60 Second Ideas

5 Reasons Why I blog

My friend, JP Maroney  tagged me a couple of days ago from a tag he had received with a simple question...the top 5 reasons why I blog? Good question. Here is my response.

1. Fun and Entertaining. I am passionate about finding new small business and home based business ideas and presenting them in a quick, fun and entertaining way. A blog is the best way to do that.

2. Personality. A blog shows your personality and your expertise. People begin to feel like they know you and that builds trust - always a good thing when marketing.

3. Fast Exposure. Blogs showcase you and your business quickly, much faster than a traditional or static website. Blogs get indexed quickly so people can find your site easily on Google, other search engines, and blog directories.

4. New Ventures. New Friends. A blog will expand your reach to people who are interested in what you are doing which can lead to joint ventures, affiliations, and sometimes just new friends from around the globe.

5. Interactive. A blog allows you to interact with readers, get feedback, involve them in your ideas and build relationships, which is really what marketing is all about.

And now I tag;

Shaune Clarke
Cheryl Mclaughlin
Yaro Starak
Shirley George Frazier
Rich Brooks

60 Second Ideas - Top 10 Small Business Blogs

It’s that time again. Time for the 60 Second Ideas top 10 small business blogs for the second quarter of 2006. As we did with our first Top 10, “We spanned the blogosphere looking for small business related blogs that offer more than just the tired repetition of the usual ideas. The result is 4 new small business blogs worth your time and 6 from last quarter’s top 10 that still make the grade. Here we go.

Solo Business Marketing – Written by Shirley George Frazier, Solo Business Marketing is loaded with practical advice for the solo small business or home based business owner. Recent posts include Using Solutions to Get More Sales , Make a Decision, Any Decision and one we have been preaching for months now, Press Releases Elevate Your Visibility.

Verusnova  – Produced by Mike Martone, and engineer and IT guy, Verusnova focuses on technology for small business with the goal of providing information and advice for non – technical small and home business owners operate more effectively and efficiently. Recent posts include Important Reminders Just Got Easier, Free Business Start Up Tools, and 8 Lists That I Like.

ProBlogger – Darren Rowse is the guy behind ProBlogger. A 34 year old offers a virtual gold mine of tips, tricks and advice on producing an effective blog for your business. If you don’t already know it, a blog can benefit your business in too many ways to count, but it must be done right and there is a lot to learn to blog right. ProBlogger will teach you everything you need to know and then some. Recent posts include Creating Interest In Your Posts – Persuasive Blogging, Car Salesmen, Preachers and the Art of Persuasion, and The Five Challenges of Communication.

The Long Tail – Written by Chris Anderson, an editor at Wired Magazine, The Long Tail Blog discusses themes around Anderson’s book, which argues that the Internet offers infinite inventory creating opportunity for niche markets that are not likely to ever become blockbusters. While the blog focuses on the music and entertainment industries, there are lessons for small and home based business owners here. Recent posts include What Do People Really Want In Music, A Billion Dollar Question.

The blogs below round out our Top 10 Small Business Blogs and were also included in our 1st Quarter Top 10.

The Entrepreneurial Mind - written by the Director of Belmont University's Center for Entrepreneurship, Jeff Cornwall, this blog looks at everything from how current political issues affect small business mixed in with solid advice for any entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs Journey  - produced by Yaro Starak, an interesting young entrepreneur from Australia. The blog posts useful articles aimed at starting and running an Internet business, interviews with other entrepreneurs and podcasts.

Marketing Experiments Blog - The Blog of Dr. Flint McGlaughlin and his research team at marketingexperiments.com, provides detailed information and research with real life case examples of what really works in the world of Internet Marketing.

Flyte Blog - What Works Online - Rich Brooks who builds and markets websites offers practical tips and techniques in the world of online marketing. Mixed with humorous posts on a variety of topics.

Duct Tape Marketing - John Jantsch gets a lot of rave reviews for his Duct Tape Marketing Blog and we agree. What makes this blog really unique though, is he has pulled together some the best blogs for small and home based business under his Duct Tape umbrella.

60 Second Ideas Blog – Produced by Michael Brooks and Michael Donahue, this unique video format blog produces two shows per week to inspire small business owners, home based business owners, and budding entrepreneurs with proven ideas that be tweaked, copied, borrowed or pilfered to make more money.

