Drew Schiller

From the category archives:

Business

Five Ways To Make Sure You Accomplish Your Goals in 2010

January 4, 2010

Break it down — You’re not a super hero, but if you’re like me, your task list sure makes you look like one. Do yourself a favor and break down your goals into easily manageable chunks. Trust me, if you accomplish small objectives each day, you will reach that all-important, capital “G” Goal much quicker [...]

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Marketing the Marketer

December 31, 2009

Every artist, designer, writer, marketer, and small business owner will tell you that promoting themselves is the most challenging task they will ever undertake. There is just something incredibly terrifying about labeling yourself for the world. “But that’s not all I am,” your creative mind thinks while trying to distill your life’s work into five [...]

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The Fact That You Own a Business Does Not Make You an Entrepreneur

December 21, 2009

Entrepreneurship is not necessarily business ownership, and business owners are not necessarily entrepreneurs. Last week, a fellow small business owner said to me that we, meaning small business owners, are all entrepreneurs. This struck me as very interesting, because I don’t see this person as an entrepreneur, and I don’t believe most small business owners [...]

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The New Biz

October 14, 2009

Many of you know that Crystal and I have recently started a business in our spare time (ha!), Gluten Free Basics, LLC. Crystal has been diagnosed with celiac disease for the last two years, and we started the business to provide educational and coaching products for people who must follow a strict gluten-free diet. The [...]

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Gain Perspective On Business and Life By Taking a Hiatus

September 1, 2009

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t posted in a couple of months. In late June, I began to feel like the direction my business was taking was moving against my grain. Owning a business that fulfills me personally as well as financially is critical to how [...]

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Advice: Consider the Source

July 1, 2009

I was speaking with someone last week who is starting her first business, and predictably she was a little overwhelmed by how many things she had to do. As we were talking, she said things like, “I heard that I should do this,” or, “So-and-so recommended that.” She was also actively looking for validation and [...]

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Treat Customers Like Customers

June 29, 2009

We’ve all seen the commercials and heard the radio advertisements: At Bob’s Concrete and Lumber, we treat our customers like family. Wrong! Treating customers like family is a nice sentiment, but it doesn’t work in practice. This idea probably comes from the “family first” mantra we’re all familiar with, but let’s be honest, when things [...]

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Good To Bad To Great

June 9, 2009

I held a small branding workshop last month at a local golf clubhouse that is managed by the Coralville Marriott. Working with the Marriott staff to coordinate everything was simple, and the space was perfect (nice facilities beautiful scenery). That was the good. Then last week I received a charge for the space that was [...]

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Don’t Be A Dime A Dozen

June 8, 2009

Answer this question: What business are you in? If you answered with the type of product you sell (i.e., “I’m in construction”), you’re wrong. Products are commodities, and companies that focus only on the products are a dime a dozen. Companies that focus on the service they deliver have the opportunity to create uncontested market [...]

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Break The Rules And Be More Approachable

June 3, 2009

I’ve had my pair of Vibram FiveFingers Classics for a few days now, and I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had because of these shoes alone. I’ll be the first to admit that these shoes are different—but not too different. They are just different enough to make me seem more approachable and give [...]

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