Open any book on do-it-yourself publicity written after 2004 and you'll see blogs mentioned as a key source of publicity right alongside more traditional sources such as TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines. The good news is that getting in touch with popular bloggers is a lot easier than contacting a reporter at a popular newspaper like The New York Times.

So how can an entrepreneur or small business like yourself get mentioned by some of the bloggers with tens of thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of readers?

I've tried waiting for them to discover me on their own...not so effective. Rather, you have to take action.

Here are two steps to follow in order to successfully contact the right bloggers with a compelling reason to mention you. The first step is making such a list and the second is reaching out to them.

Step #1: Choose Bloggers to Contact

Make a quick list of the blogs you visit or comment on and start there. Then add the blogs that cover topics in your industry (this might take a little research, like googling "concrete blogs" to find related sites or maybe an existing list of them). And yes, there are even blogs about concrete. And once you find one good blog, look at their "blog roll" (if they have one) to find other relevant blogs.

Then, think of any blogs that your customers would be following -- where it would make sense for your company or product to be mentioned. Now you have your contact list. You only need 20-30 to start.

If you're also going for search engine optimization benefits, you might take the Page Rank of the different blogs into account. But the main benefit of being mentioned is direct traffic -- people reading about you and then clicking a link to your website.

The next step is to get the contact information of the person with whom you want to get in touch on each blog. Usually, this will be the one blogger who does most of the writing as well as managing everything else. But the larger blogs often have several writers and a team, and you might have to figure out and contact one specific person.

Look on their website's "Contact Us" page and the writers' bio (or "About Me") page to gather their email address and phone numbers. Add this information to your list, which I suggest keeping in a simple spreadsheet.

Step #2: Reach Out With Your Story

Ideally, you can get in touch with the right person prior to pitching them a story idea. The easiest way to do this is to send them a simple email introducing yourself. In your email, you should tell/show them you follow their blog and are a fan. Also, you can and should comment from time to time on their blog. They may see and read your comments or even respond. Any rapport you can build with bloggers in advance of pitching them your idea is helpful.

But when the time comes to pitch your idea, email them something relevant to what their readers want and need.

You can't go wrong with stories or news that would "wow" readers. See what their more popular posts are and find an idea for a similar post that you could be mentioned in. Then email them your idea.

Bloggers often want fresh news to report-when a new startup has kicked off, received funding, launched a new product, or reached some growth milestone.

You can also try calling them on the phone and telling them your idea. Calling will also help you figure out the right person to contact, how to reach them, and also what types of stories they would be most interested in.

Another way to get noticed is when someone they like and trust contacts them about you. Who do you know that knows this blogger? Search the blogger on LinkedIn to see if you have any connections that could introduce or recommend you.

It doesn't take much time to make a list of 20 bloggers and send them all emails. Once you've reached out to all of them, you'll have relationships with them or at least understand how they work more clearly for your next approach.

Try this for yourself and note how many blogs mentioned you, who they were, and how many visitors or links you got to your website as a result. You might find it a much easier strategy than targeting reporters and traditional media journalists.

Suggested Resource: Getting bloggers to mention you is one way to get publicity for your company. There are many other ways too. Learn how to easily get tons of publicity for your business with Growthink's Publicity Playbook.

Speaking at events is a great way to generate quality leads and expand your business.

The truth is, you don't have to be a great orator or the next Tony Robbins, so long as you know what you're talking about (which you will), come across as credible, and most of all, interest the audience.

Below are some tips to help you find and speak at events to generate new business. But first, I'd like to reiterate why you should be speaking at events.

Why should I speak at events?

Event marketing is another marketing channel, or way to let people know what you do and how to contact you. And it's face-to-face; this can help get your message across more powerfully and position your business more credibly. With these barriers overcome in the listeners' minds, you'll find that the new inquiries you get are more qualified leads-which usually means more sales and the sales process comes together a lot more easily.

Make a short list of the local service organizations in your area-the local Chamber of Commerce, or organizations like Kiwanis and Rotary Club. Likewise, consider national organizations. Most importantly, choose organizations and groups whose members are target customers of yours.

