In one of my favorite entrepreneurial books, Priceless, the author William Poundstone makes a compelling case that when it comes to pricing, sometimes even bright entrepreneurs and marketers can fall victim to just ‘winging it’:

People tend to be clueless about prices. Contrary to economic theory, we don’t really decide between A and B by consulting our invisible price tags and purchasing the one that yields the higher utility. We make do with guesstimates and a vague recollection of what things are ‘supposed to cost.’

The truth is, spending time to utilize smarter pricing methods will go a long way in helping you improve your bottom line, because you could be losing out on a boatload of money simply because you are pricing your products incorrectly!

Below, you’ll see 7 common pricing mistakes that can kill your sales, and I’ll show you the research behind why they affect purchases and what you can do to fix them for good.

Ready to get started? Let’s dig in!

[Read more...]

If there is one rule that permeates the web, it’s that controversy is the key if you want to get people talking.

Most people recognize this, but they implement this strategy so horribly wrong that it’s almost too painful to watch (almost, I still like to point and laugh).

They turn their business blog into a vendetta machine, trying to stir up controversy by calling out individuals and businesses.

That strategy is dumb because it puts you on a fast-track for being viewed as an attention grubbing sleazebag who lacks professionalism and the ability to keep their mouth shut.

And yet, I still LOVE creating controversial content… so how can we have our cake and eat it too?

[Read more...]

What are the best books for entrepreneurs?

One of my favorite books for covering the basics of business and entrepreneurship is definitely The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman.

In it, Kaufman recommends a large variety of other works to complement the basic information covered in his broad business book.

I personally think that education goes far beyond the classroom, and good books are the best place to start.

With definite inspiration from Kaufman’s list, I present to you the best books for entrepreneurs, a constantly changing list that covers all of the major aspects of running a business.

Put some of these are your “to read” list and get cracking!

[Read more...]

Building an email list is the #1 way to grow a blog from a vacant no-man’s land in to a thriving metropolis.

Bottom line.

…but I can’t just say that and not offer up the proof!

Below, I’m going to show you why building your email list/newsletter is far-and-away a better use of your time vs. focusing on your social media profiles, and I’m then going to get into the most in-depth post on building a list from a blog.

Let’s jump in!

[Read more...]

Recently, I’ve been reading The Personal MBA (by Josh Kaufman), and my thoughts are so far that it’s an interesting book, but it’s definitely aimed towards folks who have had zero experience in the arena of self-employment.

That’s not to say that the book isn’t valuable, it’s just that each section reads a little too quickly and won’t dive into topics deeply (if that is what you are looking for).

That being said, there are some great fundamental discussions in the book.

I wanted to discuss the section on core human drives, and hear your thoughts about this categorization of what people want.

[Read more...]