Q: Just What is BenjaminWarsinske.com?

A: BenjaminWarsinske.com is my main home on the internet. While I have some personal blog posts, the blog is focused on providing high quality, unique, and informative information on business development, branding and identity pertaining to the service industry.

Q: Why Should I Read Your Blog?

A: It is a unique perspective on how to think about doing business in the service industry. Of all the books, blogs, business coaches, and consultants out there, I have never come across an information resource focusing on the service industry. This is the gap that I am filling. The service industry makes up over 50% of businesses in America and the cost to entry can be very low- however many of these companies struggle to build a strong, solid foundation that will keep the company going beyond the owner’s own career. Read more on BenjaminWarsinske.com.

Q; How Can I Subscribe To Your Blog?

A: Great question! Here is all the information you need to subscribe to my blog, follow me on twitter, or subscribe by email.

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Go to BenjaminWarsinske.com to subscribe to my Blog by email. You can also get SMS Txt Updates by simply entering in your phone number. Enjoy!

I was really hoping the Cougars could pull off a victory and start their winning streak in the Pac-10. They have two more games in Pullman, Washington- playing California on Thursday and Stanford on Saturday. Hopefully those games will go better. 

Here is what Head Coach Tony Bennett had to say about the game, according to the press release found here. 

“Whether it’s at the end of the game or the start of the second half, when those bad stretches come, it’s kind of like when it rains it pours. A lot of things go wrong, it isn’t just a quick shot or a missed shot or a turnover, offensive rebounds. That’s tough that we’re not capable of sometimes withstanding those kinds of runs when teams put them against us. That’s hard, that was frustrating.”

Let’s hope the Cougars can come out on top in the next two games. 

As always, Go Cougs!

Heard of AlphaInventions?

The web has become increasingly easier to create and publish websites. And this is a great thing. However, having a website is good, but if no one comes to visit, then what is the point?

I have been studying and researching how to gain traffic and readership for the last year. But it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I stumbled onto alphainventions.com. I had never heard of it but the concept seems to be fairly straight forward.

The Concept

AlphaInventions is all about connecting bloggers to other bloggers in real-time. To do this, there is a cycle of 100 blogs. Anyone can add their blog to the cycle by entering in their website URL. However, when you enter your website, you will knock someone else out of the cycle. Having your website in this cycle will then bring traffic to your blog. The website even promises you that it will bring you traffic to your site soon.

Does it Deliver?

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. I mean it seems too good to be true. Enter in your website and sit back and watch the traffic come in. But since it was free, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it. So I did…

I was quite surprised by the results that I received. Within in an hour of submittig my blog to alphainventions, my traffic had gone from around 10 views for the day to nearly 60. That was pretty cool to see the graph for that day!

What Kind of Traffic Is It?

OK, so there are some good and bad to this site. While it is great that I can enter my blog onto the site for free and get traffic, my next question is, is it targeted traffic? Meaning, will it convert? This is still being tested, but so far it seems to be somewhat random traffic.

Any Traffic Is Good Traffic

Some people just want traffic. They will take any traffic. Maybe they like to see the graph shoot up for each day. Others are looking for more targeted traffic because they are looking to convert them into buyers and subscribers. This is the traffic that I am more interested in. And I would have to guess most other bloggers are as well.

My Final Verdict

So here is my final verdict: AlphaInventions absolutely delivers on its promise of delivering traffic to your blog quickly.  I will continue to submit my blog to alphainventions for the exposure, and any traffic is a bonus to me. I think the idea of the site is excellent and I hope it continues to grow as more people learn about it. However, I would like to be able to submit my blog to a category which would then send me targeted traffic matching that category. Maybe that can happen down the road…

For now, I think it is a great start and is another source for getting exposure and driving traffic to your blog.

• Book Reviews – I love to read and I love sharing what I have read and learned. I am working on a couple reviews right now on some great books so stay tuned.
• Traffic Tips – I have been pretty impressed with the traffic I have received to this blog so far for not promoting it too much yet. I have some great tips that will increase your traffic. Everyone can use more traffic, right?
• Branding & Identity – This is a subject that I have a huge passion for. I love every aspect of it and am excited to share my thoughts, ideas, and great books I have read.
• New Header – Speaking of branding and identity, I am working on a custom header to help brand this blog as me- Benjamin. Watch for it!

Side Note: The header I have uploaded may be temporary. Let me know your thoughts as I continue to tweak it!

So those are a few things I am currently working on. Lots more to come. I am looking forward to 2009 and all that it has to offer! What are your thoughts on this upcoming year? Leave me a comment and lemme know!

