Linda’s Business Blog is an ongoing conversation about all things business…mostly. I’ve digressed from time-to-time, written about a vacation or two, done a book review or two -but always relevant to what I’m doing. In January – hopefully – I’ll not only write about vacation again but the process of buying a fruit tree. Tomorrow I’m going to write about a small, tiny even, business owner’s reaction to the differences between China’s cultural outlook on national economics and the United States’ cultural outlook on national…
Selected by lindabusiness
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Linda's Business Blog
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From Business Entrepreneur to NonProfit Entrepreneur
19 Nov 2009 | 3:14 pm -
The Burger King thing and when it’s not your idea
16 Nov 2009 | 11:28 amA franchise, I think, is both big business and small business. I’ll explain myself in a moment. According to InvestorWords.com, a franchise is: “…A form of business organization in which a firm which already has a successful product or service (the franchisor) enters into a continuing contractual relationship with other businesses (franchisees) operating under the franchisor’s trade name and usually with the franchisor’s guidance, in exchange for a fee ….” From the corporation’s point of view, its entire network of franchise locations… -
Business Mentors and Hot Mommas Project
12 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pmIt’s a funny way to begin a post about mentoring in a business context, but I’ve been a fan of science fiction movies from childhood. My dad used to love to watch them with me, the old black and white movies. One of my favorite was “The Day of the Triffids,” and those taller-than-people plants that moved were very scary. This love of sci-fi has stayed with me and I’m an unashamed fan of several television sci-fi franchises including Stargate SG-1. One of the characters of which I’m fond is that of Master Bra’tac, the mentor and lifelong… -
Heart of a Military Woman and Veteran’s Day
11 Nov 2009 | 11:13 amI’m a veteran of the United States Navy. I served during the tail-end years of the Vietnam War. I worked as a journalist at the Fifth Naval District Headquarters which at that time was located in Norfolk, Virginia [USA]. Part of my work involved writing press releases that went out to community newspapers about ship arrivals and departures. Part of my work involved covering posthumous awards ceremonies…these always tore at my heart. A bright spot of my time then was an Easter Sunday morning when I was able to attend dawn services aboard an aircraft carrier. A funny… -
Cool Kohl’s and Safeway interaction
9 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pmWhen I go to the grocery store I don’t expect to receive coupons to another store. Usually when I shop at the grocery store [I shop at Safeway] I’ll get a couple of cents-off coupons for merchandise that is carried by that store chain to use on my next shopping trip. Imagine my surprise this past weekend when I got my receipt for that night’s supper along with a “rewards” coupon for Kohl’s department store. For some reason I hadn’t heard of this promotion. It was very short-lived [Nov.4-8]. For just four days at Safeway, depending upon how…
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Women on Business
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7 Easy Ways to Retain Customers
21 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amGuest post by Michelle Strassburg (learn more about Michelle at the end of this post) Winning new customers is often easier than keeping them. Not too dissimilar from other types of relationship business or personal you must work hard on the relationship to make sure the other party is content. When it comes to retaining customers, keeping the other party content will directly influence revenue and should therefore be considered as a key objective for the business. Here are 7 ways to retain new customers which I have picked up during the years. Hopefully it will point you in the right… -
Draw To You Want You Want
20 Nov 2009 | 7:19 pmPost by M.J. Ryan, contributing Women On Business writer Last time I wrote about the danger of focusing on the problem rather than the solution. There’s another reason why focusing on the road instead of the hole is important. It’s got to do with what The Secret is about. Say what you will about that massive bestseller, but there is a kernel of truth there as far as I understand. We all have the ability to use our energy in three ways—dynamically, to create the forward momentum of action, receptively, to become aware of what is available around and within us, and magnetically, to draw… -
Do You Have Passion for What You Do?
