There are three questions you and your company need to ask to be a successful content marketing practitioner.
1, How do we get people to read our marketing content? 2, How do we get people to engage with our company? 3, How do we measure results and get better over time?
How to Get Prospects to Read and Engage with Your Marketing Content Read More »
Conspicuous consumption is when someone spends money on goods or services in an effort to either convey a higher social status or invoke envy in others to gain their respect. Product badging is a way to draw attention to items that convey status. Yet, not all consumers want you to know the relative price of their products based on its badging.
The Secret to Product Badging Read More »
One thing contributes to more business failure. If the reason you want to start a business is you want the flexibility to work when or where you want, to become rich, or because you just want to be your own boss, you have a higher likelihood of failure. You are more likely to fail because your reasons for starting a business are self-centered and not externally focused.
The 1 Simple Thing That Contributes to Most Business Failure Read More »
There are 3 essential questions about content marketing that need to be answered to determine your go vs. no-go content marketing strategy: 1, Can we be industry thought leaders? see the benefits of being a thought leader/branded authority but aren’t sure how to get there. 2, If so, what do we talk about? 3, Can we create enough quality content?
Use Content Marketing to Establish Thought Leadership Read More »
Attraction characters fall into one of four identities: explorer, thought leader, interviewer, and duty calls. Each attraction character has a preferred way of sharing information and creates a persona that relates to and attracts an audience.
The 4 Attraction Characters: A Sure-Fire Key to Genuine Engagement Read More »
People do not relate to the business itself – they relate to the spokesperson that represents that business. Good brand marketers know that they need to create an attraction character that consumers can relate to and bond with.
How to Use Attraction Characters to Make Prospects Hear You Read More »
When you are deciding how much of time and financial resources to allocate between push and pull marketing strategies, keep in mind that the battleground has shifted and the prospect is the one who holds the high ground. Rather than fight this reality, just accept who has the real control and find the best ways to help people buy in the way they want to buy, instead of the way you want to sell to them.
PULL Marketing vs. PUSH Marketing – The Shifting Battleground Read More »
Naively many entrepreneurs think all traffic is the same. They use advertising to get in front of a prospect and then ask for the sale before they have even had the opportunity to build a rapport. It is important to understand that not all traffic is created equal and that the goal should not be to get the sale up front but to convert all traffic to owned traffic where you can control when and what message they see.
How to Drive Growth by Correctly Targeting Web Traffic Read More »
Asking the right questions is crucial to your ability to optimize or turnaround your B2B marketing and sales operations. But even if things are going well, it is a good idea to periodically test your assumptions. Competitors are not standing idle and technologies, channels and customer needs are constantly shifting. Here are eight important questions to get you started:
8 Essential B2B Marketing Questions: Ignore these at your peril Read More »
In a quest to discover what contributes to product attractiveness, I uncovered the power of belonging vs. standing out. What I discovered was that more affluent people like to buy products that help them stand out in a crowd. By contrast, the working class tends to prefer mass-produced products that are associated with an in-crowd they aspire to be like.
A Revealing Behind-the-Scenes Look at Product Attractiveness Read More »
Many nascent entrepreneurs simply roll up their sleeves and try to do everything themselves in the hopes that it will save them money. Unfortunately, the most valuable asset entrepreneurs have is their time. Doing tasks that can be done by less expensive experts prevents entrepreneurs from focusing on the most important aspects of their business. Freelancing platforms exist to help the business owner outsource non-key tasks to experts in their fields for a fraction of what most experts cost locally.
How to Leverage Experts and Crush the Competition Read More »
There are a number of common mistakes many founders make that can destroy everything they worked so hard to achieve. Most occur when there is some business success. Some mistakes are made out of ignorance during the initial filing process with the Secretary of State and others are the result of failing to finish the process.
Critical Formation Errors that Will Destroy Your Business Read More »
When you are just an investor in an S-Corp, ostensibly you do not work for the business and you do not participate in its management as an officer. You are therefore considered limited in your liability and your income from the business based on your ownership share of the business is usually considered passive income.
