In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will discuss an online book by 37Signals called Getting Real and how to apply some of their concepts to our own businesses.

My Argentinian programmer who is working on the Commercial Creation Center suggested that I read this book. I think he was trying to tell me something. I am always tempted to add more things to my software. This book tells me less is more - as long as it meets the customers' needs.

Simplify and Focus is the first order of business.

Don't plan on doing everything - plan on doing one thing very well. "Underdo your competition" is a unique statement, but they make a very good case for it, as we will discuss.

What exactly IS your problem?

Once upon a time, most of us started our business because there was a need - either we had a need, or someone else around us had a need. I don't mean just a need for money. We found something that met a need, became passionate about it, and built a business around it. It might be programming, nutritional supplements, multimedia, online marketing, but whatever it was, it convinced you that it was a viable the answer to some problem.

Are you still focused on solving that problem?

There is a saying among Christians: If you feel far away from God, you're the one that moved. If you feel displaced or far away from where you started in your business, maybe you have moved. Maybe you need to revisit the original problem and restructure your business products and services so they are back in alignment with the problem.

I love this one: Have An Enemy.

37 Signals designed a project management software. The software everyone else connected with PM was MS Project. So they decided that Basecamp, their software, would be the ANTI-Project. It would not be anything like it in its complexity or it methodology. Building upon that nemesis, they created a Writeboard that had 100,000 installations in 3 months. I don't mind those numbers.

So, where can you simplify your products and services so that they can once again solve that initial problem? And what competitor in your industry can you find as an example of what you are NOT trying to do?

My Commercial Creation Center's screen recorder is an ANTI-Camtasia (a tool I dearly love, but is way too complicated for every day people). The same with our audio recorder and mixer. It is an ANTI-SoundForge or Audacity, or even my beloved WavePad. Less options (and things to confuse the user), simpler and easier interface, and an end product that can be used just as well for most of their purposes.

Let me know what you think about today's brainstorming session, and if you realized some areas where you could improve. Until next week...

Penny Haynes, Online Community Magazines with the Commercial Creation Center

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will discuss different strategies to determine and implement pricing for your products and services.

I first explain the problems I have been (and am continuing to) endure with my USB microphone. Ear pieces move, and despite packing tape, still cause clicking and clacking. Just shoot me now.

We discuss the different options in pricing and how pricing is a part of your marketing strategy.

Determining your target market and competition (or lack thereof) figure in, as well as segmenting your target markets regarding what they need from you and what they are willing to pay. Thanks to Joel Spolsky and a December 2004 article, we learn a lot about economics and why businesses price the same product different ways. Link to Joel's article is here: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/CamelsandRubberDuckies.html

We also discuss real life business examples, including lessons learned on my trip to Six Flags (I learned so much, I should have considered that a business trip).

From coupons and rebates to discounts and membership sites, we touch on it all, and if you want to learn more, you'll have to listen to the business podcast! :)

Penny Haynes, Online Community Magazines & 1st Podcast Publishing

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will discuss SalesConX with its CEO, Evan Sohn, and how you can, in a very straight-forward manner, buy and sell introductions to the people you need to contact.

I was introduced to SalesConX by the owner of a business opportunity directory. She had signed up for the affiliate program and we were all offered a $25 credit. I figured "Why not try it." So far, I'm glad I did.

Ever want to find your perfect target market, but have no clue how to do that?

With SalesConX, you write out a detailed description of who you want an introduction to, put a price on that introduction, and also possibly a bonus price if the introduction leads to a closed sale. Or, if you know of someone who needs particular services or products, you can post their need and offer to sell someone an introduction to that person. Of course, you are not to blindside people you know by sending strangers to them - you discuss the connection with your contact and see if they are interested.

You get to be the "Go To" guy for all of your clients.

As we've talked about before, being the person your clients turn to for any of their needs can be a huge differentiating factor between you and your competitors. SalesConX lets you find other people who can help your clients in non-competitive ways.

Hitting Singles, Aim-Fire, and Shouting Out the Window

Evan Sohn discusses the challenges he is facing with SalesConX, and also what he has learned during his 5 start-up career. We talk about endurance, commitment, risk taking, changing your goals and paying the right person for the right warm introduction. I think you'll learn a lot, be encouraged and challenged, and possibly find a great place to find leads for your business as well.

Penny Haynes, Online Community Magazines

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will discuss some of the latest happenings for YouTube, Flash and Mogulus, and how you can make the most of this news.