20 Nov 2009 | 7:14 pmGuest post by Anna Dworaczynska (learn more about Anna at the end of this post) Do you wake up each morning with a clear picture of what you want to accomplish today and can’t wait for the day to begin? One of the ways to find out if you are pursuing the right career is to ask yourself whether you would you continue working for free or with little compensation. In 201 Trump Secrets of a Rich Mindset, Donald Trump said ‘‘Follow your passion. You are much more likely to became rich by doing something you love.’’ I could not agree with that statement more. You need to be… -
The Economic Power of Women in Relation to Women Owned Businesses
20 Nov 2009 | 5:54 pmPost by Amy Blais, contributing Women On Business writer As a women’s business organization we are constantly getting questions about the relevance and importance of women owned businesses. And, as an organization with a mission to connect women owned business with business opportunities, access to contracts and relationships with corporations, there are many different questions and many different answers. A common question that I receive is “why”. Why do corporations care about doing business with women owned companies? What is their incentive? Why is it seen as an advantage? -
Is Speed of Service an Added Value?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmCustomer service sometimes means how we approach our business…how we “do” our business. For our businesses to be profitable, we need customers and clients so we devote much time and attention to promotion and advertising. Another big percentage of our business is our interaction with our customers and clients in the buying and selling or product and service interface. A third percentage, just as large, is the after-the-sale time, the customer service time. In defining our businesses we decide on what the added value elements will be. For instance, if you were to own…
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SFGate: Bay Area News Stories
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Crime on Muni - a chance to tell experiences, views
21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amCalling all Muni riders who have: a. been a victim of crime; b. seen a crime aboard a bus, streetcar or cable car; c. observed - or not observed - city police boarding Muni; or d. are just looking for something free and civic-minded to do Monday morning.... -
Grape board's ads immune to legal challenge
21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amCalifornia can require grape growers to pay fees for statewide ads that promote their product as a healthy alternative to ice cream and French fries, despite some growers' objections to messages that imply all grapes are equal, a federal appeals court ruled... -
Suspect's DNA sat in lab as rapes multiplied
21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amThe San Francisco police evidence lab failed to process DNA samples from the 2007 slaying of a transgender prostitute for two years, leaving the suspect free allegedly to rape and brutalize at least three other transgender women before being arrested, The... -
Oakland man on death row dies in hospital
21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amAn Oakland man who was sentenced to death in 1993 for the point-blank shootings of a man and a woman over a drug deal has died in a hospital, prison officials said Friday. Cedric Harrison was convicted of murdering Betty Thompson and her boyfriend, Leroy... -
Project Homeless Connect in Golden Gate Park
20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amHunched over his shopping cart filled with cans and bottles as he smoked a cigarette Thursday morning, 55-year-old Ken Davis looked quizzically at the dozens of city workers and volunteers erecting tents in a parking lot near Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate...
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Entrepreneur.com
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Gear Up for the Holidays--and Beyond
19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmWhy your "crunch-time" skills should become business as usual -
Take Your Message to the Monitors
19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmVideo marketing can engage your online customers on a whole new level. -
The Basics of Starting a Home-Based Business
18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmEverything you need to live, work and outsource from your couch -
Leverage Your Inner Lemon
18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmUse 'Brand Judo' to flip negative perceptions into memorable campaigns. -
Dress Up Your Online Store for the Holidays
17 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmThese tips will give your customers--and your business--plenty of reasons to celebrate the season.
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She Takes On The World
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She Takes On The World in 2010
20 Nov 2009 | 10:54 amI’m currently working on a 2010 strategic plan for my business and She Takes On The World. I had a wonderful and relaxing few days in Boston and Cape Cod where I was able to shift my focus to the year ahead and start planning. Thanks to you, She Takes On The World has grown to become a top blog for women entrepreneurs and women in business, attracting tens of thousands of women from over 80 countries around the world. Thank you so much for reading! As I prepare for 2010, I want to hear your feedback on what you like -and don’t like -about She Takes On The World and how we can make… -
