The secret of success… is often failure
A vast majority of new businesses and startups will fail – so then what is an ex-entrepreneur to do? The experiences earned in running your own business can be valuable, so knowing when it call it quits and how to follow through with a backup plan could be the greatest success pulled from the ashes of a stalled out business plan.
Diversify to Manage Surprises
Diversifying your web holdings is a great way to avoid the disruptions caused by shifting affiliate options and bigger economic trends. Find out more about the benefits and risks of the online diversification strategy.
Back to work… really!
Yes, you really can make a significant amount of money with websites on autopilot. I’m thinking you could probably make even more if you put a little bit of work in to it.
Dot anything and the future of domain names
ICANN is talking about selling top level domains to brands, but the price and potential problems will limit participation to a few, and that means not a whole lot is going to change.
The personal perils of small-scale web success
Or… how I learned to stop worrying and love new hobbies Have you ever set goals for yourself? They help us keep track of where we are at and where we want to be headed. Some of them are mundane: like setting a goal of finishing the laundry, or cleaning up the dishes before anything [...]
Oil is headed back to unsustainable prices
A few macro indicators are pointing to a new crisis for the economy, and it looks like oil prices could lead the way to our next financial panic and contraction.
Venture Capital in Decline
A few years ago, VC investments were all of the rage. But now that the housing bubble has collapased and Wall Street is in retreat, what ever happened to all of those investors who dreamed of building the next big thing?
Google Shifts Gears – to High Speed
Google announces a few changes in the organization of the executive board – except no one is leaving and no one wants to challenge the direction in which the company is headed.
A Great Christmas for the Web Business
The research data and my anecdotes agree: Christmas 2010 was a great year for online business.
Comcast Escalates the Web Business Debate
Comcast stirs up the debate – who is going to pay for all of this extra bandwidth demand created by the growth of online media distribution?
Black Friday Goes Online
Black Friday sales have become something of an American holiday tradition, but as quickly as it became embedded in our shopping culture it has also transformed to an online event.
Pictures from the housing crash
Some pictures from the housing bubble collapse in suburban Florida. Prices have dropped in half and the properties still might not be worth it.
Even with this economy, search skills stay in demand
With the job market struggling, some anecdotal reports and media attention suggest a new corporate interest in hiring search engine managers and optimizers. SEO and SEM could be the buzzwords in business as big players adapt to a new, online media environment.
Get Ready for the Second Financial Panic
All signs point to a new wave of financial panic in the coming months – but its hard to say how bad it will be or exactly how the pain will manifest.
In 2010, they expect you to pay for news
More newspapers are planning a shift toward premium and paid subscriptions for online content – but why do they expect anything to be different now that customers have even less discretionary income available?
Unexpected Vacation – Why I Love Working Online
Unexpected illness and personal loss can wreak havoc on a work schedule, but working online for your own websites means you won’t need to beg permission before taking a break.
There’s that brick wall again
Too many plans, too many projects, and too much effort can leave you lying in bed sick. Somehow, that doesn’t stop me from trying – and finding – my limits.
Business Weather Forecast: COLD!
Any green shoots economists had spotted have frozen over by now. Economic news continues to disappoint and many government programs have delivered underwhelming results compared to what was initially implied.
A Few Ideas on Maximizing Energy and Output
Proper eating habits and a bit of exercise won’t put more hours in the day, but they can help you find the energy needed to accomplish a long list of tasks.
Know Your Limits? I Don’t Seem to Know Mine
There’s only so much ambition and hard work you can fit in to a 24 hour time frame. Sometimes its good to reflect on the limits of your time and where priorities are assigned. Hopefully, I can get away with a bit less sleep for a while 
Dungeons & Dragons Online – Quality Gaming with a Freemium Business Plan
The freemium business model isn’t some academic theory of a new economy, you can go play some quality online games based on that business model right now.
Chegg gets a bump on CNBC – Textbook rental with affiliate program makes some buzz
Seeing the CEO of an affiliate partner suddenly reminds me how important media saturation is – even offline marketing for a primarily online service.
Coupons and promotional offers continue moving to the web
Coupons and shoppers are headed online in a quest to find the best deals available. Since the economy is slow, more and more people are making purchase decisions based on price.
Forget Popcorn, the Economy is Still in Trouble
Financial cheerleaders are heralding the return of box office popcorn sales, but the stock market has been trending down quickly as consumer income falls and credit continues to dry up. Cars are selling well, but this is almost certainly temporary and driven by huge handouts and new loans. My outlook hasn’t changed much since may [...]
Health Costs and the Competitive Edge in Business
Lost in all of the health care screaming is how important this issue truly is to the competitive ability of American businesses. The current system is not only unsustainable, but also a poor investment for employers and employees alike. Of course, the political types and certain investors have a lot to gain from a high cost, low return program.
The Media’s Dilemma – Mass Exposure vs Exclusive Distribution
Media producers are being forced into choosing between two things they once took for granted: mass coverage and control over distribution. The new economic reality of online content reshapes some fundamental relationships in the business of content publishing, and adaptation will be the key to surviving this economic re-alignment.