Microsoft is planning to license both pdf and flash for use on mobile platforms. What does this mean for you and me? The ability to see flash based video on our cell phones. What will you do to apply that knowledge to your own business? How about putting flash based audio and video on your website.

YouTube is making it easier to add video to your website. You can now have a YouTube page on your website if you can have programmers use their API to create it. YouTube doesn't need to have people coming to their site - they know they're already #1. Plus, you know that all of those links back don't hurt either.

Mogulus is a new webcam resource for producing multi-camera live shows, and allows you to combine YouTube and your own uploaded videos to the mix. The possibilities are almost endless if you are creative enough. How about cross marketing and creating an entertaining and informative news show about information in your niche or industry?

So check out this short video business podcast today, and give me your feedback on how you will apply this knowledge to your own business plan.

Penny Haynes, Online Community Magazines

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will begin a discussion based on the book Wikinomics, as well as the practical uses of outsourcing as partnering.

***as a side note, sorry about the sound quality of the recording. There is intermittent clicking caused by my breaking in of a new USB microphone. It won't happen again, I promise!

I'm enjoying Wikinomics. It's not like studying brain surgery, but more like delving into a topic in which you have a passing understanding. A thought about cooperative projects passes through my mind and then its gone - I don't try to disect it or apply it. This audio book is letting me go deeper so I can then apply it to my business.

Wikinomics is not necessarily outsourcing, although that can be a part of it.

Wikinomics seems to include opening up your information to others, especially outside of your circle, to bring their outside experiences and knowledge to bear on your project. However, as I discuss today, that can happen when you outsource a project. Your vendor can become your partner if he or she is really smart and has a lot to offer you in your blind spots.

We also discuss outsourcing the time-wasting parts of your work.

Pfizer is allowing their employees to send more menial projects to India, so their employees can spend more time doing the things they specialize in (and for which they are paid good money). They had to do a little hand-holding and training on both sides of the ocean, but it seems to be paying off.

Need a new point of view and real time research? Hire a teenager.

That's what a non-profit organization is doing, and the teens are designing clothes, shoes and jewelry, as well as coming up with marketing models as well. If their product does well, they keep royalties. In the meanwhile, participating companies get insight from some of their target demographics.

I discuss the idea of the Internet Marketers Contest I plan on co-hosting with a Women Internet Marketers site.

I was spurred to do it after listening to Wikinomics. I hope that a marketing contest will not only be lucrative for the marketers who want to prove their skills, but also to the product owner (me), the owner of WomenInternetMarketers.tv (Diane Corriette), and the end users who get to run an Online Community Magazine.

Tell me about your wikinomic experiences, or outsourcing stories.

You can call me at 678-459-2437 to share your information. Until then, have a prosperous week, and keep brainstorming to make your business continually better!

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing

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

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm Business Podcast, I interview PlayCafe CEO Mark Goldenson.
Mark Goldenson, Chief Executive Officer

• Mark Goldenson, CEO, has eight years of experience in launching internet services. Mark was a product manager at PayPal where he managed registration and in-house CRM for 1,300 service agents.
• previously co-founded Woosh, and raised $21 million in funding.
• co-founded the Stanford Bazaar, a local online marketplace acquired by Stanford
• researched brain imaging of lucid dreams for four years
• completed coursework for a B.A. in Human Biology and a minor in Symbolic Systems

Dev Nag, Chief Technical Officer

• Dev Nag, CTO, has ten years of experience in developing internet applications.
• Senior Engineer at Google where he helped develop the back-end for all financial processing of Google ad revenue
• He previously served as the Manager of Business Operations Strategy at PayPal.
• He also launched eBay's private-label credit line in association with GE Financial.
• published six academic papers in medical informatics and mathematical biology
• dual-degree B.S. in Mathematics and B.A. in Psychology from Stanford.

