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Category Archives: Entrepreneurship

Fighting Etsy’s New Transaction Fee is a Waste of Time

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaApril 12, 2022

If you are considering fighting Etsy’s marketplace transaction fee increase, don’t waste your time. For those who don’t know, effective yesterday, Etsy has increased the fee it charges Etsy sellers to sell products on the platform from 5% to 6.5%. The increase in this “marketplace transaction fee” has caused some Etsy sellers to put their…

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Effective Publishing Strategies for Makers

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaApril 2, 2022

In response to my marketing advice about effective publishing strategies, a client once told me she refused to get bogged down with publishing email newsletters. Her logic made some sense. She told me that she did not go into business to become a publisher. As I listened, a feeling of complete dread overtook me. Even…

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Top 10 Reasons You Should Seriously Consider a Membership Business Model

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaJune 10, 2021

Have you ever thought adding a membership component to your current business model? If you’re like most of our members, you probably have. But even if you haven’t I strongly urge you to seriously consider it. The membership business model has done more for me personally and professionally than I could have ever imagined. It…

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6 Types of Recurring Revenue Business Models You Should Know About

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaSeptember 11, 2020

There are six basic types of recurring revenue business models you should know about. Each has its own unique characteristics. I’m sure you can leverage at least one of these to generate endless repeat sales opportunities and create a fun and engaging community around your brand. This overview is required prerequisite reading for everyone who…

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Introducing IBN’s Virtual Coworking and Accountability Program

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaMarch 18, 2020

As a virtual organization with 20 solid years of experience helping Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs use technology to build their and brands, IBN is uniquely situated to train entrepreneurs to maximize the use of technology for the benefit of their brands. At no time in IBN’s 20 years of service is this more important than…

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4 Ways to Improve Your Business When Sales are Slow

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaMay 14, 2019

On this episode of the Maker Mastermind Show, I was asked to share some ideas to help you be productive when sales are slow. Of course it stinks when sales are slow, but you can turn that frown upside down and use the time to your advantage. Here are four ways to do that. 4…

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Four Easy Ways to Improve Your About Page

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaApril 22, 2019

On this episode of the Maker Mastermind Show, I was asked for my best and easiest ideas to improve the all-important About Page at your website. Your “About Page” is an opportunity to woo your prospects and draw them into what you and your brand stand for. It’s a chance to replace the tired old…

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Top 3 Newsletter Publishing Secrets

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaApril 15, 2019

If you know me at all, you know that I believe in the power of list building and email newsletter publishing. I have published a newsletter for nearly 20 years, so I know what I’m talking about. Newsletters help you generate sales. Newsletters help you drive traffic to your blog and social media pages. If…

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How to Personalize Your Personal Brand

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaApril 8, 2019

This post is about the power of using your personal brand to represent, even embody, your marketing message. This presents a fantastic opportunity to leverage who you are personally for the benefit of your business. After all, while there are products on the market that are similar to yours, there is only one you. When…

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The One Thing You Must Do Before Starting Your Business

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaApril 1, 2019

If you’re just starting a business, you have a lot to consider: what to sell and how to sell it, whether to use a Facebook group, what to blog about, how to use social media, etc. Those things are important, but one thing is even more important, and you may have overlooked it entirely. I’m…

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Your Packaging Problems: Solved!

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaFebruary 20, 2019

In our private entrepreneurial discussion community, IBN members discuss and resolve entrepreneurial problems all day long. Recently, I sat down with a few of them to talk shop and learn how they resolved some of their toughest packaging challenges. After your customer’s order is placed into the hands of your shipper, it is completely outside…

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How to Sell When You Hate Selling

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaDecember 7, 2018

Wouldn’t it be great if you could sell your products with confidence and success, even if you think you hate selling? Well, you can. But it starts with one basic requirement. Stop selling. Seriously, it’s not as hard as you think, especially when you embrace an approach that not only allows you to sell more…

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How to Find Mentors to Help You Grow Your Business

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaDecember 4, 2018

I have been mentoring women for nearly 20 years, and I have been mentored all my life. But not in the ways you might think. You might think that I’ve been surrounded by mentors who meet with me personally (and for free) over a leisurely meals to school me in the ways of the entrepreneurship.…

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10 Ways to Inspire Yourself When Life Sucks

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaSeptember 5, 2018

Since I’ve had to inspire myself to keep going in the midst of many sucky situations lately, I thought I’d share some of the strategies I’ve used to get through my recent sucky situations. There have been many, and I’ll tell you about them later, but for now, if your life is feeling The Suck…

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10 Action Steps to Grow Your Maker Business This Year

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaJanuary 29, 2018

As we wind down to the end of the first month of a new year, you may have already set some specific goals that will level up your business over the next 12 months. But just in case you haven’t, or even if you have and you may have missed something important, this list is…

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Soar: Build Your Vision From The Ground Up

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaOctober 28, 2017

Recently, the pastor of Elevation Church, Steven Furtick, interviewed Bishop TD Jakes, pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, during a special church service. The interview touched upon many critical areas of entrepreneurship, and I wanted to share it with you. I know you may not have time to watch the entire interview, so…

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How to Fix Your Business, with Melinda Emerson

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaOctober 9, 2017

Recently, I served as a speaker at Melinda Emerson’s Reinvention Weekend. The photo here was taken at the cocktail reception the night before the start of the conference. My topic as a speaker was How to Launch and Grow a Product-Based Business. At Reinvention Weekend, Melinda, also known as Small Biz Lady, delivered a great…

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Customer Service Matters

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaAugust 8, 2017

Have you ever received stellar customer service? Have you ever delivered it? If you have provided awesome service to any of your customers, you know what a huge difference it makes in terms of how they view you and your brand. Not only that, it makes a difference in terms of how they view their…

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5 Questions to Ask When Sales Are Consistently Low

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaAugust 4, 2017

Every business has slow periods. In the world of consumer lifestyle products like those made by most members of the Indie Business Network, the slowest periods are typically the summer months. Things pick up, sometimes to a frenzy, during holidays when people are celebrating and purchasing gifts for loved ones. In the meantime, things can…

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What Amazon’s Purchase of Whole Foods Means For Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaJune 16, 2017

A bomb dropped in the retail space this morning. With Amazon’s $13.7 Billion purchase of Whole Foods, a slowly expanding gulf between niche and mass market has finally become a gragantuan divide. The news just dropped a few hours ago, and I’m still developing my thoughts. Completion of the sale is subject to approval by…

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Road Trip of a Lifetime, Part 1

EntrepreneurshipBy Donna MariaApril 30, 2017

When our member, Christina Wennstrom of Soap Seas in Redondo Beach, California, reached out to me a few weeks ago to ask if I would like to blog her and fellow IBN member Kristina Nanninga’s upcoming “road trip of a lifetime,” I immediately jumped at the chance because I knew it would be fun and…

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