Via Hotels.com. Infographics to put you in the mood. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Most Topular Stories
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Romance survey [infographic]
Holy Kaw!9 Feb 2012 | 12:02 pm -
Taking People With You: Interview with CEO and author David Novak
Escape From Cubicle Nation9 Feb 2012 | 9:36 amIn a departure from my normal entrepreneur interviews, in this podcast, I talk with Yum Brands CEO David Novak who talks about how to create a great culture for your startup. Although he is the head of a huge corporation, he talks about core building blocks that apply to any stage of business. His book Taking People With You: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen breaks down the critical things you need to keep in mind to build a great business culture with happy employees, customers and shareholders. In our interview we discuss: How to choose the right people to grow your business How to… -
Eight Creative Marketing Ideas to Make Your Business Stand Out
Entrepreneur Update9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amIf your marketing could use a new twist, consider these new ideas to reach today's customers. -
"Word With Friends" Board Game Coming From The Makers Of Scrabble?
Fast Company9 Feb 2012 | 12:38 pmHasbro and Zynga announced today that they have entered into a global partnership. With this license, Hasbro will be making a variety of toys and board games using Zynga's brands, with the first products expected to be released in the coming Fall. There will also be cobranded merchandise. As quoted in the press release, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said, "It’s exciting to partner with Hasbro as we share a common vision for play and a mission to connect the world through games." One may consider this an ironic comment, considering much of Zynga's success has come from Words With Friends, a game… -
3 Questions Business Owners Need to Ask About Employee Expenses
Planning Startup Stories9 Feb 2012 | 10:09 amDo you own a business? Do you run a business? Then I recommend you follow me through this simple math and some reasonable conclusions. Assume you have a person making a $50,000 gross salary. Assume their true cost — including health insurance, overhead, work space, computers, Internet, electric power, payroll taxes, etc. — is $80,000. That person costs your company about $40 per hour. For that calculation, I divide the $80,000 by 49 to calculate the weekly cost of $1,633 (I take off two of the 52 weeks in a year for vacation and another for national holidays). I divide that…
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Holy Kaw!
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Romance survey [infographic]
9 Feb 2012 | 12:02 pmVia Hotels.com. Infographics to put you in the mood. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Do aliens go invisible by 'going green'?
9 Feb 2012 | 11:24 amAs we discover more and more planets around other stars, the Fermi Paradox is becoming, well, more paradoxical. The Fermi Paradox simply asks the question "where are they?" Our Milky Way galaxy is so big and so old -- and we are estimated to be accompanied by at least 100 billion planets -- that aliens should have visited us by now. Instead, when we peruse the heavens, we are faced with the Great Silence, which is one of the biggest challenges to modern astronomy. Full story at Discovery News. More news from Discovery Communications. Photo credit: Fotolia Permalink | Leave a… -
Mysterious sounds reported around the world
9 Feb 2012 | 11:23 amPeople around the world have reported hearing strange sounds from the skies over the past month. Sometimes they describe it as a hum or low rumble; other times it’s a whine, thump, or even a melody. Often the sounds have been recorded and posted online, fueling rumors and conspiracy theories. One blogger wrote, "either the world is ending, aliens are landing or everyone is getting hoaxed. Or, possibly, there’s an actual scientific explanation for the mass amount of YouTube videos capturing bizarre sounds that are being heard around the globe. Are we witnessing the beginning of a… -
Costa Concordia: an ecological time bomb
9 Feb 2012 | 11:21 amAs workers begin to extract the half-million gallons of fuel in the shipwrecked cruise liner, locals are worried that their pristine waters are in danger. Reporting by Rossella Lorenzi. Written and produced by Rossella Lorenzi and Martin Berman. Full story at Discovery News. More news from Discovery Communications. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Inside Syria's capitol: nervously normal
9 Feb 2012 | 11:18 amAs the violence in Syria continues to escalate, Syrian citizens are arming themselves to resist their oppressive regime. For days, Homs, the third-largest city in Syria, has endured shelling, tanks and attacks by heavy weaponry. Syrian protestors react with more violence against forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, resulting in all-out war zones in some residential neighborhoods. Full story at Discovery News. More news from Discovery Communications. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Escape From Cubicle Nation
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Taking People With You: Interview with CEO and author David Novak
9 Feb 2012 | 9:36 amIn a departure from my normal entrepreneur interviews, in this podcast, I talk with Yum Brands CEO David Novak who talks about how to create a great culture for your startup. Although he is the head of a huge corporation, he talks about core building blocks that apply to any stage of business. His book Taking People With You: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen breaks down the critical things you need to keep in mind to build a great business culture with happy employees, customers and shareholders. In our interview we discuss: How to choose the right people to grow your business How to… -
Tracking your right life: Interview with Martha Beck
6 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmThose of you who have been following my work for awhile know that I have been heavily influenced by my coach mentor Dr. Martha Beck. Her book Finding Your Own North Star changed the course of my life when I read it nearly a decade ago, and eventually led to my Escape from Cubicle Nation work. Martha is a Harvard-trained sociologist and bestselling author. She is Oprah’s life coach in residence, and writes a monthly column for O Magazine. In this interview, I talk with Martha about her brand new book Finding Your Way in a Wild New World. Building on the research she started at Harvard… -
Are you massively wrong about the size of your market?
