April 2005

What’s with this branding crap, anyway?

by Michael Cage · 13 comments

in Uncategorized

When I was a kid, there were a handful of misguided entrepreneurs in my neighborhood. My mom called ‘em “no good drug dealing scum” … but that’s not important for this story. What is important is how those drug dealers remind me of “The Branders.” You see, the worst of the dealers would “get high ...

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4/11/05 Carnival of the Capitlists

by Michael Cage · 0 comments

in Uncategorized

TJ’s web log has this week’s Carnival of the Capitalists.

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Get the Edge in Business

April 11

The best post I’ve read all year, and I missed it the first time around. From Mark Cuban: The ultimate competition. Would you like to play a game called Eat Your Lunch. We are going to face off. My ability to execute on an idea vs yours. My ability to subvert your business vs your ...

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Success In Business (from Calcanis)

April 8

Terrific post from Jason Calcanis on success in business. The older I get the more I realize that business is about three very basic things: Hustle Passion Resiliency You have those things it really doesn’t matter what the idea is… you can change your ideas all day long, in fact evolving is what you’re supposed ...

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Write an essay, win a cafe?

April 7

Gotta check this out, a couple is giving away their cafe plus $50,000 to the person who writes the best essay starting with: “I’d like to own Ma and Pa’s cafe because…” Aside from being a cute story, it begs the following question: “What could you ‘essay-off’ in your business, and how could you leverage ...

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How To Get Your Head Out Of Your… (on competition and winning!)

April 7 On Entrepreneurship

…you think I’m going to say ###, don’t ya? Not this time. This post is about getting your head out of your competition’s ###. Let me explain… Most small business owners fret and fear over “the competition.” I saw this recently in a retail shop in Kentucky. My client’s name is Claire, and before she ...

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Get ‘Dem Cell Phone Addicts

April 7 On Entrepreneurship

At the top of my 2005 “someone-invent-it-for-me-wishlist” is a portable, short-range cell phone jamming device. Oh the fun I’d have playing with the rude and the indecent. What I really want to mention, though, is this… In Northern VA, more and more businesses are posting signs I like. They tell people to keep their ringers ...

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Getting the 2nd yes

April 6

The first time a new customer trots into a retailer, (s)he’s making dozens of tiny judgments. Judgments about the layout of the store, the friendliness of the staff, the quality of the selection, the prices, the ease of getting out the door, and dozens more. These are all rolled up into a bigger meta-judgment that, ...

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Why Unions Can’t Win

April 6

Great/sad/frightening/disturbing article from one of my favorite writers, Norm Brodsky. All about recent “run ins” with picket lines and inflatable rats at one of his building sites… I’ve been thinking a lot about rank-and-file union members lately, and I have to say it’s a shame how the guys at the top have let them down. ...

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Small Businesses: Direct Marketing OR Branding?

April 4 On Entrepreneurship

On a private list 3 weeks ago someone decided we were talking too much about direct response marketing. Instead, he said, we should talk about companies like Apple and how their strategies apply to small businesses. (Note: Of course Apple uses direct response, I’m just framing the discussion as it happened.) Two things you should ...

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