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…
I am SO EXCITED to share the launch of the Indie Business Network’s newest member benefit: The Virtual Hot Seat. (If you already know you want to be the first to sit in our Virtual Hot Seat, click here to apply.) As you know, our Head Coach, Christine Laureano of Ba6 Botanicals and Ba6 Content…
As a Maker and Handmade Entrepreneur, it sometimes seems impossible to separate your self from your business. This is not necessarily always a bad thing. The democratization of business and the work-life merger have made entrepreneurship accessible to everyone with a good idea and a mobile device. But while the era of sharp distinction between…
Yes, that’s right, another 30-Day Blog Your Brand Challenge starts today! In June of this year, one of my members (Stacia Guzzo, if you want to know which one) told me that she had seen stunning increases in traffic to her website since she started blogging more regularly. Since I have been a blogger for…
Ihave previously introduced you to a few of our speakers for #IndieCruise 2016. Just in case you missed them, they are me, Anne-Marie Faiola, and Stacia Guzzo. Today, I am thrilled to share a new speaker, Roberta Perry from Scrubz Natural Skincare in Bethpage, New York. Join me in welcoming Roberta, as we prepare to…
Would you like to ask the insurance broker who services IBN’s product liability insurance program some questions? Are you uncertain about exactly what is and is not covered? Are you considering buying insurance, but are not sure whether or not you need it? Thinking about switching to IBN’s program, but want to get some questions…
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Welcome to Season 4, Episode 4 of the Indie Business Podcast! This season is all about celebrating finalists in the Martha Stewart American Made Awards. So far, I’ve connected you with Riche Holmes Grant from the Style category, Gilyn McKelligon from the Design category, and Colin Fickes and Mary Collins from the Food category. Today,…
The name of this event has been changed from “Connection Day to Maker Mastermind Live, and this post has been updated to reflect the new brand. For more information about the Maker Mastermind Live Tour, to register for the city closest to you, or to request that we come to your city, click here. Hello…