2 Feb 2012 | 4:05 pmI walked in my son’s Cub Scout meeting late last night, and ran into the wife of our den leader. She is a wonderful person; an engaged mother, passionate volunteer and airline pilot. “I am so sorry for being late,” I said. “I was teaching a class.” “No problem at all, where were you teaching?” she said. “On the phone,” I said. She looked puzzled. “You were teaching on the phone? How does that work?” “I teach marketing to coaches who are in the Martha Beck coaching program. They dial in from all over the world, and I… -
A concrete example of how to get yourself to “do the work”
1 Feb 2012 | 8:51 amGolden Gloves contender Amanda Wang and Pamela Slim. Photo by proud cousin Abe Cajudo. They say the best way to learn something and reinforce positive behavior is to teach it. So here, 5 minutes after gaining insight while on a walk to Starbucks, is my advice to help you “do the work” (said channeling Steven Pressfield). To watch directly on YouTube, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zVWDH2QflA What I neglected to say in the video is that exercising even a little bit makes everything feel better! <Enjoy getting back to your regularly scheduled programming. I have a… -
How to build a powerful and profitable mailing list
17 Jan 2012 | 12:27 pmIf you have studied small business marketing, you may have heard the frequent cheer “The money is in The List!” And indeed, creating a strong email marketing list is a powerful foundation for any business, online or offline. In this video, I give you a few things to think about as you are establishing your mailing list, as well as a cardinal sin to avoid. To view this directly on YouTube, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xEkc0qEbg More marketing tips coming! At the end of this month, I am going to be opening a new section of Power Boost Marketing for enrollment. Power…
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Entrepreneur Update
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Eight Creative Marketing Ideas to Make Your Business Stand Out
9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amIf your marketing could use a new twist, consider these new ideas to reach today's customers. -
Four Questions to Ask Before Setting a Price
9 Feb 2012 | 5:03 amBefore you figure out your pricing, figure out your business. -
Three Ways to Extend the Battery Life of Smartphones and Tablets
9 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amConsider these options for extending the battery life of your mobile devices. -
Fashion Mogul Christopher Burch Talks Business
9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amAs Fashion Week kicks off, we sat down with the man behind brands like Tory Burch and Monika Chiang to find out what it takes to make it in the business. -
Seven Ways to Kill Your Meetings and Unleash Productivity
8 Feb 2012 | 12:08 pmDespite studies showing that meetings are a colossal waste of time, they remain common. Here's how to collaborate while cutting back on meetings.
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Fast Company
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"Word With Friends" Board Game Coming From The Makers Of Scrabble?
9 Feb 2012 | 12:38 pmHasbro and Zynga announced today that they have entered into a global partnership. With this license, Hasbro will be making a variety of toys and board games using Zynga's brands, with the first products expected to be released in the coming Fall. There will also be cobranded merchandise. As quoted in the press release, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said, "It’s exciting to partner with Hasbro as we share a common vision for play and a mission to connect the world through games." One may consider this an ironic comment, considering much of Zynga's success has come from Words With Friends, a game… -
The Google Wallet Hack Is Not The End Of The World (Or Even NFC) As We Know It [Update: Google Reacts]
9 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amStay calm and carry on, people: It's way too soon to say that NFC should stand for Now Fatally Corrupted. Yes, Google's breakthrough NFC payments app Wallet is being mentioned all over the news thanks to a flaw--it's vulnerable to a hack that gives nefarious types access to your secure PIN number. But don't believe any doomsayers or fearmongering that you may encounter on this matter; it's not as evil as it seems and, believe it or not, it's actually a sign that the future of wireless mobile payments is probably more secure than your current credit card. As reported over at the blog of… -
Ford's Nancy Lee Gioia On Leading Where The Rubber Meets The Road
9 Feb 2012 | 8:05 amIn her 30 years with Ford Motor Company, Nancy Lee Gioia’s learned a thing or two about teamwork, sparking innovation, and being a driving force in what was once considered a man's industry. Nancy Lee Gioia’s been with Ford Motor Company since 1982, when she was hired as a graduate trainee in the electronics division. In the 30 years that followed, she’s held a variety of positions in electronics architecture, manufacturing, and engineering in different divisions.Now, as the company’s director of Global Electrification, Gioia drives strategy and planning for the next generation of… -
