Carnival of Small Business Issues

Carnival of Small Business Issues - Edition 19

After a hop across the border, the CoSBI is back home.

As you have come to expect from the CoSBI, this edition includes quality business articles from around the world.

Please link back and support the carnival. You can also host the Carnival to take advantage of its brand to help drive traffic to your blog.

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Pick of the crop

Drew McLellan presents SWOT = your annual check up posted at The Marketing Minute. “Most businesses do not create a marketing plan or do any annual thinking about their business… the goal of going a SWOT is to capture and communicate the key issues your organization needs to keep an eye on …”

• Comment: Amen!

Finance

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents The Powerful (and Addictive) Nature of Giving posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, “I’ve come up with an idea that has me covered in goosebumps every time I think about it. And that’s a feeling I want to pass on.”

• Comment: Awesome work! I’ll let your post speak volumes …

Matthew Paulson presents Self Employed? Get Inexpensive Health Insurance with Sam’s Club. posted at Getting Green. “… when all is said and done, you’ll be able to save about 25% compared to what you would pay on the open market …”

Marketing

Menachem Lubinsky presents Taking the Knocks and Opportunity Knocks posted at Out Of The Box. “… they knew the attention span of the consumer for these items was limited but realized that it was an opportunity to cash in big time and quickly. In marketing, one man’s tragedy is another man’s opportunity …”

• Comment: I think the problem, Manachem, is that companies do not do their due diligence when dealing with foreign companies. What looks like an attractive and cheap proposition can quickly turn into a nightmare and expensive proposition in the long run. Personally, I think the current spate of “China-picking” is politically motivated in an attempt to depreciate the dollar (as they did for the Yen in the early 90s).

Pat B. Doyle presents 23 Great Ideas For Blog Posts posted at Pat B. Doyle, saying, “Every small business should have a blog. And here are some ideas for what you can blog about.”

• Comment: I totally agree that every small business must have a blog. And you have some real great ideas to keep blog posts flowing.

Sean Burton presents
How To Generate Traffic Using Only Free Methods posted at Financial Success: It is about Change,
saying, “Driving Traffic does not have to be that hard. Most of the time it can be for free! Here are several ways to drive traffic.”

Michelle Cramer presents Inexpensive Ways to Conduct Marketing Research posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, “As small business owners, we have an advantage over big companies - we are closer to the customer. Which means we have more inexpensive, and relatively easy, options available to us.”

David Kam presents How to Create a Radio Ad posted at MarketingDeviant.com. “Making a radio advertisement is a good way to target customers into buying your products or services …”

Sales

Gavin Ingham presents Finding new client information posted at Gavin Ingham. “… there are plenty of clients out there but you have to take some action to find them …”

• Comment: I think sales is important enough a function and should not be merged with marketing. I would recommend another tool for your research “Copernic”. I am not sure what they do, but they get you the information you need - and some of it even Google will miss.

Misc.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Facing Fear Eye to Eye posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, “Eye to eye with a bear while fishing alone is a good lesson in fear, awareness, panic and the law of attraction. It’s one thing to wax philosophically about such things, but to be up close and personal with a large, healthy bear in his domain puts personal development ideas to the test in the real world. (Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus songs with lyrics related to each article – all free.)”

• Comment: Quite an experience, eh Tupelo? I am glad you got out in one piece. Just goes to show how steady nerves and quick thinking can get one out of real tight situations.

Nenad Ristic presents Attribution Theory posted at Money Conciousness. “Some people are afraid that they will get arrogant if they chose to believe that their successes stem from their inherent greatness …”

• Comment: Nenad talks about how an individual’s perception of the success and failure factors actually determine success and failure. On another note, you might want to fix your About page.

Doris Chua presents First Impressions Count! posted at A Meeting Place for All Home Office Women.

• Comment: Doris dedicates her site to all women who work from home or plan to. She hopes to inspire and encourages sharing of experiences. This post lists 20 destructive behaviors to watch out for if you like to leave a good ‘lasting’ impression.

David B. Bohl presents Does Efficiency Work for Those Who Have Overextended Themselves? posted at Slow Down Fast Today!.

• Comment: David talks about efficiency and effectiveness; i.e. doing things right and doing the right things.

edithyeung presents Should I Refer You? posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

artThailand presents How to destroy a building Thai style…….. posted at artThailand.

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This concludes the current edition. Next week, the carnival travels to The Freestyle Entrepreneur. Please submit your posts to be included in next week’s edition.