Running the Amazon Kindle eBook Numbers

by Mary Lou on January 26, 2012

More than 5,000,000 people got an Amazon Kindle during the holidays. And just about every one of those Kindles was empty of content. Which is why content creators – writers, artists, designers, movie makers, and the like – have never had as great an opportunity to get their work in front of hungry audiences as [...]

Share

{ 0 comments }

Guy Kawasaki’s Simple Business Plan Template

by Mary Lou on January 20, 2012

If you have been looking for a simple business plan template, look no further. Collaborating with Microsoft, Guy Kawasaki has created a terrific business plan template in Word Web App that can be customized and then downloaded to your computer. This template is clean, simple, and easy to understand. For each section, Kawasaki tells you [...]

Share

{ 0 comments }

Are SOPA and PIPA This Generation’s McCarthyism?

by Mary Lou on January 18, 2012

Today is the day Wikipedia, Reddit, Craigslist and a handful of other familiar online sites are protesting the two bills before the House and Senate, SOPA and PIPA, respectively. If you visit any of them, you will see something like what Wikipedia has on its site today:   SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA [...]

Share

{ 0 comments }

Why Google Plus Will Blow Facebook Away

by Mary Lou on January 17, 2012

Google plus will blow Facebook away in 2012 and beyond as a tool for business and brand building, among other things. While Facebook may have the current social media edge, Google has big plans to take over that coveted spot with Google plus. Deep pockets and a fierce competitive spirit almost guarantees it won’t be [...]

Share

{ 0 comments }

Is ICANN Leading Us Toward Vanity Domain Names?

January 12, 2012

Based on a recent report about what’s going on at ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the opportunity to buy a vanity domain name like dot Coca Cola or dot Nike may not be that far away. Not everyone is excited about this possibility, as opponents predict we will see a whole [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Are Business Cards Obsolete in a Digital World?

January 11, 2012

Are business cards obsolete in a digital world? Some people say they are. I completely disagree. Not only are business cards an inexpensive way to market yourself and your business at live events, if designed well, they can serve as visual reminders to people when they come across another one of your messages in the [...]

Share
Read the full article →

What’s Your Word for 2012?

December 30, 2011

It’s that time of year when many of us make all sorts of plans for the coming year. Encouraged by Mari Smith, a social media speaker and author, I am choosing one word that will act as my theme for the next 12 months. My word for 2012 is: STRATEGY. Strategy is defined as: a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems forobtaining a specific [...]

Share
Read the full article →

About Your Website

December 27, 2011

Do looks matter? On the web, your first point of contact is most often your website. Old adages such as you never get a second chance to make a first impression apply online as well as off. So about your website. What impression is it leaving on visitors? Do they know what you want them [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Is Social Media Stunting Your Growth?

December 16, 2011

Is social media stunting your growth? On a physical level, probably not. But emotionally? Don’t be too quick to answer no. A quiet but growing number of people are rallying around the dark side of spending too much time on social media sites like Facebook, claiming doing so can foster intense negative feelings such as [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Should You Pay to Have a Mobile Website?

December 2, 2011

It’s no secret that having a mobile website is an important part of doing business today. Mobile users are a) growing and b) demanding more from the mobile websites they search from their handheld devices. But studies show that more than 90% of businesses do not have a mobile friendly website. If  your website is [...]

Share
Read the full article →