Congratulations to all of our Top 10 Small Business Blogs. Take a look at these blogs and let us know what you think. Also, if you have a blog that we should consider for our 60 Second Ideas 3rd Quarter Top 10 Small Business Blogs, let us know. Email us at [email protected].

QuickTime/ITunes Download: Download 60 Second Ideas Top 10 Small Business Blogs.mp4

60 Second Ideas - Top 10 Small Business Blogs

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Blogs are all the rage these days and there is a lot out there for small and home based business owners, but it is not always easy to find the best small business blogs amidst all the clutter. It’s not hard to waste a lot of time looking for the good stuff. So we set out to discover the most useful blogs for small business owners. The result is our Top 10 Small Business Blogs for the first quarter of 2006.  Our Top 10 list is in no particular order.

Escape Velocity  Owner Flemming Funch has original posts and links to excellent articles about home-based Internet business, website traffic building, success and motivation. Recent posts include Highest Paying Google AdWords, The Surprising Truth About Ugly Websites, and The Entrepreneurial Game. Definitely worth your time to browse around a bit.

The Entrepreneurial Mind - written by the Director of Belmont University's Center for Entrepreneurship, Jeff Cornwall, this is not a stuffy academic journal by any means. This blog looks at everything from how current political issues affect small business mixed in with solid advice for any entrepreneur. Recent Posts include Good Advice, Bad Statistics, Entre-Boomers, and Go Patriots! - a terrific article on how George Mason and it's unlikely run in the NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament is the result of smart entrepreneurial thinking.

Entrepreneurs Journey  - produced by Yaro Starak, an interesting young entrepreneur from Australia. The blog posts useful articles aimed at starting and running an Internet business, interviews with other entrepreneurs and podcasts. Recent posts include What Is The 80/20 Rule And Why It Will Change Your Life, How I Have Made Money Online, The Top 8 Search Engine Optimization Techniques.

Marketing Experiments Blog - The Blog of Dr. Flint McGlaughlin and his research team at marketingexperiments.com, this is far and away the best website and blog for providing detailed information and research with real life case examples of what really works in the world of Internet Marketing. This blog is an absolute must read. Recent posts include How People Look at Web Pages, What to Include on Your Home Page, and Blogging – A Natural Starting Place for Transparent Marketing.

Flyte: Web Marketing Strategies for Small Business - Rich Brooks who builds and markets websites offers practical tips and techniques in the world of online marketing. Mixed with humorous posts on a variety of topics from Al Jezeera interviewing Donald Rumsfeld to How to write a Crank Letter, this blog has an upbeat feel. Recent Small Business Advice posts include Online Lead Generation, and How to Get More Business From Your Current Clients, and Work-Life Balance for the Entrepreneur. Very well done blog.

Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams - Businessinfoguide.com's Stephanie Chandler blog is loaded with hands on practical advice, tips, and resources to help grow your business whether your business is online or a local service or store. Stephanie's well written blog also includes excellent information for authors. Recent posts include Strategic Alliances: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Get Your Product to Market on Any Budget, and 20 Great Ways to Market Your Business Locally.

PowerHomeBiz Small & Home Business Blog  - Power Home Biz Co-Founder Isabel Isidro posts solid down to earth advice for home business entrepreneurs. A unique feature of this blog is she answers questions from visitors to the powerhomebiz.com website. Recent posts include How to Monetize a Content-Based Website, Learning from the American Inventor, and 7 Steps for Improving Your Email Marketing.

Duct Tape Marketing - John Jantsch gets a lot of rave reviews for his Duct Tape Marketing Blog and we agree. What makes Jantsch really unique though, is he has pulled together some the best blogs for small and home based business under his Duct Tape umbrella. We especially like Mark Beck's Internet Marketing Unleashed and Georgia Patrick's Customers Count.

Small Business Today - Businessknowhow.com founder Janet Attard's blog posts comments on news, trends, and information to help you run your small business more effectively. Brief and to the point, this blog has a wealth of information and will not waste your time, Recent posts include Banner Clickthroughs, Help Customers Find You, and Marketing Strategy: Give Old Products a New Twist.

60 Second Ideas Blog – Produced by Michael Brooks and Michael Donahue...that's us...this unique video format blog produces two shows per week to inspire small business owners, home based business owners, and budding entrepreneurs with proven ideas that be tweaked, copied, borrowed or pilfered to make more money.

