In an issue of Popular Science magazine, I read how Cub Cadet who makes lawn mowers, enlisted the help of aeronautical engineers to improve their mower blades. The result was a blade that could cut and also clean up after itself better. Basically, the propellers formed a kind of air vortex that swept more of the cut grass into the bags rather than scattering them on the ground. I love reading about technology transfer like this and reminds me there’s always some way to use technology from another industry in our own business. It also reminds me, in order to…

A Winner Brand is an enviable place to be. It ignites a favorable reaction to all who come in contact with it you. The Winner Brand can be a company, a product a person, or a place. The Winner Brand is hinged on strong brand values and a compelling message. It has outstanding characteristics. The Winner Brand is the product of a concerted effort to be the best it can be. For the sake of this article, I am addressing the personal Winner Brand. What can you do to be a Winner Brand? • Build your expert profile In order…

Why not? After all, modern entrepreneurs like us rely a lot on email. I know I do. Often times, the emails are our only record of a transaction or agreement. So it becomes very important to save them. For me, I simply include the mailbox folder in Mozy and I also make sure it’s included when I do backups to the network drive. But some of you may want something more direct. These three tools may help. Mailstore – quite impressive. Backup from any POP or IMAP accounts. Free personal use version available, commercial versions start at $22.90 Windows Mail…

Thousands of people struggle to publish a website on the web every day. Some want to make millions overnight while others want to start a legitimate home based business. Still others want to just find a voice by blogging. The massive size of the web has made it a playground for the newbies and the experienced alike but with millions of people making up your potential audience, how do you differentiate your website from all the others? No matter what your purpose is for having a website, you want it to look appealing and welcoming. The visitor needs a reason…

Don’t you just love spring? It’s a time for new beginnings just about everywhere. There are new flowers and green grass. Birds are chirping and windows can finally be opened to air out the house. These are times for getting out the cobwebs that have gathered after yet another winter. It’s also a great time for newness and improvements in other areas as well. I’m going to be taking advantage of spring myself and get started on some interesting business improvements of my own. Have you ever noticed how even business changes happen during specific seasons? That is precisely what…

One sure sign that it’s time to seek help in your business is that you are no longer as productive as you once were because you are trying to do too much. Once you’ve come to the point that help is needed the next step is to determine just how much. You can find your answer by evaluating your time, budget and your business as a whole. How many assistants do you really need? This will vary from business owner to business owner. It is your decision to determine which areas of your business need the most help from another…

They’re never going to buy you’re the expert. Here’s the thing, you really are an expert in your field, but here’s the rub – YOU don’t believe it. If you don’t believe in yourself , don’t expect customers to believe in you either. You have plenty of sales-worthy knowledge and a waiting audience. Roll up your sleeves and jump in. Failing isn’t the problem, refusing to get back up is. You’ve got a wild idea, but nobody’s going to buy it. Isn’t it better to try your idea and fail KNOWING they don’t like it, rather than presuming to know…

Don’t put anything off, if you want something done for your business, get it done right now. 🙂 I’ve been very blessed this last while, I was able to stand by my daughter’s side through her bone marrow replacement. I can tell you it’s something else to be able to grab the laptop and stay inside the isolation room with her all the while. The beauty of the internet! We’ve been back home for a month but it hasn’t been easy, thankfully she’s completely healed now, cancer free! and we’re just waiting on her appointments coming up for radiation. Not…

We’re visual people and we often make purchasing decisions based on an image alone. Our vision is our primary sense and we rely on it to make quick assumptions about people and products. This means image can play a strong role in both the branding of your business as well as your profitability. Here are a few ideas on how to use great visuals to market your business and your products. Tip #1 Keep it simple. Think about the Nike swish or the golden arches. Those two visuals represent huge conglomerations and yet they evoke a personal experience, emotion, or…

More and more in the popular media, the term branding is being introduced into the business psyche of the watching/listening audience. The understanding that your brand is NOT just your logo, is still the number one misunderstanding of businesses and organizations that I meet. When you understand that your brand is essentially your reputation, then you will understand that “re-branding” your business with a logo change is simply “putting lipstick on a pig.” Put another way: Let us say that you don’t like Pepsi. If I change the logo and slogan, are you going to like it now? No, of…