The Top 100 iPhone Apps
May 18, 2009 by Matthew
Filed under Entrepreneurship
Very few technology advancements get the buzz that I’ve been seeing surrounding the iPhone apps. For entrepreneurs, iPhone apps put valuable resources at their fingertips. Think working smarter and more efficiently.
There are about 20 categories of iPhone apps, easily connecting the user to all aspects of daily living. I am going to take you on a journey through the Top 100 most popular apps in each category.
BUSINESS
1. Quick Voice Recorder with Voice2 Text Mail
This app is like your own personal assistant, converting your voice to text. You can record and send reminders, notes, minutes from a business meeting, your week’s itinerary and other personal messages.
2. Recorder
This app has the dual purpose of a voice or sound recorder. Use your iPhone to record ideas, memos, interviews, and other discussions.
3. Quickoffice Mobile
An integrated app that puts Office Suite applications, such as Word and Excel, at your fingertips. You can view, edit, or cut and paste a document right on your iPhone.
4. SpeakEasy Voice Recorder
Using the iPhone microphone, you can record and playback just about anything, from business notes to weekly meeting reminders.
5. PDF Reader Pro
This app makes it easy to review pdf files.
6. Keeper Password & Data Vault
A convenient way to store all your passwords safely and securely all in one place so they’re available at your fingertips.
7. iPro Recorder
Another great business app for recording just about anything with great sound quality.
8. Unit Converter
A quick and easy way to convert currency, temperature, speed, power and area. Great for entrepreneurs who travel.
9. Recorder Pro
Named one of the professional recorders, this app takes recording to new heights, turning your iPhone into a valuable business tool.
10. Creative Whack
Creative strategies, workshops and other resources to awaken your creativity. This app is ideal for entrepreneurs, educators, coaches and students.
FINANCE
11. Spend
An easy way to set and keep track of your daily or weekly budget.
12. iXpenseIt
This app allows you to record daily expenses spending and monthly budgeting from anywhere at anytime.
13. Save Benjis
Does comparison shopping for you, providing the best prices on the Internet for whatever product you need. So before you buy at a store, you can compare the price to the lowest Internet buys.
14. Loan Calculator Pro
This app can calculate the interest rate on any loan amount and show you your interest savings if you make extra payments or pay off the loan earlier.
15. Checkbook
An app that puts your checkbook registry at your fingertips.
16. Bill Minder
The answer to paying bills late because you forgot their due date. This app reminds you and shows you which bills you’ve paid and which ones remain unpaid.
17. CompareMe
Compare unit pricing on any item or use the app to negotiate price or find a bargain.
18. Tip Calculator Top
Everything you need to discreetly figure out how much to leave for a tip.
19. Currency Converter Pro
This app quickly coverts U.S. dollars to any foreign currency and vice versa.
20. Budget
Keep track of your spending with a quick view of your total income and expenses. It makes budget keeping fun and simple.
NEWS
21. Tap News
This one app accesses your top nine new sources, putting you in touch with the news of the day.
22. Easy News
Get news when you want it by setting your default new sites to your iPhone.
23. RSS Player Podcast Client
Subscribe to just about any podcast from news sites, business journals, trade publications or entertainment sources.
24. Television
Watch TV from your iPhone. You have access to 85 shows from 42 channels.
25. Newpaper(s)
This app puts national and international newspapers all in one application for easy browsing.
26. Easy Gossip
Get your fix of the latest celebrity news from top sites like Perez Hilton.
27. Daily Horoscope
Start your day reading your horoscope. Both traditional and Chinese horoscopes are provided.
28. Pro RSS Reader
This app lets you stream information from any site.
29. World Newspapers
A directory of 4000 newspapers from around the world plus online newspaper editions from more than 100 countries helps you stay atop of news from around the globe.
30. USMC Today
This app keeps you in touch with all things related to the U.S. Marine Corps.
PRODUCTIVITY
31. Wifi Trak
This app finds free and available WiFi hotspots and scans for the best signal.
32. Shopper
This app easily creates your shopping list for whatever store you choose.
33. Bento
This app organizes all the things in your busy lifestyle.
34. Print & Share
With this app, you can print or share web pages, files, emails, images and more.
35. Todo
Provides easy task management for the busy entrepreneur.
36. Air Sharing Pro
This app allows you to view your documents on the go.
37. mSecure
A password protected app that stores the details of all your personal data, such as bank account number, credit card information, or vehicle registration and VIN number.
38. Typing Genius
Improve your typing skills with this helpful app.
