It was incredibly difficult to whittle this book list down to twelve, but I did it so I could present you with a monthly reading list for the New Year. I believe anyone can benefit from these books, whether or not they are an entrepreneur of any kind, and whether or not they have a…
Unbelievably, it’s nearly 70° in Charlotte on Christmas Day! It’s a bit of a challenge to feel “Christmas-y” when it’s this warm, but regardless of the temperature, it’s still a wonderful day. My kids are happy with multiple electronics devices hanging out of their ears and hanging off of their bodies, plus there is a…
Your face is fabulous already. You don’t need anything to make it better than it already is. But if you like the idea of a bit of extra sparkle and smoothness, then you’ll love these products from members of the Indie Business Network and the 2015 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide.
How many creative entrepreneurs do you have on your holiday list? There are lots of ways to gift them something special, but I bet a professional service or program can be one of the last things that occurs to you. Our 2015 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide Professional Services Department fixes that by offering the perfect…
In previous posts, I have introduced our speakers for #IndieCruise 2016. Just in case you missed them, they are me, Anne-Marie Faiola, and Stacia Guzzo, Kim Jones, and Roberta Perry. There are only 32 days left until we gather in Cancún, Yucatán, Mexico, for this amazing retreat, and I think you will agree that I…
There are surely more than five fatal mistakes in business, but not all of them can be addressed effectively in a single blog post. These five mistakes can. If you hunker down and focus, you can begin to take corrective action on these five mistakes in as little as an hour. Do you see anything…
If you are looking for some pampering gifts to give your friends and family members this holiday season, then you have come to the right place. Indie Business Network members make a host of handcrafted bath and body products. There is so much to choose from, and something for everyone. You can check out the…
If you like gifting candles for the holidays, you are in good company. According to the National Candle Association, 76% of people view candles as an appropriate gift for the holidays. In case you are one of those people, this post will make it easy for you to give the gift of candles to add…
Are you gearing up to launch your dream business? If so, congratulations! You are well on your way to the one of the most challenging and fulfilling experiences of your life. You probably already know that social media must be a part of your success story, but what you may not know is that, once…
When you want to buy something special for someone special, but you don’t know what to buy, but you want to buy something they will definitely enjoy, you need to practice random acts of holiday shopping. Our 2015 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide makes it easy by featuring tons of wonderful products made by members of…
If you’ve been following my entrepreneurial journey for a while, you may remember that I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina eight years ago from my hometown of Washington, DC. This was a relatively easy transition for me since I set up the Indie Business Network from the very beginning to allow me to work from…
Are you disappointed by this year’s online holiday sales? Do you feel overwhelmed at the notion that your products, as great as they are, will still be collecting dust on a shelf at the end of the holiday season? Do you feel like you are not privy some kind of secret magic sauce that others…
What better day to announce 2×4 Live than today — Small Business Saturday! After nearly sixteen years of business ownership, which was preceded by a long career working for someone else, I have concluded that entrepreneurship is the most rewarding way to provide for yourself and your family while you also have fun and create…
As I embrace this wonderful day that we set aside in the US to reflect on the abundance and blessings in our lives, my thoughts turn to my Indie Business Network members, and Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs around the world. While we come from different backgrounds, and we have different hopes and dreams, a thread…
Our IBN member Access Q+A Coaching Call has a new twist this month! Today, we’re debuting a “Hot Seat” coaching feature where a member or two, selected in advance, sit in our Hot Seat so our coaches can help them Masteremind (brainstorm) a specific challenge in their business. As always, our call will be recorded…
Have you heard of Periscope? Of course you have. Have you used it? Have you used it well? Would you like to learn how to use it better, from someone who is one of the earliest adapters … and who has nearly a million hearts!!? (You must know what “hearts” are, right?!) If you want…
After the debut of our newest member benefit, our Member Makeover last month, I knew we were onto something. The hands-on, deep dive, live review of one of our member’s websites, niche, and brand presence not only informed her, but it also informed the entire membership. There is no better learning atmosphere then one filled…
I am pleased to announce the release of our 2015 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide! Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs from across North American are going all out to make sure you have wonderful local handmade goodness to share with your friends and loved ones this holiday season. Announcing the 2015 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide! Our Handmade…
The big day is finally here! It’s the day of our first Indie Business Network Member Makeover, where we take a deep dive into a member’s website and answer their questions and make suggestions for how they can make their online presence even better. We start promptly at 1pm EST (11am MDT | 12pm CST…
Content is important, but community is king. In fact, it’s not only king, but it’s also queen. Content is everywhere, but community is everything. Content is all over the place, and most of it is either an overly sales-y waste of Internet real estate or a repeat (often plagiarized) of content someone else has already…
What an amazing Season 04 we had on the Indie Business Podcast! It was so exciting to introduce you to a Martha Stewart 2015 American Made Finalist from each of the four categories: Style, Design, Food and Crafts. The winners will be announced tomorrow, October 23!! I am gearing up for Season 05, but for…