More Than WE Know

Thank you to all who entered the Discovering Your Inner Samurai book contest. Our winner was selected using the Random.org List Randomizer, and it picked… Carol McClelland!  

Carol wrote:

What a wonderful interview. As a several time author (The Seasons of Change and Your Dream Career For Dummies), I totally relate to Susan’s story about the birth of her book. Since I started writing in 1992, I’ve always tapped into my inner samurai to write and edit.

That first draft to final product! What an experience. Although it’s hard, I finally learned that the editor’s job is to make a book the best it can be…even when you don’t like what they have to say! The key to success is to listen to their comments and adjust…while listening to your inner samurai. On occasion I’ve had to hold firm on elements of my book even when the editor didn’t want them in the book had a different vision. I had to choose those moments carefully and be prepared to share my rationale as calmly and clearly as I could.

It’s an amazing process of clarifying and distilling. All the best with your book, Susan.

Congrats to Carol who wins a free copy of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Journey to Business Success

For more about Carol, check out her site Green Career Central: Make a Difference and Prosper. 

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Let me know if you enjoyed this contest and would like to see more in the future!

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Reminder - Susan Reid is giving a way a free copy of her book, Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Journey to Business Success. Today is the last day to enter to win - it’s as simple as leaving a comment  describing what motivated you to start your business on her interview.

A winner will be chosen at random and announced here tomorrow!!

Did you know that over 1 million small businesses are already using blogs as low-cost marketing tools?

Do you ever wish that your business could have a blog too? 

But then do you think that your business just doesn’t fit with blogging??

If so, come on over to Business and Blogging. We’re so sure that we can think up a blogging strategy for any type of business that we are challenging you to stump us.

Tell us about your business or any business you have in mind - and we vow to come up with an idea for a blog for that business.

If we can’t, we’ll write up a profile of your business on our blog including a link to your site.

We’ve already come up with a great strategy for a gas station blog. 

If a gas station can benefit from a blog - then surely yours can too!!

So,  join the fun, and get some great low-cost ideas for marketing your business online!!

Do you have a blob of an idea about a business you would like to start - maybe the start of a project that would be great if only you could get a little backing??

Well, you’re in luck.  Between now and next March, Advanta is giving away $10,000 per month to the person with the most popular business blob of an idea.

Much like an “American Idol for business ideas”, aspiring entrepreneurs enter their idea for consideration.  Readers then vote on the best ideas in a given time period. (You are encouraged to drum up cheerleaders for your ideas).  After three weeks, the ideas are narrowed down to a select eight which all compete for the $10,000 grand prize.

Registration is simple. You only have to answer three questions.  

• Describe your business.
• Describe what you would do with the $10,000 if you won it.
• Identify any questions or challenges you might face in forwarding the business.

That’s all there is to it - except for getting friends, family and other supporters to vote for you.

And speaking of voting, why not head over to Ideablob right now and vote for the first month’s finalists, one of whom will win $10,000 to further his or her idea:

• a website that lists info about candidates, issues and elections
• a you-tube like website for home buyers and sellers to connect directly
• college freshman orientation software that integrates with Facebook and MySpace
• a site that connects Peace Corp projects to Facebook 
• an Orbitz-like website for people to secure event venues (for weddings, etc.)
• a designated dog beach in Santa Monica, CA
• a rainwater collection and irrigation system for watering gardens
• a pacifier that lights up when it falls out of a baby’s mouth

Those are the finalists for this month - voting ends soon!

And, if you think your blob of an idea is as good as or better than those, then get over to Ideablob and sign up - and let me know - so I can vote for you!!

Even if you are still just fantasizing about telling your boss to “Take this Job and Shove it”, you are eligible for this contest!

Intuit wants to hear your  story whether it is fact, fiction or fantasy! 

Written or video submissions (250 word or 2 minute)  need to cover:

• your idea for starting the company
• what you will resign from
• what you would do with the winning to pursue starting the business
• OR if you have already started your own company, describe your experiences getting started and answer the question - what did you resign from?  

Grand Prize is $40,000 plus $10,000 in expert services including an incorporation kit, media,  marketing support, blackberry communications and quick book support.

Submission deadline is December 15, 2007.

And regardless of whether you enter the contest, you can get a FREE copy of Intuit’s QuickBook Simple Start  2008.

So, what are you waiting for? Just Start!