing.” Brian Halligan is the CEO of HubSpot, and he explains in my post on the American Express Open Forum “how to get found.” It’s all about creating great stuff and letting Google et al do what they do: find great stuff.

• How I tweet

  GuyKawasaki

  2 Nov 2009 | 8:47 am

  By popular demand (and some complaints), I’ve done a FAQ with myself about how I tweet. Hope this helps you use Twitter for your business too. I explain how I use ghostwriters and why I repeat my tweets among other “unusual” practices.

• Current Twitter Demo Script

  GuyKawasaki

  28 Oct 2009 | 2:26 am

  This is the set of links that I used to demo Twitter by going down through this list to show why Twitter is such a valuable marketing tool. Introduction Home page Profile page Monitor Search Guy Kawasaki or Alltop Starbucks VIA introduction Search for “Prius” or “Civic” Sell Dell Outlet Kogi BBQ Support Comcast Cares Engage JetBlue Virgin America Fandango Prospect Camaro Camaro near Palo Alto Advanced searches Surfing or skateboarding (shows how to eliminate extraneous results such as “surfing the web” How I Tweet - Find Alltop MyAlltop helped me find this.

• How to Avoid Twitter Cluelessness

  GuyKawasaki

  26 Oct 2009 | 4:24 pm

  Over at the American Express Open Forum blog, I explain how to not look clueless on Twitter. The first five ways are: Don’t tell other people how to tweet. Don’t tell the world that you unfollowed someone. Don’t ask people why they unfollowed you. Don’t constantly tweet mundane updates and babble. Don’t use a small picture for an avatar. To read all ten and why they impugn your intelligence, click here.

• 
  b5media: Franchise Pick

• Consumer Spending Fell in September

  Kori Ellis

  31 Oct 2009 | 12:29 am

  A new report issued by the Commerce Department has shown that average consumer spending fell in September for the first time in five months, a development that has been attributed to the ending of the Cash for Clunkers automotive rebate program. This drop in consumer spending matching analyst estimates and follows a 1.4 percent jump in the previous month. Image: istockphoto Consumer confidence has taken a hit in recent months because of stagnant wages and growing unemployment, two factors that have raised worries that consumers will cut back spending in the coming months. Analysts also worry…

• Consumer Electronics Makers Recovering

  Kori Ellis

  30 Oct 2009 | 8:29 pm

  The consumer electronics industry has been hit especially hard by the recession and slow consumer spending, as electronics are among the first things that many families cut back on when money is tight. However, several consumer electronics companies, including Sony and Panasonic, have posted results that may signal some recovery in the market. Image: Flickr Sony just posted its fourth-consecutive quarterly loss on Friday, a fact that is troublesome on its own. However, the brighter outlook on the global economy and cost-cutting measures have allowed Sony to trim its loss forecast for the year…

• Chevron 3Q Profit Down 51 Percent

  Stephen Kersey

  30 Oct 2009 | 8:14 am

  Though production is up, Chevron, the nation’s second largest oil and gas producer, posted overall profits down 51 percent to $3.83 billion, or $1.92 per share, in comparison with the same three-month period last year. The company did increase oil production by 11 percent. The average sale price was $62 per barrel — definitely better than last quarter but still far below the $103 per barrel during the same period in 2008. Image: Flickr “We continued to experience weak margins on the sale of gasoline and other refined products,” said Chairman and CEO Dave OReilly.

• PC Backup Startup Names New CEO

  Stephen Kersey

  28 Oct 2009 | 8:55 pm

  One of the hottest industries in the online world is PC backups. There are a number of major players in this industry, which wants to capitalize on the market that is filled with consumers who want to backup their important data from their PC quickly, easily and without paying a fortune. Rebit.com is one player in the PC backup market. Recently, this startup named Paul Guerin as its CEO. Guerin has worked for a number of major corporations including Lotus, IBM and GTSI. He has also worked for a few startups including Jabber, Torrent Systems and Digital Archaeology. Said Guerin, who steps into…

• Goodbye From Small Business

  Linette Gerlach

  28 Oct 2009 | 1:26 pm

  Bizzia Small Business will be going away and merging with some of the content at EveryJoe starting tomorrow, so I wanted to bid you all a fond farewell since I will not be writing here any more. You can still find me several other places online, give me a shout out on Twitter sometime I’m @Linetteg there. I’d love to hear from you. You can also stop by and visit me at one of my other blogs. Mostly I blog about parties and entertaining, with a little kid’s stuff thrown in for fun. So, if you like parties or kids (and who doesn’t like kids!) stop by The Kid’s…

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  Franchise Talk

• Exciting International Franchise Opportunities Now Available

  Jack

  19 Nov 2009 | 8:18 am

  By Donald Mahony – FranchiseDirect Editor: Franchising has changed the American business scene forever, letting entrepreneurs work for themselves, but not by themselves. Franchises like McDonald’s and Burger King have led the way for the franchising movement, and now there are few business industries out there that aren’t franchised. In the last ten years, we have seen the expansion of franchising around the world. Foreign entrepreneurs have wanted to import America’s top brands and, increasingly, America’s top franchises are looking to international market as the American…

• Finding The Right Franchisee Takes A Proactive And Patient Approach

  Jack

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  Allmediascotland: People talk about finding and recruiting the right people for their business, but in reality most sit back and wait for them to turn up on their doorstep. Businesses may advertise for staff, but that’s often the only proactive move they make and given these lacklustre efforts it is not surprising that so many end up hiring staff that are inappropriate for their operation. This seems both a strange and ineffective way to operate when it is generally accepted that staff are a firm’s most valuable asset and having the right people on the team sheet can make the difference…

• Outdoor Living Brands Launches New Franchise Business Educational Video Series On YouTube

  Jack

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  Earthtimes: Outdoor Living Brands, the “everything outdoors” franchisor based in Richmond, Virginia, has launched a multi-level social media strategy to help educate, guide and inform people looking for new business opportunities and new business ideas in franchising. “We decided to post the video series now on YouTube, as the end of the year is typically a time when people start reevaluating their lives and career priorities,” said Larry Spada, Vice President of Branding and Marketing. “The timeframe between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is an important one for people who are…

• UK Based Sportswear ‘Admiral’ Participates In ‘Franchise India 2009′

  Jack

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  NewDesignWorld: UK based ‘Admiral’ is all set to grace the international pavilion of Franchise India 2009, the 7th edition of the Asia’s Biggest Franchise & Retail Opportunity Show to be held on 26th & 27th November 2009 at Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi. Organized by the Asia’s largest integrated franchise and retail Solution Company, Franchise India, the show displays Indian and global brands and is an “Opportunity Show” for liasioning with brands to offer a pool of out-of-box business ideas and practices. Established in 1914 as a World War 1 military clothing factory,…

• Focus On You Franchise Launches First Franchises

  Jack

  17 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pm

  The Franchise Magazine: Eyewear retail company Focus On You has launched its first two franchise operations. The company, which states its aim to revolutionise the way prescription eyewear is purchased, has welcomed Christine Etheridge (pictured, left), who has opened for business in Southampton, and Liz Cain (also pictured), who will operate in Dorset. Christine and Liz will challenge the traditional retail and hands-off online experience’s through Focus On You’s new approach: taking eyewear selection and purchase into people’s homes, leisure clubs and workplaces. Read…

