To read today's new post, please visit our new blog address:
http://www.smittyboros.blogspot.com/
Thank you!
Smitty
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
The new address for this blog is http://www.smittyboros.blogspot.com/ Please use this address rather than http://www.nofearmarketing.blogspot.com/.
Please be sure to enter your email address at the new location, as well as to include yourself as a Follower at the new http://www.smittyboros.blogspot.com/ address/location.
Thanks so much, and I apologize for the inconvenience!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Re-Post of a Friend's Blog
With today being Good Friday, I encourage you to pause and consider a post from a blog that I regularly follow from my friend, John Ryce. Click on the lettering below, and spend a few thoughtful, well spent moments.
The Truth Process: FOR YOU AND FOR ME:
The Truth Process: FOR YOU AND FOR ME:
The Great Equalizer
Many admire majestic birds of prey, like the bald eagle. Some are avid bird watchers of all varieties. I'm just a simple guy who occasionally gets a chance to take a walk and catches a bird or two in flight on a random glance upward. Have you ever noticed a large, less agile bird in flight being harassed by two or three tiny birds darting around the comparatively clumsy larger bird?
I made a similar observation last evening. Indoors. In a sophisticated multi-media conference room. Those representing large corporations looked clumsy and awkward while those from family owned small businesses appeared agile, nimble, quick and adaptable. Gathered together were sponsors of a major event in Pittsburgh, discussing the use of social media to promote the event. The conversation was led by a consultant who now specializes in the new media, and he did a fine job. I was participating as my client's representative.
The books that I have read, the information that I have studied and the blogs that I have absorbed by the social media gurus are correct. Those with a deep background in traditional media and a committed stake in corporate culture are genuinely struggling with the implications of social media. They desperately want to control their message and their brand, and resist the transparency and candor of the new media. They resist or even refuse to let go of ingrained habits in the face of a radically changing environment. They reminded me of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak desperately attempting to stop the overwhelming change as the people in the streets tweet and blog about their hope for a new society.
To me they looked like the clumsy larger bird trying to fly while the more nimble smaller business owners grasp the opportunity that social media invites them to accept. "We can't do that. It's all handled at corporate headquarters." "There are policies in our business that deal with that." "Someone else in our company is doing this kind of thing."
I am more convinced than ever that social media is a huge blessing for family owned small businesses! It is The Great Equalizer: social media gives family owned small business owners the advantage in our competitive business environment during challenging economic times. Forgive me for being selfishly prideful, but the success my client has achieved in a few short months was truly encouraging and affirming.
From one Old Dog to another, let me encourage you: You can fly circles around your larger competitors. Leave the safety of your nest of old habits......and get tweeting!
Thanks for sharing 130 seconds of your day,
Smitty
I made a similar observation last evening. Indoors. In a sophisticated multi-media conference room. Those representing large corporations looked clumsy and awkward while those from family owned small businesses appeared agile, nimble, quick and adaptable. Gathered together were sponsors of a major event in Pittsburgh, discussing the use of social media to promote the event. The conversation was led by a consultant who now specializes in the new media, and he did a fine job. I was participating as my client's representative.
The books that I have read, the information that I have studied and the blogs that I have absorbed by the social media gurus are correct. Those with a deep background in traditional media and a committed stake in corporate culture are genuinely struggling with the implications of social media. They desperately want to control their message and their brand, and resist the transparency and candor of the new media. They resist or even refuse to let go of ingrained habits in the face of a radically changing environment. They reminded me of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak desperately attempting to stop the overwhelming change as the people in the streets tweet and blog about their hope for a new society.
To me they looked like the clumsy larger bird trying to fly while the more nimble smaller business owners grasp the opportunity that social media invites them to accept. "We can't do that. It's all handled at corporate headquarters." "There are policies in our business that deal with that." "Someone else in our company is doing this kind of thing."
I am more convinced than ever that social media is a huge blessing for family owned small businesses! It is The Great Equalizer: social media gives family owned small business owners the advantage in our competitive business environment during challenging economic times. Forgive me for being selfishly prideful, but the success my client has achieved in a few short months was truly encouraging and affirming.
From one Old Dog to another, let me encourage you: You can fly circles around your larger competitors. Leave the safety of your nest of old habits......and get tweeting!
Thanks for sharing 130 seconds of your day,
Smitty
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
You Thought the Roman Empire Was a Big Deal
Talk about an Empire in the making! I'm thinking that the Facebook Empire may potentially be a modern day Roman Empire.
Take a look at the Best Buy Facebook page and click on the "Shop + Share" tab. You're just a few clicks away from being able to make a purchase......right from your Facebook page. I'm sure Facebook makes a profit from Best Buy for this capability.
No big deal, right?
Look up Facebook Credits on Facebook. This page is About: "A safer, easier way to make purchases on Facebook." The Company Overview is: "Facebook Credits is a virtual currency you can use to buy virtual goods in your favorite games and applications on Facebook." With one click, you can purchase Facebook Credits with real money because "We accept credit cards, Pay Pal, Facebook Credit gift cards or mobile phone payments."