A glimpse of the web’s future? Riffs on August web news
Bing, Facebook, Friendfeed, and Google are all making headlines in early August 2009, but as exciting as the announcements are, the actual results are far from being seen.
The Perils of Popularity
At the entry level, hosting is cheap and websites don’t require a whole lot of resources to deliver content quickly and reliably. If a site crosses over into extreme popularity, that can change quickly and the costs will spike as quickly – or even quicker than – the revenue.
Digg and Youtube Dropping IE6 Compatibility
Despite some high profile websites dropping compatibility support for IE6, chances are most of us will be stuck designing for it a while longer unless we want to give up a large chunk of total traffic volume. Who uses IE6 and why is it such a source of frustration for designers? Learn more about the nightmare browser here…
Embracing Collapse and Creative Destruction in Business
When the sky is falling, running around in a panic won’t solve a thing – but building a better roof or new foundations for your business is part of the evolutionary process we should embrace.
Forget about economic recovery – adapt to the new market
The economy isn’t going to recover any time soon – and when it does recover, it probably still won’t be anything like the pre-2008 market conditions. Business trends can fluctuate over a long time horizon, and current shifts indicate a new paradigm of frugality may be here to stay for a while.
“The current days of the Internet will soon be over”
Rupert Murdoch informs investors that the new business model will attempt to hide content behind paid walls and he goes on to predict the very end of the internet as we’ve known it. Call me skeptical of his internet counter-revolution.
Web Bubble Unwound – Acquisitions Turn into IPOs and Startups
The internet economy is entering a new era of stark realities as large websites begin to dump off acquisitions and dependent domains that aren’t directly related to their business model.
Governments Imagine Easy Cash Online – Want Internet Money
South Park’s take on internet fame, making money online, and wealth by legislation is not just hilarious, it has some valid points that web publishers and governments should take into consideration.
Websites – the Victory Garden 2.0
When the going gets tough, the tough get to work. In the 1930s and 1940s, we have the victory garden – and while backyard farming is on the rise, it isn’t the only way to make money at home with a small capital investment.
Building Websites is the Cheapest Way to Work from Home
Want to work from home but are scared by constant stories of scams and companies that want large up front fees just to provide you with information? Invest in yourself instead, and start building websites on domains you own – it is the safest and cheapest way to start to make an income online.
Online Business Competition Heats Up
Online business competition is on the rise and I’ll need to actually embrace some of this social media to survive. Can an anti-social internet marketer get by in a social media world?
More Bubble 2.0 – Too Big to Profit
More about the internet bubble version 2.0 – this edition is focused on why companies online end up “too big to profit.” Size and scale may be great for manufacturing, but for internet advertising it is an inevitably doomed prospect.
No Bailout for Online Business – Get Ready to Pay the Bill
We’ve become a bailout nation and no business can fully ignore the consequences of this new political paradigm. The bad news is, unless you’ve already got a check from the government to save your business, you shouldn’t be expecting one. If anything, get ready for the bill to come due. These bailouts aren’t free you know!
Is Facebook Really Worth Anything in This Economy?
Putting a value on Facebook or other social media websites that don’t currently have a revenue model. How much can a non-profitable website really be worth during an economic crash?
Seek Opportunity but don’t Trivialize the Crash
There may be glimmers of hope here and there, but the overall outlook is still pretty bleak. I may have understated this with the last article so I’ll take a slightly more detailed look at the financial situation and where the macro economy is headed from here.
Why Every Business Needs a Blog
“Every business needs a blog” You’ve probably heard it so much it seems cliche – well, it may be repeated often but that’s only because it is true.
Google and Yahoo Cancel Advertising Deal Amid Government Fears
While a lot of advertisers and publishers had been excited about a planned joint venture between Google and Yahoo, the expansion of the advertising network is indefinitely suspended as talks break down amid fears of government intervention
Why do these Internet Marketers Need a Job?
Why do these SEOs and self-proclaimed marketing gurus need a job from your company? Here are some important questions human resource managers and corporate strategists should be asking before hiring someone for online advertising purposes – and some important things for the SEOs and marketing specialists to ask about themselves in order to justify their want of a job.
Internet Bubble 2.0 – Yahoo and Abrite
Is there a Bubble Version 2.0 popping? It probably won’t be as severe as the first internet bubble, but Yahoo and Adbrite are showing us that the coming round will be about saving costs and raising profits – not about insane investment deals and lavish executive salaries
Tough Day for Internet Stocks – Tips to Survive the “New” Economy
Today was a bad day for internet stocks across the board – and fears are growing that the credit crunch is beginning to affect online advertising revenue. Here are some tips to avoid the fate of the big name brands that got caught up in the big stock sell off.
Local News can Survive Online
A lot of local newspapers are going under as they face higher advertising and business competition – but if they adapt to new technology, new business models, and new concepts of syndication – the local newspaper publishers can still grow
Internet grows despite slowing economy
The global economy seems to be slowing down as consumers cut costs and find new ways to save money. For a variety of reasons, the internet economy is doing just fine.