DISQUS

Merci beaucoup.

The field of computer and internet is getting wider and more complex each day that for a normal man it is hard to grasp all the ins and outs of it. As a result, these people who call themselves experts in anything related to computer, tend to take advantage of other people's ignorance. It is bit like a mechanic claiming other parts of your cars needing to be changed when that's not the real case.

I paid a heft sum of money on a contract to a supposedly SEO expert. Sometimes I just wonder what he does each day to get my site ranked. How much of his time per day does he spend on my site? Does he think that getting a good rank for my site is as important as I think it is?

Like Ophelia said, since all the transaction is done virtually, it is like taking a gamble.

Creating a product name does not only differentiate you from your competitors, it also forces you on a daily basis to improve and differentiate yourself.
The differences you have may have led you to the creation of a product name, but they are sure to be copied. So what happens is you have a product name which is not much different anymore from what your competitors have. So you end up changing it, improving it, updating it etc.

I know a lot of people do not like routine. They do not like to draw guidelines, or get disciplined. It may sound boring for those who wish to jump into the action, but they risk the free fall. So it's better to get the modd ready from the start of the day and decide what you want to achieve in that day.

Very nice article. We can use this not only for our business and ideas we may have but for our life in general, to improve our relationships, to get out of a bad relationship, etc.

You are absolutely right. If you are looking for a long-term relationship with your customers, you should be honest to them about your product.
I have a retail business selling handicrafts from developing countries. Many times I have been ripped off by dishonest sellers, and I have stopped buying from them. This has also taught me a lesson about honesty towards my own customers.

Thanks for sharing this Steve. It is very insightful.
I think I commit so much to one project that when it does not work out I am left discouraged. If I have som many things going on so that if one of them or few of them fail, and I can still go on, I will feel like I am not giving my 100% on any of the project.

Thank you very much.
Can I please offer you the same gift if you do not mind :)?

Forget about wanting to be famous or known for whatever reason.
Ever wondered why we even have the need to be with someone in our life?
Why can't we live alone? Why do we need a partnet?
Is it because we have a need to be known to someone, need to be felt important to someone, or just a need to be acknowledged about our own existence so that each morning when we wake up, we can turn around and look at the person next to us, and think, "well he/she knows that I am alive"?

Yes you're right. But I have come to realise that there are some people in business just to make a living and not necessarily tons of money because they love what they do and their libetry.
A lot of retired people who open up their new businesses are there just keep themselves busy.

You are right. We have been driven too much by commercialism that we see the value only in terms of money.
Let us all re-learn to take pleasure in simple things in life.

Me too. I am being careful on my spending these days.

When you said "What is important and what is not", do you mean you are going to take some people's name off the christmas list to recieve gifts :)?

A very interesting article Steve.
I am reading your article from a cafe in France. There you go, one more drop of fame in your ocean. I like how people from all over the world can now come togethere and share each other's thoughts. May be this would help us break more barriers and understand each other better for a better world.

I depends. It is hard to convince a middle-aged man who is new to the idea of computer, to get his business known through social media. You there are a lot of older people who still feel uncomfortable with a computer, thus they might prefer the traditional way. Just my thought.

Indeed, it has affected everyone. I live in France, and I can tell you that due to the amount of news coverage the US bail out is getting and the financial crisis, people here have stopped buying as much as they did before. Christmas season is nearing and businesses are not picking up.
I cannot belive that a greed of few people so powerful can lead to such a negative effects in many people's lives.

"SEO-iphied: Throwing in the word “google” in the source code."

So true. Google, not only in the context of SEO, but in general must be the word of the century.

When you talk about fundamental of doing a business, one word comes into mind, "trust". When there has been a breach of this bond between buyers and sellers/investers, we can only hope for the kind of market we are experiencing right now. Like they say, trust once broken takes time to rebuild", we will just have to be patient and keep our fingers crossed.

Actually when the times are bad, humans tends to get more selfish and look out only for themselves. The level of despiration rises and human behavior can take strange turns. I am not surprised at the way the PR person acted.
When there are too many people and only a small pie, things can get quite nasty.

Well it could be surprising to see no one taking any initiatives on Twitter. May be it’s a wait and see game on both sides.

Seriously, I do not care about how my politician tries to reach out to me as long as they do their job right.
Now a days with politicians stooping so low to reach out to the common man (like having a beer and a barbeque with them), it looks like even a 5th grader would make a better president.

Let me add one other point why starting up your own business is even more attractive. It is "freedom". You are free to decide how much you want to earn, how you want to earn it, how you want to manage your time earning it. etc. Basically you are free in every aspect of your life. And a lot of times I find that even more appealing than the amount of money.
And then there are people who are scared of this "freedom". Freedom to take life in your own hands. And isn't that the reason why we get stuck up with a crappy 8-5 job even if we would like to have our own business one day?

Having absolutely no family history or experience in business, I, due to my wife's idea and motivation decided to put my feet in this so far untouched water.
I read, and re-read books and articles about how to start-up and run a business to make up to the lack of experience, but each time I come to the point about "Knowing your market" just like Benjamin's point # 5, I stumble.
My question is, what if your market is not created? In other words, what if you are introducing a new product. It is easy to get in the business selling what is already popular. But what if your item is new? How do you know and understand the market, your potential customers?