Simplest Way to Get Smarter

Forget the puzzles, games, and mental exercises. There's an easier way to boost your brain power.

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Sure, exercise is good for your health. We all know that. But exercise is also a scientifically proven way to make yourself smarter.

According to Gretchen Reynolds, author of the soon to be released The First 20 Minutes, a book about the science of exercise, recent research shows that exercise can help your brain resist physical shrinkage and improve cognitive flexibility.

"Exercise," she writes in this New York Times article, "...does more to bolster thinking than thinking does."

Here's why. Your brain is a tissue and so like any other tissue, abuse, lack of use, and especially age causes its performance to decline. Sometime in our late twenties the hippocampus, the portion of our brains devoted to learning and memory, loses about a percent per year in total volume. So it's no surprise that as we get older we naturally lose some of our memory and learning capacity.

But what is surprising is that, just like with your muscles, exercise can slow or even reverse the physical decay of your brain.

While you may have been told (most likely by parents referencing the "This is your brain... and this is your brain on drugs" public service announcements) that once you lose brain cells you can never get them back, new brain cells can be created'and exercise helps trigger that process. By exercising you not only build muscle. You build a bigger brain.

Exercise also makes those new brain cells more effective. According to Reynolds,

Brain cells can improve intellect only if they join the existing neural network, and many do not, instead rattling aimlessly around in the brain for a while before dying.

One way to pull neurons into the network, however, is to learn something. In a 2007 study, new brain cells in mice became looped into the animals' neural networks if the mice learned to navigate a water maze, a task that is cognitively but not physically taxing. But these brain cells were very limited in what they could do. When the researchers studied brain activity afterward, they found that the newly wired cells fired only when the animals navigated the maze again, not when they practiced other cognitive tasks. The learning encoded in those cells did not transfer to other types of rodent thinking

Exercise, on the other hand, seems to make neurons nimble. When researchers in a separate study had mice run, the animals' brains readily wired many new neurons into the neural network. But those neurons didn't fire later only during running. They also lighted up when the animals practiced cognitive skills, like exploring unfamiliar environments. In the mice, running, unlike learning, had created brain cells that could multitask.

So how much exercise is enough to build a better brain? Most studies have focused on aerobic activities like running or swimming. But even walking can make a difference. One study showed that older people who walked for just 40 minutes three days a week took two years off the "age" of their hippocampus'and improved their memory function.

So don't take a walk at lunch just to clear your head.

Take that walk to get smarter, too.

Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden

How to Spy on the Competition

Get to know what your rivals are up to online. Don't worry--it's legal.

99%: "Meh"'s/Flickr

Knowledge, as they say, is gold'particularly when it comes to knowing what your competitors are up to.

So I'm going to share a little golden tip on how to use the Web to spy on your competitors. Don't worry, it's perfectly legal.

One way to dig up details on a rival is to mine its link-building strategy. You want to look at inbound links, which are links coming to that website directly from outside sources.

What is the value of these links?

Here's what the Google Webmaster Central Blog has to say about inbound links: "Inbound links can bring new users to your site, and when the links are merit-based and freely-volunteered as an editorial choice, they're also one of the positive signals to Google about your site's importance."

Those "positive signals" result in a higher ranking in search results for keywords relating to the website. There are a number of ways businesses acquire inbound links: getting press coverage, creating content that is picked up by other sites'in other words, by getting attention.

How to find 'em

You can also find out who is linking to your competitors' sites by using Open Site Explorer. Simply type in the URL of your competitor and you will instantly get a trove of valuable information. If you have a "Pro" account, you can then export the back-link data to an Excel spreadsheet. Once you have this information, you can immediately see how many links your competitors are getting (are they actively and effectively engaging in search engine optimization?).

Once you have the back-link information on a spreadsheet, you can then sort the information in ways that will give you real insights into your competitors' search engine marketing strategies:

• Sort by Domain Authority: Search engines give a "weight" to every domain name, indicating how authoritative it is. The higher the weight of the domain linking to your rival, the more value it has in terms of search engine optimization. This sort will tell you which major media outlets are linking to the website as well as other highly regarded domains.
• Sort by Anchor Text:  The "anchor text" is the underlying descriptive text that is attached to a link. This anchor text gives you clues as to which keywords for which your competitor is trying to optimize. You can use this information to either beat them at their own game (optimize for the same terms) or to find alternate terms to attract traffic.
• Sort by Landing Page URL: It is a common misconception that the best landing page for a link is the homepage of your site. Often, it is best to link to a specific service, product, category, or informational page. You can get a clear view of what your competition is trying to promote by seeing what the backlinks are pointing to.
• Sort by ".Com, .Gov, and .Edu: Under the algorithms of all of the major search engines, greater weight is given to .edu (educational institutions) and .gov (United States governmental agencies). These carry a seal of legitimacy and are highly coveted. If your competitors are getting these links, you can figure out the strategies they are using. For example, ".edu" links can come from providing content that is of use to the academic community or even by sponsoring events or speaking at colleges.

