Appealing visuals (images and videos) are among the most effective ways to increase user engagement, market a business, or increase sales. That’s why social media sites are extensively used by businesses and brands in digital marketing strategies. As far as images and videos go, Instagram tends to be a more effective marketing tool for a good reason. It is one of the best visual-based social media … [Read more...]

John and I have been busy running a chain of cell phone repair shops for the last 5+ years. During that time, we’ve developed relationships with companies and people in China who supply us with many of our parts and accessories for our stores. Coming out of Chinese New Year, it was clear from every message we were getting from China that things weren’t normal over there. Factories … [Read more...]

You may have wondered why I haven’t blogged in so long–until this week! The answer is pretty simple: 1Up Repairs exceeded all our expectations in terms of revenue and growth, and between that and learning how to be Mackenzie’s mom, I didn’t have time to really type out a blog post. We were running full-speed ahead just trying to keep up with unprecedented growth. To give … [Read more...]

Many people make to-do lists or apps into a complicated slog. They write long blog posts or videos with detailed guides on setting up to-dos. This isn’t that. I find I end up not using complicated to-do lists or apps. I need to keep it simple–the simpler, the better. I also needed a weekly to-do list that was accessible anywhere I go. I always have my phone with me, so I wanted … [Read more...]

I launched erica.biz on December 4, 2007. This week, I’m celebrating 6 years of blogging here. Wow! It’s been just over 6 years since I sold my last company, as well, and I’m amazed at how much I’ve grown. This week, I figured I’d do something special, and share some of the deep, heartfelt lessons I’ve learned in the past 6 years. Some of these were tough for me … [Read more...]

I often get asked what you might think is a simple question: “What kind of business should I start?” For the first time in many years, I find myself in the same boat as the folks who ask me that question. I (surprisingly) don’t have a concrete answer to this question for myself right now–but, as I’ll show you in this post, I have a way to figure it out. After I sold … [Read more...]

It’s week 2 of my adventure in 2015 to start a business. I started out last week not knowing what kind of business I wanted to start. This week, I’m taking an introspective look at another common issue people have when they want to start a business–and one that plagues me as well! It’s all about the feeling of not having enough time to start a business. Technically, I work … [Read more...]

I haven’t posted in a few weeks, though, as you’re about to find out, I have a really good reason for that! Also in this post, I share with you a (somewhat embarrassing) story about how I figured out what I really wanted to do most in my life. My boyfriend, John, owns a retail store called 1Up Repairs. He fixes cell phones, Xboxes, PS3s, and computers for a living. I’ve been … [Read more...]