Paul Chaney knows small business and social media. We met in 2008 when Zane Safrit introduced us at BlogWorld Expo. When Paul told me he was launching his own consulting firm, I invited him for an interview. We talk about Paul’s small town connections, his experiences leading up to writing The Digital Handshake, and his…
It’s no secret that I’m a supporter of small town businesses. But it’s not all that well known that I’m working on a book with Barry Moltz. Our idea is that rural entrepreneurs have some valuable lessons for other businesses. Now, I know a lot of small town business stories, but they are centered around…
Right now, people are visiting your area, and they are shooting video of your best events and attractions. They may upload it to their own account, share it on Facebook, or let it languish on their hard drive. How can you turn that into a big asset? Video cameras are getting smaller all the time!…
Predictive questions are questions that can lead to better recommendations. By asking your customers the right question, you can more easily connect them with the right product or the right service. The two questions might not even seem to be related. The predictive question, “Do you like to dance?” correlates with, “should you switch to…
[We’ve been known to rant about broadband access, so I was more than happy to bring you this guest post from the Broadband for America Coalition. -Becky] By the Broadband for America Coalition Not so long ago, broadband access to the Internet was reserved for the largest corporations, the most expensive colleges and universities, and…
Tourism is one of our favorite topics here, especially how to use online tools to reach more visitors. During South by Southwest, Sheila Scarborough and I sat down with Jennifer Navarrete and Luis Sandoval, Jr. of the Tech in Twenty show to talk about how social media can help tourism organizations tell the stories of…
You don’t have to be the geek to start a technology-based company. Plenty of high tech companies have been started by people from all walks of life, without having an advanced programming certification. At South by Southwest, this was the subject of “How to Run a Startup Without a Tech Cofounder.” Suzanne Xie, founder of…
Here’s an entrepreneurial idea for any small town. Build “a community of small businesses” like 1440 Main Street in Ferdinand, Indiana. via @ahoffman50 on Twitter. Each business can support the others in promotions, in sharing customers, in splitting expenses. Each entrepreneur can benefit from brainstorming and networking with the others. Everyone can learn something from…
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