Selected by smallbizbigtime

• Most Topular Stories

• DIY Pop Tarts on a stick

  Holy Kaw!

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:10 am

  A hungry wise man once said, “All tasty food should come on a stick.” The food gods have responded to the man’s stick wish and created mini Pop Tarts on...you guessed it...a stick. Quicker alternative: toothpick, full-size Pop Tart, knife. Full recipe and directions at caplan miller. Delicious DIY. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Special Section: Wealth: Taking Back Your Business

  NYT > Small Business

  By PAUL SULLIVAN

  9 Feb 2012 | 4:56 am

  Entrepreneurs who have seen the companies they sold hurt by bad management or a bad economy often get the urge to take back control.

• Events for Small Biz: Small Biz Summit, Women, Geek Girls and More – Feb 8

  Small Business Technology

  Laura Leites

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:17 am

  Welcome to this week’s roundup of events, conferences and webinars for growing companies and entrepreneurs, brought to you every other week by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. Whether you are looking for a local networking event, a webinar you can watch from your office, or a big educational conference, there are some great opportunities to learn, network, and grow your business over the next several months. If you know of a great event that small businesses should know about or are organizing one – let me know! Small Biz Success Summit 2012 February 1 – 23, 2012…

• Your Secret Weapon in the Battle of Online Reputation

  Small Business News, Tips, Advice - Small Business Trends

  Tiffany Monhollon

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:30 am

  As 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…

• Four Questions to Ask Before Setting a Price

  Entrepreneur Update

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:03 am

  Before you figure out your pricing, figure out your business.

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  Holy Kaw!

• DIY Pop Tarts on a stick

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:10 am

  A hungry wise man once said, “All tasty food should come on a stick.” The food gods have responded to the man’s stick wish and created mini Pop Tarts on...you guessed it...a stick. Quicker alternative: toothpick, full-size Pop Tart, knife. Full recipe and directions at caplan miller. Delicious DIY. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Fast-food diners say "downsize me"

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:08 am

  Asking consumers if they would like a smaller portion may be a better approach to curbing overeating than posting calorie counts. The study from Tulane University found that when servers asked customers whether they’d like to “downsize” starchy side dishes at a Chinese fast-food restaurant as many as a third gladly cut back—saving an average 200 calories each meal. “Our goal was to test whether the invitation to downsize a meal component would be embraced by consumers and, importantly, whether the approach would be more effective than a purely information-based…

• The video game entertainment curve

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:05 am

  Via loldwell. Video gaming. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• A battle of the sexes on cleanliness and hygiene [infographic]

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:26 am

  Via Keeping It Kleen. Clean dating. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Coffee-themed bike racks

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:13 am

  Java junkies that commute via bicycle get their coffee experience started before even walking in the door of Filter Coffeehouse & Espresso Bar in Washington, D.C. The quirky joe shop recently installed bike racks shaped like a giant coffee mug and French press. The Washington Area Bicycle Association teamed up with the BikeBrand Your Biz campaign to set up the bike racks that not only accommodate the shop's many bikers, but also are wonderful branding for anyone strolling by. Via Laughing Squid. Coffee and biking make for a good morning. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

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  NYT > Small Business

• Special Section: Wealth: Taking Back Your Business

  By PAUL SULLIVAN

  9 Feb 2012 | 4:56 am

  Entrepreneurs who have seen the companies they sold hurt by bad management or a bad economy often get the urge to take back control.

• Small-Business Guide: Business Owners Adjusting to Patent System Overhaul

  By EILENE ZIMMERMAN

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:20 pm

  Entrepreneurs see pros and cons in the America Invents Act, which is being phased in through March 2013.

• You’re the Boss Blog: Will The New Patent Laws Help or Hurt Small Businesses?

  By YOU'RE THE BOSS EDITORS

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:10 am

  With changes phasing in over 18 months, business owners are just beginning to understand the impact of the America Invents Act.

• Wealth Matters: Advantages and Risks of Gingrich’s S Corporation

  By PAUL SULLIVAN

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:28 am

  Newt Gingrich set up his speaking and consulting business as an S corporation, which exempted this portion of his income from Medicare taxes, an unusual move for a business based on services.

• She Owns It: Finding a Balance Between Delegating and Micromanaging

  By ADRIANA GARDELLA

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:48 am

  "We hired people to do these jobs, why is it that nobody seems competent enough to do them?" the owners wondered.

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  Small Business Technology

• Events for Small Biz: Small Biz Summit, Women, Geek Girls and More – Feb 8

  Laura Leites

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:17 am

  Welcome to this week’s roundup of events, conferences and webinars for growing companies and entrepreneurs, brought to you every other week by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. Whether you are looking for a local networking event, a webinar you can watch from your office, or a big educational conference, there are some great opportunities to learn, network, and grow your business over the next several months. If you know of a great event that small businesses should know about or are organizing one – let me know! Small Biz Success Summit 2012 February 1 – 23, 2012…

• Information Overload: Why Small Businesses are Getting So Little Done with So Much

  Stephanie Faris

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am

  Twenty years ago, experts were predicting that computers would eventually replace many existing jobs in the workforce, as  they would eliminate the need for so many workers to process reports, type memos, and travel across the country for meetings that could be handled remotely. Computers have, in fact, provided us access to information that was unimaginable twenty years ago. So why aren’t we more productive? Skype has made it easy to have meetings without ever leaving our desk. Smart phones allow us to check our e-mail everywhere, ensuring not a second of the day is wasted. We should…

• How Propane Tank Sales Increased With Smart & Local Advertising

  Ramon Ray

  6 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am

  It was very refreshing to read how two, non-technology companies increased their sales by smart advertising. Mooresville Oil, Co. in Charlotte, NC had its web site redesigned by Industrial Web Solutions (IWS). Once this design was done, IWS was contracted to see if it could help this oil company sell propane tanks to local customers. PROPANE TANKS? Using a highly optimized Google Adwords campaign, IWS did lots of things write and boosted propane tank sales: With a focus on converting new propane customers as much as attracting them, IWS developed a special, limited time introductory offer.

• Download Android Apps With A Bit More Peace of Mind: Google’s Cleaning Them First

  Ramon Ray

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am

  Apps are great. In fact without apps I don’t think Apple or Google’s mobile devices would be as successful as they are – apps make mobile devices come alive. Just like software developers gave us all a reason to buy and use Windows. The problem has been that apps have the potential to be harbingers of malware and other malicious code. Apple is much more stringent of the apps on its store, then Google has been, until now. The NY Times Bits points to a blog post by Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s vice president of engineering for Android which reads: The service performs a set…

• Three Things Business Can Learn From WalmartLabs

  Ramon Ray

  6 Feb 2012 | 6:30 am

  Walmart has not been traditionally known as a place for technology and innovation – online. It’s been known as the place moms and grand parents go to for a great sale – 5 jars of pickles for $3 (or something like that). However, Walmart, through an acquisition is using Walmart Labs as a test bed for a variety of new projects and better understanding customer behavior. AllthingsD writes that The mission of @WalmartLabs is to study how mobile and social platforms are changing commerce, and how the line is increasingly blurring between online and offline shopping. Here’s…

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  Small Business News, Tips, Advice - Small Business Trends

• Your Secret Weapon in the Battle of Online Reputation

  Tiffany Monhollon

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:30 am

  As 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

  Susan Payton

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:30 am

  As 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

  Small Business News

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:30 am

  Do 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

  Rieva Lesonsky

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:30 am

  One of the secrets to getting the most from your employees is understanding the challenges they face, not only in the workplace but in the rest of their lives. A comprehensive new report, Women & the Workplace, by Inforum and Sphere Trending has some insights on a key group of employees: women. The recent recession had been dubbed a “mancession” as men lost jobs in record numbers. By comparison, the study found, women fared better at keeping jobs (however, men are faring better in the current recovery). Not only that, but “Single, childless women in their 20s are more likely than…

• Is It Time to Fire That Client?