39. Groceries
With this app, you can create a shopping list and organize it by category.
40. Keynote Remote
A valuable resource for the entrepreneur, this app enables you to run a slideshow presentation from your computer using your iPhone.
REFERENCE
41. The World Factbook
Gets facts about anything or any country in the world.
42. Wiki Mobile
This app brings the ever popular resource Wikipedia to your iPhone.
43. Peterson Field Guide to Backyard Birds
Wondering what type of bird just flew by? You can find it in this field guide, which is organized right down to a zip code.
44. iSpeak Spanish
With this app, mobile translation is a breeze. Type in the English word or phrase and it translates it to Spanish for you.
45. WordBook English Dictionary & Thesaurus
Look up any word with this app to find its correct spelling, meaning, or similar replacement word.
46. iBird Explorer PRO
An interactive field guide to birds across North America.
47. 2009 World Factbook
Provides all-inclusive information on 250 countries and locations around the world.
48. Advanced English Dictionary & Thesaurus
This app puts comprehensive reference material at your fingertips for whenever you need it.
49. iBird Explorer Backyard
Get info about the birds that visit your backyard.
50. Cocktails +
This app provides the recipes for making thousands of classic and contemporary drinks.
TRAVEL
51. FlightTrack
Get real time flight status, weather reports and more to ensure your business or pleasure trip runs smoothly.
52. Tipulator
Let’s you easily calculate a restaurant tip based on your bill amount and gives you per person amounts for easy bill sharing calculations.
53. LocalEats
Find area dining spots in any location. This app also gives you access to directions, websites and contact information for area restaurants.
54. Airfare
Use this app to conduct daily or monthly searches to find the best airfare deal for a specific day.
55. Translate It
With this app, you have access to easy to use translation software.
56. iFare Finder
Find the best price on flights by entering destination, arrival and departure dates, number of passengers and other preferences.
57. Zagat To Go ‘09
Access to Zagat rated dining establishments for wherever your travels bring you.
58. Metro Paris Subway
Travel in Paris with ease with this app’s handy maps, routes and station info for the Paris, France subway.
59. Flight Track Pro
This app is like your own personal travel assistant, instantly providing you with all the details on flights and live flight tracking.
60. London Tube Subway
Travel like the locals in London, England with this guide to the city’s subway, including routes, lines, station info and maps.
WEATHER
61. WeatherBug Elite
Get linked to the latest live weather reports from anywhere in the world.
62. Weather Radar
This app enables you to view local weather radar from your iPhone.
63. RadarScope
Track any weather event with this specialized weather radar. This app gives you access to more than 140 radars around the world.
64. NOAA National Weather Service
This app puts you in touch with any weather watches or warnings in your area.
65. Sunrise Sunset
Get sunrise and sunset info for any location, or if you prefer the times in civil twilight, it’s got that information too.
66. Wind Meter
Lets you measure wind speed by using your iPhone.
67. Radar In Motion
View an animated map and see live radar in any location.
68. EZ Radar
With this app, set your radar defaults for any city or area around the world.
69. My-Cast One Look
Your own personal weather forecast direct to you on your iPhone.
70. My Weather Mobile
Follow weather conditions wherever you are traveling. This app gives you the forecast for multiple cities or location all on one screen, ad well as radar.
ENTERTAINMENT
71. The Moron Test
Fun tests to rate your IQ.
72. Emergency Radio
Tap into the live dispatch at over 900 police, fire, EMS and other emergency stations.
73. Pocket God
This app gives you access to the latest episodes of entertaining games, such as Tyrannosaurus Strikes Back.
74. SlingPlayer Mobile
With this software, use your iPhone to watch and control your home TV or DVR to play games or watch shows.
75. 3000 Awesome Facts Pro
Get an interesting fact a day with this fun app.
76. The Sexy Ladies of SHOW
This app gets you connected to image and information about the Sexy Ladies of SHOW.
77. Spawn Illuminati
Have fun figuring out these elements of design.
78. Koi Pond
A peaceful image of koi swimming in a pond helps you relax and clear your mind for that next important meeting.
79. Heat Pad
Another relaxing app that presents images of heat spots.
80. Artisan
Let your creativity soar with this artisan rich app.
NAVIGATION
81. MotionX GPS
This app tracks your every motion, whether it’s running or riding a bike. Plus you can share your waypoints and tracks.
82. Compass Go
This app helps you find your way, wherever your travels take you.
83. Traveling Companion
With this traveling app, you’ll know where you are any given time, how fast you’re moving and in what direction.
