TOP 5 BEST SMALL BUSINESS BLOGS

Knowledge Can Make You Rich

2014-11-02T16:57:00.000-05:00

Knowledge Can Make You Rich

But Only If You Are Intelligent Enough To Apply It;

And Even Then, Only If You Are Motivated To Use Your Intelligence.

But you must first understand and acknowledge what knowledge actually is. According to Wikipedia:

“Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning. Knowledge can refer to a theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. It can be implicit (as with practical skill or expertise) or explicit (as with the theoretical understanding of a subject); it can be more or less formal or systematic.[1] In philosophy, the study of knowledge is called epistemology; the philosopher Plato famously defined knowledge as "justified true belief", though "well-justified true belief" is more complete as it accounts for the Gettier problems. However, several definitions of knowledge and theories to explain it exist.

Knowledge acquisition involves complex cognitive processes: perception, communication, and reasoning; while knowledge is also said to be related to the capacity of acknowledgment in human beings.[2]”

Intelligence (as this term is used in describing intellectual processes and processing, and as it is distinctly differentiated from “knowledge”), while its precise definition is the subject of much spirited debate, has to do with the ability to utilize knowledge to solve a problem or achieve an objective. If your intelligence is not utilized, it may well be the most costly mistake of your life. If it [intelligence] is applied to an increasing body of acquired knowledge, you can truly become as rich or as successful as you please.

Motivation is the drive to use this ability called “intelligence” in order to solve a problem, or in order to achieve an objective.

To put the whole picture together in the form of a rudimentary equation:

KNOWLEDGE + INTELLIGENCE + MOTIVATION = SUCCESS

Take a quick break from following the U.S. Mid-Term Elections (this post is dated November 2^nd 2014) and please have a look at these free to subscribe e-newspapers, edited by Douglas E. Castle. We've scraped the web for the best news and commentary from the most reliable and authoritative sources available (wire services, newspapers, magazines, scholarly works, blogs and social media), and compiled it for you to either skim rapidly or to read in detail at your leisure. Be the smartest, best-informed person in any room or in attendance at any meeting [then again, don't act overly cocky or you're liable to incur the wrath of your colleagues, business associates and friends – Remember: nobody likes a smart***]. Average is typical. Intelligent and informed are exceptional. Which would you prefer to be? Do you resent rhetorical questions? Anyway, the underlined words and titles are hyperlinked for your clicking pleasure:

=> A new issue of Braintenance Express is out!

Strengthen your memory and increase your intelligence [cognition], creativity, imagination, vocabulary and computational skills. Train, strain, maintain and strengthen your brain with Braintenance news, games, puzzles and fascinating facts.

=> A new issue of Crowdfunding 360 is out!

Read the most current news, commentary, analysis, trend reports and other interesting and useful information about crowdfunding trends, deals, platforms and people. You'll also pick up useful tools, tips and tricks to make your crowdfunding campaign more successful.

=> A new issue of Douglas E. Castle Business Advisory is out!

Need I say more? While this looks like brazen, shameless self-promotion [and I'm not saying that it isn't], the information in this e-newspaper relates to various crucial aspects of entrepreneurial projects as well as small- to medium-sized businesses. The information varies from day to day, but it covers the fields of finance, management, marketing, accounting, regulation, best practices, technology and trends, in both the B2B and B2C environments. But then I've already said too much...

=> A new issue of The Undercurrent =>|<= is out!

Great news, commentary and trend reports about industrial intelligence, executive protection, data security, workplace safety and a host of other intriguing things happening behind the scenes in business.

=> A new issue of World Disruption And Commentary is out!

This is possibly the country's best compilation of news, commentary and trends [possibly a slight exaggeration] about industry, product and technological disruption and disruptors, covering new births as well as extinctions, both at present [in real-time] and as projected. Disruption and displacement will be the death knell for some products, companies, industries and investments, but will present profitable arbitrage opportunities for those who are in the know and act on these insights.

Douglas E. Castle

TOP 5 BEST SMALL BUSINESS BLOGS

http://top5bestsmallbusinessblogs.blogspot.com

A continuously updated directory of the best blogs on the internet about small business news and subjects, containing information of use to inventors, entrepreneurs, small businesses, venture capitalists, angel investors, executives and project managers.