Fast Talk: How This Bartender Is Rebooting The Condom
9 Feb 2012 | 7:41 amMeet Richard Pessall, a 20-year-old British entrepreneur who wants to take the condom where no man has gone before (no, not space).Richard Pessall, 20, lives and works as bartender in Shropshire, England. He spent nine years living in the United States, but when he ran out of money to pay for college in North Carolina, he was unable to renew his visa and was forced to return to the U.K. He’s decided to make his fortune before attempting to return stateside. His big idea? Reboot the condom. Forplay, the condom company he's been bootstrapping with his barman’s earnings, has grown to a staff… -
Inside INTERPOL's New Cybercrime Innovation Center
9 Feb 2012 | 7:09 amINTERPOL, the international policing agency, is opening a massive innovation center in Singapore in 2014. At the center, law enforcement will learn all about the latest cybercrimes... and have access to cutting-edge forensics laboratories and research stations.INTERPOL, the international policing organization, is building a law enforcement tech geek heaven in Singapore. The INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation will function as a R&D lab, training facility, and forensics lab for all things cybercrime. Slated to open in 2014, the Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) will be part of the…
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Planning Startup Stories
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3 Questions Business Owners Need to Ask About Employee Expenses
9 Feb 2012 | 10:09 amDo you own a business? Do you run a business? Then I recommend you follow me through this simple math and some reasonable conclusions. Assume you have a person making a $50,000 gross salary. Assume their true cost — including health insurance, overhead, work space, computers, Internet, electric power, payroll taxes, etc. — is $80,000. That person costs your company about $40 per hour. For that calculation, I divide the $80,000 by 49 to calculate the weekly cost of $1,633 (I take off two of the 52 weeks in a year for vacation and another for national holidays). I divide that… -
Challenge: Can You Tell a Business Model from a Business Plan?
7 Feb 2012 | 8:45 amWhat’s the difference between a business model and a business plan? It depends on who you ask. Business plan means a lot of different things to different people, and so does business model. I’ve complained occasionally about confusing terminology, but I guess it’s just the way things are. There are similar problems with strategic plan, annual plan, etc. What I really don’t like is people saying “don’t do a business plan; do a business model instead.” My favorite definition of the business model is the excellent book Business Model Generation, by… -
How Contagion Can Help You Forecast Sales
6 Feb 2012 | 8:45 amCan we talk about beauty in numbers? Amidst all the nervousness about forecasting new products, does it not make sense, and add elegance too, to talk about the classic s-curve we see in nature? So many natural phenomena show an increase along a natural S-curve and bell curve like the two shown here on the right. Which, by the way, was done with Excel. And I’m going to explain it here and give you the formulas, so you can use them in your own sales forecasting. If you like this sort of thing. What we see there is a natural projection of a good product — like cell phones or… -
Make My Business Analysis Intuitive, Please.
3 Feb 2012 | 8:42 amAre you thinking type or feeling? Analytical or intuitive? There are studies, there are tests, there’s a whole body of work on personality types dividing people into types. Most of us have heard of this, but if you haven’t, and you’re curious, you could find out more with this google search. It’s about the work of Carl Jung, the Myers Briggs tests, etc. There are more factors than just this one division, but this division — thinking vs. feeling, analytical vs. intuitive — is interesting to me. I’ve had a career focused on business planning, metrics,… -
Blaming Angels and VCs for Choosing is Like Blaming Up for Down
2 Feb 2012 | 2:35 pmI was happily reading Sramana Mitrea’s The Other 99% of Entrepreneurs on Read/Write Web, agreeing with every detail, when I ran into a snag. It’s in italics in this quote from Sramana’s post. Over 99% of entrepreneurs who seek funding get rejected. Yet, the entire world is focused on the 1% that is “fundable.” The media, when pitched a startup story, is interested in who funded the venture. They seldom ask how much revenue the company has or if it is profitable. Incubators take pride in how exclusive they are and how many “deals” they…
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Small Business News, Tips, Advice - Small Business Trends
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The Right Brain Holds The Key To Your Company’s Innovation
9 Feb 2012 | 11:30 am“Through clustering, the right brain has the opportunity to generate fresh perceptions and meaningful patterns” ~ Dr. Gabrielle Lusser Rico, Author of Writing the Natural Way What if you could break up traffic with a simple gesture? Your super-power, “able to dissipate afternoon gridlock in a single bound.” How much time would that save you, knowing that you had a technique to keep the highways clear so that you never waste another moment sitting in afternoon or morning traffic? In terms of brainstorming, idea generation, and breaking mental roadblocks, clustering – or the more… -