Contact the organizations and ask how to get considered as a speaker for one of their regular events. Also, be sure to find out how much time you will be given to speak. After the event, count how many appointments you get and see for yourself if it was worth the time invested.

Ideally you can get a video made of you speaking at the event. If so, post that on your website and on social media sites. The video will give you more credibility and position you as an industry expert.

Who is my audience?

Once you know where you'll be speaking, you can find out more about the audience. What do they want to learn about? What do they believe they want and what are their needs?

Think of how these relate to what you do. What could you show them how to do that would help them get what they want? These could be tangible or psychological benefits.

Figure this out and you're on your way to preparing a simple speech.

What should I talk about?

Address what it is that your audience is looking for, and explain it in a way that they'll understand.

For example, let's say your company provides outsourced customer service. If so, you'd want an audience primarily comprised of business owners. A simple talk would be for you to give them 5-10 tips related to customer service. For each tip, you would include good and bad examples.

Importantly, in doing this you will naturally promote your company's service (as the "good" examples will be ones that your organization has done) without directly pitching the audience.

So, yes, you can get tons of leads from your speech without being "salesy."

Where do I get material?

This part is easier than you think. Once you choose the topic, try brainstorming everything you can think of that it entails. With our customer service example, you can discuss delivery & fulfillment, billing, refunds, returns & exchanges, technical support, customer phone support, etc.

The key is that you are an expert on your business, so the information is probably already in your head.

Overcoming fear of speaking at the event

If you have some time before the event, don't worry or rush too much to finish your speech. Rather, try keeping a journal for collecting ideas and tips to share along the way. Then, assemble them into an outline for your talk. You don't have to write it out word for word if you don't want to.

If someone called you on the phone and asked you a question, would you need a script? No, you'd just explain it to them as you naturally would. Half of public speaking is reframing the way you see the situation, so you can relax and communicate as you would with an old friend.

Practice giving your speech by yourself a few times so you can pause and think about how it sounded along the way. Maybe have someone else listen to you in order to give feedback.

But when the day comes, relax and remember to talk as if you're on the phone with a friend. You don't have to hold eye contact with anyone in the audience, and they'll forgive you for any blunders as long as you're sincere and interesting!

Public speaking and "event marketing" is a great channel to meet and secure new customers. So, take a minute now to find a relevant event at which you can speak. You'll be glad you did.

Suggested Resource: Doing public speaking is one of many ways you can increase your company's credibility and get new clients. There are many more other "publicity" methods that can help you get even more new customers. Learn how to easily get tons of publicity for your business with Growthink's Publicity Playbook.

Debt crises in Europe.

Medicare, education, and deficit crises at home.

Middle East crises for as far as the eye can see...

Things seem pretty bleak out there, don’t they?

And isn’t the tone of our civil discourse so polarized that not only do we have tough problems, but doesn’t it feel as if our ability to proactively address them is less than it has ever been?

But maybe we have met the enemy and it really is us.

Maybe we have let our “it bleeds, it leads” media - the drumbeat of negativity that we are subjected to on a daily basis - play havoc with our psyches.

Maybe we are putting so much emotional weight and heft into the things that are bad, the things that can go wrong, that it is crowding out the things that are positive, the things that can and are going so very right.

Maybe the statistical odds are actually overwhelmingly in favor of everything just getting better.

For all of us, our children, our grandchildren. 

As in more prosperity, better education, more safety from premature death and disease, and yes even more happiness. 

Maybe when we pull our heads up and look around, what we will see is that what we are really living in is a golden age of technology, of prosperity.

And of possibility.

Maybe optimism - as author Matt Ridley describes it – is really the intelligent, intellectual choice. 

Peter Diamandis in his outstanding book “Abundance” talks about the “rising 3 billion” - how between now and 2020 the number of people connected to the global Internet and productivity grid will rise from its current 2 billion to 5 billion.

And that as it does as opposed to this creating crisis, how it will lead to the greatest economic boom in the history of the world. 

A boom driven by innovation, by technologies with us now in dynamic new fields like cloud computing, robotics, 3D printing, synthetic biology, digital medicine, nanomaterials, and artificial intelligence.

