Advertising is changing so much that even the Advertising Companies are changing the way they do business!

This Digital Business Podcast talks about how advertising is becoming more accessible to the common business person, and the advertising agency has become less necessary. Therefore, agencies are remaking themselves (and their names) in order to "go with the flow".

Some agencies want to offer everything from soup to nuts, while others specialize.

So you need to decide what type of advertising you want to do before you go looking for professional help (if you ever do). The more coverage you attempt, the more it will cost you, and if you remember past podcasts, many times it is hit and miss without "smart ads".

Find out how Skype added 40 million users without spending a dime on advertising...

Other companies are bringing media placement and even advertising campaigns in house. And why not? The technology has become more accessible and less expensive. What's stopping you from doing your own commercials and placing your own advertising?

Learn how to put money in your pocket without risking a dime.

You can do this at our "Bootstrap Your Business With Barter" class on Saturday, November 5th, noon EST, with Bob Prentice. We will have an interview with Bob next week about business and bartering, so you can find out how you can put at least $500 in your pocket through bartering - GUARANTEED!

Just to go owent.com, better known as The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, and check out the class information on the left Events side bar.

You can also check out the upcoming Holiday Business Gift Bazaar. If you'd like to be a part, you'll find that information there as well.

This is Penny Haynes, of Digital Business Books, encouraging you to keep on brainstorming!

Positive News from Mr. Positive at the Positive News Network.

Stay tuned for a very special interview with Sam Emerson next week, a young man with a very inspiring story to tell about overcoming disabilities and making a difference for others in the world.

Today, I share some of what I have been going through lately with the Lord.

Recently, I had to come face to face with some serious issues in my life, serious enough to threaten certain aspects of my health - both mental and physical. It's amazing how you can deceive yourself by avoiding looking at yourself. You don't want to see, so you don't.

But recently, I had a vision of myself from the outside, and it was scary. I had to take stock of my life and my actions, and admit there were some things out of control. And I had to admit that I could no longer bury myself in work and kids to ignore it.

So this is my story today. I've been like a frog boiling in water, and if you don't know what that means, you'll find out today. Thanks for your patience with me as I've had to take a week off, and now I'm a day late on the podcast, but I hope to have life back in order (and in better order) very soon.

Remember to help yourself to scriptures and encouragement at Encouraging Audiobooks.

I know it's not Easter yet, but I love this story by Angela Gillaspie! Her comedy is perfect because it's real - she shares true stories of her family and her children, and many of us can relate. Angela has several great comedy and inspirational audio books, safe for the whole family, at Encouraging Audiobooks, including "I Am Momma, Hear Me Roar", "Finding God", and "Inspirations". Just type in "Angela" in the search bar at Encouraging Audiobooks to listen to more of her stories. The audios are ready to download at any time!

Today, Digital Business Books' podcast discusses determining and managing prices while costs for small businesses continue to escalate.

Based on two articles from different issues of Inc. Magazine, we will talk about innovative ways that entrepreneurs are avoiding price hikes while competitors give in to the urge. We will also review ways to increase prices when it's absolutely necessary, and how to do it without alienating your clientele.

One entrepreneur figured out how to cut his company's health insurance costs WITHOUT making his employees carry any of the burden!

He also reduced his material costs by 25% doing simple things that you can do in your own business. Find out how to break a price increase to your customers, and when to do it.

Ever wonder how you should price your service or product?

We have that answer for you as well. We discuss pricing strategies, what works and what doesn't. We discuss objective and perceived value, as well as customer irrationality and expectations. It's an issue that will fill in many of the blanks in your entrepreneurial databank.

Check out this week's free digital business book.

Digital Business Books is also expanding to offer live business expertise via forums, classes and curriculums at The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur. With a business barter room, a Holiday Business Gift Bazaar, and an opening teleclass on Bootstrapping Your Business with Barter, we're hoping the Grand Opening on November 5, 2005 will be a truly "grand" experience.

