Thanksgiving 2009 holds incredible opportunity to transform your business »

Thanksgiving.jpegAah…the Thanksgiving holiday!

For many of us it conjures up memories and emotions of wholesomeness, family, fall colors, great food and of course, being thankful to God for all of the blessings we have.

Despite the fact Thanksgiving is just about being swept off the map and overshadowed as a major holiday these days…it will always be a significant holiday I will respect and honor in my lifetime.

I believe Thanksgiving 2009 offers up a special opportunity to those of us in business. No doubt it’s been a tough year for many of us here in the U.S. despite what…

Online Activities Over the Past 9 Years »

Interesting snapshot of the impact the digital age is having on us all. This wonderful snapshot is courtesy of the fine folks at Pew Internet and American Life Project. The 21st century will most certainly demand digital savvy business people who understand the old models for doing business will not work in this new economy. Different times, different people, need different approaches.

Online_activities_2009

Freshly Delivered Phone Books and Dinosaur Marketing »

phone_booksYep…I did it! It’s out in the open. I just picked up that intruder bundle thrown up on my porch without my permission and shoved it into my car to drop off at the local recycle  bin.

That’s that I thought!

But to my dismay, a week later another one of those pesky dinosaur phone books showed up delivered to my doorstep once again without me having any say so in the ordeal. Well, I don’t have to tell you what became of this annoyance once again.

Here’s the thing though that bugs me more than having to throw away…

Business Suicide Mindsets to Avoid in 2009 (Part 4) »

ChangeThis is my final article of my four part series on Business Suicide Mindsets to Avoid in 2009.

Although I this one is last, it can be just as damaging for a business as the other three I have already covered.

I call this Business Suicide Mentality #4: The “I Don’t Have Too; I Don’t Want Too, I Will Not Change!” Mindset.

Yep, Change…it’s a word we all know yet often we find we are naturally opposed to the meaning of this word.  We find change is disruptive and unsettling, so we resist it.

The dictionary defines change as……

Business Suicide Mindsets to Avoid in 2009 (Part 3) »

Hunker_Down_HidingSo far I have covered two of the four mindsets I believe are deadly in today’s new marketplace.

The first was the Status Quo Mindset and the second was the Arrogance Mentality Mindset.

Today I will cover the third mindset I find very noted for the season we are currently in.

It is the Business Suicide Mentality #3: The “Hunker Down” Mindset.

The reference to hunker down means two things: One is preparation for some type of pressure you’re anticipating. The other relates to hiding.

With the jobless rates soaring, consumer spending way down and the incredible…

Business Suicide Mindsets to Avoid in 2009 (Part 1) »

Business SuicideWell…here we are about halfway through what has so far been an incredibly challenging and difficult year for many of us in business, from the giants like GM to the local auto detail shop.

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…

Who Really Owns Your Website? »

Digital Persuasions

Believe it or not, many clients that have come to us to develop a new website did not realizing they did not own their previous website!

How can that be?

Well for starters…many web designers sell you what is referred to as a proprietary CMS (Content Management System) or a template based system. Both of these give you the advantage of adding content and managing some of your website functions from a browser accessed backend commonly refer to as a ‘Dashboard’. However, it the web system belong to the company your…

#unfollowdiddy Nobody is Exempt in Today’s Social Marketplace »

twitterFired up my Twitter this morning and checked what the hot topics of the day were and my goodness…#unfollowdiddy was really buzzing!

So I decided to check out what was going on and lo and behold, many fellow tweets were voicing their not so nice things about P Diddy (Sean “Diddy” Combs).

See for yourself…

#unfollowdiddy is trending so I read his tweets. He’s less of a jerk than I expected, but arrogant as he**. Twitters taking him down a peg.

#unfollowdiddy FOLLOW ME FOR A FREE #unfollowdiddy T SHIRT -ONE WINNER EVERY HOUR SM L XL

Good

Why You Better Stop Treating Your Website Like a Redhead Step Child! »

Why is it business websites and web assets ‘don’t get no respect’? That’s right.

In my 13 years as a web business professional I see this happen over and over. It happens with large corporations, to one man shop freelancers, to mid size and small businesses to entrepreneurs. Their website gets very little attention and nurturing at the stage of inception often handed off to the ‘web people’ to Make It So!

What’s wrong with that you ask?

Well for starters, your website and web properties (blogs, social pages, digital campaigns, etc) are not just flipping things that…

Treat Them as a Client not as a Customer »

21st Century marketing is understanding your emphasis is on a Client not on a Customer.

What’s the difference?

Selling to a “Customer” is a transaction relationship involving an exchange of goods or services for money, versus selling to a “Client” for whom the salesperson takes responsibility for guiding and advising by taking on a stewardship role.

Big difference!