In Her Heels: Interview With Marketing Diva, Toby Bloomberg
18 Nov 2009 | 9:05 pmJoining me today is Toby Bloomberg. She is the founder of Bloomberg Marketing and author of the Diva Marketing Blog. She also sits on the board of the American Marketing Association. Natalie: You have been writing the extremely popular Diva Marketing Blog for 5 years now. You also help other companies develop online marketing strategies and leverage social media and blogging. What are the most important lessons you’ve learned about blogging and social media? Toby: Thanks for the opportunity to talk social media with the She Takes On The World community. I love the name! At this point in… -
Six Tips to Survive Holiday Party Schmooze Season
12 Nov 2009 | 9:17 amThis is a guest post by Debra Shigley, author of The Go-Getter Girl’s Guide. To learn more about Debra, read her interview with She Takes On The World here. As a businesswoman or entrepreneur, it’s part of your job to ‘get out there’ and network. Ever wondered how some women make it look so easy—and seem to effortlessly work a room? Well, many times, those women aren’t the most confident or outgoing in the world; they just know a few tricks for how to schmooze. The ability to charm everyone in the room can be learned. With the holiday party season right around the corner, here are… -
30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter
10 Nov 2009 | 7:01 amTwitter has been an incredible tool for connecting with like-minded people from around the world. I am always on the lookout for women entrepreneurs and women in business to follow, connect with, and learn from. The following 30 women entrepreneurs have excellent twitter feeds to follow: @JackieBiz -Jackie is a business owner and blogger who tweets about business resources, inspiration, and opinions. @ManishaThakor -Manisha is a personal finance expert and author on women and money. Her tweets are geared towards helping you meet financial goals. @BrandYou -Cindy is a marketing strategist who… -
Blog Carnival for Women Entrepreneurs
6 Nov 2009 | 12:36 pmWelcome to the 10th edition of the blog carnival for women entrepreneurs, a collection of posts to help you as a business owner. If you have a blog post or article that you would like to share in an upcoming edition, please use the submission form. Coree Silvera presents Simple and Easy – Are You Driving Buyers Away? posted at Market Like a Chick. Linda Smith presents The Value of Having a Blog on Your Business Website posted at Linda’s Business Blog. Lena West presents Kicking and Screaming All the Way to Facebook posted at Lipsticking. Toby Bloomberg presents The Social Media…
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Seth's Blog
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Benefit of the doubt
21 Nov 2009 | 2:11 amIt's almost impossible to communicate something clearly and succinctly to everyone, all the time.So misunderstandings occur.We misunderstand a comment or a gesture or a policy or a contract.And then what happens?Well, if we're engaged with someone we like or trust, we give them the benefit of the doubt. We either assume that what they actually meant was the thing we expected from someone like them, or we ask about it.If we're engaged with a stranger or someone we don't trust, we assume the worst.The challenge, then, is to earn the benefit of the doubt. How many of your customers, prospects,… -
The amateur scientist (that's us)
20 Nov 2009 | 2:41 amMany people buy a car (probably their single biggest discretionary purchase) based on slamming a door, kicking a tire and judging the handshake of a salesperson.We choose a surgeon based on the carpeting in his office and a politician by his hair cut.During the first week of swine flu vaccines in New York, most parents (more than half!) chose to keep their kids out of the program.Interviewed parents said things like, "I'm not sure it's safe," and "I wanted to see if it affected other kids..."No mention of longitudinal studies or long-term side effects. No science at all, really, just rumors… -
Embracing lifetime value
19 Nov 2009 | 2:46 amIf you walk into a company-owned cell phone store to sign up for a contract, what are you worth?Given the huge gross margins at AT&T and Verizon and the standard two-year contract, I think it's easy to figure on more than $2000 in lifetime value.If you ran a business where a customer represented an additional $2,000 in profit, how would you staff? How long would you make someone wait? If staff costs $25 an hour, how long would that extra person take to pay off?Few businesses understand (really understand) just how much a customer is worth. Add to this the additional profit you get from a… -
Some books for November
18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmRandom thoughts from all over for those of us hungry for new ways to think. This month's list is here. The previous list was blogged in September. -
The reason they want you to fit in...
18 Nov 2009 | 2:03 amis that once you do, then they can ignore you.
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Duct Tape Marketing
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QuickBooks 2010 Expends Beyond Accounting
