business buzz 1-8-10

A weekly round-up of craft, design, and business related news and links:

What every mass marketer needs to learn from Groucho Marx – you can’t change the market.

Product Design Piracy and the Product Bay – a look at how digital manufacturing could go hand and hand with design piracy (and which products are most likely to get ripped off).

In 2010, Your iPhone Could Be a Credit Card Reader – making accepting payments at craft shows easier than ever.

Why You Should be Writing for Free – an argument for why blogging for free can increase your exposure (and your sales).

And in case you need some help beefing up your blogging skills, Tara Gentile, editor of Scoutie Girl, has written a fantastic guide called 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion.  In 52 Weeks, Tara Gives you an overview of why you should blog, and then gives you some helpful tips on creating a blog that will engage your readers.  Finally, for those who suffer from writer’s block, Tara gives you one topic a week for 52 weeks to kick-start your writing.  For anyone trying to ramp up your blog in 2010, this is a must read. Click here to view more details.

PS. (The link to 52 Weeks is an affiliate link, which means you won’t pay more, but if you buy a copy, I’ll get a small percentage of the sale.  Just one way you can help support Crafting an MBA while growing your business.  Win-win.)