If you are a vendor with products or services that Entpreneurs can purchase for their clients,

then please check out the Holiday Business Gift Bazaar at http://www.owent.com, in the Events column on the left. You can also register and participate in any of the online business surveys (and see the results). Hoping to meet you at the festivities at The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur site in November!

Penny Haynes, Digital Business Books

Positive news for today, brought to you by The Positive News Network.

TENDERNESS. Part 2.

From the song of Moses we learn still more of God's tender care. "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings, so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." This metaphor beautifully expresses the care and the tenderness of God toward his children. The eagle is noted for her great attachment to her young. Her care is extraordinary. When the little eaglets have attained age and strength to leave the nest and learn to fly, the mother bird bears them up, when weary, on the top of her wing.

These all express to our hearts the wonderful tenderness of God to his children. But there is nothing in the material world that forms a full and perfect analogy for the things in the spiritual world. These are too high.

If we do not have the tenderness of God in our hearts, our life comes short of being a full and true life. The Bible tells us to "be kind one to another, tender-hearted." There is no true holiness of life without tenderness. As we get deeper into God, we become more tender of heart.

There are some things that will prevent this tender-heartedness. Just a little feeling of resentment, a little desire for retaliation, or a secret wish for something to befall those who have done us an injury will callous the heart and harden the affections. When we have been slighted by some one or misjudged, oh, how Satan strives to get us to thinking much about this, and to work a "hurt" feeling into our heart. Even to think about the meanness of others will bring a harshness and coldness into the inner life. That which we condemn in others will, if we think and talk much about it, creep into our own hearts.

Encouraging Audiobooks offers more devotions, the King James Bible in downloadable format, and Christian humor audio books. Help yourself to them.

Join us as we view and vote for the 15 video finalists in the Wendy's Comedy Challenge.

One of them is a favorite of mine (and hopefully yours as well), Warren B. Hall, Comedy Clip of the Week favorite. If you haven't seen more of his comedy, make sure you check out his videos at Encouraging Audiobooks, your source for clean audio and video humor.

So view the 15 videos, and make sure you vote!!!

The top 5 comedians go to Las Vegas for a comedy festival, and the winner gets a guest spot on Ellen (Degeneres's show). Go to http://www.WendysComedyChallenge.com asap. Voting ends October 31, 2005, and once you see the videos, you'll know that Warren definitely deserves a spot in the top five, if not that spot on Ellen! (smile)

Vendors are your friends, and can also make excellent business partners!

In today's business podcast, we learn that the best businesses are actually a seamless network of providers working together to offer excellent services. Collaboration can move a business from mediocrity to greatness if both partners excel at their niche and at customer service.

We rarely think of vendors as sources for great joint ventures.

However, vendors who are also small businesses are eager to gain new business, and have a hunger that larger companies may not have. They also are fortunate to be flexible enough to tailor their offerings to the needs of their clientele. Lastly, they understand the needs of a small business because they ARE a small business.

Smaller vendors can act as an officer in your company.

We will review a marketing firm CEO that now acts as another company's Marketing Director. Other firms became partners by upping the ante in their customer service, making themselves an indispensible part of other companies' businesses.

Solopreneurs can rarely do everything well.

That's why outsourcing to capable companies makes sense. But the trick is often finding companies that will fit well with your business. But how do you find those companies? The internet is a blessing and a curse - you can google anything, but you end up with a case of information overload when you get your answers.

The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur is a collaboration of business experts in one location.

As an answer to the information overload syndrome, as well as the problem of solopreneurs trying to wear every hat and get everything done in their business, we are testing out a site that provides access to experts in every area of business. It also provides inexpensive, on-demand virtual secretarial services for projects, helping you keep your Microsoft Outlook updated, or someone to just keep you on schedule. There will be free classes and curriculums for members, as well as a barter room. We also are providing access to an online Outlook program which will allow you to access your contacts, schedule, projects and tasks while you're out on the road, and still be able to synchronize any changes to your desktop Outlook.