84. Where To?
An easy dial app gives you details for wherever you want to go. Includes food and drink, theater, area hospitals and other location information.
85. iTrans NYC Subway
Keep track of what’s going on in the New York City subway system with this subway map of timetables, advisories and more.
86. G-Park
With this app, you not only find a parking spot, it remembers where you parked and gives you a tracking route right to your spot.
87. superGPS
This app sets the way to the places you generally travel, like your favorite fast food restaurant, errand runs, fun spots and more.
88. Maps Buddy
This app puts all your favorite places on a map.
89. Tide Graph
With this app, you can get the tides from thousands of U.S. coastal stations.
90. Geocaching
This app brings the global treasure hunt game to your iPhone, making it easy for you to track and locate hidden containers.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
91. Tweetie
This app brings you Twitter for the iPhone.
92. Twitterrific Premium
With this app, you’re connected to the popular mobile social network.
93. Free Photo Text
This app makes sending texts with images quick and easy.
94. AIM
Stay connected with the people on your AOL AIM buddies list with this app.
95. Text-Free for iTouch and iPhone
With this app, you can text messages via email and insert GPS, too.
96. iTxt free texting on iPhone/iTouch
This app enables you to text messages for free.
97. MyPhone+ for Facebook
This app gives you quick and easy access to all your Facebook contacts.
98. mBox Mail
With this app, you’re connected to your Hotmail and Windows live mail and contacts.
99. Quip
Use this app to send photos and texts using Quip.
100. iSendMMS 2009
With this app, you can send photos and messages to your contact list.
So there you have it. The Top 100 iPhone apps. Now it’s your turn to tell us which apps you love! Is there an app you would like to see created? leave a comment.
Matthew Toren
The New Era of Copyrighting
Copyrighting your original works is a good thing. It ensures that no one steals your intellectual property and profits from it. But the copyrighting process can be long, tedious and costly, with the original intent of protection often getting bogged down in the legal process. Now there is another choice that offers a streamlined process, yet ensures that the needs of all parties involved are being met.
Creative Commons allows people to promote and market their intellectual property in a less restricted manner while still enjoying copyright protections that are necessary for their particular work. Anything traditionally covered under copyright law, including books, songs, films, videos, photographs, audio and visual recordings, websites, blogs and software documentation, is protected under a Creative Commons license. While this approach gives you more freedom with creative opportunities, you might still want to copyright your work for complete legal protection.
Creative Commons is a nonprofit Massachusetts corporation that provides free licenses and legal tools so a creator of intellectual property can easily indicate how the work can be used. Creative Commons offers three different license formats: Commons Deed, which is a summary of how the intellectual property can be used; Legal Code, which displays the legal wording of the actual license in its entirety; and Metadata, which contains the important elements of the license in machine-readable coding so it can be found by search engines.
With a Creative Commons license, you have the option of offering your work with “Some Rights Reserved” or “No Rights Reserved.” For example, you can allow your work to be shared, distributed, copied, or remixed by others as long as credit is given to you; give permission for remixes or adaptations of it with certain distribution restrictions; grant or restrict commercial use in which someone profits from your work; or allow full use in the public domain as is.
For online works, an html code is designated for your work and a license button and statement appears on your piece. Anyone who comes in contact with your work will be obligated to follow the terms you set under the license agreement. For published works not on the Internet, you can include a statement on the work or include a graphic of the license button, licensed statement and URL link.
An important feature of a Creative Commons license is its non-exclusivity. You can protect your work from unauthorized use in the public sector while maintaining the right to enter a separate non-exclusive license agreement to sell your work to an individual or company, or receive royalties from it. You can also decide to stop distributing your work at any time under a Creative Commons license.
With the evolution of technology encouraging the sharing of words, music and pictures to create new and better creations, a Creative Commons license is a welcome format for offering blanket protection for proprietary rights. It opens up a world of opportunities for co-sharing while honoring the rights of the creator.
Have you been using Creative Commons to adapt your work? We would love to hear what you have been doing with these rights – leave us a comment!
Adam Toren
The Power of a ReTweet – Join the experiment!
May 14, 2009 by Matthew
Filed under Entrepreneurship

We have posted this on our alter ego site http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/blog – We are discussing the power of a ReTweet! – Join our experiment and head over to http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/blog/2009/05/14/the-power-of-a-retweet/ and hit the ReTweet button! It’s a ReTweetathon
Many of us are enjoying the real time benefits of Twitter and the instant contact and feedback it provides. The advantages to technology like Twitter continue to be realized everyday. For instance, while tweeting is fun and puts you in touch with the latest news and information around the world, retweeting holds many profitable benefits for individuals and businesses with websites or blogs.
