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From Darrell Zahorsky,
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Entrepreneurs in Space
Discovery Launch Photo courtesy of NASA
Following two delayed attempts, Discovery was successfully launched at 2:37:55 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center marking NASA’s first-ever shuttle flight to leave Earth on Independence Day. The successful mission helps pave the way for the future of space missions and entrepreneurship. Space spending has climbed to $50 billion a year worldwide, according to Business 2.0.
NASA's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) mission is to "fully integrate small, small disadvantaged, and women owned small businesses into the competitive base of contractors from which NASA regularly purchases goods and services and urge NASA's prime contractors to do so in their subcontracting activities." During 2004, NASA awarded a total of $847 million to women owned small businesses; $323 million in prime contracting and $524 million in subcontracting. An opportunity for small business to gain a piece of the space market.
Tuesday July 4, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
Web 2.0
Is your small business still sitting in the sidelines of the Internet, adopting a wait-and-see attitude? Has your business moved beyond the early Internet of websites, email, and ecommerce? The fastest growing part of the Internet universe is Web 2.0 and covers blogs, podcasts, social web groups, user-generated content, and wikis.
For a look at the new performers on the web, MarketingSherpa's Best Blogs and Podcast Readers' Choice Award highlights the favorite Web 2.0 media in the marketing arena. Winners include:
Across the Sound by Joseph Jaffe Best Podcast on the topic of Marketing
B2B Lead Generation Blog by Brian Carroll Best B-to-B Marketing Blog
Seth Godin’s Blog by Seth Godin Best Blog on General Marketing Topics
Adrants by Steve Hall Best Blog on Advertising
Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch Best Blog on Small Business Marketing
Friday June 30, 2006 | permalink | comments (1)
It Only Takes Five
Five minutes. It doesn't seem like enough time to make a difference in our daily, multi-tasked, business lives. For Rosa Say, author of Managing with Aloha, five minutes helped make greater employee connections.
"We instinctively knew we could manage better the more intimately we knew those we managed. ‘Ike loa became the birthplace of a core standard we initiated with all managers called "The Daily Five Minutes.” It started as an experiment, and it was so effective that it became non-negotiable as a habit my managers were required to cultivate and practice daily. It is a simple habit: Each day, without fail, managers are to give five minutes of no-agenda time to at least one of their employees."
If your still in doubt of how five laser-focused minutes can impact your small business, take to heart this quote from John C. Maxwell's book Success One Day at a Time:
Napoleon wrote that the reason he beat the Austrians was that they did not know the value of five minutes. It took Lincoln less than five minutes to deliver his immortal Gettysburg Address. It took William Jennings Bryan less than five minutes to electrify a great political convention with but a single expression that gave him the nomination for the presidency of the United States. (George Matthew Adams)
For a quick five marketing minutes, Take the 5 Minute Brochure Design Trash Test.
Tuesday June 27, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
Small Business Going to the Dogs
Every weekday small business owners head off to work, reluctantly reassuring their furry canine friends they will be back. For others, life at work means having a little canine companionship. According to The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association survey of working adults, nearly one in five U.S. companies allows pets at work.
Pets have positive effects on human health and productivity. A study of high stressed stockbrokers at the State University of New York discovered reduced stress levels for pet-owning brokers on high blood pressure medication. The simple act of petting a dog increases the stress reducing hormones of the brain. It's just what the Vet can order to help your staff handle the stress of cold-calling, deal with tough customer relations, or improve your workplace creativity. If your office doesn't allow dogs, consider Pet Sitters International's Take Your Dog to Work Day on June 23rd.
Friday June 23, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
Creating the Next Mr. Peanut
Mr. Peanut Photo courtesy of Planters
For 100 years Planters Peanuts has successfully used the mascot Mr. Peanut to make their brand special. Mr. Peanut was created by 14 year old Anthony Gentile in 1916 as part of a contest. This year peanut fans have a chance to vote on creating a new look for the long-standing mascot.
