Please note, the following is out of date. For an up-to-date CV and list of litigation experience, please contact me.

Summary of Qualifications –

A highly motivated and skilled business professional with a “get it done now” entrepreneurial background. Experience in all aspects of online marketing—search-engine optimization, search-engine advertising, affiliate programs, online PR, newsletter publishing, etc.—along with more traditional offline marketing. A background in technology, including e-commerce development, product development and management, user-interface design, software-product design, consumer research, training, and documentation. Founded an e-commerce service provider funded by the world’s largest VC firm, and a successful “online enabled” publishing company.

Working and marketing online since the early 1980s, a time at which 99.9% of US businesses had no online presence. An accomplished public speaker and author of dozens of books about the Internet and online marketing, including several best sellers.

Skills and Accomplishments –

  • Employed search-engine marketing to triple the revenues of a computer-peripherals company in less than12 months.
  • Generated 75% of revenues for a Denver-based real-estate startup through search-engine advertising campaigns.
  • Built a partnership with one of North America’s largest publishers to deliver software to bookstores throughout the U.S.
  • Raised $4M from Softbank/Mobius to start an e-business service provider, later sold to iBoost.
  • Founded a computer-book publishing company, with revenues exceeding $300,000 in the first year.
  • Used low-cost, online/offline PR and guerrilla marketing techniques to position a book on the Amazon.com best-seller list, to promote another book into becoming the most widely read and praised title in computer-book history, and to build the Poor Richard’s series brand.
  • Hired and trained a staff from 0 to 65 in less than six months, during a difficult staffing year (1999-2000)
  • Integrated a dozen different Web-development/hosting teams—with over hundred staff, and located in ten different cities—into a single division.
  • Provided strategic/technical analysis to a CEO/executive team regarding acquisitions.
  • Author of the best selling Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Internet (1993 – 2000) and (April 2004).

Professional Experience –

Peter Kent Consulting, LLC, Denver, CO: 2002 – Present
Founder

A firm providing Internet channel-management and Internet-marketing and -strategy consulting services to a varied client base. Current services include assisting clients in developing online-marketing strategies, increasing traffic through search-engine marketing and optimization, designing and implementing Pay per Click search-advertising campaigns, designing Web-sites, revenue-transaction conversion, and affiliate-program development. Key clients include Peripheral Manufacturing (used search-engine marketing to triple revenues in under 12 months); Aestiva, Inc. (significantly increased sales revenue over a 9-month period); Wilentz, Goldman, & Spitzer (helped this large law firm compete online); Jones University (designed and developed a strategic plan for optimization of the Web site and improved search-advertising results); and SavingStreet.com (implemented a pay-per-click search-advertising campaign for this startup real-estate company, generating 75% of their initial revenues).

Indigio Group Denver, CO: 2001 – 2003
Vice President Marketing

A Web-applications development and Internet-marketing-strategy consulting company with clients such as Budget Rent a Car, Cendant, North American Van Lines, Orbis, and Dex Media. Direct responsibilities included the production of strategic marketing plans and materials, overseeing all marketing products, new-business sales development, and Internet marketing-strategy development for clients. Also liaised with key clients and directed all public relations and advertising campaigns. Ensured significant press coverage for the Company, greatly increasing its visibility in the Western United States.

Internet Commerce & Communications Denver, CO: 2001
Vice President Web Solutions

A national Internet Service Provider and Web-hosting company. Developed and implemented a strategic plan to merge a number of geographically dispersed Web-design and Web-hosting divisions acquired during the prior 18 months. Managed a team of 60 staff members, in 14 cities, providing Web Development, Web hosting, Internet marketing, and e-commerce applications to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses in an ASP (Application Service Provider) mode. The division produced annual revenues of approximately $8M. Introduced new tools, processes, and procedures to improve the department’s efficiency and reduce overhead, and designed a number of new ASP products—e-commerce and e-mail publishing—for introduction to the small-business market.