Armed with this information, you have the power to:

• Discover the domains that have a policy of linking to businesses in your industry and approach those domains for links to your site.
• See which media outlets and which reporters/bloggers are covering businesses in your industry and pitch them with story ideas relating to your business or expertise.
• See which sites are accepting content from your competitors and offer to provide them with your own original (quality) content.
• See which keywords your competitors are going after and then adjust your keyword strategy accordingly.

Have other competitive intelligence tips? Leave them in the comments!

Jon Gelberg is the Chief Content Officer at Blue Fountain Media, a leading Web design, development, and marketing company based in New York. @JonBFM

Green or Greenwashed? Fix Your Program

...doesn't mean you're a "green" company. Here's how to stop greenwashing and start implementing smart, efficient, sustainable practices that benefit your company'and the planet.

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Overnight, it was everywhere: every company was suddenly "green." Descriptions of so-called sustainable practices abounded on websites and in marketing literature, bolded and underlined and screaming for attention. Companies scrambled to flaunt their commitment to the environment and "out-green" their competitors.

It's gotten to the point where it feels strange when a company doesn't make mention of its environmentally sustainable programs.

Sure, we all want to feel like we are contributing to the greater good, but a closer look reveals that much of what is out there is nothing more than a half-hearted attempt at keeping up with the (Mother) Joneses. And the media is catching on. No longer are companies being judged on outward, consumer-friendly, neatly-packaged green initiatives, but rather on their core practices.

So what about your company? On a scale of pastel to emerald, how green are you? Are you guilty of "greenwashing?" Here are three tell-tale signs you may need to rethink the way you're addressing your commitment to sustainability.

Your green initiatives are run by your office manager.

If your environmental efforts come down to things like what kind of compostable cup to buy, then they don't amount to a fundamental and significant green program'and are certainly not worth flaunting to your customers and partners. Common practices for many companies include double-sided printing, in-office recycling programs, and of course the ever-popular email footnote: "please think of the environment before printing this message." Let's face it: these are all just part of the new "normal."

In reality, we should all be using smarter utensils, recycling, and conscious of waste in our day-to-day lives in (and out of) the office. No company or individual should be getting extra "green" credit for doing the bare minimum. The true significance of efforts like these does not lie in their effects (great strides for carbon emission reductions will not be made by a manufacturing company's occasional order of cups made from old yogurt containers, after all), but in the awareness they bring about.

The Fix: If you're doing the minimum when it comes to demonstrating your commitment to the Earth, it's time to stop all the back patting and self-congratulating. You can celebrate your accomplishments once you've made a real commitment to (and investment in) finding ways to streamline your internal processes that will reduce waste on a larger scale. Continue recycling, by all means, but truly committing to environmentalism means a more fundamental change. Read on.

You aren't seeing any savings or benefits from your program

Smart green practices don't need to cost more. The most effective ways to be truly green are often truly efficient, too. And efficiency is as good for your business as it is for the Earth. So if you aren't reaping any benefits outside of being able to check the "does the bare minimum in green" box, you can do better. If you're doing it right, going green should actually save you some green.

The fix: Look at sustainability from a different perspective. Rather than asking, "Which CSA box should we subscribe to?," ask "How can we produce more product using less natural resources?"

Remember, the first of the "three Rs" is Reduce, so that's always the best place to start before moving down the line to Reuse and Recycle. Being environmentally conscious has a lot more to do with consuming and expelling less things than it does with adding more special, earth-friendly, often over-hyped products to our processes. For example, at Blu, we have come up with ways to ship 1,000 sq. feet of house on a single truck instead of the typical 500 sq. feet. The work put into crafting this technology meant not only fewer carbon emissions, but also drastically reduced shipping costs for us to pass on to our customers. A green win-win.

You're focusing your marketing campaigns on your green efforts.

Once upon a time, having a website was nifty and novel, too. But not for long'businesses caught on, and soon it was a necessity. Good luck finding a company that gets credit for being tech-savvy by simply being online. So it goes for green.

When Blu first started out, we thought a lot about how we could make a splash beyond the environmental awareness built into the ethos of our company. Should we buy carbon offsets, as we've seen other companies vow to do? Hire a whole "green team" of employees solely responsible for developing novel products and ideas? Instead, we decided to use our internal resources as wisely as we use the Earth's. For us, that meant focusing on and strengthening the systemic green value of our processes and materials'as opposed to slapping another coat of shiny green paint onto our exterior image. Our thinking: Do green right and for real, and the marketing value will follow.