  Nellie Akalp

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:30 am

  There’s a natural lifecycle for any freelancer’s business. When you’re just starting out, you indiscriminately look to attract as many clients as you can to build your business. But inevitably, some clients won’t be the right fit. Whether it’s an overly-demanding client who’s prone to instant message you any time of day (or night), an indecisive client who’s sole feedback usually entails “that’s not quite it,” or the client who’s perennially slow to pay, some clients just aren’t worth the business. An extension of the Pareto Principle says that 20% of your…

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  Entrepreneur Update

• Four Questions to Ask Before Setting a Price

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:03 am

  Before 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 am

  Consider these options for extending the battery life of your mobile devices.

• Fashion Mogul Christopher Burch Talks Business

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  As 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 pm

  Despite studies showing that meetings are a colossal waste of time, they remain common. Here's how to collaborate while cutting back on meetings.

• The Danger of Being Franchisee No. 1

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  Sure, it's a thrill to get in on the ground floor of a hot new concept. But it's risky to invest in an unproven business model. Here are questions to ask.

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  Fast Company

• Fast Talk: How This Bartender Is Rebooting The Condom

  David Zax

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:41 am

  Meet 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…

• The Google Wallet Hack Is Not The End Of The World (Or Even NFC) As We Know It

  Kit Eaton

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:32 am

  Stay 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…

• Inside INTERPOL's New Cybercrime Innovation Center

  Neal Ungerleider

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:09 am

  INTERPOL, 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…

• 5 Ways To Put The "Pro" In Profile Pics

  Amber Mac

  9 Feb 2012 | 6:29 am

  Your profile photo is an important part of your online image, so if you still have an egg as your Twitter avatar or a blue-and-white silhouette for your Facebook page, it's time to step things up. (Hint: This photo is a "don't.")If you still have an egg as your Twitter avatar, it's time to step things up. Your profile photo is an important part of your online image. Not only is this pic the first thing people see when they look you up on the web, whether you're using Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+, this image is now regularly transported into people's in-boxes and pulled onto their phones as…

• Apple May Sell iPads To Air Force, Groupon Reports Surprise Q4 Loss, Foxconn Servers Hacked

  Nidhi Subbaraman

  9 Feb 2012 | 6:17 am

  Breaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day.Rumor: iPad 3 Announcement In March. The latest buzz on the iPad 3, this time from AllThingsD, is that the new device will be unveiled at an early March event. Sources, per usual, are anonymous, but their tips confirm what's already expected of the device--a faster chip, Retina Display, and better graphics. --NS--Updated 9:15 a.m. ESTApple May Sell iPads To Air Force. The Air Force is on the lookout for about 18,000 new tablets, and chances are the iPad--the only device mentioned on their recently spotted notice--may fit…

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  Inc.com

• Will Your E-Commerce Company Make It? How to Tell

  Rudina Seseri

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:31 am

  How can you tell if your e-commerce company is going to grow or fall flat on its face? These three measurements hold the key.How can you tell if your e-commerce company is growing? I use three metrics to measure top-line growth in my portfolio companies: traffic, conversions, and sales. TrafficNot all traffic is created equal. Any old eyeballs will no longer do. You need visitor engagement that can translate into sales. Getting the right visitor engagement is more complicated than just having a lot of money to spend. And as a young start-up, you can’t rely on snagging cross-over traffic…

• Find Your Company's Native Cannibals

  Donna Wells

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:30 am

  How (and why) to disrupt your own business before your competitors or upstarts have a chance to.Many years ago, I was lucky enough to work on a project with one of the original Apollo 13 mission-control engineers. One day, while he was patiently answering questions from his wide-eyed colleagues about how NASA got the astronauts safely home via their Lunar Escape Module, he paused, looked down at a gadget in his hands and cracked a wry smile. "You know, this little device has more computing capacity—by a large order of magnitude—than we had to work with in the entire LEM." No lie,…

• 5 Ways to Reward Your All-Star Employees

  Jay Love

  9 Feb 2012 | 4:57 am

  There's no such thing as too much employee recognition. Learn five ways to reward your team.I hope you’ll agree with me after reading this post that there is no such thing as too much employee recognition. In fact, I would imagine that the average employee at most companies is starving for recognition of any type. Heck, most of them rarely see any feedback at all except for the “dreaded annual review,” but that’s a subject deserving of its own blog post.Over the course of leading numerous organizations I’ve had the privilege of being a part of, our teams used…

• Don’t Be a Burnout Boss

  Jessica Stillman

  9 Feb 2012 | 4:32 am

  Helping your employees set work-life boundaries is easy and prevents burnout. So why aren't you doing it?Are you an after-hours Blackberry addict? Do you expect your employees to be e-mail addict, too? How much to keep in contact with office calls and e-mail in the evenings and over weekends may be a matter of personal choice (or business necessity) for founders, but for employees when they can switch off can be a nerve-wracking gray area, points out Cali Williams Yost, CEO of the Flex+Strategy Group, on Fast Company recently.Unless you're in the psychic mind-reading business, the only way…

• Be More Profitable: 12 Easy Tricks

  Geoffrey James

  9 Feb 2012 | 3:43 am

  These easily implemented tweaks will help you cut sales costs while increasing revenue.Bottom line getting you down? Don't despair: Here are 12 quick, easy, and absolutely foolproof sales tweaks that will are guaranteed to increase your profitability:1. Hone your sales lead criteria. Confirm that you’re going after the right leads. Revisit how you score your sales leads and observe—based on your current experience—what's working and what's not. Make changes as necessary.2. Enhance your sales technology. Revisit the online tools that you’re using to find leads and to…

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  Small Business Labs

• I Miss the "Mail Moment"

  Steve

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am

  Bell tolls for the U.S. Mail, as we know it is a wonderful story from USA Today on the end of a great American traditional the postal service calls "the mail moment".   This moment occurs when we collect, sort and open our mail - and do so with a bit of excitement and anticipation.   Younger readers will wonder what I'm talking about.  They've never experienced the pre-email, pre-social media "mail moment".  But folks who grew up prior to the Internet know.   The article is artfully written, and captures my mixed feelings about the…

