Asking for a favor
My parents raised me to be self-sufficient, and I’m typically not likely to request help from anyone. Yet my bride reminds me that people want...
Ask Mr. Marketing
Spring for the $20
At last night’s chamber of commerce event I met someone who helps 20-somethings plan for retirement. Her business card had basic contact information, disclaimers in...
Good suppliers create heroes
I’ve spent seven years on the board of Chairmen’s RoundTable. There, dozens of high-level executives in every industry and discipline provide free business mentoring to...
Five years of relative obscurity
In 2002 I moved to San Diego. I knew nobody here but nursed my existing East Coast clientele while getting established. Three years later I...
Time to hang out your shingle?
Lately I’ve noticed increasing numbers of folks telling me they’re starting their own business. Some have sworn to never get laid off again; others are...
What’s a creative’s time worth?
Some of the most celebrated figures in art history (Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt) all sold their work cheaply early in their careers. I considered this at...
Design blunders that scream amateur
In a growing competitive environment, high quality graphic design is critical to ensuring your marketing materials stand out from the crowd. From a memorable logo...
How to design effective, eye-catching marketing collateral
Daily, it seems, someone’s telling me they do all their marketing online. Print media, business cards, brochures, and the like have faded from marketing plans...
Successful email must meet three criteria
For the past 25 years I’ve sent out a free monthly electronic newsletter for my marketing consulting firm. The constant drip drip drip helps remind...
Space on the ‘Star Trek’ channel
Basic concept: Cable television sells access to viewers and its only salable product is time. That’s why companies readily pay $7 million (not counting ad...
Forewarned is forearmed
Once again, the Better Business Bureau warned about fake government compliance notices targeting businesses. Gee, this sounds familiar. Scammers oftentimes impersonate government officials to trick...
Then Ebenezer did me a favor
Christmas Eve was the 28th anniversary of getting fired from my last job. Nice guys, right? My boss admitted I’d grown qualified sales leads by...
When death comes knocking
Twelve weeks ago my day started with news that my business partner had died. He’d been sick for years, so his death wasn’t completely unexpected....
And then I saw myself
My bride and I were in La Jolla for our daughter’s audition with the Metropolitan Opera (yes, I’m bragging!) when we stopped in at Pavilions...
Branding is no laughing matter
When doing field research for a local client, I found his competitors quickly ending conversations with me after I asked just a few questions. Frustrated...