What is Tickling Your Business Bone?

I am taking a blogging break for a few days as I  do some research on which topics are of the most continuing interest  to entrpreneurs and owners/leaders of small companies in the current business envitonment. For example,  the value of pursuing the social media world as a business tool is one major consideration which I know is bothering a lot of you but there are other basic matters which deserve to be thought about even before that, e.g. some blocking and tackling of basic initiatives which all small organizations need to keep in mind and practice if they are to build their business. For me, one such item is  market research which my experience tells me is undervalued and underspennt......it is too often regarded as an unnecessary expense rather than an invaluable investment. I will comment on this further in future columns but what issue or problems are you facing these days which I might be able to help with? Understaffed and underfinanced to bring on board that second or fifth individual you desparately need? Finding you need to reach your audience more frequently but are not sure advertising will work? Something else? Comment here and I will try to help. Excelsior!

Does Using Social Media Cause You to be Too Frenetic?

As I develop my blogging approach, I have been reading other blogs of established writers, marketing gurus and the like. I notice that many of their blogs ( I like to think of them as columns one might find in an old-fashioned newspaper) contain link after link either to orther blogs  and materials or back to their own web site pages. While I understand the optimization value of the backlinking,  I also find it distracting to be frequently interrupted by all these links. It is like a book I just finished where almost half of every page consists of foot notes which the author thinks would add to my understanding but, gee whiz Mr/Ms Author, I need to finish reading your sentence first so I know your complete thought.  Also, this process of constant linking adds to my daily freneticism when, in order to feel really productive, I need to understand the main gist of the blog and have the time to digest it, comment on it or forward it to a colleague for whom it will be of interest. I guess my concern is that we are all moving so fast we do not have - or take - enough time to think about what we have just learned.......instead, we Just Do It, and, maybe that is sometimes at our own expense.

Does anyone else feel that way?

Making The New Year Exciting and Rewarding

I decided at the end of 2009  to make 2010 a more exciting and rewarding year. Accordingly, I am challenging myself to learn two new skills - one for my business and one for my personal life - and am suggesting this might be a good way to help many of us move ahead. For  my company, I want to master the use of social media for  my clients' benefit and, for me as well. My personal goal is to become a respectable golfer (low 90s and threatening). I am not sure which will prove more challenging but since winter has a fast hold on us, I am starting with the social media resolution.

You are now reading  my first  blog. It will be oriented towards entrepreneurial and small company marketing and marketing communications  issues but will address lots of other areas along the way based on my 40 years in business. I will try to post 2-3x per week and  I am really hoping to  make some new friends along the way. You are full-heartedly invited to participate with me, post comments, suggest subjects of interest and value and see if we can be of help to each other and enjoy our daily journey even more than we did last year. By way of context, you can take a look at my profile and you can find me on Linked In and Face Book. I look forward to conversing with you and hope you will let me know who you are  and what you are up to. Thanks for listening.

Wilder