Mind boggling! The entire business landscape is going through a metamorphous of sorts…nothing is business as usual anymore! Really, nothing is!

I see business sector after sector old standby models falling apart everywhere. New approaches are being developed; existing business systems are being redefined and challenged while others are completely collapsing.

It’s as though someone took a giant stick and hit the business piñata and bam!!! We have an explosion of winners, losers, new kids on the block staking claim, giants falling, bewildered and confused executives and shareholders, fraud, fear, excitement, status quo and just as Elvis Presley said “A Whole Lotta Shaking Going On!”

The way I see it is we are in the midst of what I call ‘The Great Business Digital Divide.’ On one side of this gap we have two groups; the various companies, businesses, entrepreneurs, etc. who are not even aware of what is going on and/or they don’t realize we are in a brand new business era that looks and feels nothing like the past 100 years or so. Then there is those who know and sense things have changed but have no clue as to what they should be doing, what kind of people they need on their team and were to go to get the help they may need to successfully go through this transition.

On the other side of this gap are two more groups as well. One of these are those who have understood they needed to make some radical changes in the way they run their business because it is certain what they have relied on for years is no longer working. They have begun to institute some things that to an untrained eye give them the appearance they are plugged in and are 21st century business mavericks. Very much what Seth Godin described in his book Meatball Sundae.

The second group is those who have not only embraced the digital business revolution going on but they have had a hand in its birth and development. I’m not talking about techies here. I am referring to digital savvy, fresh thinking creative’s who have been on this journey for quite sometime…some longer than others. These are the ones who understand things like mission statements and status quo are DEAD and for those who hang on to this mentality, they are most likely on their last leg. This goes for the giants in business to the local auto repair shop. This is the group who are excelling and getting positioned for market share that will move them into dominance in their niche.

So what’s a business to do if they are not in the latter group?

I for one believe their doing should only happen after they have done the work of defining their unique and tactical strategy. Let me make myself perfectly clear here, this is not a one time activity I’m talking about, no; it must be an ongoing part of your marketing and business development!

One of the most frustrating things I see going on with many I come across in business today is they are in such a hurry to get out there they don’t invest the time, effort and money to develop killer strategy to ensure their success. The truth is, without well defined strategies in today’s new marketplace you are either going to fall into the category of a ‘me-too’er, a ‘clueless’ or a ‘that’s how it’s always been done in this business’ type. All of which will not cut it anymore.

Why? Mainly because the consumer is in charge not you…and today’s world is driven by technology. These have never really been factors of consideration most existing business models were designed around. Add to that, there is such competitor saturation in the marketplace many businesses are finding it very hard to stand out and get attention.

Clearly…if you want to be successful in this new marketplace one essential asset you must posses is you highly value and prioritize strategic thinking and planning when it comes to your business.

The dictionary defines strat⋅e⋅gy  as;
a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result: a strategy for getting ahead in the world.

Creating your strategy involves creative thinking, LOTS of research and feedback, planning, execution, experience, etc. to name a few. Marketing research is one of the fastest growing sectors in business today. Recently Inside Research recognized comScore as a leading market research industry publication and as the fastest-growing major global market research firm over the past five years. Why is that? Because understanding your target market and planning your strategic approach of action are more valuable and important than ever! Business is changing and evolving very, very fast and you do not have the luxury to lean on much trial and error or not being in the know. Knowledge is a key factor in creating strategy but so is creativity.

Maybe now is a good time to take a fresh look at who you have on your team? Any creative’s around? Any strategic thinking detailed people in your corner? Are you plugged in to research and feedback for your target market?

The New Business Era Currency…Got Strategy? If you don’t, I suggest you get busy to find those who can help you get it!

Now you tell me how anyone in business who is fairly intelligent can ignore this or not see the significance of what is going on here? Honestly, it does not take a PhD to see this in not just a trend! No this is the END of business as usual forever. This is a new age, a new business era, and huge shift in our culture.

This is so significant that anyone in business whether it be the local cleaners to the hair stylist…would be foolish not to embrace what is going on and partner up with professionals who can help them bring their business practices into the 21^st century way of doing business.

If you need referrals to fine folks who do this contact me. I will be glad to refer you.

