Putting it all on the table
DEAR MR. FRIEND, I appreciate that you had a prompt public response to the complaints from your customers about the behavior of Rush Limbaugh on his show that you advertise on. I would like to address a few of your points.
SITTING IN STARBUCKS, I’M COMPELLED TO DISCUSS WHY. I mean, it’s the middle of the work day, and I “should” be at my desk, but there are some things that I can’t do as effectively there as I can when I remove myself from work (and home) environments, such as writing or really being creative in any way. One of the vice presidents at work likes to tease me about how much time I spend over at Starbucks, but he knows as well as anyone the amount of work I get done. I call it my remote office, but others...
I NEVER REALIZED THERE WERE GOOD TRAVEL DAYS. Usually, I am in the “I love to travel, but can’t stand airports” crowd. Apparently, today I am getting my karma repaid a little.
I TRY NOT TO BE AN APPLE FANBOY. I like the products for what they are, not because they came from the Black Turtleneck, and I am critical when appropriate. For example, I was very critical of the iPad before launch. Having said that, it has quickly become my platform of choice and I find myself turning to my laptop less and less.
THE BIG NEW BUZZ IS FIGURING OUT how to turn Twitter into cash. Everyone’s got a book, or a seminar, or a podcast, or a website about how to use Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, blogs, and anything else that has the faintest whiff of social media about it to create marketing gold. Most of these so-called experts are completely missing the point. Social media is not about your business. It’s not about your product, and it sure as heck isn’t about your marketing, Madison Avenue or otherwise. It’s about your people.
I WENT TO A SEMINAR HELD TONIGHT by the Hagerstown Economic Development Council and the Maryland branch of the Small Business Administration regarding the new America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) loan program that launched this week. For those of you who have been in business for at least 2 years, this is an amazing opportunity that you don’t want to miss out on. I’m going to give you some of the details from the meeting, as even most banks are not clear on the details of this program yet.
I had a moment of weakness the other day. The realization that summer is a slow time of year for our business, combined with the knowledge that we’re not operating in the black yet, hit home somewhat hard. Some might even call it a mini-meltdown. I lashed out at The Boss in IM. I got myself in a funk for the rest of the day. But sometimes that’s just what you need to clear your head and crystalize what it is we need to move forwards.
