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Analysis paralysis is just one of my procrastination challenges. A couple of other things have caused me to have to make an effort with my productivity. See if they are familiar to you and your own productivity issues:

-I have a compulsion to fix things
-I never think I have done enough

Do you have the same problems? Read More

Every discussion of social media begins with someone telling you that you need to start any social media campaign or program by listening. Maybe you find and follow blogs from industry thought leaders to understand the social media landscape in your niche. But once you start tweeting, blogging and creating content on the social web, it becomes even more critical to listen for mentions. Read More

Like many salespeople and small business owners, I find staying focused during prime selling hours to be difficult.

Interruptions, minor emergencies, emails, phone calls, and a myriad of other issues and concerns are constantly trying to draw my attention away from my primary business activity—selling.

So what did I do? Read More

The debate will continue in 2010 about the value of using Twitter for your business, and if you jumped on the Twitter wagon in 2009 I'm sure you have your own conclusions as to its effectiveness. Read More

I’ve outsourced a lot of technical projects – with varying degrees of success. Based on my experiences, I’ve come up with 10 frank pointers for hiring outside tech help successfully. Read More

Social media marketing does not have to be rocket science. Many people make it more complicated than it is and tend to shy away from it. They know that they should engage, but still fundamentally do not understand the intricacies and as such, they are missing out on a whole new way of communicating with their clients and would-be prospects. Read More

What's the difference between advertising and blogs? Basically, it's the difference between sending a message and building a fan base. Here's a very simple breakdown. Who are you talking to? With traditional advertising (newspapers, radio, television) you will spend a huge amount so that perhaps 90 percent of the audience can ignore you. With blogs, you spend substantially less to talk to those m Read More

Brainstorming is one of the most powerful creative techniques ever devised. When used properly, it can produce more and better ideas than any other process. It’s based on the concept that two heads (or three, or four, or more) are better than one.

Many would argue that you can’t create by committee. I agree. Writing and other creative acts are best performed by individuals. Creating by committ Read More

Often we are looking for silver bullet systems or recipes for success, while ignoring the basics. In my experience 90% of big sales improvement comes from getting back to the basics. These basics will have an immediate, measurable impact on your sales numbers.

Let’s put it to the test. Here are five fundamentals of sales. If you focus on them they will increase your sales this week. Read More

It looks like funding has started to loosen up a bit and we may be heading to an uptick for small business owners. But you and you alone, are responsible for ensuring there is enough cash to support your business. So as the year draws to a close, it’s important to take a look back at your business finances and assess what went well and what didn’t work so well to create the foundation for a bette Read More