here's two websites that sell information
shootsmartertv is pure marketing.
this guy probably doesn't know anything about photography, but he knows how to sell other people's expertise.
he follows working photographers around with his video camera to show wannabe photographers professional photographers at work. and of course he wants your credit card to see the videos.
the socionomics institute sells books and videos bypassing the traditional publisher middlemen..
so here's the message.
if you have knowledge that other people would pay to see..
blog your knowledge one chapter at a time
make a video
get yourself a website.
trade your knowledge for your viewer's credit card number.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
book review: seven practices of enduring businesses
harvard university recommends that you budget $150,000 for their two year mba program. they are gracious enough to note that this does not include the cost of a personal computer.
i got my copy of "the commensense mba" by richard m. astle from amazon.com for one cent [plus shipping]. it's stuff you'll never learn at harvard, yet it is fundamental to running a successful business.
"don't let school get in the way of your education" - mark twain
the seven practices
put people first.
never forget that your business is for the benefit of your customers and your employees... every transaction with customers or employees should be a both-win transaction.
do what you say.
be on time. return phone phone calls. do what you say. you'll never keep reliable employees or good customers without it.
build trust.
everything you do should be open and aboveboard.. if you don't know what personal integrity is, or you hesitate when asked about your business ethics, you should make it a point to learn more....
put needs before wants
focus on prudence and restraint in finances. it's best you start your business small and grow it from the profits rather than borrow a lot of money up front. you don't 'need' a fancy office or car to impress clients with your success. being debt free and a savings account will help you survive lean times.
focus on quality and customer service.
plan, plan, plan
making a business plan will help you think through areas that you would otherwise ignore. things like a financial plan. a marketing plan. read through your plan every day.
sell, sell, sell
marketing is everything. spend 20% of your time networking, advertising, getting the word out.
summary: start small and grow by reinvesting your profits. focus on serving your customers and your employees. focus on quality and integrity. focus on marketing. focus. focus. focus.
i got my copy of "the commensense mba" by richard m. astle from amazon.com for one cent [plus shipping]. it's stuff you'll never learn at harvard, yet it is fundamental to running a successful business.
"don't let school get in the way of your education" - mark twain
the seven practices
put people first.
never forget that your business is for the benefit of your customers and your employees... every transaction with customers or employees should be a both-win transaction.
do what you say.
be on time. return phone phone calls. do what you say. you'll never keep reliable employees or good customers without it.
build trust.
everything you do should be open and aboveboard.. if you don't know what personal integrity is, or you hesitate when asked about your business ethics, you should make it a point to learn more....
put needs before wants
focus on prudence and restraint in finances. it's best you start your business small and grow it from the profits rather than borrow a lot of money up front. you don't 'need' a fancy office or car to impress clients with your success. being debt free and a savings account will help you survive lean times.
focus on quality and customer service.
plan, plan, plan
making a business plan will help you think through areas that you would otherwise ignore. things like a financial plan. a marketing plan. read through your plan every day.
sell, sell, sell
marketing is everything. spend 20% of your time networking, advertising, getting the word out.
summary: start small and grow by reinvesting your profits. focus on serving your customers and your employees. focus on quality and integrity. focus on marketing. focus. focus. focus.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
viral marketing
viral marketing is based on the theory that ideas travel from person to person like a virus...
your friends call you or email you with interesting stuff.
here's an example.
a maker of cell phone headsets wanted to float the idea that cellphones held next to your ear cause brain tumors, cancer, and other evil stuff.
so they made a video showing how cellphone radiation is so strong, it will pop popcorn.
this video is probably a knockoff and not the original.
wired magazine reports that similar videos had more than a million views in the first week.
soon after, when people realized they had been tricked, rebuttal videos started to appear.
this video had more than 500,000 views
google search on "cell phone popcorn" shows over a million and a half web pages.
here's a page that explains the whole story
so here's the message for entrepreneurs
be creative
i love this stuff
your friends call you or email you with interesting stuff.
here's an example.
a maker of cell phone headsets wanted to float the idea that cellphones held next to your ear cause brain tumors, cancer, and other evil stuff.
so they made a video showing how cellphone radiation is so strong, it will pop popcorn.
this video is probably a knockoff and not the original.
wired magazine reports that similar videos had more than a million views in the first week.
soon after, when people realized they had been tricked, rebuttal videos started to appear.
this video had more than 500,000 views
google search on "cell phone popcorn" shows over a million and a half web pages.
here's a page that explains the whole story
so here's the message for entrepreneurs
be creative
i love this stuff
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Book Review: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
Be Proactive is about taking responsibility for your life. Proactive people choose their behavior. Proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control: health, children, problems at work.
Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination.Develop a Personal Mission Statement focused on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. Your mission statement reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world.
First Things First Focus on your highest priorities. First things are those things you, personally find of most worth.
Win-Win is a frame of mind and heart that seeks mutual benefit in every transaction. Many people think in terms of Win-Lose. Win-win is an abundance mentality; believing there is plenty for everyone. Win-Lose thinks "What's in it for me?". Win-Win thinks "What's in it for you?".
Listen. If you're like most people, you probably want to get your point across first. And by not listening, you may ignore the other person completely.
Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions. Together, people can produce better results that they could individually. Synergy is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Do you value the differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you?
Balance means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Here are some examples of activities:
Physical: Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting
Social/Emotional: Making social and meaningful connections with others
Mental: Learning, reading, writing, and teaching
Spiritual: Spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through mediation, music, art, prayer, or service
this is part of the entrepreneur's connection MBA program
Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination.Develop a Personal Mission Statement focused on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. Your mission statement reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world.
First Things First Focus on your highest priorities. First things are those things you, personally find of most worth.
Win-Win is a frame of mind and heart that seeks mutual benefit in every transaction. Many people think in terms of Win-Lose. Win-win is an abundance mentality; believing there is plenty for everyone. Win-Lose thinks "What's in it for me?". Win-Win thinks "What's in it for you?".
Listen. If you're like most people, you probably want to get your point across first. And by not listening, you may ignore the other person completely.
Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions. Together, people can produce better results that they could individually. Synergy is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Do you value the differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you?
Balance means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Here are some examples of activities:
Physical: Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting
Social/Emotional: Making social and meaningful connections with others
Mental: Learning, reading, writing, and teaching
Spiritual: Spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through mediation, music, art, prayer, or service
this is part of the entrepreneur's connection MBA program
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