How to Pay a Shareholder of an S-Corp Read More »
How You Get Paid as An Office and Or Shareholder of an S-Corp Is Different. Here Is What You Need to Know About Getting Paid.
How to Get Paid in an S-Corp Read More »
Businesses all too often commit resources to developing a product or service based on the verbal feedback they received from some potential customers. This is no way to test your assumptions that people will exchange hard earned money for what you are selling! Employing a simple 3-page website can ultimately help you determine if customers are willing to exchange money for your offering.
Super Simple Way to Test Your Business Model Read More »
There are 2 kinds of customers out there: Do-It-Yourself and Do-It-For-Me customers. Most businesses only consider the same type of customers others in their industry are already targeting. Targeting the same customer with similar solutions leads to less opportunity for growth and tighter margins. Few businesses see the potential to offer an alternative solution.
An Unbelievably Simple and Overlooked Strategy to Crush Your Market Read More »
In some cases, all the partners of a limited partnership may be investors only and not managers. The partnership may hire an outside general manager (employee) to make the day-to-day decisions, and therefore, acts as the manager. In this case, the general manager is an employee of the business, but since they are not a partner (aka owner), their income is just like that of an employee in any business.
How to Pay a Non-Partner General Manager of Limited Partnership Read More »
How You Get Paid as A Non-Partner General Manager or As General Partner of a Limited Partnership Is Different. Here Is What You Need to Know
How to Get Paid in a Limited Partnership Read More »
A partner in a limited partnership that is a decision-maker (general partner) is considered an employee of the business by the IRS and is treated differently than limited partners. Income for general partners is considered earned income and is subject to additional taxes but also to additional potential tax deductions. Moreover, as a general partner, you are exposed to additional liabilities.
How to Get Paid as a General Partner of Limited Partnership Read More »
As human beings, we are hardwired to become physiologically aroused to improve physical performance. While becoming physiological aroused improves simple or more physical tasks, the reverse is true when we deal with cognitively complex tasks where we often suffer from performance anxiety.
How to Perform Better by Understanding Physiological Arousal Read More »
Should you be Credible or Incredible? Lets’ face it, it is a free market where you can say anything you want about your product or service, true or untrue. Making incredible claims can snag you some customers, but today “Trust” is a business’s most valuable commodity. Here are six strategies to build and keep trust and credibility:
When It Comes to B2B Marketing, Should you be Credible or Incredible? Read More »
In some cases, all the members of an LLC may be investors only and not managers. The business may hire an outside general manager (employee) to make the day-to-day decisions, and therefore, acts as the manager. In this case, the general manager is an employee of the business, but since they are not a member (aka owner), their income is just like that of an employee in any business.
How to Pay a Non-Member General Manager of a Multi-Member LLC Read More »
When you have an investor in your LLC, who works less than 500 hours in a given tax year for the LLC, and they do not participate in its management, they are considered limited in their liability and their income is usually considered passive income subjecting the income to only federal and state income taxes based on their marginal tax rate.
How to Pay a Non-Manager Member of a Multi-Member LLC Read More »
A member in an LLC that is a decision-maker (manager) is considered an employee of the business by the IRS and is treated differently than non-manager members. Income for managers is considered earned income and is subject to additional taxes but also to additional potential tax deductions. Moreover, as a manager, you are exposed to additional liabilities.
How to Get Paid in a Multi-Member LLC Read More »
As a sole proprietor or as a single-member LLC you are the only owner, and as a result, you do not take a salary or a wage from a business. Instead, you can simply take out excess cash from the business, which is known as an owner draw, to pay yourself.
How to Get Paid as an Owner of a Sole Proprietor or Single-Member LLC Read More »
How you pay yourself as an owner depends on the type of entity you are and how many owners there are. This post lays the groundwork and defines a few terms that should help demystify how entities pay the owners of the business.
How to Get Paid as an Owner of a Pass-Through Entity Read More »
There Are Five Categories of Adopters. Each of The Five Adopter Categories of Users Requires A Different Marketing Approach to Win Them Over.
