Recently I was interviewed by a fellow internet marketing guru for an upcoming product launch. The interviewer asked me how I got started in the business. I told my usual story about working for the “man” and getting sick of making someone else rich.  The interviewer also asked me what I thought the one thing … Continue reading “Overcoming The Fear of Starting an Online Business”

Starting your own business comes with a unique set of challenges. When I started my first internet based business I had the challenge of creating products. I had the motivation, resources, capital, and inspiration to start my own business, but not the products. Without anything to sell there is no business or money coming in. … Continue reading “Products That Sell”

I consider myself an entrepreneur. In the course of my business career I have started three independent internet marketing businesses. I don’t have any plans to start anymore at the moment but if the right opportunity arises I will. The question at that time will be do I buy an existing business or do I … Continue reading “Should You Start or Should You Buy a Business”

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That old saying never rings truer than for internet based businesses. Marketers have one shot to entice customers and they do it with their landing pages. The landing page is the first contact a prospective buyer has with you when coming from an outside … Continue reading “Creating Cash With Landing Pages”

When you first start your business there is a lot of D-I-Y work to be done. One of the first orders of business is to choose a name to represent your brand. The name of your business is an important step. Your name will be a reason people decide to hire you or not, and … Continue reading “How to Name Your Business”

I occasionally travel for business. I go to conferences across the country (anyone going to Affiliate Summit this year?) and sometimes my presence is required at the Wealth Authority headquarters in Orlando, Florida. Traveling for work can be fun, but dragging my laptop around brings down the whole experience. Laptops and notebooks have gotten a … Continue reading “Can a Tablet Replace the Laptop in the Business World?”

Well crap, they told me I was doing it wrong again. Twitter. I just read a new study that shattered what I’d been told about how to use the social media tool. I can’t say I’m surprised. Businesses and people are still on a journey to figure out this whole social media whirlwind. But it’s … Continue reading “Using Twitter for Fun and Profit”

I went to a conference about a year ago to try to meet more people in the internet marketing industry. I wanted to meet some more joint venture partners and the only way to do that is to ask. As someone with a well-established business conferences have been hit or miss for me over the … Continue reading “A Beginners Marketing Plan”

If you wear skinny jeans, suspenders for reasons other than to hold your pants up, are under the age of 25, and respond positively to the term “hipster” then you have a blog.  Blogs these days are a dime a dozen. Wherever you go, be it the coffee shop, bookstore, or a cocktail party, undoubtedly … Continue reading “Will Your Business Benefit from a Blog?”

Donald Trump did it successfully. Southwest Airlines thrives on it. Hell, even I did it. Many great businesses have been built using friends and family. So how come everybody says “NEVER hire friends or family?” Donald Trump hired three of his children to work for his real estate company. Southwest Airlines boasts it has 763 … Continue reading “How to Make Hiring Friends and Family Work”

Conversion rate. It’s internet marketing jargon that nearly every business owner throws around. If you’ve ever done a joint venture or a swap, your partner has asked you at what rate is your promotion converting. It’s a number any boss wants to know when deciding if a promotion did well or not. Basically you can’t … Continue reading “How to Improve Your Conversion Rates”

An old boss once told me “Hire Slow, Fire Fast”. It was her mantra on how to hire the best person for the job. That phrase has stuck with me throughout the years. It’s taken me through my days working for ‘the man’ to now, when I’m ‘the man’. It’s a hiring principle I adhere … Continue reading “Finding 'The One'”

Several years ago I spoke at a conference for internet marketers in South Florida. I spoke endlessly about ways to start and grow an online business. After each session I spoke at I would ask the crowd if they had any questions. Inevitably, there were many. I don’t remember what anyone asked me, except for … Continue reading “The Most Used and Most Important Skill”

Methods to Price Your Products What was the last thing you bought? For me it was a pair of jeans. When I was considering buying them I took a couple of things into account. One was price, another was need, and a third was quality. Those are the basic principles we use to determine if … Continue reading “Name Your Price”

Do you own a camera? (A simple digital “point-and-shoot” counts.) Do you enjoy taking photos of your family, friends, kids… even pets? Maybe you like shooting scenery, trees, plants, flowers mountains, farms, buildings, or flowers in your backyard, home town, or nearby natural areas? How about vacations – do you take snapshots of famous monuments, … Continue reading “Turn Your Camera Into a Cash Generator”

You’ll need more than a great idea and a business plan to start your business. One of the first decisions you’ll have to make as an entrepreneur is what legal form your new company should take. There are quite a few to choose from; corporations, LLC’s, sole proprietors, partnerships, and the list goes on and … Continue reading “Forming Your Business”

Michael S. is a big fan of thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales. He makes the rounds during his spare time, checking for bargains. But he’s not looking to save a buck on some furniture. And he’s not a potential subject for the next episode of the reality show “Hoarders.” He actually profits from … Continue reading “Border’s Loss Is Your Gain – Cashing in on Online Book Selling”