Retweeting is simply forwarding a tweet from another user’s Twitter account. For example, if you just read some celebrity gossip on someone’s Twitter account and want to pass it along to the followers on your Twitter account, you use a retweet button to instantly send the posting to your followers.
To make the most of your website or blog, add a retweet button to incorporate them into Twitter. The retweet button does all the work. When clicked on, it will handle all the coding and formatting for the retweet. More importantly, a retweet button will easily enable readers to retweet your content on Twitter.
The advantages of a retweet button are many. First, a retweet button allows you to easily share the link of an article or blog post. A retweet button also keeps count of how many tweets a story currently has, a great advertising booster. Many blog publishers use a retweet button to enhance the functionality of their blog posts.
But the key benefit of a retweet button is the traffic it drives to your online presence. All retweets include a back link to your website or blog, giving you a promotional and advertising advantage like no other. It means that everyone who reads the retweet has a means of visiting your online site. It’s a great way to enhance name recognition for a product or company, to gain more hits for your blog, to increase your website or blog page ranking among search engines, or to increase your Twitter followers.
A back link coming from a retweet has several advantages over one from other sources, such as a blog post or content article. With a retweet back link, the process is real time, which is a benefit for those tracking response time. Think of it as an electronic replacement for word of mouth, with the major difference being the ability to connect with people around the world.
A retweet button is an ideal way to build your individual or company brand and to enhance loyalty and trust among your Twitter followers. A retweet button can also help to build your credibility in a particular area, increase your website traffic or build your Twitter followers even more.
So if you’re not retweeting or taking advantage of a retweet button, it’s time to take your Twitter presence to the next level.
Don’t forget to ReTweet this post! Lets prove the power of the ReTweet here! Do you use any other methods of real-time updates for your followers? We would love to hear about them in a comment!
Matthew Toren
Young Entrepreneurs Turn Ideas Into Reality At The Digital Open
May 13, 2009 by Matthew
Filed under Entrepreneurship
I came across something today which I thought was really innovative, and I wanted to share it with you.
There’s an Online Game that challenges its players to calculate and conspire; a Product Website; and a Science Lab Database. All of these innovations are very different from one another, yet they have one thing in common. Each was created by a young entrepreneur age 17 and younger using free and open technology.
All three of these young entrepreneurs are part of Digital Open, an innovative expo for global youth. As an online technology community and competition, Digital Open supports youth from around the world who have an innovative project idea or just want to share ideas with their peers. It’s free, with registration needed to create your Digital Open profile.
As part of the Digital Open community, you can create a blog and post your thoughts or share interesting links. You can also send notes to peers, comment on notes of others, or take part in the Q&A forum. Or you can challenge your knowledge of free and open technology by successfully completing quizzes and essays that unlock badges that you can embed on your blogs or websites.
With Digital Open, you can also start working on your innovative project, get input from your global peers and easily document how you brought your idea to reality. If you want, you can enter your project into the Digital Open contest.
The competition part of Digital Open features categories that seek entries each year between April 15 and August 15 from young entrepreneurs. There are eight categories that cover just about every are, like the arts, programming, communication and information, the earth, community, science, toys and games, and entrepreneurial ventures. All the submission details are on the Submit a Project page.
The purpose of Digital Open is to give young entrepreneurs a global online community where they can showcase how they would change or enhance the world through the use of free and open technology. Young entrepreneurs can express their ideas, share their expertise and enter their projects through text, photo, video, or a combination of the three.
If you’re a young entrepreneur, Digital Open is definitely the place to be to get your ideas noticed and to share ideas and experiences with peers from around the world. Who knows what greatness can come from your collaborations! After all, Digital Open is all about creating global openness in the world so that collaborative solutions to any problem can be achieved.
Check it out at http://www.digitalopen.org/
Matthew Toren
Interview with Young Entrepreneur David Nilssen
May 12, 2009 by Adam
Filed under Entrepreneurship
I recently had the pleasure to interview David Nilssen – who is without a doubt, a very impressive Young Entrepreneur!
David Nilssen is co-founder and CEO of Guidant Financial Group, Inc. Guidant helps aspiring entrepreneurs to invest their retirement funds into a business or franchise without taking a taxable distribution or incurring penalties. A strong believer in broad diversification and hands-on investing, Nilssen is regularly invited to speak at top venues throughout the country as a leading expert in alternative small business financing. Along with his 100+ employees, Nilssen has helped nearly 6,000 individuals use their retirement funds to invest in alternative assets.
