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Who Could Advertise on a Memorial Site?
"I used to have a client who was in the cremation business and I agree it can be a difficult area to tackle. Partly, I think it can be a factor of how you handle things ... and based on my experiences this isn't an area where you want to over think things."

Travel-related Blog Idea - Opinions Wanted
"The company I work for as a copywriter is preparing to launch a new product called Travel Safety Net. It's a roadside assistance program like AAA. I'm exploring the feasibility of a blog to support the product and to draw visitors to our website."

Free Html Or Xhtml Editor?
"I do not have the money right now to spend hundreds of dollars on one of the best editors and currently am using NVU. Does anyone know of any better free ones that I could try that would help to clean up my codes? Or even any suggestions?"

Who Could Advertise on a Memorial Site?
"I used to have a client who was in the cremation business and I agree it can be a difficult area to tackle. Partly, I think it can be a factor of how you handle things ... and based on my experiences this isn't an area where you want to over think things."

Travel-related Blog Idea - Opinions Wanted
"The company I work for as a copywriter is preparing to launch a new product called Travel Safety Net. It's a roadside assistance program like AAA. I'm exploring the feasibility of a blog to support the product and to draw visitors to our website."

Free Html Or Xhtml Editor?
"I do not have the money right now to spend hundreds of dollars on one of the best editors and currently am using NVU. Does anyone know of any better free ones that I could try that would help to clean up my codes? Or even any suggestions?"

Is Linking To Pirated Content A Liability?
webpronews.com - The online video copyright issue is set to get more intense as legal lines come closer into focus. The YouTube and Viacom case, in the unlikely event it sees a courtroom, would be large enough to solidify some ground rules. There are also international complications, which makes one wonder if the World Wide Web will one day necessitate a Virtual World Court.

10 Ways to Convert Visitors to Buyers
powerhomebiz.com - An effective business web site is all about converting browsers to paying customers. This is measured by the conversion rate: a measure of how many web site visitors it takes to sell one item, or capture one lead.

Climbing success' ladder one paint can at a time
bizjournals.com - Sharp, 33, has done careful prep work for the past seven years, and it has paid off for this founder and president of Sharper Impressions Painting Co. What began as way to pay for college has grown into a company with revenue reaching $4 million and with offices in seven states.

eBay Watch: Movies Rule
ecommerce-guide.com - This week the eBay Stores team added some new options to the promotion boxes, used to announce deals to prospective buyers. The interface was changed to make it easier to set up the boxes and two new types were added. One is a slideshow that cycles through Gallery pictures of your selected listings, and the other is a countdown box that ticks off the time remaining for a listing.

RSS Options for the Desktop and Beyond
smallbusinesscomputing.com - You don’t have to be a tech junkie to take advantage of one of Web 2.0’s great conveniences: The RSS feed. With RSS (Really Simple Syndication), you can receive news and information without having to methodically go to various Web sites or perform a Google search. Essentially, instead of you finding “it” (where “it” is whatever topic of interest you specify), “it” finds you — whether you are at your desk or not.

Beating the Odds
entrepreneur.com - Put the odds on your side with these 10 steps that (almost) guarantee startup success.

Looking to Sell Online? PayPal Wants to Take You Global
inc.com - PayPal, a subsidiary of online auction site eBay, has launched a new application package aimed at helping small and midsize businesses accept online payments securely and cost effectively.

How to Turn Your Affiliate Internet Marketing into the Real Deal
smallbusinessbrief.com - Many affiliate programs will have you believing the hype. All you have to do is put a link back to their main web page and presto instant bling flows into your bank account. NOT!

Benefits of Outsourcing Your Staff and HR Tasks
startupjournal.com - Many small-business owners gripe about the time and energy involved with hiring new employees, paying them and then finding and administering all the benefits they must offer them. Some businesses seem to have found a viable solution: Let someone else deal with it.

Podcasts Promote B2B IT
emarketer.com - White paper too boring? Put it in a podcast.

What Kind Of Capital Is Appropriate For Your Business?
powerhomebiz.com - There are two kinds of capital: debt and equity. Both kinds are typically used by a company during its lifetime. Lenders have different objectives than investors and therefore look at different factors about a company when deciding whether or not to invest or make a loan.

Sizing up a market opportunity
money.cnn.com - An aspiring entrepreneur wants to make sure that her town needs her services.

Easy Local E-mail Solutions
clickz.com - I've spent time lately thinking about the local merchants in my neighborhood, and just how far they are from truly leveraging e-mail to build better customer relationships. Too often we talk about how properly designed e-mail strategies can drive large Fortune 1000 organizations. Many of the same strategies and technologies can perform incredibly well for the local merchant. Here are just two examples.

DoubleClick's One-Stop Ad Shop
internetnews.com - Digital ad gatekeeper DoubleClick plans to open an online exchange for publishers and advertisers that'll make it as easy to sell online ads as it is to sell goods on eBay. When the Exchange goes live in the third quarter, publishers and other sellers will be able to make specific inventory available for purchase and define a minimum bid value for it while specifying rules to restrict certain advertisers, formats and content.

eBiz News: Viral Velocity, Free Storefronts, Catching Phish
ecommerce-guide.com - All the hype about customer-centric promotions gaining popularity with consumers is being backed up by a recent comparison-shopping study, while another report outlines top optimization steps being taken by Web shop owners.

