Comments on: The FREE Economy Debate: Battle of the Gurus http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html Exploring the trends driving small business Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:39:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Using FREE As A Marketing Tool http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-675924 Using FREE As A Marketing Tool Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:27:39 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-675924 [...] where I find the biggest value. There are lots of links all over the Net, but here are just a few: Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Link 4 (a post in Wired that may have begun the whole thing) Link 5 (the Squidoo page [...] [...] where I find the biggest value. There are lots of links all over the Net, but here are just a few: Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Link 4 (a post in Wired that may have begun the whole thing) Link 5 (the Squidoo page [...]

]]> By: 'Free' models in education - 1 | Eduworlds.org http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-666850 'Free' models in education - 1 | Eduworlds.org Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:32:29 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-666850 [...] General interest aside, I picked it up by way of looking at possible future business models from an e-learning, language learning and general education standpoint. [...] General interest aside, I picked it up by way of looking at possible future business models from an e-learning, language learning and general education standpoint.

]]> By: TJ McCue http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-664092 TJ McCue Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:21:58 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-664092 Anita, Your post from last year answers many of the comments made in this one (some from me!). Here's a brief mention from that excellent post that inspired me last year and again now. Stay true to your cash flow! TJ p.s. Scroll down all the way in this comment to get to Skype post which illustrates a winning approach. From Anita's 2008 post: "Don't Confuse Marketing with Being in Business "Business owners intent on making their businesses viable and successful, know that at the end of the day more money has to come in than goes out. Entrepreneurs have known that since time immemorial — since the first entrepreneur caveman offered that "buy-one-woolly-mammoth-tusk-get one-free" offer and expected more sabre-tooth tiger pelts in return. "Wise business owners never forget that there's a price to be paid for every single thing a small business provides — if you want to stay in business and provide a living for yourself and your employees." Original found here: http://smallbiztrends.com/2008/07/free-economy-nothing-new-say-business-owners.html Plus this post on Skype really pulls together what Free can be... http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/04/skype-free-business-model-drives-revenue.html Anita,
Your post from last year answers many of the comments made in this one (some from me!). Here’s a brief mention from that excellent post that inspired me last year and again now. Stay true to your cash flow!
TJ
p.s. Scroll down all the way in this comment to get to Skype post which illustrates a winning approach.

From Anita’s 2008 post:
“Don’t Confuse Marketing with Being in Business

“Business owners intent on making their businesses viable and successful, know that at the end of the day more money has to come in than goes out. Entrepreneurs have known that since time immemorial — since the first entrepreneur caveman offered that “buy-one-woolly-mammoth-tusk-get one-free” offer and expected more sabre-tooth tiger pelts in return.

“Wise business owners never forget that there’s a price to be paid for every single thing a small business provides — if you want to stay in business and provide a living for yourself and your employees.”

Original found here:
http://smallbiztrends.com/2008/07/free-economy-nothing-new-say-business-owners.html

Plus this post on Skype really pulls together what Free can be…
http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/04/skype-free-business-model-drives-revenue.html

]]> By: Munir http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-663840 Munir Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:24:17 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-663840 Just cant stop my self to comment on your blog. Good post. Just cant stop my self to comment on your blog. Good post.

]]> By: Justin http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-663803 Justin Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:25:20 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-663803 Interesting concept. Great post. Interesting concept. Great post.

]]> By: TJ McCue http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-663549 TJ McCue Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:20:36 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-663549 Nothing is free, this appears to be true, in business anyway. But there are so many prime, useful, examples of how free drives business. I feel like many take issue with Anderson's book and concepts, but miss the point. The lower cost of goods made possible by various technologies and other innovations make it possible to do powerful things with lower risk. That's the point, i think. Zappos offers free shipping, both ways. Yes, it comes with a cost to them, but the new business and referrals they win is quantifiably (is that a word?) greater with the approach than without. Many web based services offer free trials. And some keep free subscription options because they know just a few premium subs pay the bills. Sweet Tea, just profiled in Inc. magazine, spends 8% of gross sales on Free tea samples and it is the biggest piece of their marketing budget. People simply want to try it, to taste it, to sample it. David Meerman Scott, of New Rules of PR, did some pretty amazing things with his book and free chapters. Drove more sales, drove speaking opps. http://davidmeermanscott.com/ Costco does it. Twitter does. Facebook does. The list goes on. No one, not even Anderson, says FREE forever is the model, just free for a while or for part of your biz. I don't understand why we are taking issue with free as a model, a strategy, an approach. It works. My opinion only: Not just here, but other places, people are getting lost in the semantics and missing the point. Lots of nimble, new, small, established companies are leveraging what Anderson is writing about. What I took from Anita's post here: Use the smart parts, delete the rest. Let's help one another use it for success. Nothing is free, this appears to be true, in business anyway. But there are so many prime, useful, examples of how free drives business. I feel like many take issue with Anderson’s book and concepts, but miss the point. The lower cost of goods made possible by various technologies and other innovations make it possible to do powerful things with lower risk. That’s the point, i think.

