Posted by: Nick Venturella​

There are several reasons to have a smaller guitar amplifier, especially if you perform at small coffee shops, microbrewery tasting rooms, or do any level of busking as a street performer.

For these music performance applications, I recommend the Fender Passport Mini busking amp. I recommend this amp for a few reasons:

1. You can use it for street busking to have guitar and vocal amplification (simultaneously) without electricity. The Passport can run on batteries (it does come with an AC adapter to plug it in as well).
   
   
2. Even though it's a small 7 watt amp, it puts out some quality sound for both vocals and guitar. Plus, there are several pre-set sound functions that simulate other Fender amplifiers like, the '65 Twin Reverb amp or the '57 Champ. You can even expand the sounds by with software when you plug it in via the USB port to your computer. It also has a headphone jack and auxiliary input jack where you can plug in an mp3 player or your phone to play to backing tracks coming through the amp.
   
   
3. Here's the other reason I recommend it...the USB output can be used (with the appropriate adaptor) to plug directly into your phone, tablet, or computer to the amp as your direct line input into your device of choice to livestream quality audio over the internet. So if you want to do a livestream guitar/vocal performance on Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, or other platform, this amp can serve as your interface to the livestreaming platform you use.

You can check out a couple of videos I created using the Fender Passport Mini amp for livestreaming online, or for video recording of your music.

Posted by: Nick Venturella​

If you're any sort of entrepreneur these days you're going to want to own your own online "home."  I'm talking about your own website.  Not a borrowed online space, like your Facebook Page or Instagram. Those are necessary too, but you don't own them. Facebook can choose to shut you down or limit your reach at any time.

For creative entrepreneurs, your website is a 24/7, always available, store front for those interested or curious about your brand and your business to find you, learn about you, and buy from you even while you sleep.

If you also capture visitors to your website through email list sign ups, you can build a following of fans and customers who want to hear from you because they're willingly provided you a direct way to communicate with them via their email. Hint: those who sign up on your email list are likely your most interested fans and buyers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking social media at all. It's a necessary tool, but I don't believe it should be the end destination for your target audience online. Social media can be a great consistent marketing and communication outlet to reach your audience where they are and help new people discover you and your brand, but you ultimately want to lead them to your website where you have more control over the experience they have there. Plus, if you get people to your website, you have a more captive audience, aka there are less distractions from other peoples social posts that might draw away your audiences' attention.

Build Your Website Today
These days it’s really affordable and easy enough to set up your own website with your own name or business as the web address (typically less than $100 a year for a basic site).

The available website building platforms make it easy for even the most non-technical person to build a solid, professional looking website...from purchasing a domain name (your “.com” web address) to building your actual page content.

You can search "website building platforms" and choose from several great ones out there. I personally like Weebly.com. They have been around for a long time and their drag-and-drop website editor makes it easy to build and edit your website any time you want, and without any more technical knowledge than you already have.

I actually use Weebly for all the websites I individually operate, and I have for well over a decade.