• The Global, Human, Strategic Accountant

  Steve

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am

  The CPA Success blog has a good article on the new Chartered Global Management Accountant designation. This is a joint effort between two large accounting associations, the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. This is interesting for several reasons. First, the accounting profession realizes businesses of all sizes are increasingly global.  This means accounting professionals need to have the skills to advise their clients on global issues.  It's good to see accountants looking to lead in this arena. Second, the new accounting designation is designed to…

• The Rise of Small and Micro Manufacturing

  Steve

  7 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am

  U.S. manufacturing is on a roll.   The New York Times recently called manufacturing a "Surprising Bright Spot in the U.S. Economy", the sector has added 330,00 jobs over the last two years, manufacturing economic indicators continue to rise and the President has made manufacturing the center of his economic policy. The times are even more exciting for small (less than 100 employees) and micro (less than 5 employees) manufacturers.  Most people don't realize how many small manufacturers there are the U.S.   According to the National Institute of Standards and…

• Euromonitor's Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012

  Steve

  6 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am

  Euromonitor released their Top 10 Consumer Trends of 2012 recently.  The trends I found most interesting are: Consumer vigilantes speak up! On and offline protest is in the spotlight, pressuring brands towards greater accountability and genuine innovation. DIY life - Consumers are revelling in their ability to track and control their health, identity, communication and buying habits. Reality culture and consumers: Scripted reality or celebrities living the dream - consumers are gripped, sharing views and being moved to change their purchasing behaviour. I found these…

• Solid Jobs Report

  Steve

  5 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am

  The January Employment Situation Summary from the BLS was quite positive.  Total non-farm employment increased 234,000 and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3%.   More importantly, private employment increased by 257,000, more than off-setting a small decline in government employment.  This continues a trend towards stronger private sector hiring.  Over the last 12 months private sector employment is up 2.1% while government employment is down 1.2% (this nets to a 1.5% overall increase).   This is really good news - private sector hiring is always the key to…

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  Seth's Blog

• Inaccurate labels and why we need them (and need to improve them)

  Seth Godin

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:46 am

  If 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?

  Seth Godin

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:43 am

  Before 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

  Seth Godin

  7 Feb 2012 | 2:09 am

  But 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?

  Seth Godin

  6 Feb 2012 | 2:26 am

  Rule 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…

• In search of a timid trapeze artist

  Seth Godin

  5 Feb 2012 | 2:01 am

  Good luck with that, there aren't any. If you hesitate when leaping from rope to another, you're not going to last very long. And this is at the heart of what makes innovation work in organizations, why industries die, and how painful it is to try to maintain the status quo while also participating in a revolution. Gather up as much speed as you can, find a path and let go. You can't get to the next rope if you're still holding on to this one.

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  Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing

• How to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral Generator

  John Jantsch

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:19 am

  How 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

  John Jantsch

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:36 am

  Turn 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

  John Jantsch

  7 Feb 2012 | 5:58 am

  Is 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

  John Jantsch

  6 Feb 2012 | 5:51 am

  This 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

  John Jantsch

  4 Feb 2012 | 5:32 am

  Weekend 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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  Small Biz Survival

• 6 Things Self-employed Should Know From the IRS

  maesz

  9 Feb 2012 | 4:20 am

  By 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

  Becky McCray

  7 Feb 2012 | 3:42 am

  Tourism 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

  Becky McCray

  6 Feb 2012 | 4:29 am

  Many 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

  Becky McCray

  3 Feb 2012 | 4:56 am

  The 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

  Becky McCray

  31 Jan 2012 | 4:50 am

  Tourism 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…

• 

  Business Blogs

• How to Focus SEO Activities For Results

  Melanie Rembrandt

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:41 am

  Overwhelmed 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

  Wendy Kenney

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:57 pm

  I’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

  Rachel Blaufeld

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:15 am

  I 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?

  Wendy Kenney

  4 Feb 2012 | 6:14 pm

  Last 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!

  Rachel Blaufeld

  3 Feb 2012 | 7:29 am

  I 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…

• 

  BusinessWeek.com -- Small Business

• DIY Apps Save Small Businesses Time, Money

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:25 pm

  A study estimates that small companies have cut 725.3 million annual employee hours by using mobile apps, equaling $17.6 billion in savings

• Turning Girls into Tech Entrepreneurs with a Single App

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:23 pm

  Technovation Challenge is a contest for high school students run by Iridescent, which uses online software called App Inventor

• For Some U.S. Manufacturers, Time to Head Home

  2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pm

  More companies are assessing the true cost of outsourcing

• Michigan Wants More Immigrants

  2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pm

  Republican Governor Rick Snyder wants to attract talented foreigners he sees as crucial to the economy

• After Hedge Funds, a Career Rejuvenation

  2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pm

  A TSA inspection helped Julie Macklowe switch careers from hedge fund manager to entrepreneur, selling luxury, travel-friendly toiletry kits

• 

  Big Marketing For Small Business

• 10 Tips for Improving Your Business Blog

  Guest Author

  6 Feb 2012 | 12:50 pm

  One thing small businesses are always short of is time – and blogs take a lot of it. Here are 10 practical tips for making your blog more productive without the need for a huge investment of time or money. 1.  Add Two Conversion Activities to Your Blog A fatal flaw for any blog is failing to offer readers a way to and a reason for contacting you. You should have two offers: one for browsers, and another for buyers. Browsers are window shoppers, information collectors; they will be interested in free downloads, white papers, etc. Buyers are in the market; they will be interested in special…

• SEO: Agency vs In-House

  Guest Author

  6 Feb 2012 | 12:36 pm

  When considering your business’s SEO needs, there are a few ways to go and each come with their own set of benefits and faults. Figuring out what is best for you or your company is a good place to start. SEO can either be done through an agency or by your very own in-house team and each provides their very own set of pros and cons. Understanding these is the very first step in guiding you through the SEO process. In-house SEO brings with it the expertise and in-depth knowledge of your industry like no agency, big or small, can master. You are the experts with all of the buzzwords and…

• Internet Marketing 101 Coming to a High School Near You

  Rajan Sodhi

  31 Jan 2012 | 9:57 am

  Internet marketing continues to be a quickly growing field, making a big impact in school course offerings. Courses in Internet marketing start as early as high school, and students at Utah’s Davis High School are learning to look at websites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in a whole new light. Currently, job opportunities for Internet marketing are one of the few bright spots in a down economy. With more than 2 billion Internet users worldwide, it’s easy to see how companies like Salt Lake City-based PurePPC.com are hiring those with a keen understanding of how to market to consumers…

• 15 YouTube Marketing Tips for Your Small Business

  Guest Author

  24 Jan 2012 | 12:03 pm

  Video Marketing on YouTube is a must for small businesses and startups in 2012. YouTube videos are longtail pieces of marketing content that can drive organic traffic to your website for many years to come. Here are 15 tips to know about marketing on YouTube. 1. Anyone Can Do a Video The best part of YouTube Marketing is you do not need to hire models, buy fancy equipment, or have a baller studio. Most of the “highest viewed” videos are shot by a simple cell phone or webcam. Another option for those who are camera shy is to use Powerpoint or a similar program to make the presentation.

