In today's Brain Storm Business Podcast (long overdue, I know), I videocast with a webcam and discuss digging deep to invest time and money to better equip and promote your business.

Ever have an idea that seemed great, but didn't succeed as you had imagined? What did you do about it? Abandon it or analyze it? I advocate analyzing it before you abandon it, and see if you can find out what is missing and shore up the gaps.

With the Online Community Magazines, there was a gap between wanting to create audio and video, and the technophobia that kept people from trying to create audio and video.

There are 2 different worlds - the design world and the real world. As a software designer, the software I designed made sense, not only to me, but to potential purchasers. However, as a local magazine owner, I could see up front the challenges end users had when it came to creating audio and video.

How do you make technophobes create audio and video?

I really thought about this. One way to handle that was to find someone to produce short custom videos for them at a ridiculously low price (a teenage 3rd year video student). But not all magazine owners will have access to such talented young men, as I have had the fortune to find.

Automating and universalizing a solution.

How about programming an audio/video production tool that was so simple, even technophobes could do it? What if it could even make them excited to try it? Then, it would be equally available in every community, as opposed to the availability of a talented teen in every community.

Next, what if your target market isn't who you think it is?

I have assumed that a certain demographic, people with disabilities, would be a perfect match for this business, due to no requirement for personal finances. However, I won't know this is correct until I actually advertise it right in front of this market. That will cost money up front, but in the long run, it will save me money I could be wasting on the wrong demographic group.

Keeping a business growing means investing money in your business.

Whether this means spending money on technology, market research or advertising, an entrepreneur has to put their money where their mouth is at some point in time. Entrepreneurs take risks, and sometimes that means with their credit card. It takes money to make money - that's a true statement, but few entrepreneurs are ready to do everything necessary to make their business go all the way.

Listen to find out about the lessons learned in this episode of Brain Storm! Business Podcast.

Penny Haynes, Online Community Magazines