Jun 27
Michael Port in Book Yourself Solid delivers a fantastic guide for anyone in business that wants to have a solid, reliable business. This book is particularly useful for people in sales and in the consulting business. From the very beginning of the book he describes the foundation necessary to build a successful practice and “Book Yourself Solid”.
- “Choose your ideal clients so you work only with people who inspire and energize you.” This idea goes counter to the shotgun approach. I have used this “sniper” approach and it has work well for my business.
- “Understand why people buy what you are selling” In other words do your homework. Many businesspeople assume they know the triggers that motivate their customers to purchase their product and as a result mismanage marketing dollars and never achieve excellence.
- “Develop a personal brand so you’re memorable and unique.”
- “Talk about what you do without sounding confusing or bland.” Be specific so that people can immediately ascertain whether or not they can use your services.
Michael Port covers how to get referrals, how to network effectively and how to write and speak with high impact. The chapter on the sales cycle is worth rereading.I am sure small businesses will greatly benefit from this book and find it a productive investment of their time, as well.Enjoy!
Technorati Tags: book review, business, entrepreneur
Jun 26
The Business of Software What Every Manager, Programmer, and Entrepreneur Must Know to Thrive and Survive in Good Times and Bad by Michael A. Cusumano presents a solid overview of the software business appropriate for software managers and entrepreneurs:
- Do you want to be mainly a Products company, or a Services company?
- Do you want to sell to Individuals, or Enterprises | Mass market, or Niche market?
- How horizontal (broad) or vertical (specialized)is your product or service?
- Can you generate a recurring revenue stream that will endure both good and bad times?
- Will you target mainstream customers, or do you have a plan to avoid the chasm?
- Do you plan on being a Leader, Follower, or Complementor?
- What kind of character do you want your company to have?
- Case studies
Software Entrepreneurship:
- Strong management team
- Compelling new product, service, or hybrid solution
- Strong evidence of customer interest
- An attractive market
- A plan to overcome the credibility gap
- Business model showing early growth and profit potential
- Flexibility in strategy and product offerings
- Potential for large payoff to investors
Technorati Tags: book review, business, entrepreneur
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Apr 26
The Long Tail reports Fortune just released its latest Fortune 500 list, with 31 new companies including Google, Yahoo! and eBay in the blog entry Fortune 500 business blogging update.Check out the complete latest listing in this wiki Fortune 500 Business Blogging Wiki - Fortune 500 Business Blogging Wiki or see a summary below.
Technorati Tags: blog, business, entrepreneur
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Mar 26
Even today, Cluetrain Menifesto is still a very important business book and when it was written, it was ahead of it’s time.It has 95 Theses. A few favorites include:Markets are conversations.Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors.Elvis said it best: “We can’t go on together with suspicious minds.”Companies that do not belong to a community of discourse will die.You’re too busy “doing business” to answer our email? Oh gosh, sorry, gee, we’ll come back later. Maybe.You want us to pay? We want you to pay attention.Don’t worry, you can still make money. That is, as long as it’s not the only thing on your mind.We are waking up and linking to each other. We are watching. But we are not waiting.The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual @ Amazon.By Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, David Weinberger. Available at Amazon
Oct 15
This book covers all the basis of being successful with your e commerce business.The E-Code @ Amazon by Joe Vitale and Jo Han Mok. Learn from 33 internet superstars who reveal 43 Ways to Make Money Online Almost Instantly Using Only Email.
- Develop and sell a product online
- Target your customers
- Promote your product
- Market to niche audiences
- Create an e-marketing business plan
Technorati Tags: business, entrepreneur, marketing, Joe Vitale, The E-Code
Sep 15
The Irresistible Offer is good to help you figure out how to stand out from the competition with your offer. You do not have to be a veteran copywriter and marketer. This book is innovative and useful as well as readable, memorable, easy to understand.
- Solid coverage using practical examples
- Make a memorable offer
- Differentiate your company
- Interesting tips on crafting a pitch
- Go beyond the USP
- Improve competitive position
The Irresistible Offer @ Amazon by Mark Joyner.
Technorati Tags: business, entrepreneur, Mark Joyner, The Irresistible Offer, marketing
Jun 27
All Marketers are Liars author Seth Godin speaks at Google, watch the video:
Technorati Tags: google, marketing, Seth Godin
Apr 27
Technorati:
- Technorati tracks over 35.3 Million blogs
- Technorati tracks about 1.2 Million new blog posts each day, about 50,000 per hour
Blogosphere:
- Is doubling in size every 6 months
- Is 60 times bigger than it was 3 years ago
- A new weblog is created every second of every day
- 55% bloggers keep posting 3 months after starting a blog
Technorati Tags: blog, blogosphere
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Apr 03
Heads up! Mark you calendars: Andy Wibbels’s new book Blogwild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging hits store shelves this April 6th. As part of the book launch promotion, if you purchase the book on April 6th through Amazon.com, you’ll receive $50 off your choice of Six Figure Blogging, Easy Bake Weblogs, RSS Essentials or Business Blog Basics. This is a great opportunity to grab this hot new book as well as an online course to ensure your success. Also check out Six Figure Blogging. 
.
Technorati Tags: blog, Blog Wild, Andy Wibbels, marketing
