Twenty years ago, to start a business, you had to be concerned about the old "bricks and mortar" overhead: utilities, phone bills, pesky landlords, street signage, wages, cost of materials and supplies.
Today, to start a business, bricks or not, you must be concerned about the new overhead:
the time required to learn and implement new technologies, even if the technology is free
the time required to stay connected through your blog, Twitter and other social spaces
the time it takes to weed out the email messages you don't want
the time it takes to read and reply to the email messages you do want
the time it takes to monitor your online content to make sure no one is stealing it
The new overhead is your time . And if you're just now starting a business, I want you to know that, no matter what, you'll never have enough of it.
When I first started blogging, I couldn’t figure out why some readers emailed their blog comments to me instead of posting them at my blog. I started to wonder how I would ever create community at my blog if I was the only one there. This used to upset me greatly until I remembered that my blog is not about me. Instead, it’s about my readers, and my job is to engage them where they are and in whatever ways they feel most comfortable.
Still, a blog is not a blog if the owner is the only one there. So I started to figure out ways to encourage people to communicate with me through my blog without causing them to feel forced or dragged into it. Here are some of the things I have done that have helped me do this. Perhaps they will help you too. Continue Reading…
This week, I am reading Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing out of Sync?
by Seth Godin. I'm about halfway through and enjoying every page of it. One of the things the book is confirming is my decision many years ago to focus on a specific target market, engage the people in that market and then be of service to them. This is very different from trying to be everything to everybody. It's also very different from simply making money. I suppose I could prioritize both of those things more, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun or as fulfilling. After all, Indie Beauties are my family.
Earlier this week, my decision to pursue my passion in the industry I love was once again confirmed when new Indie Beauty Network member Valerie Rice (pictured) of soon-to-launch Piper Tate joined IBN. She told me how excited she was to become one of hundreds of men and women who, like her, are creating unique, high end products and services, not for the masses, but for people who want to purchase and enjoy really special personal care products.
Focusing on the Journey and the Destination … Together
On yesterday's Indie Business Radio Show, dozens of Indie Business owners joined me to talk with Andrew Sherman, author of Road Rules: Be the Truck, Not the Squirrel. Andrew talked with us about his book, which covers 12 of his "essential" rules for planning, navigating and enjoying the road of life and business. The audio stream and MP3 downloads will be available in a day or so, but in the meantime, I want to share some of the highlights with you.
First, a little about Andrew, an attorney at Jones Day. While I have never met him in person, I consider him a valued and trusted business colleague. I first heard of Andrew while doing research for my first radio show back in 2005. At the time, I had a small law practice and was looking for an attorney to talk with my listeners about the importance of trademarks. Andrew appeared as my guest on the show for the first time on March 20, 2006, just 5 months after the show launched. Andrew is serious about his life and his work, both of which encompass a "giving back" component that is hard to miss. Once again, yesterday, he didn't disappoint. Here's a taste of what you missed if you weren'tt able tot join us.
There was a time when there were two ways to share your news. You
could either buy an advertisement targeted to the masses or you could
hire an expensive publicist to "pitch" your news to the media and hope
for editorial coverage in a magazine or a talk show that your
target audience read or watched. While both of those methods can still
be effective in the proper context, there's an even better way to share what you
have to offer, and it's available to everyone: tell your own story.
Photo credit: Media Swirl
Consider Tiger Woods. He's
been sidelined since June 2008 when he underwent reconstructive knee
surgery. Since then, the golfing world has been wondering if and when he would
return to the game. In the meantime, his wife gave birth to their second child.
Enjoy an inspiring audio message by clicking the orange button in the player below. If you prefer to read about it instead, just read under the player!
A few days ago, Indie Beauty Network member Jamila White of the Ecommerce Diva told me that Mia Jackson, a marketing specialist and friend of hers from the DC area was coming to Charlotte this week. I immediately connected with Mia on Twitter and we had dinner together last night. With young kids, it's sometimes a challenge for me to get away during the dinner hour, but thanks to a wonderful husband and business partner, it worked out last night.
Comments
Meet your blog readers where they are
by Donna Johnson on February 27, 2009
When I first started blogging, I couldn’t figure out why some readers emailed their blog comments to me instead of posting them at my blog. I started to wonder how I would ever create community at my blog if I was the only one there. This used to upset me greatly until I remembered that my blog is not about me. Instead, it’s about my readers, and my job is to engage them where they are and in whatever ways they feel most comfortable.
Still, a blog is not a blog if the owner is the only one there. So I started to figure out ways to encourage people to communicate with me through my blog without causing them to feel forced or dragged into it. Here are some of the things I have done that have helped me do this. Perhaps they will help you too. Continue Reading…