Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.
How can that change it all? By inspiring one person, by motivating you to achieve something new, or by introducing you to just the right person at the right time.
This particular basket is open from Feb. 26-28, 2010.
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.
How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.
This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.
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How Suzy sold me a muffin with 6 lessons
Suzy and Tracie make bread in a little strip mall in Mishawaka, Indiana. They have a franchise with Great Harvest Bread Company. They give you free slices to sample. (Apple Scrapple is very good.) They are like lots of bread stores in lots of towns.
Their store/bakery is only a couple miles from our daughter's college, but I never would have noticed it. It's one of many stores in that mall, and there are many strip malls along Grape Road.
So how did Suzy sell me a muffin and a coffee mug?
And Great Harvest has a new fan.
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Their store/bakery is only a couple miles from our daughter's college, but I never would have noticed it. It's one of many stores in that mall, and there are many strip malls along Grape Road.
So how did Suzy sell me a muffin and a coffee mug?
- Debbie Huber reads my blog. I wrote a series of 5 question interviews, (including one with Becky). Debbie liked the idea and decided to write her own version. (Lesson 1: steal ideas wherever you can. Lesson 2: have a corporate blog.)
- I found out about the post because I have a google alert to search for my blog (Lesson 3: link out from your blog.)
- I noticed they have a location in Mishawaka. I commented on the post and told Debbie I'd check out Great Harvest. (Lesson 4: have your locations on your website.)
- Debbie commented back and said she'd tell the franchise owners Suzy and Tracie that a social media chaplain would be coming in. (Lesson 5: interact with your readers.)
- We stopped by the bakery. I asked for Suzy and introduced myself. She said, "Are you the social media, what, guru?" (Lesson 6: follow through when you say you will do something.)
And Great Harvest has a new fan.
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Geeks and Entrepreneurs converge in Oklahoma
Last year at the Oklahoma Entrepreneurship Conference, we had two people tweeting: me and @stargardener. When we announced the hashtag we were using for the event, we got the oddest reactions. We had a tweetup, with just the two of us, and it was great. And the brand-new-at-the-time @OKCCoCo was there.
This year, there were 20 or so tweeters, and we had a tweetup with 17 people. Of course, @stargardener and I were back. The @OKCCoCo crew live-streamed video of many sessions. Conference organizer, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, picked an official hashtag: #OKEship, and tweeted a few photos. We had someone live tweeting from the audience in all the break out sessions. Heck, I live tweeted from the stage in one panel.
What changed? Convergence: more geeky entrepreneurs, more entrepreneurial geeks.
Plus, the conference this year emphasized social media. @chrisbrogan keynoted, and he drew in many of his local fans. Several local social media stars also spoke, including @malenalott, @deedradeterman, @blogging4jobs, and even me. I know I left some of you out who spoke! Remind me, and I'll fix it. (@Stargardener just reminded me that I left out @skygrrrl1272, who came over from Arkansas to speak.)
Where do we go from here? Who knows; but it will be exciting.
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This year, there were 20 or so tweeters, and we had a tweetup with 17 people. Of course, @stargardener and I were back. The @OKCCoCo crew live-streamed video of many sessions. Conference organizer, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, picked an official hashtag: #OKEship, and tweeted a few photos. We had someone live tweeting from the audience in all the break out sessions. Heck, I live tweeted from the stage in one panel.
What changed? Convergence: more geeky entrepreneurs, more entrepreneurial geeks.
Plus, the conference this year emphasized social media. @chrisbrogan keynoted, and he drew in many of his local fans. Several local social media stars also spoke, including @malenalott, @deedradeterman, @blogging4jobs, and even me. I know I left some of you out who spoke! Remind me, and I'll fix it. (@Stargardener just reminded me that I left out @skygrrrl1272, who came over from Arkansas to speak.) Where do we go from here? Who knows; but it will be exciting.
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What do customers want on tourism websites
Our crack research staff (my husband) caught a discussion thread about tourism websites. This one happened to be on a hunting safari forum, but there are lessons for anyone's tourism website.
(If you don't like hunting, or hunting pictures, don't click through: here is the original hunting discussion thread.)
A hunting and tourism operator asked the forum what info people wanted on a website. Here are the top requests from the readers:
A few choice comments from readers:
I know the immediate reaction is to dismiss this. But lots and lots and lots and lots of tourism websites don't pass these basic tests. And I thought you might like to hear the input from real people.