Your Secret Weapon in the Battle of Online Reputation
9 Feb 2012 | 8:30 amAs a small business owner, your online reputation matters. More than you might think. In fact, research shows that a negative online reputation can cost you customers. But, other studies have shown that a positive reputation can actually help you gain them. That’s because 49% of local consumers are more likely to use a business after they read a positive review about a business online. So, what can you do to build a glowing reputation that helps you stand out to potential customers online? Turn to your secret weapon: your happy customers! Unfortunately, people tend to naturally turn to the… -
5 Things Business Owners Shouldn’t Skimp on
9 Feb 2012 | 5:30 amAs small business owners, we’re all strapped for cash and we hate spending unnecessarily. That being said, not everything should be DIY (do-it-yourself). Sometimes trying to save money and do things yourself costs you more in lost time and lost business than you saved in cash. Consider handing these over to the experts: 1. Business Cards Sure, Vistaprint and other sites have free templates you can customize to create your own business cards, but do you really want to use a template that hundreds of other companies have also used? The point of your business card is to stand out and be… -
Triumph of the Business Bloggers
9 Feb 2012 | 2:30 amDo you blog for your business? If so, you’re not alone. But how does blogging really benefit your business? Can you make money from your blog, create community, connect with customers and peers? Well, all of the above, in fact. But, if you really want to know what blogging’s all about, read on! Ecosystem The real benefits of blogging. The truth is you may never make a living solely from your blogging endeavors. That said, business blogging can open some amazing doors including book deals and speaking engagements like the one mentioned here. ProBlogger Many bloggers work from… -
Understanding Women Workers
8 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amOne of the secrets to getting the most from your employees is understanding the challenges they face, not only in the workplace but in the rest of their lives. A comprehensive new report, Women & the Workplace, by Inforum and Sphere Trending has some insights on a key group of employees: women. The recent recession had been dubbed a “mancession” as men lost jobs in record numbers. By comparison, the study found, women fared better at keeping jobs (however, men are faring better in the current recovery). Not only that, but “Single, childless women in their 20s are more likely than…
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Seth's Blog
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The Weird interview
9 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pmTo celebrate the launch of Squidoo's new UpMarket magazine, we got permission to post an audio interview I recently did with Darren Hardy of Success. You can find it here. Thanks for listening. -
Inaccurate labels and why we need them (and need to improve them)
9 Feb 2012 | 2:46 amIf I tell you, "I'm going to the baseball game," it seems as though you're likely to understand what I mean. Of course, you won't. When George Will goes to a baseball game, it's a religious experience. Me, I don't even like baseball. Or maybe it's my nephew's ball game (the playoffs), or maybe going to the game causes me to miss an important event, and on and on. We label the experience with just two words, and two words can't possibly capture the emotions and circumstance surrounding an event. The same thing is true with brands. If I tell you that a new business was funded by USV, that might… -
How do they know you're not a flake?
8 Feb 2012 | 2:43 amBefore your link gets clicked or your proposal gets read, a busy person is going to triage it to find out if it's even worth glancing at. Since everyone is now connected, the new permeability has created a deluge of noise, and just about everyone worth contacting is taking defensive measures. Do I know this person? Did someone I trust send them over? Where does she work? (Ideo? the FDA? The New York Times?) Has she won an award? Is she famous? Are there typos and is the design sloppy? Are they pestering me? Do I already follow this person online? Does music play when I visit the website? Will… -
Horizontal marketing isn't a new idea
7 Feb 2012 | 2:09 amBut it is the new reality for just about every organization. Vertical marketing means the marketer (the one with money) is in charge. Vertical marketing starts at the top and involves running ads, sending out direct mail and pushing hype through the media. Your money, your plans, your control. It might not work, but generally the worst outcome is that you will be ignored and need to spend more money. Horizonal marketing, on the other hand, means creating a remarkable product and story and setting it up to spread from person to person. It's out of your control, because all the interactions are… -
Who is your customer?