• 
  THE BIZOP NEWS

• FTC Settlements Bar Deceptive Online Marketing

  bizop

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:31 pm

  Image via WikipediaFrom the FTC Press Release on Commerce Planet's deceptive negative option plan.An online marketer of purportedly "free" Internet auction kits, which automatically charged unwitting consumers $59.95 a month for enrollment in an "online supplier" program for Internet auctions, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its actions violated federal law. The separate proposed court settlements with the company and two of its former executives bar them from similar deceptive conduct in the future, and require them to make specific disclosures to ensure consumers…

• Schoemaker and Yu Make Up

  bizop

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:37 pm

  Image via WikipediaMr. Schoemaker and Mr. Dennis Yu have been making up stories about each other. Mr. Schoemaker accuses Mr. Yu of being a confidence criminal."A couple days ago I posted my personal story with Dennis Yu. The post I wrote was the longest post ever written on ShoeMoney.com. Over 4,000 words. This guy is a very dangerous person and I wanted to tell the entire story in as much detail as possible even if some of it was really embarrassing to me. You CAN'T give con men any room to go anywhere and the only real way to stop them is to get the truth out."Mr. Yu had said earlier,…

• What is the Con Here?

  bizop

  17 Nov 2009 | 4:16 pm

  Image by Getty Images via DaylifeI will walk you through how these online scams work on Facebook and other social networks - the mechanics of how the money is made, some of the people involved, and who is actually clicking on ads. If you're reading this article, there is a good chance that you are not the type of person actually clicking on these spam ads, but are you curious as to who actually is?This is from Techcrunch, Dennis Yu confessing to using deceptive marketing tactics to make money from advanced phishing techniques.I found the article moderately interesting.  Social…

• The Con and the Professor

  bizop

  8 Nov 2009 | 5:03 pm

  "In a new series of blog posts over the next few months, [Sam Antar] will document why Sarbanes-Oxley should be strengthened with added reforms to protect the integrity of our capital markets. For starters, please read the letter below that [Sam Antar] submitted to the SEC and PCAOB Roundtable on Internal Control Reporting Requirements in 2006.""SOX was a misbegotten, inadequately debated, debacle from the beginning. I saw this as evident from the beginning, and after three years of theory and evidence. Still later, Henry Butler and I wrote a monograph detailing the…

• MoneyGram Scam and Gate Keeper Liability

  bizop

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:42 am

  MoneyGram International, Inc., the second-largest money transfer service in the United States, will pay $18 million in consumer redress to settle FTC charges that the company allowed its money transfer system to be used by fraudulent telemarketers to bilk U.S. consumers out of tens of millions of dollars. MoneyGram also will be required to implement a comprehensive anti-fraud and agent-monitoring program. The FTC charged that between 2004 and 2008, MoneyGram agents helped fraudulent telemarketers and other con artists who tricked U.S. consumers into wiring more than $84 million within the…

• 
  Franchise News Wire by Franchising.com

• California Twilight Fans View Worldwide Phenomenon For Free As Jamba Juice Hosts 'New Moon Premiere Night' On Friday, November 20

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:10 am

  As a part of its fall 'Feel Good Campaign,' Jamba Juice announced today it will make Twilight fanatics feel over the moon with surprise free tickets for the Twilight saga "New Moon" on Friday, November 20. Starting today at 2PM and continuing through...

• Mr. Goodcents Subs And Pastas Awards Corporate Resource Group With 2009 Partner Of The Year Award

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:35 am

  Mr. Goodcents, one of America's fastest-growing subs and pasta quick serve franchise concepts for more than 20 years, recently presented one of their vendors, Corporate Resource Group, with its 2009 Vendor of the Year Award.

• Starwood Announces Early Tender Results Of Its Cash Tender Offer For Up To $300,000,000 Aggregate Principal Amount Of Certain Of Its Outstanding Notes

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am

  Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), today announced that, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 19, 2009 (the "Early Tender Date"), $193,652,000 aggregate principal amount of its 7â...ž% Senior Notes due...

• Ben & Jerry's Hits The Halfpipe With Hannah Teter's Maple Blondie

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am

  This winter, Ben & Jerry's takes to the mountain to honor fellow Vermont native and gold-medalist snowboarder, Hannah Teter with its newest flavor, Maple Blondie. The first flavor created for an athlete, Maple Blondie is a rich and creamy maple ice...

• Knowing Your Niche Could Mean The Answer To Success.... Free Webinar Teaches Business Owners The Fundamentals Of A Successful Business Plan

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:45 am

  The ActionCOACH California Team has announced its third free webinar in the "Six Steps to a Better Business" series aimed at helping small businesses plan for their success. And unlike some organizations who give you one webinar for free then encourage...

• 
  NEO Biz Blog

• Suburban Cleveland Politics Getting Ugly; Op-Ed

  The Franchise King

  26 Oct 2009 | 2:38 pm

  I opened my residential University Heights mailbox to this, today;(I consolidated it.)"He has been a councilman for only 1.5 years, and has no in-depth concept of running a city. He is only interested in the bottom line, but a city is much more than that.Is he the kind of person you want leading this city beginning in 2010? He does not care, nor is he interested in the more than 30 programs, in addition to basic services we offer."--Mayor Beryl RothschildThis is her "goodbye" letter to the residents of University Heights.How does she know that Frank Consolo (The "he" in her nasty letter)…

• The Innovation Tour For Ohio Jobs Is Launched

  The Franchise King

  24 Oct 2009 | 11:37 am

  From Ohio's Secretary Of State;"My campaign for the U.S. Senate is launching our "Innovation Tour for Ohio Jobs." The history of Ohio maps a trail of innovation over time and geography that sets Ohio apart from so many other states. In times like these, when we focus on what has made our state realize progress, I am struck by the wealth that is our very people. I have often said that our diversity is our greatest strength. When it comes to ways to promote economic progress for Ohio, we need only start with our people to see our potential. My Senate candidacy is about the kind of leadership…

• Cleveland Sales Expert Launches Her First Book

  The Franchise King

  20 Oct 2009 | 2:50 pm

  Diane Helbig has written a book on sales, and it's not a lemon. As a matter of fact, it's a lemonade stand... She has targeted small business owners and managers, in an effort to help them sell! Read more

• Chocolate Bar To Open In Downtown Cleveland

  The Franchise King

  14 Oct 2009 | 6:37 am

  That's right. For folks like me who don't drink alcohol, but do eat chocolate, there's going to be a bar for us! Right in downtown Cleveland-The Gateway District..Check out the first ever Cleveland Chocolate Bar...