The fix: Start by reassessing your business' internal structures and processes that could benefit from change'and then think about the marketing piece. Increasing productivity and efficiency can be far more effective in attracting shrewd consumers and improving your bottom line than flashy green media campaigns screaming for attention. Let your business do the talking instead. Customers will value a company willing to make bold changes to run cleaner, faster, and thus greener.

*  *  *

The bottom line: It's time to redefine "green." Consider it an almost selfish proposition: something that will benefit the planet and the future of our children'and serve you and your company in an important way. Because what's the use of a sustainable company if the business itself isn't sustainable? Replace "green" with "efficient," and you're on your way.

Moving forward, we need environmental awareness that is built into the DNA of companies looking to be more efficient and cost-effective. That's where the big environmental payoffs lie'not in our compostable forks. By all means, continue your recycling programs and reduce your printing and other in-office waste. But we cannot afford to let sustainability be a fair-weather trend for organizations today, big or small. To benefit your company and the environment both, take a hard look at the processes central to what you do. It's there that small changes can really make a huge imprint'and a smaller footprint.

Maura McCarthy had been a venture capital investor at Ironwood Equity when she co-founded Blu Homes. She is a board member of The Capital Network, and is part of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Renewable Energy Business Network. @BluHomes

3 Key Tests Your Partner Must Pass

When there are only two people on your bus, and everything in your business is riding on the partnership, there are three tests you both need to pass.

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When we decided to start writing a column for Inc.com, we knew exactly what our first piece would have to be about: Picking the right partner. There is nothing'and we mean nothing'more important to the success of your start-up than finding the right person to work with.

We've always loved Jim Collins's concept of  "the bus." Basically, people who build great organizations make sure they have the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. Only then do they figure out where to drive the bus.

As for us? Well, there were only going to be two of us on this bus. Everything was riding on our partnership working. Thankfully, is has worked beautifully. And we credit that to our partnership passing three very important tests.

The Best-Friend Test

We are great friends. We went to each other's weddings, we've traveled together, along with our husbands, and our babies play together. But we're not quite best friends. We met through work, and that has always been the foundational point of our relationship. Seeing someone at work is different from knowing someone socially. Julie had seen Lee hit deadline after deadline. Lee had seen Julie take a room full of editors and art directors with completely opposing visions and get them all on the same page. We've disagreed and compromised. The beautiful thing is that having that history, now when we disagree'and even the best of partners do'it's not loaded with emotional baggage that it might carry with a close friend. And the facts that we came from different parts of the country, different high schools, different colleges, and have different interests, mean we have vastly different networks to draw from. Now maybe everyone doesn't have a decade to spare getting to know someone'and that's fine. But our suggestion is to look for a partner beyond your social circle'and before you commit to something big like a start-up, try teaming up on a smaller project to see if you're well matched.

The Houseguest Test

You know how there are some people in life who you adore, admire, respect, maybe even think they're brilliant...but if they were to stay with you for more than two nights you might lose your mind? Well, your new partner is going to be something like a houseguest that moves in permanently. You will be stunned by the amount of time you spend working on your start-up. The hundreds of hours you spend together on the phone, the thousands of emails, the dozens of trips. If your partner has the potential to get under your skin even a little bit, you're going to be in big trouble. Think about it this way: If you wouldn't want this person moving into your spare bedroom for the summer, don't go into business with them.

The Spouse Test

It's said that forming a partnership is like a second marriage. So perhaps it's not surprising that we each ended up with a business partner that shares many similarities with our respective spouses. Lee's husband is a champion brainstormer'just like Julie. Julie's husband is a detail oriented perfectionist'as is Lee. That underscores an important point: we picked someone to work with that has skills that complement our own. With only two of us running Altruette, we had to cover as many bases as possible. Julie's love of meeting new people and networking is vital to our business, as is Lee's glee at making sure each spec sheet is picture perfect. One of the questions we're asked the most is how we divide our responsibilities, and the truth is: we don't really have to. We're both so clearly good at different things that nine times out of 10, it's obvious who should handle which job.

As for the few tasks that neither of us are keen to do? Well, that's when we're glad we're not negotiating with a best friend, a bad houseguest, or yes, a spouse.

Lee Clifford and Julie Schlosser: Lee Clifford and Julie Schlosser are the co-founders of Altruette. They make a line of classic charms that each benefits one of 35 different charities such as The Nature Conservancy and CARE. Previously, they were both editors at Fortune magazine. @AltruetteCharms

Stress-Free Social Media: 5 Tips

Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr: Feeling a little overwhelmed by social media? You're not alone. Here's how one expert handles it.