6 Feb 2012 | 2:26 amRule one: You can build a business on the foundation of great customer service. Rule two: The only way to do great customer service is to treat different customers differently. The question: Who is your customer? It's not obvious. Zappos is a classic customer service company, and their customer is the person who buys the shoes. Nike, on the other hand, doesn't care very much at all about the people who buy the shoes, or even the retailers. They care about the athletes (often famous) that wear the shoes, sometimes for money. They name buildings after these athletes, court them, erect…
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Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
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How to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral Generator
9 Feb 2012 | 5:19 amHow to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral GeneratorThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve seen and heard this scenario countless times. Two perfectly suited strategic partners determine they should start doing some things together in an effort to create referral opportunities for each other. They shake hands and agree that it’s a fabulous idea, but then nothing happens. Mostly nothing happens because there’s no catalyst to get the ball rolling in a way that makes sense. I mean, sure, they could both send out a mass mailing to their clients professing how great the other is, but… -
Turn Your Business Into a Community Building Platform
8 Feb 2012 | 5:36 amTurn Your Business Into a Community Building PlatformThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I believe the future of business and commitment building resides in the idea of viewing your business as a platform for your community. The notion of a platform is one that receives a fair amount of play in various contexts. An author is said to possess a platform when they have built a following. Consultants might work with a business owner to build a platform through speaking, writing, blogging and connecting in social media. And finally, many tech firms have built platforms by creating open source… -
Is Your Marketing Producing the Results You Expected
7 Feb 2012 | 5:58 amIs Your Marketing Producing the Results You ExpectedThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Quipol Image:One-Fat-Man via Flickr CC The poll question above is a bit loaded and, not that I want to skew the results, the answer for most lies in the fact that they don’t really know what results they expected or what result they are actually getting. Mostly they know the results aren’t what they had hoped for, but that’s another issue. Setting expectations One of the simplest, yet most effective, things you can do is set expectations or goals for your marketing. You can create… -
This Is a Message from Your Heart
6 Feb 2012 | 5:51 amThis Is a Message from Your HeartThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I had a heart scan the other day – mainly because I’m old and my spouse is convincing in the most loving way. a4gpa via Flickr CCIf you’ve never done it, it’s a pretty incredible experience to get to watch the awesome mechanical miracle that is you heart spray blood in and out through a series of valves, tubes, chambers, levers and doors that any engineer would be challenged to recreate. More often than not the heart is the subject of poems and songs about romance and love but in addition to being a physical… -
Weekend Favs February Four
4 Feb 2012 | 5:32 amWeekend Favs February FourThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week. I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from Flickr or from my own travels. First run of the day Telluride Good stuff I found this week: Quipol – Easily create and embed social polls that are very easy to use and very good looking Transcribe – free online tool that makes it much easier…
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Andy Sernovitz | Damn, I Wish I\'d Thought of That!
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The Home Depot’s case study: How to bring your culture to life through an online community
8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmCome to our upcoming BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media conference in Dallas to hear brands like Farmers Insurance, Rogers Communications, Target, Yahoo!, NVIDIA, Hitachi Data Systems, Verizon, and Autodesk share 8 great case studies on corporate social media. You’ll get practical, how-to advice on developing your social strategy, scaling your program, driving sales, engaging internal and external audiences, and measuring it all — and you’ll see some brilliant presentations like this one from BlogWell Atlanta: One of Tia Robinson’s big ideas: Don’t be afraid to let your… -
Why would a music industry visionary be writing passionately about a turtleneck?
8 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amBob Lefsetz is a well-know music industry guru who covers critical issues for industry insiders. So why did he write 625 words about a turtleneck from Uniqlo? And then email it to his thousands of email subscribers? And why did my friend Josh Dorf email it to me? Not because he was paid. Not because he was part of some cheesy word of mouth advocacy program. Not because the company asked him to. He did it because true word of mouth, driven by authentic enthusiasm for amazing products, is an unstoppable force. Read this classic example of word of mouth in action: Uniqlo Andy couldn’t stop… -
Save the Date: Word of Mouth Crash Course, May 10, Austin
7 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmBig news: We’re bringing back the world’s greatest word of mouth marketing conference: The Word of Mouth Crash Course in Austin on May 10. It’s the original “How to be great at word of mouth marketing” conference: 12 Real-world case studies 12 How-to classes 6 Amazing authors 1 Fast day (Yes, this is the event formerly called Word of Mouth Supergenius. We changed the name to better reflect that you’re going to learn a ton, really fast, while having fantastic fun.) Learn more here: http://wordofmouth.org/crashcourse Important: The first 100 registrants will get 50 copies of new… -
It’s not over when you turn in your homework
7 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amSome advice for recent college graduates entering the corporate world: In college, you finish a paper, you take the test, you get to the end of the semester — and you’re done. You can walk away and move on to the next project. No looking back. At work, it’s the opposite. You win when you take and keep responsibility. You own a project, you see it through, you take responsibility, and you make sure it works great for the long term. When it’s time for you to move on, you are responsible for handing off your knowledge and work to the next owner, and you’re not done… -
Pull up a chair around the fire
3 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amThe purpose of a trade show booth or tabletop is to get prospective customers to come in an talk to you. You want to have a conversation. But most exhibits do a lot to block that conversation: big TV screens, laptops between the exhibitor and the prospects, or having conversations standing in front of the table so your back is to people walking past. That’s why I like this simple tabletop by Sprinklr. The fireplace catches your attention. The furniture encourages you sit down and have a deep conversation, and the whole arrangement visually draws people in.