Under his leadership, Guidant was named the 6th fastest growing company in WA, and is currently known as the largest provider in the franchise financing industry. Its success has earned the company top national and regional recognition, including: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Small Business (2007 & 2008); Bellevue Chamber of Commerce Eastside Small Business of the Year (2007); Washington CEO Magazine Best Companies to Work For (2007 & 2008); and U.S. Chamber of Commerce NW Small Business of the Year (2007). In 2008, his firm was included on the Inc. 500 list (#384).
In 2007, the Small Business Administration (SBA) named Nilssen the national Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, and the Puget Sound Business Journal named him one of the top 40 entrepreneurs under 40 years of age. In 2008, Ernst and Young named him a finalist for their coveted Entrepreneur of the Year award.
An avid investor himself, Nilssen has purchased millions of dollars in real estate and helped to initiate many businesses within the service industry, including a real estate agency/property management firm and real estate development company. Nilssen, and his company, have been highlighted in media sources such as CNBC, Fortune Magazine, The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal.
1. What is the start-up story behind your business venture?
I was developing real estate in Bremerton, Wash., in 2002. The market was prime! That year, a friend introduced me to a real estate broker from Bellevue, Wash., who had built a business around helping investors find both speculative and income producing properties. Soon after meeting, we decided to work together on a major real estate project – one that required more capital than we had. When we asked our attorney for her advice on raising additional funds, she suggested we look at self-directed IRAs as a potential source of investment capital. Although it was still a fairly new concept to her, she explained that one could actually invest their retirement assets in real estate without taking a taxable distribution or incurring penalties. I specifically remember looking across the table at my business partner and thinking “What?!” If that was true, I could see it being huge for my real estate development business.
That meeting with our attorney launched a frustrating research and development project. It was frustrating because there were only a handful of companies that provided “real estate IRAs” and they all had different interpretations of the laws, their fees were expensive, and their processes were slow and complicated. After some heavy duty research and paperwork, we finally got a handle on the process and helped one person invest their IRA funds in one of our projects. We were amazed – and so were they, when they got a fantastic return in less than 12 months! Word got out, and the phone started to ring…. This business was started by an accident of fate, but we ran with it. We hired the right team and built a customer-centric organization around investing with self-directed IRAs. Six years later, we made the Inc. 500 list!
2. What is your definition of success, and has your company achieved it?
Have we achieved success? Sure – a level of it. Our clients have been very successful because we’ve given them access to alternative investments and to a level of personal financial control many never knew was possible. To me, their success is also ours. I have an insatiable appetite for both personal and professional development, and I’ve been privileged to watch Guidant play a role in this development in clients and employees. Despite inevitable ups and downs, my belief in our mission and the viability of our products remains as high as ever. While we have definitely achieved a high level of success, I believe we will enjoy even more success in the future.
3. To what do you attribute your company’s recent achievements?
I believe our achievements are due to the fact that we hired a great team, focused on our customers as unique individuals with unique needs, and we continue to invest in scalable technology. Each year we realize productivity gains because we continue to improve our customer experience without having to scale overhead.
4. What 4 pieces of advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
A. “Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously.”
Although it can apply to all aspects of life, when it comes to business, this quote by Ben Zander is one of my very favorites. I often find that too many new entrepreneurs are afraid to be wrong, or they’re not open to outside feedback or employee perspectives. You don’t have to do it all, you don’t have to pretend you’re invincible, and it’s okay to be wrong!
B. Invest in technology so your business can scale!
It seems expensive at first, but if it’s done right, it will pay significant dividends as your business grows.
C. Hire potential first, experience second.
Some of the greatest hiring investments we ever made were in people who had infectious energy, tremendous ambition and a passion for teamwork and excellence.
D. Have fun.
I have to include this! You spend more time at the office than you do with your family. So believe in what you do, love those you work with and enjoy the time you’re there. If you don’t, then it becomes just a job — one with 100 times the stress!
5. Describe/outline your typical day?
5:30 a.m. Wake up and have breakfast
6:15 – 7:30 a.m. Work out at the gym
8:00 a.m. Head to work after grabbing a Starbucks and a newspaper
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Work on projects for the Seattle Entrepreneur Organization (I’m a Board member)
9:00 – 11:30 a.m. Attend various meetings, participate in conference calls and respond to email
11:30 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch (Generally a meeting)
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Catch up on email (It’s never-ending!)