Key Terms: business, planning, blogs, information, directories, trends, technologies, management, Douglas E. Castle, best, top, news, business bloggers, industry intelligence, updates, SBA, smallbiz, small businesses, startups, advice, tools, tips, free, venture capital, angel investors, crowdfunding, financing, management, marketing, security, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures

Top 5 Best Small Business Blogs - Three Types Of Lies - 8/13/2014

2014-08-13T06:59:00.001-04:00

“There are three types of lies – lies, damn lies, and statistics.” Benjamin Disraeli

I love this quote a lot. There is a lot to be said about statistics and it is important to use stats as empirical data for better ways to support your customers and provide the base for your business model to build off of. However, you need to carefully consider if the statistics are telling the whole story or is it missing part of the picture. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said last week that the unemployment rate was 6.2%, which was over 100 basis points lower than last year’s 7.3%. This sounds like employment rates are improving, right? On the surface, it does. However, what happens to the workers who are so discouraged about work that they have given up on finding full-time employment? They get removed from the statistics, thus inflating the number of people employed. What kind of jobs are these employees getting – work that they went to college for or at the local franchise operator in their neighborhood? You can’t tell from looking at the unemployment rate but supplementary data indicates that there are fewer manufacturing jobs being created and more food and retail service jobs being taken by 30 and 40 year olds. So is the unemployment rate improving or is it masking a deeper symptom of economic problems?

The point of this blog is not to debate economic recovery or recession. Statistics have their place in the world and in your business plan. Here are three things to keep in mind while running your business:

Research – it is important to do as much research as you can on the customer that you are trying to reach. Make sure you know as much as you can about them – how much money them make, their interests, what they read, where they live. You need to have enough empirical data to determine if your business model is sustainable.

Interpret – when you have put together the business plan based on the key factors identified from your research, make sure that you have seen the entire picture and not what you want to see. Look for multiple sources for your data to ensure that your information is complete and accurate.

Action – once you have your plan in place you need to act on it! Don’t be stricken by “paralysis by analysis”. Instead, go with your instincts and facts in hand to make your product more complete or your business more relevant.

Keep smiling!

Brian Califano

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1) How These Products Become a Dominant Brand By Specializing in Just One Product: http://attention-getting.com

2) How to Design an Effective Opt-in Page: Sometimes called a squeeze page, designing an effective opt-in page is an important part of converting all your traffic from leads to customers. http://www.smallbusinessbranding.com

3) Why You Need A Strategic Plan?: Strategic planning concentrates the energy and resources of the organization toward common goals. http://www.deimar.co/2014/05/business-strategic-planning.html#.U-kG7lZUsuc

4) The Cloud Is Redefining the Small Business Playing Field: http://www.globalsmallbusinessblog.com/2014/08/the-cloud-is-redefining-small-business.html

5) Decreasing Stress In The Workplace: Every company is made up of human beings, and humans have a tendency to get stressed. http://smallbizbee.com/index/category/success-strategies/

Top 5 Best Small Business Blogs - August 5, 2014

2014-08-05T07:41:00.000-04:00

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” –Bill Cosby

I took my daughter to a nearby park that I have not been to in a few years. The park was designed so that kids 5 though 12 year olds will be able to climb walls, do the monkey bars and navigate through mazes that are challenging to the younger set. When I first started taking her to the park when she was three or four, she was the bravest little girl I ever met! She used the metal chain to climb up the “steep” wall, at times using one hand to push me away to let me know that she didn't need my help. She would try valiantly to go from one end to the other of the monkey bar set, often making two or three bars before falling and gathering herself up to try again. Today, as a twelve year old, she left asking me if there were other more challenging areas of the park that she and her friend could navigate. When I told her that there were none, she wanted to leave and try a different park that was more “age appropriate”.

What does a kid outgrowing a park have to do with running your business? It is amazing what you can achieve when you focus your time and energy to accomplishing a task that seems impossible. It is important to be focused on achieving and exceeding your goals that you have for your business and not to be satisfied with hitting early milestones. Once you have $100k a month in sales, go for $200k in sales. Push yourself and your organization to go further than you thought it was possible. You don't have the salespeople to hit your target sales for your budget? Hire them! You can't find the extra $50k in your budget to launch an online branding strategy that could yield 3x the investment in the next six months? Find a lender that will give you the funds you need to succeed. There are many reasons why some people will not pursue a strategy because the easy answer is not in front of them. The truth is that there are no “easy” answers and that all entrepreneurs must face the dilemma of taking a risk to bring their company to the next level. Don't be afraid to take some calculated risks that could bring some long-term benefits for you and your company. You might fall off the monkey bars and bump your head on occasion, but as your successes pile up you will look back at these obstacles and wonder what the big deal was.

Keep Smiling!