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Small Biz Survival
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6 Things Self-employed Should Know From the IRS
9 Feb 2012 | 4:20 amBy Maesz IRS Tax Tip 2012-16, January 25, 2012 There are many benefits that come from being your own boss. If you work for yourself, as an independent contractor, or you carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor, you are generally considered to be self-employed. Here are six key points the IRS would like you to know about self-employment and self- employment taxes: Self-employment can include work in addition to your regular full-time business activities, such as part-time work you do at home or in addition to your regular job. If you are self-employed you generally have to pay… -
Bonus way to get more locals to follow you online
7 Feb 2012 | 3:42 amTourism groups and small businesses both struggle with a common question: once we get online, how do we get local people to follow, like or friend us? OK, now that you're in the room with yourlocals, how do you get them to follow, likeand friend you? Last week, I shared three ways to get locals to follow you online. I deleted two comments off that post (because they came in a flood of spam) that suggested the fourth, bonus method to get more locals to follow you: Hold local events. This gives you a chance to talk about your online efforts in an offline setting. You can create events of… -
Alternatives to small business loans
6 Feb 2012 | 4:29 amMany small businesses can't qualify for a small business loan from a traditional local bank. A bad credit record disqualifies many. Lending standards have tightened. Some small towns are limited by local banks that don't support small business; others don't have locally-owned banks any more. The good news is that alternatives are available. We'll be profiling alternatives to traditional small business loans in this new series on financing. First up: BoeFly. BoeFly helps small businesses get loans from banks all over. BoeFly doesn't make loans. It helps small businesses get loans from banks… -
Step up to the Brag Basket
3 Feb 2012 | 4:56 amThe Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. Step up and share some good news. Step basket photo by Joe Shlabotnik on Flickr. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one Feb 3-5, 2012. Have some good news this week? Put it in the Brag Basket. Don't hold back because of that word, "brag." When you hold back, you hide your good news and accomplishments that might inspire others. Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. What can you do in the Brag Basket? introduce yourself share some great news from this week congratulate a… -
3 ways to get locals to follow you online
31 Jan 2012 | 4:50 amTourism groups and small businesses both struggle with a common question: once we get online, how do we get local people to follow, like or friend us? Online friends join local friends for atweetup in Alva. Here are 3 quick ideas on how to get connected with the locals: 1. Talk about local issues. When you talk about the topics that local people care about, they are more likely to engage with you. 2. Tell local people about it. Talk in person, talk with them online, make business cards for your blog and Twitter and hand them out to locals. 3. Invite locals to participate. Ask them to…
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Business Blogs
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How to Focus SEO Activities For Results
9 Feb 2012 | 5:41 amOverwhelmed with SEO Options? There are many choices available when it comes to search engine optimization, or SEO, and you probably have many questions: Should you do your own SEO or hire a firm? Is SEO worth it? Will you be able to get to the top of the search engines? With all of the services, tips, articles, expert insights, updates, and more, it’s enough to make your head spin. If you are starting to feel overwhelmed, but feel you need to take advantage of SEO to get more people to your site, here’s a simple question that will help you focus: What are you trying to accomplish? If you… -
5 Things You Need to Know About Marketing Your Business On Pinterest
8 Feb 2012 | 6:57 pmI’ve found a new addiction on the Internet; it’s Pinterest. And it appears that I’m not the only one that’s addicted to this amazing website. With close to 12 million active visitors in the US per month Pinterest just happens to be the newest “big thing” in the social media world. In case you haven’t heard of it, Pinterest is like a virtual version of the bulletin board that you keep in your office. Users have their own “boards” where they can post images of things that they find interesting, inspiring, or memorable online. Users can… -
The Rules of Networking
8 Feb 2012 | 6:15 amI know you may find this surprising since I am always chatting about connecting on the Internet, but I am a big believer in face-to-face networking. In fact, if you spend all your time being social on social media, it is my belief that you will get nowhere fast. The main idea behind using social media for business is to convert your connections into real time engagement as in pipeline, networking, collaboration. Lately, I have been putting my money where my mouth is and getting out and networking. It has been both fun and rewarding for me. I met a few key business people and engaged… -
Are You Missing Out on This Direct Marketing Opportunity?
