The high-school yearbook that created a $100 million memory
When 15-year-old Catherine Cook and her brother flipped through a high-school yearbook in 2005, they didn't just see photos of friends -- they saw an opportunity to create a digital version. Their idea for MyYearbook got the attention of their older brother, Geoff, who signed on as CEO, and the company attracted 70 million users and $17 million in financing. On Wednesday, Quepasa announced it was buying MyYearbook for $100 million, turning Catherine into a 21-year-old millionaire.

How Sy Sperling wove a story of success
As a young man with thinning hair, Sy Sperling says, hair weaving changed his life. Convinced that other men would have the same reaction, he put $10,000 on his credit card, bought a defunct salon and eked out a living until New York Yankees player Ron Bloomberg became a client. With a celebrity endorser and a homemade TV commercial, "the phones went off the hook," and Hair Club continued growing until Sperling sold to private investors for $45 million.

An unlikely app developer brings success into focus
When a bad fall forced her off the ice, Canadian figure skater Lisa Bettany focused on her photography hobby, eventually launching a popular blog, MostlyLisa.com. As the blog caught on, she joined the development team behind Camera+, working 12 hours a day for about a year to bring the iPhone application to market. Thanks to her social media expertise, Bettany became the face for the product, which has sold more than 3 million downloads in the past year. A year ago, Bettany said, her mom sometimes had to help with the rent. "Now my bank calls me up all the time and asks, 'What's all this money?'" Entrepreneur.com

10 ways to brighten up your brainstorming
Self-respect, self-belief, and respect and belief in others are prerequisites for a productive brainstorming session, writes Kevin Eikenberry. "While we may not always feel creative, or haven't seemed to be creative in the past, we believe we are capable of amazing creativity. We therefore expect ourselves to be successful," he writes. KevinEikenberry.com (7/7)

Don't get discouraged by the overnight success of others
Don't compare your struggles to the "overnight successes" you read about in the press, says Tara Hunt, founder of the online shopping service Buyosphere. For every one entrepreneur who had it easy, "there are one hundred times more stories of working hard and struggling for years to look like an overnight success." Hunt says realizing that others face the same struggles "helps [to] keep the faith." Sprouter.com

12 tips to keep you on the sunny side of life
How do you maintain a positive outlook when every day seems to bring more ups than downs? Rod Kurtz put that question to a dozen business experts. Among the answers: Keep things in perspective, remember the good times, immerse yourself in processes and try something radically different. (Beer, tequila and Dairy Queen also get at least one mention each.) AOL Small Business (5/10)

What's your definition of success?
Having just completed his taxes, Mark Evans writes that he was surprised at how much money he made last year. He wasn't keeping terribly close track because "money wasn't the most important consideration" in his success as an entrepreneur. The beauty of self-employment, Evans writes, is that people get to decide how successful they want to be and "how they want to be rewarded for their sweat and toil." The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (5/9)

How to build a business without employees
It's possible for a "solopreneur" to run a full-sized business without even hiring a staff, Sleeptracker founder Lee Loree writes. Look to outside help to cover your marketing, technology, inventory and bookkeeping needs. Then, hire a consultant as needed to assist with functions that are unique to your operations, Loree writes. BusinessWeek.com/Today's Tip blog

Don't rest on your laurels, and other advice from the trenches
After surviving as a business owner for two years, Mark Evans writes that he's ready to share some advice with fellow entrepreneurs. His list of five key lessons includes that work-life balance isn't a myth, that it's OK to say no to some opportunities and that you should keep your books well organized. The Globe and Mail

3 New 1099 Rules You Should Know About Barbara Weltman

Warby Parker focuses on customer satisfaction with "slow selling"  Inc.com (1/19)

6 tips for getting what you want with a quick call (BothSidesOfTheTable.com)

7 tips for kicking your marketing into gear (Entrepreneur.com)

How well do you know your niche? (BNET)

How to impress -- or depress -- an investor with your pitch (StartupCFO.ca (Canada))

Are you ready for the hard part? (Seth Godin's Blog)

20 thoughts on the origin of ideas
Ideas come from books, from nature and from trouble, but they don't come from watching TV, Seth Godin writes. He adds that ideas are unpredictable: They come when the mind is alert enough to notice things, but also "when we're asleep and too numb to be afraid." Seth Godin's Blog (11/24)

