Have you ever been put off by a salesman who was too pushy, too animated, too boring, or too much of anything? What if that salesperson mirrored your own personality? Wouldn’t you be much more at ease with him and much more receptive to his messages? That is the goal of adaptive selling, in which […]
Continue readingBy Ellen Arndt For the last five years, I’ve personally written and delivered over a thousand business plans, which means a thousand marketing strategies, a thousand competitive and market analyses, and a thousand executive summaries. It goes without saying that I know business plans better than most; in fact, I could easily write one in […]
Continue readingHe’s impressive by just about any measure, but for a teen working on his first startup, Shahed Khan is worth taking a closer look at. Shahed is the founder of Viatask, an application that’s launching 11/22/2011 and has been called Craigslist for chores. There’s no doubt in my mind that his is a name we’ll […]
Continue readingThe internet is the future and the reason that people go online is to browse content in the form of websites. Why not invest in websites? After all, a site bought off of Flippa.com for $10,000 may net a 10% returns for several years! Looking for sites to buy on Flippa may be fun and […]
Continue readingDoes social media make you feel like you’re shouting in crowded room, yet no one seems to be paying attention? Perhaps it’s not you, but instead the medium. About a year ago I wanted to better understand (anecdotally) how people reacted to various social mediums. I posted the same message on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, […]
Continue readingThe results of the first ever Semi-Local Business Survey are in! Everyone who completed the survey really opened up and shared some great information, and we can’t wait to share all the rich details with you. Thanks to all who participated! Tomorrow we will be releasing the anonymous results to all the blogs who helped […]
Continue readingLet’s get real – startups are not for the faint of heart. With any startup, there will be plenty of triumphs and challenges along the way. Your biggest challenge might be not being overly confident in successful times, and not becoming too despondent when facing setbacks. You’re bound to, at one time or another, get […]
Continue readingIt’s very important to realize that your brand is one of the most important aspects of your business. It can differentiate between visitors and buyers, and can also be the determining factor for success or failure. As with any other project, there are several things to consider when building a successful brand for your company. […]
Continue readingIn Louisiana there is a common word, “lagniappe” (pronounced “LAN-yap”), which means giving a little something extra to a customer’s order to build good will, and most of all, return business. A baker’s dozen is a good example. The French also have a similar PR technique called “amuse-bouche,” meaning mouth amuser. A chef presents a […]
Continue readingThere’s no mystical secret when it comes to being a successful business owner. There is certainly no definite set of rules to follow, either. However, you can learn a lot from entrepreneurs who have tried, failed, and finally succeeded before you. We are all bound to make mistakes along the way, and there’s so much […]
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