Are you tired of wondering whether or not your project and/or business idea actually has some merit? Everyday people have revolutionary ideas for products or services that could change the way people work or travel, but unfortunately they get intimidated by the competition, or they assume that their idea has already been done by someone else. There are ways for evaluating the viability of an idea before you waste all your resources – so don’t get caught crossing centre ice with your head down!

Creative Strategy Survey Tool – Use this tool to communicate with your in-house or creative agency partners. Questions are focused around: project definition, audience, competitors & peer organizations, goals, identity & branding, communications, about the company, aesthetic, web specific, and brand dichotomies.

There is no doubt; conducting SEO (search engine optimization) on your website is a constant battle. What makes SEO so difficult is that without the proper training, and without the right weapons in your arsenal, you can easily do more damage to your site than good.

The best way to ensure that you’re up to the challenge of optimizing your website is to be adequately prepared. Watch this video to gain a better understand of SEO and learn a few free tips from SEOmoz CEO & Co-Founder Rand Fishkin (the Wizard of Moz).

Social Media Channel Prioritization Tool - Use this tool to evaluate your Social Media initiatives based on their strategic fit, impact, and feasibility. Once you have ranked each project, view the bubble matrix chart and communicate the findings of your analysis.

Sales Operations Prioritization Tool - Use this tool to evaluate your sales operations initiatives based on their strategic fit, economic impact, and feasibility. Once you have ranked each project, view the bubble matrix chart and communicate the findings of your analysis.

Starting a business in these tough economic times can be a frightening prospect for even the most seasoned entrepreneur. There are no guarantees that investors or the public will be as enthusiastic about your idea as you are, and even if you make it to market, there are no guarantees that your product will sell well enough to make a profit. Many would-be entrepreneurs get discouraged by all the unknown factors, and simply let their idea wither away without becoming a reality.

There is no doubt, SEO is the most effective online search tactic and it has also become the most frequently used as well. That said, despite their competitors best efforts Google is still number one when it comes to online search.

Lee Odden, CEO of Top Rank Online Marketing, recently conducted a one hour class entitled, “Inbound Crash Course to get Found” for Hubspot’s Inbound Marketing University. If you haven’t already seen Lee’s presentation it’s definitely worth taking a look!

Have you been operating your business for years with moderate success, but feel like the momentum behind your current product line is dwindling? Are members of your team eager to start working on the next product that you’ll bring to the public, but you’re not sure if your company is really ready? Heading in a new direction is just as difficult for existing companies as it is for first-time entrepreneurs, so it’s important to keep these guidelines in mind when planning a change.