TechRepublic’s Bill Detwiler maintains that booting Windows XP from a USB Flash drive ahs its advantages when you need to troubleshoot and boot a almost dead PC.
Here’s a video walking you through the process. You’ll learn how to configure a computer’s BIOS to boot from a USB drive, how to download and use the free […]
by Jennifer Laycock
If you’re new around here, you’ve probably never heard of Robert Clough. If you’ve been around here for years, you’ve probably decided Robert Clough is my imaginary friend…someone I made up to pin the blame on when things go south. The truth is he’s a real person. The folks who attended SBM Unleashed last week know this and thanks to Anita Campbell, the whole world now knows it.
Anita spent some time talking to Robert at our show last week and wrote up what may well be the first interview with Robert I’ve seen published since I came on board four years ago. Sure, there’s been the odd occasion where his personality has come out…but there was still little to prove he was an actual person. He also rarely gets as much credit for the site as he deserves, so it was refreshing to see someone remind the world of my “silent” partner.
So, for the full story on Robert, Search Engine Guide, why puppy is our mascot and where we’re going in the future, check out Anita Campbell’s great piece: “The Small Business Leader You Have Probably Never Met.”
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by Jennifer Laycock
If you’re new around here, you’ve probably never heard of Robert Clough. If you’ve been around here for years, you’ve probably decided Robert Clough is my imaginary friend…someone I made up to pin the blame on when things go south. The truth is he’s a real person. The folks who attended SBM Unleashed last week know this and thanks to Anita Campbell, the whole world now knows it.
Anita spent some time talking to Robert at our show last week and wrote up what may well be the first interview with Robert I’ve seen published since I came on board four years ago. Sure, there’s been the odd occasion where his personality has come out…but there was still little to prove he was an actual person. He also rarely gets as much credit for the site as he deserves, so it was refreshing to see someone remind the world of my “silent” partner.
So, for the full story on Robert, Search Engine Guide, why puppy is our mascot and where we’re going in the future, check out Anita Campbell’s great piece: “The Small Business Leader You Have Probably Never Met.”
Want more from your web site?
Search Influence can help! Targeted Traffic. Increased Revenue. Results Guaranteed. Customized Internet Marketing you can afford.
by Stoney deGeyter
There are two important questions that every business needs to be able to answer:
What’s in it for me?
and
Why should I buy from you?
The first questions, when answered correctly, helps sell your product or service, but it doesn’t necessarily close the deal. In order to get the deal sealed and money in hand you have to be able to answer the second question sufficiently.
This is where a lot of businesses go wrong. They focus on one of these two questions but not both. Let’s break these down a bit:
What’s in it for me?
To sell your product or service you have to explain to the user why they need your product or service in the first place. But it isn’t as simple as telling them they need a new car battery to replace the old car battery. They need a battery that is reliable enough or powerful enough that they can be confident that it’ll work whenever and wherever they need it. Your audience might already know that they need a newly landscaped yard, so don’t tell them that. Instead, tell them they want a yard that will provide them a luxurious outdoor getaway that is functional for quiet summer evenings under the stars, as well as a place where the kids can play away in complete safety and security.
But as I already said, this question doesn’t close the deal. It merely provides your audience with the key selling points, convincing them that you have what they want. But they also know that there may be other people out there that also have what they want. This is why the second question is so critical.
Why should I buy from you?
Once your audience is convinced to buy the product or service that you offer, you have to make the case that you’re the one they want to buy it from. The simple fact that you have the product or service to sell is not enough.
Ask yourself, what makes you different from the dozens or possibly even hundreds of others out there doing the same thing? Can you make the case for yourself in a way that is appealing? Do you just sell the same car batteries as everyone else or do you test regularly to make sure you sell only the most reliable batteries? And what makes your testing process better than anyone else’s?
I’ve said in a previous article that great businesses are not necessarily those that do something unique, it’s those that do something in a unique way. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling car batteries, landscaping services, or diaper products. Whatever it is you do, find a unique approach. Provide something extra that nobody else is doing. Look for an unmet need in your industry that you can capitalize on.
Selling your products is one thing, but you’ve also got to be able to sell yourself. The products will sell, it’s just a matter of where and by who. You want to be the where and who.
What makes you unique?
So what is it that makes you unique? If you don’t know, think about it, do a little research
and find out.
Want more from your web site?
Search Influence can help! Targeted Traffic. Increased Revenue. Results Guaranteed. Customized Internet Marketing you can afford.
Oracle said Tuesday that it closed its acquisition of BEA Systems following European Commission approval.
In a statement, Oracle president Charles Phillips BEA will help the company’s vision of a “a modern service-oriented architecture (SOA) infrastructure” and provide “a series of complementary and well-engineered middleware products.”
Wall Street analysts say BEA should add about 4 cents a […]
Yesterday, the Open Source community took an emotional hit when veteran Linux programmer Hans Reiser was convicted of first degree murder in the suspicious disappearing of his wife, Nina. While I won’t go into the details of the case, as this has been covered extensively in the press, I would like to talk a little […]
Updated: Rogers Communications said Tuesday that it has a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada.
In a terse announcement, Rogers, the largest wireless provider in Canada, made the announcement and said little else. Here’s the full-text:
Ted Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Communications Inc. today issued the following statement:
We’re thrilled to […]
Lists have never done much for me–especially financial lists. It’s financial porn: Forbes’ most wealthy people; the Fortune 500; 10 mutual funds you must have now and a few hundred other lists. And now Silicon Alley Insider has launched a startup valuation index that’s bound to be a conversation starter.
You mean Facebook is only worth […]
Google director Ann Mather is facing civil charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection to an options backdating scandal at Pixar, where Mather used to be CFO from 1999 to 2004.
In Google’s filing, the company disclosed:
On April 23, 2008, Ann was advised by the staff of the Los Angeles office of the Securities […]
Notable headlines:
David Morgenstern: Is Psystar Mac clone using the Kalyway boot hack?
IT Dojo: Create your own bootable USB flash drive for Windows XP
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft internal memo details Windows 7-Windows Live ties
Another reason Microsoft should give up on Yahoo: Morale
Larry Dignan: Microsoft: Does a Yahoo proxy war add up?
Nate McFeters: Developers at fault? […]