Back It Up, Mac
smallbusinesscomputing.com - Anyone who owns a Mac has experienced the frustration of being treated like a second-class citizen when it comes to finding Mac versions of popular software. Most software vendors point to Windows' larger market share as an excuse for not developing Mac titles, but others have started listening to their customers and delivering the goods. Case in point, today Memeo announced LifeAgent, the Macintosh version of AutoBackup, its successful PC-based data backup software that launched two years ago.

How To Run A Child Care Center: Expenses
forbes.com - How much will I need to shell out in start-up costs and ongoing expenses?

Passion Vs. Profits
entrepreneur.com - What's passion got to do with buying a franchise?

Take a Page from 3M's Pad
businessweek.com - To stay ahead of the competition: Invest in research, network within your industry, attend trade shows. And be prepared to reinvent.

Mobile Ads Crawling Along
emarketer.com - Mobile data use has doubled since 2003, but mobile marketing is still taking baby steps, according to a new report by Forrester Research.

Top Ten Home Business Mistakes
powerhomebiz.com - Most people dream of owning a business, no matter how small. Most start by creating their home-based businesses. Here are some common causes of failure that would-be entrepreneurs need to know (and avoid) when starting and running their home businesses.

IRS may shift AMT gap burden to small biz
money.cnn.com - To raise revenue, the feds plan to stick their noses deeper into small-business financial records.

Bold move, bigger plans
bizjournals.com - Gathering $30,000 from friends and family members, he quit his job at Limbach and started Comprehensive Energy Services in May 1992. His fist job paid him $135.

Ten E-mail Starters to Break Writer's Block
clickz.com - You've just gotten an assignment to write an e-mail, but you're staring at that empty computer screen. And you're totally drawing a blank on where to begin. What do you do? Try some of my proven e-mail copywriting ideas.

New support initiative for London's entrepreneurs
bytestart.co.uk - Young companies in London can develop the skills needed to stay afloat and grow thanks to a new service launched by the London Development Agency (LDA) this week.

Developing a Great Business Model
entrepreneur.com - Determine whether your business will succeed by evaluating these six aspects.

A Growing Appetite for Healthy Pet Food
businessweek.com - As pet owners react with alarm to the nationwide pet-food scare, small producers of premium brands are rushing to meet new demand.

Understanding Your Financial Statements
morebusiness.com - No one starts a business because they love the paperwork and accounting that goes with it. All too often, those details are put aside in favor of the more interesting (and seemingly profitable) vision-casting, marketing, and sales. But knowing what your financial statements are and being able to read them can help you run your business more effectively and discover profit where you may not have realized any existed.

'Marketing with Online Buzz' for Dummies, Part 2
auctionbytes.com - Jan Zimmerman, author of "Marketing on the Internet" (Maximum Press) has recently written "Web Marketing for Dummies" (Wiley). We are reprinting with permission some marketing techniques outlined in Chapter 7 of her book that are relevant to small ecommerce websites.

Strategies: Dealing with another's bankruptcy
usatoday.com - At the end of last year, my distributor went into bankruptcy. Since then, I've learned a lot about the effects of others' bankruptcies on small companies. In last week's column I discussed ways to protect yourself from other's potential bankruptcies.

Xerox: A Black-and-White Laser Phaser
smallbusinesscomputing.com - Building on the past success and reliability of its Phaser 4500 monochrome laser printer, Xerox today announced the next generation, the Phaser 4510 which, according to the company, improves on its predecessor's speed, memory, features and price.

What is the Internet Proxy Server
smallbusinessbrief.com - The Internet proxy server is the server that is situated between the client application and an actual server. The Internet proxy server has the role of intercepting every request to the actual server and see if the request can be fulfilled by it. If that is not possible, then it must forward the request to the other server.

How To Make A Logo That Represents Your Company
smallbusinessbrief.com - A Logo is the visual representation of your company. Your logo enhances the first impression of your business. There is a relationship between loyalty shared by your clients and the elegance of your logo. A lot of positive attributes of your business can be represented using your logo if its created with a little thought and creativity.

Direct Mail for Direct Sales
smallbusinessbrief.com - Although I love the possibilities of the Internet for marketing and building your direct sales business, there's nothing like the good old mail system for getting your name around your community and in front of your customers. Here are some tips for a successful direct mail marketing campaign for your direct sales business.

Referral Marketing 101
morebusiness.com - The importance of advertising and marketing is increasing day by day. With the many, often conflicting, messages, it is no wonder that consumers pay no attention to so many billboards, magazines and radio. Effective referral marketing does not have to include discounts, ad campaigns, fancy gifts or coupons. Many businesses avoid using rewards. The most important campaign for referral marketing is not a ‘campaign’, but a way of doing business.

Put Your Focus on Startup
entrepreneur.com - You may feel like you have a million things to do when starting a business, but there are really only 7 main areas that deserve your undivided attention during startup.