• Women Impacting Public Policy CEO Barbara Kasoff To Address Women Business Owners Oct. 28th

  The Franchise King

  12 Oct 2009 | 3:50 am

  A broad cross section of women business leaders across the region will participate in a panel discussion about today’s changing economic times and the policies that are important to women business owners. Attendees will get the information, tools and resources needed to grow a business and compete successfully for public/private sector contracts.The keynote speaker is Barbara Kasoff, President and CEO and Co-Founder of Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc., a non-profit, bi-partisan public policy advocacy organization with over half a million members, including 49 business organizations,…

• 
  ReadWriteWeb

• An iPhone Visualization App That Syncs with the Cloud

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:50 pm

  Roambi announced a pro version of its iPhone application this week that syncs with Salesforce.com and other cloud-based services or on-premsie sales environments. It's a visualization application, providing mobile workers with a pretty cool way to see sales information. Integration is by far one of the most significant trends we are seeing in the enterprise space. It's a wave, really, marked this week by Salesforce.com and its move to turn the Force.com development platform into a service that makes all of its applications social. Sponsor A good example of this trend are small companies like…

• Three Great Light Blogging Tools Compared

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:35 pm

  Once the service for those serious enough to pay for the privilege to post, TypePad recently released a free "Micro" service. The company made the decision to offer a free product realizing the demand for a platform more formal than Twitter and less formal than Wordpress or Typepad's original product. ReadWriteWeb compared TypePad's Micro against 2 other leading light blogging tools. Below are our thoughts: Sponsor TypePad Micro: In addition to being able to blog via email, iPhone app, "Blog It" bookmarklet and the general WYSIWYG dashboard, this tool also allows users to cross post to…

• 8tracks to Launch Playback API and Developer Program

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm

  It appears that the time for freemium music services in the US has passed. Earlier this week streaming music site Imeem sold to MySpace for under $10 million dollars while laying off a large number of staff. For a company with all four major record labels signed, more than 15 million uniques a month and well over 5 million tracks in its catalogue, it came as a sobering blow to the industry. While many companies move to a subscription model, 8tracks continues to forge along in what some describe as a convenient loophole. As of this weekend the company is publicly launching its API for Boston's…

• Memento: Protocol-Based Time Travel for the Web

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:45 am

  The Web constantly changes and evolves. That, of course, is what makes the Internet so exciting, but it also means that finding older versions of a website is hard. The current push towards the real-time web is making this problem even more apparent. Memento, a project based at Old Dominion University, wants to make it easier to access older versions of a web page without having to go to the Internet Archive. To do this, the project is using a relatively obscure feature of the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Sponsor The Memento project wants to give browsers a 'time-travel' mode.

• The Future Is All About Context: The Pragmatic Web

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am

  The semantic Web has long been heralded as the future of the Web. Proponents have said that Web experiences will some day become more meaningful and relevant based on the AI-esque computational power of natural-language processing (NLP) and structured data that is understandable by machines for interpretation. However, with the rise of the social Web, we see that what truly makes our online experiences meaningful is not necessarily the Web's ability to approximate human language or to return search results with syntactical exactness. The value of the semantic Web will take time because the…

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  Social Media Marketing

• Enough Is Enough

  Scott Monty

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:07 am

  The spam and other unsolicited DMs I've been getting on Twitter have finally gotten to me. And I'm going to be taking action. A Bit of BackgroundYou know the kind of direct messages I'm talking about, all with spammy links in them:"Is this you on here?""I just gave you a High Five! Check it out""Hey, I got some free ringtones from here""Hey, can you take this quiz thingy?""I found out my IQ. You should too.""I lost a bunch of weight doing this."And many, many more.Lots of the direct messages I get are of the automated sort when people first start following me. Having been someone who used to…

• When Worlds Collide

  Scott Monty

  10 Nov 2009 | 8:04 pm

  Well, it's finally here. Twitter and LinkedIn have decided to combine forces. This is pretty significant, and I know that it'll make it easier to share job opportunities and other more networking opportunities that are more professional in nature.I won't bore you with all of the details, but you can now update your LinkedIn status via Twitter, and your Twitter status from LinkedIn. If you'd like to see how to go about it, check out the post on the LinkedIn blog.One of the features I like best is how you can select which updates you want posted to LinkedIn - everything or just those posts…

• What's a Brand to Do?

  Scott Monty

  29 Oct 2009 | 9:03 am

  Say you work for a brand. Customers have more access to you than ever - and you've got a wealth of choices as far as channels go: traditional marketing, online & interactive, gaming, mobile, social media, etc. But for your customers that are interested in interacting online, what do you think they want from you? And what should you do when you connect with them? Look no further! eMarketer Daily has very helpfully published a piece on Lightspeed Research's "Global Web Index." What do customer want from the brands they love? Information, mostly (well, after a good discount, anyway).

• Recent Twitter Statistics

  Scott Monty

  28 Oct 2009 | 6:50 am

  The Pew Internet & American Life Project has released some statistics about Twitter and other similar services that Americans use to post updates about themselves. The bottom line? About one in five Americans uses such a service.Click here for a larger image.Another interesting phenomenon is that we're seeing more young people using Twitter now. There have been anecdotal reports that young people were shying away from Twitter, but we can see the hard numbers here:The median age for Twitter is now 31, while MySpace is down 26 from its previous 27 in May of 2008; and Facebook has risen…

• No Kidding

  Scott Monty

  21 Oct 2009 | 9:21 am

  I originally wrote this over a year ago, but I think it deserves another go around, as there seem to be even more social media "experts" out there. Please add your suggestion to the comments section or on Twitter with the hashtag #smbulb and let's see how many responses we can get. Stop me if you've heard this. Yesterday, I asked a question on Twitter - one that Joseph Jaffe rhetorically asked on his blog - I posed it as a joke and asked for responses. The question was: How many social media experts does it take to change a lightbulb? My original answer on Joe's blog was: "309. One to come up…

• 
  Marketing Profs Daily Fix

• Paul Williams: Three Ps For Better Leading: Pace, Process, Pulse

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  One of the characteristics of a great leader—no matter whether that leader is a person, a brand, or a company - is the ability to stay "tuned-in" to the needs of their audience. Are they still "with" you? Do they get where you're going? Do they have confidence in the direction? Out of college, my first job was at Walt Disney World in Orlando. I was a tour guide at the "Listen To The Land" boat ride in Epcot's Land Pavilion. I led Guests on a 20-minute journey through farming methods of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It was one of the easiest "leading" jobs I've ever had. I didn't have to…

• Stephanie Miller: Are Email Preference Centers Worth It?

