I remember the first time I encountered an "easy button" at Staples. Push the big red button with the word "easy" printed on it and the family "That was easy" voice was played. I loved it and had to have one. A couple years ago I came up with an idea for another button which I thought would have great appeal to business people around the world. A green button with a dollar sign on... Continue Reading

I have surveyed online business owners a number of times over the years. I have discovered a common thread in the problems that the majority of them are experiencing. 1) They are frustrated with the amount of traffic they get to their websites. Can you identify? 2) They are concerned that their online presence is not generating enough leads and new customers. Does that describe you? 3) They are upset with themselves (or vendors) for... Continue Reading

It's been over two years since Apple approved iFart Mobile for sale in the iTunes appstore. During that time, iFart has become the defacto novelty app. Even after all this time, iFart finds its way into headlines again and again. I recently shared that I am changing my business model. In order to focus on my new efforts, I have decided it is time to sell some of my existing properties. I have already sold... Continue Reading

Earlier this year I attended Book Expo America in New York City. I had the opportunity of doing a book signing for the release of Twitter Power 2.0. I had the opportunity to walk the expo floor and encountered a number of interesting vendors. One of the more interesting booths had absolutely nothing to do with books. But it caught my eye just the same. The guy at the booth was playing with a handful... Continue Reading

As I travel around our country, I can not help but notice the epidemic of homelessness. There are so many people on the streets of our cities. How many more are there that we DON'T see? We've all encountered homeless people in our cities or towns. My heart goes out to those who don't have a safe place to rest their heads. It's even more heartbreaking when those people are children. I recently had the... Continue Reading

Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge. Those are the the five rules of dodgeball according to Patches O'Houlihan. But if you've ever played a Prince of Persia game, you may find those same rules apply. I never cared much for the original Prince of Persia side-scrollers made famous on the Apple IIe computer. (Though I DO have a copy of the original in my collection!) A failed attempt to go 3D by RedOrb in 1999... Continue Reading

Have you ever thought of launching an online business to be a lot like running a race, but with plenty of hurdles in the way? I did an interview today and the person asking me questions wanted to know what the biggest hurdle is that people face when running an online business. Is it search engine optimization? Is it social media? Is it product development? I laughed and replied that none of those were the... Continue Reading

I received an email solicitation today to take part in an alleged competition that is due to take place starting in October. It's called (brace yourself...) "The Internet Marketing World Cup" (goooooooooalllll!) It is likely you will be hearing more about this in the future so I thought it would be interesting to dissect it and share some thoughts. Continue Reading

It was a year ago that we were in Estes Park, Colorado with some friends when my son told me he wanted a pair of Vibram Five Finger Shoes. Being completely out of touch, I was thinking "You want vibrating shoes?" "Dad", he said. "They are Vibram Five Finger shows" So I took him to the store and he showed me the shoes. I had seen toe socks before because my teenage daughter would wear... Continue Reading

I'm not a very good cook, so I tend to eat out a lot. I don't do a lot of fancy dining, but it's not unusual to find me and my family at a national chain or local diner. My experiences as a patron of restaurants has helped clarify what I believe makes a good waiter and what makes a bad waiter. Waiting tables is a difficult job. Hectic kitchens... unruly customers... angry cooks... wrong... Continue Reading

While viewing my Twitter stream, I encountered a tweet from an associate that included an expletive. We're talking the F-bomb. I've heard this person speak before and I was reminded of how often he cursed in a keynote before thousands of people. While I have great respect for this indivdual and what he has accomplished, I couldn't help but wonder if he knew how much of his audience he was alienating. I put out a... Continue Reading

People are so predictable. A new trend surfaces and there are those that immediately begin to capitalize on it. Being on the lookout for "the next big thing" is fine. But what do you do when you discover it? For some people, they engross themselves in the new thing and learn the ins and outs so they can speak from experience. For others, it's all a matter of discovering how they can position themselves as... Continue Reading

As a blogger, I frequently share my opinion on a number of topics. That sometimes includes current events or newsworthy items. However, I never put myself forth as a journalist. While I prefer to have my facts straight, I must confess that I don't always get it right. But I believe those who report news have a much bigger obligation to accurately report stories. Don't you agree? I can't tell you how many times I... Continue Reading

WARNING: Today's post is going to rattle cages and put a spotlight on a potentially dark side of Internet marketing. Yeah, I'm probably going to tick some people off. That's life. I'm more concerned with speaking the truth. This is #2 in a series called The Truth About Internet Marketing. Part one was called "The Long Form Sales Letter. For some time it has been suspected that there is a "secret cabal" of Internet marketers... Continue Reading