BizBlast.com Denver, CO: 1998 – 2001
Co-Founder

An E-Business Service Provider, delivering e-commerce services to small and medium-sized firms on a monthly subscription basis, when doing business online was still relatively new and difficult for most companies.
Developed the original business plan and marketing strategy, including raising the company’s $4M first-round investment, led by one of the world’s largest VC firms, SoftBank/Mobius. Researched the market to evaluate the competition and developed the original product design, including user-interface design and managing focus groups. Developed the company’s marketing and offer strategy and identified target markets and subscriber-acquisition programs. Business-development role included negotiating distribution partnerships, including one with Macmillan USA to deliver BizBlast software to bookstores throughout North America, and sought out partnerships to provide more products and services to BizBlast clients, such as the PayPal relationship that provided another transaction method for BizBlast clients.

Top Floor Publishing Denver, CO: 1997 – 2003
Founder, President

A publisher of highly regarded books related to online business and marketing, written by industry experts. The company’s first book became the most widely reviewed and praised title in computer-book history, and the third was an Amazon.com best seller. Created the company’s marketing strategy, based primarily on online marketing mechanisms, and managed all marketing and public relations campaigns. Built a brand—the Poor Richard’s series—that quickly became very well known and respected in the computer-book industry. Managed all aspects of the organization, including overall budget responsibility, product development, and co-op advertising. Devised an online-marketing strategy that converted this startup into a widely distributed and well established publisher in the industry.

Kent & Associates Dallas, TX & Denver, CO: 1986 – 1996
Independent Consultant

Services included creating documentation, training users, testing software, designing software user interfaces, carrying out software consumer research and market intelligence, for a wide range of client companies and industries. Clients included Semiotix (software development), The Pipeline (Internet service provider); MasterCard (financial services), Analytical Surveys, Inc. (aerial photography), Comprehensive Software Solutions (stock trading), Amgen (pharmaceuticals), SpectraLink (telecommunications), Clinical Reference Systems, Inc. (medical), Ericsson, NEC, Northern Telecom (telecommunications), and Genioss/Data General (computing/telecommunications). Used online services for general business communications and marketing as early as 1986.

Core Laboratories Int’l, Inc.
Systems Analyst Dallas, TX: 1982 – 1986
Area Supervisor Mexico: 1979 – 1982

An oil-field services company. Assisted in the development of the company’s new generation of drilling-analysis computer technology. Tested software, designed the user interfaces, and worked closely with the software-development team to create a user-friendly software process flow. Responsible for all customer research and liaison. Planned software product enhancements based on evaluation of users’ needs and competing products. Trained users and managed staff installing and maintaining the equipment. Previously worked in Mexico, with advanced computer technology on off-shore oil rigs, gaining experience in technology at a time when most people had little or no contact with computers. Lived and worked in Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Australia, North Sea, etc. Used data-acquisition/manipulation computers to provide geological and engineering reports to client oil companies. Core Labs’ youngest-ever Unit Supervisor; fastest ever promotion to Logging Supervisor, with responsibility for the company’s $2M annual Mexican operation. Managed the budget for this 50-person operation.

Education –

BA Hons., Geography/Geology, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, 1978

Publications –

Author of several dozen technology and business books, including the best selling Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Internet and the recent Search Engine Optimization for Dummies (published April 2004). Author of Poor Richard’s Web Site and Poor Richard’s Internet Marketing and Promotions. Author of hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles on business and technology, including a long-standing column in the Boulder County Business Report and the Northern Colorado Business Report. Staples.com Small Business E-Commerce Expert, and a regular e-commerce column in a Canadian magazine, eBusiness Journal.

Public Speaking –

An accomplished public speaker on a wide range of subjects. Speaking engagements have included the subject of Internet marketing and e-commerce for ten years, to organizations such as the National Association of Broadcasters and the Colorado Tourism Conference. Other topics include search-engine marketing and advertising, publishing, and general online-business issues. A guest speaker on over 100 radio shows.

References –

Excellent References Available Upon Request