Update: Also, for those who notice that it says benjaminwarsinske.com…well that is correct. This blog will be moving shortly to my own domain for more control, flexibility, and for fun! Always good to keep learning new things!

Stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson from the movie "Marley & Me" (Photo by Troy Rizzo/Getty Images)

Over the holidays , I went with my family to see the movie Marley & Me, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. From the commercials, it seemed to be a happy comedy about a man and his best friend, a yellow lab named Marley. 

Well, that wasn’t all it was…

Based on the Book, Marley & Me

For those who don’t know the story, it was originally a book written by John Grogan-

Have you read this book yet?

who happens to be the name of the main character in the movie played by Owen Wilson. The story starts with a newly-wed couple  who decide to move from Michigan to south Florida in search of warmer weather and a new start on life. To avoid having a baby right away, John is convinced by his close friend Sebastian to get a dog instead. 

Throughout the next couple of years, Marley misbehaves chewing up furniture and getting kicked out of obedience school, as John and Jenny continue to build their careers. And then it happens- a miscarriage. This is where I’ll stop the story, as it gets pretty sad from here. 

For Those Who Want To See The Movie

I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it. While the story is pretty sad, I liked how Marly was a happy constant and true friend. To paraphrase what John thought about Marley:

A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, what kind of car you drive or if you have the latest designer jeans… Give him your heart and he’ll give you his. 

For more information on the movie, check out the official Marley& Me website. 

Where to See Marley & Me

Marley!

If you are like me, you may be looking for an app for your iPhone to find movies. I recently found Flixster for just this thing. Download it for free from the App Store on iTunes and let me know how it works for you!

Leave A Comment

Have you seen the movie or read the book? What did you think? Leave a comment and let me know!

Applying General Advice to Your Situation

Where Do You Get Your News?

With that being said, have you ever stopped and thought about some of that advice and then tried to apply it to your situation to see if it would work? My guess is that some of it may be applicable, yet the majority of it does not apply. That is because everyone’s situation is different, even if slightly, and therefore it is best to listen to multiple advisers in different expertise to help you create a decision that will fit your situation. 

Sometimes Doing the Opposite Works Best

While the media is telling people to stay out of the stock market, now may be the best time to buy. I am in no way stating that people should buy stock, but I am saying that for the investors who play the stock market, they are finding that the strong companies are now “on sale.” And when a stock is on sale, it means that you can buy more stock for your money.

Foreclosed Homes Can Be An Opportunity For the Right Individual or Couple

Real estate is another investment tool that the media is saying is time to get out. Yet, for real estate investors who rent property, they are seeing an opportunity to buy properties on sale at a time when renting is in demand, because of the rise of foreclosure and the credit crisis. 

While construction has slowed throughout the U.S., there are still smaller construction projects and residential homes being built. In certain markets, people are continuing to move to that area and so homes are in demand. A current trend that is happening throughout the world is high-density town-homes and condominiums that are more attainable than previously during the real estate boom. 

In both of these situations, the opposite advise may be the way to go. I have found by doing the opposite of what the media advises tends to work out better. However, everyone’s situation is different and therefore needs to be tailored to fit them best.

Best Advice

I can not give you the best advice. However, some of the best advice I have received is:

if you do not understand the investment vehicle, it is better to do nothing with your money than doing something you don’t understand.

I, personally, get advice from many different sources and then based on all of that information plus my own opinion, I can make a solid decision. I believe that no one individual can give you the best advice. It comes from studying, reading, and talking to people who are experts in their respected fields which will give you the background information on which you can then base your decision. An adviser is just that, someone who can give their opinion on the situation, but not someone who can decide for you. Only you know what is best for you. Think about that next time you watch the news and they bring on an expert to tell the masses what they should do.

Merry Christmas! 

Two years ago, it snowed and the power ended up going out. Hopefully the power will stay on this time. Here are a couple pictures to give you an idea of how much snow there is. 

No more lounging outside!

I can't believe the amount of snow there is!

That’s all for now. I will be posting a lot more soon. Stay tuned!

Warning

Again, I don’t want to make anyone nervous or create a panic. Take a look at the article and make your own conclusions. 

My Opinion

My outlook on the economy is brighter than the predictions in this article. While things are declining and the economies of the world are shrinking, there are more and more opportunities to take advantage of. There are companies right now that are having their best year. And there are individuals who are able to capitalize on the volatile stock market to make their fortune. It is all how you look at things. 

The article:

8 really, really scary predictions – Nouriel Roubini (1) – FORTUNE.