History is full of people with partners, without whom they never would have enjoyed the success they had. Take comedy, for example - you have Abbott and Costello, Penn and Teller, George and Gracie, and, say, Bush and Cheney.  Each person (ok, with the possible exception of  Bush and Cheney) could have become a success on their own, but having that additional person there to work with, bounce ideas off...

There's an old song that goes "You've gotta know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run." It's true in poker - and it's true in business. When you're in business for yourself, it's natural to always be on the look out for new opportunities. In fact, it's essential. Eventually, therefore, you're bound to come across business ventures and idea...

Positive word of mouth remains the most effective marketing tool available. Somebody purchases a product or service that they absolutely love; goes on to tell friends, family, and co-workers; then word spreads, sales increase, and everybody's happy. That one person acting as the starting point doesn't even necessarily need to buy the product or service. They could have read an interesting article or blog post online or in a magazine, seen...

It is no exaggeration to say that the Internet is one of the most disruptive inventions in human history, and is completely indispensable in modern life. Through the advent of the Internet, the world has become connected like never before, and with that connection comes endless business opportunities ripe for the picking. Countless companies have risen from the from the online world to revolutionize entire industries. For example: Amazon took online shopping, already a growing...

There is a trap out there, that it is all too easy for even the most motivated, self starting individual to fall in to without a little pre-planning. The most successful business in the world, be it a small home operation or a Fortune 500 company lives or dies by its income. But without careful monitoring, the line between what is your money and what goes back into your business...

Throughout the natural world, you'll find that physical and biological forces almost always take the path of least resistance. This effect is so prevalent, in fact, that there's a scientific term to describe it - the principle of least resistance. It should come as no surprise, then, that human beings are the same way. Think about the people you know and interact with - how many of them are inclined...

Whether you're buying a product, engaging someone's services, or simply browsing a website, the last thing you want is extra work getting between you and your objective. Maybe it's filling out a ton of paperwork, or answering too many questions, or getting repeated upsell attempts; no matter the nature of the obstacle, every additional step is going to add to your frustration. Now, flip that around and come at it...

Let me lay it out straight for you - you're going to fail. Sounds harsh, doesn't it? But it's true. At some point, in some way, you're going to fail. And I'm going to fail. Any human being is, at some point, going to fail. And most of us are going to fail quite regularly. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, failure is, in many ways, your very best...

You’re busy. There’s no doubt about it. Whether you’re already in business for yourself full time, moonlighting on the side, or still working entirely for somebody else, odds are good that you’ve got a lot on your plate. It’s a hectic world these days for all of us. time is a resource, like money or commodities, whose value is dictated by its relative scarcity – and unlike almost any other...

I've spoken at length about "how" to start a business. That is, after all, the primary focus of this blog. But one thing I haven't really spoken about is "why." Not why you want to start your own business in the first place of course, that speaks for itself, but why you are starting this particular business? While there are any number of explanations, it's my feeling that they all...