EvoBloggito

Business in 2010: Still Evolving After All These Years*

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Jan 2, 2010; Category: Blogging, Business, Communication, Marketing, Zeitgeist; Tags: Blogging for Business, Business, Change, Economy, Entrepreneurs, Future; One Comment

New Year’s resolutions aren’t part of my tradition. They’re too easily forgotten or ignored, and they seem to focus primarily on end results rather than on underlying issues that create the need for improvement.

However, because the end-of-year holidays include more days off than I’m used to in a 2-week period, I usually do end up thinking about how things have gone over the previous year and where I’m going in the next. While I don’t exclusively think about business at such times, I’ll restrict this post to my reflections about Evo’s business (believe me, it’s better for both of us ).

My business has changed fairly dramatically in the past year, and blogging and blogs have played a big role. Evo has been in business since May, 2000—nearly 10 years. In terms of business activity, 2009 was not awful, but not great (until the last couple of months). My long-time business partner left the company in August and, while that has limited Evo’s ability to do some things, it’s also created profitable opportunities for collaboration with other companies.

I originally selected "Evolution" as part of the business name because I knew we’d have to evolve to be effective, as well as to stay in business. Back in 2000, I thought of websites primarily as online brochures. A lot of people still want static, set-it-and-forget-it websites that somehow bring them tons of business. It doesn’t work that way in 2010, and it really never did. I’m excited that websites can play an active role in marketing for a price that is well within the reach of most small businesses and organizations. My focus is now primarily on helping businesses and organizations incorporate blogging and blog-based websites into their marketing mix. In September, I developed and released a highly-customizable WordPress theme, Evo4 CMS, specifically for creating blog-based websites, and it’s greatly increased both my flexibility and efficiency in the implementation phase.

The challenge is that blogging, engaging online with customers, and keeping your website updated requires some time and effort. Definitely not a set-it-and-forget-it scenario. In 2010, I have to do a better job of communicating the benefits that kind of time and effort can bring about. Depending on how well I’m able to do that, next year should be a great year for Evo. And, I will have put some real tools in the hands of people to help them manage their business, which is a good feeling.

So, I’m focusing on two things in 2010:

1. collaboration with other developers, marketers, and consultants
2. helping businesses and organizations acquire the web-based tools and knowledge that allows them to manage their own marketing

I’m looking forward to it. Still evolving (and maybe still a little bit crazy) after all these years.

*apologies to Paul Simon

Waiting for the Small Business Fairy to Bless Your Small Business

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: May 14, 2009; Category: Business, Marketing, Zeitgeist; Tags: Business, Economy, Humor, Zeitgeist; One Comment

Fairy tales were fun when we were little. The dastardly, selfish, and conniving were always punished. Meanwhile, handsome, brave, pure-hearted princes or tailors hooked up with beautiful, pure-hearted princesses (or beautiful, pure-hearted commoners) and lived happily ever after, often after some help from a fairy godmother or some other magical being.

Unfortunately, too many small business owners appear to be waiting for the Small Business Fairy to whack them with her wand, rather than adopting new marketing techniques with which other businesses have found success. If you’re one of those, you should know that I talked with the Small Business Fairy recently, and I have some bad news. The Small Business Fairy doesn’t have much of a work ethic, and she’s not ever going to get to you, no matter how brave, pure-hearted, or otherwise deserving you might be.

If you want to find your fortune with your small business, you’re going to have to do it without the Small Business Fairy’s help (trust me: she’s not coming). You’re going to have to muster all the bravery and pure-heartedness you can and start a business blog. And maybe establish a business Facebook page. Maybe even, you will need to "tweet." You, brave small businessman (or business woman) must hack your way through the thorny underbrush of social media. Having done so, however, you will be rewarded, as good fortune (and Google) smiles upon you. And there are people who can help you get there: no magic wands or spells, but sound advice.

It could be worse. There could be dragons.

