Best Holiday Browser Theme Judging Underway by Brand Thunder

Image via Wikipedia

The deadline has closed for Best Holiday Browser Theme Contest. Thanks to all those that entered and good luck! It was a phenomenal list of entries and our judges are pouring over the submitted probably at the very moment you’re reading this.

The are some joyous and happy holiday Firefox themes and Internet Explorer themes. To get an idea of the range of themes available, visit our Gallery and search for Christmas or holiday.

So what’s next?

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Posted in News | Tags: christmas themes, firefox, Graphic Design, holiday themes, Interaction Design, Internet Explorer, IPad, LinkedIn, Twitter | 1 Comment »

10 Tools for Business Development and Relationship Management by Kevin Dwinnell

Image via CrunchBase

Patrick Murphy recently did a Brand Thunder interview with Shoestring Ventures, The Startup Bible Blog. One of their questions was “What other web-based products would you recommend to entrepreneurs, business owners or freelancers?” I realized the recommendations fell into categories discussed in our blog post about Sales Strategy: Browser Theme – Hunter vs. Farmer.

Given that start, here’s a short list of tools useful to that category of startup, small or medium business or freelancers. Tools to help you and your clients. Add your favorites in the comments.

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Posted in Commentary | Tags: browser theme, Customer relationship management, Google Alerts, Jigsaw, LinkedIn, marketing, Patrick Murphy, sales tool, Social network, Twitter | No Comments »

Start-ups and Entrepreneurs – Look Local to Grow Global by Kevin Dwinnell

My career experience is diverse, with a great deal of expertise in Internet marketing, commerce and product development. Branded browsers were a natural fit to my skill set. Nothing like joining a start up for the sudden exposure to the breadth of what is unknown or needs to be relearned.

Fortunately, the local community is flush with people who can help and there are organizations active in getting those people together. Through these connections the knowledge gaps have closed and the company’s reach has expanded. Columbus OH is a medium-sized city, so I’d be surprised if similar organizations don’t exist elsewhere. Here are the ones that have been most beneficial to me and to the company.

TechColumbus

An early supporter of Brand Thunder, TechColumbus has provided funding, leads, direction, guidance, media support, marketing support, lunch & learns, networking events, counsel and the list goes on. Find your local organization focused on launching and growing early-stage companies and join. There are a lot of benefits here.

Ohio TechAngels

Ohio TechAngels and TechColumbus. The two organizations remind me of a saying I heard while traveling overseas – “same, same but different.” The benefits are similar, but each organization is involved at different stages of the company’s evolution. Central Ohio is fortunate to have this asset.

Columbus State Community College – Small Business Development Centers

This CSCC program is a partnership between the college, the state’s development arm and the SBA. Not only did it offer free programs to solidify the business plan and our company foundation, it was the first to connect us to TechColumbus and which became our first source of funding. Find those free sources in your town.

TechLife Columbus

Hard to say if groups like TechLife exist everywhere. It started with a group of people that wanted to engage their community and connect the deep but dispersed tech community of central Ohio. The result has been an amazing birth of gatherings and events that are forging new relationships.

Meetup.com

Meetup.com is a great and free tool to either find groups near you or easily start your own. Explore it.

LinkedIn.com

Build your network and knowledge by joining some of LinkedIn’s groups. There’s more value here than just staying connected to your co-workers.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: brand thunder, Branded Browser, Business plan, custom browser, internet marketing, LinkedIn, New product development, Small business, techcolumbus | No Comments »