The ABCs of Split Testing
ecommerce-guide.com - When done correctly, A/B can help you increase your conversion rates, address problem pages and challenge your assumptions about how to optimize your site. While such testing can be complex to conduct, if you have command of the basics and stay focused on what you need to do for your small business, you can glean valuable information without too much effort.

Designing HTML Email for Webmail Apps
ducttapemarketing.com - Mailchimp is a simple HTML email service that some of my readers have told me they love. The company also produces a handy guide to sending HTML email. Co-Founder, Ben Chestnut tells me he is working on an update to the guide so I thought I would ask him a few questions ahead of publication.

'Marketing with Online Buzz' for Dummies, Part 1
auctionbytes.com - Jan Zimmerman, author of "Marketing on the Internet" (Maximum Press) has recently written "Web Marketing for Dummies" (Wiley). We are reprinting with permission some marketing techniques outlined in Chapter 7 of her book that are relevant to small ecommerce websites.

Strategies: Surviving another's bankruptcy
usatoday.com - Dec. 29 was not a good day. That's the day my distributor declared bankruptcy. Like many small companies, my business depends on a distributor to get our products to market. In my case, I'm a book publisher. My distributor stored inventory, sold it to retailers, collected payment and then paid me.

5 Website Navigation Tips
devshed.com - Unclear website navigation is much like trying to read a map in the dark. Many people who are new to web design and e-commerce have trouble creating effective website navigation. Having the expectation for your shoppers to use your website without clear and easy navigation is just like expecting them to blindly find their way to a destination with all the lights out.

Small-Business Owners Overtaxed, But Optimistic
startupjournal.com - A quarter of small-business owners say taxes are a major distraction, and a growing number of them say they're optimistic about their firm's economic prospects, according to a monthly survey of 1,000 businesses with five or fewer employees.

Sammy Hagar's Tequila Dreams
businessweek.com - The former lead singer for Van Halen opened a bar in a tiny town in Mexico as a lark. Today, his Cabo Wabo Enterprises is a booming business.

How To Conduct On-Line Due Diligence Before Entering Into Business Relationships
smallbusinessbrief.com - Do you enter into business relationships, acquisitions, property investments, partnerships, or enter into a transaction without first verifying a companies identity, associates and affiliations?

Making Your Podcast Standout
smallbusinessbrief.com - Podcasts are becoming more and more commonplace, distinguish your podcast by polishing it and properly publicizing it.

E-Mail's Significant Brand Power
clickz.com - People ask me if e-mail marketing really affects brand. I don't know if anyone's truly bought into that theory (besides myself and key people like my family and those who work for me). If you're are one of the skeptics, here's a story for you.

AuctionBytes Polls eBay, Online Sellers on Shipping Rate Changes
auctionbytes.com - Virtually all U.S. eBay and online sellers will be affected by upcoming changes to the postal rates. On March 19, 2007, the Governors of the United States Postal Service approved rate changes effective May 14, 2007.

Ask an Expert: A helping hand for women
usatoday.com - I was wondering if you knew of any business programs designed especially for women entrepreneurs.

7 Principles of Small Innovations
about.com - We live in a fast-paced, instant gratification global society that adores big. The next big thing. The big innovation. The approach of big innovation isn't ideal for small business. Small innovations are the best growth strategy for your business. Discover the 7 principles of small innovations.

60 Performance and Optimization Tips for your Website
devshed.com - Learn and implement vital tips on increasing your website’s performance.Find out how to make general improvements, how to optimize images, tweak HTML source code, get better results from ASP and ASP.NET, tune your database, and enhance IIS. Use one or more suggestions to give website visitors a better impression and keep them on your site longer.

Taking the Mystery Out of Mystery Shoppers
startupjournal.com - So how do you find a legitimate mystery shopping gig? First of all, know that you will almost never have to pay to become one. If you come across an ad promoting a mystery shopping service that requires you to fork over any cash, move on.

Brother Announces Color Laser Siblings
smallbusinesscomputing.com - Known primarily for its expertise in monochrome laser and multi-function printers, Brother International recently entered the world of color laser printing with two product lines designed and built by its own engineers.

Seven Lessons on Leadership From the First CEO—Moses
marketingprofs.com - Whether your religious traditions embrace the Old Testament or not, the Exodus story captures the responsibilities of leadership. Moses certainly has some similarities to present-day leaders, and of course some differences.

3 Simple Strategies To Build Your Home-Based Business Faster And Easier
businessknowhow.com - The fastest and easiest way to get your business going and growing is by finding others who have already done what you want to do and learning and benefiting from their efforts.

HP — Taking the Geek out of Computers
smallbiztrends.com - At the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Hewlett Packard (HP) put on an event called The Art of Small Business. The purpose was to announce several new products and partnerships for the small business market.

Networking Faux Pas
entrepreneur.com - Think you're a good networker? Make sure you're not making 1 of these 3 big blunders.

The Sales Paradox: Stop Selling to Sell
inc.com - Exceptional sales professionals think like doctors -- they diagnose problems before presenting solutions that could cure what ails their customers.

Hey, Good Lookin'
businessweek.com - Designing a strong, lasting logo.