In less time than it takes to get your chai tea latte, get a marketing tactic that helps you get a real buzz about your business.
In this episode of the Monday Media Marketing Minute, I share my secrets for a start up or small business owner to do market research on a budget.
And don’t forget to help me with my market research by taking this quick survey. (See I practice what I preach.)

Money Magazine just released a report on the best and worst states to start a business in the US.
Not surprisingly, my state, New York, is ranked in the bottom five. I’ll admit, we’re lucky to have New York City in our state, because if we didn’t we’d be the worst! (That honor goes to Washington, DC.) As a small business owner, I can tell you personally they have several “Jim Crow”-type laws that make it nearly impossible to compete with the bigger companies – especially for much-coveted state contracts.
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council’s rankings were based on more …read more

Have you every wondered what makes some start ups succeed when others fail?
In this exclusive audio series for Start Up Spark, I’ll be sharing the winning strategies that will help any small business owner build a solid foundation to achieve success.
Today’s lecture:
Know, Love & Trust Your Customer
So many start ups fail because owners think they have a really cool idea, but have never checked with their target market if the cool idea is cool enough for them.
While listening to this audio program, ask yourself this question: How can I improve the lives of my customers today?

My business, Cherry Communications, is in a growth stage. It’s exciting – and it’s exhausting. I needed help, but I thought it would take more time to train others and get things exactly where I wanted them to be, than to do it myself.
Jack G. Hardy recently wrote about this dilemma. He said:
Effective leaders are deeply aware they are ultimately accountable for the organization’s performance. They know they can’t achieve results alone. They give power to the organization’s core values. They develop a team they can trust unequivocally.
You see, I was scared to expand, because I thought I needed …read more

Have you every wondered what makes some start ups succeed when others fail?
In this exclusive audio series for Start Up Spark, I’ll be sharing the winning strategies that will help any small business owner build a solid foundation to achieve success.
Today’s lecture:
Automate with systems

 
I’ve increased my available time and my profitability by putting systems in place.  And if you are serious about your business, you need to as well!
While listening to this audio program, ask yourself these questions: What systems do I already have in place?  What other ones do I need?  If I died tomorrow is there a way …read more

Have you every wondered what makes some start ups succeed when others fail?
In this exclusive audio series for Start Up Spark, I’ll be sharing the winning strategies that will help any small business owner build a solid foundation to achieve success by building a successful foundation.
Today’s lecture:
When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
It’s been on the mind of fellow b5 media blogger Liz Strauss at Successful Blog. Seeing the future keeps your eyes on the real prize: business success. So in this podcast, second in the series, learn how to use strategic planning to build …read more

The day has finally come. After months of hard work, you hang out the sign that says ‘Grand Opening.’ You’re officially a small-business owner.

Now would be a really good time to start thinking about how and when you’ll shut …read more