Are you going to be in Austin, Texas for South by Southwest? So will I. So will Justin Levy and Colin Bower from New Marketing Labs . While we’re there, I’m definitely up for business meetings with people interested in talking about upcoming projects. I don’t like making set time meetings at the event, because things are a whirlwind. That said, when we get it narrowed down to a day, we can usually do okay on getting a meeting... 

Honestly, has there ever been a better time to be an entrepreneur? I can remember when trying to start a business was a costly undertaking. The newfangled laser copier I bought when I started my first business–script-typing–cost $1,200, if you can imagine. Now, they about give them away if you join a bank. This week for Wednesday Web Resources, I’m chockablock with free online tools for getting your business up and rolling.... 

Share Build Your Brand So People Will Refer You This content from: Duct Tape Marketing This post is a special Make a Referral Week guest post featuring education on the subject of referrals and word of mouth marketing and making 1000 referrals to 1000 small businesses – check it out at Make a Referral Week 2010 As part of John Jantsch’s Referral Week, I’d like to focus on personal branding, as a way to become someone that people want... 

Share 5 Ways to Make Your Business Easier to Recommend This content from: Duct Tape Marketing This post is a special Make a Referral Week guest post featuring education on the subject of referrals and word of mouth marketing and making 1000 referrals to 1000 small businesses – check it out at Make a Referral Week 2010 If I were to ask you what the secret was to getting someone to recommend and refer your business, what would you say? Perhaps... 

We are half way through Make A Referral Week , how are you doing so far? Personally, I need to step it up a little. I’ve made a couple of referrals, including connecting two people that I would like to do business with but haven’t yet. Sometimes, our biggest obstacle to getting referrals is getting in the habit of asking for them. I think the same goes for giving them- we have to remember to ask. So here is a quick tip to help you start... 

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My friend Mick Galuski is sneaky. Every Wednesday, he sends a direct message of a TwitPic of MY weekly comics. Not some weekly comics. MY weekly comics. He knows that I’ll want them. He knows that I’ll get to them soon as I can. And lately, he knows that I’ll send Kat when I’m out of the country in England and in Colombia to come and get them. I wasn’t that passionate about comics again until Mick MADE me more passionate,... 

Business Integrity: quality characterized by honesty, reliability, and fairness, developed in a relationship over time. When doing business, I think most of us would consider strong ethics and integrity to be top of the list of qualities we seek out in business partners. Reputation is extremely valuable in 21st century business. In an age of corporate scandals, suspicious customers, and budgets with very little breathing room, there is simply... 

Last March we profiled 26 ventures hatched by the newly unemployed. Amid signs of economic recovery, we check in with each of them  Read More →

Businesses are facing difficult times right now, and the sad fact is that not all of them can survive. But there are some things you can do to position your business to handle the difficult days that still lie ahead and increases the chances that it will survive to see sunnier days.  Read More →

Having a Facebook page for your business can help you connect with customers and others in your industry. Here are some ways you can make the most of your Facebook reputation.  Read More →

You can spend thousands of dollars on an ad campaign, only to have it all go to waste if your customers are put off by the service they receive when they actually enter your business. If you think your customers are less than impressed by your employees then give your customer service a makeover with these 10 tips.  Read More →

What is it that your customers value? Is it a live person answering their call? Being able to get information from your web site or in email? Find out why focusing on your customer’s preferences is the surest path to a thriving business.  Read More →

Why Word of Mouth Doesn’t Happen This content from: Duct Tape Marketing This post is a special Make a Referral Week guest post featuring education on the subject of referrals and word of mouth marketing and making 1000 referrals to 1000 small businesses – check it out at Make a Referral Week 2010 Sometimes, what you do is done as well as it can be done. It’s a service that people truly love, or a product they can’t live... 

17 Terrific Tactics to Inspire Customer Love (and Get New Business) This content from: Duct Tape Marketing This post is a special Make a Referral Week guest post featuring education on the subject of referrals and word of mouth marketing and making 1000 referrals to 1000 small businesses – check it out at Make a Referral Week 2010 There are two fundamental approaches to generate more business…  Read More →