Business Start-Up continued

If you want to survive in business, make sure your customer perceives that you are going out of your way to deliver value. This is not just a slogan.... keep reading

The best way to avoid killer mistakes is to run your ideas past an experienced person who can spot familiar errors in a few seconds. Sometimes these mentors will volunteer their services. Here is where you locate them.... keep reading

A memorable Honda ad: the Rube Goldberg ad. But did the ad work? That is, did it sell more Hondas? Does it violate one of the fundamental rules of advertising? "Clever doesn't sell." If it did, was it worth the risk, and cost of running this ad?... keep reading

Rare is the businessman who takes steps to overcome this universal problem. In the newsletter business and subscription website business, we know it's a huge problem and we take specific steps to solve it. Imitate us.... keep reading

Perfectionism seems to be a blessing. It makes people take care in their work. But there are times when it can keep you from finishing. Here's how to know when to be less than perfect.... keep reading

I learned this lesson by studying the career of Akio Morita, who created Sony. This lesson has saved me a lot of grief. But it is very hard to honor.... keep reading

If you are a small-business owner, don't make this mistake. It could cost you everything. It could also open you up to a huge lawsuit.... keep reading

Mick & Co. are coming out of the retirement they never went into. They are a model for us all. Need an extra $10 million, net, or so? Hit the road! Here, I analyze their marketing strategy. Then I discuss the Grateful Dead's different strategy, which is still working.... keep reading

Armenians make fortunes in the most amazing ways. Here is one of my favorite examples. I remember it because, at age 9, I was part of J. C. Agajanian's garbage empire.... keep reading

If I had understood these principles when I was 17, and if I had followed through, my life would have been very different. At least I discovered these insights by age 50. Better late than never.... keep reading

Maybe becoming your own boss is a long-term dream of yours. But maybe it should remain a dream. Maybe you're suffering from an entrepreneurial spasm. Here is a brief, handy guide for self-analysis. Don't even consider starting a business until you have read it.... keep reading

It is incredible how ineffective most Yellow Pages ads are. It is obvious that businessmen who pay for them do not track their ads' response. If they did, they would stop paying or else hire a direct-resoonse ad agency.... keep reading

Rare is the business card that generates any business. This locksmith re-designed his marketing strategy by re-designing his business card. It worked.... keep reading

A burned out pharmacist gets fired up, starts over, hikes prices (that's right), and makes a bundle. If he had understand marketing from day one, he would be a very rich man.... keep reading

Increase your likelihood of success. Reduce your risk of failure. Pick the right business to get into. Then commit time to it on a part-time basis until demand makes it a viable full-time operation.... keep reading