Author Archives: John A. Lizotte


About John A. Lizotte

I'm a Small Business Marketing and Development Consultant. I help small business owners and home office professionals start or grow their business by educating them on how they can differentiate themselves and the way they do business.

4 Magic Words: How Can I help?

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Most of us have heard those four magic words:  How can I help?

We’ve probably all read about them in terms of customer service.  They also apply in our personal lives, too.  How cool is it when you’re talking with friends or meeting someone for dinner to discuss your latest idea, and at the end of the conversation, they ask how they can help you make it happen?

Now it’s my turn to ask:  How can I help?  I spent 2010 putting up some great content that I felt you needed to know; content I thought would help you be more informed and a better business person.  I had an incredible year, and I’m very thankful for that.  I made great progress in more areas than I could have imagined, both personal and professional. 

That got me thinking…it’s time to give something back.  It’s time to find out what you want to know, not what I think you need to know.  I want to make 2011 the year we all become masters of our own universes.  

Read more... (362 words, 1 image, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

Are You Budgeting for 2011?

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I hope 2010 was a financial success for you!  If it wasn’t, what steps are you taking to improve your chances in 2011?

During the past year, my wife and I started using You Need A Budget to track our finances.  It has really helped us to stay focused on where our money is going, and I have to admit, we’ve made some serious progress!

YNAB works on four fundamental principles:

  1. Give every dollar a job
  2. Save for a rainy day
  3. Roll with the punches
  4. Live on last month’s income.

Ynab has several features that make it noteworthy.  Not only can you import your household bank or credit card transactions to more easily categorize them, but it also has a set of accounts designed for small businesses.  If you’re a small office or home-based professional, you might want to check it out.  

Read more... (310 words, 1 image, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

SBA Unveils New Website and Launches SBA Direct

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WASHINGTON – As part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s mission to ensure that small business owners and entrepreneurs have access to accurate, timely and helpful information, SBA Administrator Karen Mills today unveiled a newly re-designed SBA website. The new site also features the launch of SBA Direct, a dynamic new web tool with a variety of personalization features that will help small businesses start-up, succeed and grow.

“With the launch of the new SBA.gov, we have reached a significant milestone in how the agency has evolved in using interactive web tools, social media and blogs to engage with, and better meet the needs of small business owners,” said SBA Administrator, Karen Mills. “While the SBA website has traditionally been an information-rich site, we wanted to make it easier for small business owners to navigate. With the new improved SBA.gov, business owners can access the answers they need, specific to their business profile, in an instant – it truly presents the face of the future of SBA.”  

Read more... (621 words, 1 image, estimated 2:29 mins reading time)

Discounted Web Hosting with DreamHost

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Are you thinking about starting your online business in 2011?  Are you looking for web hosting?  As my way of saying thank you to my readers, and in trying to start 2011 off in the right direction, I’ve worked with DreamHost to set up a couple of discounts for you.  Take your choice of a free extra domain name registration, a free month, or two free months by using these coupon codes:

  • For a free extra domain name registration, use coupon code:     DoinkDomain2011
    (I’ve arranged for you to save $9.95)
  • For a free month when you sign up for one year, use code:        DoinkFree2011
    (I’ve arranged for you to save $9.95)
  • For two free months on any two-year plan, use code:                  DoinkFree2011
    (I’ve arranged for you to save $17.90)
  • Or just keep it simple, save $20 on any signup:                    DoinkSave20

DreamHost offers some great features like unlimited disk storage, unlimited domains, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited email/users, one-click software installations,  and more.  Check out everything they offer here.  Pricing starts at $8.95 per month before any discounts.  Using the coupon codes above lowers the pricing even more.  

Read more... (339 words, 1 image, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)