So now this is exciting stuff, and I feel personally blessed that my professional life revolves around a company like Growthink with its so inspirational mission of helping entrepreneurs succeed. 

As, of course, it will be the entrepreneurs – working at companies large and small and ones yet to be even dreamed and conceived - that will drive and create this new boom and these new innovations.

But even more excitingly, is the age that we are moving into is one driven by a power greater than that of technology and entrepreneurship.

And that will be one driven by the power of comparison. 

As has been happening for the past 30 years, those individuals and locales and states and countries that “get it” - and let technology in, let entrepreneurship in, let freedom in, well they will continue to be the ones that get ahead and get richer and richer and dare I say happier and happier. 

And those that don’t get, well they will fall further behind.

And for the first time in human history, there are now billions of people the world around with this power of comparison - of trial and error, of split testing, of modeling and mimicking best practices.

The power of information and intelligence and an entrepreneurial spirit and an empowerment to do something about it.

And because of this power, yes the statistical odds are overwhelmingly in favor of things just getting far better than any of us even dare to dream.

In the United States, many entrepreneurs get SBA loans to start or grow their businesses. While these loans are issued by private banks, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) guarantees a percentage of each loan. What this means is that if you, the entrepreneur, default on the loan, the bank only loses a small percentage of the money it lent you (the U.S. government pays the rest).

Because of this guarantee program, it's much easier for entrepreneurs like you to get SBA loans -- as the bank doesn't need to bear all the risk themselves. Without the program, banks wouldn't make as many loans, and fewer businesses would get funding.

When small businesses grow, everybody wins! According to Karen Mills, current head of the SBA, its job is to make sure that small businesses have all the tools they need to grow, stimulate the economy, and create new jobs.

Small business funding challenges during the recession

But as you may have noticed, business owners are still having trouble getting access to capital, namely 1) Small dollar loans, and 2) Loans in the niche industries affected by recession, such as real estate, finance, etc.

If you think about it, most small businesses don't need $1 million or even $500,000, and wouldn't even know what to do with it all. In many cases, even $50,000 can go a long, long way towards boosting revenues (or even doubling them) if invested in more lead generation campaigns, building a sales team, etc.

The odds are you can suffice with a smaller loan amount. In the past this has been more difficult because banks are geared towards extending larger loans since they can earn more interest for the same amount of due diligence per loan.

What the SBA is doing for small businesses

The SBA recently launched two loan-guarantee revisions that simplify and streamline paperwork even more for banks and borrowers.

One of them, the Small Loan Advantage program, is off to a strong start. It allows banks to make loans at more affordable rates, and brings more opportunities to borrow smaller loan amounts, like $50,000 to $100,000 or even less....which is great if that's all you need!

Applying for a small SBA loan from banks

To take advantage of this for yourself, find out which local bank makes the most SBA loans. You can often find this information on the bank's website. Or you can visit the branch or call them. Ask them how many SBA loans they make and how often they fund loans in the dollar range of what you need.

Find the local bank that is most active in the SBA loan program and apply for a loan. If the bank says you're not ready for the loan, ask them why. Then figure out how to address the issue so you can go back later after resolving the concern.

The United States Small Business Administration wants you to succeed as an entrepreneur and business owner. Because when you do, you will create jobs and stimulate the economy. So consider SBA loans as a funding source; they might be just right for your business.

Suggested Resource: Want funding for your business? Then check out our Truth About Funding program to learn how you can access the 41 sources of funding available to entrepreneurs like you. Click here to learn more.

I wish I could just say that if you do X, Y & Z, you'll magically raise millions of dollars for your venture. But unfortunately, that's not how raising capital works.

One key reason for this is that most sources of money, like banks and institutional equity investors (defined as institutions like venture capital firms, private equity firms and corporations that invest), are essentially professional risk managers. That is, they successfully invest or lend money by managing the risk that the money will be repaid or not.

So, your job as the entrepreneur seeking capital is to reduce your investor or lender's risk.