Zappos offers free shipping, both ways. Yes, it comes with a cost to them, but the new business and referrals they win is quantifiably (is that a word?) greater with the approach than without.

Many web based services offer free trials. And some keep free subscription options because they know just a few premium subs pay the bills.

Sweet Tea, just profiled in Inc. magazine, spends 8% of gross sales on Free tea samples and it is the biggest piece of their marketing budget. People simply want to try it, to taste it, to sample it.

David Meerman Scott, of New Rules of PR, did some pretty amazing things with his book and free chapters. Drove more sales, drove speaking opps. http://davidmeermanscott.com/

Costco does it. Twitter does. Facebook does. The list goes on. No one, not even Anderson, says FREE forever is the model, just free for a while or for part of your biz. I don’t understand why we are taking issue with free as a model, a strategy, an approach. It works.

My opinion only: Not just here, but other places, people are getting lost in the semantics and missing the point. Lots of nimble, new, small, established companies are leveraging what Anderson is writing about.

What I took from Anita’s post here: Use the smart parts, delete the rest. Let’s help one another use it for success.

]]> By: Kris Bovay http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-663535 Kris Bovay Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:24:05 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-663535 Well I suspect that nothing is really free and that Chris Anderson is really tapping into the psychology of using the word 'free' in his writings. Smart but is it real? Well I suspect that nothing is really free and that Chris Anderson is really tapping into the psychology of using the word ‘free’ in his writings. Smart but is it real?

]]> By: Joel Libava http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-663532 Joel Libava Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:01:59 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-663532 Anita, Is anyone who reads this starting to get resentful that they have to {If they choose} give away a lot of their own stuff for free? Isn't your expertise worth something? if everything is fro free, how do you compete/ Example; "My eBook is "freer" than yours? Sometimes this free stuff gets really old. A loss leader is fine, and giving away an occasional tidbit, or even an occasional bite-sized piece of material is fine too, but when does it stop? The Franchise King Joel Libava Anita,
Is anyone who reads this starting to get resentful that they have to {If they choose} give away a lot of their own stuff for free?

Isn’t your expertise worth something? if everything is fro free, how do you compete/

Example;

“My eBook is “freer” than yours?

Sometimes this free stuff gets really old.

A loss leader is fine, and giving away an occasional tidbit, or even an occasional bite-sized piece of material is fine too, but when does it stop?

The Franchise King
Joel Libava

]]> By: DR Wright http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-663508 DR Wright Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:01:43 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-663508 I am with Malcolm on this. Free is ok, however, only a client who has paid for something is a really qualified customer. The guys book tour was probably sponsored in order for him to offer the book free at a pdf. Also, he never offered the book free as a real book! Dr. Letitia Wright The Wright Place TV Show http://wrightplacetv.com www.twitter.com/drwright1 I am with Malcolm on this. Free is ok, however, only a client who has paid for something is a really qualified customer.
The guys book tour was probably sponsored in order for him to offer the book free at a pdf.

Also, he never offered the book free as a real book!

Dr. Letitia Wright
The Wright Place TV Show
http://wrightplacetv.com
http://www.twitter.com/drwright1

]]> By: Rose Anderson http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/the-free-economy-debate-battle-of-the-gurus.html#comment-663476 Rose Anderson Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:03:26 +0000 http://smallbiztrends.com/?p=15957#comment-663476 Thanks for the mention Susan. Thanks for the mention Susan.

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