Week 5-Reading

I was engrossed in this weeks reading. I thought the things that people have done, on their own no less, with new technology and social media is amazing. I love that small business have latched on to these new ideas. The growth and prosperity that can/will come out of something so simple and convenient is just what these organizations need. Finally something that will give them that jump start and help them move in the right direction, and fast at that. It's about time they were given a chance to finally compete against these huge corporations. I guess all this hits close to home for me as my dad is a small business owner himself. He is definitely in that older generation that is unsure of this new technology, but I do have to hand it to him, he is really trying. It makes me laugh sometimes when he knows more about various tools on the Internet than I or my brother do. He is starting to create a Web site for his tax business, and I think next time I go home I should really try to convince him to start a blog. The man likes to talk about numbers, so instead of talking to me where everything goes over my head, he might as well talk to those other crazy number lovers out there that might actually benefit from what he is saying.

I think the advice given by Paul Gillin is dead on. Research is important, not only so you know what you are talking about but who you are competing against. I do have to say the world of bloggers is a little more friendly than most atmospheres but people still want to make money and get ahead. You have to know where to market not only your product but yourself. You need to know how the people think, where they search, how they go about doing it and what they really want.
Getting personal makes you more than just a company trying to do business, but someone who cares about their clients and understands their wants and needs on a level in which you might talk to a friend about a problem. If you feel more at ease with someone aren't you more likely to work with them in the future?
The cost makes it all worth your while. Let's face it, small start-up business don't have a lot of money to throw around, and if they do they have probably already done it. How do you reach a mass amount of people, within a short period of time using the least amount of funds possible? Duh...blog of course, podcast, use technology as a friend, not an enemy. Just because you may not understand it, or you think its not for you why not give it a try? It can't hurt and your not really losing much money in the process...Think about it!