Tom and Jerry – Frenemies Forever

These cartoon characters were constantly chasing each other, but despite the antagonistic roles they assumed, they were really friends at heart. They were what I consider to be the ultimate “frenemies” that might be fierce competitors but would unite in friendship when needed to conquer other foes. Businesses often have a “coopetition” type of relationship with other companies, in which they compete fiercely in some areas of their businesses, but cooperate with each other in some aspects of their businesses. On a smaller scale, bloggers are good examples of the Tom and Jerry relationship. While they may be competing with each other for visitors within their similar niches, their friendly networking together can strengthen each of them against other (perhaps larger) competitors.

Underdog – Never Underestimate The Little Guy

I see Underdog as the representation of the solo entrepreneurs of our time, usually seen as the “underdogs” in a fight, but often proving that an understimation of their abilities can lead to the big corporation’s defeat. The internet has been called the great equalizer of our times, where the least likely can become the big winners of the ecommerce game. Never assume that because you are merely a shy geek, or “just” a mommy blogger, that you can’t come up with the next big idea.

Road Runner – Learn From Mistakes

If Wile E. Coyote had one outstanding trait, it was that he was tenacious! I think tenacity is a wonderful asset for an eBusiness owner to have, but it can’t be the only asset you have! As the poor coyote never seemed to learn, if you keep doing the same thing over and over again, you’re always going to get the same result. And if that result is failure, then you definitely need a new, wiser game plan.

Jetsons – Brains Trump Technology

Ah, my all time favorite, the Jetsons taught me two things.

1) Cool techno-gadgets are fabulous! (I’m fairly certain that my love of technology began with the Jetsons).

2) All the coolest technology in the world won’t make up for our own stupidity. George Jetson is still a bumbling idiot, in spite of all the technological advantages at his fingertips. We need to utilize technology in our ebusinesses when it’s smart to do so, but we still have to use our brains to really be successful.

Your Toon Lessons?

Your turn. What era of cartoons did you grow up with, and what ebusiness lessons could you learn from them?

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cartoons, ebusiness, lessons
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What Kind Of Tip?

Any kind of tip that relates to doing business on the Internet would be appreciated, including online marketing, blogging, content creation, productivity, motivation, tools, seo, social media, cutting costs, getting things done, conversion optimization, etc.

Share Your eBusiness Tip

Just leave your tip in the comments below. I’m excited to learn something new from you, or be reminded of things I’ve forgotten. Let’s all benefit from each other.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ebusiness, Tip
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Unless I specifically say that a post is “for bloggers”, you can assume it is for anyone who is involved in conducting business online.

I blog, yes. I guess that automatically entitles me to wear the BLOGGER hat, but I wear lots more hats. My biggest hat, let’s call it my sombrero (since they tend to be pretty big hats), is that of ONLINE ENTREPRENEUR. I think that is a nice all-around, all-encompassing title. Some comparable terms might be SOLO ENTREPRENEUR (although that doesn’t imply an online business) or INTERNET MARKETER. When I speak of online business ventures, I often just shorten it and call it EBUSINESS.

I’m pretty sure that of the hundreds of times that I’ve been asked “what do you do”, I’ve never once said, “I’m a blogger”. That’s just not how I think of myself. Blogging is merely one piece of a whole online business pie for me. And frankly, when I think of blogging, I think of WordPress, and when I think of WordPress, I think of CMS, and when I think of CMS, I think of merely a tool used to create content.

I do agree that blogging tends to be more casual than stodgy, and more time-sensitive than evergreen – but that is merely how it is used most frequently. Blogging can be stodgy and it can be evergreen, if one so chooses to make it so.

Why do I feel the need to explain this at all? Because I don’t want anyone to place limitations on me or themselves. My goal in my work is not to be a blogger. My goal is to make a living online. I can make that living in many ways, but the basics are:

• Create good content.
• Monetize that content in some way.

Of course, there are a lot of details left out of that process, but those are the broad aspects. That can be accomplished in many ways, and blogging is only one way.