For example, let's say that two entrepreneurs want to open a new restaurant. Which is the riskier investment?

• Entrepreneur A has put together a business plan for the new restaurant.

• Entrepreneur B has also put together a business plan for the restaurant...and he has also put together the menu, secured a deal for leasing space, received a detailed contract with a design/build firm, signed an employment agreement with the head chef, etc.

Clearly investing in Entrepreneur B is less risky, because Entrepreneur B has already has already accomplished some of his "risk mitigating milestones."

Establishing Your Risk Mitigating Milestones

A "risk mitigating milestone" is an event that when completed, makes your company more likely to succeed. For example, for a restaurant, some of the "risk mitigating milestones" would include:

• Finding the location
• Getting the permits and licenses
• Building out the restaurant
• Hiring and training the staff
• Opening the restaurant
• Reaching $20,000 in monthly sales
• Reaching $50,000 in monthly sales

As you can see, each time the restaurant achieves a milestone, the risk to the investor or lender decreases significantly. There are fewer things that can go wrong. And by the time the business reaches its last milestone, it has virtually no risk of failure.

To give you another example, for a new software company the risk mitigating milestones might be:

• Designing a prototype
• Getting successful beta testing results
• Getting the product to a point where it is market-ready
• Getting customers to purchase the product
• Securing distribution partnerships
• Reaching monthly revenue milestones

The key point when it comes to raising money is this: you generally do NOT raise ALL the money you need for your venture upfront. You merely raise enough money to achieve your initial milestones. Then, you raise more money later to accomplish more milestones.

Yes, you are always raising money to get your company to the next level. Even Fortune 100 companies do this - they raise money by issuing more stock in order to launch new initiatives. It's an ongoing process-not something you do just once.

Creating Your Milestone Chart & Funding Requirements

The key is to first create your detailed risk mitigating milestone chart. Not only is this helpful for funding, but it will serve as a great "To Do" list for you and make sure you continue to achieve goals each day, week and month that progress your business.

Shoot for listing approximately six big milestones to achieve in the next year, five milestones to achieve next year, and so on for up to 5 years (so include two milestones to achieve in year 5). And alongside the milestones, include the time (expected completion date) and the amount of funding you will need to attain them.

Example: Launch billboard marketing campaign over 6 months, spending $18,000

After you create your milestone chart, you need to prioritize. Determine the milestones that you absolutely must accomplish with the initial funding. Ideally, these milestones will get you to point where you are generating revenues. This is because the ability to generate revenues significantly reduces the risk of your venture; as it proves to lenders and investors that customers want what you are offering.

By setting up your milestones, you will figure out what you can accomplish for less money. And the fact is, the less money you need to raise, the easier it generally is to raise it (mainly because the easiest to raise money sources offer lower dollar amounts).

The other good news is that if you raise less money now, you will give up less equity and incur less debt, which will eventually lead to more dollars in your pocket.

Finally, when you eventually raise more money later (in a future funding round), because you have already achieved numerous milestones, you will raise it easier and secure better terms (e.g., higher valuation, lower interest rate, etc.).

It might surprise you what you can accomplish with less money! So write up your list of risk mitigating milestones and determine which must be done now and which can wait for later, focusing first on what is most likely to generate revenues.

Suggested Resource: Want funding for your business? Then check out our Truth About Funding program to learn how you can access the 41 sources of funding available to entrepreneurs like you. Click here to learn more.

Crowdfunding, or raising money from the Internet "crowd" has really taken off. Just a couple years ago there were only hundreds of companies who had raised Crowdfunding. Today we are in the tens of thousands.

Below is a brief overview of the many Crowdfunding platforms to consider.

The Largest Crowdfunding Sites:

Kickstarter.com is the largest site for funding projects, mostly creative projects. Having the largest network is nice, because the more people visiting the site, the more they have the chance to find you (as opposed to driving all of the traffic through your own efforts). The downside of Kickstarter is that not every project is accepted and they charge a success fee of 8% in the event you get funding. Also, if you raise fewer funds than you need, you don't receive any of it (but if you raise more than projected, you get the surplus).

