Writing for Business Owners

Two Decades of Insights (And Still Going)

Though we grew up poor, my dad bought us a typewriter and made us learn how to touch-type. He said we’d appreciate it someday in the future when everyone used computers. He wasn’t wrong.

I’ve written more than a hundred articles about business, marketing, branding, and design for publications like Inc. Magazine and others, as well as for my own various blogs and websites.

“James consistently amazes me with his insights on design, marketing, and business process.”
—Troy Busot (Founder & CEO, Athlinks)

Articles

Don’t Let Your Marketing Get Lost in the Numbers

Don’t Let Your Marketing Get Lost in the Numbers

Measuring marketing isn’t easy, and there are plenty of challenges you’ll face when attempting to measure the effectiveness of marketing strategies and tactics. Some of the biggest challenges include:The difficulty of isolating the impact of marketing efforts:...

When Does Skim Pricing Make Sense?

When Does Skim Pricing Make Sense?

Skim pricing is a pricing strategy in which a company sets a high initial price for a product or service, and then gradually lowers the price over time. This strategy is often used when introducing a new product or when there is a high level of demand for a product or...

Marketing Truths No One Will Admit

Marketing Truths No One Will Admit

In a recent thread on /r/marketing, the question was asked, "What is something no one in marketing will admit, but is definitely true?" While some of the answers in the thread were obviously snarky or pessimistic, there were also several answers that held a lot of...

The Product Design Pyramid

The Product Design Pyramid

If you make it to the top, you'll have one of the best and most delightful products in your market The product design and user experience design industries are full of vague phrases like "delightful experiences" without a lot of specifics about how to get there. Many...

You Know Your Core Values—Now What?

You Know Your Core Values—Now What?

So you’ve identified your core values and everyone’s excited about them. Now what?The powerful experience of identifying a company’s core values is too often followed by the unforgivable act of forgetting about them. People frankly just don’t know what to do with core...