Mark Twain once said, “There is no such thing as an original idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.” Many of the ideas people have today have been worked through so many times that they’ve become cliche. For novelists, movie producers, […]
We’ve all been there: A longtime client goes dark, then they ghost you entirely, and you aren’t really sure why. You had a relationship with them, so what gives? They go dark because they don’t want to break the bad news to you. They don’t want to tell you that they no longer need your […]
There’s a reason every fast-food receipt includes a customer survey at the bottom and every online chat with customer service ends with a “How Did We Do?” pop-up. It’s simple: Feedback from customers is invaluable for business. According to Forbes, there are three big reasons to solicit client feedback. First, it tells your company what […]
Back in 2009, Tim Cook stepped up to fill in for Steve Jobs at Apple during what everyone assumed would be a single medical leave of absence. The temporary stint turned into a permanent position starting in 2011, and now, almost 10 years later, Cook is thriving as the tech company’s CEO while carving out […]
Have you ever interacted with a business and known it is different? Take Vistaprint, for example. If you’ve shopped there before, you know it’s a step above. It’s beautifully simple to customize products, and the company offers free return shipping if you’re not happy with your item. Costco is another good example. Its employees are […]
Does your company have a mission? If you’re passionate about a cause, finding a way to link that zeal to your profits could be your secret to success. Even if you don’t have a charity in mind to champion from day one, don’t dismiss this strategy. You could end up finding it along the way. […]
There’s an old expression that says “business isn’t personal.” Many business owners live by these words, though not always intentionally. They don’t really work to maintain the customer relationships they have. They are just there to provide products or services. However, the more time you spend working with customers, clients, patients, and everyone who walks […]
“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” You’ve likely heard this phrase in leadership training, at morning meetings designed to “invigorate” participants to have a productive week, or from your physical education teacher as you slogged your way through a group activity. Unfortunately, this phrase has been overused so much that it […]
Lead nurturing takes time. There is no greater truth in the marketing world. Well, there might be, but for today, there isn’t. We’ve all been there: We chase leads in the hopes that they convert with minimal cost. Of course, that doesn’t happen. Some leads will convert to sales in a matter of weeks, and […]
In order to maximize the ROI you’re getting from your newsletter, the first thing you need to do is double-check your mindset. Here’s what I mean. The #1 question I get when I sit down with another company’s team to talk about their newsletter is this: “How do I track new revenue?” This is a […]
There are countless entrepreneurs who aspire to found the next Facebook, Uber, or LinkedIn. They have a big idea that they want to share with the world. They just have to get that big idea out there — and people have to respond. So, what differentiates startups that come and go in the blink of […]
Anyone who’s heard my backstory knows I’ve always had a passion for entrepreneurship. I started selling pagers in high school and later ran a dry-cleaning business that led me to newsletters. I thrived being my own boss, running my own company, and managing my career — until I didn’t. Passion Is Key Early in my […]
Last year, I got into a discussion at my Scale-Up Business Bootcamp about lifestyle businesses versus growth-focused businesses. Of course, there are some who set out specifically to have a lifestyle business. But in my experience, some entrepreneurs suddenly shift from “Let’s grow a company” to “I want a lifestyle business.” When this happens, they […]
A few years ago, pre-pandemic (time has gotten weird!), I attended 24 or more conferences per year. That was way too much. But it gave me a good sense of current marketing trends. For the past year or so, there’s been talk about a hot new tool that is disrupting online marketing. Want to take […]
One growth strategy implemented in the earliest days of The Newsletter Pro still continues over 9 years later: strategic partnerships. Strategic partnerships have always been an important part of how we operate and how we’ve grown as a company. Too often, small-business owners and entrepreneurs overlook the value of partnerships. They want to go it […]
