How to Successfully Launch and Propel Your Business Upward

Do you have a great business idea but don’t know where to start?  Is your small business stuck? Michael Stelzner is someone who has successfully met both challenges – and he describes how you can do the same in his newly released book. In Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition, Mike shares […]

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Quality Online Content is Not Enough

“It’s not enough.  Sorry, it’s just not enough.” This is a quote from a video by SEOmoz – a top SEO blog.  The 10 minute video would not embed well, but you can watch it here. It’s a true commentary that speaks to the fact that being relevant for search engines now demands much more […]

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Your Interactive Expertise Distribution Site

A blog is an interactive site that distributes expertise to a community. Just don’t call it a blog, because that term may no longer be relevant. What comes to mind when you hear the words blog or blogging – a string of random thoughts or a well-crafted piece of content that helps a specific community to […]

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Free is Free – or It’s Not Free

When you treat your friends and advocates as customers, some will become customers. Those that don’t may spread your message to future buyers. The old model is treating customers like royalty, while encouraging others (via marketing) to become customers so that they can enjoy the same preferential treatment.  The web in general, and social media […]

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Blekko Search Slashes Out the Best Content

Have you searched the web for too long already and still cannot find what you are looking for? If so, upstart search engine Blekko may do the trick.  Blekko uses slashtags to get the job done.  These are tags that eliminate spammy results to bring you the most relevant content. There Are Lots of Search Engines […]

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Creativity is Just Connecting Things

The title of this article is a quote by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Is it a valid statement? Here’s a personal example that will help you to decide for yourself. First Start with Awareness Too often we think of creativity as a complicated process that only works when the stars align – when everything is […]

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How to Write an Article Faster

Writing faster is writing better. You want to write faster to make the most of your time.  Though, it’s interesting that your best writing happens when you make the effort to speed up the writing process. Here’s how. Have the Intention to Write Fast This simple tip for writing faster may be the most important. […]

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How to Stay Top of Mind with Prospects, Customers, and Advocates

Staying top of mind with prospects, customers, and advocates is essential for growing your business. There is an easy way to do this that requires almost no effort.  In fact, it may not require any effort at all. A couple of months ago I was the keynote speaker for a diverse group of small businesses in […]

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Klout is Influence

In the early days of modern civilization (before the Internet) – there was an expression that it’s not what you know but who you know. Back then, information, power, and therefore influence, were localized. If you were in-the-know, you had influence.  And that influence could be wielded to accomplish objectives. Information is now readily available […]

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Why Groupon is Bad for Small Business

Groupon is like Super Bowl advertising. It definitely creates awareness, but it does so at a price – one with consequences that should be carefully considered. Much has been written about the direct costs of running a Groupon campaign. However, it’s the side effects that bother me.  And they extend long after that Groupon has […]

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