As entrepreneurs, we get a lot of messages about size. "Stop playing small!" "Play a bigger game!" "Dream big!" "Think big!" We're always told to expand our reach, grow our businesses, build an ... Read more
Serve Up the Yummiest Benefits. A Tough Love Tuesday Tip
Today's Tough Love Tuesday is inspired by all of the entrepreneurs who are struggling to communicate the value of their product or service. You're doing your best, I know, but you're falling a tad ... Read more
Being Frugal Isn’t Always a Wise Business Strategy
I recently read this article in Jeanna Gabellini's ezine, Designing Your Masterpeace, and I knew I had to share it on the Firecracker blog... with Jeanna's permission, of course. As entrepreneurs, we ... Read more
From Boring to Brilliant: 5 Questions to Pump Up the Power of Your Writing
Do you ever finish writing something, like a blog post or your ezine or even a short promotional email, and as you're reading it over you think, "Ugh. This is boring!"? Chances are, what you've ... Read more
Tell Your Business to Back Off! A Tough Love Tuesday Tip
Is your business bleeding into every other area of your life? Do you end your work day only to keep thinking about what didn't get done, what needs to get done and what you'll need to do tomorrow? Do ... Read more
How To Get Testimonials… the Easy Way. A Tough Love Tuesday Tip
There's nothing like a great testimonial from one of your clients or customers to make you feel like a million bucks. AND... there is nothing more powerful than third-party testimonials when it comes ... Read more
10 Easy Ways to Write a Really Crappy Marketing Message
by guest blogger, Kathleen Watson I've always been amused and impressed by Kathleen Watson's writing on her own blog, Stepping Into Big, so I asked her if she'd be willing to write a special article ... Read more
Are You Saying NO! to Yourself Again? A Tough Love Tuesday Tip
Sometimes, when you find yourself surrounded by a lot of smart, high-energy, impassioned entrepreneurs, all of whom are saying "Yes!" to their dreams and goals, you become painfully aware of how you ... Read more
Internet Marketing & Neal’s Hardware: A Story To Make It Simple, Part II
Two weeks ago, we left Neal sitting pretty in his local hardware store, Neal’s Hardware, with a great free offer, a lot of new customers and a great strategy for distinguishing his neighborhood store ... Read more
Stop Stealing Stuff. A Tough Love Tuesday Tip (Rant)
Watch out! In this Tough Love Tuesday, I'm letting myself rant about something that really, really gets under my skin! It's about stealing. It's about using someone's best work in order to ... Read more