(Author’s note: This article discusses some very ethically dubious practices by delivery apps. It should not be taken as legal advice and if any of these companies are doing this to you, speak to your legal representation.) I’ve gone off on GrubHub before but that was before COVID-19 devastated the restaurant industry. 2019 was roughly … [Read more…]
Small businesses have had a tumultuous relationship with online review websites over the years. This has ranged from people attempting to sabotage businesses with negative reviews (a cottage industry itself), versus the other extreme where small business owners go as far as suing online reviewers. I’m not here to talk about that, though. Instead, I … [Read more…]
I’ve noticed lately that a lot of marketing agencies – especially ones targeting their services towards smaller businesses – proudly tout that they’re “partnered with Google.” If you’re a small business or intimidated by the process of getting to the top of Google (which is a lot harder than it sounds, but I already covered … [Read more…]
It’s been almost a year and a half since COVID-19 brought the global economy to its knees, crippled small businesses across the world and justified the indoors habits of gaming enthusiasts everywhere. Hey, I’m allowed to tease myself. In this part of the United States things are comparatively normal, something I’ve only been able to … [Read more…]
It’s been a turbulent year during which the norms we’ve been accustomed to have been thoroughly turned upside down. The small business community has been no exception; suddenly businesses are being required to pivot, develop new business models and market to new customer bases. This has been a crazy year for me personally as I’ve … [Read more…]
Way back in 2017 I wrote an article on the long, harrowing road to becoming an independent marketing consultant. Times were good in terms of the business climate at the time, which was partly why I included this particular nugget that now in hindsight seems ominously prophetic: It’s easy to coast along by not holding … [Read more…]
This article is not about George Floyd, but I cannot begin the article without discussing him. On May 25th George Floyd – a black man – was killed by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin – a white man – who kept his knee pressed down on the right side of Floyd’s neck for nine minutes … [Read more…]