I know this sounds like a scam but it really isn’t. Over the last few years I have worked with a number of Pacific Northwest companies who have been beneficiaries of a fabulous matching federal grant program. The program is administered by the Northwest Trade Adjustment Assistance Center and it assists companies that have been [...]
Sangria Startup
Published in May 3rd, 2010
My friends Maria and Magdy for the last year have been in the process of starting a company to produce a wonderful Spanish wine drink called Sangria. It’s made of premium wines infused with various fruit juices and is quite delicious. They are not quite in production but I have tasted the pre-production bottles and [...]
Tradeshow Tips
Published in April 22nd, 2010
I just got back from visiting the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) and Kioskcom trade-shows in Las Vegas. While I saw lots of great gadgets and eye candy unfortunately I also saw plenty of poor marketing!
Imagine if you will, a crowded convention center with hundreds of booths. The noise and flashing of lights is tiring [...]
Churches and Non-Profits Also Need Marketing
Published in February 28th, 2010
Its not always viewed this way but all organizations that want to attract people need to consider some form of marketing. Marketing is an investment not just an expense. Frankly it is a stewardship responsibility to take marketing seriously. Members, congregations and donors expect their donations to be wisely used to the benefit of the [...]
Be Single Minded in Your Marketing
Published in January 18th, 2010
Many of us small business folks are guilty of throwing in everything but the kitchen sink into our marketing. We are concerned about perhaps missing something important that our prospects need to know. Unfortunately when we clutter up our messaging we end up communicating nothing.
Think about Verizon Wireless. They are a great example of [...]
A Few Broken Links?
Published in December 27th, 2009
A new version of WordPress came out recently and I decided to upgrade only to discover that the data base that is running on this site was a bit old. I had to figure out how to update the data base and something went not quite right with the result that a few of my [...]
Communicate Your Business More Effectively With Graphics
Published in November 5th, 2009
A couple of weeks ago I was in Boulder Co for the annual Duct Tape Marketing coaches gathering and we had a few really good speakers. Lesa Snider, who I have met before, is a really good presenter. She is an evangelist for iStockPhoto.com and is the author of Photoshop CS4: The [...]
Michael Thompson Awarded Certified Market Coach Accreditation
Published in October 27th, 2009
Last week I was at the Duct Tape Marketing annual gathering in Boulder Co. As some of you know I have been a Duct Tape Marketing Coach for 3 years. In that time I have worked with numerous companies and seen some good results. Due to the success with clients and the level of [...]
New Logo for Small Business in Portland OR
Published in October 16th, 2009
Some of you were kind enough to help a client of mine pick a new logo for his company. You may remember that I posted a link to a survey that showed his current logo and two other alternatives he was considering.
The three he wanted to have compared were:
Logo C was his original logo and [...]
Windows 7 Upgrade and iPhone
Published in October 14th, 2009
Looks like the problem with my USB ports and Windows 7 also affects my ability to update my iPhone. The other night I attached the iPhone and was notified there was a firmware upgrade available. Unthinkingly I clicked “yes”. A few minutes into the upgrade the process froze and left my iPhone unusable! Not a [...]
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