The discussion question: to price or not to price?
Do you include prices on your tourism related website? Why or why not?
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(If you don't like hunting, or hunting pictures, don't click through: here is the original hunting discussion thread.)
A hunting and tourism operator asked the forum what info people wanted on a website. Here are the top requests from the readers:
- current prices and packages
- updated photos of facilities and areas
- description and bio of guides
A few choice comments from readers:
I just absolutely hate it when no prices are there... I have seen a lot of good websites that were missing this essential piece to give you a baseline of what things will cost.
Tim Herald
I hate websites that don't put in pricing. Matter of fact, I dismiss them right off, if they don't.
I also hate websites that put their print on dark colored, or pictured backgrounds. Maybe its my old eyes, but they are darned hard to read.
Mad Dog
Do not use any music. No continuous video. Up to date prices and accurate descriptions.
dogcat
I know the immediate reaction is to dismiss this. But lots and lots and lots and lots of tourism websites don't pass these basic tests. And I thought you might like to hear the input from real people.
The discussion question: to price or not to price?
Do you include prices on your tourism related website? Why or why not?
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Simplify your small business marketing plan
Every small business has to market itself, but not many small businesses have a marketing plan of any kind. Even fewer have one they actually use. That's why I developed the Simplified Marketing Plan, back in 2006. It's high time to update it.
The plan is simple, so you'll actually do it. There are just four steps. You can create your plan in any form that makes sense for you: outline, mindmap, notecards, etc. Just be sure it addresses each of the four parts.
1. Name and describe each market.
Every business has more than one market to reach. A restaurant markets to hungry people, but also to event organizers. A local photographer may market to individuals, event organizers, families, schools and many other separate markets. For a chamber of commerce, your markets may be local businesses, people in the community, plus businesses you are trying to attract.
If you think in the broadest terms, a customer is anyone whose actions affect your results. (I borrowed that definition from Steve Yastrow, at tompeters.com.) If you are not sure about yours, sit down and brainstorm with a friend.
2. List potential methods you can use to reach your markets.
You may start with listing your traditional methods, including newspaper advertising, word of mouth, or printed materials. Add to that all the online methods you can think of. Facebook Fan Pages are a natural for small town businesses. Other ideas might be participation in local forums, contributing to groups on Flickr, blogging, uploading videos to YouTube, or updating your status and sharing links on Twitter or LinkedIn. The key is to identify the areas where your customers are online.
How do you find out where your customers are online? Ask them. I realize that sounds like an overly simplified answer, but it is the best way to find out.
3. Establish the cost in time and in money, and decide.
Go through your new list of potential methods. Start estimating the cost in time and money to use that method. Blogging might cost 8 hours of your time and $5 in expenses per month. Billboards might cost 18 hours of work to create and have posted, plus $1500 per month. (Those are just wild guesses. The point is to do your own estimates.)
Now, balance those costs against the benefits. Which methods get you more contact with your targeted markets? Which methods generate interaction and deeper connections? Which ones have the best potential to drive sales?
Finally, decide. Decide which methods to use and which to let go of. Pare your list down to just the most effective and do-able. Unless you are a brand new business, now is the time to get rid of some things you may have been doing for a long time that have lost effectiveness. Recapture that time and money for more effective methods.
4. Integrate it into your daily activities.
This is where things get interesting. You have a plan. You've decided on methods. Now use the plan to help guide your scheduling.
Line up your methods, and see where you can multiply your efforts. Write once, reuse or customize many times. Once you write the text for a blog post, it can automatically post to your Facebook Fan page. The same words could be reworked for a printed newsletter or a information sheet for customers. Status updates and links shared on Facebook can go automatically to Twitter and LinkedIn.
Use checklists to organize the work. Once you've selected your methods for reaching customers, draw up a daily or weekly checklist for actions to be completed. Here's a bit more about creating a checklist for your social media marketing actions.
After I presented this plan to the Bartlesville Marketing and Communication Association, David Austin interviewed me about the four parts of the plan. If you don't see the embedded video, click here for the full post.
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
The plan is simple, so you'll actually do it. There are just four steps. You can create your plan in any form that makes sense for you: outline, mindmap, notecards, etc. Just be sure it addresses each of the four parts.
1. Name and describe each market.
Every business has more than one market to reach. A restaurant markets to hungry people, but also to event organizers. A local photographer may market to individuals, event organizers, families, schools and many other separate markets. For a chamber of commerce, your markets may be local businesses, people in the community, plus businesses you are trying to attract.