4 Feb 2012 | 6:14 pmLast weekend I went to a local farmer’s market to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables. As I visited the different businesses exhibiting at the market, I couldn’t help but put on my marketing hat. After all that’s what I do! My biggest observation was that while all of the businesses were there to sell their products to as many people as possible, they were missing out on a huge opportunity for continued sales. Small businesses, especially ones like the ones at my local farmer’s market, have a special place in my heart. I immediately wanted to go give them… -
Leading Moms in Business: What a collective!
3 Feb 2012 | 7:29 amI was planning on a different topic for this week, and then I had a change of heart. This week marked the beginning of the 3rd annual StartUpNation Leading Moms in Biz Competition. Yes, I do realize that you are on the StartUpNation site, but I really want to call your attention to this unique opportunity. First of all, huge thanks to StartUpNation for holding this competition. It is an extraordinary feeling for moms in business to be recognized for the momentous effort behind running a business and growing a family at the same time. For someone who manages a family and business along…
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Men with Pens
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Why You Should Ditch Your Blogging Schedule
5 Feb 2012 | 10:00 pmFor several years now, you’ve been given advice from probloggers (and not-so-probloggers) that just wasn’t very good advice at all. The advice made sense. The analogies were understandable. But the theory was wrong. I know, because I dished out that advice and followed it strictly for years. I was convinced it was good advice and that if I didn’t follow it, all hell would break loose. Lightning would strike me dead. All my loyal readers would string me up, tar and feather me and throw rotten food as I pleaded for mercy. I was wrong too. After all, the advice made sense: Have a… -
What to Do When You Hate Your Blog
29 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pmYears ago, I started this blog with a pretty big mission in mind: to help you succeed. I wanted to tell you things you didn’t know. I wanted to point you in better directions. I wanted to share lessons I’d learned the hard way so that you didn’t make the same mistakes. I wanted to give you shortcuts that helped you succeed faster, easier and with a lot less stress than I had to go through to get where I am today. Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of that goal. My business got big. My blog became popular. It was explosive growth. I got busy. I had clients and readers who wanted… -
Damn Fine Words Writing Contest: The Winners!
22 Jan 2012 | 8:53 amToday we’re announcing the winners of the Damn Fine Words writing contest… but boy, was it EVER tough to choose just two submissions. 25 people fought hard to win a chance to get into the Damn Fine Words writing course and learn effective techniques that would change their life. Some posts were straightforward. Some were thoughtful. Some touched our hearts. It wasn’t an easy choice. But after great deliberation and many discussions, the judges and I narrowed the many submissions down to two lucky winners. Lynn Hess and Rena Tucker, you’ve each won a free membership to… -
How Achieving Your Goals Kills Your Motivation
18 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pmHeard you need constant improvement to become a master? Heard you need those 10,000 hours of practice? It’s hogwash. A goal of ‘constant improvement’ won’t lead to success. I learned this when I signed up for Damn Fine Words, James Chartrand’s writing course. Signing up excited me. I was excited because I was taking action towards my goal of ‘constant skill improvement’ so I could further build my business. The first half of the course taught me a lot. This was the most valuable part – a complete writing system, an approach that could be used to take any… -
How to Find Time to Write: A Casual Conversation with Laura Vanderkam
16 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pmYou’re invited to a very exclusive event. How to find the time to write. That’s one of the biggest complaints I hear from busy businesspeople, freelancers and entrepreneurs. (Even writers complain they can’t find the time to write!) There aren’t enough hours in a day. There’s so much going on. You’re barely keeping up. You’re just trying to stay afloat and get through the day. It’s overwhelming. You have too much work. Too many obligations. Too much to do. Time to write? Forget it! But you need to find the time to write. Writing is integral to…
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Jill's Fresh Sales Strategies Blog
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[Video] Never Call Your Best Prospects First
9 Feb 2012 | 11:28 amMost sales gurus will tell you to call your A prospects first. After all, they're the ones who are most likely to buy -- and you'll be closing orders before you know it. Plus, you're not wasting your precious prospecting time with low-priority opportunities. I totally disagree -- and with good reason! There are situations when it that's exactly the wrong thing to do -- like when you're launching a new product or service. Or when you're new to a company and just learning the ropes. Or when you're starting your own business or deciding to finally pursue bigger companies. In all those cases, you… -
[Video] 3 Critical Questions You Must Ask Every Hot Prospect
30 Jan 2012 | 4:55 amHave you ever been called in to meet by a prospect that's all excited about making the change? They're busy meeting with vendors, looking at all their options. And, they want you to get a proposal to them right away -- or to do a presentation. Stop, stop, stop! If you don't fully understand the why behind all this activity, you may be spinning your wheels for nothing. 1. Ask them, "Why, at this particular moment in time, did you decide that change was essential?" Find out what they say. Does it make sense? 2. Ask them again, "What's the business case for the change?"… -
Dealing with Oops! Moments: Sales Lessons from Rick Perry
26 Jan 2012 | 5:27 amThis not meant to be a political statement. It is simply commentary about what a candidate did - and what we, as sellers, can learn from it. When Texas Governor Rick Perry entered the presidential race, he immediately soared to a front-runner status. But, it didn't last long due to his performance during the Republican debates.For those of you who don't follow American politics, during the recent debates Perry stated that he'd eliminate three federal departments. When asked which ones, his mind went blank. He came up with two, but the third eluded him. For 55 seconds, he wracked his brain,… -
[Audio] 3 Big Sales Problems I See Today
22 Jan 2012 | 9:04 pmRecently I was interivewed by the Sales Lead Management Association about some of the biggest problems I see today that are having a negative impact on sales -- and what can be done about them What was my key focus? - Management's failure to understand changing customer/behavior.- Lack of sufficient digital assets to attract & nuture prospects.- Improper training & tools for salespeople to help them succeed in the new sales environment. You can listen to the download the interview below. Download this episode (right click and save) -
[Video] How to Get More Prospects in Your Pipeline?