Rockethub.com is primarily for funding creative projects. Their network is not as large as Kickstarter's, but still substantial. They accept more projects, and also have a success fee of 8%. I suggest scanning this site for similar projects to yours. Were they funded? How many days long was the funding period? Finding "comps" like yours can help you determine if you want to post your project here, on Kickstarter, or somewhere else.

GoFundMe.com has heavy traffic and is unique in that it doesn't charge a success fee if you get funded. They do charge a $9 fixed monthly fee, which is really minimal but still screens out less serious competitors and donors will take you more seriously. You can also raise money for anything here without an end date to the fundraising time frame you're given. While I have not used it myself, GoFundMe has gotten positive reviews on many blogs.

IndieGoGo caters to business owners-particularly artists and creative projects. You can make donations tax deductible here, which is fantastic because that's a deal breaker for some donors (and you don't want to have to form a non-profit yourself just to receive donations...or pay taxes on them!). Scroll through the different projects on this site to get an idea of how easy to use it is for visitors and entrepreneurs.

Rock The Post is similar to Kickstarter in a lot of ways. If you don't reach or surpass your funding goal you won't receive any of the funding. This is good for donors but can be frustrating for you. More uniquely, there are many other entrepreneurial members of their online community who can help you to brainstorm or even implement ideas. So think of it as a way to get connected to potential partners and support as well as funding.

Niche Crowdfunding Sites:

Localstake is a new site that is focused on helping local businesses get funding. This is a great idea, because most investors would rather help out someone local. One reason is that they benefit from helping their community become stronger, but also because they are more familiar with local concerns and feel like they can keep an eye on things (eating at your restaurant, etc.). My experience is the more tangible you can make your pitch and plans for those you approach, the more "for real" they perceive it to be.

FundaGeek is a site geared towards funding technology, invention, and education projects. Many college students and professors use it to advance their research and submit ideas for funding as an alternative to grants and give people more freedom and control over the project's purpose and implementation. I would definitely check this site out if you have a relevant project, as more donors here will be inclined to support your cause.

Appsfunder is the "kickstarter for mobile app design." On Appsfunder, you'll start by telling the story behind your idea, get funded by milestones as it's developed, and then launching it in the iTunes and Google Android markets.

Appsplit focuses on mobile, web, and desktop apps, and lets you hold "open" or "all-or-nothing" funding campaigns. The latter type are the same as with Kickstarter, but making your project "open" means that you receive the funds as they are donated, regardless of whether you reach your full projected funding goal or not. This is helpful because even some funds are better than none in some cases. If I were making an application, I'd definitely check out Appsplit and Appdfunder first.

Equity Based Crowdfunding Sites:

Once the SEC provides its rulings on how equity-based crowdfunding will work, we will see a crop of new equity-based crowdfunding sites. To date, several of these sites have already launched, but aren't fully functional. My favorite (because I know and like the people behind it among other reasons) is Crowdfunder.

Hopefully with this selection of sites available, you'll catch the vision of crowdfunding as well. It's no longer a question of "Should I?" -- now it's a matter of which site, for what, and when. Happy fundraising!

With the internet making several new forms of funding available to entrepreneurs who want to sidestep the hassles and qualification of getting bank financing, there's a little confusion about peer-to-peer lending sites and how they're different from crowdfunding.

I'm going to explain the difference, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Peer-to-Peer Lending

Peer-to-Peer (or P2P) Lending transactions occur between individuals without going through a bank or traditional intermediary. Without the middleman, borrowers can get better terms and access to more capital than before, and lenders can earn higher returns.
 
And as can be expected, there are several popular websites that connect borrowers and lenders directly, such as:

• Prosper.com
• LendingClub.com
• Zopa.com
• IOUCentral.com

The downside of P2P lending is that supposedly less than 10% of loans applied for on these sites get funded. And you have to pay back the loans.
 
Crowdfunding

With crowdfunding, you' can tap a lot more investors and raise unlimited amounts of money. And, you provide rewards for those who give you money rather than needing to repay a loan. And, your chances of raising crowdfunding are much higher than with P2P lending; statistics show that 50% of entrepreneurs who try to raise crowdfunding successfully do so.