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:40 am

  Add global compliance and cultural custom to the list of why email preference centers are really hard to sell internally and build well. I had a meeting this morning where we started to list out all the different country and local laws governing choices across various brand service agreements, and it quickly became overwhelming. It was no help that the database guy kept saying, "That'll cost you more."No wonder the director of marketing looked at me and said, "Is this really the best way to spend our precious time, energy and IT resources?!" So many email marketers say that they know a…

• Ann Handley: Innovation Matters: Balancing Sustained Versus Disruptive Innovation

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:06 am

  This is a guest post by Eric Zeitoun, president of Dragon Rouge USA, a leading independent brand and design consultancy. While we struggle to emerge from a full-blown recession, marketers know all too well that advertising and (unfortunately) innovation are the first budgets that are most likely to get cut. So how can marketers continue to innovate?Before we answer this question we need to go back to the definition of innovation since it has become a very popular and often misinterpreted topic. There are four distinct types of innovations: Product optimization (which seeks to optimize a…

• Elaine Fogel: Cash-for-Grades Fundraiser Just Another Marketing Incentive

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  What's all this outrage for North Carolina school principal, Susie Shepherd, for supporting her parent advisory council's innovative use of marketing incentives? Who are we kidding? I used to teach, so I know how some schools operate like they're in the third world, without proper books and resources. This school was just looking for creative ways to raise much-needed money.In my opinion, the outpouring of disdain is hypocritical. The days of doing well in school for the intrinsic value are waning, as more parents offer reward systems. Read Barbara Coloroso. The kindergarten sticker turns…

• Ted Mininni: Taking a Bite Out Of Apple

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:10 am

  Indications are that Apple--long admired for setting the bar high when it comes to beautifully-designed, innovative, game-changing consumer products--may be facing some stiff competition. According to Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey: “Apple is under threat on the brand front in a way they haven’t been in recent years.”A recent Brandweek article: “Amid Transition, Rivals Are Descending on Apple,” questions whether the company’s competitors are finally launching products that might take a bite out of Apple. Apple’s response doesn’t seem reassuring, either. New ads have…

• 
  The Marketing Minute

• A creativity whack for your head...and your iPhone!

  Drew McLellan

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:57 pm

  Roger von Oech is responsible for whacking me upside the head more times than I can count.  20+ years ago, he created a fantastic creativity tool called A Creative Whack Pack.  It's an illustrated deck of 64 creative thinking strategies that will whack you out of habitual thought patterns and enable you to look at your life and actions in a fresh way. It's an awesome way to think different, to see something fresh and to get yourself unstuck. Well, it's 2009 and so of course Roger has created an iPhone/iTouch app for thiscreativity powerhouse.  And...he's…

• You can put a dash of brand just about anywhere

  Drew McLellan

  15 Nov 2009 | 2:51 pm

  There's nothing less interesting or more standard than a bar code, right?  Not according to the people at Design Barcode, where the status quo is anything but!Check out these jazzed up bar codes. (click on the images to see a full-size image in a pop up window)   Lest you think this is a new idea, apparently Rick Tharp was doing it (see his version) way back in 1986.  (Hat tips to Beverly Koehn and Beth Wampler for sharing this Fast Company article on the bar code designs)

• Calling all art directors, designers and logo creators - win $250

  Drew McLellan

  13 Nov 2009 | 5:24 am

  I will try to make this brief.  Last spring, I was approached by a company in the UK called Logo Inn who creates logos and identity packages online.  They wanted to do a contest, demonstrating their services.So I did a series of posts on logo design and offered one organization a chance to win a free logo....as long as the entire process could unfold here on the blog, so we could all learn from it.The series looked like this:. We talked about 5 tips for designing a new logo Announced the contest and gave the rules Shared a creative brief, with questions you should ask yourself…

• Turn your sales letters into workhorses!

  Drew McLellan

  11 Nov 2009 | 10:24 pm

  Neil Sawers, a 25+ year corporate writing veteran can show you how.  In his new book, How to Write Proposals, Sales Letters and Reports, he spells it out in easy to understand, follow and learn examples and guidelines.But don't take my word for it.  Listen to what the Midwest Book Review (one of the most respected reviewers out there) had to say:"Examples, recommendations of common tools to organize one’s thoughts, and a sprinkling of solid business advice fill out this superb, easy-to-use guidebook recommended for business writers of all skill and experience…

• 5 ways to promote internal training and events

  Drew McLellan

  10 Nov 2009 | 11:18 am

  I had a meeting with a client this morning and one of the topics on the agenda was how could they better promote an internal training event that was optional for the employees.When I asked how they would normally promote it, they said...we'd make up a flier with all the information and attach it to an e-mail.  We'd send it out to everyone.  We might send it out a couple times or ask their supervisors to also send it out.There's nothing wrong with what they're doing.  But, there's not enough right. You've got to toss a lot of messages and media into…

• 
  Business Week: Small Business

• ARC Loans' Weak First Month

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

• More Entrepreneur's Journals

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

• Special Report: Outsourcing

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

• Snowe's Push to End the ARC Loan Program

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

  The SBA's ARC program has faced criticism for onerous paperwork, meager bank participation, and high default rates. Maine's Senator Snowe now wants to repeal it

• Why Brooklyn Industries Manufactures in China

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:50 am

  Founders Lexy Funk and Vahap Avsar were better at retailing than manufacturing. So they researched and tested Chinese plants and decided to outsource

• 
  MarketingProfs - Smart thinking ... pass it on.

• Start Smart: A 10-Step Social Media Guide for B2B Marketers

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

  There's no escaping it, marketers: Amid a flurry of headlines, bestsellers, and reports documenting social media's meteoric rise... the future has arrived. But for a B2B executive tasked with making sense of it all, wouldn't it be nice if the future came with a road map? Follow this 10-step guide.

• Yes, Facebook Is a Business Tool

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

  Is Facebook really a tool for business? Paul Chaney says yes. Much the same way a power company connects homes and businesses with electricity, Facebook is a "social utility" designed to facilitate connections between people as well as businesses. Accordingly, it can be highly useful as a business tool. This article ...

• Mobile Coupons: Your Message on the Move

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

  Ask most US consumers whether they want to receive mobile-marketing messages on their cell phones, and they will usually answer with a resounding "No." Consumers worry they'll start receiving unwanted Viagra ads and messages from a prince in Kenya. Nothing could be further from the truth.

• Write From Your Reader's Perspective

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

  When potential customers arrive at your website or look over your marketing materials, they immediately want to know what's in it for them. If that's not obvious, chances are they will move on quickly. By using the word "you," you begin to establish a connection with readers because you address their ...

• The Surprising Evolution of Online Marketing in Software Sales

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

  Online marketing is nothing new for software marketers. It's only natural that the software industry and computer-software users migrated to the Internet early on. So although the idea of online marketing isn't new, how software is marketed online continues to evolve.

• 
  A n n a r c h y

• Annecdote: Tea Time

  Ann Handley

  15 Nov 2009 | 11:22 am

  It’s alarming to talk with someone on the phone and realize they suspect you are a liar. This past week I received, via FTD, a belated birthday package—a gourmet basket with some of my favorite things. Like tea, biscotti, and dried apricots. There was a warm message on the card accompanying it, wishing me lots of post-celebration, feet-on-the-ottoman relaxation this autumn… but there was no signature. No name. In effect, I got a thoughtful gift from someone I couldn’t thank for their thoughtfulness. Weird. I called the customer service number in the packaging, and someone…

• Georgie: A Rescue Story

  Ann Handley

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:03 am

  This morning I got an update on a former foster dog — a Cavalier King Charles spaniel who lived with us two years ago, from just prior to Halloween to just before Christmas. The dog had some kind of skin condition and arrived hairless, itchy, raw, reddened and miserable. He was about as sad as sad can look. He didn’t come with a name, so I named him Georgie, because his naked face reminded me of the  illustration of the children’s book character Curious George. Another volunteer, Huntly, picked Georgie up in Vermont and a mutual friend delivered him as far as a highway exit…

• Today’s Guessing Game: What Is It?

