Ideas To Deals

Weekend Long Run February 15, 2013

by Michael Bowers

Time to build your base with a weekend business long run. Remember these are articles that I have come across this week that would be good to look at to improve your business. So what do you have this weekend? I am done with the cold and so looking forward to spring. My running is getting better although I still have to take it slow so as to not aggravate my knee. So this weekend I am looking at 5 miles then reading these posts to improve my business.

Blogging For The Small Business Owner  at Ideas To Deals, this week's I2D post of the week ~ Back to the archives because I didn't have time to write a new post this week. This is a good one though, tips to help you as the small business owner begin to think about blogging.

Cameron Mitchell on what he’s learned after 20 years in the restaurant biz at Metropreneur Columbus ~ He has opened nearly 70 restaurants in eight states over his career, Cameron Mitchell probably knows what he is talking about.

21 Content Curation Ideas to Build Relationships and Increase Traffic at Savvy Sexy Social ~ Looking for content? Here are 21 ways to use curated content to create blog posts.

Why small businesses need to pay attention to engagement. at Red Slice ~ Focus on customer engagement and watch your sales and your business improve.

How do you use Dropbox? "10 Ways to Save Time With Dropbox at Time Managment Ninja ~ Tips on using Dropbox to get organized and be more productive.

Why Are Manholes Round? The 10 Toughest Interview Questions at Forbes ~ If you are interviewing or getting interviewed here are 10 questions that you should use or prep for.

5 ways to generate word of mouth for a boring product or business at Damn, I Wish I'd Thought Of That ~ It's easy to generate buzz around a cool and exciting product but what about your product? (Not that I am saying your product is boring).

How To SUCK At Email Marketing by Buzz Builder ~ Here is a slideshare presentation that I beg you to look at before you start email marketing.

Greetings at TechCrunch ~ Don't be that guy ~ Here are some tip on the proper way to interact at conferences and other business events. 

5 Reasons to Blow Up Your Current Website at Inc ~ This is especially important if your website sucks.

Be sure to get out and put in your mileage this weekend so you are ready for your business marathon.

Weekend Long Run January 25, 2013

by Michael Bowers

Time to build your base with a weekend business long run. Remember these are articles that I have come across this week that would be good to look at to improve your business. So what do you have this weekend? Even though we are socked in by the cold and snow of January my running is actually improving. Granted my running has a long way to go so any improvement works. I hope to get a chilly five miles in this weekend  then read these posts to improve my business.

Best Blogs For Small Business  at Ideas To Deals, this week's I2D post of the week ~ With so much content available on the web it is tough to find the best content to really help your small business. Here are 10 blogs that I look to for great content that you may like too.

Email Marketing: 6 Best Practices to Implement Today at V3 Integrated Marketing ~ Many people want to look for creative ways to reach their audience but they should not forget email.

 An Unusual Request: Please Unsubscribe at Sparkspace ~ Do you want to be more effective? Unsubscribe from everything you're not using or benefiting from.

 4 Blogging Basics For Online Retailers at TopRank ~ Tips to help you build activity for your on-line store.

 7 Signs You are Not a Good Blogger at JeffBullas.com ~ Are you moving from writing to blogging? You need to if you want to succeed.

3 “Old School” Marketing Tactics that Still Matter (+ Tips for Bringing Them Up-to-Date) at SBA.gov ~ We all love the sexy marketing stuff but don't forget the some old school marketing methods.

10 Ways Startups Can Use Video To Effectively Drive Sales at KillerStartups ~ Great tips for using video to grow your start-up's sales.

Five of Steve Jobs's Biggest Mistakes at Huffington Post Small Business ~ Some of the greatest lessons in business come from mistakes. Here are five of Steve Jobs missteps you can learn from.

4 Storytelling Techniques That Can Help You Increase Your Sales at Entrepreneur ~ Don't discount the value of storytelling in building buzz around your business.

The one innovation rule that matters most at Forbes ~ Here is the real key in making innovation a major part of your business? 

