Are you a soapmaker? Are you still making your soaps in a small room or two in your home? There is nothing wrong with that, but if you want some inspiration to take things to the next level by getting having your own soapmaking studio, then look no further than our member and soapmaker extraordinaire,…
Business is built on real relationships with real people, yet too many Makers and Creative Entrepreneurs think that if a marketing strategy does not produce quick sales, it’s not a good marketing strategy. That’s not true, and I’m going to tell you why. After 15 years in business, I’ve learned that the marketing strategies that…
Last month in this post, I introduced you to Anne-Marie Faiola who will be speaking on #IndieCruise2016 Mastermind on the topic of Practical Tips to Organize Your Business for Stunning Success and Unsurpassed Productivity. Today, I’m excited to introduce you to another speaker: the lovely Stacia Guzzo of Handcrafted Honey Bee in Tehachapi, California! Join…
Today, I purchased my ticket to the 2015 Martha Stewart American Made Summit, set for Saturday, November 7, in New York City. If you have not purchased your ticket, you can do so here … and save $50 if you share the event on Facebook as you register. (I did!) Whether or not you are…
How you define success has a lot to do with how you interpreted the title of this post when you read it. Did you take one look and conclude that it was just click bait? Or maybe you read it and muttered that there is no such thing as an overnight success. If you thought…
This quote from my Shareable Image Gallery makes it easy to remember why it’s so important to maintain a manageable product line. No matter what kind of business you have, if you have too many products in your line, you will never have enough time to actually marketing and sell them. “ It’s better to…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, I host #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our topic tonight was DONNA MARIA’S PHILOSOPHY ON DIFFERENT STUFF. I chose this topic because some random…
No matter what kind of business you have, and no matter what type of product or service you offer, you must be an entrepreneur first. Most Makers and Creative Entrepreneurs do not start out with an entrepreneurial mindset (I didn’t), and that’s OK. It is a process. It does not happen all at once. But…
I spent last week learning how entrepreneurship is like baseball. Well, really, I spent it watching my son play about a million baseball games at the beach. Before last week, I knew little about baseball. I thought it was about hitting a ball hard, and running around the bases, with the goal being to get…
One of the most important jobs you have as an online entrepreneur is to regularly write and publish content that attracts people to your website, nurtures customer relationships and builds a solid platform for your business. At times, this job is so daunting that you may be tempted to hire someone to write for you…
If you have read my blog for even a few weeks, you know how important it is that you maintain a blog to support your business. When I first started blogging, my intention was simply to have a place to share my thoughts ideas, and connect personally with members and prospective members of the Indie…
Other than incredible relationships, the things that have contributed most to the long-term success and sustainability of my business are the systems I use to manage it. Your success is in your systems, and this post is about helping you implement the systems you need to enjoy success as an entrepreneur. When I quit my…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, I host #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our topic tonight was HOW TO BUILD A STRONG COMMUNITY AROUND YOUR BRAND. I chose this topic…
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Welcome to Season 3, Episode 10 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this tenth episode of my Makers on Main Street series, you’ll meet La Shonda Tyree of Handmade Soap Coach in Paterson, New Jersey. Before La Shonda opened her soapmaking studio in Paterson, New Jersey, her business underwent multiple changes and growing pains. She…
In January 2015, I launched a training project called Blog Your Brand, exclusively for select Indie Business Network members. It was by application only, and one of the requirements was that you had to publish a new blog once a week or you would be removed from the group. Yes, that’s how serious I am…
Tomorrow is the last day to take advantage of the UBER Early Bird Rate for Connection Day 2015, which will take place September 13-14 in New York City! Here is the link to reserve your spot now. In addition to being a great excuse to spend a few days in New York City, Connection Day…
One of the things I learned early on in my entrepreneurial journey is that, while opportunities come to everyone, not everyone is ready for the opportunities that come to them. I made this short video tip to emphasize this point. After I posted this video to Instagram, one of our members, Carrie Seibert of Soap…
Last month, I wrote a post called 8 Ways to Add Value to Professional Facebook Groups. This companion post drills down a bit more to share a 5-step approach to promoting your business in Facebook groups without being “that smarmy, slimy, salesy person.” I have seen some otherwise healthy Facebook groups and forums in other…
As you may know, in January 2016, I will host the 6th Annual #IndieCruise Mastermind, a retreat for Makers and Creative Entrepreneurs. If you have not yet registered, you can grab one of the very few spaces left at this link. I am pleased to introduce you to Anne-Marie Faiola, one of the incredible speakers…
On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, I host #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our topic tonight was HOW TO REGAIN MOMENTUM AFTER YOU’VE LOST IT. I chose this topic because…
We are closing in on the end of Season 3 of the Indie Business Podcast. Our theme, Makers On Main Street, is one of the most fun topics I have covered since I began podcasting in 2005. It’s thrillling to draw out the stories of Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs who own and manage retail stores…