Entrepreneurship expert Evan Carmichael says the combination of marketing and blogging is taking the internet by storm. He just released his Top 50 Marketing Blogs to Watch in 2008  on his website. "These guys aren't just the occasional bloggers," he said. "These guys live and breathe their blogs. If they're not already the best at what they do, it won't be long." His list is divided into 10 categories from building a brand to utilizing technology in marketing. The list includes John Jantsch, whose Duct Tape Marketing Blog has become one of the hottest destinations for small-biz marketing tips.

According to this MediaPost Publications article, word-of-mouth marketing is one of the fastest-growing alternative media formats. And it's expected to surpass $1 billion in 2007, thanks to social networks, blogs allowing consumer input, and other Web 2.0 technologies. Word-of-mouth marketing hit a turning point in 2006 when it started becoming a larger part of marketing campaigns. Analysts predict when the numbers come in, the trend will continue in 2007, but will still capture less than one percent of industry dollars. Other methods of advertising like direct marketing and branded entertainment are still most popular.

It's a meal-prep company with a twist. Unlike the other kitchens offering meal-time help, like Super Suppers, My Gourmet Kitchen is Chicago's first independent organic prep kitchen. As mentioned in Daily Candy, Chicago, the kitchen helps time-crunched foodies create a home-cooked meal--minus the prep work and clean-up. All ingredients are pre-chopped and ready to combine, with measuring devices placed directly next to ingredients. And customers won't get stuck in a rut--the menu changes monthly.