Be sure to get out and put in your mileage this weekend so you are ready for your business marathon.

Weekend Long Run January 18, 2013

by Michael Bowers

And we're back!

Time to build your base with a weekend business long run. It has been about a month since I have done a "Long Run" post. I considered not doing them but I really felt that is was important to showcase some strong posts I found during the week that could make a difference in your businesses. Hopefully you like the posts I find and I am always interested in what you have been reading so don't hesitate to share some content in the comments.

10 Mistakes Your Small Business May Be Making  at Ideas To Deals, this week's I2D post of the week ~  It's easy to get overwhelmed and overlook some critical elements of success. Here are 10 common mistakes you need to avoid as your company grows.

Learning SEO: What I Wish I Knew Then at 312 Digital ~ Lessons learned in Search Engine Marketing

17 Simple Questions Successful Entrepreneurs Ask Before Starting Anything New at Forbes ~ It always amazes me that many people think starting a small business is all about filling out the proper forms without really thinking the business stuff through. Hopefully reading this will create a new mindset.

15 Nudge Marketing Tactics at Innogage ~ "Nudge Marketing" Encourage buying behavior  by psychologically positioning desired actions in your customers minds.

How to Use Social Media to Do a Better Job of Customer Service at SBA.gov ~ How to use social media to improve your customer service

Don't Take Your Foot Off the Accelerator at The Sales Blog ~ Even if your sales efforts are rocking don't stop doing what created that success.

3 Pricing Mistakes Your Small Business Should Avoid at the Intuit Small Business Blog ~ How are you determining your pricing? Don't over-thinking it.

5 Facebook Ad Tips to Maximize Your Facebook Campaigns at Social Media Examiner ~ Understand Facebook and Facebook's changes to better utilize Facebook ads

Key Methods to Boost Credibility With Your Website at Small Business Trends ~ The content and design of your website can make the difference between converting website visits to sales leads

If You Never Ship, Your Work Is Wasted at Time Management Ninja ~ If you don't get your product to market it is not providing the value you know it can provide. So don't sit on it, ship it!

Be sure to get out and put in your mileage this weekend so you are ready for your business marathon.

Favorite Ideas To Deals Posts of 2012

by Michael Bowers

Time to get ramped back up for 2013. So in the spirit of looking forward I thought I would look back (in no particular order) at my 10 favorite Ideas To Deals posts of 2012. 

Build Your Business Through Public Speaking (Or Kill Your Business, Whichever)

Want To Know Your Customer? Look Them In The Eye

Do You Have a Hot Business Idea or a Hot Business?

Why I Suck At Time Managment

What Are The Real Sources Of Business Financing?

Five Things You Can Learn About Business From Watching Football

Innovation Is? Small Business

Entrepreneurship Road To Readiness

Creative Funding Is Needed For Small Business Success

A Child's 9/11 Project 

Hopefully these posts helped you build your small business. Let me know if I missed your favorite and what you might like to see in 2013.

Best Blogs For Small Business

by Michael Bowers

The cool thing about the internet is that high quality business content from really smart people is only a click away. The trick is finding the good stuff.  Over the past year I have read more business blogs and posts than I could count. So in the spirit of sharing I have compiled a list of some of my favorites. I know can help you get your business running on all cylinders.

Spin Sucks ~ This is a great blog lead by my friend Gini Dietrich. It covers a lot of ground in the PR and communications space. It speaks to the small business owner as well as the PR professional. Gini and a number of guest authors help you understand how to attract customers using traditional as well as digital methods. 

Savvy Sexy Social ~ Amy Schmittauer brings clarity to building a successful business using   on-line media tools to reach your audience. Amy uses written content as well as podcasting and video to help you employ new tools that you might not have used because you didn't understood their value. or simply how to use them.

Entrepreneur ~ This seems obvious but with so many choices it is easy to miss this source. Entrepreneur brings news and "how-to" content focused on the strategy of building and growing a small business.