  Ann Handley

  3 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pm

  Remember AOL disks? If you owned a mailbox in the late 1990s or early-2000s, you know what I mean, because America Online’s aggressive direct mail strategy probably distributed CD-ROMs and diskettes into it with irritating frequency. More than a billion disks were mailed between the late 1990s and 2006, when AOL stopped the mass mailing. Or mass irritation. However you look at it. In fact, the end of that era likely came without you being aware that is was, in fact, the end of an era. But that’s how evolution is, right? One day you have to bungee-wrap your trash cans against the…

• Wagging the Dog

  Ann Handley

  13 Oct 2009 | 7:46 am

  I had some happy news last week: The story of Gigi’s adventure with her beloved green tomato has been picked up by The Bark, a magazine I happen to love. In other words, if I were a dog, my tail would be wagging like that of a retriever with a tennis ball. (Or Gigi herself with a pork chop.) Big shout here to The Bark editor Lisa Wogan for making it happen. If you don’t know The Bark, it’s a bi-monthly magazine about modern dog culture, with a literary twist. If NPR’s office dog hung around after hours, The Bark might be what he’d produce as his moonlighting…

• Now a Mini Motion Picture: ‘Gigi Spies a Green Tomato’

  Ann Handley

  30 Sep 2009 | 10:10 am

  My childhood friend Ron Ploof was so inspired by the pathos of Gigi’s story that he adapted it to the small screen. I think he did a fine job with it, and I particularly like the tweak of the ending. So what do you think? Gigi Spies a Green Tomato from Ron Ploof on Vimeo.

• 
  Small Business Labs

• Local Web Continues to Grow - Twitter Adding Location Data

  Steve

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:08 am

  The New York Times covers Twitter's planned release of geolocation data.  The new feature will take advantage of geolocation data in cellphones letting users include their location in tweets.  This will allow users to search Twitter by location, improving its use for location applications like local commerce.  It will also allow comparisons across geography.  For example you could compare what  people in New York tweeting about swine flu versus people in Texas.  More evidence of the growth of the local web. 

• Steve King Named 2009 SNCR Fellow of the Year

  cbockels

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  The Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) named Steve King the 2009 Fellow of the Year at their recent awards gala in Boston.  SNCR Executive Director Jen McClure stated: "His vision for SNCR’s potential, his impressive experience and expertise as a business leader and researcher, and his unwavering commitment to the Society’s mission and goals is greatly appreciated, and I am honored to work with him as a colleague on our board of directors and as a Fellow conducting research on behalf of our organization.” As managing director of Emergent Research and a…

• The Rise of Social Media Peer Groups

  Steve

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  The Society for New Communications Research(SNCR) just released the preliminary results of a new study showing that corporate decision makers are increasingly turning to online social networks for assistance in decision-making.   The study, The New Symbiosis of Professional Networks, examines the role that social media has on decision-making among business professionals.  Key findings include: Professional decision making is becoming more social as decision-makers utilize social network to research, inform and validate decisions. Professionals trust online…

• Home Businesses and Their Employees

  Steve

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:53 am

  Based on questions and feedback we are getting on the homepreneur study, the finding that roughly half of homepreneurs have employees seems to be the most surprising result. We weren't surprised by these results, mainly because we were surprised by this years ago when we first started researching home-based businesses.  Over the years our conversations, interviews and surveys of home-based business owners have consistently shown that a high percentage are employers.  While there haven't been a lot of recent studies on home-based businesses, others have…

• It's All About Leads

  Steve

  17 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  Yes, this is pretty obvious.  But we often overlook the importance of leads and lead generation.  Also overlooked is how central lead generation is to the business models of many of the Internet's most successful companies - and how lead generation is changing media and marketing.  Google is, of course, all about leads via adwords.  So is eBay and all the other online markets.  For example, I just made a restaurant reservation using Open Table.  It is a public company worth $600 million that gets a big chunk of its revenue…

• 
  Tim Berry: Planning, Startups, Stories

• Social Media Means People and, Eventually, Maybe, Friends

  Tim Berry

  20 Nov 2009 | 5:20 am

  It was one of those sudden-realization moments for me. I was talking to one of my favorite lawyers last night at a local startups event (smartups.org). He mentioned a person I’d sent to him a couple weeks ago. That person had asked me to recommend a small business lawyer, and I recommended him. The realization was that she — the person I’d sent to him — felt like a friend. I feel like I know her, like her, and trust her. But I’ve never met her. I’ve never even talked to her on the telephone. I’d met her on Twitter. She popped up with interesting…

• The Fog of Research

  Tim Berry

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:43 am

  Are you familiar with the phrase, “the fog of war?” You can get the idea from the image here, from a computer strategy game: the pieces in the center of the image can see the terrain for only a short distance, shown here as the brighter area. The rest is obscured by the fog of war. Some days, bad days mostly, I think there’s something like this that goes on with most business research. They create the fog of research. It’s like the fog of war. Poor vision. Partial vision. I think this happens all the time with focus groups and surveys. The research is almost…

• Develop Your Business, Not Just Your Business Plan

  Tim Berry

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:48 am

  I’m still long-term frustrated with how many people lose the potential steering and management benefits of business planning because they focus on the plan as document instead of the planning as management. With that in mind, I’m doing a webinar tomorrow, Thursday Nov. 19, at 11. am PST on the theme in the title of this post. Please click here now to register for that webinar (and yes, it’s free, of course). There’s an important point I’m trying to make. Don’t dismiss business planning as part of your business life just because you don’t want (or have) to do a formal business…

• 5 Business Moments to Never Say No To

  Tim Berry

  17 Nov 2009 | 5:43 am

  So imagine yourself working on a few variations of a blog post headline when your editor says one of them, perhaps not your favorite, would be better for SEO (search engine optimization). That’s what we call a no brainer. Never say no to better SEO. Period. I was in a conversation along those lines yesterday. It reminded me of one of my favorite little life-advice snippets has always been “never say no to an offer of a breath mint.” If you don’t immediately see why, think about it. I asked around, got some help from friends, and came up with the following “never say…

• 10 Simple Easy Ways to Green Your Business

  Tim Berry

  16 Nov 2009 | 5:27 am

  This weekend I finished Greening Your Small Business, a well written and easily readable new book by Jennifer Kaplan, dealing with a lot of background and a lot of specifics about the idea of “greening” the business. Happily, she starts out by defining what “greening” means, in several practical contexts. Then she deals with greening as green marketing, green travel, green purchasing, and a good understanding of the underlying business rationale. One thing I particularly liked about the book was its list of 50 easy ways to make your business greener. To my mind, the…