Facebook Company Timeline

2010

• February

Facebook reaches over 400 million active users

2009

• December

Facebook reaches over 350 million active users

• September

Facebook reaches over 300 million active users

• August

Facebook acquires FriendFeed

• July

Facebook reaches over 250 million active users

• June

Facebook launches Facebook Usernames

• May

Digital Sky Technologies makes a $200 million investment for preferred stock at a $10 billion valuation

• April

Facebook reaches over 200 million active users

• February

Facebook reaches over 175 million active users
Facebook joins OpenID board
“Like” feature added

• January

Facebook reaches over 150 million active users
CNN Live/Facebook integration

2008

• December

Facebook Connect becomes generally available

• August

Facebook reaches over 100 million active users

• April

Facebook launches Facebook Chat
Facebook releases Translation application to 21 additional languages

• March

Facebook updates privacy controls to include Friend List privacy
Facebook launches in German

• February

Facebook launches in Spanish and French

• January

Facebook co-sponsors Presidential Debates with ABC News

2007

• November

Facebook launches Facebook Ads

• October

Facebook reaches over 50 million active users
Facebook launches Facebook Platform for Mobile
Facebook and Microsoft expand advertising deal to cover international markets; Microsoft takes a $240 million equity stake in Facebook

• July

Facebook acquires startup Parakey

• May

Facebook launches Marketplace application for classified listings
Facebook hosts F8 event to launch Facebook Platform
Facebook Platform launches with 65 developer partners and over 85 applications

• April

Facebook reaches 20 million active users
Facebook updates site design and adds network portals

• March

Facebook reaches over 2 million active Canadian users and 1 million active UK users

• February

Virtual gift shop launches as a feature

2006

• December

Facebook reaches more than 12 million active users

• November

Share feature added on Facebook, simultaneously launched on over 20 partner sites

• September

News Feed and Mini-Feed are introduced with additional privacy controls
Facebook expands registration so anyone can join

• August

Facebook development platform launches
Notes application is introduced
Facebook and Microsoft form strategic relationship for banner ad syndication

• May

Facebook expands to add work networks

• April

Facebook raises $27.5 million from Greylock Partners, Meritech Capital Partners and others
Facebook Mobile feature launches

2005

• December

Facebook reaches more than 5.5 million active users

• October

Photos is added as an application
Facebook begins to add international school networks

• September

Facebook expands to add high school networks

• August

The company officially changes its name to Facebook from thefacebook.com

• May

Facebook raises $12.7 million in venture capital from Accel Partners;
Facebook grows to support more than 800 college networks

2004

• December

Facebook reaches nearly 1 million active users

• September

Groups application is added; the Wall is added as a Profile feature

• June

Facebook moves its base of operations to Palo Alto, Calif.

• March

Facebook expands from Harvard to Stanford, Columbia and Yale

• February

Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin launch Facebook from their Harvard dorm room

Source http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?timeline

Some have survived, and sadly some have not. Some have reinvented themselves and some are still doing the same things they have always done…resistant to any changes.

So what does the rest of 2009 hold for the marketplace here in the U.S.?

It depends on who you are listening to and what your mindset is. It really does not matter if you are looking to the media; research firms, the government, or whomever for this information because it changes like a moving target. Staying tune with what is being reported may give you some insight on what the latest flavor of news is for sure. However, what really will determine what the rest of 2009 will look like for your business is your mindset.

Your thinking dictates your actions therefore taking regular assessments of your mindsets to ensure you are not sabotaging your chances for future success in this tough economy is a smart move for anyone in business today.

I am writing this series on the 4 mindsets that are sure to kill off a business in this new ‘social consumer powered’ era we have entered. Check to see if any of these are lurking around to hamper your success.

Business Suicide Mentality #1: The Status Quo Mindset

This mindset is really easy to recognize because it reeks of “just do what I have to and no more” and “don’t fix it if it isn’t broken”. This mindset is deadly because it gives the permission to stay the same, to resist change, to discourage innovation and creativity, to foster ‘lip service’ rather than genuine customer care. In addition, it breeds lame company cultures where employees don’t really care about the job… it’s nothing more than just a paycheck and they can’t wait until they are off the clock.

Businesses that operated with this particular mindset were able to get away with it and still stay in business at one time in our society. However, I strongly believe this type of business will be put out to the curb like yesterdays trash very soon. People (customers) are sick of lip service, lies, half efforts, poor customer service and being sold a bunch of blah, blah. Customers now have the power to not only be more selective but demand your business delivers on the level it should deliver. In fact…they want even more than that now. They want an experience…not just a transaction. They can get that anywhere both online and offline!

What is status quo? The dictionary defines status quo as…
Status quo
n. The existing condition or state of affairs
The existing order of things; present customs, practices, and power relations:

The sad reality is there are soooooooo many existing businesses suffering with this mentality. Why right here where I live I see it all the time!