Still no big deal, right? This Old Dog doesn't participate in Facebook games, but millions of people do. In order to play these games, people buy the Facebook Credit currency with real currency from all over the world. I'm sure that Facebook makes a profit on the purchase of Facebook Credits.
Change the Facebook Company Overview by removing "virtual" and substituting "games and applications" with "stores and businesses": "Facebook Credits is a currency you can use to buy goods in your favorite stores and businesses on Facebook." Marry Best Buy and uncountable numbers of businesses to this new currency.
Big Deal.
In this and in a much broader sense, Facebook is perfectly positioned to be the gateway, and the gate-keeper, of a tremendous volume of commerce from 600 Million (soon to be One Billion?) consumers. Consider these possibilities, among potentially limitless others:
Perhaps Pampers agrees to pay Facebook a premium to be the only diaper company on Facebook. Huggies, are you listening?
Suppose Facebook someday decides to charge $10 of Facebook Credits per month to Facebook users: it doesn't "cost" Facebook users, really, they can use their $10 of Facebook money (that cost them $10 of real money) to buy anything online from Facebook companies. Those using Facebook don't really mind, they are still using Facebook essentially for free. As Facebook consumers become comfortable with this arrangement, perhaps Facebook evolves to charging an ongoing $10 per month user fee. That is $6,000,000,000 income (soon to be $1,000,000,000) per month.
Eventually, Facebook develops their own Facebook Credit Card.
Your purchasing habits through your Facebook is valuable information for those who wish to market to you. Another potential profit center for Facebook.
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Still don't think this is a Big Deal?
The Roman Empire had its' own currency. We all learned in high school History class that one of the crucial elements of Rome's power was the transportation system of Roman roads.
The roads of the Facebook Empire reach every corner of the earth. All roads lead to Facebook?
Thanks for sharing 152 seconds of your day,
Smitty
P.S. Perhaps this post has stirred a thought or two? Click below and Post a Comment. Share your thoughts - - I enjoy conversation!
Take a look at the Best Buy Facebook page and click on the "Shop + Share" tab. You're just a few clicks away from being able to make a purchase......right from your Facebook page. I'm sure Facebook makes a profit from Best Buy for this capability.
No big deal, right?
Look up Facebook Credits on Facebook. This page is About: "A safer, easier way to make purchases on Facebook." The Company Overview is: "Facebook Credits is a virtual currency you can use to buy virtual goods in your favorite games and applications on Facebook." With one click, you can purchase Facebook Credits with real money because "We accept credit cards, Pay Pal, Facebook Credit gift cards or mobile phone payments."
Still no big deal, right? This Old Dog doesn't participate in Facebook games, but millions of people do. In order to play these games, people buy the Facebook Credit currency with real currency from all over the world. I'm sure that Facebook makes a profit on the purchase of Facebook Credits.
Change the Facebook Company Overview by removing "virtual" and substituting "games and applications" with "stores and businesses": "Facebook Credits is a currency you can use to buy goods in your favorite stores and businesses on Facebook." Marry Best Buy and uncountable numbers of businesses to this new currency.
Big Deal.
In this and in a much broader sense, Facebook is perfectly positioned to be the gateway, and the gate-keeper, of a tremendous volume of commerce from 600 Million (soon to be One Billion?) consumers. Consider these possibilities, among potentially limitless others:
Perhaps Pampers agrees to pay Facebook a premium to be the only diaper company on Facebook. Huggies, are you listening?
Suppose Facebook someday decides to charge $10 of Facebook Credits per month to Facebook users: it doesn't "cost" Facebook users, really, they can use their $10 of Facebook money (that cost them $10 of real money) to buy anything online from Facebook companies. Those using Facebook don't really mind, they are still using Facebook essentially for free. As Facebook consumers become comfortable with this arrangement, perhaps Facebook evolves to charging an ongoing $10 per month user fee. That is $6,000,000,000 income (soon to be $1,000,000,000) per month.
Eventually, Facebook develops their own Facebook Credit Card.
Your purchasing habits through your Facebook is valuable information for those who wish to market to you. Another potential profit center for Facebook.
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Still don't think this is a Big Deal?
The Roman Empire had its' own currency. We all learned in high school History class that one of the crucial elements of Rome's power was the transportation system of Roman roads.
The roads of the Facebook Empire reach every corner of the earth. All roads lead to Facebook?
Thanks for sharing 152 seconds of your day,
Smitty
P.S. Perhaps this post has stirred a thought or two? Click below and Post a Comment. Share your thoughts - - I enjoy conversation!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Death
I was reading a sermon by John Wesley this morning and a very intriguing phrase that he wrote caught my attention. He described death as that which "uncovers the face of eternity". Think about that for a moment. When our finite bodies cease to function, eternity will be uncovered directly before us. Sobering thought.
Wesley goes on to say:
For yet a little while, and "we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ." "For, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God". And in that day, "every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." Had all men a deep sense of this, how effectually would it secure the interests of society!