I don’t limit myself to only achieving my goals with just one method. If just one method works for you, that’s great, but I don’t want to only share information targeted at people who only use that one method. I want to reach anyone who is trying to make a living online, whether they choose to do so via blogging, or anything else. I have nothing against blogging. I love blogging. But I also love all the hats I wear, and the blogger hat isn’t even close to being the biggest of the bunch.

So please don’t read my posts thinking that they are directed only at bloggers. Unless the post says that, then it is probably directed at anyone who uses any method of making a living online.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: blogging, ebusiness, Internet Marketing, online entrepreneur
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Yes, I do have ideas for products that you can create online. I’ve created the following infographic to help kickstart your idea phase. Below the infographic is a more detailed explanation of each general idea.

(Note: If you feel you don’t have the necessary skills to create the product, but have a great idea, then it’s time to look at outsourcing the product development phase. You might be surprised at what you can hire people to do at a cost you can actually afford to pay).

You can embed this infographic on your own site or blog by copy/pasting the following code.

<p>
<a href="http://www.dazzlindonna.com/blog/making-money-online/site-ideas/online-product-ideas-infographic/">
<img src="http://dazzlindonna.com/images/dd-online-product-ideas.png" border="0" alt="Online Product Ideas" />
</a>
</p>
<p>
Infographic by <a href="http://dazzlindonna.com/blog/">DazzlinDonna - Making Money Online</a>
</p>

Online Product Ideas

Start with your own knowledge base. What are your interests and passions? Narrow down to the one topic that you know the most about, have the most interest in, and have the most passion for. Now think about creating a product (which may be a website, an online tool, a digital download, or a physical product) in that niche that fills one or more of the following broad areas.

Solve A Problem

The surest product “win” is usually the one that solves a problem. What’s your biggest pet peeve in the niche you’ve chosen? Can you solve it? Can you solve a physical problem people may have (get fit, grow strong nails, etc.)? Can you appeal to the group’s vanity by making them look better? Can you solve an emotional fear they may have? Can you solve a financial issue they have? Make some related chore easier? Make the normal products they use every day better? Remember that you even very small, seemingly simple problems can be huge if solved in the right way. You’re more likely to score a win by solving one very small, very specific problem than trying to tackle a huge tangled mess of problems.

Enable Giving

People love to give to others, especially if it is easy and unique. Think beyond the typical flowers, gift baskets, or e-cards. Can you create a product for your niche group that enables them to share congratulations, express sympathy, or show their love and friendship in a unique way?

Design A Playground

Everyone loves to have fun. Create a product designed for your target audience that is fun, allows them to enjoyably waste time, or enables them to share fun quizzes and memes with their network of friends.

Let Them Manage

Is your target group looking for a way to manage their niche data? Can you help them organize it? Can you design a product that will allow them to store and retrieve it? Search and find just what they need?

Accessorize

Create a product that plays off of someone else’s product that your target audience uses every day. Maybe you can create skins or themes for a virtual product, or cases and other accessories for a physical product. If your niche uses a particular online application, can you create an add-on product that enhances the original?

Facilitate Connections

Are your niche users having a hard time finding each other? Could they use a product that helps them connect for group collaborations? Can mentors find people looking to be mentored? Do groups interested in similar hobbies have a way to meet and share? Does your target audience need a way to find like-minded people to date? Do they need a tool to help them find jobs in the niche or buy/sell/trade with each other?

Data Virtualization, Visualization and Manipulation

Can you enable your audience to create their own mashups, tools, and infographics based on public or private data sets? Can you make it easy for them to create graphs and charts, or share case studies with their audience? Can you provide a way to let them explore geographic areas, go on virtual vacations, or visually travel to outer space by letting them manipulate geodata?

