We all need it. We all know we need it. And every year it seems fewer of us do it. Take vacations, that is. Only 59 percent of 626 small-business owners polled nationwide said they plan to take at least one week off this year, according to an American Express Small Business Monitor reported in […]
Monthly Archives: May 2007
Why marketing hype ultimately fails
Hype is always a temptation when talking or writing about your company or services. Puffing up your features and benefits may seem like a good way to set yourself apart from the competition. But too much hype hurts you in the long run, when people realize that their expectations — the ones you set with […]
A search engine — for products
Maybe your problem isn’t attracting more customers. Maybe you’ve already got plenty. Maybe what you really need is something new, something different to sell to all those customers. Introducing ProductBlazer, a free search engine designed to help you identify new products and locate wholesale suppliers. According to Inc.: “ProductBlazer pulls together more than 26,000 innovative […]
Do you repeat yourself? Do you? Well, do ya?
You should, you know. Everyone is busy, distracted, only half-listening. They’re quite likely to miss your marketing message the first time (or two). Business Week‘s Michelle Nichols says offering your customer the same information in different ways can help get your message across and close the sale. Her sales tips (paraphrased by me): Listen for […]
Having trouble writing about your business?
“You know the really hard thing about writing? You not only have to think up all the words, you have to put them in the right order.” — Rick Broida
Topless car wash
Here’s one sure way to attract a certain kind of customer: Topless car wash. For a few bucks more, you get a lap dance, too. The Bubbles ‘n’ Babes car wash in Brisbane prompted a flood of complaints with a topless car wash for A$55 ($45) and a nude car wash with X-rated lap-dance service […]
F'ree enrollment at MIT?
Well, not quite. But the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has opened the gates of its vaunted curriculum to the masses — no charge, no registration required. (No degree either, of course.) MIT OpenCourseWare is an ambitious project to post all MIT courses on the Internet, open to anyone who’s interested. A “free and open educational […]