• 
  Small Biz Survival

• I am back for the Brag Basket

  Becky McCray

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:22 am

  I've been away at the London #140conf, but I'm back and it's time for Brag Basket! Every week, I open a Brag Basket, so you can introduce yourself or share some good news. So speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.  This particular basket is open from Nov. 20-Nov. 22, 2009. How does it work? You write a comment on this post. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good…

• Our friends launch BatchBook for Sales

  Becky McCray

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:42 am

  Our friends Pam and Michelle (and crew) at BatchBlue have launched BatchBook for Sales. BatchBook is a CRM (customer relationship manager) for small business. Think of it as a super-hero address book. Here's an overview of the new sales features. It now has Deals, a Calendar, and more user restrictions, so you have more ways to work with an assistant or others. (And I hear they are working on a To-Do template and a Leads SuperTag.) Stop by BatchBook. Tell 'em we sent ya! (No, you won't get a special deal, but it will make me feel good.) Photos by Becky McCray: 1. Michelle Riggen-Ransom of…

• How to make your tourism Twitter more interesting

  Becky McCray

  17 Nov 2009 | 2:11 am

  At BlogWorld Expo, I finally got to meet two of Sheila Scarborough's travel connections, Doug at Authentic Seacoast (@AuthenticCoast) and Shannon Lane (@Cajun_Mama). We had a great discussion about what makes tourism tweets interesting. Doug said a regional tourism group had an intern handling their Twitter account. He would tweet things like, "I'm going to have a sandwich." If only it had been a local specialty, like a lobster sandwich, Doug said. From a great local cafe, I added. With a picture, Shannon finished. You make your tourism Twitter stream more interesting by including the details…

• How to renew your blogging enthusiasm

  Becky McCray

  16 Nov 2009 | 2:11 am

  Blogging is a terrific tool for small businesses, but the work of blogging eventually can get you into a rut. That's why so many blogs stagnate and even die after a while. Long-time friend Chris Brogan asked a pointed question about this, on Twitter. Is your blog phoning it in? Are you tagging along in a pile of similar content? How will you break out?   Here are some of the techniques I have used to keep blogging through four years and over 1000 posts, even when my enthusiasm waned.  1. Go to an in-person event. In early 2008, my energy for writing Small Biz Survival dwindled.

• Interview at Business Owners Toolkit

  Becky McCray

  14 Nov 2009 | 2:25 am

  Greg Corombos and John Duoba from the Business Owner's Toolkit Radio interviewed me for their radio show. We covered a lot of ground, including:  What's different in rural business, and what can all businesses learn? Do shop local campaigns work? How do you start one? What are some keys to success in small retail stores? What are some business ideas for small towns? What are the differences between locally-based business versus chain businesses? What advice can we give business owners facing failure? Is social media a waste of time? How can you not get sucked into the vortex, or how do…

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  Dane Carlson: Business Opportunities

• More Dumb Inventions

  Rich Whittle

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pm

  LIFE magazine has put together an interesting collection of dumb inventions. External Turkey Roaster, 1966. Just in time for Thanksgiving. Baby Holder, 1937. Can you say slingshot? Finnish Portable Sauna, 1962. Never Let ‘Em See You Sweat. Mini Television, 1966. Take that iPod! Photos by LIFE. From Business Opportunities Weblog.

• Niche Biz: Baby Name Translation Service

  Rich Whittle

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:11 am

  The New York Daily News asks, what’s in a name? Maybe more than you thought. A British translation firm will vet expectant couples’ off-the-wall baby names, ensuring their offspring aren’t saddled with monikers that mean something embarrassing in another language. Today Translation’s new service might have come in handy for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who probably thought naming their daughter Suri was a safe bet. “It sounds incredibly nice, but in Japanese, we found it means pickpocket,” said Jurga Zilinskiene, the company’s chief executive, whose…

• That’s Called ChalkBot

  Rich Whittle

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:10 am

  If you’re one of the surprisingly large number of Americans who follow the Tour de France every summer, you may have noticed massive, gorgeous printed messages on the route roads, reports Fast Company. Nope, they’re not paint–they’re made of chalk, and they’re sprayed on the road surface by ChalkBot, a massive trailer-mounted inkjet printer sponsored by Nike and the Livestrong foundation. Check out how ChalkBot works. From Business Opportunities Weblog.

• Eco-Biz: Upcycle Ottoman

  Rich Whittle

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:09 am

  This smart Upcycle Ottoman by Gus* Modern is made of repurposed jute bags that were once used to carry organic fair trade certified coffee according to Inhabitat.com. Produced in a limited quantity, each piece is unique and shows the branding and markings of the bags used in the process. No word if they still carry that wonderful coffee scent, but you can still identify which company produced the beans and where they came from. Editor’s Note: What other throwaway packing materials could be re-purposed into saleable products? Photo by Gus* Modern. From Business Opportunities Weblog.

• Biz App: FreeConferenceCall.com

  Rich Whittle

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:08 am

  For many consultants, real-time collaboration with clients is extremely important. Setting up one-on-one phone calls is easy, but if you need to have three or more parties on the line, things get tricky — and expensive, says Small Business Computing. FreeConferenceCall.com offers free private conference lines. Just enter your name and an e-mail address on their site to receive an instant account. FreeConferenceCall will provide you with a dedicated dial-in number and an access code, which are ready for immediate use 24/7 — no need to make a reservation. Long distance charges may apply,…

• 
  Bizsugar

• Passion as a Competitive Advantage

  rwalling

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm

  Passion translates into being insulted when people don't care about things as much as you do and are willing to hack a crappy solution together. It's an insult to you, your product and your craft. Whether you're trying to get hired, promoted, funded or close a sale...passion wins.11 Vote(s)

• How to Manage Your Small Business Cash Flow Effectively

  TomBirches

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm

  Cash flow is said to be the lifeblood of any business. If you need help in managing your cash flow, here is a comprehensive guide in handling and managing your cash more effectively.9 Vote(s)

• Prospects Going Into Holiday Mode

  SalesBlogcast

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pm

  We are in mid-November, one week away from Thanksgiving, and it seems like nobody is answering the phone. Decision makers are dragging their feet, going quiet for days, and sometimes weeks at a time. It's driving us crazy! Right? Here is a list of four things we can do right now to ensure our success...15 Vote(s)

• How Social Media Can Shape Your Business Brand

  williswee

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:49 pm

  Social media marketing is not all about pushing promotions and hoping they go viral. It is more than that.10 Vote(s)

• How To Find Success Working From Home

  jsternal

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:48 pm

  Are you thinking of working from home or are you already working from home as your own small business? If you fall into this category then you'll want to log in to the #smbiz Twitter chat with Michele Mattias and John Reddish as our special guests. They'll be offering tips and answering questions for people who want to work from home and those who11 Vote(s)

• 
  Chris Brogan

• The Serendipity Engine – Web 2 Expo Speech

  chrisbrogan

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pm

  This is my favorite keynote speech yet. It’s just 10 minutes long, and I feel pretty good about it. You’ll recognize bits of my storytelling from the last several conferences tucked into here in a new way, I hope. Enjoy this video. (Can’t see it? Click here)

• How Much Time Should I Spend On Social Media

  chrisbrogan

  20 Nov 2009 | 5:33 am

  How much time should you spend on social media? In some ways, the answer is: “how long is a piece of string?” And yet, you can set up some simple guidelines. They might be a bit different than you think. By the way, I’m writing these from a business perspective, but remember that I think of religion and nonprofits and all kinds of other applications as business-related, too. Here’s how I look at it: Social Media Time Management The way I’d do it is to break it up into 4 chunks, and then you decide the amount of hours to devote (2 hours a day is a minimum for MOST…

• Start a Moving Business – Overnight Success

  chrisbrogan

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:30 pm

  In this episode of the Overnight Success series, I’ve got an idea about what makes one successful: moving. But it’s not what you think. If you can’t see the video, click here. What do you think?