If you think in the broadest terms, a customer is anyone whose actions affect your results. (I borrowed that definition from Steve Yastrow, at tompeters.com.) If you are not sure about yours, sit down and brainstorm with a friend.
2. List potential methods you can use to reach your markets.
You may start with listing your traditional methods, including newspaper advertising, word of mouth, or printed materials. Add to that all the online methods you can think of. Facebook Fan Pages are a natural for small town businesses. Other ideas might be participation in local forums, contributing to groups on Flickr, blogging, uploading videos to YouTube, or updating your status and sharing links on Twitter or LinkedIn. The key is to identify the areas where your customers are online.
How do you find out where your customers are online? Ask them. I realize that sounds like an overly simplified answer, but it is the best way to find out.
3. Establish the cost in time and in money, and decide.
Go through your new list of potential methods. Start estimating the cost in time and money to use that method. Blogging might cost 8 hours of your time and $5 in expenses per month. Billboards might cost 18 hours of work to create and have posted, plus $1500 per month. (Those are just wild guesses. The point is to do your own estimates.)
Now, balance those costs against the benefits. Which methods get you more contact with your targeted markets? Which methods generate interaction and deeper connections? Which ones have the best potential to drive sales?
Finally, decide. Decide which methods to use and which to let go of. Pare your list down to just the most effective and do-able. Unless you are a brand new business, now is the time to get rid of some things you may have been doing for a long time that have lost effectiveness. Recapture that time and money for more effective methods.
4. Integrate it into your daily activities.
This is where things get interesting. You have a plan. You've decided on methods. Now use the plan to help guide your scheduling.
Line up your methods, and see where you can multiply your efforts. Write once, reuse or customize many times. Once you write the text for a blog post, it can automatically post to your Facebook Fan page. The same words could be reworked for a printed newsletter or a information sheet for customers. Status updates and links shared on Facebook can go automatically to Twitter and LinkedIn.
Use checklists to organize the work. Once you've selected your methods for reaching customers, draw up a daily or weekly checklist for actions to be completed. Here's a bit more about creating a checklist for your social media marketing actions.
After I presented this plan to the Bartlesville Marketing and Communication Association, David Austin interviewed me about the four parts of the plan. If you don't see the embedded video, click here for the full post.
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
Brag Basket comes to Facebook
Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.
This particular basket is open from Feb. 19-21, 2010. This will be our first Brag Basket that gets cross-posted to our new Small Biz Survival Facebook Fan community. (Hey, I think that was a brag in itself!)
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.
How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate a terrific failure, because that's part of life, too.
This is not an ad; it's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
This particular basket is open from Feb. 19-21, 2010. This will be our first Brag Basket that gets cross-posted to our new Small Biz Survival Facebook Fan community. (Hey, I think that was a brag in itself!)
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.
How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate a terrific failure, because that's part of life, too.
This is not an ad; it's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
Social media summit for small businesses
Small Biz Social Media Summit 2010 is a live, rub elbows, shake hands and sit down across a table from other small business owners event in Hutchinson, Kansas, on June 5 and 6, 2010.
Our friend Deb Brown, with help from our friend Grant Griffiths, put together some of the most respected social media, internet based marketers and small business peers to share their proven strategies. I'm one of them. We are all going to give you real life, no hype and the nitty-gritty details you need to know how to take advantage of the benefits social media has to offer any small business.
The event website is www.smallbizsocialmediasummit.com and you can download the event flyer.
This summit is designed specifically for small businesses to identify social media avenues (like Facebook, twitter, blogging), how to use them and walk away with a plan for their business. See, Deb noticed another social media summit in her area. She didn't like that it ignored small business, so she decided to fix that by putting together a better event, this event.
Hutchinson, Kansas, was chosen not only for its easy to get to location, but also for its early adoption of social media by their local businesses. If you are in driving distance, you'll want to be there.
Friday, June 4, there will be a reception at the Cosmosphere and Space Center, featuring several people who will share what they are doing with social media and answer your questions. Saturday and Sunday will be at Hutch Hall in downtown Hutchinson.