Brian Califano

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SEO for Start-Ups: Should You Invest? You’ve poured blood, sweat and tears into building your business from scratch, and when your savings are just about drained, …. http://www.noobpreneur.com/2014/07/31/seo-start-ups-invest/
10 Secret For Better Focusing Your Business: Focusing your goals and approach in your business is the same whether tweaking an existing venture or starting a new one. http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/08/10-secrets-better-focusing-business.html
These Business People Are Obsessively Good at What They Do: There's a difference between someone who starts a business because they've found a profitable business idea ….. http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2014/07/31/these-business-people-are-obsessively-good/
The History of Real-Time Marketing in 500 Words: Real time marketing (RTM) may seem like a spiffy new concept but it's actually been around….. http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/history-real-time-marketing-500-words
On Topic: Tech News To Know Now: Once again, we've got your tech news links right here. http://www.siliconbeat.com/2014/07/31/on-topic-tech-news-to-know-now-114/

Top 5 Best Small Business Blogs - July 29, 2014 - AcceleratingCFO

2014-07-29T08:22:00.001-04:00

“In order to take over the island you need to burn the boats.”

Welcome to the inaugural blog of AcceleratingCFO! This is where we will be writing our thoughts, opinions and facts about entrepreneurs, startup business and how current events are impacting them. We believe that entrepreneurs and dreamers built the foundation of this nation and we here at AcceleratingCFO are focused on becoming the best accounting and consulting company that services this market. We are here to serve you and help you get to where you want to be ... FASTER!

This quote from Tony Robbins summarizes what pushed us to start this company. Robbins goes on to explain that until you have that urgency, the desire, the “no prisoners” attitude to make your dreams a reality there will always be an excuse not to do what you were created to do.

“I have too much to lose”
“What if the venture fails?”
“I think I can do it, but if I had more money/time/contacts”
“I’m too old – if only I had thought of this twenty years ago”
“I’m too young – but I will definitely do it in five years”

Sound familiar? It does to me. I was using this and other excuses not to do what I really wanted to do but was too scared to do it. I finally reached the point in my life where I decided to burn the boats that got me here and make my new company work. It will succeed because I have left no other option to succeed.

It is an honor and privilege to meet you virtually and thank you for reading this blog! I will be using this blog as a way to communicate my opinions and thoughts impacting the world of start-ups, entrepreneurs, small and medium size businesses. I also want to encourage my fellow entrepreneurs to respond and comment on my viewpoints as I know that I am not always right or might have a different perspective than some of you might have. I want this to be an open dialogue so that we can learn and grow professionally, emotionally and spiritually.

I read an article recently that talked about common characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. One characteristic that was mentioned in the article is that we are positive thinkers. There are – and will always be – challenges in our respective businesses that we need to overcome and persevere through in order to achieve our business objectives and goals. It is never easy, but you must have the faith to know that no matter what direction your company takes you have the talent, skill and desire to will it through the tough times. My late uncle had a voice mail recording that ended with two words: “Keep smiling!” As a tribute to him and to remind myself to stay strong during the trying times, I will sign off on each passage with those same two words.

Keep smiling!

Brian Califano
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1) The World's Top 10 One-Person Startups

Many successful businesses started with just one person who had a vision and the technical skills to deliver it to the world.

http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/07/successful-one-person-startups.html

2) 14 Books That Will Change Your Business and Your Life

I love to read. Here are some of the very best books I’ve read – ones that have changed my career and my business.

http://www.expand2web.com/blog/books-that-will-change-your-business/

3) Burned Out? 4 Destinations to Bring Back Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

Congratulations, you did it: You started your own business. As exciting and fulfilling as that is, you’re exhausted.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234962

4) Four Ways You Can Succeed As a Social Media Expert

Ever wonder why some small businesses seem to rock at social media whilst others (maybe even yourself) are anything but superstars?

http://www.blogtrepreneur.com/2014/07/08/four-ways-can-succeed-social-media-superstar/

Test 4

2014-07-28T09:19:00.000-04:00

This is simply test # 4. That's it. Now we can go home.

TEST 3

2014-07-22T08:52:00.000-04:00

We hope that you'll all enjoy test 3. It's one of my favorites, personally.

Test 2

2014-07-22T07:52:00.002-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen: This is simply a test of the RSS feed associated with this blog. Now please scurry back to your cubicles! Quickly. I can already smell the boss' drugstore cologne.

test

2014-07-22T07:43:00.002-04:00

TOP 5 BEST SMALL BUSINESS BLOGS

Knowledge Can Make You Rich

Top 5 Best Small Business Blogs - Three Types Of Lies - 8/13/2014

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Top 5 Best Small Business Blogs - August 5, 2014

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Top 5 Best Small Business Blogs - July 29, 2014 - AcceleratingCFO

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Test 4

TEST 3

Test 2

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