Mascot marketing can be even more relevant to stand out today in a crowded marketplace. In an attention deficit society creating a memorable image in the minds of your target audience is critical. Adding a fictional character to be your company spokesperson can benefit your visibility in several ways:
# Create media exposure for your business
# Boost brand recognition
# Add promotional tie-in opportunities and more sales
Small business has much to gain from using a low cost marketing method of employing a company mascot. Husband-and-wife team Wally and June Blume, of Denali Flavors built an $85 million dollar business on their "spokes-moose" for the brand Moose Tracks. The Moose Tracks character even has his own blog. Don't expect a mascot to save a failing business as witnessed when the Pets.com sock puppet became road kill during the Internet market meltdown. As co-author, Al Ries of "The Fall of Advertising and The Rise of PR" points out, the sock puppet was confusing the advertising with the product. Companies need to clearly know the role of their mascot. "The Bunny didn't make Energizer famous. Energizer made the Bunny famous," say Ries.
Tuesday June 20, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
A "Fatherpreneur"
One commonly held belief of starting your own business is you have to sacrifice family time because of the demanding hours of ownership. In fact, nearly 80 percent of the entrepreneurs surveyed by Business.com reported that they had more or the same amount of time with their families despite the challenges of starting and running their own businesses. Only 21.6 percent said they had less time.
My decision to leave the corporate life once again and enter into small business was based on the birth of my daughter over 10 years ago. After flying around on 200 flights a year and being stuck in the St. Paul airport while my wife went into labor (false labor pains ... thankfully) I realized I wanted more control over my work and life. My path to being a "fatherpreneur" has lead to greater balance, added success, and most importantly, a chance to be a father to my kids. Being a "fatherprenuer" is one of the greatest gifts a dad can give to his family.
Friday June 16, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
Don't Take Email for Granted
Email is still the top Internet activity. According to IDC, 35 billion e-mail messages are generated every business day; an increase of 25 billion e-mail messages daily over five years. Small business has embraced email as a low cost communication and marketing tool. Email communication is nothing more than write and click ... or is it? Although email use has proliferated; proper and professional email use has not. It's easy to resist the need for email management and manners. Incorporate these 6 simple email tips will put you on the road to effective email management. Spend the time to master the essentials of email.
Tuesday June 13, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
Leveraging Customer Interactions
Taking advantage of the opportunity to understand your customer interactions helps learn more to best serve their needs and outflank your competitors. Using the tools of technology such as a database can aid in sorting out the patterns to greater profits or as Ramon Ray of Smallbiztechnology.com blog says,
"Databases are one of the most important things your business can utilize to ensure that you really know your customers, satisfy their needs, and thus grow your business with repeat customers."
Ray highlights how Tesco PLC of Britain has been able to have double the market share of Wal-Mart through the use of customer databases linked to a "Clubcard." Think this is only for big business? As a small business you have the upper hand to get to know your customers more so than the big corporation. Or as Ray states "You are a small business and not multi-billion dollar Tesco however, the principles of how you can use a database to grow your business are the same.
Thursday June 8, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
Deadline Extended for Small Business
The SBA has extended the filing deadline for Economic Injury Disaster Loans for small businesses affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Small businesses hit by Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Florida have until June 28 to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan; those affected by Hurricane Rita can apply until July 26. To apply, small businesses can visit SBA’s Web site or call (800) 659-2955, or send an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov to obtain an application.
With less resources available than large corporations, small business is vulnerable to the impact of a natural or man-made disaster. Take the steps today to protect your small business from a major or minor disaster. Learn how to implement a disaster recovery plan.
Tuesday June 6, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
Where Have all the Angel Investors Gone?
Jeffrey Sohl, professor of entrepreneurship at the UNH Center for Venture Research recently highlighted in a release the current angel market conditions:
"While angels are not abandoning seed and start-up investing, it appears that market conditions, and the preferences of large formal angel alliances, are resulting in angels engaging in more later-stage investments. New, first sequence, investments represent 70 percent of 2005 angel activity, indicating that some of this post seed investing is in new deals. This shift in investment strategies toward post seed investments reduces the proportional amount of seed and start-up capital. This restructuring of the angel market has in turn resulted in fewer dollars available for seed investments, thus exacerbating the capital gap for seed and start-up capital in the United States."
This isn’t a seismic change in the market, as start-ups have always had to rely on bootstrapping. Barry Moltz co-founder of Prairie Angels feels a mistake made by most entrepreneurs is searching for angel investors money at the wrong time. Funding a start-up for the majority of North American businesses comes from the founder's own pocket not from angel investors. Apply the four F's for money sources for your start-up: founder, family, friends, and fools. Angels help bridge the gap between seed money and venture capital. Learn more on "Time to Find an Angel Investor."
Friday June 2, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)
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