Tempted to cut prices? You’re not alone. With slumping sales, many businesses have been quick to offer discounts. “Cutting prices is by far the easiest marketing technique you can use,” says Frank Luby, a partner in Simon-Kucher & Partners, a pricing and marketing consultancy. But…
When it comes to viral video marketing, the big boys are using it as a cheap way to reach younger and more web-savvy audiences. But when you’re a small business owner, sometimes 30 seconds, a camcorder and a twisted mind are all you have. In…
Siamak Taghaddos and David Hauser met while attending the entrepreneur program at Babson College, located near Boston. Iranian-born (but Boston-raised) Siamak and Manhattan native David had each been involved in previous startup ventures, and were frustrated by the lack of affordable phone solutions available to…
It was a busy year at AdFreak, Adweek’s daily blog, as we separated the wheat from the chaff, and then wrote mostly about the chaff. Gathered here are the highlights and lowlights from among the 1,450 items we posted between Jan. 2 and Dec. 11.…
...GotVMail, a Boston-based tech company that provides phone services, offers amenities reminiscent of small startups from the dot-com era. The company spends $1,000 a month having fresh fruit and healthy snacks delivered to the office, and employees receive free financial and legal advice, a perk…
It’s hard enough to run an effective code review when everyone is in the same room. But when developers work at home, contribute to open-source projects, or telecommute from outsourced suppliers, the challenges are intensified. Making a code review work in those circumstances requires a…
December 22, 2008 - CIO - Everyone admits that doing a code review is expensive. It takes time, particularly when everyone is in a mad rush to get the software project finished and thrown over to the software testing department. It requires that people who…
Want to make a big impression with a tiny ad budget? Try creating videos customers will forward to each other. Here are three case studies of small businesses that have used viral video to market their products.
Actor Gary Busey sits in a director’s chair…
Are you a small business (or know someone who is) looking for an affordable voicemail / PBX system? When I first started Schulz Consulting a good 15 years ago I spent a LOT of time trying to find the perfect voicemail system. Since I…
I received an e-mail recently from a telecommunications company touting how they are cutting prices to help small businesses struggling in the current economy.
Now, I’ve covered business long enough to know that few, if any, business owners change their operating strategies just to help…
Small-business owners, you deserve a moment in the spotlight. In this regular column, we highlight entrepreneurs from all over the U.S. who can answer the question: “What makes you stand out from the crowd?” We know you’re proud of your accomplishments — now you can…
Great news - we decided to give Google Chrome comic books to the top two bidders (with their permission) in our auction for charity. Those bids, for $1,600 and $1,575, respectively, will be donated to Donors Choose, an innovative not-for-profit corporation that raises money for…
With a plan in hand, they set out to make it happen. They borrowed what they could through conventional means but stopped short of looking for investors. Instead, they made deals with vendors. “We looked at our vendors as partners,” Hauser said.
When the co-founders of GotVMail Communications LLC were considering ways to promote their advanced virtual phone system to a wider audience of entrepreneurs in the spring 2008, they turned to an unlikely marketing resource: Oscar-winning Hollywood maverick Gary Busey.
The result of this brainstorm was…
Quick Read:
Gary Busey has a way of generating publicity, whether it’s directing his own press interviews or making friends on the red carpet at the Oscars. Typically, however, it’s not the kind of publicity most companies want connected to their brands, unless that company…
24/7 Live U.S. Support • No Long Term Contracts • Upgrade Anytime