Speakers include Becky McCray author of Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns, Jay Ehret host and producer of Power to the Small Business podcast, Kim Dushinski author of The Mobile Marketing Handbook, Deb Brown, networked communicator at www.debworks.com, George Krueger and Mary-Lynn Foster co-hosts of the show The Bigg Success Show, Cody Heitschmidt from LogicMaze, Grant Griffiths publisher of Blog for Profit, and Justin Levy, general manager of New Marketing Labs.
Notice something about that speaker list? They are all small business people, and they are experts in social media. Let's see. There are a couple of marketing firms, a liquor store, an Argentinian steak house, a website firm, a network marketer, at least one farmer, and much more represented there. Real small business people.
There are now 1.2 million rural small businesses. It is estimated by 2015 one in three people will be self employed. This Small Business Social Media Summit is designed specifically for the rural small business. Attend and set up peer mentors in your arena, meet others in your industry utilizing social media, hear what works and what doesn’t.
Find more information online at www.smallbizsocialmediasummit.com
Our friend Deb Brown, with help from our friend Grant Griffiths, put together some of the most respected social media, internet based marketers and small business peers to share their proven strategies. I'm one of them. We are all going to give you real life, no hype and the nitty-gritty details you need to know how to take advantage of the benefits social media has to offer any small business.
The event website is www.smallbizsocialmediasummit.com and you can download the event flyer.
This summit is designed specifically for small businesses to identify social media avenues (like Facebook, twitter, blogging), how to use them and walk away with a plan for their business. See, Deb noticed another social media summit in her area. She didn't like that it ignored small business, so she decided to fix that by putting together a better event, this event.
Hutchinson, Kansas, was chosen not only for its easy to get to location, but also for its early adoption of social media by their local businesses. If you are in driving distance, you'll want to be there.
Friday, June 4, there will be a reception at the Cosmosphere and Space Center, featuring several people who will share what they are doing with social media and answer your questions. Saturday and Sunday will be at Hutch Hall in downtown Hutchinson.
Speakers include Becky McCray author of Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns, Jay Ehret host and producer of Power to the Small Business podcast, Kim Dushinski author of The Mobile Marketing Handbook, Deb Brown, networked communicator at www.debworks.com, George Krueger and Mary-Lynn Foster co-hosts of the show The Bigg Success Show, Cody Heitschmidt from LogicMaze, Grant Griffiths publisher of Blog for Profit, and Justin Levy, general manager of New Marketing Labs.
Notice something about that speaker list? They are all small business people, and they are experts in social media. Let's see. There are a couple of marketing firms, a liquor store, an Argentinian steak house, a website firm, a network marketer, at least one farmer, and much more represented there. Real small business people.
There are now 1.2 million rural small businesses. It is estimated by 2015 one in three people will be self employed. This Small Business Social Media Summit is designed specifically for the rural small business. Attend and set up peer mentors in your arena, meet others in your industry utilizing social media, hear what works and what doesn’t.
Find more information online at www.smallbizsocialmediasummit.com
Notes from an Oklahoma tourism forum
Last week, Enid, Oklahoma, hosted a tourism forum, with over 90 people in attendance. Here are some of the best points captured in my notes.
Best silver bullet in travel: People want to eat like the locals. Recommendations from the locals of the hidden gems and "must eat there" places.
Hardy Watkins, Oklahoma's State Tourism Director
Travelers are making decisions right now based on eco factors.
Hardy Watkins, Oklahoma's State Tourism Director
I have a soft spot in my heart for diners. And I have a soft spot in my heart for the things that are a little off-beat.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
What do tourists want to see? Beyond the obvious attractions, the hard part is looking for the little things that might be overlooked. Even the weird junky art guy who doesn't represent the best of town will bring people to town. Things you might be around everyday, and might never think about.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
We have to be what we are. The little things make you what you are. Take advantage of them.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
While you try to sell your attraction to the world, you also have to sell it to your people.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
(Locals suffer from "never been there" syndrome.)
People will pay to pick cotton. I don't understand the attraction, but I'm grateful for it.
(His brother found an old cotton sack with his name on it. "Do you want it?" "Burn it! Burn it and drive a stake through its heart!")
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
Top Reasons people come to Oklahoma:
The available volunteer pool is declining, as population declines. It's still 10 people who do everything, no matter how big the town is.
There was a lot of desire for more networking and coordination between all the people trying to promote tourism in Northwest Oklahoma. I consider this a wonderful development.
Conspicuously Absent:
There was no discussion of social networks, new media, or any other online marketing. Sandy Pantlik did demonstrate the latest technology from the TravelOK.com website, and she did mention that video could be uploaded by local communities. There was a tiny amount of discussion of individual destination websites.