The thought of standing before Almighty God to give an account of my life, all the selfish and self-centered things that I have thought, said and done.... literally makes me shutter. It also helps to shape my behavior daily.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey may have had a greater impact on my life than any other book, with the exception of the Holy Bible. One of these seven habits that Covey describes is "Begin with the end in mind". In essence, decide where you want to end up or the result/goal that you choose to achieve, and begin immediately to align your daily choices and actions to achieve that result or end. For me, death is the doorway that "uncovers the face of eternity" and that is the ultimate end I have in mind: eternity. This end causes me to, as well as I am able, live and work for the best "interests of society".
When I originally began my company, my objective was to serve God by loving and encouraging others in their daily work. This vision is still a portion of my tired, not yet revised website at http://www.theboroscompany.com/. This is still my objective in my work life, which is an integral part of my life.
I learned a long time ago that, if you help a small business owner with their business, you help them with their life, because so much of their time is wrapped up in their business. As my relationship grows with a business owner and their business succeeds, we enjoy the opportunity to encourage one another to do our best for the "interests of society" along the way.
Thank you for allowing me to share the "Why" and the foundation of this "Old Dogs New Tricks" blog. My hope is that the information shared on this blog will be of some small encouragement for you and help you in your efforts to better serve the interests of society.
Have a Happy Easter. No, really. Please have a Happy Easter. It's a worthy celebration.
Thank you for sharing 121 seconds of your day,
Smitty
Wesley goes on to say:
For yet a little while, and "we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ." "For, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God". And in that day, "every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." Had all men a deep sense of this, how effectually would it secure the interests of society!
The thought of standing before Almighty God to give an account of my life, all the selfish and self-centered things that I have thought, said and done.... literally makes me shutter. It also helps to shape my behavior daily.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey may have had a greater impact on my life than any other book, with the exception of the Holy Bible. One of these seven habits that Covey describes is "Begin with the end in mind". In essence, decide where you want to end up or the result/goal that you choose to achieve, and begin immediately to align your daily choices and actions to achieve that result or end. For me, death is the doorway that "uncovers the face of eternity" and that is the ultimate end I have in mind: eternity. This end causes me to, as well as I am able, live and work for the best "interests of society".
When I originally began my company, my objective was to serve God by loving and encouraging others in their daily work. This vision is still a portion of my tired, not yet revised website at http://www.theboroscompany.com/. This is still my objective in my work life, which is an integral part of my life.
I learned a long time ago that, if you help a small business owner with their business, you help them with their life, because so much of their time is wrapped up in their business. As my relationship grows with a business owner and their business succeeds, we enjoy the opportunity to encourage one another to do our best for the "interests of society" along the way.
Thank you for allowing me to share the "Why" and the foundation of this "Old Dogs New Tricks" blog. My hope is that the information shared on this blog will be of some small encouragement for you and help you in your efforts to better serve the interests of society.
Have a Happy Easter. No, really. Please have a Happy Easter. It's a worthy celebration.
Thank you for sharing 121 seconds of your day,
Smitty
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The End of the World
Have you noticed that trends and fads from California and other areas of the world that sweep our country sometimes take a long time, maybe even years, to actualize in Western Pennsylvania? Depending on the trend itself, this may not be a bad thing. For this reason, when the end of the world occurs, I want to be in Western PA.......because it may take up to a decade before it happens here!
Small business owners in Western PA who are early adopters of technology and innovation may have a distinct advantage over their competition, simply because other competitors may be slower to change their ways. In March 2011, the "Small Business Search Marketing Survey" by American Express Open and the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) indicated that nationally 44% of small businesses use social media to market themselves. But what percentage of small business owners in Western PA are using these social marketing tools effectively?
I see a tremendous opportunity for family owned small businesses to level the playing field against the "Big Box" corporations and other competitors. Wise owners can gain a distinct advantage by capitalizing on the effective use of social media tools. Those that embrace the opportunity provided by social media have an exciting future. Those businesses that don't may rapidly be approaching the end of their world.
The same survey mentioned above also indicated that 82% of small business owners believe that new customers use word of mouth to find their business. Keep in mind that social media is word of mouth on steroids.
Thanks for sharing 73 seconds of your day,
Smitty
Small business owners in Western PA who are early adopters of technology and innovation may have a distinct advantage over their competition, simply because other competitors may be slower to change their ways. In March 2011, the "Small Business Search Marketing Survey" by American Express Open and the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) indicated that nationally 44% of small businesses use social media to market themselves. But what percentage of small business owners in Western PA are using these social marketing tools effectively?
I see a tremendous opportunity for family owned small businesses to level the playing field against the "Big Box" corporations and other competitors. Wise owners can gain a distinct advantage by capitalizing on the effective use of social media tools. Those that embrace the opportunity provided by social media have an exciting future. Those businesses that don't may rapidly be approaching the end of their world.
The same survey mentioned above also indicated that 82% of small business owners believe that new customers use word of mouth to find their business. Keep in mind that social media is word of mouth on steroids.
Thanks for sharing 73 seconds of your day,
Smitty
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