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Issues we will discuss:

• What is PlayCafe?
• How did you come up with the idea?
• Did your background in Human Biology and Dev's major in Psychology effect your idea and programming development? Are you basing PlayCafe on marketing principles, or does your knowledge of how people think and how the brain reacts play a part in how you design your game show?
• What were the steps you had to put into place to make the idea a reality?
• How long has it been on?
• Is this something you will keep on the internet, or with the coming of interactive tv, would you move to mainstream tv for larger participation? Or do you want to remain solely internet based?
• As the fan-base and participants grow, that will mean less "big fish in a small pond" status for present users (which is part of its charm at this point). How will PlayCafe continue to give its participants the ability to still play and compete without being totally lost in the masses? (This reminds me of trying to call in to a radio for a competition, and not ever being able to get through. Will that eventually happen with Play Cafe?)
• Teams and Predicting Polls. Were these after-thoughts added due to participant ideas and requests, or ideas that were originally on the table, but postponed for future deployment?
• Prizes aren't really large at this point. $25, $15 & $10 gift certificates, $1 song downloads, etc. Is the draw of PlayCafe the prizes, or is it the thrill of getting to compete in a live program? And why would anyone just watch the show and not play? (I normally don't like shows like this because I don't feel like I know enough about everything to be good at it, but there were some questions I COULD answer that others struggled with, and that made me feel VERY good about myself. They were questions young people wouldn't have really known, like Bible questions and Spinoff TV shows.)

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I really encourage you guys to join me over at PlayCafe.com. Maybe we could have a Brain Storm! Team!!!! hehehehehe

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing and Online Community Magazines

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will discuss the important of providing an experience and not just a product, using Pinkberry and Mint as examples.

PLUM CARD! That's the credit card that was advertising that they provide Pinkberry with the credit they need to keep expanding their pseudo-frozen-yogurt franchise. In the podcast, I couldn't remember the name (I only remembered it was some type of reddish color). Great example of cross-marketing (and piggy-backing on the recent branding success of a new company).

Is Pinkberry the new Starbucks (who supplies some of the VC monies)?

People argue that people don't HAVE to imbibe $5 frozen yogurts, as opposed to their addictions to $5 cups of coffee. Therefore, they worry that Pinkberry will be a temporary success. So what brings people into those LA and New York stores?

Experience the difference - meaning $500 chairs and other expensive fixtures.

Supposedly, people are paying for the experience to sit in $500 chairs and such. They feel that waiting in line for 15 minutes to get one of their 2 flavors of yogurt means they are trendy, like Paris Hilton I gather. They also get that secretive fan club feeling when they can order something that is not on the menu and is known only to the faithful.

Mint is making the dreaded less dreadful.

Another new "shop" is Mint, which promises one click reconciliation of all of your bank and credit card statements. They are trying to lure the twenty-something crowd, laden with debt and bad spending habits, to kneel at the altar of the balanced checkbook. 40,000 people signed up in the first 2 weeks, but will it keep up the success? Twenty-somethings don't have a clue about finances, and they really don't want to GET a clue about it, making this a very hard-to-sell-to crowd.

So come with me for a brainstorming session about how to give your clients an experience, instead of just a product, and how to make things simpler for them as well. And thanks again to Jeff Blankenship and Fam5 Blog for including a link to Online Community Magazines in his Freaky Friday Link Love.

Penny Haynes, Online Community Magazines & Around Cherokee County

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will looks at free tools to create videos and also to create live internet tv shows.

There are times when everything converges in the same place at the same time, and I find myself talking and teaching about these audio and video tools over and over again. So I am taking my own advice and recording the information once so I can then direct people to this recording and they can benefit from it - without me saying it over and over again. :)

Whether you want to create a fancy music video, a simple slide show video, or whether you want to do live internet tv and be able to replay the videos, this podcast is for you.

We discuss several tools, including Animoto, Ustream.tv, VideoCaster and WavePad/Mixpad. For Ustream.tv, all you need is a webcam and a good internet connection. For Animoto and VideoCaster, you need digital images on your computer and music if you want to add your own. (You can also get some free loops from http://www.PartnersInRhyme.com.)

So let's brainstorm about how you can use this information for yourself, your business and your clients (remember, being the go-to person is a good thing).

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & Online Community Magazines

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will discuss 'to advertise or not to advertise' - in social networks, which is the question.

Facebook and Google are facing off in the arena of social networking and advertising. Now we all know that Google is king when it comes to ads, but Facebook has the momentum from the success of it's social network. Google has moved into the social network realm, and now Facebook is moving into advertising.

Do consumers mind being spammed by social networks and even by their friends?

That is the advertising debate that rages. Facebook has a goal of members basically referring products to other members. Google, of course, has their search ads that successfully work. Which one will win out?

Closed garden or open book?

Facebook is known as a closed garden, where its widgets and programs only work in Facebook. Google's widgets and programs are usable within their network of partners, including My Space, Linked In, etc. Which way is better?

