Is Passion the Golden Key to Business Success?
May 31, 2008
I have met perfect small business owners with perfect little offices and perfect business plans and yet, I have had a hard time remembering what their business was about. Why?
They did not have the sparkle in their eyes when they talked about their businesses. You may or may not like Martha Stewart, but she is passionate about decorating everything from cupcakes to prison cells and it shows.
Jim Kramer is mad about investing, it’s impossible not to remember him. Steve Jobs is in love with Apple and its products, how can you not notice that?
Passionate business owners create passionate customers with their enthusiasm. These customers become followers and eventually turn into evangelists for your products and services. Can your customers find a sparkle in your eye?
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. ~Harold Whitman
Should Micro-Businesses Outsource?
May 28, 2008
I had a conversation recently with a small business owner who realizes that her work is piling up and she needs to hire additional help for office management, filing and marketing tasks. She is currently not outsourcing or hiring employees as she knows she would have hard time losing control over certain aspects of her business.
After further discussion I realized that the main issue for her was TRUST. How can she find someone she can trust? Can she rely on recommendations and/or probationary periods to figure out that a certain person /company is a right fit? Would it be a good idea to hire friends or relatives, especially when someone has had bad experiences in the past?
Then we talked some more about pros and cons of outsourcing.
PROS:
>Reduction of stress.
>Decreased workload.
>Delegating unpleasant tasks.
>Efficient use of business owner’s resources and time.
CONS:
>Added expense.
>Finding the right person/company may take time.
>Delegation can be difficult.
>Idea of signing a long-term contract not appealing.
>Training issues.
We agreed that she should thoroughly assess her needs and make a list of most frustrating tasks causing her stress. In addition, she needs a SPA day as she has not taken any time off for a long time.
Maybe a massage chair in her office would be a good idea?
The Peace Symbol Is 50 Years Old
May 28, 2008
Memorial Day made me think about peace…
The peace symbol first appeared 50 years ago in Britain. The year was 1958.
Demonstrators wanted an image that could be carried by marchers in protests against nuclear weapons. This idea was brought to life by London textile designer Gerald Holtom. The Naval semaphore sign language symbols for N (nuclear) and D (disarmament) were combined.
It filled a niche. Anyone could draw it, and before long millions of people did. Over time, it evolved into a piece used by countercultures of all kinds. Hippies adopted it as an overall symbol of peacefulness.
In the late 1960s, the image began to appear on every sort of consumer product. The symbol is enjoying new popularity in nostalgia jewelry.
Indiana Jones Still In Shape
May 27, 2008
Dr. Jones did it again – he led an adventurous mission full of excitement and solved the puzzle.
There was enough humor, good architecture, nature scenes and special effects in this movie to keep my mind occupied. Harrison Ford was amazing like always and very talented Kate Blanchett’s character – a power hungry military goddess,- very entertaining. I can see why audiences far east do not applaud to this movie – they represented the bad guys. The desire to find magic power/treasure and ultimately gain control over people’s minds has motivated leaders for ages, and still does. We will see world superpowers clashing for years to come. This movie may motivate students to read and study history. Knowledge IS power – we can choose to use it for evil or to help others around us.
Seth Godin is A Purple Cow
May 22, 2008
I registered for all my college marketing classes with great enthusiasm as I was dreaming of becoming a marketer some day. I learned a lot, but my enthusiasm often disappeared as the semester unfolded. Why?
In my experience there were two kinds of marketing instructors. First, marketing researchers who had not left the building for about 10 years and seemed to live in the past. They liked to talk about 4 or 5 Ps of marketing, gave me a solid foundation in marketing vocabulary as well as taught me how to analyze case studies. Secondly, corporate refugees who gained their knowledge of marketing working for big Fortune 100 or 500 companies. They had real life experiences and often times knew how to push products and services to the masses. They were well respected by the rest of the faculty for that.
I lost my enthusiasm in my marketing studies by mid semester with both types of instructors as I did not learn how to brand and market small business products and services. I was not interested in stories about big companies with huge advertising budgets.
Of course they were able to buy attention from consumers. In addition, I saw creative individuals getting below average grades in class as they did not do well at multiple choice tests.
Then I heard of Seth Godin and felt relieved. He announced that the “TV- Industrial Complex” that had lasted a half century, was broken and It was OK to be bored with traditional advertising and push marketing. It wasn’t just me.
The main idea in Seth Godin’s book “Purple Cow” is mastering the art of becoming remarkable as the New Era of marketing is NOW. Remarkable ideas that spread, win. Remarkable companies, that stand out, win.
Tips on turning your idea/product into a Purple Cow:
- Is your product/service more boring than salt? Come up with 10 ways to change it.
- Think small. Think of the smallest conceivable market, and describe a product that overwhelms it with its remarkability. Go from there.
- Outsource, if necessary.
- Build and use a permission asset. Once you have the ability to talk directly to your most loyal customers, it gets easier to develop and sell amazing things.
- Copy. Not from your industry, but from another industry. Find out what they do remarkably well and copy.
- Identify a competitor who is generally regarded at the edges, and outdo them.
- Find things that are “just not done” in your industry and do them.
- Ask “Why not?”
Seth Godin is definitely a Purple Cow amongst marketers as he is not afraid to do anything mentioned above.
