My 11-year-old wants to earn money this summer. Preferably by babysitting. Since I want to encourage my budding businesswoman, we started by discussing our Target Market and the 4 Ps of Marketing: • Target Market:   4 neighbors with 3+ little kids who could likely use help • Product:   My daughter’s services (we’ll refer to her as E) as a babysitter or Mother’s helper. • Place: Within walking distance of our home. • Promotion:  We made a flier detailing her qualifications: o Completion of a babysitting course at the local community center o Straight A student o Safety Patrol during her 5th grade year o First-degree black belt o Completion of all Red Cross swimming courses o Good with kids and animals o Cute picture of my kid dressed appropriately and smiling—underlining the responsible and friendly aspects of her personality o We also rehearsed “the approach” aka introducing yourself, smiling, looking adults in the eye, and extending a hand for ...

It's Fourth of July week in the United States.  Independence Day, America Day, and the Fourth of July all celebrate American freedom.  The distant beat of John Philip Sousa's patriotic melodies mingles with the steel gray smoke of fireworks in the distance.  Friends and families gather at the local park, enduring the summer heat, grass stains, and mosquitoes. To steal a phrase from my pal, Tom; “That’s how we roll in America.  We’re celebrating Freedom and if you don’t like it-- tough.”   I would like to raise a discussion under this great backdrop of Freedom, Independence, and Liberty.    Electronic Privacy in the Sales Department It is well known that the government has easy access to our phone records and electronic data.  Deep within a top-secret vault in a nondescript suburb of Washington DC, they have our text messages, emails, and other information.  They can determine how much time you spend reading this blog and can also track your ...