Listen to today's business podcast to find out what I think, but then please go to http://www.BrainStormBusinessPodcast.com and tell me what YOU think.

Until next time, DO something about your ideas!

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & Online Community Magazines

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's episode of Brain Storm! Business Podcast, I review the business strategy behind CourtTV becoming truTV, and also share an opportunity for free advertising in USA Today.

Have you ever considered changing your entire business and content just so you can attract a target market for potential sponsors? That's what CourtTV is doing, thanks to Steve Koonin, who is masterminding the entire thing. Instead of focusing on content first, they are thinking about demographics that please advertisers.

Is your business dependent upon finding sponsors? If so, then maybe you should follow CourtTV's example.

Many of us stick with what we have been doing because we have invested so much money and time in the business model we have chosen. But sometimes, we need to cut bait and fish, admitting we are a fish out of water. :-) Maybe we need to see who is buying and refocus our content and strategies based on this target market instead.

Speaking of advertising, if you are looking for some legitimately free, high-profile advertising with USA Today, read on.

Beginning November 5, 2007 USA TODAY is launching “The Blogger & Podcaster Guide” (think TV Guide for blogs and podcasts). “The Blogger & Podcaster Guide” will run on both the home page of USATODAY.com every single day (10,400,000 unique visitors daily) and in the print edition of USA TODAY 1x per week (an additional 5,200,000 readers).

Since Blogger & Podcaster Magazine is now the official magazine and media partner of the Online International Podcasting Expo, I’m excited to announce our partnership agreement with “The Blogger & Podcaster Guide.”

This partnership offers three significant benefits to our clients:

1) You will be included in the launch USA TODAY.com’s “Blogger & Podcaster Guide” free of charge for the entire 1st month (Reg. $49.95 per month).
2) If, after the first month, you want to continue promoting your blog or podcast in “The Blogger & Podcaster Guide” (there’s no obligation whatsoever. You can take the free month promotion to over 10 million per day and run) all of 1st Podcast Publishing’s clients and associates will receive a special 20% discount off the regular rates (you’ll pay only $39.95 per month…and can cancel at any time.)
3) The USA TODAY’s print edition of “The Blogger & Podcaster Guide” costs $195 per week. However, as my clients and associates, you will save 25% (you pay only $145.)

To get your free listing for the launch all you need to do is follow the directions below and enter Priority Code: Penny.
________________________________________

1) Go to www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/usatoday

2) Select “New User” and go through 6 Step registration process

3) In “Step 2” be sure to enter ‘Penny’ in Coupon Code box under Option #4. Then click “Option #4”. If you don’t enter this code, you’re going to be charge the regular price.

Information you should have handy to register is:
- Blog/Podcast Name
- Website URL
- Brief Description (Print only): You can have 75 characters total -- including spaces & punctuation – between your URL and description
- Detailed Description (400 characters max – including spaces & punctuation – for online guide)
- RSS Feed
- iTunes Feed (Podcasts only – Not mandatory): For info go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html
- Up to 10 Keywords related to your blog/podcasts (Not mandatory): Used for search and placements as relevant material on USATODAY.com
- Logo/Album Art (Not Mandatory)

The guide launches next Wednesday on November 7th, so if you want to be in for the launch you’ll need to enter your registration asap. It only takes 5 minutes if you have the above information prepared in advance.

To confirm, you will receive a free month in the online guide (value $49.95) and if you choose to continue after the trial you’ll save 20% on the online guide or 25% on the print edition guide.

I'm putting both Brain Storm! Business Podcast and my Online Community Magazines blog in, so I'm putting my money where my mouth is! I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity which, I do believe, is once in a lifetime.

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & Online Community Magazines

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we are going to discuss Co-Promotion as a way to self-promote.

There are many ways to promote yourself, but you wouldn't automatically think that promoting something or someone else could bring attention to you. However, that is a valid way to market yourself. It has been done with Diet Coke, Mentos, Firefox and the iPhone, to name a few.

When you promote another "hot" item, you can draw traffic from people searching for that item.

If you are talking about or promoting (in audio, video or text format) something that is popular in culture, when people are Googling those terms, your promotion could come up. This is the trick with keywords in general - find out what people are searching for and then talk about it.

If you take the time to praise someone's service or product, they may put you on their website and show you off.

