Successful Blog

SOB Business Cafe 04-10-09

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking — articles, books, podcasts, and videos about business online written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the titles to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Outspoken media asks …
As companies dive deeper into social media, as Community Manager job descriptions are being created and employees are becoming “spokespeople” for the company they work for, we’re being forced to ask a hard, somewhat controversial question: Who owns an employee’s social media connections?

1 to 1 media wonders …
There’s no denying it’s tough out there for America’s workforce. Every week more layoff numbers are announced. It seems like everyone is in jeopardy, no matter what field your in or how well you do your job. In the corporate world, marketing departments are one of the high-profile areas that unfortunately seem to get unwanted attention during cost-cutting times.

Hound Dog Blog recalls …
It has been said that Frank L Baum named the title ‘OZ’ by glancing at his files and seeing the folder: O – Z … crazy… to me where such a place comes from . .

Junta 42 measures …
Right now, maybe more than ever, your content marketing efforts deserve a little measurement. Amidst budget cuts and strapped resources, elements of a marketing communication plan that lack at least some metrics linking back to effectiveness tend to be early casualties. “Nice to have” is often “first to go.”

Related ala carte selections include

InnerNoodle unravels …
This is part 7 of a 9 part series. If you missed the first six posts, please take the complimentary ride on the Inner Noodle Warp.

Oh and..
Invest in your future.

Register for SOBCon09!

Make something happen!

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like. No tips required. Comments appreciated.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Have You Put More Hard Work into Your Successes or Your Failures?

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I've been thinking . . .

about the hard road to success.

I’m not thinking about getting rich quick. I’m thinking about accomplishing rigorous, heartfelt dreams. What I’m wondering is

Is the road to success really hard?

I worked for someone once, who believed that if you got good grades and didn’t complain about the work, you went to an easy school. She would argue for the problem — that school was supposed to hard, that work was supposed to be taxing. That success needed to be earned by blood, sweat, and tears.

Does it really?

Every success I’ve known has come from being saturated in learning. I threw myself at every minute of my university time. It didn’t feel hard at the time. It felt thrilling. I wasn’t thinking about how hard it would be to get to the goal. I was thinking about the path to take me there.

All I saw was what new process I got to learn, which new skill I got to master, which new person I got to meet to accomplish the next step to make my way. Nothing seemed like so much work, but at the end I knew and could do things..

I realize now that every time I’ve been a success the work hasn’t felt hard — It’s felt huge, but energizing — pushing me forward. It seems that I’ve put more hard work into trying to save my biggest failures.

Seems to me, if we think the road to success is hard, then we’re on the wrong road.
Seems to me, if we choose our own right road, the work becomes less like work.
Seems to me what comes natural comes more easily.

How about you? Have you put more hard work into your successes or your failures?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

Geoff Livingston Will Be Outlining an Optimum Integrated PR / Marketing Plan

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We’re pleased and delighted that Geoff Livingston, top blogger in the communications space and author of the popular 2007 social media book, “Now Is Gone” has agreed to lead the Saturday afternoon Models and Masterminds session on “An Integrated Offline / Online Marketing Customer Outreach Program.” He’ll be answering the question: What are the parts and proportions of an integrated overall online and offline marketing and pr plan?

Geoff will be drawing from his experience as CEO of Livingston Communications, where he has provided innovative solutions for a diverse group of clients, including General Dynamics, United Way, the Consumer Electronics Show, Save Darfur, Goodwill, rock band Godsmack Lead Singer Sull Erna’s book and many more.

With the recent acquisition of Livingston Communications, Geoff Livingston will be coming to SOBCon as the Senior VP of CRT/tanaka. We’re delighted to be the first to welcome him in his new role!

Geoff will be taking over for his “Now Is Gone” co-author Brian Solis who could no longer attend.

Imitation

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“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
Coined by Charles Caleb Colton in 1820 in his ‘Lacon.’

“Imitation” happens all the time on the web and is the source of much frustration for newspaper and other print media. The concept of “fair use” and “scraping the web” are terms mostly used when talking about copyright infringements for print media producers. The idea that citizen journalists can now report on news and other happenings with information taken from news sites it a disturbing phenomenon for many journalists to deal with, not to mention print media in general.

But is this type of imitation really flattering? Is this plagiarism? You’ve worked hard on your post. You’ve taken the time to think about it and possibly, do some research. You’ve carefully written and posted it on your blog. It’s your content based on your idea. Later , you discover through Twitter, or a friend that the very same content has been taken, copied and posted on someone else’s site! Sound incredible? It happens.

I’ve even seen it happen even on Twitter! We all know, or learn quickly (there is a LOT of twitter advice out there) the idea of the RT. You see something of value from someone else and you share. The RT is the attribution, the link back. Twitter has been called micro blogging – when you see something you’ve found and shared go by two seconds later from one of your followers with no RT, do you feel flattered by the “imitation”? I don’t.

I think it’s important to protect you work, your ideas, your content. The very idea of taking the time to think about, write and post your ideas deserves respect. That respect should allow you the right to not have your work copied without permission. Creative Commons is an excellent resource to help you with this. There are different licenses you can apply to your work that will protect it. A great resource for questions regarding this issue is Jonanthan Bailey, @plagiarismtoday on Twitter. He would be happy to discuss anything related to “imitation” with you.

