december 2007

Happy New Year everyone!

The New Year is a time for goal setting, reflecting back, and moving forward. I found several great quotes today - by greats!

“Don’t think about the past. Always focus on what is happening now.” Thierry Henry

“A true champion never arrives.” Tiger Woods

“Every day is a possibility to improve on something.” Roger Federer  

I love the online movies people create to motivate you into taking action. In fact we help our clients create movies all the time to bring in business.

I received this one in my email today, and thought I’d share it with you.

It will make you think about the service you provide your customers.

Watch it now.

Millions of people have experienced the thrill of getting the little turquoise box from Tiffany’s.

Now BestBuy is doing the same thing with their wrapping. Their ads make you want to get the special box with blue and yellow wrapping. In fact it’s so good you may do whatever is necessary to get the box. Because you know what’s inside is good.

BestBuy took something that’s been well known by Tiffany’s for years, and turned it into a fresh new marketing tool for their own business. And it seems to be working. BestBuy just announced their quarterly profit rose more than analysts estimated, and net income climbed 52 percent to $228 million, or 53 cents a share, 12 cents more than analysts estimated. Profit has risen eight of the last nine quarters.

Guess it just goes to show that presentation - and the experience - is everything.

For the past couple of years I’ve played around with many of the social networking sites - MySpace, LinkedIn, Ryze. Many small business owners have jumped on and starting using them to connect with others. Many more have barely heard of these sites.

So will they be important in the future? My vote is YES.

You can’t jump onto a social networking site and expect to gain new clients and great referrals today. Instead, think of them as a learning tool. Work with them now to gain an understanding of what will be available in the future.

These social tools teach you how to communicate effectively in many different formats. They teach you how to use viral applications. They teach you how to communicate in a global community. And they will ultimately teach you how to be more thorough in the way you look and retain your clients.

2008 will be the year of social networking for small businesses. Are you ready to play?