With regards to rewards, with Crowdfunding you want to offer something to the people who help fund your project, such as future redemption of the product or service you are creating, discounts, prizes, gifts and bonuses.

A percentage of the money raised will in all likelihood come from friends, family, and people in your existing contacts. However, crowdfunding sites give you an organized and safe way to advertise the opportunity, and people can see the social proof of others getting on board and funding your project.

Examples of crowdfunding sites are:

• Kickstarter.com
• Rockethub.com
• IndieGogo.com

{Note: There is also a type of funding called "Micro-funding," which is a means of offering funds to impoverished people who don't have access to traditional forms of loans. These funding amounts are generally very small and are used by the recipients to launch personal businesses, such as sewing, trading, making crafts, and other manageable ventures where a little funding can go a long way for the person and their family.}

I prefer crowdfunding over Peer to Peer Lending because of the potential to raise more money through a larger group of people, and not having to pay the money back (nor interest). However, I like diversifying my funding, so you should also check out the peer-to-peer lending sites to decide if they're worth pursuing for your business.

Suggested Resource: Do you want Crowdfunding? If so, don't try to raise it from scratch -- the 14-step blueprint already exists. Get the Crowdfunding blueprint here.

The elephant in the room when it comes to entrepreneurship and small business is FAILURE.

The statistics are only debated to their degree but not their overall thrust - a very small percentage of businesses ever become meaningfully profitable and a smaller percentage still are ever sold for a meaningful price.

In other words, the vast majority of businesses - by objective, financial measures - fail.

Even worse, a lot of them fail badly - never achieving even one dollar in revenue and / or go so deeply in the hole that they have significant and negative financial spillover effects.

Like business and personal bankruptcies and investors losing all of their money. 

In a word, business failure is traumatic.

Now it is not the kind of trauma that survivors of war and natural disasters experience, but in the world of work it can be about as bad as it gets.

Yet Americans today are starting businesses at a greater rate than at any time in the last 15 years…3% of the U.S. adult population annually start one, and a multiple of that dream about doing so.

So what gives?

Well, there is the financial view, namely that the rewards of a business sale are so great and life-changing that having any probability of its occurrence make the grave financial risks of business - building more than worth taking.

But this at best only explains half of the story. 

No, there is something else going on here, and new research regarding of all things - Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, points to what it is.

Ground-breaking research - done by among others Dr. Richard Tedeschi of the University of North Carolina - shows that strong, negative experiences like war and natural disasters are NOT as scarring as once thought.

In fact, the exact opposite is true.

Statistically, most survivors of traumatic experiences - think prisoners-of-war and tsunami victims - come out of them stronger and on most measures, out-perform those in their peer groups unaffected by the awful events.

All I can say is wow.

Now everyday all of us should count our blessings dozens of times as “there but for fortune go I’ and offer nothing but great compassion and empathy for those suffering trauma, especially when it comes through no fault of their own.

But we also should take significant solace and inspiration from the rest of the story.

Life, as it does, goes on.

And according to the latest research, the old adage is true of that which does not kill you REALLY does make you stronger.

Now it would not be proper to equate a business failure with the physical and emotional traumas experienced by survivors of war and disaster, but entrepreneurs and executives can and should draw important wisdom from them.

Such as if you “fail” at this particular business, you won’t be broken and scarred forever.

And that professional and entrepreneurial growth is a participatory sport – learned only by doing and trying and striving and not by watching and fretting and waiting.

And then there are the related ideas of diversification and iteration. 

Such as, in business, it is almost always  far better to have four business “failures” and ONE success than it is to go zero for zero.

For the entrepreneur this does not necessarily mean running multiple businesses concurrently, but it does mean that the business strategy should be iterative and testing based.

Successful Internet companies get this intuitively - see Amazon and eBay and thousands of others - and you should too.

As for investors, they should take advantage of the incredible opportunity that the modern financial system offers to back multiple entrepreneurial companies, and not just one or a handful.

With the average return of the private equity investing asset class in some cases being over 27% annually (see research at Right Side Capital), the odds are strongly in your favor if you both invest right and diversify properly.