Find out if your social media efforts are paying off
Online tools can give us a massive amount of data about social media and other online marketing, but the hard part is gaining practical insights from that data. The first step is to identify your goals, writes Shashi Bellamkonda, who lists 20 measurement tools and gives tips for presenting the data. Small Business Trends (1/10)

Lawmaker wants to hear which rules are hurting business
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., sent a letter to 150 big businesses and trade groups asking for input on which of the regulations passed by the Obama administration are hurting business the most. While Issa's focus is on big business, Carol Tice urges small businesses to respond as well. "Just because you didn't get a letter, doesn't mean you can't drop him a line." Entrepreneur.com/Daily Dose blog (1/5)

Is your Web address in these 16 important places?
While your website's URL should obviously be on business cards and company stationery, it should also be included in all your advertising and on your address stamps for old-fashioned snail mail, writes Jim Smith. He also recommends displaying your web address on all your signage and product packaging. YChange.com (1/5)

5 words you never want to hear from Google
Every webmaster's nightmare is to see the words "This site may be compromised" on the site's Google search results. Mikal Belicove provides steps to handle a hacked site quickly and efficiently, including how to quarantine the site and assess the damage. Entrepreneur.com/Daily Dose blog

How giving to others can help you get more customers
Charitable giving can be a great way for small businesses to support their community and score some positive marketing in the process -- if they can afford it, experts say. "I like to support a lot of nonprofits, but my goal is not to become one myself, so I have to be careful," said one small-business owner. This article gives tips on how to give wisely and how to get the most out of your charitable support. Los Angeles Times

Jiu-jitsu's lessons for business 12/10/10
Steve Strauss discusses the art of what he calls "business jiu-jitsu" -- recovering quickly from mistakes. He recounts the story of one business owner who after hearing from numerous irate customers after a steep price increase, rolled back the price and offered other products for free. She turned "a giant mistake into an opportunity to prove her true commitment to customers, show that she listened and even make a few sales in the process," Strauss wrote. AOL Small Business

4 reasons you need a website -- now 12/6/10
Technology and the Internet are having a profound effect on business, and companies that have a website report higher revenue and better customer service. So if your company still isn't online, it's time to get there, writes Francine Schill. The Web is a relatively cost-effective way for business owners to sell products via e-commerce and gain nationwide visibility, she explained. WomenEntrepreneur.com

The 4 ingredients of entrepreneurial happiness 11/30/10
Happiness isn't simply a matter of working for yourself or making lots of money, Alyson Shontell writes, citing a study by venture capitalist Anthony Tjan, who found that entrepreneurs are happiest when they take risks early, act rather than talk, maintain close relationships and learn continuously. The Business Insider

Dutch entrepreneurs pay the most 11/15/10
Think entrepreneurship is rough in the U.S.? Try Suriname, where the average time to jump through the bureaucratic hoops and launch a new business is almost two years, Jeff May writes. Other interesting tidbits: The Netherlands is the most expensive place to launch a startup, and Israel gives its entrepreneurs the most financial backing. The Wall Street Journal

Obama concedes mistakes on business policy 11/4/10
President Barack Obama said he could have done a better job balancing regulating businesses with helping them succeed and hire to get the economy moving. At a White House news conference the day after Democrats lost big in midterm elections, the president emphasized the importance of setting the right tone and helping businesses succeed and hire. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.)/The Associated Press

Twitter trumps journalists in reporting Qantas accident
After news outlets incorrectly reported that a Qantas jet had crashed near Singapore, passengers aboard the aircraft swiftly took to Twitter to report the true story: An engine had failed, and the huge aircraft had made a safe emergency landing. That's a reminder that it's through social-media networks, not conventional media, that companies should seek to correct rumors and control fast-breaking stories, writes Kevin May. "In a world often led by news reports emanating or spreading through social media, perhaps Qantas did not react as quickly as it could," he notes. TNooz.com

How to use social media to build buzz for a real-world event
Social-media tools can be the perfect accompaniment to a real-world event, writes Adam Helweh. The key is to make it easy for your attendees to talk to one another by creating event-specific Twitter hashtags and Foursquare locations, and to amplify the chatter using add-ons such as a projected Twitter feed, video-streaming tools and content-curating sites such as Storify, he notes. Social Media Explorer (11/4)

How to find people who can talk the talk
A successful word-of-mouth campaign depends on finding great talkers, writes Andy Sernovitz. High-quality talkers bring passion, credibility and, above all, a huge audience -- and while bloggers and well-known figures are an obvious place to start, marketers shouldn't stop there. "Think barbers, mechanics, business travelers and anyone else who talks to a lot of people all day," Sernovitz advises. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (11/4)