Given the general technology level in the room, that was probably just fine. I was the only one who brought a laptop. I was definitely the only one live-tweeting.
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
Best silver bullet in travel: People want to eat like the locals. Recommendations from the locals of the hidden gems and "must eat there" places.
Hardy Watkins, Oklahoma's State Tourism Director
Travelers are making decisions right now based on eco factors.
Hardy Watkins, Oklahoma's State Tourism Director
I have a soft spot in my heart for diners. And I have a soft spot in my heart for the things that are a little off-beat.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
What do tourists want to see? Beyond the obvious attractions, the hard part is looking for the little things that might be overlooked. Even the weird junky art guy who doesn't represent the best of town will bring people to town. Things you might be around everyday, and might never think about.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
We have to be what we are. The little things make you what you are. Take advantage of them.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
While you try to sell your attraction to the world, you also have to sell it to your people.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
(Locals suffer from "never been there" syndrome.)
People will pay to pick cotton. I don't understand the attraction, but I'm grateful for it.
(His brother found an old cotton sack with his name on it. "Do you want it?" "Burn it! Burn it and drive a stake through its heart!")
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
Top Reasons people come to Oklahoma:
- Scenic drives
- Restaruants
- Historic sites
- Outdoor recreation
- Shopping
- Museums
The available volunteer pool is declining, as population declines. It's still 10 people who do everything, no matter how big the town is.
There was a lot of desire for more networking and coordination between all the people trying to promote tourism in Northwest Oklahoma. I consider this a wonderful development.
Conspicuously Absent:
There was no discussion of social networks, new media, or any other online marketing. Sandy Pantlik did demonstrate the latest technology from the TravelOK.com website, and she did mention that video could be uploaded by local communities. There was a tiny amount of discussion of individual destination websites.
Given the general technology level in the room, that was probably just fine. I was the only one who brought a laptop. I was definitely the only one live-tweeting.
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
Why the Census matters to small town entrepreneurs
The upcoming US Census matters to rural small businesses because it will affect your community for the next ten years.
Census data is key to:
Most small towns and small businesses can't afford to do their own research of population or demographics, so Census data is usually the best available data. That makes it in your own best interest to be sure the Census data is as good as possible.
Once big problem the Census faces is that rural people can be very private, and resent anyone prying into personal information. Good news; this year the Census form is only 10 questions. Also, the Census Bureau is forbidden by Federal law to share anyone's answers with any other agency, including law enforcement.
Getting Involved
Census day is April 1, 2010. Start by looking around the 2010 Census site for more information
What can your small business do?
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Census data is key to:
- Federal grants, especially CDBG and Rural Development
- Economic development efforts
- Redrawing political boundaries from Congressional districts, all the way down to local political boundaries
- Every single person counted brings $790 back to the community through grants and programs
Most small towns and small businesses can't afford to do their own research of population or demographics, so Census data is usually the best available data. That makes it in your own best interest to be sure the Census data is as good as possible.
Once big problem the Census faces is that rural people can be very private, and resent anyone prying into personal information. Good news; this year the Census form is only 10 questions. Also, the Census Bureau is forbidden by Federal law to share anyone's answers with any other agency, including law enforcement.
Getting Involved
Census day is April 1, 2010. Start by looking around the 2010 Census site for more information
What can your small business do?
- Talk to your employees about participating.
- Print the simple factsheet at the Census Bureau site and make it available to customers.
- Use your marketing, online and offline, to promote participation. (There is a promotional toolkit available from the Census Bureau and even more materials here.)
- Help other local organizations with their census outreach.
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Mistakes: Failing a customer
Our friend Linda, @MissDazey42, is a retired business owner, with experience in sales, market
research, etc. (Her motto: "If I had my life to live over, I'd pick more
daisies.") Linda shared this story about her experience with a local business for our series on mistakes small businesses make.
Two years ago, I had the best experience with a small local shoe store when they special ordered a pair of shoes. They carry the brand of shoes I need for my arthritic feet. I told everyone about this wonderful caring store, including on a blog.
I went back and ordered another pair in middle of December; I was told it would take 2 weeks. OK, no hurry. By the middle of January, there were still no shoes. I called and the very young girl said she would tell the owner. OK, it’s now mid February, no shoes and no return calls from owner. I called again and got the same song and dance.