That can't hurt your traffic either, especially if you talk about how you use that product to help your own clients (and what your service does for people). A good testimonial can't hurt the company, and they don't even have to pay for it. It's good for both businesses.

Use someone's product in a video and it is called product placement, and can get you 15 minutes of fame as well.

The Diet Coke and Mentos episode which we discuss in the podcast is on example. You'll have to listen to find out what else we discuss, and the things you can do to do some co-promotion for self-promotion.

Another reminder about the upcoming April 18-19, 2008 Online International Podcasting Expo.

Attendance is free and online, so there's no excuse not to be able to attend for most of you. We will be talking about why Physicians should podcast, how to get advertisers that don't "get" podcasting, and discuss whether or not the Podcasting arena is becoming segmented, instead of being all-inclusive as it was originally intended to be. Of course, there will be more...

So, until next week, put some of your ideas into ACTION, and tell me if you know of anyone who successfully used co-promotion for self-promotion.

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & Online Community Magazines

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm! business podcast, we will discuss the importance of design in your business, from conception, through production, to marketing and consumption.

We talk about Fast Company's article on Yves Behar, and there are some great ideas to discuss. His points on not following the crowd, and the impossibility of getting the best design from concensus, should really make us think about our standard ways of determining what's "good".

You are who you hang out with in the business world.

I was really interested in some of the trivia in the article, like who his original partners with and what they later went on to create. It is amazing that 3 unknowns (at one time) should gather together, only to separate and become unbelievably successful in their separate rights. They all created items that are now, in many realms, household words. Amazing!

He challenged Coca Cola, and was hired because of it.

From his days as a business slum lord (as he called it), to being involved in designing the $100 computer, to partnering with new companies for a stake in the profits, Yves has a lot to teach us. I hope you will really take time to think through what you can apply from what we learn this week.

Until next week (and looking forward to the FREE Online International Podcasting Expo, April 18 & 19, 2008), have a great week, and put some of those ideas into practice!

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & Online Community Magazines


P.S. Here's the link to the other article on Widgets.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

In today's Brain Storm! Business Podcast, we will discuss widgets, and how you can use them to market your business.

Widgets are the buzz word nowadays - small, inexpensive, customizable programs that e-retailers and online businesses hope that their clients will download and put on their desktops. First the businesses create widgets, then they figure out how to bribe their customers to download the widgets, and finally, they monitor their customers' responses to what they put on the widget.

You can create your own widget with online tools, brand an existing one, or hire a programmer to do it for you.

In today's competitive business market, every advantage you have can make a difference in profit or loss. Investing in these small programs can potentially increase your income. In 45 days, one company had 10,000 downloads of their widget and an increase of $7,500 worth of sales DIRECTLY related to the widget. Now, THAT's impressive.

Widgets resemble podcasts and RSS feeds in their ability to connect with potential clients without them coming to your website.

The trick is creating something entertaining enough, or informational enough for people to want to download it. Tactics have included telling them a new item is for sale 10 minutes before the information is released to everyone else, or offering financial perks for downloading it. You also have to decide what the widget should do that fits your business.

I'd love to hear some brainstorming ideas about how to use widgets, so if anyone wants to do a live brainstorming session, please let me know.

I hope you respond and we can have a great time while coming up with useful marketing ideas. I'm working on creating some online widgets for syndication for the Online Community Magazines software. Until then, have a fabulous week, and remember to DO SOMETHING with all of those ideas in your head!

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & Online Community Magazines

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Today, I'll share and discuss Brain Storm Business Podcast Listener comments from this past week:

Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with sketch ) wrote:
Hi, Penny. Glad to have you back.

I heard Catherine Cook speak at the iMeme conference in San Francisco on July 12th, but I didn't get a chance to interview her. My impression was that whoever had the initial idea, she's got some definite ideas about what works with it now. And I'm totally with you regarding age-appropriate behavior and network membership. See my need their own toys" article for more.

Don Marsh wrote:
Penny,
Thanks a lot! I'll have you know that I am 48 and have a Facebook account. Before than I had a MySpace and a Xanga. I have never tried to "friend" any teenage girls. I used these things to keep up with my son and daughter. I've always subscribed to their blogs, because it was a great way to keep up with what's going on in their heads. One time my daughter tried to put a little distance between us online. She got a new identity. However, I found out right away because I also subscribed to her friends.

She is married now and is still on facebook. I love to read her updates.

We aren't all a bunch of pervs, you know!