The Sales Blog ~ If you are looking for content to help jump start your sales The Sale Blog is the place to look. Anthony Iannarino helps you build sales and stay motivated motivated to reach your goals.

Copyblogger ~ Content is key to attracting quality leads. Let me rephrase that, well written content is key to attracting quality leads. That's where Copyblogger comes in. They help you understand how to write content that fits to your audience needs and wants and attracts leads.

American Express Open Forum ~ The American Express Open Forum brings together a number of small business owners/writers/bloggers to create content in all aspects of small business.

Mashable ~ Technology, social, business ,etc. Mashable allows you to step out of your cocoon and see what is happening in the bigger picture.

Time Management Ninja ~ Like many of you I struggle daily with balancing work and personal and trying to get it ALL done. The Time Mangagment Ninja provides very work able advice to help you gain some sense of control.

Tweak Your Business ~ A great resource for small business owners, Tweak Your Business provides content in many different areas of business. The content, written by a business owners, brings "been there, done that" experience to help your avoid mistakes and take advantage of opportunities to grow your business.

ChrisBrogan.com ~ I first met Chris Brogan when he did a keynote presentation for me at the Ohio Growth Summit in 2009. He has stood the test of time for me. He brings great content about on-line business acquisition and about how you can be brave enough step out on the limb and reach new levels of success. 

Remember that growing a business is a marathon not a sprint. There are times when you will feel great and times when you feel that you can't go on. The key is to prepare properly and trust in yourself so you will reach the finish line know as success.

 

 

Weekend Long Run December 14, 2012

by Michael Bowers

Time to build your base with a weekend business long run. Remember these are articles that I have come across this week that would be good to look at to improve your business. So what do you have this weekend? I'm officially training, at least I'm in the base building stage.  I'm looking to squeeze some miles in between my kids hockey games and Christmas parties but I'm definitely going to get in those miles in then read these posts to improve my business.

Do You Have A Hot Business Idea or a Hot Business at Ideas To Deals, this week's I2D post of the week ~ Everyone has the next great business idea (heck, I came up with the iPhone way before Apple did) the key is what do you do to put that idea into action.

4 Cures for Chronic Procrastination at Entrepreneur ~ How often do you put things off? Is it getting to be a problem? Here are 4 ways to address it.

Government Contracting - Learn How The Federal Government Buys From Small Businesses at SBA.Gov ~ Is a $100 million market big enough for you? If so learn how to sell to the government.

Know Your Business Inside and Out: An Entrepreneur's Tale at Millenial CEO ~ Been there done that experience is important.

Using brand personality for social media success at Metropreneur ~ Want to get your social media cranked up? You need to be more than just a logo, show your personality.

Top 8 Google AdWords Changes That You Must Know at I Need Hits ~ Know the changes in the Adwords platform if you want to have an impact. 

20 Ideas on Brainstorming New Blog Content at Hubspot ~ Looking for inbound links? You need to drive quality content. Here are some tips to get your creative juices flowing.

The Call to Lead at Aspire ~ Sometimes it's easy to shy away from being a leader but that may not be the best move for your business or organization.

5 Ways To Banish The Fear Of Public Speaking at Tweek Your Business ~ You may not like speaking in public but you may need to do it. Here are 5 tips to help you overcome your fear.

6 Things Really Productive People Do at Inc. ~ Learn to get more stuff done even with a tight schedule.

Be sure to get out and put in your mileage this weekend so you are ready for your business marathon.

Weekend Long Run December 7, 2012

by Michael Bowers

Time to build your base with a weekend business long run. Remember these are articles that I have come across this week that would be good to look at to improve your business. So what do you have this weekend? It's December and the temps are going to keep going down. This is the time when many runners leave the streets and hibernate waiting for the warmth of spring. Don't do it! Pick a spring race and get back to training. It will help you be better in more ways than just physical.  For me I have begun training for the March Rock & Roll Half Marathon in Dallas. Push yourself to get out and get in some miles this weekend then be sure to read these posts to improve your business.