Have you had experience with this and your writing? Do you see this as a problem?

from Kathryn Jennex aka @northernchick

photo credit: The Green Album

The Secret of Work-at-Home Businesses

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The theme of SOBCon09 is the ROI of Relationships. To underscore the importance of relationships in business and to have a chance to make and celebrate a few while we’re doing that, I’ve opened up this series by successful and outstanding bloggers like you.

The Secret of Work-at-Home Businesses by Bizymoms.com

“Working for someone else is nothing like being an entrepreneur and the boss of your own business. To become an entrepreneur requires a different plan or map. You’ll be taking a different road to a different destination.”

~Noel Peebles (Author of “Sell your business the easy way.”)

Hundreds and thousands of home-based businesses are testimony to the growing popularity of work-at-home jobs. This is understandable; most people today are looking for work-at-home options because of the constantly looming threat of the dreaded recession-related job-cuts. Working at home also offers most people relief from a hectic lifestyle made worse by work-related stress.

However, not all such ventures are successful. What is then, that differentiates a successful home-based business from a not-so-successful one? What is the secret-formula that all those successful work-at-home business entrepreneurs are using? Noel Peebles was right; to become an entrepreneur requires a “different plan or map.” What is the plan/map that you’re going to use?

Do you have what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur? Just keep the following in mind and you should be on your way to building up a successful home-based business.

Don’t get caught to “get-rich-quick” schemes

The recent years have also seen a rise in “work-at-home job-scams.” This is when so-called “job posters” use “fake” job listings in order to get hold of applicant details, which include both personal and financial information. It’s important to be-aware of such scams before you start applying for jobs online. Always think twice before you provide any website with any of your details, no matter how “authentic” the website may seem. And remember – if it sounds too good to be true; it probably is. Contact the Better Businesses Bureau (BBB) for information on the company- The Better Businesses Bureau’s website will also give you information on complaints, (if any), in relation to the company. And if you require information on commission actions, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Do something you enjoy!

If you don’t like what you’re doing, chances are that you’re not going to do your best. And if you don’t do your best, chances are that you won’t succeed. For your business to be a successful one, you simply have to do your best; give it your “best shot!”

Business planning is a must

It doesn’t matter how “small-scale” you think your work-at-home business is; you have to have a business plan. A business plan will help you plan effectively and keep an eye on your goals as well. Planning every single aspect of your business will ensure that most things – at least the ones in your control – run smoothly.

Be “money-wise”

Make sure you keep the cash flowing. If required, get yourself a good money-manager. No business can survive without a reasonable “cash-flow.”

Be “time-wise”

In order to manage a successful home-based business, it’s important that you manage your time wisely. This will ensure that your business runs smoothly, effectively and of course – efficiently. Even if what you’ve got is a small-scale, three-hour, part-time job; it’s important that you get yourself organized. When you work-at-home, most often than not, you get to choose “when” you want to work. This added time flexibility also means that most people who work at home begin to take time for granted. Make sure that you use the “time-flexibility” that comes with most work-at-home jobs, to your advantage -instead of the other way around. Allocate “business time” and make sure that you stick to your schedul

Create your own “work space” within your home. Get yourself organized. And no; you can’t do it later! Procrastination is a slow-but-sure way to kill your business. It’s also a very easily developed bad-habit; especially when you work at home.

Advertise effectively

Effective advertising can go a long way; whether you do it via a website or through flyers and leaflets distributed within your local neighborhood. Word-of-mouth advertising can go a long way too – so make sure you keep those customers happy.

Take extra care to keep your customers happy

Pay attention to your customers and make sure that you “follow-up” and “follow through.” Remember that keeping your customers is extremely important – just as important as “winning new ones over” is. Research has shown that most businesses thrive on business from regular customers rather than on business from new ones.

Atya Shakir is Manager of Webmaster Relations. he arranged for this article written by the writers of Bizymoms.com , which has been dedicated to helping women work from home for over 10 years! Visit their interactive message boards, informative articles, help and advice from the Bizymoms’ Home Business Support Team and achieve your own work at home dreams with our home business start up kits.

Register for SOBCon09 NOW!!

Experience the ROI of Relationships

How Do You Invite a Shy Company to Taste Social Media?

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Sometimes a Taste Is All We Need

Last night David Panscot wrote a compelling comment on my blog. His question was how do we get people trained to broadcast a message to become part of a culture of trust relationships?

He already knows what we all do — it’s hard to change thinking like that. It requires a cultural shift. It takes empowerment to face the risk of doing something that goes against what “we’ve always done.”

I always think of how Baskin Robbins gets us to try something new. They give us a taste before we buy.

Here are five ways to invite a shy company to take a taste of social media.

  1. Invite a member of the organization to be an advisor on social media project. Ask him or her to sit in on calls as you decide the direction of your plans.
  2. Invite the organization to become a sponsor by offering to lend a hand in the form of design work on your marketing effort.
  3. Invite two or three traditional organizations to participate in a survey that you might send to your customers about how they might like to interact with your product or your web pressence. Then send them the results of the actual survey once it has been completed.
  4. Invite an organization to try a limited size version of a social media class that you want to pilot.
  5. Invite the CMO of an organization to be your guest at a local tweetup. As you introduce him or her, ask folks to tell share the single most important value of Twitter.

That’s a start. Not everyone of these might work for every organization or environment. The point is to give folks a relevant taste that fits easily into their lives — no risk with noticeable benefit.

How do you invite a shy company to taste social media?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!