When Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google in 1995, they recognized that although existing search engines like Yahoo could help users find relevant websites, they couldn’t adequately determine which results were genuinely high quality. Page and Brin observed that academia already had a proxy for quality: citations. A citation shows that the original work…
The affordable fine jewelry movement is putting a stake in the sand. As ecommerce and the direct-to-consumer market booms, entrepreneurs are disrupting the old industry and rethinking what it means to sell, own, and buy fine jewelry. Ditching traditional high markups and stuffy showrooms, brands finally offer fine jewelry at accessible prices and normalize wearing…
When the US interstate highway system was created in the 1950s, billboards quickly became one of the hottest forms of advertisement of the era. They were strategically placed in high-traffic locations to capture the attention of potential customers and communicate their message quickly and effectively. With the advent of online marketing, Google Display Ads have…
Name: Matty Benedetto, founder and resident evil geniusBusiness: Unnecessary InventionsProducts: Inventions to solve problems that don’t existYear founded: 2019Based in: Burlington, Vermont What does a typical day look like for a self-described evil genius who spends his time creating unnecessary inventions? Matty Benedetto, who has dedicated tens of thousands of hours to solving problems that…
Think about a story you love—a documentary, a podcast episode, a novel. What about that story made it stay with you? Chances are it moved you to feel something. A brand story contains many of the same elements that draw you into your favorite book or film. And it’s a story that serves a similar…
You can improve your online sales by focusing on two key factors: increasing your website traffic and boosting your conversion rate. While many marketers prioritize website visitors (through social media or email marketing campaigns), the most effective way to drive sales is to grow the percentage of visitors that convert—your average conversion rate. Boosting your…
The current US labor market is among the most competitive in the country’s history. In January 2023, the US reported 25 consecutive months of job growth, and unemployment was the lowest since the 1960s. Although this boom in job growth was a boon for job seekers, this makes life harder for small business owners with…
An income statement is the financial story of your business—a monthly, quarterly, or annual tally of revenue minus expenses. It’s also called an earnings statement or a profit-and-loss statement. It answers the question, “How profitable is your business?” Yet it’s a mystery to many entrepreneurs, even as public companies must publish the details of their…
Reading regularly in adulthood helps you develop analytical skills, makes you a better communicator, stimulates the creative center of your brain, and strengthens your ability to recall information. Books can cheer you up when you’re feeling sad, motivate you to make improvements, and teach you new skills. Skills like these can benefit just about everyone,…
In the Success Stories section of the Ecwid blog, we get to publish the real-life stories of business owners who run their online stores with Ecwid by Lightspeed. You can meet fellow entrepreneurs and learn how to use Ecwid to make a thriving business.Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Abunaw. Liz founded Forty Acres Fresh Market on Chicago’s westside in 2018 because she saw how the lack of fresh food options in the area impeded…