• How to Use Digital Marketing to Promote Your Small Business

  Rajan Sodhi

  23 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am

  The Internet is the great equalizer, allowing a small business to effectively compete with the 800-pound gorilla in their space. But, there are some fundamental ways to go about setting yourself up for success. Here are five affordable tips to promoting your small business using digital marketing: 1. Build a Quality Website, Use WordPress The best place to start is to launch a website for your business, but not just any website. Create one that is clean, easy to navigate, has good content, and is optimized for search engines to crawl and rank – WordPress is a great place to start. Use SEO…

• 

  Lip-Sticking

• And the Winners are.... Super Bowl XLVI Wrap-Up

  Donna DeClemente

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:47 am

  By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna's Promo Talk Who came out winners from Super Bowl XLVI? Obviously as we all know now, the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in what was a come-from-behind, great game. The Giants got to parade down Broadway in New York City yesterday to celebrate with their fans. Yes, the fans and New York are all winners here as well. Plus of course we have Eli Manning, the MVP of the game, who now has two Super Bowl rings, one more than his brother Payton as the media was sure to bring up several times. In the 6th annual Doritos Crash the Super Bowl…

• Want It Done? Give to A Woman.

  Mary Schmidt

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:47 am

  By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter When Toby Bloomberg, Yvonne and I had our first con call with Jeff Power, of Global Hope Network Int'l, re our Adopt-A-Village project, at one point, I said, "No offense, but if you want it done, give to a woman."  Jeff's reply: "No argument from me!"  And, here's yet another example of woman power, from GHNI's web site (posted by Jeff).  A peace walk near GHNI's Kenyan villages.   From Jeff's post:  "Isiolo town is our GHNI base in central Kenya, as our staff diligently help the surrounding poor villages. Violence between tribal…

• Are You Ready For Valentine's Day?

  Chloe Spencer

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:19 am

  Article by Chloe Spencer  Valentine's Day is coming up, in just a week. Many of you I'm sure are done with your V-Day shopping, but some of you, I'm also sure, are still pondering over what to get your special someone. It's easier if he's your fiance or husband, but what if he's your boyfriend and you haven't been with him long enough to know what kind of gifts he'd like? Well, I have a solution, because I, too, have suffered from the I-have-no-idea-what-to-get-him anxiety before a holiday or birthday. I wrote an article, Gifts For Men, on a website I built on men's fashion. The website…

• Small Business Owners: 25 Things You Should Know About Facebook

  Yvonne

  5 Feb 2012 | 5:00 am

  From the Editor's Desk:  Liz Nutt from Onlinemba.com sent us this information and we think it is more than worth passing along to our readers.  From an article titled "25 Things Small Businesses Should Know About the New Facebook," Love it or hate it, the new Facebook is coming... Read the rest here

• Believing in Tomorrow

  Yvonne

  4 Feb 2012 | 7:37 am

  by Yvonne DiVita It's been said that the sun will come out tomorrow - oh yes, it will. It did not come out at our house yesterday and looks iffy for today. Snow covers everything like a pristine quilt, clean and white, pure of heart. Until the dogs go out. They will leave dark paw prints everywhere, and nose prints, and dog angels. Ok, they don't make dog angels but they roll in the snow.  The idea that the sun will come out tomorrow reflects a belief that the world will go on. To believe in the sun is to accept that each new day is an opportunity to begin anew.  Positive mental attitude…

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  BrandingBlog by Dave Young

• BrandingBlog Radio: Brett Feinstein – Political Advertising

  Dave Young

  3 Feb 2012 | 12:16 am

  Brett Feinstein - no doubt going negative Brett Feinstein is a partner in the political advertising agency Pound & Feinstein. He’s one of those guys that you have to get to know to understand. He’s loved and admired by those who take the time. If you know Brett Feinstein only superficially through Facebook or another near anonymous web arena, you probably only think you know him. That’s because he treats Facebook as his own psychology lab; questioning, pushing, shocking and provoking to see what kind of reaction he can get. It can be alarming…if you don’t…

• Soundbites: Super Bowl Reach

  Dave Young

  31 Jan 2012 | 3:18 pm

  NOTE FROM DAVE:  The “SoundBites” podcasts are usually re-written in an article style (via Shortcut Blogging), but this one was such an interactive conversation that I decided to simply use the transcript. Enjoy the game! So far…in these pre-game days, this is my fave: Beuller? Beuller? Want to read the transcript? Chris Loghry: Welcome to BrandingBlog SoundBites with Wizard of Ads partner Dave Young. Dave wants to talk Super Bowl. I didn’t know you were into football. Dave Young: I’m not into football, Chris. Chris: Oh, you’re into advertising. Dave: Yeah, that’s…

• BrandingBlog Radio: Chandra Clarke – CEO of Scribendi

  Dave Young

  26 Jan 2012 | 11:55 pm

  Remember the scene in the movie Pulp Fiction where Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) accidentally create a serious mess of their car by shooting the guy in the back seat? The only solution is to call in an expert…a cleanup guy. Winston Wolfe (brilliantly played by Harvey Keitel) to the rescue. I love the Winston Wolfe character. He knows how to fix a bad situation. When you’ve got a writing mess (a dog’s breakfast, as my Aussie friends would call it) you need to call in an expert. Scribendi is to bad writing as Winston Wolf is to Jules and…

• Soundbites: Fire Fast, Hire Slow

  Dave Young

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:54 am

  This is age old advice in management circles. Kinda funny how hard it is to do in practice. And it’s one of those topics where you look at business owners and managers and you think, “They really should take this advice.” I really want to talk about the “fire fast” but I’ll just touch briefly on the hire slow, because there are loads and loads of resources on how to hire people. Just remember that the worst thing you can do is hire the first person through the door that you think could probably learn to do the job. The biggest pressure point on hiring somebody too fast is that…

• Blog Ghostwriting with no time-sucking Ghost

  Dave Young

  23 Jan 2012 | 10:23 am

  I know I’ve mentioned Shortcut Blogging to you quite a few times, but we’ve finished our web site and have our infrastructure in place to take on new clients in bigger numbers than onesy-twosies. Many business owners know that they should be blogging. Why? Because, blogging creates relevant content on your site, gives you increased credibility as an expert and gives people a reason to talk about you in a good way. Trouble is, most business owners are so time-deprived that they just can’t make writing a priority. Hiring a ghost writer for your blog won’t save you much…

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  Branding Strategy Insider

• Time For Brand Marketers To Lead A Comeback

  Derrick Daye, The Blake Project

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  It’s a good thing the game between the NFL's New England Patriots and the New York Giants was exciting because this year’s Super Bowl commercials were dull, and what a weird thing to say about the Super Bowl. Generally, it’s the very opposite of that. Perhaps it’s best not to read too much into Super Bowl ads vying for viral buzz (many of which adopted a new pre-game, social media preview approach to generate buzz, albeit some have argued it was poorly done). But there was one thing that stood out. In a noticeable departure from the tradition of Super Bowl Sunday, this year’s crop…