Yesterday since I was near there, I stopped by. The owner was on her cell phone at the desk, but the second she heard my name she went darting into the storage room. It was so very embarrassing for the young salesperson. All she could say was my shoes have been ordered. I asked if I could cancel, she went to ask the boss and got a NO. (By the way, the order was prepaid.)
I am a big promoter of good customer service. It’s a shame a local store that has a one of a kind specialty service has changed so much. It’s been in business here for years. Next time I will simply order the same shoes online at a lower price.
Read more from Linda at Elder Generation.
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Two years ago, I had the best experience with a small local shoe store when they special ordered a pair of shoes. They carry the brand of shoes I need for my arthritic feet. I told everyone about this wonderful caring store, including on a blog.
I went back and ordered another pair in middle of December; I was told it would take 2 weeks. OK, no hurry. By the middle of January, there were still no shoes. I called and the very young girl said she would tell the owner. OK, it’s now mid February, no shoes and no return calls from owner. I called again and got the same song and dance.
Yesterday since I was near there, I stopped by. The owner was on her cell phone at the desk, but the second she heard my name she went darting into the storage room. It was so very embarrassing for the young salesperson. All she could say was my shoes have been ordered. I asked if I could cancel, she went to ask the boss and got a NO. (By the way, the order was prepaid.)
I am a big promoter of good customer service. It’s a shame a local store that has a one of a kind specialty service has changed so much. It’s been in business here for years. Next time I will simply order the same shoes online at a lower price.
Read more from Linda at Elder Generation.
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
Be sweet in the Brag Basket
Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself,
share some good news about yourself, or congratulate a friend.
And what better time to share something sweet than Valentine's weekend? This particular basket is open from Feb. 12-14, 2010.
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.
How does it work? You write a comment on this post. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate a terrific failure. It's not an ad; it's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other!
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
And what better time to share something sweet than Valentine's weekend? This particular basket is open from Feb. 12-14, 2010.
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.
How does it work? You write a comment on this post. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate a terrific failure. It's not an ad; it's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other!
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
Ways to deliver audio for tourism
Imagine if your most enthusiastic and wonderful tour leader could guide every group of visitors. You know, that one person who tells the best stories, who makes it all come to life... what if that person guided every visitor?
The next best thing might be to record them and share that audio with your visitors.
The Shattuck, Oklahoma, Windmill Museum uses FM radio to broadcast "Windmill Willie's Story About Windmills." I think that is pretty cool. (I didn't tune in because I was headed to a meeting and just stopped long enough to snap this pic.)
You've probably seen audio CDs used to promote a tourism destination. One use that makes a lot of sense is a driving tour on CD. Pop it in the ol' CD player in the car, and head out on the tour.
How about getting even more modern? Let's take that same audio and go online. If you are not a technical wiz, get together with someone who is, to get started. And check out our friend Des Walsh's Basic Resources for Podcasting.
If you are technical, make an MP3 and upload it to your server. Or try out Utterli.com to host your files. Utterli will let you embed their player right on your site. (See an example of the embedded Utterli player here.)
The ultimate goal is to give your visitor another way to connect with your destination.
Do you have any examples of effective audio for tourism?
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The next best thing might be to record them and share that audio with your visitors. The Shattuck, Oklahoma, Windmill Museum uses FM radio to broadcast "Windmill Willie's Story About Windmills." I think that is pretty cool. (I didn't tune in because I was headed to a meeting and just stopped long enough to snap this pic.)
You've probably seen audio CDs used to promote a tourism destination. One use that makes a lot of sense is a driving tour on CD. Pop it in the ol' CD player in the car, and head out on the tour.
How about getting even more modern? Let's take that same audio and go online. If you are not a technical wiz, get together with someone who is, to get started. And check out our friend Des Walsh's Basic Resources for Podcasting.
If you are technical, make an MP3 and upload it to your server. Or try out Utterli.com to host your files. Utterli will let you embed their player right on your site. (See an example of the embedded Utterli player here.)
The ultimate goal is to give your visitor another way to connect with your destination.
Do you have any examples of effective audio for tourism?
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
Four ways to beat bigger competitors
How can your small town business take on the bigger competitors? Whether you're facing the big boxes, the big city shopping, or the online big boys, you can try these four ways to beat them back.
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- Tell your human story. Your business came from somewhere, was founded by someone, touches real people. When you tell your story, you build relationships.
