(This is a guest post from the lovely Wendy Cholbi. Wendy is running a course on creating a website and the business to go with it starting TOMORROW, so if you’re at all interested, go right now. Yes, before you read the post. The post will still be here when you’re done.)

Why are you reading this?

No, seriously, I don’t mean to be flippant or anything here, but why are you reading this, really?

In fact, I’m going to take a step back and ask you why you’re in business to begin with (or why you want to start a business if you haven’t yet).

Most business and marketing advice starts with your products, your business plan, or your customers. Read More

Holy crap. We’ve been going along happily running a few posts a week and then BLAMMO. There’s a month’s worth of stuff I gotta say at once.

Charlie Gilkey wrote a post about the Rebirth of Entrepreneurialism that will blow your fucking mind. Read the rest of MY post first because if you go there now, you won’t have any brain left by the time you come back here.

If you are a woman and starting a web business freaks you out, this is for you. The delightful Wendy and Mynde of Your Web Coaches have a workshop starting TOMORROW called Do It Herself Websites for Women. I took a look at their sales page and their title, “Creating Your Own Web Presence* (*and the business that goes behind it)” looked like something that the newbies among you might jump all over. If you are interested in this, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. Tomorrow, people. That’s soon. (Wendy is also guest posting here in like, five minutes. So you can totally scope her out.) Read More

What does it take to run a successful business?

Some people say it’s savvy.

Some people say it’s leadership.

Some people say it’s money.

Some people say it’s determination.

Some people say it’s faith.

Some people say it’s luck.

Most people say it’s a great idea.

But show me a failed business, and I’ll show you an owner with at least one of those assets in spades.

Clearly, succeeding in business takes more than we think.

The reality is that what you need to run a business changes every day. And some days, it changes back to what it was yesterday, or last week, or last year. And no guru can give you the magic solution or the perfect skill that will, with the right amount of effort, turn you into a success. Read More

Volumes have been written about the feast or famine nature of running your own business, and I won’t add to them here. (Besides my total lack of desire to cover this topic, there’s that whole issue of it being a teensy bit crass to use the word “famine” when there are real ones going on. Ick.)

But, there are times when it is busier and times when it is not busier. Today is a busier time. Since I know you are beyond desperate to know why, in as much graphic and lurid detail as possible, I’ll tell you.

We’re doing a thing.

I can’t tell you what it is (how’s that for graphic detail?) but I can tell you it’s REALLY FUCKING COOL. My guinea pigs have been unleashed on it and have not thrown rocks at my head, which is always a good sign. But it’s… ambitious. And ambitious stuff takes a lot of time. Read More

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Hunter Nuttall, the “stop sucking and live a life of abundance” guy you may have read about in “The Last Lecture.”)

What a pleasure to be guest posting here at IttyBiz, where finally I can say “fuck” without needing the slightest hint of a reason.

I’ve always thought that recessions are bullshit, but this time I happened to lose my job during one, when my company eliminated every single one of their “safe and stable” jobs. Fuck.

After the shock wore off, I decided it was actually a welcome transition. I had been given the freedom to redefine my life. Lots of free time means lots of possibilities.

But without the structure of a job, I fell victim to one of the deadliest entrepreneurial traps: complete and utter lack of focus. While trying to find something that not only matches my talents, but that I find meaningful, and that other people will pay for, I considered many options, and split my attention between all the ones that seemed appealing. Read More