90% of Your Sales Will be from Word of Mouth or Digital Promotion by 2011

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Apr 28, 2009; Category: Business, Marketing, Zeitgeist; Tags: Business, Economy, Future, Marketing, Seth Godin; No Comments

That’s Seth Godin’s prediction, not mine. It’s based on behavioral trends for people who are ready to buy. It might be a bit exaggerated, but let’s suppose only 50% of your sales are from word of mouth or online promotion. What are you doing to prepare for that kind of sales mix?

Here in New Mexico, we understand being ready for conditions we know are coming. Our "monsoon" season is mid- to late-summer, maybe into early fall. Unless we get lucky and get some nice snow in December or January, that’s pretty much it for the year. In the spring, when it’s dry, it’s easy to forget that rain is coming, eventually. But we all have our rain barrels positioned under canales, and we count on the gallons of water we catch during the rainy season (usually more than our rain barrels can hold) to water gardens after the rains are gone. The people with bigger or more rain barrels capture more water (it’s not rocket science), which means they often have nicer, longer-yielding gardens.

But when it comes to taking advantage of the growing trends of local search, social media, and what some people refer to as the ReadWriteWeb, and using the tools to market and grow our businesses, New Mexico is woefully behind. Apparently, we don’t believe the changes that are already happening demand any action on our part, especially if we already have a website. Or maybe we think the trends are part of a fad that will reverse itself, rather than part of a fundamental change in the way people prefer to research and make purchasing decisions. More likely, we’re just not paying attention. Online marketing is not rocket science either, but you have to play to win.

The good news in Mr. Godin’s prediction is that there’s still time to establish your online marketing platform. The bad news is that there’s not a lot of time. It takes several months for most businesses to create a useful online platform. There are mistakes to make and learn from, markets to attract, and strategies to be discovered and honed before you’re ready to take full advantage. If you’re not ready, 50-90% of very little is "not very much."

From Laid Off to Entrepreneur

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Mar 19, 2009; Category: Business, Zeitgeist; Tags: Economy, Entrepreneurs; No Comments

Business Week’s SmallBiz Insider offers this look at Rebounders, people who were laid off recently who are now taking matters into their own hands with their own businesses. Just wanted to pass it along in case you need a little inspiration in the face of economic woes.

Because The Light is Better Here

Author: Ray Gulick; Published: Mar 14, 2009; Category: Blogging, Business, Marketing; Tags: Blogging, Business, Change, Economy, Zeitgeist; One Comment

It’s a punchline to an old joke you’ve probably heard, but just in case you haven’t, it goes like this:

Coming out of a bar at night, George sees Harry, a friend and fellow bar patron who’d left minutes before, on his hands and knees searching for something under a lamp post. "Harry, what did you lose?" asks George. "I lost my keys under a car," says Harry. "If you lost them under a car, why are you looking under the lamp post?" asks George. "Because the light is better here," says Harry.

Obviously, Harry’s judgment is impaired. He’s looking where it’s easier to look, rather than where his keys might be found.

What Harry is doing is not unlike what a lot of businesses do, as they continue to look for customers with broadcast media, print ads, and press releases. Though their customers are increasingly not to be found in the audience for those "tried and true" methods of marketing, that’s the marketing territory they know (or are being sold), so that’s where they continue to look. I’m sure they’ve noticed their results are not what they once were, but maybe if they "turn up the light…"

If their customers aren’t where they used to be, where are they? Most of them are on the Internet, either making purchases or researching purchases they plan to make. Who do they do business with? With whoever they find online who engages them with content that answers their questions and solves their problems. They start with Google, and they find answers and solutions without leaving their chair.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they buy online, although sometimes they do. Sometimes they find a website or a blog that speaks to them about what they’re interested in. They subscribe to updates and develop a relationship with the company. When it’s time for them to buy, that company gets their business.

That was an oversimplification, but the techniques of making your business findable—and engaging those who find it—are not complicated. They don’t require much money (especially in comparison to traditional marketing), but they do require time and effort, and a willingness to learn something you might not be familiar with.

Business people who want to stay in business follow their customers. If their customers are not "under the light," they find them where they are.