Hundreds Of Businesses Will Be Celebrated, Why Not Yours? In April 2008, we will celebrate Small Business Week. To mark the event, as it does every year, the US Small Business Administration will recognize small business owners for the contributions they make to our nation’s economy, to society and to communities across America. …
It’s been 5 days since I started Indies For The Cure, and it’s getting embarrassing. I know the Surgeon General recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day for optimum weight management. I also know there are studies showing that that’s the equivalent of taking about 10,000 steps each day. When I started…
Back in my real job days, I spent a lot of time criss crossing the country between Washington, DC and Orange County, California. I once went out there to cross examine John Paul DeJoria, founder and owner of John Paul Mitchell Systems, in a multi-million dollar civil lawsuit. But I digress. …
I always thought of Tori Spelling as a snotty, rich, spoiled brat. Maybe that’s because she was one in Beverly Hills 90210. Or maybe it’s because after seeing her father’s 123-room, 56,000 square foot Hollywood mega-mansion, I was just jealous. Either way, when Tori & Dean Inn Love, Tori’s reality show…
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." So says Proverbs 14:23. Preachy, I know, but it makes the point. How many times have you or someone you’ve known said, "I’m going to start a business next year," or "I’m going to do such and such to make my business…
Have you ever turned down $25,000? I have. One of my last traditional jobs was at a law firm. I started the job in January, and in March, the firm increased my annual salary by $25,000. It wasn’t because I was brilliant. (I’m not, but you already knew that.) It seems they had decided that…
Donna Maria hosts a Three Butter Cream contest.
Remember the air traffic controllers strike of the 1980’s? Then President Reagan ordered the striking workers back to work under threat of termination. Those who didn’t return to work were fired. Those who did are now headed for handsome retirement packages. Their replacements earn 70% of the outgoing workers’ salary, yet they work harder and…
Two decades ago, my mother-in-law succumbed to breast cancer. While I never knew her well, I had a few precious opportunities to talk with her briefly in my youth. In hindsight of course, not nearly enough. This month, I am wearing a pedometer. In November, in…
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The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 80 featuring my interview with Lillian and Dave Brummet, the authors of “Purple Snowflake Marketing”. As we all know, marketing yourself and your business is of utmost importance. Donna Maria believes that a…
Has technology ever disappointed you? Last week, my email software program suffered a massive coronary. At first, I refused to believe it, as if ignorning the problem would make it reverse itself. I rebooted and gently clicked all the right buttons. Ack! My mind screamed in frustration, yet I resisted the urge to kill Laptop…
An Example of Living Well When was the last time you read something that impacted the way you perceived life? Earlier today, I read "grow ’til you go" as the part of an endorsement on the outside back cover of a book. I can’t remember the book or the author, but I do remember that…
Going “whole hog” means devoting yourself entirely and completely to something. As Indies, if we’re not going whole hog in business, we’re pretty much not going anywhere, right? And if a blog is added to the mix, the only way to make it worth our time is to go whole hog with that too. Easier…
Forbes Magazine recently asked 20 rich business people — I’ll call them "Richies" — a series of questions. One of them was, "What was the hardest lesson you ever learned?" I thought the answers were insighful. 1. Don’t Lose Focus. One Richie said that losing focus caused him to go bankrupt.…
Donna Maria hosts a Manuka Honey Drizzle contest.
As the leader of the 600+ member Indie Beauty Network, I work directly or indirectly with hundreds of companies to help them maximize their potential in life and in business. For most, both life and business center in large part around the Internet. We shop there, we sell there, we network there, we learn new…
All Indie businesses are special, but face it, these days, anyone with a credit card and time on their hands can launch a competing business in no time flat. Suddenly, your golden egg looks like just like the one at a website that launches the next day. What’s an Indie to do? …
Kill It, Drag It Home and Eat It I once worked for a man named Randall Robertson. One day, we talked about how we could contribute years of blood, sweat and tears at a company and get nothing out of it but a pay check. Having been told all my young life that a pay…
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The Vault is an archive of my first podcasts so there is a record for you to enjoy. Welcome to the Vault Episode 79 featuring my interview with Dawn Fitch. As the founder and president of Pooka Pure and Simple, a handmade bath and body company, Dawn’s success story is truly exceptional. In this episode, she…
People are afraid of different things. In the end, sadly yet all too frequently, they are afraid of success. Afraid that their business will succeed beyond their wildest dreams and propel them skyward. They have a fear of flying. OOOPS!! PICTURE INTENTIONALLY DELETED How do you get over a fear of flying? By flying of…
More and more these days, there’s a business happening behind those doors. According to "Home Offices On The Internet," a study by International Data Group, nearly a third of US households includes an income-generating or corporate home office. If that’s true, you have a world of valuable, low-cost networking opportunities right outside your front door.…