The 5 Categories of Adopters – Why You Need to Know About Them Read More »
A franchise investment isn’t as high as most people think, especially when you put the investment cost into context and compare it with starting a business from scratch. There are eight factors that determine a franchise’s investment costs.
So Why Does a Franchise Cost So Much Anyway? Read More »
Persons of influence get lots of unsolicited requests to connect every day. Most of these requests are totally self-serving for the requester and have no benefit to the influencer at all. As a result, most influencers have a tendency to filter out these requests. But there is a way to get the attentions of an influencer and it is free.
How to Get the Attention of an Influencer Read More »
Not all industries and occupations are treated equally in the eyes of government officials. Some industries and occupations require the business to obtain a “Business License” to operate. This video provides the background into why some industries and occupations require oversight from a government entity.
VIDEO: Business Licensing Demystified Read More »
It is often far better to see what the market leader is doing and just be a little different in your value proposition. Being the first to market means you will make lots of costly mistakes that your competitors can learn from and then capitalize on at your expense. Keurig and Xerox were not the first movers but today they dominated their markets by capitalizing on the dominant players mistakes..
Watch the Leader and Profit by Capitalizing on Their Business Mistakes Read More »
I believe there is a difference between taking advice from a serial starter vs a serial entrepreneur. A serial starter has played the game of business but not yet won. While a serial entrepreneurs in my definition, has not only played the game, but has also won the game by reaching either a natural conclusion to the business or achieved a profitable exit.
Serial Entrepreneur or Serial Starter? – That is the Question Read More »
Engaging Only with Like-Minded People May Feel Good, But It Leads to Intellectual Laziness. Learn Why Smart Entrepreneurs Seek Out Cognitive Diversity.
Avoiding Groupthink: Why Entrepreneurs Need Cognitive Conflict Read More »
Influencer marketing is where you get a famous person with an established audience to endorse your product or service. Right now Influencer marketing is all the rage when it comes to marketing a business. However, getting an influencer to endorse your brand is costly. In this video, learn that there is an alternative to Influencer Marketing that is FREE.
VIDEO: A Free Alternative to Costly Influencer Marketing Read More »
Would your business benefit from lower downside risk but less profit potential, or higher profit potential with greater risk if break even is not met? In this post, discover how a businesses fixed and variable costs will shape its risk and reward possibilities.
How to Control Business Risk Read More »
A question many franchise entrepreneurs have is related to how much money they will need as they conduct early-stage franchise research.
How to Find Out if You Have Enough Money to Buy a Franchise Read More »
When assessing one’s business competition, we often look at their strengths and weaknesses and attempt to predict how they will respond to various situations. Based on this information, we design a plan to deal with the competition. Yet, what happens when the competition acts in unpredictable ways? Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was one of Germany’s
Be Unpredictable to Drive the Competition Crazy and Make Huge Profits Read More »
There is a gross misunderstanding when it comes to the protection afforded to business owners of a Limited Liability Company (LLC). This video identifies who’s liability is protected and who is not.
VIDEO: Limits to Limited Liability Read More »
Some recent research has caused me to completely rethink my marketing strategy. For years, I have heard that email marketing has a greater Return On Investment (ROI) than social media marketing. However, with my social media fans measured in the thousands and my email subscribers measured in the hundreds, I was sure that trying to
Is Social Media Really a Better Marketing Strategy than Email Marketing? Read More »
Basically, there are two ways to fund a new business: debt and equity. Debt, commonly thought of as a loan, requires that the borrower/guarantor has an adequate cash flow or has enough unencumbered liquid assets to pledge as collateral. This collateral covers the debt’s principle and any liquidation costs and discounts in the event that
How to Make the Most of Equity Financing Read More »
At first glance, the difference between selling a product or service and selling a solution may not be very apparent. After all, aren’t all products and services created to provide a solution to solve a customer’s problems? Most businesses create a product or service that is a “one size fits all” solution. Rather than designing
The Big Difference Solution-Selling Can Make Read More »
Most people associate registering their business with the Secretary of State as the proper way to secure their unique business name. While this reason is partially true, it is not the real reason a business needs to register their entity with the Secretary of State. In this short video, we discussed the real reasons why
VIDEO: The Real Reason for Registering an Entity Read More »
Guest post by: Christopher Ryan CEO or Fusion Marketing Partners and Center for Business Modeling. Chris is a SCORE colleague and a marketing and sales maven. We are super fans of each other’s work. The following post was published by Chris on his blog in April of 2017 and is chock full of valuable advice.
