Member Profile

Elaine Grant

Principal, Muddy Dog Media LLC
Strafford, NH, USA
Member Since: 09/15/2006
Status: Contributor
About Me:
I wear two hats! I'm a long-time business journalist -- a former editor at Inc. Magazine and a former producer of a National Public Radio talk show. I write Inc. Magazine's "Business for Sale" column. My work has appeared in The Boston Globe, Business Week, The Christian Science Monitor, and many national and trade magazines. I also run a full-service video production/post-production company, Muddy Dog Media, which specializes in documentary-style storytelling for nonprofits and businesses (especially socially responsible companies) throughout New England.

Industry: Other Services
Size of Business: 1 - 10 employees
Years in Business: none listed

Affiliations:
N.H. Creative Club, N.C. Center for Nonprofits

Business Interests:
startup, socially responsible business, entrepreneurship, marketing, media, video production, public relations

Total Guide Views

6 3 8 9
Overall Rating: N/A
Guides Written: 14
Comments Posted: 4
Comments Received: 0
Favorite Guides: 0

Guides I've Written

  1. Obtaining Agricultural Loans


    Here's a step-by-step plan for finding the financing you need
    Guide Rating: 9.0 out of 10. Saved by 0 people.
  2. Evaluating a Small Business for Sale


    Buying a business? Make sure you're striking a good deal
    Guide Rating: 7.3 out of 10. Saved by 0 people.
  3. Defining a Revenue Model for Your Business


    A solid revenue model is the foundation for a sustainable business
    Guide Rating: 8.0 out of 10. Saved by 1 person.
  4. Private Equity Offerings


    Raising capital can be a CEO's biggest challenge
    Guide Rating: 8.0 out of 10. Saved by 1 person.
  5. Becoming a Better Negotiator


    The trick to great negotiating is to make both parties happy
    Guide Rating: 8.0 out of 10. Saved by 1 person.
  6. How to Find a Sourcing Agent


    Find and manage an overseas factory with a good sourcing agent
    Guide Rating: 7.2 out of 10. Saved by 2 people.
  7. Open Book Management


    Share your financials with employees and grow your company faster
    Guide Rating: 7.0 out of 10. Saved by 2 people.
  8. Partnering with Another Small Business


    Partner with a complementary business and you both win
    Guide Rating: 7.1 out of 10. Saved by 0 people.
  9. Coping with Sudden Success


    How to make sure that overnight success makes, not breaks, your company
    Guide Rating: 7.0 out of 10. Saved by 0 people.
  10. Building a Nonprofit Board of Directors


    Increase your chances of success by recruiting and maintaining a great board
    Guide Rating: 9.0 out of 10. Saved by 0 people.
  11. Producing a Promotional Video


    The right video can give a big boost to your small business
    Guide Rating: 8.9 out of 10. Saved by 2 people.
  12. Calculating Your Advertising Budget


    Some great online tools can help you plan your advertising investment
    Guide Rating: 9.0 out of 10. Saved by 0 people.
  13. Web-Based Productivity Tools


    Using the right tools can add time to your day – and save your sanity
    Guide Rating: 9.0 out of 10. Saved by 1 person.
  14. Planning Your Web Site Content


    What will your Web site say? Here’s how to plan your content strategy
    Guide Rating: 9.3 out of 10. Saved by 1 person.

My Comments

  • Susan and Melissa, I couldn't agree with you more! It's a huge topic to cover -- after all, people have written books on it. As a long-time magazine editor, I've recently been asked to help organizations revamp their Web sites. While some approaches to editing are the same -- after all, good, clear copy is valuable no matter where it is -- much is different. I went searching for intro material that would help me get a handle on content strategy, and found it difficult to find a broad, simple overview in one place. Now that I've written the intro, I'd challenge Work.com to create a lot more guides that go into depth on each of the topics I've raised!
  • Linda, this is a very useful guide. I'm looking into affiliate programs and I'll make good use of all of the resources you highlight here. Thank you!
  • I appreciate your comments, Donna. Because video is gaining tremendously in popularity (I recently read that Web users are downloading between 7 and 8 billion videos a month, or 250 million a day) it's incumbent upon small businesses to at least consider how a video can help boost their business. But most companies don't have the expertise to create a video that will get them a return on their investment - and a poorly done video is worse than no video at all! So yes, you're right -- finding a good professional is critical.
  • Wow! Is this ever comprehensive...very useful overview and a terrific list of links.

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