Online Business Adviser

The Forum For Online Business Success

I’ve just finished reading Gary Vaynerchuck’s Crush It. The book was released in October last year, so I know that a lot of people may have already picked it up, but if you haven’t and you are new to online business, looking to take it to the next level, or have any interest in social media at all – buy and read this book now.

For those of you not familiar with Gary’s work, he took his father’s $4 million a year wine business and managed to turn it into a $60 million a year goliath through the power of social media and personal branding.

There are many things I loved about this book. Firstly it’s less than 150 pages long, which makes it a very quick read. In every one of those 150 pages, it’s almost like Gary himself is there telling it to you. Watch him on www.winelibrary.tv to see what I mean. Rather than talking about how to run a business that will make a fortune, he talks about capitalising on your passion in order to be successful – whatever that success looks like.  Read more...

I was doing my weekly shopping over the weekend, and something grabbed my attention. While I was looking for some kitchen cleaner spray, I noticed that the most any of them kill is 99.99% of household germs.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I know that’s a pretty high strike rate, but what then is differentiating them from one another? What is setting them apart from their competition? For the most part, it’s brand loyalty that’s driving it. I’ve always used Mr Muscle, so chances are I will buy it.

But imagine if a one of them developed a household cleaner that killed 100% of the germs. When you’re talking about something that matters to people, this extra .01% can give you a massive competitive advantage.  I know that there is probably a major scientific explanation as to why that extra .01% is so hard to obtain for household cleaners (given they got to 99.99%), but I think it illustrates an important point.  Read more...

So last week I spoke about the things you claim your business to be, and this week I want to talk about how people perceive your business.

I was waiting to cross the street yesterday afternoon and noticed this picture taped to the light pole.

So, consider this. You are looking for a home business opportunity that will allow you to make money. This ad promises it. It also promises enough part time money to overtake your full time income. It promises more from life.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Will you tear off one of the little tabs at the bottom and text your first name to the number listed? Probably not.

Why? Because this ratty photocopied ad is taped over the top of another ratty photocopied ad, which is in turn taped to a light pole.  Read more...

Hey everyone, welcome back! A new year, new possibilities – I’m excited!

I wanted to lead off this year with something I noticed while I was on break. It’s about the claims you make as a business about your product. More specifically, the ability to back them up.

My example comes from a drive I was on, where I passed through a small grove of shops. In the same town, there were two bakeries both with shingles out that proclaimed their pies “the best in the world”. What are the chances? The world is a big place, and here we have not one, but two stores virtually next to each other proclaiming their product to be the best.

Now, obviously this is hyperbole on the part of the bakery, but it illustrates an important point when making claims about your products – particulalry when your business exists online.  Read more...

Well, it’s finally here. The end of the noughties, and what an amazing decade it has been. The technological advancements that have fundamentally changed the way we do business are now within the reach of everybody to take advantage of and create an online business.

My mission this year has been to share the knowledge and advice that I have to give to help give you the best chance of success. Next year, I have two business resolutions that I am making. One of those is to be more personal, which I covered in my last post. The other – take bolder actions. 2010 will be the time to make the most of the moment in order to get ahead of your competition.  Read more...