Seven Things You Can Do (or Not Do) to Increase Marketing Success Read More »
Guest post by: Christopher Ryan CEO or Fusion Marketing Partners and Center for Business Modeling. Chris is a SCORE colleague and a marketing and sales maven. We are super fans of each other’s work. The following post was published by Chris on his blog in May of 2017 and is chock full of valuable advice.
Moving up the Relationship Hierarchy Read More »
We all know that the world is becoming more mobile. While there are lots of ways to engage your customers in the mobile world, there is one way that stands out to me. It is a way that is even easy for the novice to implement. There are also no tools to buy so you
How to Leverage QR Codes for Profit Read More »
Make The Most Of A Meager Marketing Budget By Discovering How To Identify Customers That Are Ready To Buy Using The Viable Customer Model.
VIDEO: How to Find Customers That are Ready To Buy – Viable Customer Model Read More »
Small business entrepreneurs never seem to lack vision, big ideas, or ambition! The vast majority of entrepreneurs I encounter in my practice believe they have a product or service that is so much better than what’s on the market already; they believe that if they can just roll it out, they will be able to
How Not to Strike Out in the Game of Business Read More »
The question, “Is it better to lease office space or own it?” is at the core of many business plan decisions that I review. On the one hand, I never advise owning real estate for startups because they have a high rate of failure. However, it is a decision that should not be undertaken lightly
Should You Rent or Own Your Business Real Estate? Read More »
In any industry, you will find good, and not-so-good businesses and business associates. The same is true in the franchise consulting industry. Franchise consultants play an important role in the franchise industry. They can be a sturdy bridge between individuals seeking franchisees to invest in, and the franchisors who are seeking good franchisee candidates.
Are You Working with an Ethical Franchise Consultant? Read More »
There is a huge difference between consumer credit and business credit. Consumer credit funds consumptions while business credit is known as “leverage” and is applied to the purchase of an income-producing asset. As individuals, consumer credit is generally a method we use to obtain what we desire sooner than if we were forced to save
What You Think You Know about Credit Is Just Wrong Read More »
Putting together a solid hunting plan to hunt pronghorn antelope has a lot of similarities to putting together a solid marketing plan for your product or service. As any regular reader of my blog or someone who knows me personally would know, I’m obsessed with archery hunting for pronghorn antelope. As anyone who is familiar
An Amazingly Simple, No Bullshit, 2-Pronged Marketing Strategy Read More »
I recently was watching a home movie of a motorcycle trip I took with my two boys where we traveled through seven southwestern states. As we rode through the hinterlands that make up much of this region, I recall being struck with a business epiphany. I shared this epiphany with my sons at a roadside
Why Your Options Are Limiting Your Success Read More »
When it comes to marketing and sales, the internet changed everything. The changes caused by the internet, and its offspring social media, have not caused an evolutionary step in the way businesses go about marketing and sales but caused a revolutionary step. The internet and social media have caused businesses to re-think their old marketing
New Rules of Marketing and Sales Read More »
Discover 3 Free Internet Enabled Word-Of-Mouth Tactics That Allow You To Control The Dissemination Of The Information Shared By Your Clients.
3 Free Ways to Boost Your Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Read More »
Don’t look to our government as a model in understanding good vs. bad debt. Every day the media highlights another case of the government’s ignorance in the way money should be used. One side of the aisle says it is a revenue problem and we need to raise taxes on the rich. The other side
Is Bad Debt Destroying Your Business? Read More »
while the government may understand the importance of small business in the overall economy, its definition often differs from the way most entrepreneurs may define them. As a result, the methods in which the government can inject money are primarily limited to guaranteeing loans and creating projects for a narrow slice of the business community.
