Ebooks for Entrepreneurs, a Good Time for Freelancers, Solar Market and More

January 8, 2009 – 2:17 am

Cleantech’s Solar Conundrum – Neal Dikeman has some interesting thoughts on the reasons why the solar market has been partially hurt by the current crisis.

Tax tweaks cost small firms £2.4bn – I’m afraid my British readers won’t be happy to know this.

Lack of credit ‘could lead to 1930’s-level recession’ – Scary headline, huh? But don’t let it impress you too much.

Now is a Good Time to be a Freelancer – See? Good news still are available.

The Gift of Regifting – Holidays are gone, but this still is a cool idea.

Why You Should Put All Your Eggs In One Basket, Success Factors Day 1 – This title surprised me. After reading the blogger’s explanation, I realised his statement makes sense.

Efficient markets: paradox or red herring? – Are markets inefficient? What do you think?

Chinese Yuan Marches Towards World Domination – It seems to be already on its way to dominate Asia, at the very least.

Son Has A Landscaping Business – I agree with June: this is a cool Q&A indeed.

Superstition… or Discipline? – If you aren’t convinced about the importance of discipline, the last paragraph may make you change your mind.

The Toren Brothers’ List of the Top 10 Best FREE EBOOKS for Online Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners – I confess I haven’t read any of these ebooks, though I’d already heard of some. Judging from the post’s summaries, they all look interesting at the very least.

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By Karen | Posted in See Also | Comments (0)

Give Me Your Attention and I’ll Give Your Company a Second Chance – Part 2

January 6, 2009 – 5:57 pm

More from the series: Listening to Clients' Complaints

  1. Give Me Your Attention and I’ll Give Your Company a Second Chance – Introduction
  2. Give Me Your Attention and I’ll Give Your Company a Second Chance – Part 1
  3. Give Me Your Attention and I’ll Give Your Company a Second Chance – Part 2

I’d ended the previous part in a cliffhanger, as noted by clever Tara Jacobsen (visit her blog about small business marketing ideas).

I was about to reveal something that made me mad at BrightKit. Then the holidays came and I didn’t update this series again. :P But today I’ll kill your curiosity (finally).

I’m not that forgetful

Do you remember that option to follow BrightKit at Twitter? As I’ve said before, I’d uncheck it every time I saw it. Well, guess what? I took a look at one of my Twitter accounts and noticed I was actually following BrightKit.

At first I got surprised. I wondered if I had forgotten to uncheck the “follow BrightKit” option for that account. These things can happen to any of us. That being the case, I certainly wouldn’t be following BK in any of the other accounts I had added to my BK dashboard. After all, I couldn’t be that forgetful. So I verified my other Twitter profiles.

You must have guessed what I found out, right? And now you know why I got mad at BrightKit.

Talk about a HUGE no-no

I’d already heard of people who were following certain twitterers without having actually agreed to do that. It had happened to a friend of mine right when she opened her Twitter profile. But it had never happened to me until that day.

People, I don’t know about you, but I hate it when I’m forced to subscribe to anything. This is a HUGE no-no for me. Subscriptions should always be optional, never compulsory.

Following someone at Twitter is the same as subscribing to his/her updates. I want to retain the right to decide whether I’ll see your twits on my stream or not. If I decide I won’t be doing it, please configure your site so it will recognise my command. Otherwise, you’ll make me angry. And angry consumers love twitting (and blogging) about their disappointments.

Yes, I did use Twitter to vent my frustration. Fortunately, this was how this story began to move towards a happy ending.

Of course this is another shameless cliffhanger. More coming soon!

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By Karen | Posted in Tips and Suggestions | Comments (1)

Surviving a Recession, Email Signature for Exposure, Against Fewer Competitors and More

January 6, 2009 – 4:46 am

Do we compete more against fewer competitors? – I believe many people feel more motivated in such circumstances simply because they guess they’ll stand a better chance to win.

Pharmalot… Pharmanot… So Long, Folks – Sad news here. :(

US will emerge as undisputed top dog in 2009 – How many of these predictions do you think will materialise this year?

