Despite what the doomsayers would have you believe, there is plenty of opportunity to conduct business online. However, there is a big difference between trying to make money online and running a business online. The make money online pitch has unfortunately become synonymous with "get rich quick." The mentality is that you simply create a product and make money selling it. That's NOT building a business. That's trying to make a few bucks. Maybe it... Continue Reading

You've hopefully heard that the point of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook isn't just to amass followers. You could have totally healthy numbers and still not see much of a return in terms of sales or clicks or engaged readers. So if the goal isn't just numbers, what is it? Some of the signposts that you are doing things right: People retweet your tweets. People comment on your blog posts and on other... Continue Reading

So you've got your website up and running, complete with some key products and ads and maybe even a sales page. So now what, you just sit back and wait for the sales to roll in, right? Well, in your rush to get online, you may have overlooked the importance of a key task that just might be the single most vital thing you do as a marketer: split testing. This, in a nutshell, is... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Kevin E. Houchin Esq.) Let me get right to the point. The reason our economy is in the tank today is that too many people are focused on creating money instead of creating real products and services. To correct this problem, we need to get back to the basics of creating products and services that people need or want, and let the money come as a result. That's the business of... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Joseph A Michelli Ph.D.) Last week we talked about the importance of having a customer-centric business approach. But how exactly do you go about becoming a business like The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company that adds value though service excellence and desired experience? I take my clients through a very systematic process with delivery of that process adapted to the needs of their business. Typically this journey begins with an honest assessment of... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Loral Langemeier) When most people think about the state of the current economy, their first thought is almost never "What a great time to start a business!" But the truth is the timing couldn't be better. Financial freedom is attainable in any economic climate. You just need to know how to fit in and find your angle. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Carrie Wilkerson) I know just enough to be dangerous. Seriously. Continue Reading

Though some people have labeled me as a visionary, I am incapable of predicting the future. And while I happen to latch on to hot trends before the curve, it doesn't mean I have a working crystal ball. Let's face it. I have no idea what is going to happen next. So how exactly do you know what your customer wants? There is a way. And it's actually not complex. It's not rocket science. Continue Reading

Interviewing prospective web designers is often a difficult task. Some candidates might be design rock stars but unable to develop the essential business features for your site, while other applicants will have portfolios filled with high-ranking sites that look like ghosts from the late 90s. Continue Reading

It was 1979 and I was fifteen years old. I remember staring at the magazine in pure lust. I turned page after page, gawking at the pictures and wishing I could have what was on them. You would think the pictures would have been enough, but I also read every word. I knew that this was something I would be willing to spend my money on. This was worth saving for. $500 may have seemed... Continue Reading

This is a fantastic time. I know it might not feel that way. If you're stuck in a job you hate, if you're scared you'll get a call from a boss holding a pink slip, if you're worried about your pension, college fees, or even paying the mortgage on a house that's now worth only a fraction of what you paid for it three years ago, this doesn't feel like a fantastic time. But it... Continue Reading

"All aboard!" shouts the conductor, alerting the passengers that the train is getting ready to pull out of the station. If you don't have your ticket and know where you are going, you'd better get it sorted out fast. After all, there are many tracks that lead out from the station. And while you might travel miles and miles down one track, you could end up finding out that you've traveled miles and miles... Continue Reading

Let me get right to the point. The reason our economy is in the tank today is that too many people are focused on creating money instead of creating real products and services. To correct this problem, we need to get back to the basics of creating products and services that people need or want, and let the money come as a result. That's the business of creativity, and it's going to be the... Continue Reading

I grew up in northern suburbs of Chicago. You know all the John Hughes' films like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science? They were either filmed or supposed to have taken place in the region where I was raised. In fact, there is a scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off that was filmed outside my old high school, Glenbrook North. Ferris' sister is outside the school and a bunch of kids are running... Continue Reading