Congratulations to all of our 2006 Top 10 Small Biz Blogs. If you have or know of a blog you would like us to consider for our Top 10 Blogs for the Second Quarter of 2006, please write us at [email protected]

QuickTime/Itunes Download: Download Top Small Business Blogs.mp4

60 Second Ideas - Top 10 Reasons to Work from Home

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This weekend we have something just for fun to keep you smiling.  In the style of David Letterman’s Top 10 lists,
Here is our Top 10 Reasons to Work From Home.

Top 10 Reasons to Work From Home

10. Can Work Naked
  9. Won’t Violate My Probation for Road Rage
  8. Hear “Get A Real Job” at Parties
  7. Start Kid’s College Fund by not Spending $5.00 a Day at Starbucks
  6. Call My Old Office Colleagues to Laugh
  5. Will Never be Late for Work Again
  4. No Spending a Month’s Salary on Gas – Tell Saudi Arabia to “Stick It”
  3. Can Tell My Trump Wannabe Boss “He’s Fired”
  2. What Happens in Vegas is Deductible
  1. Did I Say, Can Work Naked?

Have a good weekend everybody, Tune in next week when on a more practical note as we release our First Annual 60 Second Ideas Top 10 Small Business Blogs for 2006.

QuickTime/ITunes: Download Top 10 Reasons to Work from Home.mp4

60 Second Ideas - Golf Made Gorgeous

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The Masters Golf Tournament this past weekend is steeped in tradition with images of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and the Augusta National Golf Club. Today’s 60 Second Idea, Golf Made Gorgeous will have more than a few traditionalists raising eye brows.

Sexy is not usually a term associated with golf, but a company in Great Britain is changing all that and could even make the stoic guards in front of Buckingham Palace smile.  Eye Candy Caddies provides gorgeous yet trained caddies for your golf outings. For about $260, A beautiful young woman will act as your loyal caddie for 18 holes. All the way encouraging you when necessary and never laughing at a bad shot, plus she will have a drink with you afterwards. The companies 100 caddies are trained in golf etiquette and no funny stuff here, all must follow a strict code of conduct.

Eye Candy Caddies is huge with corporate golf events and what client would not be impressed with pretty caddie by his side when you are trying the close that big deal.

Put businessmen and their clients together with gorgeous caddies where ever you are and you could be seeing green in a very good way. 

These caddies would really spice things up at the Masters. Golf enthusiasts start your engines. This idea could work in virtually any local community. Note to guys – check with your girlfriend or wife first…otherwise this idea could be hazardous to your health.

Today's Show Links
http://eyecandycaddies.com/

QuickTime/ITunes: Download 60 Second Idea Golf Made Gorgeous.mp4

60 Second Ideas - Water Cooler Money

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We have done 60 second ideas on carvertising and bikevertising, but what the heck is coolertising and how can it make you money?

That's right...now we have coolertising.

AquaCell Media places ads on their free water coolers in 1,400 retail locations, including chains CVS and Kmart. Advertisers include Dove and CBS Television to create buzz about shows like "Out of Practice" and "Courting Alex."

Is there an opportunity for the small guys and gals here? You bet. Think local. Start with a cooler or two and obtain a couple of local advertisers. What local business would turn down a free water cooler and how many local companies would not want to get their message in front of plenty of thirsty locals?

Run with this idea and you just might be drinking some cool cash.

With all of the clutter of traditional advertising consumers and advertisers will appreciate creative ways to engage each other and coolertising is an intriguing way to do just that.

Today's Show Links
http://www.aquacell.com/
60 Second Ideas - Cycling for Dollars

QuickTime/Itunes: Download 60 Second Idea Water Cooler Cash.mp4

60 Second Ideas - Hope and Remembrance

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Today’s idea, Hope and Remembrance is not a new movie but is an excellent example of how tragedy can often turn into something awesome.

After the loss of her sister in law’s father and unable to find a gift that expressed her feelings, Renee Woods sketched a teardrop shaped pendant with a forget-me-not flower embedded in the design. She then had the pendant manufactured and penned a verse to go along with it.  A few months later, The Comfort Company was born. Today, this mother of 4 young daughters is providing hope, comfort and remembrance for those who are grieving through a variety of unique products as a living tribute to their loved ones.

