Shortly after leaving work today, I was driving in an urban, residential area on a street with five lanes and a posted speed limit of 35mph. I was in the “fast” lane going my usual 5-8 mph over the speed limit when a white SUV swerved out from behind me into the right lane, sped [...]

Your business may provide the absolute best service in a 100 mile radius.
You may manufacture the most incredibly useful widgets known to man.
You may know more about your area of expertise than 99% of everyone else in your field.
Your skills may help save lives, educate children, feed the poor, spread hope, train [...]

If you’re in a service or client-based business, you know that it’s tempting, from time to time, to lower your rate. On a rare occasion, you may even be tempted to do something for . . . free <gasp>.
You have good intentions. In fact, you’re probably telling yourself that this will pay off in the [...]

I’m VP of a small business. I’m also the father of a two-year old. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that these two positions are quite similar.
Here’s my list of 25 ways running a small business is like raising a child.
1. Neither come with instructions.
2. They’re both messy.
3. Maintaining a positive attitude is critical.
4. Prayer [...]

It’s too late… the coupons are out there.Don’t worry, just make sure you understand what expectations customers may have when they come in. Then find a solution that will make them happy.
If it’s a timing issue – coupons for dinner, instead of lunch – why not honor them anyway?
If it’s a major, costly mistake, have [...]

The coupon read “Free appetizer with the purchase of two entrees”. I tore it out of the calendar and headed out to a lunch meeting with a colleague.We chose the restaurant because of the coupon. There were three possibilities, this one was slightly more expensive, but the coupon made up for it.
After arriving at the [...]

If all goes well, I’m posting this to TheMooringBrief.com by sending an email to my account at Posterous.com.

Posterous is by far the most simplistic blogging platform available. If you’ve ever considered blogging, but aren’t sure what to do or where to begin, Posterous is for you.
Why Posterous?
Because they’ve removed all the hurdles. You don’t need [...]

Earlier this year McDonald’s came out with it’s new line of coffee. They apparently spent $100 million in marketing and advertising. I personally felt bombarded with McDonald’s coffee ads telling me it’s as good as Starbucks at a fraction of the cost. Well, the marketing worked for me at least, and I tried their coffee – [...]

I recently saw a post on Twitter spreading the news about a new promotion Starbucks was doing through Facebook. Apparently they’re launching a new product line of coffee flavored ice cream, and this was their big viral marketing effort.
They gave away 800 coupons for free pints of ice cream per hour until they gave [...]

Wowed By Apple
I went to the Apple store last night to pick up a case for my iPhone. I was looking at all the cases and feeling slightly overwhelmed by the sheer number, variety, and shades of pink. Fortunately, an Apple employee was nearby, so I asked him if there was a particular case preferred [...]