• Stop Humping My Leg

  chrisbrogan

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:13 am

  Dear people trying to sell me on something new: stop humping my leg. You know what I mean. You’ve seen dogs do this, right? That’s what it feels like when you jump on me breathlessly to share your new product or service when you don’t really much know whether I’m the right guy for your services. I was recently leg-humped at Web 2.0 Expo, by someone I like, and who I think is smart and has a lot of good potential. The thing is, I politely declined a demo, and he persisted. Immediately, I shifted to my back foot. I felt defensive. I rolled up my interest and tucked it…

• Prioritize Your Social Media Efforts

  chrisbrogan

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  There aren’t enough hours in the day for all the chores that social media puts in front of us. The best writing I’ve found on how to manage your time in social media is via Amber Naslund’s social media time management series. Her efforts in crafting this should become a little ebook that you hand around to everyone. If you skipped over that link, go back, click it to open a new tab/window, and then read it when you’re done with this (or skip mine and read Amber’s- it’s that good). If you’re still with me, here’s what I want to say on the matter.

• 
  John Battelle

• "WuzUp?"

  http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:34 pm

  From Biz' post on Twitter's shift: Twitter helps you share and discover what's happening now among all the things, people, and events you care about. "What are you doing?" isn't the right question anymore—starting today, we've shortened it by two characters. Twitter now asks, "What's happening?" Well, regardless of spin, this is a major shift, to my mind. Semantics matter, *a lot*, when your entire business is, well, semantics. Language is how we encode that which is essential to who we are. And there is a world of difference between "What are YOU doing" (emphasis mine) and "What's…

• I Love It When...

  http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pm

  You imagine something out loud in a book, and then it starts to happen.... I am sure many of you have heard of RedLaser, but I hadn't until today. I love it! Here's the text from my blog post, written in 2004 (pre iPhone, so I used a Treo...) which I rewrote into the book: What to do? Not to worry, you’ve got Google Mobile Shop installed on your phone. You whip out your Treo 950, the one with the infrared UPC reader installed, and you wand it over that bottle of 2001 Clos Du Val now lovingly cradled in your arms. In less than a second a set of options is presented on the phone’s screen…

• Thanks For Flying With Us. Please Give Us All Your Money.

  http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

  15 Nov 2009 | 10:04 pm

  Today I had quite an experience with United Airlines. It has very little to do with much of anything I usually write about here, save one key element: I have posited that to succeed in what I've been calling the Conversation Economy, companies must learn to have conversations with their customers at scale. (And to do so, they will need to leverage open platforms like Twitter, Facebook, etc. and, of course, change the way they instrument their business. But more on that later). Well, here's a tale of one company failing miserably at doing just that, even while, in the end, due to my own…

• Why Did Google Buy AdMob?

  http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

  10 Nov 2009 | 6:58 pm

  Look. Sure, it's a mobile ad platform, and sure, Google wants to play there, more than they already are. OK. Fine. But really. What's the play? Droid. Data. Droid. Iphone App Data. Droid. K? Data. Just to be clear. Data. About what works, on iPhone apps, so they can leverage it...for Droid. K.

• Hey Mr. Murdoch: It Doesn't Have to Be Black and White

  http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

  9 Nov 2009 | 12:54 pm

  Sheesh. Just give Google summary text and headlines to index (like the WSJ does now). Then do your best to convert would be readers to your paid model. That's it. What's the big deal? The rest is bluster.

• 
  Jason Calacanis

• REPORT: PerfectPitch 2009 Winner didn’t get funding?

  Jason Calacanis

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:07 am

  Just got this tip:  ———- Forwarded message ———-Date: Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 10:04 AMSubject: Fwd: Note from PerfectPitch 2009 WinnerTo: Jason Calacanis  Jason, I thought you might find this interesting (if you haven't already heard.) The "winner" of Richard Branson's Perfect Pitch conference DIDN'T get funded. How is that for winning? Here's a conference that charged people hundreds of dollars to attend and the "winner" didn't even get funding. What a crock. This just reinforced my reasons for NOT participating. …

• My boy @joesebok at @realannieduke poker tourn at @commercecasino

  Jason Calacanis

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:57 pm

  Sent from my iPhone, but I’d rather be using my blackberry frankly.

• Assassin’s Creed 2 Walkthrough on Mahalo!

  lonharris

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm

  We’re working now on some videos and walkthrough info for the new game “Assassin’s Creed 2.” Keep an eye on our progress as we play through this week’s hottest new title.

• First couple of angel investors have signed up for Open Angel Forum – Los Angeles!

  Jason Calacanis

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:31 am

  Matt Coffin of LowerMyBills http://www.crunchbase.com/person/matt-coffin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Coffin Sky Dayton of Earthlink, Boingo, etc. http://www.crunchbase.com/person/sky-dayton Bill Woodward of Anthem VP http://www.anthemvp.com/?page=team&mod=detail&vid=1 If you know of anyone qualified and interested–from any city–do let me know!

• I called the Google OS in January of 2006. Didn’t have inside information… really. ;-p

  Jason Calacanis

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:48 am

• 
  John Jantsch

• QuickBooks 2010 Expends Beyond Accounting

  John Jantsch

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:59 am

  QuickBooks 2010 Expends Beyond AccountingThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing The latest version of QuickBooks is a big step outside the box for the leading small business accounting software. Building on Intuit’s Connected Services Strategy announced last year, QuickBooks connects to several new online services that enable small businesses to extend the power of their information already in QuickBooks QuickBooks Pro and Premier 2010 feature the all-new Intuit App Center, providing users access to scalable, Software-as-a-Service business applications directly from within QuickBooks.

• What the Heck is Integrated Marketing Anyway?

  John Jantsch

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:07 am

  What the Heck is Integrated Marketing Anyway?This content from: Duct Tape Marketing When I first started my business, several decades ago, I was determined to tell people that, mine was an integrated marketing firm. To which, I generally received polite nods and the occasional more truthful – “What the heck is integrated marketing anyway?” Well, c’mon I would mutter, “everyone knows it’s a management strategy and meta-discipline focused on the organization-wide optimization of unique value for stakeholders[1].” Right, see the problem with the term was…

• Is Social Media Changing Selling?

