Iam pleased to announce the final Indie Business Revolution event of the year! It will take place at the lovely Bay 13 Restaurant in Portland’s hip Pearl District on November 14 from 6:00 to 9:00. Portland is one of my favorite cities, in part because two of my favorite woman business owners live there. They’ll…
This week’s Indie Business Radio, show featured guest Christy Strauch, author of Passion, Plan, Profit: 12 Simple Steps to Turn Your Passion into a Solid Business Christy is president of Clarity To Business and has worked with hundreds of small business owners, from artists to real estate agents, helping them do what they are passionate…
Donna Maria interviews Shel Israel about how small business owners can use Twitter to get closer to their customers.
Today, Google and Bing and FaceBook announced deals to include Twitter status updates in their search engine results. Let me say that again, soon, your Tweets and FaceBook status updates will appear real time in Google and Bing search engine results. The magnitude of these new developments cannot be understated. In a nutshell, it means…
A salesman once told me that he had to get through an average of 11 “no” responses before he got to one “yes.” He defined “no” responses as more than just the word. Also included, he said, are things like body language (excessive fidgeting, arms folded across chest, furled brows, etc.) and being easily distracted…
We won! I am delighted to announce that the Indie Business Movie won 2nd place in the WE Magazine For Women Video Competition, in the “Inspirational/Human Interest” category! When I say “we won,” I mean my husband business partner and the four fabulous small and independent business owners featured in the movie: Lisa Rodgers of…
Last week, I announced a contest for two people to win a free download of IBN member Bramble Berry’s new soapmaking iPhone app. All that was necessary was to share a favorite business tip. Out of the entries two names were drawn: Charlene and Renee! Congratulations to both of you ladies!! Even though there could…
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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 169 featuring my interview with Christy Strauch, the author of “Passion, Plan, and Profit.” Christy specializes in assisting individuals in creating profitable businesses centered around work they are passionate about. She also…
For as long as I have served small and independent business owners, I have observed how challenging it is to have an impact on public policy that is commensurate with the positive impact we have on our communities and the American economy. I hope to change all of that with the announcement today of Indie…
There is no shortage of expert commentary and analysis on whether or not email is dead when it comes to business communications tools. On October 12, Jessica Vascellaro of the Wall Street Journal said email is dead. On the same day, Kit Eaton of Fast Company said email is alive and kicking. Because I have…
Yesterday, Mike Collins, a local talk show host, interviewed a representative of No Child Left Inside, a division of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. No Child Left Behind is devoted to ensuring that no child is deprived of the blessing of enjoying the great outdoors. I was not able to listen to the interview,…
Donna Maria shares why she predicts that Miley Cyrus won’t be able to stay away from Twitter for long.
A 1983 television commercial depicts “Fred, the Dunkin Donuts Guy,” who arose at 3:30AM daily, and headed to his Dunkin Donuts franchise to make donuts. As he rose from bed, he mumbled, “Time to make the donuts.” He also moaned, “I bet the guys who make super market donuts are still in bed.” I was reminded…
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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 168 featuring my interview with Shel Israel, author of “Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhood.” Shel is a social media journalist and public speaker who has extensively studied…
I am delighted to announce that IBN member and longtime sponsor of my work Anne-Marie Faiola, CEO of Bramble Berry, Inc., has launched the first iPhone application focused on the independent bath and body care products industry. I think it may even be the first iPhone app in the cosmetics industry, period. I am excited to…
Yesterday, I delivered a branding presentation to the artists, crafters and independent business owners at the Arts & Sciences Council of Charlotte, NC. Branding is such a huge topic, and while it was impossible to treat it thoroughly in the hour I had today, I managed to cover a lot of ground, and the students…
In nearly 10 years of serving small and independent business owners, I have made a lot of mistakes and I have seen a lot of mistakes. In fact, dozens of people are sharing the small business mistakes they’ve made right now over at our social networking site. Some mistakes are unique, but over the years,…
Donna Maria interviews Mike Michalowicz on how you can launch and manage your business in ways that maximize your chances of long term success and profitability.
On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (PDF). The Guides were issued pursuant to the FTCs authority, as granted by Congress in Section 5 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45, to protect consumers from deceptive trade practices with regard to endorsements and testimonials…
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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 167 featuring my interview with Mike Michalowicz, the author of “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur: The Tell It Like It Is to Cleaning Up in Business, Even If You’re at the End of…
I wrote my first official blog post on September 29, 2005. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that it has undergone many changes over years. I first used Movable Type. Then, with the help of Tasra Dawson, I switched to Typepad. Later, I switched to WordPress. When things didn’t work…