It is a horrible feeling, your Google alert hits your inbox and there it is, the dreaded one-star review from a client.  Like it or not, reviews are here and not going anywhere anytime soon. Ignore them at your peril. But since you cannot do much about them, why not use them to your advantage.

First, let’s get this out of the way. If it is a legitimate and reasonable bad review, do what you can to make it right. Sometimes things go south. Sometimes we all make mistakes. Own them and move on.

But in every case, as a business owner you must reply. Reviews pack a huge punch with consumers, and we all look at them to assist us in our purchasing decisions and we…

The word "craft" is a wonderful word. Both a noun and a verb, "craft" denotes expertise, intelligence, intuition and skill. A craft is more than a hobby, more than a pastime. When you craft an answer, you work it, paying attention to details, to the magic that is in the turns and twists in the subtleties of language and insight. A craftsman is devoted to a chosen trade and practitioners of a craft are both learned and wise in application of their practice.

Not everyone will be a craftsman. Not everyone has the passion for their trade; and when craftsmanship shades into artistry, when it merges with design, we call it genius. Craftsmanship denotes a learned skill, one that takes time, patience, study and apprenticeship -…

I do not see what all the fuss is all about. Who said that building a business had to be difficult? Certainly not me. Like everything worth pursuing, it is the fundamentals along with the basics that will get you to where you are trying to go.

In an attempt to simplify your journey, I’ve outlined five steps that will have you feeling like a pro in very short order. The work stems from the concept of “consistency,” and not from tedious and laborious “work.”

Let’s break this thing down to its component…