“The Franchise Disclosure Document provided me with extensive detail, including costs, of running this business — based on those details, I know I can turn a profit from this thing.” When you are researching a prospective franchise business, you are provided with a pile of paperwork. Pages upon pages of official-looking documentation that details your upfront and ongoing costs and other issues particular to the business. This documentation is prepared by lawyers and filed wi... Read Full Story

“The franchise opportunity seemed like a low-risk way to start a business. I can follow directions, I can work hard, and I can qualify for financing. Why not buy into a proven system for success?” Let’s face it. If a franchise opportunity were the tried-and-true formula for being successful and financially independent, everyone would be doing it. In reality, buying a franchise and working that business to stability (and then success) has its pitfalls. Having been through the... Read Full Story

You might think it’s a great idea to launch a new type of hair comb. But if no one’s unhappy with their current hair comb, your product will fail. As an entrepreneur, you need to have some insight into the minds of your potential customers. You already know this. But when you’re managing the details of a start-up or Web site launch, you need to be reminded. It’s just too easy to forget that your needs aren’t the same as your customers’ needs. To sharpen you... Read Full Story

Two Hosters That Did Me Wrong and One That Hasn’t (Yet) I’m just not interested in dealing with the technical aspects of Web hosting. I’d rather pay a hosting service to manage those details for me. And, with the competitiveness of the hosting industry today, it doesn’t seem unnatural to ask a hoster to manage these details both seamlessly and cheaply. In a nutshell, here’s what I want from my Web hosting provider: minimal downtime, unlimited amount of space, an intuitive control panel, good ... Read Full Story

You may have seen the pitch online somewhere: make money by reading emails, also known as paid emails. And you probably disregarded the paid emails pitch as hooey, just another scam to rob you of your free time and your dignity. But there’s a hopeful part of you – the same part that fuels your entrepreneurial spirit – that wonders if maybe, just maybe there might be something to that paid email pitch. Here’s the deal. I signed up for InboxDollars’ paid emails program back in 2006, mostly out ... Read Full Story

(c) 2009 Enzo F. Cesario If you have a business, there are lots of different ways to promote it and make sure you get customers. Having a website is of utmost importance, and by using some of the many online marketing methods available, like blog marketing and article marketing, you can be sure to get a lot of visitors coming to your website. Having the right mix of marketing tactics can eventually lead to increased sales and to the success of your business venture. Here are some of the best ... Read Full Story

Interested in making money online? The website business plan sounds easy enough: create a website, get some traffic, sell some product or compel your visitors to click on ads, and bammo…you’re in business. The costs are low, the margin is high. So what’s the problem? The problem is, making money with a website isn’t quite that simple. You have some serious competition to tackle. And I’m not just talking about competing websites, although there are many of those. (An article by Digital Inspira... Read Full Story

Does you site fit into the rotten websites category? Rotten websites (and this is a personal definition, so feel free to disregard or disagree) are those that lure in traffic, but fail to deliver anything of value. When you have taken the time to develop a site and its content, you might have a difficult time objectively measuring the value you are providing online. So your immediate answer to the opening question is probably something like, “What? Rotten websites? My site’s grea... Read Full Story

(c) 2009 Marcia Yudkin “Your business name must be bold.” Look around the Internet, and you’ll often find this advice. Your business name must grab people’s attention. Sometimes this is a valid guideline, especially if you are in the entertainment, gadget or fashion industries. Too often, however, I see this rule lead business owners to strain for an unusual name, just for the sake of attention. And the very unusualness of the name then becomes a serious liability. Mor... Read Full Story

Sponsorship marketing is a gray area for many marketers. Those who’ve focused on traditional advertising and publicity channels may be reluctant to delve into sponsorship activities or unsure how to find opportunities that fit. Evaluating teams, athletes, events and the benefits associated with sponsorship exposure can be cumbersome, particularly if you don’t have your requirements and guidelines clearly defined ahead of time. Effective use of sponsorship marketing requires caref... Read Full Story