Should you be on LinkedIn? Plaxo? BizSugar or Open Forum? While it’s easy to be online, the vast array of options can leave even the social-media-savviest business person overwhelmed. At last check, my AddThis button linked to over 230 separate platforms/sites....
Independent Thinking Blog
Independent Thinking
Are You an Entrepreneur or a Business Owner?
My latest IABC Independent Thinking business column is out, and the focus is on how we see ourselves and the shifting terminologies that we use to define ourselves and our businesses and the way we want our clients, customers and prospects to think of us. There were...
6 Keys to Business Success
My latest IABC Independent Thinking column is out, and the focus is on lessons learned over my 20 years in business. The article looks at six keys to business success, including blowtorches, community, quality, and change. Take a read, then come back and tell me: what...
Are Business Cards Obsolete?
I love that there's an iPhone app that lets you exchange contact information just by bumping phones. But does this mean that business cards are becoming obsolete? Business cards speak to me, especially when it comes to small businesses and solo practitioners. The...
Expand Your Team with Virtual Help
Many independent consultants and small business owners are notoriously bad at delegating, whether it's because they don't want to spend the money or they don't know where to start. Yet building a successful business means focusing on those tasks that make the most...
Insomnia, the Apprentice:UK, and the Mind of an Entrepreneur
Insomnia can make you a little crazy. If you're prone to it, then you know that there's nothing quite like flipping channels at 2:45 a.m. and discovering that your best options may be a slasher movie or the 20th iteration of LockUp Raw. So I thought I'd found...
Blogging for Business Value
Have you ever wondered why a growing number of small businesses are investing time and resources into starting and maintaining a blog? My latest column for CW Bulletin is out, and the topic is blogging for business value. While there is no magic formula for business...
Rewrite the Rules–and Thrive
Have you ever beaten out a bigger competitor to win business? How did you succeed? Succeeding in business is all about understanding your competitive advantages and playing to them. For entrepreneurs and many small business owners, that can also mean leveraging...
Five Reasons Small Business Will Weather the Downturn
My new column is out. The Small Business Edge: Why Solopreneurs and Small Businesses Will Weather the Downturn, looks at why I believe that small business has a big edge in this economy. Five quick reasons: Innovation Networks Competition Nimbleness Flexibility You...
Six Reasons Why You Should Serve on a Board
I love boards. Not sawed lumber, though I imagine that comes in handy if you need to build shelter from the rain. But those management structures that are designed to provide guidance, oversight, and strategic direction to an organization. I believe that all...