The Feeble Role of Government to Stimulate Small Business Read More »
Guest post by: Christopher Ryan CEO or Fusion Marketing Partners and Center for Business Modeling. Chris is a SCORE colleague and a marketing and sales maven. We are super fans of each others work. The following post was published by Chris on his blog is February of 2016 and is chock full of valuable advice.
The Evolving Journey of the B2B Buyer Read More »
I certainly spend more time shopping online these days than in the mall and I don’t think I’m alone. The internet allowed for “online shopping” that in turn created online-retailers like Amazon and Overstock, but they were the only businesses visible on the front line. While malls suffered from this shift in buying behavior, other
A Major Shakeup Is Looming – Are You in Jeopardy of Missing the Boat? Read More »
Recently, I was speaking at a local community college about the value of an entrepreneurial mindset. While there, one student asked me, “How important do you think a college degree is to becoming a successful entrepreneur?” The question was a bit awkward since I was the guest speaker with no college education and there were
A College Degree and Entrepreneurship in the Millennial Generation Read More »
Why Do Entrepreneurs Participate in Speculative Ventures and Put Their Time, Energy, Passion, and Finances into Launching a New Business?
Why in the Heck Would You Start a Business Read More »
Networking Is Much More Than Just Meeting People and Exchanging Business Cards! See How a Networking Plan Can Lead to Phenomenal Business Success.
How to Make the Most of Networking Events Read More »
The culture that a company embraces can say a lot about the eventual success of a company. In a study performed by sociologists James Barron and Michael Hannan, they tracked the culture of 167 Silicon Valley startups over an extended period of time. The study identified five primary cultures embraced by most startups. Engineering Model This
Your Corporate Culture Defines Your Success Read More »
Learn how savvy entrepreneurs recognize they may have a confirmation bias that can stifle their success and discover how to avoid them.
How Your Confirmation Bias Is Stifling Your Business Success Read More »
Several weeks ago, Sara Pope of ConsumerAffairs.com, reached out to me and asked if I could review a step-by-step guide to business loans and financing that her company had produced. My initial reaction was to just say no. My inclination to decline her offer was based on my experience with hundreds of nascent entrepreneurs. All too
A Step by Step Guide to Business Financing Read More »
Natural law is a philosophy that states that people are motivated in their actions by human nature. It refers to the use of reasoning to analyze human nature and to deduce the rules that govern a person’s actions and behavior. We have all seen the image of a stick and sting that suspends a carrot
How to Apply Natural Law – Your Key to Unlocking More Sales Read More »
Guest post by: Christopher Ryan CEO or Fusion Marketing Partners and Center for Business Modeling. Chris is a SCORE colleague and a marketing and sales maven. We are super fans of each others work. The following post was published by Chris on his blog in September of 2016 and is chock full of valuable advice.
Market Research – 8 Strategies for Getting it Right, Quickly Read More »
Businesses employ both offensive and defensive strategies. However, when it comes to rewards, it is the offense that gets all the attention. If my company makes a sale through the results of my actions, it is not uncommon to receive a reward or commission. However, if I prevent a sale to a customer who would
Why You Should Reward People That Avoid Bad Outcomes Read More »
When it comes to marketing, small businesses should understand that psychology and sales are two parts of the same coin. From the world of psychology, one cognitive bias that a small business owner should embrace when it comes to marketing is known as “the halo effect.” Technically speaking, the halo effect is a cognitive bias
How to Harness the Halo Effect to Boost Profits Read More »
Not long ago, I was driving through Denver in rush hour traffic. As I inched along in traffic, I was replaying a discussion in my head about the Colorado Springs ecosystem being the red-headed stepchild to Denver’s much more robust business ecosystem. Most of the discussion was geared toward activities the Colorado Springs ecosystem could do
Why Bigger is Not Always Better Read More »
Recently, I was teaching a course, “Going Pro – Moving from Hobby to Business” and one of the students was a jewelry designer looking to take her hobby of making jewelry, mostly as gifts for friends and family, and turn it into a paying business. I suggested she focus her jewelry design on a profitable
13 Steps to Find Your Profitable Niche for Free Using Long-Tail Keywords Read More »
