Can Business Data Help a Very Small Business? I would bet that more than half of all the hundreds of small business owners I've worked with over the years don't pay much attention at all to their business data. They don't understand what it is They d...

Did you know that LinkedIn creates a rating right on Linked in about you? It's called the Social Selling Index. You can find your Social Selling Index (SSI) by using this link. But first, let's look at what the SSI actually measures.  In LinkedIn's e...

Is it worth your time to blog for your business? If you search Google for the pros and cons of blogging for business you'll find plenty of articles that argue both sides of the fence. I personally know bloggers who make 5 figures a month from their b...

Be smart about protecting your privacy If you own a business it's wise to set your systems for maximum protection of your data, keeping it as private as you possibly can. Even if you don't own a business I believe that it's smart to protect your priv...

Are you confused about how to use keywords on your website? Keywords and phrases (sometimes called long-tailed keywords) are important for your website, because it helps your site get found in searches. Keywords help search engines like Google and Bi...

Have you heard of martech? Martech is a short, insider term for marketing technology. It means the technology you use in your business to market, from things as simple as your cell phone to robust customer relationship management systems. You have ma...

What is an information product and why would you create one? Creating an information product (often called an infoproduct) can help you in several ways. Being the author of an infoproduct helps you establish credibility in your industry. Creating an...

What is AppSumo? AppSumo is a business that offers deeply discount, time-limited deals on software as a service (SAAS) and other business productivity tools. The deals change often, although sometimes deals come back periodically. (The link is my aff...

Creating Your Vision for Business Right Now Usually every January I hold an Envisioning Your New Year workshop, to help business owners create their cleanest and most powerful vision for the coming year. We discuss clearing out the old, the deep wish...

Ask an Expert – Do Handwritten Notes in Business Help Your Bottom Line? I asked Elizabeth Cottrell to weigh in about the use of handwritten notes in business. Are they antiquated? How can they help your business? How do they work? Elizabeth is a free...