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By Jon M. Cohen

With all the speculation running wild about Apple, the Internet is full of rumors.  I thought this would be a good time for me to jump in and propose my own predictions for the upcoming Apple media event.

The event is scheduled for September 9th, 2009, and the choice of dates is not by accident. You might ask yourself why this date? What does the number 9 have to do with Apple? Well their is a few things that need to be considered about this date. First, it is the end of the back to school promo. This means Apple should have sold most of the older stock of iPods and Macs. Secondly, if you are somewhat familiar with the music group “The Beatles” then you may also be well aware of the theory of the hidden messages laced in the track “Revolution Number 9“. The theory is that if you play the song backwards then you will find a hidden message. This is a belief that most music fans know about regardless of being Beatles‘ fans or not. With that being said, if Apple has finally been able to add “The Beatles” to its iTunes music store then it would be a great marketing idea to launch this new addition on 9/9/09.

Another idea that I believe to be true is that Apple will add a new model of iPhone 3GS to its lineup. Already featuring a 16GB and 32GB version of the most popular smartphone in today’s market, it is my assumption that an 8GB iPhone 3GS will be released and priced at $99.00 (with contract from cell phone provider). Once again playing on the theme of the Number 9.

I am certain that Apple will add new iPod’s to this product launch event. Included in this will be the new iPod Touch, now being offered with a 64GB capacity. Apple will maintain the 32GB, 16GB and the 8GB model as well. But the new pricing will show that the 8GB iPod Touch will be $99.00, if so, then that will be amazing value! Chances are that the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB editions will feature a camera as well. While the 8GB will be based on the older generation body style.

My next prediction is the addition of a new iMac that will either fit on the lower end of the price spectrum or be a super iMac that will be the new top of the line. But I don’t think they would refresh the whole lineup of iMacs at this point. I don’t have any idea of the new speeds and specs of the iMac, just a feeling that something new is coming.

So, with 9 days to wait for this big announcement I only have one last topic to mention. That would be the Macbook Nano (Macbook Touch). This long time speculated new device that will create a new category in the market. This will be a touch screen device like an iPhone but in either a 6″ or 10″ size category. This new product will most likely be announced on September 9th, 2009 but will not be for sale until January 2010 or June 2010. This 2010 release date will allow developers a chance to create Apps and port over any already existing Apps.

So their you have it, my September 9th, 2009 predictions, like most predictions that people make only time shall tell if I am right or wrong.

I leave you with this final thought; If Apple does want to capitalize on the marketing of “The Beatles” and playoff of the multiple decades of theories of “Revolution Number 9” then it would be a smart marketing idea to have all products revolve around the number 9, from pricing to the number of products introduced. By my count with 3 new iPod Touches, 1 new iPhone, 3 new iPod Nanos/Classics, and 2 new touch screen devices, and a 1 new iMac brings us to 9 new products being released on top of the addition of “The Beatles” to iTunes. Thus a fitting media event that would perfectly represent 09/09/09.

By Jon M. Cohen

Owning and running a small business is as much a joy as it is a punishment. All small businesses are always chasing the bottom line and working hard to stay out of the red. Now as the economy takes a nosedive it is time for businesses to tighten their belts and cut unnecessary costs. 

The first cut that most small businesses will make is related to advertising and marketing. Everyone knows you need to spend money to make money; small business owners know you need to spend money wisely to make money. Thus it is best not to take risks during hard economic times and to do whatever you can to get a high return on your investment. 

Traditional advertising is expensive and while it can be successful it does not always produce the great customer response that is desired. Many ad campaigns end up going over budget because they paid for high demand time slots with the media buy. Think of the recent popularity of sites like Facebook and MySpace, customers who would typically consume these ads on TV or radio are not watching and listening. Rather these consumers are surfing and reading web content. It has been suggested that radio and TV consumption as a primary entertainment source is down about 10% over the past 2 years. 

Keeping in mind that you have high hopes for making a profit with your small business and want to ensure the goal of being around next year, it can be easily understood why your business should look down different avenues for advertising. One of the most direct ways to target potential customers is to use the Internet as an agent for advertising. Now you can pay for clicks, banner space or words online, but keeping in mind that you have a bottom line to protect, it is suggested to use social networking websites like Twitter (http://www.twitter.com) to promote your business. Need more info about Twitter, CLICK HERE

Twitter is a free website that is super simple to use, and can be one of the best ways to leverage potential customer and investors who don’t know that your small business exists. Twitter can be a gold mine to you the small business owner. Here are a few key tactics to use to be successful; pick an identifiable user name, add a human element to your content, and use social networking websites to promote yourself on Twitter.

A good example of a company that picked a direct name that says exactly who you are and what you do is Tesla Motors. Tesla Motors is a small company that makes a good-looking electric sports car. They use the Twitter name “TeslaMotors”, it can’t get any simpler then that right? 

Now remember that once you have the right name, the second key is content. People online want to feel a personal connection to your company, so it is important that you bring a human level to your Twitter updates. Therefore, I don’t recommend updates that just talk about products or services. Instead focus on how what you are offering in your small business is “cool” or “unique”. 

The last of the three simple tips was to use other websites to promote your Twitter account, like the previously mentioned social networking sites Facebook and MySpace. If you can nail down these three things, you have added the potential to reach millions of customers and it didn’t even cost you a cent.

It is important to spend money in hard economic times. It is even more important to spend money wisely! You will need to advertise your business to get customers and increase sales. So as you trim your advertising budget don’t forget to use the free tools that are out there. Your success is in your own hands, and regardless of what your small business sells or offers, you can make a lot of money when you leverage the Internet.