Creative Funding Is Needed For Small Business Success at Ideas To Deals, this week's I2D post of the week ~ A few take aways from a recent panel I moderated on creative financing.

You Will Never Finish Building Your Brand at Marketing Wisdom For the 21st Century ~ Regardless of how good your brand looks today you can't quit building it or external change could make you obsolete.

Start Using Instagram Now! at Straight Talk ~ Looking for the next big thing? Here it is, Instagram.

8 Essential Twitter Tools for Businesses at Business To Community ~ You would think after all this time the questions about how to use Twitter business would slow down but they haven't. 

10 Surefire Ways to Fail as a Blogger at Independent Fashion Bloggers ~ Great tips to help you keep you blog moving and growing.

Approaching the Cliff: Deficit Talks Raise Concerns for Small Businesses at Small Business Trends ~ It doesn't look like our friends in Washington are making much progress in dealing with this so we better get prepared for the cliff.

Steve Jobs Tips For Hiring Your A-Team at Entrepreneur ~ Your early hires can be the difference between success and failure of your business. Here are some tips on finding the right people to put on your bus.

6 Simple Rituals To Reach Your Potential Every Day at Fast Company ~ We are always looking for an edge and trying complicated things to get that edge. How about about a few simple things to help you move forward?

5 Strategies to Promote Your Blog Post at Savvy Sexy Social (video) ~ You bust your ass to write your blog posts and then you wonder if anyone is reading them (at least that describes me). Here are some tips to help you spread your blog content.

How to Stay Positive About Your Business at Small Biz Daily ~ How to keep yourself upbeat when business tries to drag you down.

Be sure to get out and put in your mileage this weekend so you are ready for your business marathon.

Weekend Long Run November 23, 2012

by Michael Bowers

Time to build your base with a weekend business long run. Remember these are articles that I have come across this week that would be good to look at to improve your business. So what do you have this weekend? Where are you planning to do your running this weekend, on the trails or in the mall? Where ever it is be sure to get some fun miles in (I'll be staying away from the malls thank you) then be sure to read these posts to improve your business.

Planning Leads To Questions Which Lead To Planning at Ideas To Deals, this week's I2D post of the week ~ A few things I would recommend as a start point to planning.

How to Organize and Simplify Your Business Lifestyle at Under 30 CEO ~ Clean off your desk? I'm not sure I can sign off on that one, although I should.

The Future of Social Media: 50+ Experts Share Their 2013 Predictions at Business 2 Community ~It's getting time to start thinking about 2013. Bring on the fortune tellers.

This is why I am not reading or tweeting your blog post at BusinessGrow.com ~ Do your headlines/post titles suck? That could be part of the reason people don't read your stuff.

Taking Your Content Strategy Beyond Blogging at Savvy Sexy Social ~ It's important that your strategy balances SEO and the need for your audience to get valuable content.

7 Ways To Build A Brand Like Bond at Fast Company ~ If you have spent any time with me you would know that I am obsessed with James Bond. Here are seven ways the Bond franchise has survived and thrived for 50 years.

 5 Myths of Video Marketing (& How to Overcome Them) at Inc. ~ Five misconceptions about video marketing and how to over come them.

 4 tips on how to get the most out of Small Business Saturday at Small Biz Daily ~ Saturday November 24 is "Small Business Saturday". Get out and support your local small business owners.

4 Ways to Build a Culture of Innovation at Your Startup at Entrepreneur.com ~ If you have a start-up you may not be thinking about creating an innovative work environment but you should be.

Creating Cool Product Names For A New Product Idea - 8 Creative Thinking Questions at Brainzooming ~ Struggling coming up with cool, attention grabbing product names? Check out these 8 questions to get your brain generating ideas.

Be sure to get out and put in your mileage this weekend so you are ready for your business marathon.