Eight Rules To Remember When Calling Tech Support
May 19, 2008
No matter how well you know your computer, sooner or later, every small business owner is going to call tech support. Remember, what you say, and how you say it, are important factors in getting your problem solved. Here are some tips for efficient interactions with tech staff.
1. Do the obvious: Restart your computer. After restart, make sure you have no other programs opened, other than the one causing problems.
2. Check for system and program upgrades and install them.
3. Write down what operating system you are using and the name of version of the software you are using.
4. Clarify in your mind exactly what the problem is. Lots of things may concern you, but try to state the symptoms first. Remember that a simple statement is not the same as an empty statement. Do not contact tech support and say: It doesn’t work. This does not count as stating the problem. Do not attempt to make the tech support person ask 20 questions from you before he can even get to the point of the call. Less-than-patient tech support people may and will waste your time, too, and then nothing will be solved.
5. Remember that 99 percent of the time the problem is not with the computer or the program. The problem is most likely with the user. So, adopt a humble, business-like attitude, and treat your tech support person with respect.
6. Be open minded and patient. The support person likely will have several theories about solutions. Even if you have used the program or computer for years and never had this problem, try to be open to possible solutions the tech support person offers. You may have never had a problem with your CD drive, but it is possible that today is the day you are having one.
7. Offer context when relevant. If you just added new hardware to your computer, and your problem is with the computer, tell this to the tech support person. If you opened an email attachment, and now you are having problems, tell this to tech support.
8. Accusing tech support of incompetence doesn’t solve the problem.
What Do Small Business Owners and Triathletes Have In Common?
May 13, 2008
Six weeks after major surgery I finally started to train for my third upcoming Danskin triathlon in Seattle, Washington. While creating my training plan, It occurred to me that running a small business is like participating in a triathlon – you as a small business owner need to have some knowledge of all “events” - financial management, customer service and marketing, - or your business will not survive. You may not be good at all of them, but you have to build stamina to stay in competition and finish the race. All successful entrepreneurs I have ever known have had passion for their field. Just like triathletes, small business owners need passion to go out and compete no matter what the circumstances. Not all of us will win. Reaching the goals we have set for ourselves as small business owners, marketers or triathletes may bear bigger significance. Unfortunately I meet too many business owners each week who lack clear goals and desire to become better at what they do. At the same time, when we gain new insights, we become more confident at marketing our services.
“Everything can always be better. This game is fluid. It’s always changing, it’s always evolving. I could always hit the ball better, chip better, putt better, think better. You can get better tomorrow than you are today.”
-Tiger Woods
In addition, most successful individuals I know have created systems for every aspect of their lives. It may sound boring, but they stay on track without wasting energy on defeating chaos. They have streamlined their lives. I admire their productivity, therefore I am reading Getting Things Done by Dave Allen this week.
Indexed Outlook - Marketer’s Dream
May 9, 2008
Millions of people including myself use Outlook as their main email program. Many of these users are frustrated when they can’t find email addresses and phone numbers they are looking for. Outlook can also slow down significantly. A company, called Xobni was created to fix these problems.
“Using Outlook today is like taking a Volkswagen Beetle into space,” founder Mr. Adam Smith said. “People are kind of exerting all these stresses upon it that it wasn’t originally designed to withstand.”
Xobni is introducing a new downloadable tool that plugs into Outlook. This tool indexes all the e-mail in Outlook and makes messages quickly and easily searchable. It is available at www.xobni.com.
Are You Using Dimdim?
May 7, 2008
I am always looking for new and cool web-based tools that I could introduce to my customers and utilize myself. That’s how I found Dimdim when it was still in alpha testing.
With Dimdim you can share your desktop, show slides, collaborate, chat, talk and broadcast via webcam with no download required for attendees. Dimdim’s mission is to enable web collaboration for everyone.
After 3 rounds of beta testing, Dimdim is less buggy and open for business. Anyone can sign up and hold their own web meetings using Dimdim. Customers who prefer to customize or brand their own web meetings, can purchase Dimdim Pro for only $99 per year. Institutions in need of larger meetings can purchase Dimdim Enterprise for less than half the cost of existing solutions.
Unlike other web conference products, Dimdim does not require users to install software on their computers to attend web meetings. Users can initiate or join meetings with couple of clicks. Basic version of Dimdim is available for free. Dimdim is an open source software, therefore users can extend and improve it freely. It already integrates with CRM and LMS software and can be extended. Dimdim is available in hosted as well as onsite configurations and easily customizable. It is easy to set up….took me 10 minutes or less.
Cons: You may hear some echo during the meeting. Does not let users record their web meetings.
Mr. Microsoft’s Chase After Ms. Yahoo
May 6, 2008
I have been following Mr. Microsoft’s chase after Ms. Yahoo and have to announce today - this “soap opera” did not have a happy ending, or maybe it was Mission Impossible after all….
Mr. Microsoft did not win Ms.Yahoo’s heart. He tried, adding more bells and whistles to his marriage proposal, but Ms. Yahoo said NO and is still waiting for a Prince On A White Horse to come and rescue her from the Land of Uncertainty. Ms. Yahoo has been winking at Mr. Google who is way more skilled than her at search and online advertising…but their relationship is still in the early stages, and the two of them have not found solid common ground yet…..
Something tells me that this story will have a sequel as Mr. Microsoft is restless, desperately trying to find a partner who would balance his shortcomings in web advertising and search. He was hoping to create a harmonious island (cloud) with Ms. Yahoo, but did not find the right key to her heart.