Are Your Marketing Contacts in a Rolodex or Palm?

A Rolodex is very important in todayPicture this: you meet with a trusted adviser and ask for an introduction to someone within an industry you wish to serve.

This adviser knows the perfect person and immediately begins searching through one of several gigantic Rolodex wheels propped on his desk. He finds the card, gives you the information, and off you go after thanking him for his time.

As you head back to your office, are you thinking, “Gee, that’s an old-fashioned way to catalog important names,” or “Hey, I’d better get one of those Rolodexes!”

Last weekend’s Wall Street Journal featured a cover story on how long-time businesspeople covet the Rolodex. Some even search for discontinued models on Ebay. I don’t blame them.

“But even as some executives cling to their Rolodexes, the models they covet most — like the hulking, 6,000-card wheels that once signaled the huge network of contacts — have vanished from the market.”

Even though I heavily depend on my Palm and have done so since buying my first handheld organizer in 1999, I know that if this electronic product fails, I’ll have a serious problem recalling its contents. But that won’t happen to a Rolodex that sits atop a desk.

Years ago, in pre-Internet days, I remember reading an article that said when executives left their jobs, the only thing they cared to take was their Rolodex. That article influenced me to buy my first model, which I still have.

It doesn’t get much use today, but there’s no way I’d get rid of it, as there are many contacts stored in it that are very-important resources.

Do you have a Rolodex as part of your marketing arsenal? Would you consider buying one today, or is a handheld organizer more your style?

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November 30, 2007 | Filed Under Offline Ideas, Solo Housekeeping | Leave a Comment 

Five Tips to Hire Good Help

Create a clear vision of duties before you hire employees.A real estate investor, who happens to be a good friend of mine, recently experienced good and not-so-good luck finding a part-time employee.

She placed an ad on Craig’s List to find two individuals to perform clerical work.

Like any first-time employer, she thought long and hard about the exact duties for the two employees. Then she listed the activities in her ad.

It wasn’t long before she interviewed several candidates and hired two. Both reported for work the next week. One was on time, and the other was about 15 minutes late.

The tardy employee was filled with excuses, and she arrived with other baggage: complaints about being tired and a request to sit for a while before she started work.

My friend immediately dismissed the complainer. There was no employment contract, and the work schedule was set up on a temporary basis. She’s very happy with the workstyle of the other assistant who’s helped to organize projects and is proactive in other areas of the business.

I’m sharing these details with you because there will be a time when you seek outside help and may not know where to turn or how to find suitable candidates. This example shows that no matter how well interviews progress, you may end up with a dud, but you may also find a gem.

Here’s a quick summary of how to proceed when you’re ready to hire help.

1. Document the duties.
2. Make sure there’s adequate workspace and ventilation for the employee.
3. Place an ad on Craig’s List and on local billboards where trusted help can be found. Also consider finding help at colleges and through your own networks.
4. Look through books and also on the Internet for basic interview questions, and add them to a list of questions that focus on your specific concerns.
5. Hire the chosen person on a temporary basis to ensure that there’s a good match before elevating the status to permanent.

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November 28, 2007 | Filed Under Solo Housekeeping | Leave a Comment 

Contests and Small Business Sightings

Business contests open the doors to new opportunities.Part of my weekend agenda was catching up on all the reading materials waiting for me since returning from BlogWorld Expo and PostieCon. Here are three quickies to review while eating breakfast or browse just before lunch.

Sorry to say that I just read about the Business Website Makeover contest sponsored by Register.com, which ends today. The contest is open to New York-area businesses.

Another contest called Boost Your Business, sponsored by Forbes, is in its final phase. Contestants have been chosen, and it’s up to us to read their business pitches and choose a winner.

What I like about this contest is that their pitches are online, and the way each is written can be beneficial to you when ready to craft your own business pitch.

Nielsen Business Media’s new Small Business Resource Center was recently launched according to BtoBOnline’s November 12th issue. Review the contents when you have time. There may be pockets of information to help you succeed.

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November 26, 2007 | Filed Under Online Ideas, Solo Housekeeping | Leave a Comment 

Marketing and Climbing Share Similar Traits

Climbing to the top takes more than muscle.The last time I received an offer to subscribe to magazines free of charge, I chose Climbing instead of a usual business magazine option.

What these mountain scalers achieve is nothing short of miraculous. Every step brings them closer to success, and a misstep may result in a severe accident, or worse.

Some of the terms aren’t understandable to me, a person who isn’t part of the sport, but that doesn’t matter. As a solo marketer, I clearly understand how confronting a challenge makes your heart race.

Isn’t that how you feel when you take on something new, knowing the victory that awaits you at the end?

In one of Climbing’s October columns called Hot Flashes, they interviewed Silvia Vidal of Spain. During a 21 day-climb in Pakistan, she lived through 12 days of snow on a popular tower that climbers describe as a “frightening place.” She recounted her thoughts as she inched higher.

“…things started to get a bit loopy. ‘[That's when] crazy thoughts came to me,’ she said. ‘I was trying to imagine which was life’s color. And for me at that moment, it was lilac.’ “

Doesn’t this describe the same zone you enter when deep inside your own projects? I know that suddenly, everything changes for me. I emerge with a clear mind and point of view that takes me to the next level and on to success as I reach the top.

Experiencing such revelations is why I encourage you to browse through magazines that don’t talk business. You’ll get a real “high” when reading about someone else’s world.

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November 23, 2007 | Filed Under Offline Ideas, Solo Housekeeping | Leave a Comment 

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