I have always been fascinated with Sun Tzu and his tome The Art of War. Consequently, I have taken many of his lessons and applied them to business situations. While Sun Tzu is truly brilliant when it comes to waging a war, upon much deeper reflection, you might be in the wrong business if you
Why Business Marketing Should Not Be Treated Like War Read More »
Understanding monetary policy is critical to understanding why our lives are the way they are. Unfortunately, economics is often viewed by the vast majority of citizens with confusion and boredom. Financial jargon coupled with intimidating mathematics quickly deters people from any attempt at understanding it. That said, our established monetary system exists as one of
Our Fragile Monetary System Read More »
Earlier today, I was reading a reddit.com post about a young man ready to graduate college this summer who was desperately looking to start his own business. He didn’t have a business idea and was looking to the readership to help him come up with one. I often suggest to clients with a desire to
There Is No Prize for Originality Read More »
When it comes to selling your product or service, it is always a good idea to keep in mind what is most important to the other party. This is especially true when you are dealing with a large company run by a guardian. For example, most employees high up in the food chain of a
Your Customer is Afraid you’ll Cost him his Job Read More »
In the Agrarian Age, there was no mechanization; farm businesses were limited by the number of unskilled labors (slaves) they could employ and by the length of the growing season. The stronger and faster the worker was, the more valuable he was to the business. However, as the tractor and other farm equipment were developed,
How Amazon’s Alexa is the Flint that Will Spark a Business Revolution Read More »
Most business articles neglect to discuss one fundamental attribute that is a critical part of a successful small business owner’s personality. This dimension of their personality is so important that some say it is the linchpin to business success. Yet, rarely do you see it discussed in any business books. So, what is this attribute?
Curiosity: The Fundamental Attribute of Successful Entrepreneurs that No One talks about Read More »
Your content marketing efforts may not be aligned with the VARK modalities of your audience. Content should appeal to Visual, Auditory, Reading, and Kinesthetic learners.
VARK – Why Your Content Marketing Is Falling on Deaf Ears Read More »
Every business makes investments to create revenue for itself. All too often business owners consider cash as its only source of revenue worthy of investments. In addition to cash revenue comes in the form of Attention and trust and Referrals
Revenue Comes in 3 Flavors Read More »
We have all heard that an oil tanker or large container ship cannot change direction very quickly. In fact, it often takes them several miles to change their direction. This is because these vessels have a lot of mass. The more mass an object has, the more energy is required to change direction. Mass in
Is Your Business Like a Pirate Ship? Read More »
Is Being a Workaholic Really Something to Celebrate? Discover Why Working Endless Hours Doesn’t Equate to Greater Value and How Smarter Solutions Drive Success.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: The Hidden Cost of Workaholism Read More »
Recently, I have been exploring my analytics and revisiting my Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s). What began to dawn on me as I attempted to make actionable sense of all this data was that I was falling into the same trap that most businesses owners do when looking at their social media performance. Many of my
How Deep Is Your Audience? Read More »
Most Entrepreneurs Think Avoiding Controversy Helps Their Brand, but the Opposite Is True. Strong Opinions Create Connection, Loyalty, and Real Momentum.
How Controversial Beliefs Can Win You Loyal Customers (and Why You Need Them) Read More »
You need to shape the future rather than predict it. Why a manager entrepreneur approach is very different from a founder entrepreneurs
Exploit the Future by Shaping It – Don’t Try to Predict It Read More »
Conventional business advice discourages entrepreneurs from practicing the leverage contingency principle. Instead of encouraging the entrepreneur to make small low-cost incremental steps to observe what happens, conventional wisdom recommend extensive upfront planning as a way to hit their ultimate target or goal on the first try without any type of feedback loop to test assumptions during the development process.
Leverage Contingency Principle – Planning for the Unexpected Read More »
Learn how the strategic partnership principle practiced by founder entrepreneurs can help you build products for little or no cost
Strategic Partnership Principle – The Truth about Competitive Analysis Read More »
Manager entrepreneurs use causal reasoning to focus on the “expected return”. Founder entrepreneurs use effectual reasoning to focus on “affordable losses.”