Just last night a couple of my dear friends pried me away from my computer (I tend to get stuck in front of my monitor more than I like too admit) to take me out to dinner at a fairly new restaurant close to the Nissan Alley in East Franklin, TN.

It was a really nice place we had not ate at yet. Excitement filled the air as we were shown to our seats. Our waitress appeared in seconds with menus in hand but her demeanor was noticeably very unfriendly. Hey maybe she was just having a bad day, maybe this will get better right? Nope, actually it got worse!

As one of my friends was ordering, she proceeded to down talk him about the menu questions he asked and the way he was placing his order. I was stunned. Her cold and unfriendly manner to us was making us very uncomfortable. Instead of us having fun filled conversation we ended up discussing our disappointment and astonishment of the way we were being waited upon. As we waited for our food (over 45 minutes!) the evening slid downhill as far as our customer experience went. Finally we had enough. We called the waitress over and told her to cancel our order the wait was too long for our food, the service was crummy, just bring us our check for our drinks please.

The waitress seemed unconcerned we were very unhappy and ready to leave. To top that, even though it was very clear to the staff things were not going well at our table, and we were leaving, no attempt was made to turn this situation around, not even the manager came out to rescue our customer experience.

You think we will go back? Not a chance!

You think we will tell our circle of friends? You bet.

You think we could get on Twitter and other social media outlets and call them out by name? Happens every day!

This business has a bad case of Status Quo Mindset! There are hundreds of places we can go spend our money for a meal in this town. Maybe they don’t care. But one thing is for sure! If your business is in the habit of Status Quo Mindset, your  ’whatever’ approach to customer service will eventually catch-up with you and some customer savvy business will open up across the street and steal the hearts of a customer by modeling a “we are here because of you” business approach.

The point is, any business that does not recognize the fact 21^st century business walks to the beat of a different drum is out of touch with what is going on in the marketplace today. This is a new business era people. One that is driven by the consumer not your products, services, or what you think the customer wants. This is a marketplace where people are voicing their opinions and conversing about the things important to them and we must place these conversations on a priority level and make adjustments to the way we conduct business so that we are in sync with our customer’s desires, standards, and motivation factors.

For a long time proven business models were the roadmaps for many industries and every one in that particular industry pretty much followed that roadmap. Today’s new marketplace is birthing new 21^st century minded businesses that are actually listening and engaging with the customer and who understand status quo is dead!

This new business age calls for businesses to use a rich mixture of numerous models, concepts and ideas from the many different sectors all the while keeping the focus on what the fast paced and ever changing new customer feels, thinks and says about your business.

Scary, huh? Well…truthfully, yes, it can be because if you have not already begun to sense the shift occurring out there it’s only going to become even more clearer you are no longer in control. The music industry found this out the hard way. And guess what? There are still businesses in the music industry not excepting this reality and they are conducting their business with the Status Quo Mentality! How long do you think they are going to stay in business?

Status Quo Mentality keeps a business chained to doom if a business is not interested in change and doing their very best to please and serve their customers. They will put themselves out of business eventually.

Stay tuned for Business Suicide Mentality #2: The Arrogance Mentality.

What is not common knowledge is most businesses (large and small) do not control these precious assets nor do they spend much time planning, strategizing, and nurturing the birth of their digital jewels.

If that were not shocking enough…very little if any attention is given to the ongoing marketing efforts and strategies that will now be needed once they have a presence online. Nor is much attention is given on how they will integrate their digital presence with the physical so they can have a powerhouse effect with their marketing!

Although I am focusing in primarily on websites in this conversation, this holds true for just about every facet of digital media and marketing development. Most businesses leave this to their creative services, Web Development Company, web person, your son in high school or whomever.

Am I saying you should not use such professionals to design and develop your web presence?

Absolutely not!!

I AM one of such. I’ve been in the web development and digital marketing business for 13 years now. As a matter a fact, I believe our world is becoming some graphically sophisticated, one of the ways you need to break through the noise out there are professionals who do this for a living. As it becomes more and more crowed out there and newer technology takes hold, I believe you will begin to regard the services of professionals in this arena even more valuable than ever. Even if they make PhotoShop a “Speak and Design” application! There is WAY more to capturing that magic for your brand, message and perception than just a few user friendly DIY tools.

No…what I am saying is there needs to be a huge shift from viewing your business’s web presence (in whatever form it’s in) as just a marketing tool or tactic.

Your digital property and web presence is extremely valuable! It is an asset for your business.