So entrepreneurs and investors get in the game!

Failure is no way near as bad as advertised and if approached with the right spirit and strategy, it can truly be the ultimate blessing in disguise.

Here's a recent development that is a great sign of things to come for entrepreneurs like you and me, who want to raise capital for growth and would consider crowdfunding as a source.

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (called the JOBS Act) was passed with support from Republicans and Democrats alike and signed by President Obama in April, 2012.

The JOBS Act makes equity-based crowdfunding much easier

What the JOBS Act does is make it possible to raise funds from investors and donors through certain crowdfunding sites in exchange for equity in your company, starting January 1st, 2013. This opens up more possibilities in equity funding without the tedious requirements to register your funding as a public offering with the SEC.

If you have tried to raise funds in the past by going the public offering route, you'll know that it's expensive. Being able to bypass all that is huge, especially if you are raising smaller amounts of funding that don't justify such expenses.

The passing of the JOBS Act also means you won't have to seek out accredited investors specifically (people with incomes of $200,000 or more, or a net worth of $1,000,000 or more-not including their residence). You can receive funds from people of all income ranges, which makes the pool of potential investors MUCH bigger.

Imagine how many regular folks are out there, who might want to reallocate some of the funds they already have invested in savings, stocks, mutual funds, or other investments that aren't paying so well at present. In the future, funding other businesses might be a much more common way to diversify your capital-that anyone can do and not just accredited investors. Even you!

But there are going to be conditions set by the SEC which they will also make clear by January 1st. As of now, we know that there will be some kind of yearly maximum dollar amount that one person can invest in this kind of opportunity. It will depend on their income and net worth. Stay tuned to see the other conditions as they are announced.

How can you prepare for this?

If you want to raise equity capital in 2013 and would consider announcing it through crowdfunding sites, here's a quick list of things you can do in the meantime to be ready when the time comes:

Broaden your network

One advantage crowdfunding sites offer you is having access to more investors and donors than there already are in your personal network. The sites generate their own traffic, and a percentage will come across your project online by searching or stumbling across it.

As it turns out, enough projects have been successfully funded (using the donation-based Crowdfunding model, not the equity-based Crowdfunding model that will go live on January 1st 2013) for experts to be able to look back and say that your project is much more likely to be successful if the first quarter to third of the funding comes from your existing network first. Reason being, they are the ones most likely to believe in and trust you already, and strangers want to see some social proof and credibility in advance before they jump on board.

Deepen your relationships

Do this for the same reason I mentioned above-to get the ball rolling on your funding from your existing contacts. So in the months between now and 2013, you should be out seeking new relationships and strengthening the ones you have-specifically with those who are more likely candidates for funding you, or those who are in a position to spread the word for you.

You don't even have to mention funding during this time. Just spend the time necessary to confirm that they have the means and would be interested in your project, while at the same time showing your willingness to serve them and build trust and experience together.

If you're already in business, keep growing it

As with any kind of funding, you will be in a much stronger position to ask for funds if you can demonstrate success in the past. You will have more data available to work into your plan and forecast. And, people want prefer to invest in something that looks like a sure thing-with the least uncertainty. So keep doing what you're doing and you'll be able to show prospective investors 2012's financial statement and smile.

Work on your business plan

Also, as always, have a solid plan for how much funding you need, how you will spend it, and what effects it will have on your operations and revenues. People want to lend to someone who has thought things through and looks less likely to run into unforeseen problems-especially strangers online! Remember that.

It will also take some time to craft your presentation and pitch. If you plan on using a slideshow or video of some kind (or even just writing it out on your project's page), it will take some time to put that together in advance. But, it's something you can be doing now.

So there it is...equity-based crowdfunding is one more way to get the funds you need to launch or grow your business. Stay tuned to the developments (you'll hear them from me) and prepare for funding like you normally would. This  might just be the key to your company's growth!

Suggested Resource: Do you want Crowdfunding? If so, don't try to raise it from scratch -- the 14-step blueprint already exists. Get the Crowdfunding blueprint here.