Affordable Loss Principle – Reaching Markets with Minimum Resources Read More »
The reasoning style of the manager entrepreneur, with their predominantly causal reasoning, approaches a business startup very different from the founder-entrepreneur, who approaches a startup business primarily with effectual reasoning.
How Your Reasoning Skills Can Affect Your Business Success Read More »
Previously, we looked at how the startup landscape has changed and that you might not need a formal business plan to successfully launch your business. In this post, we will look into why we keep getting the same old business advice. What has emerged, as the funding and risk gap has widened, is a greater
Why The Business Advice You Are Getting Is One Sided Read More »
Innovations and manufacturing businesses have different planning requirements than the more common support and local service businesses.
Why The Business Planning Advice You Have Received Is Probably Stale Read More »
Think You’re Too Busy to Start a Business? Think Again. The Harsh Truth Is That Time Isn’t Your Problem—Commitment Is. Discover Why Starting Today Beats Waiting for “Someday.”
The Perfect Time to Start a Business Doesn’t Exist—Start Anyway Read More »
When it comes to growing your business, there are three essential engines of growth: 1. Paid Engine of Growth: Most entrepreneurs consider this the only engine of growth. Often this takes the form of paid ads on websites or advertising on T.V. to attract lots of eyeballs to your product or service. The more targeted
Mastering the Three Engines of Growth Read More »
I agree with Seth Godin when he says that every business owner should write a regular blog even if no one reads it. The other day I was driving to Denver to attend a meeting with the SBA and the Minority Business Office. During the drive, I was listening to an audio-book about how to
The Value of a Blog Even If No One Reads It Read More »
The easy part is building the actual product or delivering the service. If you are not convinced, just consider this – Imagine a substance that falls from the sky and springs up from the earth for free. Yet, we are willing to pay more for it than we do for gasoline. Yep, I’m talking about
Is It Time to Create Your Own Channel? Read More »
As a small business, you have to consider the concept of microeconomics when pricing your product or service to maximize revenue. By definition, microeconomics studies the behavior of individuals and firms in making decisions regarding the allocation of limited resources (i.e., money). Contrast microeconomics with macroeconomics. Macroeconomics considers the sum of all economic activity such
Using Microeconomics to Maximize Revenue Read More »
You Can’t Assume You Can Capture a Portion of The Total Available Market (TAM) W/O Understanding the Served Available and Service Obtainable Market (SAM/SOM)
What Is Your Real Market Potential? Read More »
One of the best things for me about hunting season is not the thrill of the hunt or even trying to outwit a wild and cunning animal. Nope, it’s far less glamorous – It’s the quiet time I have alone with my thoughts. I recall a story that I read as a boy about Fred
What Is the Value of Quiet Time? Read More »
As we discussed in the Anatomy of a Business Owner, most self-employed, micro, and lifestyle businesses are started by a person with a strong technical persona. Often, these entrepreneurs are suddenly seized with the desire to start their own businesses because of their strong technical skills. Michael Gerber, the author of “The E-Myth,” describes this
Is Your Business Persona Aligned for Success as a Business Owner Read More »
Many Entrepreneurs Chase Fancy Tools Hoping for a Shortcut to Success. True Achievement, However, Lies in Mastering Your Skills, Not Upgrading Your Gear.
Stop Chasing Shortcuts: How Skill Beats Gear Every Time Read More »
The other day I was watching a cooking show with my wife, Kim, and it dawned on me that what I was watching was a teachable moment for small business owners. On the show, there are a bunch of renowned chefs showing you step by step how to make one of their signature dishes. At
What I Learned from the Food Network Read More »
We prioritize tasks based on our return on investment (ROI). If we undertake a task that we think should take one day to complete and we find ourselves still working on it two days later, it is time to reevaluate our efforts. For the most part, human beings are all poor estimators. Remember the last
What To Do When You Exceed Your Estimate Read More »