• When To Reposition Your Brand

  Derrick Daye, The Blake Project

  6 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  Brand repositioning is necessary when one or more of the following conditions exist: Your brand has a bad, confusing or nonexistent image. The primary benefit your brand "owns" has evolved from a differentiating benefit to a cost-of-entry benefit. Your organization is significantly altering its strategic direction. Your organization is entering new businesses and the current positioning is no longer appropriate. A new competitor with a superior value proposition enters your industry. Competition has usurped your brand's position or rendered it ineffectual. Your organization has acquired a…

• How To Transform An Under-Performing Brand

  Thomson Dawson

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  Once the decision has been made to continue to invest in an under-performing brand, brand owners will be faced with a new set of challenges completely foreign to them. The temptation is always to do more of what got you there. That rarely works when brands face reinvention.  By that I mean brand relevance. The main reason brands begin to under perform is that people no longer care. When that happens, like it or not, you’ll be starting over from scratch. This is a hard pill for brand owners to swallow, particularly if the brand was once an iconic leader in its category.  For brand owners…

• Logo Design Requirements

  Brad VanAuken, The Blake Project

  4 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  A brand’s identity is a combination of visual, auditory, and other sensory components that create recognition, aid in memory encoding and decoding, represent the brand promise, provide differentiation, create communications synergy, and are proprietary. The logo is one key component. Here is what we look for when we evaluate logo design: Memorable – highest recognition and recall (both of which can be tested for) Including recognition at maximum distances (can be tested for) Aesthetically pleasing Timeless quality - the logo will not become dated Appropriate for the product/service…

• Brand Tagline Requirements

  Brad VanAuken, The Blake Project

  3 Feb 2012 | 9:10 pm

  In definitive global research, The Conference Board has found the development and consistent use of a tagline to be a key factor in brand strategy success. A tagline that succinctly and powerfully communicates the brand’s promise is one of the quickest, easiest and least expensive ways to communicate the brand’s new position to internal and external audiences. It should consistently accompany the brand’s logo in situations outlined by the brand architecture. I believe that developing brand taglines (and elevator speeches) are the most important next steps one can take once a brand has…

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  brandflakesforbreakfast

• don't push my political buttons

  a_blodder

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:15 am

  Before there was the Like button, there were political buttons. Check out images of a select handful of them, provided by the Busy Beaver Button Museum, here on Time.com.The designs are interesting, fun and in some instances iconic, and a little different creative inspiration for this Thursday. The history behind them is worth a read, too.Via.

• mama don't take my kodachrome away

  a_blodder

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:10 am

  KODACHROME 2010 from Xander Robin on Vimeo.Nostalgia alert: Xander Robin created a documentary, "Kodachrome 2010," shot on Kodak's Kodachrome film about this iconic color film and the last lab to develop it in 2010. In light of the sad news that Kodak filed for bankruptcy, it's a nice tribute (and goodbye?) to the brand and its iconic product. Cue Paul Simon.

• mmmm....baked bus stop potatoes

  a_blodder

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:05 am

  Like a giant, digital scratch 'n sniff, there is an outdoor campaign in England for McCain's "ready baked jackets" that emits the smell to entice consumers. At bus stops, users can push a button and a light will 'heat up' a large image of a potato and produce the delicious smell, and a coupon for the product. Created by JCDecaux, posterscope, and BMB Creative. Yum. If you like potatoes, that is. (And yes, there are people out there who don't.)Via.

• go weeeeee all the way to your next meeting

  Kristien Del Ferraro

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:10 am

  Why use an elevator to descend down the three floors of your office when you can shoot down a SUPER AWESOME slide like the one Red Bull installed in their London offices? So jealous!

• How Superbowl ads did digital - stats

  Kristien Del Ferraro

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:09 am

  Research advisory firm, Altimeter, analyzed the 2012 Super Bowl commercials to see how well they integrated with digital and social media. The results are kind of surprising given the growing acceptance of how important digital integration is. A whopping 32% had no online references at all, and of those that had urls, many of them were with no call to action and only 16% were to social media vs. a corporate website or microsite. More interesting stats in their full report.

• 

  Brand Insight Blog

• Conversion Branding. How to make your website work — on many levels.

  John Furgurson

  17 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm

  There seems to be a trend in website development these days… more and more cookie-cutter, template-driven websites that are wearily one dimensional. The fact is, if you want the maximum return from your website investment, it needs to work on many different levels.  Let’s look at what those are: The Functional, Phonebook Level In case you hadn’t noticed, the phone book is fading faster than the first generation Blackberry.  Now that we all have a web-enabled computer in our hands at all times, Google is the phonebook of choice. So on the most basic level, your website needs to…

• Incongruity: Breaking through all the babaganoushit.

  John Furgurson

  11 Nov 2011 | 3:58 pm

  Sometimes, one single word is everything. The difference between a marketing home run and a dribbling bunt. I recently ran into a client who was completely fixated on one word in a headline: “Precious.” “Babies are precious, not parking places,” she argued. “Yes, but diamonds are also precious. And what’s more valuable than diamonds?” I countered. By using that one word I exaggerated the value of the free parking and elevated that little product feature to an entirely different realm. It was an effective use of incongruity in advertising, and she just couldn’t get her head…

• Brand authenticity — Keeping it real, honest, genuine and true.

  John Furgurson

  28 Apr 2010 | 2:14 pm

  I hate buzzwords. Every time a new marketing term shows up on the cover of a book I find myself having to translate the jargon into something meaningful for ordinary, busy business people. Lately, it’s “Authenticity.” Seems “keeping it real” has become a household term. And a branding imperative. In The New Marketing Manifesto John Grant says “Authenticity is the benchmark against which all brands are now judged.” If that’s the case, we better have a damn good definition of what we’re talking about. “Authentic” is derived from the Greek authentikós,…

• Masterful Brand Management

  John Furgurson

  8 Apr 2010 | 10:18 pm

  It’s Masters Week —  the biggest week of the year in golf, and a tide-turning event for several brands. Most notably, this one: The Tiger Woods logo for Nike Over the last 9 months the Tiger Woods brand has, shall we say, strayed a bit. The “indiscreations” of Tiger’s personal life have cost his brand millions in endorsement deals, and even more in public goodwill. As one sports writer put it, “it’s the most dramatic fall from grace in the history of sport.” For Tiger Woods and company, The Masters represents the perfect venue for a comeback, and an ideal brand affiliation.

• Inspiration For Office And Website Makeovers.

  John Furgurson

  14 Mar 2010 | 12:30 pm

  Moved into a swanky new office building last week. (Great views of Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top, Three Sisters and the Phoenix Inn parking lot.) The Alexander Drake Building, Downtown Bend, OR As I was unpacking boxes, lifting heavy furniture and contemplating the feng shui, it occurred to me that professional service firms spend a lot of time and money on their office space. And rightly so. For companies with no tangible product to sell, it’s a crucial component of the brand. For instance, when it comes to selecting an ad agency, office space always figures into the equation. The workspace is…

• 

  NYT > Media & Advertising

• Media Decoder Blog: The Breakfast Meeting: Young People Drift From TV Sets (Which Are Getting Huge!)