12 Jan 2012 | 7:05 amAs sellers, we want to keep as many options open to us. We want to be able to pursue business with anyone who has the potential to buy from us. But doing this actually has a boomerang effect and reduces your sales effectiveness. Here's what you need to do to get more hot prospects in your sales pipeline: You must focus, focus, focus. Focus on certain types of customers. Put together a campaign and go after law firms. Or, think about what the school districts might need. Or how about mid-sized manufacturing firms. The more focused you are the better your message resonates. You can also…
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B2B Lead Blog
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Taking B2B Marketing Mobile: The Pitfalls and Payback
6 Feb 2012 | 7:48 amTweetMobile marketing for B2B is one of the newest marketing channels yet, according to the 2011 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report, it ranks second only to whitepaper downloads for growing B2B email lists – even though only 48% of the B2B companies responding have a mobile version of their website. “As more businesses target marketing to mobile, I expect even better results,” says Meghan Lockwood, MECLABS research analyst. She will be moderating a panel discussion, Integrating Mobile Campaigns for the Complex Sale, at the MarketingSherpa B2B Email Summit this Wednesday in Las Vegas. I… -
The Lament of the Inside Sales Team: Data, Data Everywhere, but Who’s Ready to Buy?
27 Jan 2012 | 10:26 amTweetAs the MECLABS Research Partnership analyst team, my colleagues and I speak with professionals who attend our events (like the next month’s MarketingSherpa Email Summit in Las Vegas), purchase our publications, and want more information about how MECLABS can help grow their business. So every day we hear about the challenges they’re facing. One issue that surfaces all too often is optimizing databases: When you have a database of thousands upon thousands of names, how do you help your team easily and effectively prioritize who to contact? Nearly every company I talk to does some kind… -
Nine Simple Tactics to Drive a Higher Return on Trade Show Investment
15 Jan 2012 | 11:49 amTweetIn his most recent post, Dave Green pointed out how marketers invest most of their budget on trade shows even though it ranks fourth in effectiveness. He went on to explain how to get a better return on your trade-show investment through lead scoring. Now I’m going to share nine tactics that will drive those lead scores – and your ROI – even higher: Do thorough research. Find out which attendees fit yourUniversal Lead Definition If you have access to the registration list, analyze it. Look up registrants on LinkedIn. Develop a list of targets you want to seek out during the… -
OpenView Names Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012
15 Jan 2012 | 11:48 amTweetI received some news today that leaves me both humbled and honored. OpenView Labs named its top 25 sales influencers for 2012, and I am among them. This is especially meaningful for two reasons. First, I have tremendous respect for the people who have joined me on this list; I’m in great company. Learn more about them here: Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012. Second, OpenView Labs takes a scientific approach to selecting its top influencers. OpenView Labs leverages the Klout True Reach metric to calculate social media influence. They also examined blog activity, and other more… -
How to Use Lead Scoring to Drive the Highest Return on Your Trade-Show Investment
29 Dec 2011 | 6:49 amTweetIn the 2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report, 1,745 marketing organizations revealed that trade shows took up the biggest chunk of their marketing budget – over 21%. Yet, they only ranked fourth in marketing effectiveness, under websites, SEOs, and emails. I suspect that part of the ROI problem may be due to improper prioritization. Smart marketers apply some type of lead scoring to leads generated from website, SEO, and email initiatives. They need to do the same with trade shows. I recommend ranking trade show leads using the point-system outlined below – the higher the ranking, the…