The first class will be Bootstrapping Your Business with Barter, and guarantees to put $500 cold, hard cash in your pocket.

You can sign up for the class at http://www.owent.com. And while you're there, please check out the site. I'd love some feedback from you. What would you like to see in a one-stop-shop for business expertise, training and assistance? What do you need to help you in your business?

As always, check out our free weekly business book download, "Pssst. Pass it On - Viral Marketing", at Digital Business Books(DigBizBooks.com).

And tell me what you think about Brain Storm! - what else would you like to hear about? What area of business is troubling you? We'll try to put it together and find you assistance! Until next week, keep brainstorming! Penny Haynes

This video download is a must-see for an inspirational shot in the arm. If you have an inspirational story to share, please let us at Encouraging Audiobooks know. We would love to put together an anthology of inspirational stories.

TENDERNESS. Part 1.

In order for life to be what it should, it must flow from a heart full of tenderness. This is that quality of soul which enables us to give kind attention to others, to be willing and eager to do good, to exercise great carefulness to give no offense, and to be soft and gentle in every expression. Like all other good qualities, this is found in perfection in the character of God. "The Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy." Because of his pity he never lays upon his trusting child a greater burden than he can bear, and in his tender mercy he always gives to each trial a happy ending.

It will be helpful to study for a few minutes the principle of tenderness as an attribute in the nature of God. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." It is the father who sees his little child in deep pain that knows what pity is. It is that feeling which makes the father desirous of bearing all the pain. It was the pity or compassion of God for the lost in sin that caused him to give his only Son to suffer and die for them. When God saw the wretchedness of men, he had such a feeling in his heart that he could find relief in no way but in providing the only means of their rescue. Oh, think of this! The child of God never has a pain or a sorrow but that God has a feeling of pity. The knowledge that some one has pity for us and fellowships our suffering goes far toward alleviating our pains. Recently while I was in deep soul-suffering, I received a letter containing these words, "We suffer in spirit with you." This was a great relief. If in a time of trial we could know how God was suffering with us, it would be a great consolation.

Again, we read, "As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." Who is it that knows not the comfort of a mother? When we hear of a young man's meeting with a sad accident away from home, we have great pity; but when we learn of his mother's having gone to him, we feel better. Ah, the comfort of a mother is surpassed only by the comfort of Jesus. "If Mother were only here!" says the troubled daughter. Nothing else so fittingly represents the nature of the comfort that God gives as the comfort of a mother. O child of God, you will never have a sorrow nor a pain but that the tenderness of God will cause him to come and comfort you. Let us lift up our hearts and praise him for his mercy and comforting love. A mother may forget to comfort her child, but God will never forget.

The tenderness of God is revealed in these touching words, "How often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings." The imagery is homely, but oh! so impressively sublime. I can not do better than to use here the words of another. "Was ever imagery so homely invested with such grace and such sublimity as this at our Lord's touch? And yet how exquisite the figure itself of protection, rest, warmth, and all manner of conscious well-being in those poor, defenseless, dependent, little creatures, as they creep under and feel themselves overshadowed by the capacious and kindly wing of the mother bird. If wandering beyond hearing of her peculiar call, they are overtaken by a storm or attacked by an enemy, what can they do but in the one case droop and die, and in the other submit to be torn to pieces? But if they can reach in time their place of safety under the mother's wing, in vain will any enemy try to drag them thence. For rising into strength, kindling into fury, and forgetting herself entirely in her young, she will let the last drop of her blood be shed out and perish in defense of her precious charge, rather than yield them to an enemy's talons. How significant all this of what Jesus is and does for his helpless child!" Under his great wing he tenderly, lovingly gathers his little ones and there they are secure. He is a safe retreat.

Beware the Ninja in the Closet!

This reminds me so much of my son - I could imagine this happening to him! And for more comedy and funny audio books, go to Encouraging Audiobooks. And make sure you check out http://www.IMAOPodcast.com.