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"How do you do it all?"  I'm sure I'm not the only entrepreneur who hears this question. But most often, the people asking me this question are referring to juggling the social media merry-go-round.

I am, after all, also the author of a book touting the use of Twitter for "an hour a day"'but if I were to apply this same formula to every social media platform, how would I find time for anything else?

If you feel pressure to jump on this social media bandwagon, but are also overwhelmed by technology and time, let me fess up to some truths of how I manage "it all." Maybe it will help put your mind at ease.

1. Put Your Business First

I've been in this business a long time. I've had to learn about a lot of new technologies and trends, but I've also seen a lot of great businesses crash and burn because they never managed to master the art of the bottom line.

So while I'm not saying you should ignore social media, let me also say this: You have to make running your business your priority. No one will fault you if you skipped Twitter for a day because you were in contract negotiations with your biggest client for a three-year renewal.

2. Pick Your Battles

To say that there are a lot of social media networks is an obvious understatement.

As a business owner, some may hold more appeal to you than others. For example, I enjoy and appreciate Twitter for its brevity, ease of use, diverse content, and broad public audience. I probably frequent LinkedIn as much as I use Twitter these days, but for completely different reasons'it's where business relationships get started.

I also like commenting on articles and blogs (or responding to comments made on my articles'hint, hint).

At my company, I emphasize the importance of content marketing and blogging, so we try to produce and post for a wide variety of social media channels. On the other hand, for the sake of personal security, I have avoided GPS-based services like FourSquare and Facebook check-ins. And Pinterest does hold any personal appeal for me.

What are your preferences? Chances are if you enjoy the platform, you'll be much more inclined to use it more frequently'so start with what you like and go from there.

3. Define Your Role

This one is a tough one. Are you on social media for personal enjoyment or for business gain? And does this choice determine what and how you share on these networks?

I'm hearing more frequently that entrepreneurs and senior-level executives have put up dividing walls, reserving Facebook for non-work friends and directing business contacts to LinkedIn. If you haven't determined which hat you want to wear when you're engaging in social media, your message might get a little muddied.

Additionally, you need to figure out what role you play in your company's social media initiatives. Are you just a company figurehead, not really involved at all? The maestro leading a social media orchestra? Or are your sleeves rolled up and you're all-in?

You need to understand this for yourself: If you haven't defined your own role in social media, how do you expect your company to know how to proceed in this space?

4. Make It a Team Effort

I'm big on the team approach at my company. My philosophy is that social media is too big and requires too much care and feeding for any one of us to conquer single-handedly. So we have a small in-house social media team. (Hats off to those entrepreneurs that are really doing it all solo; I seriously wonder if they have any down time.)

Even though I manage all my own personal social media accounts, I also rally the troops to share content that I or someone at Web Ad.vantage has produced.

I also believe in cross-pollinating on social media platforms. (It's why I like my bookmarklets so much.)  And when I was writing my book, I used crowdsourcing through Twitter to gather much of my research or help deliver a message. I can still turn to this core group of people (I call them "#HTArmy") if I really need their assistance.

5. Relax

Feel a little bit better now? Please do give yourself permission to pick and choose your social media participation, though.

I promise: You're not letting anyone down if you do.

Hollis Thomases is the President & CEO of Web Ad.vantage, which provides outcome-based digital marketing and advertising services to up-and-coming brands. She is also the author of Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day and a contributing expert to Social Media Marketing Magazine. @hollisthomases

Should These Men Get $1.5 Million?

Carvoyant helps car owners spot problems before they happen. Will investors give the start-up a green light for $1.5 million?

Bob Croslin

On a Roll Carvoyant co-founders, from left: Bret Tobey, Matt Galvin, and Renz Kuipers at a Tampa Bay-area auto-repair shop

Company: Carvoyant

Co-Founders: Matt Galvin, Renz Kuipers, and Bret Tobey

Location: Tampa

Employees: 1

Launched: November 2011 (private beta)

2012 Projected Revenue: $900,000

Cost for Drivers: $29.99 for system hardware

Commission from Repair Shops: 2 percent

Number of Users: 300

Number of Registered Repair Shops: 24

Previous Funding: $87,000 from angel investors and seed fund Gazelle Lab

Funding Sought: $1.5 million

The Pitch: "Carvoyant is a health record for your car. Unlike other car-repair apps, our platform detects car-performance issues and connects car owners to mechanics. Owners plug a small translator device into their vehicle; the device sends diagnostic data to our system. If there's a problem, we alert local repair shops, which can then pitch their services. With our app, users can select the shop that's most convenient. If they choose a repair shop that's registered with us, we take a commission of the repair fee from the shop. We also plan to sell the aggregate data on our users' auto diagnostics to repair shops and insurance companies to provide better insights about their customers."

