As a child, I (Michael) always knew I wanted to own a business one day. From standing in front of the local convenience store with my first shoe shining kit, to mowing neighbors’ lawns, I was always trying to make a buck. I even told my Sunday School teacher I wanted to become a ‘bachelor millionaire.'

Sometimes the death of a business is somewhat personal and triggers a sense of nostalgia. In the world of small business, companies come and go all the time with little more than a raised eyebrow – but every once in a while the closing of a local business surprises you.

There’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday – but do you know about #GivingTuesday? After two days dedicated to shopping there’s a day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

It’s unusually quiet here at The Bubble this week. Our delightful bosses (who we miss!) are visiting their daughter. Even the office dog isn't here to welcome us each morning. Instead she's off gallivanting around the backyard of a friend’s home. Still, there’s a whispered buzz of finger typing, problem solving, and the occasional discussion of why in the world such-and-such is trending on Twitter. It’s unconventional times in the office like this that cause a pause - just long enough to get our brains out of the small business online marketing world for a moment – to reflect. In the spirit of Thanksgiving our staff shares what we’re grateful for.

Ghosts, goblins, zombies, and witches got nothin’ on the scary stuff that may sneak up on an inbound marketing company at any given moment. It’s not the danger that lurks in the deep web. It’s not the mystery behind the curtain of the all-powerful Google. It’s not even the creeper factor of the suspiciously timed emails we receive relating to a conversation we just had. If you dare, keep reading to learn what scares the inbound marketing staff at Half a Bubble Out, and how we slay these marketing vampires sucking the blood out of your business.

My coworker recently made a comment that she considers me to be her friend – not just a work friend – but a real, true friend. I feel the same way about her, and my other coworkers too. I know this is not the norm in the small business world, but I think people would like it to be and it would cause them to be better employees.

We come in all shapes and sizes when it comes to being a consumer of technology.

Are you the “preorder-to-be-the-first-one-to-try-it” type of consumer OR are you the “sit-back-and-wait-for-everyone-else-to-try-it-first-then-buy” type?

A friend of mine sent me a 2 minute video to watch that was well-made and really interesting - but it made me think about the power of persuasion when combined with quality video. I started to wonder if I was getting taken advantage of by companies that I buy stuff from - even when I’m really happy with what I have most of the time.

Take a look at the short video below and then see if you agree with any of my thoughts. Not all of you will care, but some of you might want to talk about it. Just a little food for thought.

Kentucky Fried Chicken, better known for short as KFC, is widely known across the United States as a fast food restaurant that serves up [big surprise here] fried chicken. After 21 years of not showing his face, KFC’s mascot is back and has been reaching TV screens across the country.

Work is not supposed to be something we endure so we can get a paycheck to pay for fulfillment in life. Work is supposed to be part of that fulfillment. Finding a job that allows you to achieve happiness more than 50% of the time takes a while to find. Many people don’t ever find it because they remain lost in understanding the gifts and abilities they have to contribute.