Dictionary.com says an asset is…

as·set

A resource having economic value that an individual, corporation or country owns or controls with the expectation that it will provide future benefit.

These digital assets are tangibles that have the power to help drive your business today and in the future. For something that can bring you such an advantage in the marketplace you would think it would be something businesses would want total involvement in and would want to ensure they have total ownership of.

That is not the case most of the time though. Many web clients pass it on to the web people to “Make It So”. Don’t get me wrong, they do engage somewhat but many times it is very minimal.

My experience with hundreds of web development and web marketing clients has proven to me this is happening in most cases because of two things.

One…they simply don’t understand the real value of their web assets. Two…they understand traditional adverting and selling but not web marketing, the digital marketplace, nor web design and creative’s.

Very, very, understandable but disturbing when you think of the implications of this for a business and some of the horror stories where the business is really being taken to the cleaners and over charged and under delivered. I have come across clients that had paid out a ton of money yet own nothing! It’s happening all the time.

I am on a quest to help businesses get in the driver’s seat to take ownership and call the shots on their web destiny.

Stay tuned…

Susan Boyle

If you have not seen the videos or heard about the incredible voice of Great Britain’s Susan Boyle yet you must not come out very often!

Most have heard because her story has been all over the internet.  But more importantly its what her story of ‘most unlikely to succeed’ has done to touch the heart of millions of people around the world.

Susan looked the part of an average person (like most of us) but when she appeared on TV show Britain’s Got Talent and she begin to sing, the greatness that has always been in her came out to woo the world over!

I think her story is a lesson those of us in business would do well to heed. The fact is, every one of us have the need for significance, for being treated with respect and acknowledged by others. And we all deserve that because we are were uniquely and wonderfully made and there is greatness in each everyone one of us.

Today’s business must have a ‘soul’ and walk their talk. Everyone says “we are customer centric” (or something on those lines) but this can only be done genuinely when you begin to see your customers or clients in the light of their uniqueness and individual value.

I’m not trying to be corny nor am I saying you have to be a psychologist to succeed in delivering exception customer service and experiences. We don’t have to have a degree to know how important it is to not judge a book by its cover. You are in business and also a consumer. Think about it. When is the last time a business you spend your money with really made it clear to you they value YOU?

21st century businesses understand … business is about human beings. Human beings are creatures of emotion and one of the greatest driving emotions we have is the need to be valued. Just everyday average you and me. So…like Susan showed us…treat others (your customers included) the way YOU want to be treated and valued and people will flock to your business. Your customers are real gems.

Today I read this on E-Commerce Times…
[The king of the video rental stores, Blockbuster, is struggling for survival as its business model falters against competition from Netflix and Internet distribution of films. Still, the company has managed to persuade lenders to rejigger its financing, holding back the threat of bankruptcy for the time being.]

The explanation cited in the article for Blockbusters demise was the main reasons they are in trouble was because of Internet distribution and sinking franchises. Of course Netflix was also on their blame radar.

Yes, I hate to see a company go under but what really gets me as a small business person and a consumer is why does it take these corporations so long to see they are not as relevant as they once were to us? Is this a surprise to you Blockbuster? All the years I’ve been a customer of yours I’ve never been invited to engage with you except to quibble over some charges I felt were incorrect on my account. Not complaining…just stating the facts!

You had my email, my address, etc. I never received any opportunity from you to tell you what I like or don’t like about Blockbuster, no in-store experiences that were anymore than just a transaction, no real indication you care for me as YOUR customer. Just business as usual… which is what I find just about everywhere these days. Heck I why would I choose taking my time to come into your store and get a pretty much ho-hum service and experience when I can just hope online, order and go to my mailbox to get my flick from Netflix? Seems pretty simple to me I don’t need a whole lot of smarts to tell me your business model is not working.

Grant you this is my blog and my opinion but I’m jus sayin’…I believe most consumers, eyeballs or whatever we are referred to would agree with me when I say…service and interaction with most American businesses is sadly boring and status quo. I HATE status quo and I’m personally very tired of all the commercials, offers, and advertisement that show pretending caring companies, amazing burgers (which never look in real life like what you see in the ad), happy employees, etc. We are not dumb. We can tell the difference you know!

I’m not mad (yes, I am) just wondering why is it so hard for many of our icon businesses to genuinely care for their customer. To be successful in 21st century business you must sincerely value human beings as much as the bottom-line. Without us it’s pretty hard to have a bottom-line. Just ask Blockbuster.