StartupNation Blogs

For many small business owners getting a write-up in Entrepreneur magazine is the holy grail of media coverage.  A few lines in the magazine can make all those sleepless nights, hard work, and determination seem rewarded.  No trophies or plaques required.  So what does it take to secure this much coveted ink?
Aronado Placencia, host of [...]

I was checking in on StartupNation before I headed to bed the other night. A ritual.
I remembered one little task I had to do for a cool new StartupNation initiative that will be very video intensive, and in the process I happened across this video.
I laughed so hard the neighbors must have heard me!
And it’s a great [...]

As a bootstrap entrepreneur, I’ve learned there are just some things you don’t cut corners on. My “golden rule” has always been to hire the best Lawyer, Accountant, and Business Consultant you can find, even if you can’t afford it. The truth is you simply can’t afford NOT to.  Running my small business over the [...]

I apologize for the outlandish headline, but I don’t really think it’s any more outlandish than crowning Threadless as the sales guru of Twitter.  I’m sure you’ve read some recent press in the media bragging about Threadless being the company to emulate when it comes to monetizing on Twitter. (Read one article from Inc here) [...]

I just came across a great blog post by a fellow attorney, J. Michael Hurst at Keating Muething & Klekamp PLLC. Apparently, 19-year old Jimmy Winkelmann created a company called The South Butt LLC, which was meant as a parody of The North Face.
Here are the two logos at issue:
 

Apparently, Jimmy has a [...]

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the unique challenges 2009 had to offer small business owners, and now it’s time to celebrate.
With this in mind, here are a few tips to have a G-R-E-A-T holiday:
G: Give Back To The Community.
Volunteer to help a local charity. Donate your used clothing and other items to a worthy [...]

During my recent appearance on ABC News Now, I was lucky enough to be asked to provide some advice to fellow entrepreneurs who are growing businesses built around their passions.
Click here or on the image below to view that advice.

Let me know if you have a cool story you’d like to share with ABC News Now or [...]

As the “royalty” status of Hollywood stars has risen, so has their effectiveness as key influencers in consumer purchasing behaviors. Celebrity product placement is considered an “influencer-marketing” approach for helping brands increase their competiveness in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Marketers and small business owners can harness that power through strategic product placement opportunities that have [...]

Recently, I received some interesting information from a small business owner who is pursuing his passion, and thought I would share his tips with you. Meet Shy Figaro, a successful, high-end fashion designer and entrepreneur.
Tell us about your business and why you started it.
I’m fascinated about beauty and elegance, and believe that fashion is a [...]

Since many of you commented on my last blog entry, here are three more free tools to help you with your small business PR activities:
1. Help a Reporter Out
PR Pro Peter Shankman set up this great site at http://www.helpareporter.com/. Simply enter your name and e-mail information. And each day, you’ll receive a list of reporters [...]