Don’t Accidentally Buy Stuff on Behalf of Your Customers

Today I went to add Ayn Rand: In Her Own Words to my DVD wish list on Amazon.com. A few minutes later I received an e-mail stating that my order was received and would be shipped soon. I did click ‘Wish List,’ didn’t I? How was I suddenly buying this DVD? Luckily, I caught this in time to canceled the order. No harm done.

But darn it, I was pretty sure I had clicked the ‘Add to Wish List’ button. On the other hand, I found it difficult to contemplate how Amazon could make an error like that. I figured it was user error, and I went back and retraced my steps to figure it out.  Here’s what I discovered: Continue reading

Lessons for Conan on TBS’s Lopez Cancellation

Conan O'BrienWhen Conan O’Brien moved to TBS after his Tonight Show gig was cancelled, he also pushed back George Lopez’s late night show an hour.  According to news reports at the time, this was done with the full blessing and possibly even the invitation of Lopez.

The obvious reasoning behind the move is that Conan would bring in a huge influx of new viewers to the network, and while Lopez would be on later, the carryover from the Conan boost would more than make up for it.

Unfortunately, that bet didn’t pay out. This week TBS announced they’ve canceled Lopez’s show, due to low ratings. And a recent article in Variety posed the question: Did Conan Undercut Lopez?  It’s an interesting analysis of the ratings and speculation as to the reasoning behind the move, and anyone interested in the matter should read it. Continue reading

Interview: foreThought.Net’s Jawaid Bazyar

jawaidJawaid Bazyar is the president of foreThought.net, an Internet service provider and telecommunications company servicing the Denver, Colorado area. Jawaid talks about starting his company from his basement apartment, how he’s adapted his business over the years in an ever-evolving market, and why one should “always pay attention to the facts on the ground.”

Return to The Independent Entrepreneur Show Index.