As a small business or “solopreneur”, it’s hard not to be dazzled by the array of “free” tools available at your digital fingertips. But “free” has a hidden price and sometimes it takes thousands of hours or a large chunk of revenue to figure things out. Many of us learned these lessons the hard way…
Category Archives: Business optimization
Teaching Digital Marketing to the Next Generation of Practitioners
Earning an accredited MBA online can expose you to the latest tools in digital marketing if you use the right resources. However, professors need to avoid assuming that their students who have grown up with the medium are also experts in how the Internet works. They also need to focus less on the tools for…
Work-arounds – why do we tolerate them?
I have had two experiences recently that left me scratching my head. This summer I flew to London on Virgin Atlantic…a nice enough airline – for an airline. As I was checking in, I was informed my carry-on was too heavy and I needed to remove some of the weight. The counter person watched me…
New technology and its impact on productivity in the workplace
Feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change these days? Not surprising. We’re surrounded by technology that drives our global economy and it is pretty overwhelming as the pace of innovation accelerates. Add smart phones, netbooks, and iPads which detach us from our desks and keep us permanently connected 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Layer…
Social media, virtual networking and the gender advantages
I spoke with many interesting, smart people last week who are struggling with the whole social media, virtual networking thing. These people are small business owners, consultants, corporate citizens and people in “transition” (the new PC term for professionals currently between jobs). They are men and women, mostly over 40 who are trying to understand…
Social media, technology, the future of communication and the new normal
I had a conversation with one of my favorite three-year-olds this Saturday. He called me from his parents’ cell phone to ask me if I wanted to Skype with him to talk about my upcoming visit. He wanted to discuss his plans for my stay. Looks like I’m going to be watching a lot of…
The age we live in: ignoring customers has a business cost that’s getting bigger by the minute
I listen to NPR all the time and one of my favorite shows is Marketplace Money . These folks are smart, savvy and easy to understand – it’s a great place to catch up on my financial news and hear what’s up in the consumer market. This weekend, they ran their normal “Getting Personal” segment…
Listen Up – Change is a Smart Business Strategy
I spend a lot of time speaking with business folks about change. Not surprising really given it’s my business and the general state of the world today is forcing everyone to contend with it. But under any circumstances, whether we like to acknowledge it or not, change is a constant. Convincing people to change (and…
Maintaining momentum during tough times
It’s really hard to listen to the news these days and maintain an optimistic outlook. Times are really tough. Fear is so de-motivating. It sucks up your positive energy and can leave you feeling so helpless. But I sustain myself by understanding that life’s trials can lead to triumphs. If I maintain a view that…
The Business Impacts of “At Least I Have a Job” Syndrome
There are some days when I am not sure who has it worse….my friends who lost their jobs or my friends who have them. Don’t misunderstand me; losing your job is never any fun. But in this economy, survivor guilt and fear of job loss is such an overwhelming presence in the workplace that it…