Smart marketers know that as much as 80% of their revenues come from repeat customers. Once you transform someone from prospect to customer and then give them a great experience, your next sale to that customer will be much easier. In fact, oftentimes the next sale will be initiated by the customer without any effort on your part.

So the best way to get more sales from repeat customers is...make more sales to first-time customers!

For instance, if your initial sale to a customer is $40, but the average customer will purchase four more times within the first year, then a new customer is actually worth $200 in the first year. Much more than the initial $40! So, clearly, you want to attract as many new customers as possible (and take care of them so they keep purchasing from you).

To help you do this, below are three tips for attracting first-time customers. Since it's the most important sale you'll make, it pays to make your offer truly attention-getting and irresistible.

First-Time Customer Strategy #1: Give Them a Deal

Some companies go as far as to lose money on their first sale (known as a loss-leader), knowing they'll make it back with an immediate upsell, monthly service, or future sales. Your goal is NOT to make as much money as you can on the first sale. It's to make a first sale!

But of course, it's better if the first sale naturally leads to selling your next item or service. For example, I know a pressure washing company who will clean your house's exterior at cost the first time. But then it upsells 80% of these customers to their "twice yearly" plan -- this is where it derives tons of profits.

Restaurants offer specials, phone companies offer you deals if you switch providers, etc. -- you know the drill. Give customers a powerful offer to which it's hard to say no, either in the form of a low price or incredible value for their money.

You see coupon offers and deal-of-the-day sites like Groupon offering $20 massages and other great deals all the time. This works in getting tons of new customers, but be careful. A lot of businesses have reported "The Groupon Effect," in which they will post a special, get a herd of penny-pinchers in the door that take advantage of the offer and then disappear to find the next deal at whoever's cheapest tomorrow. In other words, it can attract the wrong crowd and may not produce repeat business-which is the whole point of making a first sale.

So use these special offers carefully. One idea is to use direct mail. Doing so allows you to target the specific customers you want with your special offer.

First-Time Customer Strategy #2: Give Them an Experience

Think about how much money people spend on vacations, sports, dining, and entertainment. What do these all have in common? They're experiences that people want and are willing to pay for.

You can try positioning your service as a personal experience. It's one thing to offer a massage, it's another to offer a "spa experience" with music, lights, nails, and a free facial.

You can also plan and conduct group experiences like luncheons, parties, open houses, or tours. Or find a way to piggyback on existing events going on in your community, like parades, festivals, expos, etc.

These will take a little creativity, but remember that people are naturally drawn to fun times. Make it memorable and do it a few times per year.

Look to Zappos.com as inspiration. Even though it sells a commodity (shoes), it provides a great experience through exceptional customer service. For many other businesses, providing a great experience is much easier than this.

First-Time Customer Strategy #3: Give Them Information

Every business needs to educate its customers, whether you charge for that education or not. I love it when my mechanic, Vinny, explains to me my car's problem, what caused it, how to fix it, and what it will cost. Sometimes we even go through options together, and I couldn't make a decision on the right one without getting the facts first.

Providing education demonstrates that you're an expert, increases your trust, and gives you higher credibility in the customers' mind. It also gives you an easy segue into showing the benefits of what you're offering and how it will help.

Some lead generation methods tie in very well with education. For example, if you're trying to get blog posts ranked in the search engines, you'll need to write articles on topics of interest to your readers-like how to do something, the pros and cons of different products, etc. These posts will show your expertise and educate the reader.

You can do the same with videos. Simple, informative videos can get the attention of prospects and warm them up before contacting you. End each video with a special offer or a "call to action" that encourages the prospect to contact you.

To reiterate, consider how you can give first-time customers a deal, an experience, or the information they want/need. Use this to gain your first sales. Once you do, make sure you deliver quality, and then you'll be on track towards generating more repeat business than you can handle!

Suggested Resource: Growthink's Ultimate Marketing Plan Template allows you to expertly create your marketing plan. This marketing plan will give you multiple proven strategies for attracting new customers, show you how to overcome customer objections, and dramatically boost your sales and profits. Click here to learn more.