I’m sure you’ve heard of FAQs–Frequently Asked Questions. They’re a feature of almost every website about a product or service and they’re an easy way to get out of having to repeat the same information over and over again. But have you heard of an IFAQ–Infrequently Asked Questions? Probably not, because I just made it [...]
Category Archives: Grow your own business
Go, go, go, go–stop!
Is there anyone more dedicated to multi-tasking than an entrepreneur?
It’s what we have to do–check our email, Twitter, LinkedIn, catch that newcast and that podcast, and maintain the company blog and vlog and have a peek at that YouTube video everybody’s talking about, and check to make sure our Android hasn’t just called our Blackberry.
Sure [...]
When can a limitation be your friend?
We’ve all heard that necessity is the mother of invention, meaning that limitations can lead to a breakthrough.
In practice usually we think of necessity and limitations as a pain in the behind.
However, reality often bears out the cliche, as in the case of one of the members of the Monty Python group, Terry Gilliam.
In his [...]
The simplest time management system in the world
There are lots of great time management systems out there that you can use. Some of them, unfortunately, take a lot of time.
Kind of a paradox, isn’t it?
That’s why I suggest what I call the simplest time management system in the world. It has four steps:
1. Make a list of everything you need to do.
2. [...]
Can you tell us your USP in 10 words? Too many!
So what is it that makes your product or service special or even unique?
How many words does it take for you to tell us? Here’s a challenge: do it in six.
If you need inspiration, go to www.sixwordstories.net.
Probably the best (certainly the most heart-breaking) example of a six word story came from Ernest Hemingway:
“For sale: baby [...]
What those Super Bowl ads can teach us about selling
Now that Super Bowl 2011 is but a memory, it’s time to look back and assess what all those expensive ads–both the hits and the flops–can teach us about not only advertising but selling in general:
1. You can’t go wrong with dogs. The two that tied for first place both featured dogs. In one, a [...]
Uninspired? Bring in a “wildie”
Do your brainstorming meetings end up with everybody still thinking IN the box? Do your meetings bog down into sheer boredom? Take a tip from the filmmaking world–both old and new.
In a recent interview, filmmakers the Coen brothers said that when silent-film maker Hal Roach had a story conference, he’d bring in an inmate from [...]
It’s not always about the problem
At Mashable.com Luke Williams wrote about “how to develop ideas that will disrupt your industry.”
One of his key points is that although everybody says the way to prosper is to identify a problem and solve it, there are many successful ventures that don’t do this. His example is “Little Miss Matched,” a company that sells mis-matched [...]
Your secret productivity weapon: the humble checklist
Every entrepreneur has the challenge of getting everything done in the time available. There are lots of productivity tools available but many of them, especially some of the software programs, have a steep learning curve. If your time is already tight, where will you find the time to learn them?
It’s better to start with some [...]
Are you using the most powerful marketing method on earth?
You probably already know what the most valuable marketing method on earth is: word of mouth. However, many businesspeople are shy about asking for referrals—it’s a variation of the fear of rejection. Even when a customer has expressed satisfaction with our business, it can be difficult to summon up the nerve to ask for names [...]