Make The Idea Unique To Your Niche

Take any of these ideas and find a way to make it work for your niche; your topic; your knowledge; your interest; and your audience. There are probably similar products already available, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come up with your own unique product geared towards your niche audience with your own personal twist. Keep it simple. Don’t create a product with 100 features. Create a product with one or two crazy wonderful features, or one that solves one small but mighty problem. Remember that this product may be an online application, a small online tool, an entire website, a downloadable, installable application, a digital e-book, a physical, manufactured product, or anything else that can be sold online. Also remember that there are vast resources to pull from, and nearly anything can be outsourced when necessary.

Data Resources

Public Datasets can be found many places including:

• Google Public Data Directory
• Data.gov Catalog
• NBER
• Public Health Data
• KDNuggets List
• Geodata

Remember, you can embed this infographic on your own site or blog by using the following code:

<p>
<a href="http://www.dazzlindonna.com/blog/making-money-online/site-ideas/online-product-ideas-infographic/">
<img src="http://dazzlindonna.com/images/dd-online-product-ideas.png" border="0" alt="Online Product Ideas" />
</a>
</p>
<p>
Infographic by <a href="http://dazzlindonna.com/blog/">DazzlinDonna - Making Money Online</a>
</p>

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ebusiness, infographic, make money online, Online Product Ideas
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eBusiness Mish-Mash

Why Every Freelancer Should Have a Personal Project

If you have clients willing to pay you to do something, you can also use that skill to make something that would pay you directly. Think about it. Whether it’s a blog earning revenue through advertisements, affiliate sites or a service, you start something now. There is no guarantee that it will make you the income that your clients pay, but you will have something coming in if all else fails. And if it generates an income, soon you could be freelancing just for the joy of it and not solely for the money.

>> Follow Ritu

3 Tips for the Entrepreneur / Workhorse

When we decided (you and I, the risk takers) to ditch the corporate gig and make our dreams a reality (here’s hoping), we had to immediately deal with the certain reality that life would never be the same. To say you can’t approach entrepreneurship (and often true sales) the same way you take on the 9-5 job is obvious and yet, sometimes, we do just that.

>> Follow Microfit

Ruud Questions: Kristy Bolsinger (RealNetworks)

People are talking about you whether you are listening and/or participating or not. Simply ignoring these conversations does not wipe them from existence. In order to get involved in social media successfully, it is critical to define your goals and know your target audience. Simply “jumping in” will probably not result in a positive outcome – let alone any type of ROI. You must first define your goals based on your target audience, and then strategically enter the social media space with these things in mind.

>> Follow Kristy Bolsinger

One piece of content, 20 ways to use it

In small business marketing, every penny counts – so if you have some content make sure it works really hard for you. Also don’t be shy in using it, re-using it and re-using it again. At the B2B Marketing Lead Nurturing event (30 Sept 2009), John sagely reminded us that if, as marketers, we’re totally bored by a piece of content, then the market has probably only just noticed it. If the material is relevant, interesting, and not date-defined, you can probably dine out on it for six months to a year, at the very least. Probably longer. I mean, for each new follower on Twitter, for example, it is effectively a brand new piece… don’t be shy in showing them your best stuff.

>> Follow Bryony Thomas

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ebusiness, entrepreneurs, microbusiness
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My plan for this blog includes giving you as much practical, actionable advice as possible in 2010. That means I’ll try to focus on specifics that you can use to start or grow your online business. I’ll look at more tools that can help make your business more profitable or easier to manage, and try to answer your specific questions over the next year.

So… what do you want to know? I’m listening. Feel free to send questions to me via my contact form or in the comments below. I’ll do my best to answer them with as much detail as possible while still keeping things general enough to be able to help the largest number of people. In other words, I may not answer you directly, but I’ll do my best to answer your question within a blog post at some point in 2010.

