Ironically, a smear campaign by a disgruntled competitor turned out to be the best thing to happen to my business. I'll explain how that worked out for IndigoTea, and what you can do when someone attacks your business reputation online.

Our guest post today is from Sharon Sullivan, of Dream Hats. Dream Hats serves a wide range of clientele, including a strong contingent of historical/fantasy re-enactors. Where better to make contact with this market segment but at the conventions they convene at? As a result of this in-person interaction, Sharon's developed the following tip list for entrepreneurs considering live events.