Bailing out Bidder 70 – I like bold people, especially when they support the right causes.

What It Takes to Survive a Recession – Five CEOs explain how their companies have been dealing with the current economy.

Five Tips for Frugal Freelance Success! – Tips #2 and #5 are my favourite ones because I can tell from first-hand experience that they do work.

House values start to rise again – In Lancashire (UK), at least.

Why Would Tropicana Want to Look Like A Store Brand? – As a consumer, I can totally relate to the situation described here, because I’ve seen it happening countless times.

A Handful of Tips for the Self-Employed – I’m tempted to put the first suggestion into practice.

Utilize your email signature for added exposure – The final tip is by far the least used of all. Time to try it.

Your Small Business In 2009 – Are we going to see a small biz/freelancing boom in the months to come?

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By Karen | Posted in See Also | Comments (2)

Marketing Agency – Interview with Virginia Ginsburg

January 5, 2009 – 11:03 pm

Virginia Ginsburg is a marketing executive, coach and blogger. Her company Accordion Marketing offers coaching/consulting and writing/design services, with a peculiarity: unlike several competitors, Virginia keeps an up-front pricing policy.

She publishes well-being tips for business owners at her blog Body>Mind>Business.

In our first 2009 interview, you will read Virginia’s thoughts on rejected advice, up-front prices and dealing with different types of clients.

- To which industries do your clients typically belong?

All types of industries, including medical devices, athletic socks, theatrical lighting, professional coaching & consulting, and many more.

I am a generalist trained to quickly understand the root problems of any company and apply proven techniques that will help them accomplish their goals. If a specialist is required, I am quick to help my clients find the right person to help.

- What do you do when your consulting clients reject your advice?

I try to understand the root of their rejection. Sometimes they have greater insight into their industry than I do, in which case I agree with their decision. Sometimes their rejection stems from being nervous about trying something new.

In marketing, there is no single best answer. Rather, we have many options to choose from, so my job is to help clients choose the options that best fit their objectives and their personal perception of what “works.”

- On your blog you say that “our business health is a reflection of our physical and mental health.” How often do you see business owners neglecting their own well-being?

All the time.

- What’s the difference between dealing with corporate marketing teams and small business owners?

The main difference is that when I’m dealing with a corporate marketing team I am working with people who already understand my language and the objectives I’m pursuing, thus, I can be more direct in my recommendations.

When working with a small business owner, I need to constantly check in to make sure that I am educating them as well as advising them on the best marketing strategies.

- How did you develop your proprietary Strategic Marketing Project Management System?

I developed it based on years of experience spent managing marketing teams and understanding how best to work efficiently and effectively.

- Why did you choose to state your prices up-front whereas so many companies prefer quoting projects on an individual basis?

I feel strongly that we are moving quickly into a transparent world in which the typical “smoke and mirror” sales tactics just don’t resonate with modern clients. Thus, I made the (scary) leap to publish my firm’s hourly rates in an effort to foster open communication with my clients.

Virginia, thank you for your answers!

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By Karen | Posted in Interviews | Comments (0)

Has 2008 Been a Good Year for Your Business?

December 31, 2008 – 4:16 am

I know many entrepreneurs don’t think 2008 has been a particularly auspicious year. Do I need to mention the reason why?

I admit this year could have been better for me/my business. However, I don’t feel sad, nor discouraged. I do have some achievements to be grateful for. And these are the things I want to keep in mind when I think about 2008.

What about you? How do you feel when you analyse 2008 from a business perspective?

You have two main options now:

1. You can feel sorry for yourself, recalling all that went wrong in the previous 12 months and lamenting it that your business couldn’t grow as you wished.

2. You can be proud of yourself because you survived to all difficulties; you still have your intelligence, your knowledge and your will to work—things that no crisis can take away from you—and you are ready for the challenges that 2009 will bring.

I’m sure you know which of the options above will do you more good.

Having said that, I wish you a splendid New Year, full of peace, health, friendship and business success. :)

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By Karen | Posted in Opinion & Debates | Comments (0)