Smart ways to make more money and find new customers

Small business owners must build trust, set trends and share their customers’ values. Connecting with customers is one of the most important ways to make money.

Success starts close to home. Before connecting with customers, you must build strong bonds with your teammates. Tap or click here for five leadership secrets every small business owner should know.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, keep reading. Kim started her brand from the ground up and learned many tough lessons. Here is some of her best advice for any small business owner.

1. Choose a solid and memorable brand name

Pick a name that rolls off the tongue. You also want to pick one that inspires good feelings in whoever is talking about your business. There’s a lot of psychology at play.

A 2006 study scanned people’s brains to see how they responded to name brands. Researchers made a shocking discovery. Brand names trigger more of an emotional response than other words.

A more recent study found that favorite brands activate two brain regions. These aren’t just any brain regions: They’re the parts that are important for developing close interpersonal relationships. Scientific American shares all the details.

You can use this knowledge to your advantage

Here’s the main takeaway. When we talk about brands, we process the name through the more emotional parts of our brains.

As a small business owner, you can influence your customers’ emotions. You can use that power for good — and profit. Sadly, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for a good brand name. Here’s our advice:

  • Do some soul-searching.
  • Invest in research to find a good name.
  • Be original without being esoteric.

If you’re stuck, flip through the dictionary. You may not find the business name you stick with, but it will get the gears turning.

Continue reading

Here are companies offering WFH jobs now

Working from home offers many perks (aside from not having to wear pants). The big one is you don’t have to commute. Think of all the money you’d save on gas! Plus, you can listen to music without disturbing anyone, have more time with your family and customize your office exactly as you want.

Continue reading

Cheap phone-free cameras

I love having a really good camera on my phone, but I don’t always want my phone with me. That’s why I’m glad cameras still exist — and they’re totally back in with the younger crowd.

  • Disposable: Kind of surprised they still make disposable cams but also thrilled they do. I used to love giving Ian one of these when he was a kid and seeing what he’d captured. Maybe I’ll give this one to Barry! It’s 16% off ($14.29).
  • 35mm: For a reusable option, you can’t beat the price of the Sprite 35‑II from Ilford ($23.99). Lightweight and light on the wallet. Don’t forget the film!
  • Digital: The marketing copy on this baby: “Shoot decent images with ease.” Love the honesty. A decent digital camera! Nab it now for 20% off ($39).

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Personalize your biz emails: Instead of sending a one-size-fits-all marketing blast to your customers, try segmenting your audience to send the right message to the right person. Most email service providers let you set up multiple lists. MailChimp, Constant Contact and all the other big ones do. Smart!

QR codes used in warfare

Open/download audio

You won’t believe how powerful scanning one of these malicious QR codes is. Plus, the app that turned into a marketing nightmare, three must-have downloads and OpenAI’s duet shows just how far language models are coming.

Gotta run this by legal: In just six months, AI agents might talk to each other to solve problems, just like a team of employees. Say you want to run an ad campaign. An AI marketing agent would mock up the creatives and then check with an AI legal agent to make sure it’s compliant. You’ll still need an intern for coffee runs, though … for now.

How online searches are evolving in today's digital landscape

I can’t imagine we’ll stop saying “Google it” when referring to finding info online any time soon — but, in reality, the way people search the web is changing. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT are part of it, but don’t discount how many use social media to find information. 

Continue reading

Don't make these tech buying errors – Expert money-saving advice

Amazon hit record sales in July during its Prime Day sale — $12.7 billion. Incredible to think it all started selling books online out of a garage. I really think Prime Day should be on the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th, 13th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 29th or 31st. 

Continue reading

Identity crisis: You can prime ChatGPT or any other chatbot to answer how you want with one simple phrase: “You are a …” and then fill in that blank with anything — “marketing expert,” “lawyer,” “landlord attorney,” “master gardener,” “personal trainer.” Go ahead, try “Digital Goddess.”

Better AI prompts: For creative work, tell AI to write for a certain reading level. For the general public, that’s around an eighth-grade level. (No one needs to struggle to read your marketing, website or email copy.)

AI prompt upgrade: Imagine you want to market your company or pet project. Ask ChatGPT (or your favorite bot) to generate a blog or social media post to share. You’ll get a better answer if you simply preface it with, “You’re a marketing expert.

Smoke and mirrors: The fourth bitcoin “halving” just slashed mining rewards in half — from 6.25 to 3.125 per block. Translation: Bitcoin will become 50% harder to find. This is the oldest marketing trick in the book. As it gets rarer, it becomes more valuable, and more people buy in at that increased price … until they stop buying altogether and it all crashes. Remember: The intrinsic value of bitcoin is exactly zero.

Angry letters, threats, Bud Lite and Netflix

Open/download audio

Netflix made a whole lot of people mad when it said no more password sharing. In 60 seconds, why there’s a lot to learn from the streaming company’s marketing.

Lazy girl job viral trend, Instacart price jacking & Space Force satellites

Open/download audio

Plus, Reggie needs a marketing solution to get his small biz off the ground. I give him my advice. A woman’s wedding dress accidentally gets donated to Goodwill — here’s how internet sleuths got it back. The reason your phone can track your steps and how to know which side of the car your gas tank is on.

Your boss('s robot) is watching

Companies using tech to keep an eye on employees is nothing new. But the spyware that tallies productivity and ensures you’re logged in on time is so last decade. We’re living in an AI world, folks.

Let’s look at what might be taking a close look at you or someone you know who’s working remotely. 

Continue reading

Overnight success? Nope, but it was worth the work

Have a passion for homes and architecture? Rob Kallick did and ran with it. Now he runs a team of real estate agents that closed $200 million in deals last year. Whoa.

When I heard about Rob, I couldn’t wait to share it with you. If you know someone trying to make it in real estate, you need to share this story with them.

Continue reading

Small biz tip: Ways to make 2023 your best year yet

Prepare your business for the new year with these five small business resolutions for 2023. We’ll help you cut costs, gain new skills and find ways to optimize your work life. It’s time to be more strategic with your marketing goals, develop your online presence and whip your finances into shape.

Continue reading

How to start your own YouTube channel: 5 tips for success

YouTube is a video-sharing platform, streaming service and social media platform. It hosts every type of content you can imagine, with more being uploaded all the time.

Finding what you’re looking for with so much content can be challenging. Want to watch a live event or filter out the stuff you don’t need to see? How about avoiding parodies? Tap or click here for eight YouTube tricks that will have you searching like a pro.

Continue reading

Addictive game: Guess the most popular video based on the thumbnail alone

With billions of monthly users, YouTube is the world’s largest search engine, surpassed only by its parent company Google.

Searching YouTube is as easy as typing in what you’re looking for, but with all the available content, a simple search may not be enough. Tap or click here for five tips that will turn you into a YouTube pro.

Continue reading

How to buy Google search ads for your business or side hustle

Marketing for your small business used to be as simple as sending out a few fliers or having an ad posted in a newspaper. If you were feeling ambitious, you could spring for a television commercial. Those days are gone.

Continue reading