  John Jantsch

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:44 am

  Is Social Media Changing Selling?This content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing podcast with Mike McLaughlin (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes Social media has certainly changed marketing, but few people are addressing just how dramatically it’s changed sales. In this interview we hit that subject pretty head on. My guest for this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast is Mike McLaughlin. He’s the author of Winning the Professional Services Sale, which offers professional service providers, business development managers, and…

• 3 Tools to Make Twitter Lists Even More Useful

  John Jantsch

  16 Nov 2009 | 7:37 am

  3 Tools to Make Twitter Lists Even More UsefulThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’m a big fan of the newish Twitter List function. I wrote about it last week – 5 Reasons to Use the New Twitter Lists Feature Now that I’ve you pumped up about using lists, I want to talk about a few tools that I think can make the feature even more useful. Twitter List Widget - (example above) this is a homegrown Twitter feature that’s pretty well hidden. Scroll to the bottom of your Twitter homepage and look for the link called Goodies. Then click Widgets, MyWebiste, ListWidget.

• Winner of the Social Media Library

  John Jantsch

  15 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am

  Winner of the Social Media LibraryThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing In case you missed my post on Friday I offered one signed copy of One these seven books: Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, New Community Rules by Tamar Weinberg, Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel, Web Analytics 2.0 by Avinash Kaushik, Duct Tape Marketing by well, me, Whuffle Factor by Tara Hunt and CrushIt by Gary Vaynerchuk to the person that most creatively answers the following: I get the biggest return for my business using social media when I [fill in the blank] – Here’s the original…

• 
  Darren Rowse

• Speech Recognition for Bloggers – The Ultimate Guide

  Darren Rowse

  20 Nov 2009 | 5:45 am

  Speech recognition technology has come a long way in the last few years – in this in depth, informative and inspiring video which Jon Morrow (Associate Editor of Copyblogger and Co-founder of Partnering Profits) shares his first hand insights into speech recognition for bloggers. Jon does all of his blogging via speech recognition so he seemed like the logical guy to ask to cover the topic – in the video (I’m glad he agreed). In the video Jon makes recommendations of software, hardware (the hardware is key) and even demonstrates how he uses them in his everyday blogging. The…

• Review This Blog – Man vs Debt

  Darren Rowse

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:46 am

  Last month here on ProBlogger we ran a community review on a reader’s blog. I posted a link to a blog with some comments from the blogger and then opened it up for readers of ProBlogger to review it. The response from the post was great. 120+ comments were left including some great advice. I also had a lot of emails from readers saying that they learned a lot by reading the suggestions of others – many wanted to see these reviews done regularly. As a result I’m going to try to do these reviews on a monthly basis – today we have another one. As a little bonus to…

• Warning: Watching This Video May Lead to Work! [But It'll Also Improve Your Blog]

  Darren Rowse

  18 Nov 2009 | 5:55 am

  What’s your blogging Vice? Most bloggers that I know have at least one – whether it be compulsively checking blog stats, constantly tweaking template designs, obsessing over plugins and widgets, spending hour after hour ‘networking’ on Twitter, becoming preoccupied with SEO and… even allowing ourselves to become consumed by learning about blogging…. and not doing much of it. The reality is that as bloggers there are many tasks that compete for our attention. Many of them are important and can bring a lot of life to our blogs but most of them can also become…

• 13 Ways I Get Back into Blogging after a Vacation

  Darren Rowse

  17 Nov 2009 | 5:49 am

  Yesterday was my first day back at blogging after a 10 day vacation with my family and on Twitter I commented that I was finding it a little hard to get my brain back into blogging mode. @Mikeachim responded by suggesting I write a post on the daily rituals that I use to get my mind into gear. I thought I’d take his suggestion and jot down a few notes – both as a way of getting my head back into blogging but also because looking at the tweets I received this morning it’s a problem many bloggers face. As my head is a little scattered today (as I readjust) I’m going to…

• Email Marketing is Not Dead

  Darren Rowse

  16 Nov 2009 | 10:07 am

  While at Blog World Expo recently I recorded this video interview with Abby Johnson from Web Pro News. We covered a variety of topics including why email marketing is not dead – internet marketing for smart people – the new FTC regulations and touched on a new project I’m working on with Brian Clark and Chris Brogan. Read other recent email marketing posts on ProBlogger: 6 Reasons Why You Need to Consider Email as a Communication Strategy on Your Blog How I Use Email Newsletters to Drive Traffic and Make Money Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. Email Marketing is Not Dead…

• 
  Brian Solis

• The Social Media (R)evolution: Your Time is Now

  brian

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:23 am

  Source: ShutterstockThe Future of the Social Web is here today and we’re learning that engagement is not a matter of if or when, but to what extent, how and what value can we deliver and derive from it. The Social Web is much more than a window into information and interaction, it is a completely transformative medium that is changing how we forge relationships, interact with one another, and distribute and discover information. In many ways, the online social revolution is reminiscent of the Industrial Revolution.Access to free and expansive media platforms and distribution channels has…

• On Twitter, What Are You Doing Was Always The Wrong Question

  brian

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:18 pm

  What are you doing?Perhaps, Twitter asked the wrong question all along.In all honestly, who cares…it was really never about “what you were doing” that inspired your network to stay connected nor was it the siren for attracting new followers. We chose to follow you because you moved or encouraged us to do so – with every update.For many of the users on Twitter, the question that engendered a response and also also aroused a cultural movement was, “what are you doing?” It was a prompt that, for the most part, was taken quite literally. Its answer served as…

• On Twitter and Social Networks, Brands Benefit from Conversations

  brian

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:40 am

  Source: ShutterstockA recent study revealed 20 percent of tweets published are actually invitations for product information, answers or responses from peers or directly by brand representatives. Now we learn that Twitter users are actively paying attention to brands on the popular information network.According to research conducted by Performics and ROI Research, about half of Twitter users who were introduced to a brand on Twitter were compelled to search for additional information.The companies studied the activity of 3,000 users of social networks in the U.S. Of those polled, 70% use…

• The Golden Triangle

  brian

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:11 am

  Source: ShutterstockPrior to keynoting the PACA conference in Miami, Maria Kessler, president of the PACA Association, asked me if I had read a recent post by Fred Wilson entitled “The Golden Triangle.” We were deep in conversation as I was seeking an alternate title for my next book that identifies the divide between brands, information, and consumers and how we can, as social architects and engineers, build the bridges between people, contextual relationships, and technology. While “The Golden Triangle” isn’t a contender for the name of the next book, it did get me thinking.In…

• With Klout Comes Influence: How To Find Influencers on Twitter

  brian

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am

  This is the uncut version of my latest post on TechCrunch…Measuring individual influence in Social Media is as coveted as it is elusive. While many tools claim to calculate authority, it is the definition of influence that requires clarification in order to grasp the relevance and differences of existing tools and services.For the sake keeping this discussion on track, let’s define influence. According to Merriam-Webster, influence is having the power or capacity to cause an effect.San Francisco-based Klout is no stranger to measuring influence on the Social Web. The company launched…