20 Nov 2009 | 8:59 amQuickBooks 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?
18 Nov 2009 | 7:07 amWhat 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?
17 Nov 2009 | 8:44 amIs 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
16 Nov 2009 | 7:37 am3 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
15 Nov 2009 | 6:02 amWinner 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…
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msnbc.com: Diabetes
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Obesity rates highest in Southeast, Appalachia
19 Nov 2009 | 10:49 amThe first county-by-county survey of obesity reflects past studies that show the rate of obesity is highest in the Southeast and Appalachia. -
Tiny tattoos could help diabetics ditch needles
13 Nov 2009 | 5:09 amScientists are starting to test a kind tattoo-sensor that changes color with rising blood sugar levels. -
Diabetes can be delayed with diet, exercise
29 Oct 2009 | 10:01 amPeople on the brink of developing diabetes who get a lot of support and encouragement to diet and exercise can turn things around and avoid the disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. -
Diabetes drug helps obese adults loss weight
23 Oct 2009 | 12:57 pmNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults may shed more weight with the diabetes drug liraglutide than with the weight-loss drug orlistat (Xenical, Alli), suggests a study in The Lancet this week. -
Long-acting insulin boosts diabetes care
22 Oct 2009 | 10:40 amLong-acting insulin works better than other types of injections for people who need more than pills for their type 2 diabetes, researchers reported on Thursday.
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MAKE Magazine
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Mint tin electronics dev kit packs the essentials
21 Nov 2009 | 4:30 amFrom the MAKE Flickr pool Once you've caught the 'electronics bug', spending time away from the workbench/lab can seem an unpleasant prospect. Luckily, one can carry on learning and experimenting with a minimal amount of hardware. Nick shares his own recipe for ultra-compact electronics prototyping - the Altoids Tin Electronics LabThis is a small electronics lab in an altoids tin. It contains nearly everything to work on small projects, such as a breadboard, components (including several ICs), and a adjustable power supply. The power supply is a simple LM317 circuit, with the 317's metal tab… -
Olympus BioScapes competition winners
21 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amOlympus BioScapes competition winners, amazing photos! Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Imaging | Digg this! -
Mac mailbox
20 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmMac mailbox from Te Atatu in Auckland... Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Remake | Digg this! -
LHC tweets its first circulating beam of 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 6:45 pmLHC tweets its first circulating beam of 2009, good luck finding the Higgs gang. Photos here... Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Science | Digg this! -
Building a shop presence notification system
20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pmAs a member of Hack Pittsburgh, our local hackerspace, one thing I've wanted to know if anyone else is there before I make the trek over. Well, so did Andy Leer and Marty McGuire, so they decided to build a shop presence notification system. They reasoned that they could measure the ambient light level to determine if someone was around, because people tend to turn on the lights when they show up. With this in mind, they hooked up a photocell to a donated iobridge module, and had a notification widget up on the website in record time. Excellent work! Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read…
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Holy Kaw!
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How to save time
21 Nov 2009 | 9:25 amHere’s a great tool: Sue Shellenbarger, over at the Wall Street Journal, has test drove three time management tools for us, so we don’t have to try them ourselves. Talk about time saving. The three tested methods are: • Getting things done. • The Pomodoro Technique. • Franklin Convey’s Focus. Read the article to see what she found. We’ve got lots more ways to get things done and hack your life, too. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
How to re-imagine the color of your room with no paint
21 Nov 2009 | 9:14 amWant to see what your room would look like with different paint? Check out colorjive.com, a really cool site that takes your pictures and changes the colors of the walls in just a few easy steps. It's fun! And it could save a lot of fails. More cool design sites. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Common mistakes in social media and other insights on impact
21 Nov 2009 | 9:03 amOver on SmartBlog, Mary Ellen Slayter interviews Olivier Blanchard (above), a seasoned brand strategist at BrandBuilder Marketing. Blanchard delves into his perspective on how businesses can maximize their return on social media. He shares, for instance, three common mistakes companies make when trying to measure the value of social media: Focusing too much on digital measurement. Not understanding the difference between nonfinancial impact and financial impact. Not establishing clear goals and objectives when launching a social media program. How can you avoid this fate, and what other… -
A geography of BBQ
21 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amAs a newcomer to DC, people keep telling me that my BBQ education is about to begin. Though complete strangers and close roommates have preached the glories of BBQ, this article is the clearest introduction to the sauce I’ve seen yet. Did you know there are at least four kinds of sauce? Kansas City Style Sauce Texas Style Sauce North Carolina Style Sauce South Carolina Style Sauce Check out the article to see just how each of them differ. Hungry for more? There’s much more about food and recipes. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
France vs. Ireland controversial goal video
20 Nov 2009 | 10:58 pmIn case you haven’t seen the controversial goal in the France versus Ireland game, here you go. Total coverage of soccer. Permalink | Leave a comment »
