The most famous poem written by British poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, about a sailor returned from a long journey to the South Pole who recounts his story to a passerby. In this lengthy poem, Coleridge employs special literary techniques, including personification and repetition in a [...]

In part one of his article, Stefan Wolpers provided a working definition of bootstrapping and outlined the secrets of succeeding as a bootstrapped startup. Here he goes into two of the most important: how to save money, and how to avoid spending money. Cash is king. This is a commonplace when bootstrapping, along with the the [...]

In the first two parts of his article on online payment methods for German startups, Martin Ott outlined basic requirements and discussed the most common payment methods. In the third and final part, he looks at the costs involved and the importance of data security. What costs can be expected? The costs involved when integrating [...]

A well-known Berlin business angel revealed the mindset of the investor community recently when he said “I only invest in web start-ups with at least one SEO specialist in the team.”  Very few web companies still function completely without traffic from Google et al. Indeed, SEO used in addition to SEM is the primary source [...]

When people who are fond of the web and its marketing possibilties try to convince traditional marketers of this fact, they often emphasise the new possibilities of tracking offered by the digital age. We know quite well what indicators and metrics are important. The biggest problem is, that we simply don’t look at them. We [...]

In the second part of my article, I will be helping you to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of some of the major payment methods available to online businesses. Invoice / Money Order Payment by invoice carries high risks for the retailer. First, there is the possibility of non-payment. Resulting costs for the merchant [...]

More and more corporations are entering the mobile app market. The trends are clear that corporations must find ways to go mobile with the explosion of the smartphone market, and with that, the mobile app market. In 2009, corporations that were in the app market were just trying to get their feet wet and find [...]

The annual exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London has long been an arena for artistic rivalry among Britain’s finest painters, and the exhibition of 1832 was no exception. Paintings executed by two of the United Kingdom’s most illustrious landscape artists – J.M.W. Turner and John Constable – were hung side by side [...]

Nicheworks are highly coveted or soon will be as no brand is an island. Attention and interests are focused within social streams and as individuals are empowered to define their online experiences, connecting the dots proves pivotal. If conversations are markets, nicheworks represent the glue that binds disparate conversational ecosystems. And through effective engagement, we [...]

In the book Engage!, I use music as a metaphor for the business approach necessary to execute socialised programs flawlessly. I suggest that today, many organisations approach new media with the style of jazz improvisationalists. They can jam independently and ogether, but often drift into wild, wonderful solos that may or may not lead the [...]

Hybrid Theory |ˈhīˌbrid thee-uh-ree |: The fusion of creative and communications, combining earned and paid media to enliven ideas, unite communities, amplify stories and spark desired outcomes. Business is experiencing an incredible transformation. In marketing, advertising, services, communications and all aspects of business there are great innovations going on, but vision isn’t solely responsible. Innovation [...]

I have been meaning to write this article for the past two months. Am I doing so now, at last, because I finally managed to find the time? Absolutely not. I am preoccupied with a book proposal I am preparing, a lecture to be presented at a conference overseas and a host of other less [...]