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Have one-on-one’s with staff
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Research and write for blogs or articles
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Re-cap with senior executives
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Plan for tomorrow’s meetings
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Dinner
8:00 – 10:00 p.m. Catch up on TIVO or read a book
10:00 p.m. Head to bed and think about where the next phase of growth will come from, how we stay ahead of our competition, what training to give staff… Eventually I get back up about 11:30 p.m. and start responding to email again. An iPhone is dangerous for insomniacs!
6. Where did your organization’s funding/capital come from, and how did you go about getting it?
We started Guidant with less than $10,000 and a couple of laptops. The company was cash-flow positive from the get-go. Recently, a few of our executives asked to invest in the company. We felt like this was a great example of a team truly believing in the company’s potential, so there are a couple of convertible notes outstanding.
7. What stops you from throwing in the towel and giving up during those frustrating days of running your business?
You get frustrated because you are not seeing the results you want and that you know are possible. If you sincerely care about the business, then you generally don’t want to throw in the towel. There is a greater responsibility that an entrepreneur feels. If you are a great entrepreneur, you recognize it’s not all about you. It’s about your staff, your clients, your partners – and then you. If you are a servant leader, giving up is never an option.
8. Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
* Be manically focused on your vision
* Hire great people
* Love what you do
* Do the right thing no matter what
9. Who has influenced you most and been your greatest inspiration?
There have been so many!
My grandfather was an amazing man. As an Oakland, Calif. police officer he saw the worst side of people and yet he always seemed to see the good in others. He was a dedicated husband, an amazing father, a charitable person and a good friend.
When I need a personal pick-me-up, I turn to Anthony Robbins. His message is phenomenal – it’s not what happens to you but how you respond to it. It’s your choice. You have the ability to determine your “state,” and I try to remember that every day.
Ben Elowitz at Wetpaint.com has been a tremendous mentor to me. Ben started FatBrain.com, an online bookstore that eventually sold to Barnes & Noble. Then he co-founded BlueNile.com, which he sold via an IPO. Ben has taught me that only I get to determine how much I can accomplish.
10. What book has inspired you the most?
I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki when I was 20. I quit my job three months later and have never had (as my grandfather would say) a “real job” since. Although it is definitely not my favorite business book, it does provide a simple explanation as to why owning a business is the greatest investment on the planet.
A great book I’ve recently read is The Breakthrough Imperative. It’s a phenomenal book about how great managers get tremendous results. It was written by Mark Gottfredson and Steve Schaubert who are both directors for Bain and Co.
11. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Our marketing budget is heavily weighted toward channel marketing. Our business helps people buy alternative assets inside their retirement plan. The two most common investments made by our clients are real estate and small businesses. Because of that, we spend a tremendous amount of time building relationships with professionals who are involved in those types of transactions. (i.e., real estate agents, business brokers, etc.). Search engine marketing is also a major part of our promotional efforts. Lastly, we have a comprehensive content strategy that has allowed our web site to increase its value for natural searches.
12. In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Unpredictable.
13. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Earlier I mentioned Ben Elowitz and his company WetPaint.com. I am enamored with Wetpaint because of its ability to allow anyone – especially those without technical skill, to create and contribute to web sites written for – and by, those who share a passion or interest. To do this, Wetpaint combines the best aspects of blogs, wikis, forums and social networks so anyone can click and type on the Web. They have created well over a billion websites in just two years off their platform.
14. How do you achieve balance in your life?
Ha! That’s funny.
15. Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 years? 10 years?
Guidant Financial Group will continue to be a thought leader in small business and self-directed IRAs. Five years from now, Guidant will have many sister companies, all of which are focused on helping individuals and entrepreneurs take a more active role in their investments.
As for me – I will continue to be a board member for Guidant, but I do not see myself as the “Chief” much longer. Over the next few quarters, I will look to take on an evangelical role for the company which will allow me to do what I do best (and love to do!).
Guidant wasn’t my first business, and it certainly will not be my last. There are many more to come!
16. If we could introduce you to anyone, who would it be and why? (You never know who we know!)
That’s easy: Magic Johnson. I was a HUGE Lakers fan growing up, and Magic was/is my all-time favorite basketball player. He’s had phenomenal success, faced tremendous adversity and is a very successful businessman.
A very close second would be Anthony Robbins – mainly for the same reasons, but he also inspires and motivates me.
—————–
Adam Toren