Creating a product or products around a community in need or want of something is the epitome of niche marketing. Do that and you are on the right track or should I say money track.

Renee Woods is filling an unmet need by lifting the spirits of those that are grieving. Showing us all that new ideas are all around. All you have to do it look, listen, think, and act.

Today's Show Links:
http://www.thecomfortcompany.net

QuickTime/ITunes Show Download Link:
Download 60secondideahopeandrem03242006.mp4

60 Second Ideas - Red Hot Learning

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Today’s Show Links
http://www.redhotsburlesque.com/

What does bumping, grinding and burlesque have to do with a good small business idea?

Should you Bump first or Grind? What's the difference between a Shake and a Shimmy? And just how do you get those tassels to twirl? Three New York City women in a show called Red Hot Burlesque will teach you to be that sultry burlesque babe you always wanted to be at their, what else, School of Shimmy. It is the only school where you can get a Phd in Take It Off-ology. Classes range from the two hour burlesque 101 at $35 or the 4 hour diva for a day $60.00.

You don't have to take it off or dance to see the point here. Everyone has an expertise on something. Why not start a class on what you are passionate about? Whatever that is, make your class unique, fun and interesting and you will be bumping and grinding in money.

Links:
http://www.redhotsburlesque.com/ 

60 Second Ideas - How to get a Top 10 Google News Search Engine Ranking for Little Money or Even Free

Just Released!
From the Producers of 60 Second Ideas

For Immediate Release

From the desk of:
M Brooks & Michael Donahue

Re: A Special Message for Viewers  and Fans of 60 Second Ideas on Internet Marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

We have discovered a Powerful Marketing Strategy that can Get You A Top 10 Google News Search Engine Ranking and bring Thousand of Incoming Links to Your Web Site effortlessly for little money or even FREE... and we would like to share it with You.

We are not going to promise that you can or will make $10,000 a month with our special report.

We are not going to make outlandish promises (like most SEO Web Site Promotion programs) and tell you that with this e-book, you will make a zillion dollars with your Web Site like so many others insist on telling you.

No hype, no long copy loaded with questionable testimonials, over inflated, under delivered free bonuses and ridiculous claims suggesting instant success or that you can get rich quick with your online business.

We are not going to insult your intelligence that way or waste your time.

We are going to give you just the facts, short and sweet and let you decide whether you believe this very inexpensive e-book can be helpful to you. Watch our 4 Minute Online Video above or click here to learn more about The Power Press Website Marketing Strategy.

60 Second Ideas - Turn Your Neighborhood Into A Fashion Statement

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Today's Show Links:
http://www.neighborhoodies.com/

  We like simple ideas that can instantly be turned into a potentially lucrative local business or even a worldwide enterprise. Check out Brooklyn-based Neighborhoodies, capitalizing on the dual trends of customization and community by selling cool, hi quality hooded sweatshirts emblazoned with hand sewn names of one's very own, very narrowly defined neighborhood. Big cities have always been about neighborhoods or even specific streets, so a Brooklyn Heights t-shirt says more than 'I Love NY'!

Launched just over three years ago, the company now boasts more than 35 employees, features in major publications like Newsweek and USA TODAY, and even real-world stores in Manhattan's South Street Seaport and in Los Angeles. They've also added T-shirts, undies, kids' wear, mail bags and even creative pet wear.     Neighborhoodies takes the always popular college sweatshirt to a whole new level. 

  

Which brings us to the very exciting opportunities that this small business idea has to offer entrepreneurs: there are literally thousands and thousands of city neighborhoods around the world, and strongly identifying with your 'hood' is by no means exclusively a New York thing.

For example here in Boise, Idaho, we are not exactly a big city, but someone could easily create sweatshirts like Boise Bencher, Eagleite, or Meridian Maiden....the possibilities are endless for virtually every city, big or small.

   Now it’s everyone’s turn to make their neighborhood the next big thing. It seems that every neighborhood worth its coolshould havea t-shirt or sweatshirt to match. Why not bring hip and cool to neighborhoods in your town? You can easily turn neighborhoods in your community into a fashion statement. In short, this idea is wide open to capture your own local market or even to quickly grab a portion of a national or worldwide market. See also 60 Second Ideas - Gimme a 'T' - Online.

Links
http://neighborhoodies.com