The Experts Weigh In

Partner with Carmakers

I like the market Carvoyant is going after. It's greater than $1 billion, and it's growing pretty rapidly. But the standards are loose for the technology that Carvoyant's system uses'some translators don't work with older vehicles. Perhaps the founders should think about working with auto manufacturers as strategic partners, rather than selling the translator as an aftermarket part. This pitch would get them a foot in the door, but I think they're asking for too much money right now. It would be better to raise $500,000 first to gain some customer traction.
'Dennis Pape, Managing Director, Central Florida Technology Ventures, Orlando

Data is Critical

This is an interesting concept. What Carvoyant is really after is getting information on car owners. For investors, the collection of customer data is the Holy Grail, so the company may be onto something. But so far, all the founders have is the assumption that insurance companies and auto dealers want this data and will be willing to pay for it. There's no indication here of how they will get people to install the device or sign up repair shops. The founders will have to prove that they can expand rapidly enough so that they can gather the data they're promising on a meaningful scale.
'John May, Managing Partner, New Vantage Group, Vienna, Virginia

Focus on Diagnostics

Carvoyant offers a proactive monitor on a car's health, which I think has appeal. I think that diagnostic tool is more interesting than the idea of creating a network of qualified mechanics. Most car owners already have a trusted mechanic, and probably few of them are in the market to switch. Plus, the network feature creates an avenue for auto shops to bombard customers with marketing offers. I think Carvoyant should be able to charge more than just a one-time fee for its diagnostic tool. A monthly fee seems quite reasonable, so that the company can continue to improve it and keep customers engaged.
'Rhys Williams, President, New World Angels, Boca Raton, Florida

April Joyner is a reporter for Inc. magazine. She regularly covers sales and marketing topics and writes on start-ups for Inc.'s "Elevator Pitch" column. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. @aprjoy

How to Negotiate a Complex Deal

To get the best outcome, you need to answer these four important questions before you get to the bargaining table.

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With simple products, negotiation is all about price. With complex deals, though, there are often competing priorities'things like delivery schedules, support capabilities, financial targets, and so forth.

If you're going to negotiate the proverbial win/win deal, you'll need to understand where you are now, where you need to be, and how you plan to get there.  This is only possible if you make the following four decisions before you actually sit down at the negotiating table.

• Read more: 15 Rules for Customer Negotiations

1. What are the parameters that need to be negotiated?

To answer this, collect and evaluate information on leverage, values, sale prices, competition, and any other factors that will affect the negotiation.

Example: You know that the CFO greatly desires a three-month ROI, rather than the six-month ROI you've proposed. You are therefore aware that you may either need to adjust the price in order to produce that ROI, or come up with some form of alternative financing (like rent to own) that will achieve the same effect.

2. What are my realistic expectations?

Naturally, you'd love to negotiate a "sweetheart deal" that would give you and your firm everything you could possibly want.  Realistically, though, you've got to temper your aspirations with feasibility, based on what your counterpart has in mind. And you'll need to reassess those expectations as the negotiating progresses.

Example: You know that your counterpart expects to pay only marginally more than she paid 10 years ago for the same service. You're not going to get double the old price, no matter what'but a 33 percent increase is more realistic.

3. What are my financial parameters?

When it comes to price and cost, know the deal you want to forge, and be able to justify your position as being realistic and logical.

Example: Suppose you're fairly certain the customer will ask for a big discount. Before the customer asks, find out what's the largest discount you can possibly offer and still remain profitable. If that figure is 15 percent, you know than any discount larger than that is simply not acceptable.  More important: You can explain why it's unacceptable in terms anyone can understand.

4. Where do I have room to maneuver?

Because negotiating is a process of give and take, you've got to know where you can be flexible. However, while you need to leave yourself some bargaining room, you should have a plausible rationale for the positions that you take, rather than just trying taking a position for bargaining's sake.

Example: You know that your installation team is idle right now, so you can realistically offer the customer an immediate installation if they're willing to pay full price.

Once you've made these decisions, it's safe to discuss competing priorities, adjust the various parameters ... and cut a deal that makes sense for both parties.

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Geoffrey James' "Sales Source" (formerly "Sales Machine" on CBS) is the world's most-visited sales-oriented blog. His best posts, with many extras, are in his new book: How to Say It: Business to Business Selling. @Sales_Source