- Your culture and place matter. You have a better connection with what your people want, how they like to be treated, and what touches their emotions than any big company can.
- When you have a competitive or better price, hammer on it. You have to overcome people's perception that small town businesses have higher prices. It doesn't have to be on every single thing, but I'll bet you can be competitive on many prices. Plus, you may represent a better value because of what all you add. Make sure you show people.
- When you have better quality, tell that story. This is where people's perceptions work in your favor. The general perception about quality at big companies isn't good. Take advantage of it.
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Mistakes: Missing menus
My friend Chaz French just emailed me from the road:
If you aren't sharing your critical information with your customers, you're missing out on sales.
Solutions:
Take time for a quick information audit. How would a person new in town find your business? Are there basic info pieces, like menus, that you need to share? How is your online presence? Once you think it's in pretty good shape, be brave and ask a friend to check your work.
And as a bonus, do you give customers an easy way to share problems with you? What if the restaurant had offered a way for Chaz to give that feedback immediately?
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I'm at a take out falafel place that apparently does delivery but nowhere in here can we find a menu to take and they didn't come up in a web search for delivery in the area.
If you aren't sharing your critical information with your customers, you're missing out on sales.
Solutions:
Take time for a quick information audit. How would a person new in town find your business? Are there basic info pieces, like menus, that you need to share? How is your online presence? Once you think it's in pretty good shape, be brave and ask a friend to check your work.
And as a bonus, do you give customers an easy way to share problems with you? What if the restaurant had offered a way for Chaz to give that feedback immediately?
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DARPA hard
DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, likes big challenges. They don't want to touch projects that are merely hard, or just really difficult. They only want to take on those that are so hard, so seemingly impossible, that no one else could solve them, no one else would ever invest in them. Challenges that big are called "DARPA hard."
Bill Reichert, from Garage Technologies Ventures, told that story at the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds Conference in Oklahoma City.
Look for your own "DARPA hard." Find the problems that are so hard, or so specialized, that you are the only one who can solve them.
Bill Reichert, from Garage Technologies Ventures, told that story at the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds Conference in Oklahoma City.
Look for your own "DARPA hard." Find the problems that are so hard, or so specialized, that you are the only one who can solve them.
Image source: DARPA.
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The basket I forgot to put a title on
Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging.
It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself,
share some good news about yourself, or congratulate a friend.
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.
This particular basket is open from Feb. 5-7, 2010.
How does it work? You write a comment on this post. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate a terrific failure. It's not an ad; it's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other!
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Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.
This particular basket is open from Feb. 5-7, 2010.
How does it work? You write a comment on this post. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate a terrific failure. It's not an ad; it's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other!
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
Do we even still need business cards
Are business cards dead?
Every so often, the "business cards are dead" meme goes around. High tech business people are more likely to exchange Twitter addresses than business cards. (@beckymccray, by the way.)
Some people use cards that just say "Google me" or only have their name. The implication is that you can find them so easily through a simple search, that they don't need to give you any contact details. (See an example from Rex Hammock, plus a link to his "real" business card.)
At conferences, we're seeing technology solutions that automatically exchange contact info, like the cute Poken devices or the "bump" application for some smart phones. These things come and go. Remember when Palm Pilots used to be the cool tech solution? They've all but disappeared.
However
In the non-tech savvy world, business cards are very much alive. Here are three ways I'm still using business cards:
Our friend Des Walsh re-examined the design of his business cards, and the discussion is well worth following. And we went through some ideas for great business cards of our own, too.
If we need a moral to this story, it's this:
How about you? Are you using business cards? Where do you tend to hand them out?
Every so often, the "business cards are dead" meme goes around. High tech business people are more likely to exchange Twitter addresses than business cards. (@beckymccray, by the way.)
Some people use cards that just say "Google me" or only have their name. The implication is that you can find them so easily through a simple search, that they don't need to give you any contact details. (See an example from Rex Hammock, plus a link to his "real" business card.)
At conferences, we're seeing technology solutions that automatically exchange contact info, like the cute Poken devices or the "bump" application for some smart phones. These things come and go. Remember when Palm Pilots used to be the cool tech solution? They've all but disappeared.
However
In the non-tech savvy world, business cards are very much alive. Here are three ways I'm still using business cards:
- My liquor store business cards with drink recipes are popular with customers.
- In my consulting business, I find that most people in Northwest Oklahoma still say, "Do you have a card?" Out here, no one asks for my Twitter name.