Oh, and yes, to keep up the tradition of giving a little something to you on my birthday, I’ve got 18 Google Wave invites to give out. I was hoping Google would have granted me 50 to hand out, since I turn 50 years old today, but 18 is the best I can do. Sorry that it’s not much this year, but I promise to try to come up with something better next year. Anyway, if you want an invite to Google Wave, use my contact form to send me whatever Gmail address you use. I’ll send the invite to that address. (Yes, I think for now Google requires a Google account email address, so if you don’t yet have one, you’ll first need to sign up for a Gmail address, and then let me know what it is). Once the 18 invites are gone, they’re gone, so the first 18 who ask will get them. Don’t leave your email address in the comments below, as that will just invite spammers into your life. Instead, be sure to use my contact form, and that way, it’ll remain private.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ebusiness, faq, success tips
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Fear of the unknown?
Worried that you aren’t capable?
Not sure how to get it going?
Don’t have time?
Think you need more money?
Think you need more knowledge?
Something else?

I’ll always be grateful that one day I decided to jump into the online business bandwagon. I was just having a conversation today about the fact that it’s going to be raining all weekend. Back in the day, when I was still working in a cubicle “out there”, the weekends mattered…a lot! So a rainy weekend would have been a huge disappointment. But now that I work from home, I can make any group of days a weekend. I decide when I take time off, not some corporation. So the fact that this weekend will be rainy doesn’t affect me in the least. I’ll just move my weekend plans to mid-week instead.

Working from home, for one’s self, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But if that’s what you dream of…if that’s what you would LOVE to be able to do, but haven’t…. I want to know why.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to tell people to quit your day jobs, right now, without any kind of plan or savings. That would be foolish. But the great thing about this business is that you can get started slowly – part-time. You can do a little work when you’re at home at night or on those cherished weekends, to “get things going”. You can slowly build up to the day when you don’t have to get up and go to some j-o-b “out there” in some stuffy office.

So why haven’t you? I’m not judging, I’m just curious. I truly want to know. Maybe if I know, then I can turn around and help a few people get past those problems and get started on their goals of not worrying about the weekend weather report.

So if the question applies to you, I’d love to hear your answer in the comments. Thanks!

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ebusiness, Making Money Online, online, online business, online business bandwagon
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Now is the time to start your ebusiness. It may not help you financially in the short term, since few new sites make much money right away. But you’ll be that much closer to pulling a profit from it later on when you need it most, if you start now. While you still have a job, it can begin to supplement your income, helping you pay the extra costs for gas and food. If you later lose your job, it may be doing well enough to help you get by while you search for another. And with any luck (and some hard work), it may even be able to completely replace that 9-5 job at some point.

I like to always follow the “just in case” theory. Being prepared “just in case” something goes wrong is a good plan. Waiting to start an ebusiness after you’ve been laid off (like I did several years ago) means you’ll be making next to nothing at a time when you need money the most. You’re much better off to have started your site, developed it over time, discovered ways to make it grow and become profitable, so that when the pink slip arrives at your desk, you’ve got a little peace of mind knowing you are somewhat ahead of the game.

And if you never get that pink slip? Great! All that means is that your ebusiness is supplementing your income, and that’s always a good thing.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: e - business, ebusiness, economy, food, just in case, layoffs, online ebusiness, pink slip, recession, supplemental income
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Choose your avatar wisely, and once chosen, use it on all sites that allow avatars. This spreads your brand across the web, and enables others to get to know you. The more “familiar” you are to people, the more credibility you have down the line.

Although gravatars (Globally Recognized Avatars) have been around a long time, they are going to get a resurgence of popularity now that they’ve been acquired by Automattic (makers of Akismet for WordPress). With the newest version of WordPress being released shortly, the ability to easily embed gravatars into WordPress themes means that they will be used more and more as time goes on.

What does this mean for you?

1. If you don’t have a gravatar yet, don’t waste any more time getting one.
2. Comment on blogs as always, realizing that eventually your gravatar will start showing up next to your comments, as more and more blog themes incorporate them
3. Your face (or avatar) will become familiar to readers of those blogs, thus strengthening your brand

Creating and using avatars (or gravatars) is a simple but highly effective method of becoming a recognizable brand across the Internet. Don’t miss out on using this little personal branding technique.

© Donna for DazzlinDonna, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Automattic, avatars, ebusiness, gravatars, online persona, personal branding
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