  By NOAM COHEN

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:28 am

  Also, Mike Huckabee takes on Rush Limbaugh, Rick Santorum gets a big lifeline, and the rise of Pinterest.

• Advertising: Marketing Financial Risk Management to Clients and Providers

  By STUART ELLIOTT

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:13 am

  A campaign encouraging professionals to become certified as financial risk managers is centered on photographs of men in business garb recoiling as if they had been punched.

• Young People Are Watching, but Less Often on TV

  By BRIAN STELTER

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:59 am

  Young people still watch many television shows, but they are streaming them on computers and phones to a greater degree.

• New Settlements in Britain’s Hacking Scandal

  By RAVI SOMAIYA and ALAN COWELL

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:52 am

  Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper subsidiary was reported to have reached a new batch of settlements on Wednesday in the hacking scandal.

• Media Decoder Blog: The Occupy Movement May Be in Retreat, but Its Ideas Are Advancing

  By DAVID CARR

  9 Feb 2012 | 6:44 am

  Is the Occupy Wall Street movement petering out, or has it already won a big victory by shaping the political campaign of 2012?

• 

  AgencySpy

• 7 Essential Apps for the Account Executive

  The Advert

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:29 am

  You work at an agency, and for some reason you have the word ‘executive’ in your title. This causes you alarm because you’re only 23, but let’s not get mired in details. You need to impress the boss, a goal that is only hampered by the fact that you have no idea what the fuck you’re doing (don’t worry, neither does anyone else), and that every time you talk someone threatens to fire you. You better get some tools, fast. Luckily, you have a smartphone. Here’s the quintessential app list for you, Mr./Ms./Mrs./pansexual advertising account executive. 1.

• Thursday Morning Stir

  Kiran Aditham

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:43 am

  -Domino’s has launched a digital/direct review in the U.K. link -In today’s odd couple pairing, Slash and Betty White team up to promote a new “LAIR” exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo as part of a campaign from Allen & Gerritsen (above). -The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation picked local shop LevLane as its strategic marketing and communications firm. -Publicis Groupe says the GM media account accounted for only 0.5 percent of its business. link -Look for a complete Arby’s relaunch, ads, logo, menu and all, in Q3. link -Apple will announce the…

• Wednesday Odds and Ends

  Kiran Aditham

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:17 am

  -PMH and fellow Minneapolis-based operation Pixel Farm collaborate on a new campaign for Mattel’s Barbie (above). link -GigaOM and paidContent have now joined forces. link -Anomaly is opening up shop in Toronto. link -Have you seen Google’s Chrome for Android beta clip yet? link -Susan Credle, Pete Favat and Andrew Keller are among the familiar names in the 2012 AICP Show Curatorial Committee. link -Carter Murray is taking over for Tom Sebok as Y&R New York CEO. As part of Y&R global CEO David Sable‘s restructuring of the Big Apple branch, BrandBuzz will also be…

• Jeff Goodby Sends Us a Note Regarding Staff Cuts

  Kiran Aditham

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:51 am

  We’ve been hearing about it for the past few hours on the Spy line and now we’ve received word straight from the source that it’s true that Goodby, Silverstein + Partners is cutting staff today. The numbers are all over the place according to tipster comments (we’re hearing in the hundreds and words such as “staggering” have been used), but the agency co-namesake wouldn’t divulge specifics. Read his note to us verbatim below: “Today, we at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners have begun adjusting the size of our staff in the wake of losing Sprint…

• DFCB Chi’s HR Team Comes Up with its Own Version of ‘Cash Cab’

  Kiran Aditham

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:26 am

  Considering the concept of the clip and sensitivity of things at present, we’re relieved this was not actually entered into Draftfcb Chicago’s all-agency “ideas” competition that, as some of you may know, has included a pony in the past. But this knockoff of Cash Cab, which was actually shot last fall and was shown at the agency’s recent Town Hall meeting, features staffers who rode DFCB Chi’s right elevator one Friday morning being confronted by a game-show host who looks like the stand-in for Gabe Kaplan on Welcome Back, Kotter. Like the aforementioned…

• 

  Brian Solis

• Meet the Mother of All Processes

  Brian Solis

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:32 am

  Guest post by John M. Bernard, author of the new book, Business at the Speed of Now, and Chairman and Founder of Mass Ingenuity. Imagine going to work in one of Henry Ford’s factories a century ago, proud that management referred to you a “hand” or a “hammer” or maybe even a “wrench.” The labels reflected Ford’s emphasis on automation and management’s view of laborers as mere cogs in the machine. Screw this nut onto that bolt; weld this strap to that frame; do it over and over and over again until your brain froze with boredom. Of course, management needed workers to get the…

• 2011 Was the Year of the Mobile Consumer, What’s in Store for 2012? Value.

  Brian Solis

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:10 am

  Chris Silva, my colleague at Altimeter Group, released a useful report today that I wanted to share with you here. Mobile is important and I believe you know this. However, when we consider mobile, we often think about the experience when and where it begins. But, we often miss the opportunity to lead a more meaningful journey as it may travel from small screen to larger screens across laptops, desktops and beyond. And along the way, we must now determine our role in this journey to provide information, shape decisions, and influence behavior. In Chris’ report, he reminds us that 2011…

• Season 2 Finale: How Yamaha invests in new customer experiences

  Brian Solis

  3 Feb 2012 | 10:52 am

  This is it…the Season Finale! And, what a way to end Season 2 of (R)evolution…. In this episode, Yamaha shares what is by far the most expansive view of disruptive technology’s impact on business infrastructure and culture on the show to date. What you’ll see is a genuine discussion with Jeff Hawley and Rick Williams of Yamaha explore how an already successful business is exploring new opportunities to better define the customer experience before, during and after transactions. It comes down to workflow. Nowadays, it either works for you or works against you. Here,…

• Smartphones, Tablets, PCs, The Devices People Use to Discover Information in Social Media (and when)

  Brian Solis

  2 Feb 2012 | 3:13 pm

  My friends over at bit.ly published an interesting graph that reveals the devices as well as the days/times that people use different devices and how and when they consume information. As you can imagine, it’s across the board, but as you can see, there are waves that every device follows, except the desktop. Desktops are of course the devices that we can assume people use during work hours. As such, they are most heavily used on weekdays before noon. Interestingly enough, phone traffic peaks at about the same times, but not to similar effects. What’s also telling is that tablets…

• What’s Love Got to Do with It? The 3P’s of Identity

  Brian Solis

  2 Feb 2012 | 6:16 am

  Guest post by Allison Cerra, author of Identity Shift With the 2012 Presidential election looming, there’s no shortage of polls to help narrow the field of candidates. I find a recent one from Fox News to be particularly fascinating. Among other questions, Republican primary voters were asked which Republican presidential candidate is most likeable and which they would most trust with a nuclear weapon. While Newt Gingrich scored at the top of the heap in earning the trust vote, he scored only marginally well on the likeability scale. The topic was discussed on the network’s “Fox &…

