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10 Questions to Ask When You're Branding a Business
ALL FIELDS REQUIRED
The “Small” in Small Business: Use it to Your Advantage
Recent story from a fellow small business owner: He is a subscriber to a certain service that gives him the ability to write and distribute press releases. He has been a package subscriber for about three months and hasn’t been … Continue reading
The Best Use of Twitter by a Small Business: The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
I think this might be the most brilliant use of Twitter by a business owner that I’ve seen. The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop was once The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (the truck still exists, but doesn’t roam … Continue reading
What Problem Are You Solving?
If you follow me on Twitter, you may remember this article on Wisebread that I tweeted: My Pumpkin Lady’s Secret to Business Success. In it, the author describes that the reason why the “pumpkin lady” at her farmers’ market was … Continue reading
The Survey Says…Customers Need Incentives to Answer Them
How many times, when you’ve been at work on something on the web, have you brushed aside those annoying little boxes that pop-up requesting “just 5 minutes of your time” to fill out a survey that will supposedly help provide … Continue reading
How to Contact People You Don’t Know Personally on Linked In
As someone who is a LION (Linked In Open Networker) meaning that pretty much anyone can see my profile and request me to join their network, I’m often astonished at how many people whom I’ve never met request me and: … Continue reading
Network Where You Feel Most Comfortable
I was talking to a client recently, a woman who just started up her own business, and we were talking about her dislike of networking and tooting her own horn. I don’t blame her. I’m kind of shy myself, and … Continue reading
Online or Offline, Go Where Your Target Market Hangs Out (AKA Ignore Social Media at Your Peril)
Once upon a time perhaps five or six years ago, in a place not too far from here, I worked for a subscriber-based theater company. Now, if you know anything about theater companies, you may be aware of these three … Continue reading
The Business Card: Not Dead Yet, So Make It Count
Lately, it seems like everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon to declare something dead. The resume (depends on the situation), e-mail (huh?) and the business card are just a few examples. Let’s just look at the business card for … Continue reading
What’s in a (Business) Name? Tips for Naming Your Business
Starting your own business? I bet you’re thinking of a name, if you don’t have one already. Some tips for choosing a name for your business: Make sure that no one else already has that name (even if it’s … Continue reading
Networking: When in Doubt, Don’t Let It Out
We’ve all had moments of foot-in-mouth-itis, where we’ve said the wrong thing at the wrong time. The worst place that this disease can strike you is when you’re at a networking function. I was at a networking event a couple … Continue reading
Yes, a Brand is More Than a Logo or a Website, But What Is It?
[Note: for the sake of full disclosure, I bank with ING Direct]. I stumbled across a discussion on one of the groups I belong to on linkedin.com, where a member asked for a good definition of brand. The answers varied … Continue reading
How a Business Owner Made an Unconventional Location Her Best Advertisement
Even in the current economy, the one thing that hasn’t changed for brick-and-mortar businesses is the old real estate mantra of “location, location, location.” In the case of one business owner, her unusual location is not only good business, it … Continue reading
Why You Should Include Your Photo on Your Linked In Profile
One day while I was browsing the various marketing/copywriting groups I belong to on Linked In, I came across the following post: “Would you do business with an individual who has NO photo on [sic] LinkedIn profile? Yes/No? Please let … Continue reading