- At conferences full of tech geeks, I still go through a few. I am very selective about handing them out.
Our friend Des Walsh re-examined the design of his business cards, and the discussion is well worth following. And we went through some ideas for great business cards of our own, too.
If we need a moral to this story, it's this:
- Order new cards, not too many, and keep them current.
How about you? Are you using business cards? Where do you tend to hand them out?
Photo (cc) by Chris Brogan.
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Annual IRS Small Business Survey
A small business related announcement from the Internal Revenue Service:
The Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) division of the IRS will begin conducting its annual telephone survey of taxpayers starting January 18, 2010 and running through mid-April, 2010. This survey is targeted to small business and self-employed taxpayers who file certain income tax forms, including: 1120, 1120S, 1065 and 1040 with schedules C, E or F.
As in previous years, the survey is designed to gather opinions about the delivery of SB/SE products and services. Taxpayers selected at random to participate in the survey will receive an advance letter from the survey contractor, Pacific Market Research (PMR), which will also include a letter from SB/SE Commissioner, Christopher Wagner explaining the purpose and importance of the survey. PMR will conduct the actual surveys by telephone, with each interview typically lasting about 15 to 18 minutes.
Completing the survey is strictly voluntary, and all individual responses will remain anonymous to the IRS.
The interviewers from PMR will not ask for any personal or financial information, including Social Security or Employer Identification Numbers, or banking, or credit card information.
The Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) division of the IRS will begin conducting its annual telephone survey of taxpayers starting January 18, 2010 and running through mid-April, 2010. This survey is targeted to small business and self-employed taxpayers who file certain income tax forms, including: 1120, 1120S, 1065 and 1040 with schedules C, E or F.
As in previous years, the survey is designed to gather opinions about the delivery of SB/SE products and services. Taxpayers selected at random to participate in the survey will receive an advance letter from the survey contractor, Pacific Market Research (PMR), which will also include a letter from SB/SE Commissioner, Christopher Wagner explaining the purpose and importance of the survey. PMR will conduct the actual surveys by telephone, with each interview typically lasting about 15 to 18 minutes.
Completing the survey is strictly voluntary, and all individual responses will remain anonymous to the IRS.
The interviewers from PMR will not ask for any personal or financial information, including Social Security or Employer Identification Numbers, or banking, or credit card information.
Invite your visitors to rehearsals
When I visited Peru, one highlight was watching a rehearsal parade. It was the day before the Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, in Cusco, Peru. The main festival draws a crowd of thousands and thousands.
But this was the day before. The local bands and performing troops held a rehearsal. The crowd was relatively thin, almost all local people. Everyone was relaxed, casual, and having a good time. We were able to easily get a space at the rail to watch the performances. (The rest of the tour group went to tour a cathedral instead.) It was an amazing experience. We were, for a moment, part of the locals.
How can you share this kind of experience with your visitors?
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Things that scare people about social media
To get ready for an upcoming presentation, I came up with a list of things about social media that scare small town governments, or roadblocks that keep them from participating in social networks. I think there are lots of similarities to small businesses.
If you've tried to help people with these issues, what answers have you found effective? Are there some techniques that help get past some of these internal barriers?
I'll do a follow up with some of the best solutions. I'll be speaking on this topic twice in the coming months, so I've been thinking about it quite a bit!
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- We don't know what to do.
- We don't want to lose control (of the message, the conversation).
- We might draw negative comments.
- We could run into legal issues.
- Does this create Open Records Issues?
- What will it cost?
- Where will we find the time or the staff to do it?
- This is not seen as serious business. We have important things to do.
- If we spend money to get help, we might face public outcry.
- Will there be any return on this investment?
- How does this fit with what we do now?
- Who will do it, and what are they NOT doing while they are doing it?
- What if we mess up?
- Why? What for?
- People will expect follow up and better performance.
- What if it's a failure?
- The Mayor, Council, or the Public might not like it, or don't like it.
- What if we accidentally reveal too much information?
- We don't know the guidelines or rules.
- We can't keep up with changing technology.
- What would we say?
- This might create jealousy when one employee gets to do it, but not others.
- We're too small.
If you've tried to help people with these issues, what answers have you found effective? Are there some techniques that help get past some of these internal barriers?
I'll do a follow up with some of the best solutions. I'll be speaking on this topic twice in the coming months, so I've been thinking about it quite a bit!
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