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  PRNewser

• Congressional Campaign Launches in the Wake of Komen for the Cure Controversy

  Tonya Garcia

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:05 am

  Democratic members of Congress including Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) have launched a campaign that wants to channel the fervor generated by the backlash to Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s move against Planned Parenthood onto women’s rights. “One Million Strong For Women” is a grassroots initiative that’s currently collecting email addresses on its own website and is being promoted on the sites of the participating Congress members. It’s not yet clear to us what the campaign will be doing…

• Target Makes Changes With Jason Wu Collection, But We Still Couldn’t Get Anything

  Tonya Garcia

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:26 am

  Target made its Jason Wu capsule collection available in the wee hours of Sunday morning and, just like all the other collections, we managed to get absolutely nada. But not so for some folks, like the couple in this video, which has popped up across the Web as an example of the “hoarding” behavior of some shoppers who then post the items on eBay and other auction sites at inflated prices. Target says it has taken steps to correct the problems that customers experienced with past collections, particularly the Missoni line. Among the changes: a different launch time, making the…

• Lessons in Video from OK Go

  Tonya Garcia

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:50 am

  OK Go has become more famous for their videos than their actual music. Which is part of the explanation of why the band and its music label EMI parted ways in 2010. Fast forward to 2012 and the band continues to put out some of the most innovative clips, music videos and otherwise. The latest is for their song “Needing/Getting,” which was teased (above) in a Chevy Sonic commercial, part of the company’s “Let’s Do This” campaign, that aired during the Super Bowl. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

• Eastwood on Chrysler Ad: ‘The Spin Stops With You Guys’

  Tonya Garcia

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:27 am

  Political conservatives who should’ve been paying attention to the game instead of the ads got themselves all fired up over an imagined conspiracy theory about the Chrysler/Clint Eastwood ad that ran during the Super Bowl. Karl Rove said he was “offended” by the ad, with others on his side of the political spectrum backing up his claims that the clip is an endorsement of President Obama and the auto bailouts. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

• Research: Some People Watched the Super Bowl So They Wouldn’t Be Clueless Monday Morning

  Tonya Garcia

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:21 am

  With everyone still tallying the various successes of this past Sunday’s Super Bowl, we return to our question: Do the ads overshadow the game? According to a study from MWW Group, the answer is no. The firm surveyed 400 viewers between the ages of 18 and 34 on Friday, February 3 and 71 percent said they were interested in both the game and the ads. The findings show that “advertising is part of the Super Bowl’s appeal,” said Michael Kempner, MWW’s CEO. More interesting perhaps is that 61 percent said they watched the game to know what people would be talking…

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  Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing

• How to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral Generator

  John Jantsch

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:19 am

  How 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

  John Jantsch

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:36 am

  Turn 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

  John Jantsch

  7 Feb 2012 | 5:58 am

  Is 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

  John Jantsch

  6 Feb 2012 | 5:51 am

  This 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

  John Jantsch

  4 Feb 2012 | 5:32 am

  Weekend 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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  The AdHole

• Eli Manning May Be Going to Disney World

  Jason Fox

  9 Feb 2012 | 8:14 am

  But he's taking the haters to school thanks to this print piece from Gatorade G, courtesy of TBWA\Chiat\Day in Los Angeles. Nicely done, everyone. Later, Fox Tip of The Hole to AdLand.tv for being the first of hundreds of sources to alert me about this.

• Calling a Sexist a Sexist

  Jason Fox

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:19 am

  My disdain for GoDaddy.com's advertising tactics is no secret to those who know me – either in real life or through this blog. Every year, in my Obligatory Super Hole review of the game's commercials, I automatically give the company's spots F-minuses and forgo linking to the YouTube clips. This year was no exception. Also in this year's sexist crosshairs was Teleflora, which ran an ad to which I gave a one-word review: Telewhora.Thousands, and probably millions, of others feel as I do. But I'm linking to this blog from GSD&M writer Carlotta Stankiewicz because she is, wait for it,…

• Why "1984" Will Always Be the Only "1984"

  Jason Fox

  6 Feb 2012 | 12:59 pm

  It’s been the same for almost three decades now. The Super Bowl rolls into view and the world becomes all a-twitter with talk about which television commercials will or will not ascend as the true stars of the game. The general news media always gets into the act, too, inviting folks like the lovely Sally Hogshead or that not-quite-so-lovely Donny guy to comment on which spot will wow the 14 consumers who haven’t already seen every ad on YouTube. Local stations harass local agencies for their opinions. And, more than likely, every single interview, article and blog will make some…

• The Obligatory Super Hole VI

  Jason Fox

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:36 am

  The Obligatory Super Hole VI Six years in, I’m still clinging to the “those that don’t get to produce Super Bowl ads get to critique them.” This year, however, I’ve chosen to not offer letter grades for the spots (except GoDaddy.com’s automatic F’s). Because let’s not kid ourselves, anyone who was part of producing one of these bits occupies a more enviable position in the ad cosmos than I do. Even the AEs. I hope you know the rules by now: I only review ads shown during the four quarters of the game, so no pre- or post-game bits. No movie trailers, TV show promos or local…

• State Farm Has a Journey Moment

  Jason Fox

  30 Jan 2012 | 2:12 pm

  Proving yet again that writing, directing, casting and editing are everything (shocking), State Farm rolls out this subtle little gem of a spot. It's not quite a match for Allstate's "Mayhem" campaign, which continues rolling strong, but it certainly is a much more appealing "Journey moment" that Neal Schon is having. Ewwww. Later, Fox

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  MarketingVox News & Trends

• Top News: Google's cloud storage service | GigaOm buys PaidContent | Groupon's earnings

  9 Feb 2012 | 5:28 am

  Cloud Services: Google near launch of cloud storage service. Social Media: Google Social is exploding online. Skimlinks is the real story behind Pinterest’s success. Publishing: GigaOm buys PaidContent.org. Ecommerce: Groupon shares decline after Q4 loss. Retail: Google may open retail store at European headquarters in Dublin. Mobile Computing: Protesters target Apple stores in 'ethical iPhone' campaign. Google: We want 2.25% of the iPhone sticker price. Privacy: Privacy warriors sue FTC [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/marketingvox/rss/~4/fdiduvxIEWI"…

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  Penelope Trunk Blog

• What Facebook's IPO means for women

  Penelope Trunk

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:15 pm

  After the Facebook IPO, Sheryl Sandberg will become number two on the list of richest self-made women. She is the COO of Facebook.  For those of you not familiar with her career, there’s a nice summary in the New York Times. But the bottom line is that she is really smart (Harvard), a really hard worker (startups, Google, Facebook), a great speaker (here’s a commencement speech) ,and she’s married to a guy who is also making tons of money in startups. There is nothing, really, that is bad to say about Sandberg. And she works very hard to encourage other women to go as far as she has…