8 frequent entrepreneurial failures 11/3/10
Mistakes are common for first-time entrepreneurs who don't have experience to fall back on. Advice or mentoring from business owners who've been there is essential, writes Cathryn Atkinson, who also advocates doing extensive research and test-marketing new ideas or products. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

New York, California top the list of states with the worst tax climates 10/28/10
States with the best tax climate for businesses include Nevada, South Dakota, Alaska and Wyoming, according to the nonprofit Tax Foundation. New York, California, New Jersey and Connecticut have the worst tax climates, said the group, which advocates low tax rates with few deductions. Las Vegas Review-Journal

10 things your customers want 10/28/10
Going back to basics to provide excellent service is a great way to win customer loyalty and differentiate your business from the competition, writes Cheryl Hanna. Her tips: make the shopping experience easy, listen to customer complaints and don't take it personally. CustomerThink

Fear, uncertainty are pervasive as elections near 10/28/10
A far grimmer mood has gripped the country than the atmosphere of hope and change that swept Obama into office. The electorate is now angry and afraid, writes Dan Balz, and Republicans may ride those sentiments to victory next week. But dissatisfaction with Republicans is also high, and voters have disparate views of what needs to be done. The Washington Post (10/28)

Why new tax policies will be bad for small business 10/27/10
New and proposed tax policies will hurt the 75% of U.S. businesses that NFIB says are organized as pass-through entities. Businesses such as S Corporations, limited liability corporations and sole proprietorship in which the owners report profits and losses on their own tax returns could be affected by the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts as well as cap-and-trade legislation and health-care reform. This article profiles a restaurant owner who says his salary is $82,500 and has been since 1986. The income on his tax return represents "the productivity of a lot of companies and capital investment," he said. Fox Business

3 Web services to help support your business 10/26/2010
Andrew Lock describes three very different websites that can provide needed support for small businesses. The first is E-ssistance, which allows business owners to have an assistant for little office tasks such as transcription without paying for a full-time staff member. Lock's other go-to services include PrintingForLess, which provides full-service printing services that are fueled exclusively by wind power. Small Business Computing

5 brand ambassadors that put social media to good use
Brand ambassadors can be a good way for companies to put a human face on their products -- and social media is becoming an important part of that process, writes Stephanie Marcus. Old-media stalwarts such as the "Snapple Lady" are tweeting, while companies such as Wal-Mart, Microsoft and Coca-Cola have designed socially savvy brand-ambassador programs that rely heavily on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to connect with customers. Mashable (10/25)

Uncle Sam has 10,000 reasons for you to start a business this year 10/21/2010
If you have a great business idea but haven't gotten around to launching, now may be the time. For businesses started in 2010 -- and only in 2010 -- the IRS will allow you to deduct up to $10,000 in startup expenses. After Dec. 31, the maximum deduction will return to its normal level of $5,000. Bloomberg Businessweek

Business owners struggle with tax planning as uncertainty looms 10/20/2010
Political and economic uncertainties are making tax planning more difficult for small businesses. Many accountants expect taxes to go up next year, but where those increases will hit is less clear as Congress delays a vote on extending Bush-era tax cuts. Accountants interviewed by ABC News say proprietors should take steps that are good for their businesses rather than making decisions solely for tax reasons. They also give tips for hedging the uncertainty. ABC News/The Associated Press

6 ways to get your product into stores 10/20/2010
Read more at the following link: http://goo.gl/BCHE

5 ways to grow -- even when the economy doesn't 10/20/2010
The lackluster economy continues to take a toll on many small businesses, but owners should remember to make smart choices about money -- not stop spending entirely, writes Liz Lasater. She also emphasizes the importance of pursuing only the best customer prospects, building a strong team and being reliable. BusinessWeek.com/Today's Tip blog (10/20)

Andera's Battleplan: Adapt And Conquer - October 18, 2010 - Forbes.com Small Business: Charles Kroll reinvented his technology firm--twice. It was worth the pain.

Small Business Owners: Don't Succumb To Inaction - October 18, 2010 - Forbes.com Small Business: In this baffling economy business owners are uncertain of their next step. Here's some advice.

Startup.com: The Sequel - October 18, 2010 - Forbes.com Small Business: Kaleil Tuzman starred in a documentary about his dot-com company's demise. He's come a long way.