Flowers epitomise emotion and can have a very beneficial impact on people. They are sent to communicate their feelings to their nearest and dearest. Wouldn’t it be even better if people were able to confidently buy sustainable, ethically-sourced flowers to communicate their feelings? After all, ethical commitment is an emotion as well! However, buying sustainable, ethical flowers is a niche activity in the UK, with only a handful of florists offering produce which is truly ethically sourced. First of all, some numbers: The total market for cut flowers and house plants in the UK is estimated to be £2.2 Billion and is expected to exceed £3 Billion by 2011. Despite the incursion of mutiple alternatives including gifts, chocolates and wines, people are still saying it with flowers, although the UK lags behind the rest of Europe in annual per capita [+]

Many Internet marketing experts will tell you that the best way to find out what your customers want from you is to ask them.  While that may be true, I believe that an even more accurate way is to just listen to what they're telling you, and to what they're asking you for.

To illustrate my point, I'll use a couple of examples from one of my own niches... the recipe and cookbook niche.  If you already have even a minor foothold in any niche, my experience should be somewhat instructive. In-case you're unfamiliar with my background, I earn six-figures from a soul food cookbook that I wrote and self-published.  I wrote that cookbook because my site visitors asked for it. The full story behind my first cookbook is that, when I first came online in 1996, I was told that [+]

How one expert made a splash on CNN'S Paula Zahn Now, and how you can, too Cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Robert Kotler's New York based publicist, made contact with the Paula Zahn Now program on CNN to schedule an appearance. Here's what happened next. 1. Map out the segment with the producer *I was referred to one of the *bookers* who did a quick screening and then put me in contact with an associate producer. Over several phone conversations, we worked out the subject matter of the 3-4 minute interview.* NOTE: Once you've passed the *audition* with a booker you're passed to an associate (or other less senior) producer. Often after that first "audition" you must be screened by producers at higher and higher levels. If you're chosen then you begin to create a segment together. 2. Help the producer shape the segment *The *backbone* [+]