Weekend Long Run November 16, 2012

by Michael Bowers

Time to build your base with a weekend business long run. Remember these are articles that I have come across this week that would be good to look at to improve your business. So what do you have this weekend? Almost Turkey Trot time. I might as well start getting ready for the Thanksgiving feast by getting some miles in this weekend. Then for good measure I'll be sure to read these posts to improve my business.

Entrepreneurship Road To Readiness at Ideas To Deals, this week's I2D post of the week ~ Here are 6 things I think you need to do to get your business started.

Top 10 Ways You Can Use Pinterest Business Pages To Generate More Leads at Boom Social ~ New Pinterest Business Pages are here. New Pinterest Business Pages are here.

Don’t Walk Away From These 15 Learnings Of An Entrepreneur at Little Things That Matter ~ You got to love lessons learned. 

4 Things That Could be Killing your Blog at The Friendly Blogger ~ How many of these things are you doing?

Top 10 leadership blogs via EnMast ~ Can never have to much leadership. Oh yeah, be sure to check out the second blog on the list, ThoughtLeaders, hosted by my guy Mike Figliuolo.

Why is Blogging Such a Pain in the Neck? at Inkling Media ~ If you think blogging is a pain in the neck check your posture (Not what you thought when you read the title is it?).

How to Use If-Then Planning to Achieve Any Goal at 99u ~ Two words, "If" and "Then" have a big impact on reaching your goals.

The New Era of Personal Marketing 2.0 at Business2Community ~ Marketing is not just for companies anymore. 

Why Brainstorming Sessions Suck by Don The Idea Guy ~ Why bringing in an outsider helps to improve brainstorming.

The Freedom To Fail at The Sales Blog ~ Being free to fail means being free to try and learn.

Be sure to get out and put in your mileage this weekend so you are ready for your business marathon.

Weekend Long Run November 9, 2012

by Michael Bowers

Time to build your base with a weekend business long run. Remember these are articles that I have come across this week that would be good to look at to improve your business. So what do you have this weekend? A lot of people have finished their 2012 race calender by now and are recovering and running without a training plan to monitor. For those of you in that boat that are enjoying running for the sake of running enjoy your miles this weekend then be sure to read these posts to improve your business.

Who Are You Talking To? at Ideas To Deals, this week's I2D post of the week ~ Unless you have unlimited funds for marketing you should tighten up your messaging to better hit your customers' sweet spot.

How to Create Better Experiences With Your Email Marketing at AWeber ~ Email should be a part of your marketing mix if you really want to reach your customers. Given that is it the content or the message design that grabs the customer's attention? Yes!

7 Types of Videos You Should Create for Your Blog at Idea Sprouts ~ Here are some examples of videos you should consider adding to your blog.

Sales Opportunities Stalled? Here Are 7 Tips for Kick Starting Them at the Funnel Principle Blog ~ If your sales have stalled here are some tips to get back on top of your game.

How to Write Better and Say What You Mean at Intuit Small Business ~ Over time we tend to develop bad habits in a lot of things we do and business writing is no exception. Here are some tips to help you tighted up your writing to better communicate with your customers.

How Often Should You Blog? at Savvy Sexy Social [VIDEO] ~ The eternal question of blogging, and the answer is...what ever works for you just be consistent.

How restaurants use food photos to sell via social media at Techolu ~ Images of good food sell.

9 Things To Do on LinkedIn at Business 2 Community ~ These things seem pretty intuitive but I still see a lot of people with no photo and half-assed profiles so you people need these LinkedIn tips.

8 Habits of Remarkably Successful People at Inc. ~ OK here is another post about things that you should do to be successful that you probably aren't doing. Get to it.

How to Find and Work with Guest Bloggers at April Marketing Musings ~ Tired of carrying the whole load of creating the content for your blog? Think about bringing in some guest bloggers. Here are some tips for finding guest bloggers and how to best work with them. 

Be sure to get out and put in your mileage this weekend so you are ready for your business marathon.

ps...To all that have served have a wonderful Veterans Day.