Attention Miami FL CPA Firms! Why Accountants Need to Take SEO Seriously

Attention Miami FL CPA Firms! Why Accountants Need to Take SEO Seriously SEO? What’s That? First thing’s first—what is SEO? Short for search engine optimization, SEO is a process that makes your site more attractive to search engines like Google. But how does the process work? The inner technical aspects of search engines are actually pretty interesting. They’re definitely complex. And they’re also undeniably critical to understand if you want to improve your accounting practice’s online presence. To put it simply, search engine robots (often called spiders or crawlers) are constantly traversing the internet, collecting and indexing information from every …

Net neutrality: What Is It And How It Will Affect Small Business Websites

Everyone knows about net neutrality. Wait, what? We do? Of course not. Up until yesterday, barely anyone had heard of it. The media had no coverage of this vote leading up to it. But with the FCC’s decision less than 24 hours ago to dismantle its regulations on net neutrality, reality has just kicked in. What exactly is net neutrality and why is it so important? Net Neutrality is the ability to communicate openly and freely on the Internet. There are no rules or regulations that hinder a consumer’s usage. We log on, type in a web page, and boom; …

‘Twas The Night Before ZenChange

’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the business, Not a prospect was stirring, no clicks of the mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In the hopes that ZenChange soon would be there. The owners were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of dollar signs danced in their heads; The sales team having no leads took a nap; While the manager wondered how to close the gap. When out on the web there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my desk to see what was the matter; Away to my phone I …

Leonardo DaVinci Would Make A Great Marketer

If Leonardo da Vinci were alive today, he’d make a great marketer. Several years ago I spent a week cycling through the Loire Valley in France.  It was a highly memorable trip filled with stress busting rolling hills by day, visits to beautiful chateaus and vineyards, and then getting cleaned up at night to enjoy a 5-course meal in yet another chateau, while sipping local Vouvray.  One of my favorite chateaus, Clos Lucé in Amboise, was actually one of the most unassuming.  It was the home of Leonardo da Vinci in the last few years before his death.  Back in 1516, …

Entrepreneurial Success Advice from the CEO: Dr. Ivan Misner, BNI Founder

Today I had the opportunity to be part of an intimate “ask the founder” question and answer session with BNI founder and the father of networking, Dr. Ivan Misner about his recommendations for entrepreneurial success.  Founded in 1985, BNI (Business Networking International) is the largest business networking organization of its kind, with over 200,000 members worldwide and generating over $11 billion in passed business by its members.  That’s equivalent to the GDP of a small country! I always enjoy meeting CEOs of large companies to ask about their lessons learned, observe their particular CEO persona, and hear first hand the …

After Irma Small Businesses Struggle To Reopen

After Irma – The Struggle To Rebuild Florida Small Businesses Hurricane Irma plowed thorough the entire state of Florida over the weekend, leaving millions of residents without electricity.  Florida prepares itself for days, and maybe weeks, without power.  While the focus of the news after Irma has been on residents recovering their homes, and streets being cleared of large downed trees, the impact of the storm on small business is far reaching. In the years when I traveled the world for business, I remember my Brazilian clients would joke that no business was conducted during the month of Carnaval.  First …

2 Simple Reasons You Should Add Video to Your Social Media Marketing Strategy

I’m often asked whether video for social media marketing really makes that much of a difference for small businesses. Short answer: if done right, it can make a very big difference. In fact, I’ve seen many small businesses—all with great potential in their respective markets—both lose momentum and gain that extra push needed to go to the next level because of the choice they made about including video in their marketing efforts. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Given the choice, would you rather read a blog or watch a video? Personal preference aside, many would choose the video because …

3 Ways To Throw Your Money Away On Advertising

Before you react and think that this is post about how much I hate advertising, it isn’t.  In fact, I think advertising can be a great source of leads and brand awareness for a business.  But too often I see small businesses spending money on advertising for the wrong reasons.  Here are some examples of poor logic when it comes to advertising spend: “But it’s only $50/month” (insert your low monthly cost here…are you sure that is the best way you can spend your company’s $600?) “My competitors advertise there” (and if all the other kids jumped off a bridge?…ok …

Does Your Online Marketing Feel Like Throwing Darts?

Remember the carnival game where you had three darts to throw at a wall full of balloons to win the giant stuffed panda?  Most of the darts would hit the wall, or skim by the balloon, and if you did manage to pop a balloon it would typically be for a rather unexciting small plastic whistle and definitely NOT the giant stuffed panda.  The problem with this game is that you don’t know where the panda prize card is pinned, and you may not have the greatest aim.  But you know it’s there somewhere so you just keep on paying …

Small Business Spotlight: International Clinic of Biological Regeneration

The International Clinic of Biological Regeneration (ICBR) offers highly effective anti-aging treatments out of their clinics in Mexico and The Bahamas.  The foundation of their treatments is Cell Therapy, a highly rejuvenating treatment that has been practiced by physicians in Europe since 1931.  Just how rejuvenating?  As you can see from my own head shot at ages 42 and 52, clients of ICBR don’t seem to age at the same rate as our friends and family.  I have been a client for the past 20 years and at age 52 I still run half marathons, feel great, sleep like a …