Blog Exercises: Unfinished Business

In this ongoing series called Blog Exercises, let’s tackle your UFOs. In quilting and sewing, UFO stands for Unfinished Objects. We all have them, in our work, our personal lives, and on our blog. Do you have a to do list hanging around your desk or locked in your phone regarding your blog? It’s time […]

Your Blog is Your Business Card

The following are the notes for my popular workshop “Your Blog is Your Business Card”. The premise is that today’s business card can’t hold all the contact information necessary to connect adequately with potential clients, but the blog can. It is the holder of your contact information and online identity. The workshop covers the philosophy […]

Blog Exercises: Are Your Comments Open for Business?

Are your comments closed? Are they set to moderation? Are your comments wide open for all without question or challenge? Are you comments open for business? In “You Must Be Logged In To Comment” I wrote: Why do people turn off open, unregistered comments to require people to login in order to comment? I’m not […]

Business of Blogging: Purpose, Customers, and Content

Originally published in Blogger and Podcaster Magazine. I write for a variety of magazines and publications online and off. Blogger and Podcaster has graciously allowed me to republish my articles. When blogging began, many of us started blogging for fun. Blogging is fun. It’s a great way to express yourself, to meet and greet people, […]

SOBCon 2011: Successful Online Business Conference – The Must Be There Conference

I say this every year, and thank goodness a few people listen and change their lives. Here goes one more time: If you do anything this year to change your business, go to Successful Online Business Conference (SOBCon). This year we’re celebrating the fifth year of SOBCon, the life changing business event for bloggers, web […]

Cooking Up a Story: NPR Explores Web Businesses

Today, National Public Radio (NPR) will feature a story on unusual businesses working on the web featuring Rebecca and Fred Gerendasy of Cooking Up a Story, a Portland, Oregon, area internet video production company. Their successful video blog, Cooking Up a Story and Cooking Up a Story YouTube Channel, produce a wide variety of film […]

Blog Challenge: Worst Business Decision

As we continue exploring our mistakes, with last week’s blog challenge about the worst mistake we’ve made in a relationship, this week I’m going to challenge your work history and experience. Blog about the worst business decision and mistake you’ve ever made. We’ve all made dumb business decisions. Taken jobs we hated, told off a […]

Blogging Resources: Business and Professional Resources and References for Bloggers and Writers

As part of my ongoing series on blog resources, so far I’ve covered Blogging Resources and Sources to Help You Blog, Blog Resources for English Language and Blog Writing, and Blog Resources: Researching the Research, Finding the Facts, and Seeking Supporting Evidence. Today, I’m offering the resources I use for business and professional sources of […]

SOBCon: Be There for the Business of Blogging!

Put it on your calendar. May 2 – 4, 2008. Register. Book your flight and hotel in Chicago. And be there for this year’s SOBCon, the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers Conference. This year’s theme is Biz School for Bloggers with an amazing line up of the best of the best to bring the business of […]

Do Business Blogs Need Help Pages?

By Greg Balanko-Dickson I was wondering what might happen if a blog or website had a set of help pages? We expect help pages when using a software or web application. We see About pages and FAQ on blogs but how often do we see a set of “Help” pages on a business blog? Never? […]

Developing a Business Model with Greg Balanko-Dickson

My friend, Greg Balanko-Dickson, has decided to jump off the risk cliff out of his comfort zone and you all get the benefit. You may be familiar with Greg as he is an occasional guest blogger on this blog. He’s brought you the wonderful articles such as Business Blogging Strategy: Build Trust and Rapport, Relationship […]

Business Blogging Strategy: Build Trust and Rapport

By Greg Balanko-Dickson, Professional Business Coach Own a business? Have a blog? As a business owner, you are writing and blogging as part of your marketing and online promotion. There was a time when a blogging purest might have said that business and blogging should never mix. Today, blogging and business go hand in hand. […]

Business Blogging: The Elephant in the Room is the Customer

Ben Yoskovitz of The Instigator Blog made a good point in The Elephant in the Room is You about how you, the customer, is the elephant in the room that business bloggers need to listen to and talk to. * You’re the person companies aren’t talking about enough. * You’re the person companies are scared […]

Would You Do Business With a Comment Spammer?

I think it’s an honest question. Would you do business with a comment spammer? I won’t do business with Capital One Bank because they constantly send me junk mail even though I’m on the “do not send junk mail” list and wrote them specifically asking to be removed from their list. I just got a […]

Should Your Small Business Have a Blog?

I recently asked if businesses should blog. Ashley Carr of the The itpr Group wrote in the IT Week Letter asking if blogs can benefit small companies. I liked what was said. There are two issues. Firstly, small businesses tend to have few marketing skills, little time but oodles of passion. So, if a small […]