• How to have faith in yourself

  Penelope Trunk

  30 Jan 2012 | 8:37 am

  Sunday nights at our house are dinner with me, the kids, the Farmer and the Ex. They are always fun dinners, and I always feel very lucky for that. My six-year-old talked about his new baby cousin, Eva (who is pictured, in utero, above). "She has a terrible name," he said, "for Pig Latin. Its Vaeay. It doesn't work." We all do the vowel arranging in our heads and agree, Eva is not a good Pig Latin name. "Mom has a great name! It's Enelopepay." The Farmer says, "It sounds like it could be the name of her next company." The Ex says, "Yeah,…

• Key to productivity: Choose phone calls carefully

  Penelope Trunk

  22 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm

  One of the keys to my ability to work 40 hours a week and homeschool two kids is that I have great time management. Which is to say, I say no to just about everything. But learning when to say no is still a work in progress. Here's what I know about saying no to phone calls: 1. It's more efficient to read the book than talk to the author. I get about ten emails a day asking me if I want to talk to someone about their book so I’ll recommend it on the blog. My answer is always no. I said yes once because it was Gloria Steinem. And it turned out to be a really disappointing phone…

• Things I wish I had written

  Penelope Trunk

  20 Jan 2012 | 10:34 am

  In therapy lately I am learning to identify my feelings. Maybe you’re thinking this is elementary, but did you know that envy is about wanting something you don’t have, but jealousy is the fear of losing something you already have? I am thinking about those two things. I am almost never envious, but I am often jealous. Most of my emotions, in fact, are rooted in fear. I am thinking a lot lately about where my joy comes from, and one thing I love is writing well. When I have a blog post that people love I am happy for weeks. And the excitement of doing good creative work gives me energy to…

• How to manage a career in 2012

  Penelope Trunk

  16 Jan 2012 | 12:57 pm

  I have never been great at picking my own clothes. I’m great at interior design, but I have a blind spot for clothes. So I email Melissa photos of my outfits, and she uses her photographic memory of my closet to edit my outfits. When I sent her this photo, she said: “What is this?” I only wanted her opinion about the color of the shirt, so I thought it was okay that it was blurry. But the more I look at the picture, the more I think that it’s how I feel about myself right now. I am not quite sure who I am, right now. And given the current career climate, this is actually how most…

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  Jobacle.com Blog

• How to Get Hired as an Extra in a Movie or TV Show

  Andrew G. Rosen

  9 Feb 2012 | 4:01 am

  So, you want to be famous. You’ve got dreams of Hollywood and Broadway; bright lights and the big city. You can already see your name in lights, and all you need is one lucky break. Believe it or not, it might be easier than you think. When I first moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, I had no idea what I was going to do to earn a buck. I had a two-year work permit and plenty of time on my hands, but nobody wanted to hire me, despite having an advanced degree and a willingness to work for peanuts. Every employer offering a long-term position was concerned about paying and training…

• 5 Ways To Impress Your Boss On Your First Day

  Andrew G. Rosen

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  Starting a new job can be a nerve-wracking experience. Given the lack of knowledge and familiarity, the first instinct you may have is to simply survive. If you are the ambitious type, however, this approach can at best be unproductive and at worst make a bad impression on your boss. Your first day should not be a time of survival but rather one of opportunity, a chance to convince your boss you are someone worthy of paying attention to. Here are 5 ways to impress your boss on your first day: 1. Be an Early and Well-Dressed Bird The first thing people will notice is what you are wearing and…

• 5 Ways To Cultivate A More Positive Attitude About Your Job

  Jennifer Smith

  7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 am

  "Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." William Shakespeare  1. Stop Complaining We all get into bad habits sometimes but consistently complaining saps our energy (and other peoples) and can drain our energy and affect our attitude to work. There is of course a difference between letting off a little steam and being a consistent complainer. It is worth noticing how much we complain about things at work and nipping it in the bud if it is a bad habit we have fallen into. 2. Be Proactive Following on from the first point, being proactive and doing something about those things we…

• The Coworker Crush Is GOOD for the Office

  Andrew G. Rosen

  6 Feb 2012 | 4:00 am

  I am a fan of the coworker crush. Sorry managers, CEOS, and company presidents, it's the truth. Before you start lecturing me on the hundreds of lost hours as workers canoodle behind the copy machine...and scare everyone about expensive sexual harassment lawsuits...here me out. Workplace attraction, if held in check, can benefit the company in several ways.  Let's get romantic this Valentine's Day and look at a few ways that a crush on a coworker can be a plus to all parties involved. - Work harder. You want to show the object of your affection that you're more than just a pretty face.

• 4 Super Bowl Performance Lessons That Translate to the Workplace

  Andrew G. Rosen

  3 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am

  The big day is approaching. A day of strategy, gameplay and a raw talent for outmaneuvering the other side. No, I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day. I’m talking about the Super Bowl – the culmination of months involving shouting at the TV screen and checking Fantasy Football stats. As the big day approaches and both teams prepare to showcase their top skills, I can’t help but think of some parallels that can be applied to your workplace performance. Capitalize on Your Talents To claim a Super Bowl victory, each player must put their full talent on the line…

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  Search Engine Journal

• Google Drive: Will You Drop Dropbox?

  David Angotti

  9 Feb 2012 | 7:51 am

  Although rumors have been flying since 2007 about Google offering a hosted storage solution, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google is finally set to launch its new storage service in the next several weeks. The service, which is named Drive, will utilize Google’s cloud-based storage to allow users to easily store and share [...]Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal

• The New Google Analytics Fuels an On-Site Revolution

  Peter Wise

  9 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am

  The new version of Google Analytics has been a hit-or-miss type of implementation. I personally think that most resistance to change is a type of “Professional Inertia”; where people get to know the tools they use so often, that any modification of those tools is greeted with resistance. I myself also found myself disliking the [...]Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal

• LinkAssistant – A Review of Options and Benefits

  Melissa Fach

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:15 am

  LinkAssistant is a part of the SEO PowerSuite and can help you with your link partner set-up and management. I recently tested out the software and I am going to breakdown some of its features and how the tool is used. LinkAssistant Features Helps users find link partners and find their contact info. LinkAssistant looks [...]Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal

• The Best Link Building Tool You’ve Never Heard Of: ahrefs.com

  Chuck Price

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am

  I love SEO tools. I’m always building or looking for really cool tools. With the demise of Yahoo Site explorer, a number of companies are attempting to fill the void, including SEOMoz, Majestic Tools and Link Research Tools. My favorite Yahoo replacement is a tool that you’ve probably never heard of: ahrefs. They offer 5 [...]Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal

• Pinterest: Covert Affiliate Link Scheme Exposed

  David Angotti

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:10 am

  Although nearly every start-up and fledgling company battles to find new ways to monetize its users, Pinterest appears to have been secretly capitalizing on its customer base through the use of affiliate links. The two year-old social network site, which allows users to “pin” photos, recipes, and products to a “virtual pin-board,” has quickly grown [...]Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal