It is now ten years later. Time stops for nothing and quite a bit has happened over the past 10 years in each of our lives. Still, the magnitude of what happened in the past has left us with plenty of reasons to remember this particular date every year.
We talk about terror and we talk about what has changed. For many, this was a true act of terrorism and there is no doubt that fear has integrated into our society and some things will never be the same. Yet I refuse to call this terrorism. It was nothing but an act of cowardly murder carried out by a group of delusional swine.
There is no suppressing the anger I feel, but anger does nothing to soothe the pain or change what has happened. I wish I knew what we could do to keep things like this happening, but unfortunately, there is no way we can completely scrub the filth out of some elements of our society.
Like many others, I would like this world to be more peaceful. It is hard enough to survive sheltering ourselves from natural elements and keeping our bodies healthy through the passage of time. The fact that our lives may also threatened by others that do not possess an ounce of humanity in their souls is something that is unfathomable, but unfortunately a part of our environment.
As tragic is that is, we have not stopped living our lives. Collectively as a nation, we have not cowered and we are not consumed by fear. Still, we still remember what happened ten years ago.
A component of human consciousness is our ability to reflect upon the past. We have the control in our minds to relive the events of what has happened before. It is real easy to be consumed by the horror, sadness and anger of remembering what happened ten years ago. The stories are told over and over in our media. Yet too much focus is about large buildings that collapsed. That is not what made the day a tragedy.
So I personally choose to focus on the remembrance of one person. I think of Vic Saracini, who was someone that I did not know very well; but he was someone who I had the pleasure to meet at my former place of business. He was a kind person who talked to me on occasion about his career and how much he loved his family. He was a special person whose life was ended prematurely ten years ago.
How could anyone purposely end his life? If only they had known how special he was.
The tragedy of what has happened ten years ago results from the loss of his life and the lives of many others. It is not day to live in terror or to think about buildings being destroyed. Today is a day I choose to mourn the loss of Vic Saracini. My thoughts are with his family and friends.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Go West Young Man!
I've recently accepted a new position at the Rogue Community College Small Business Development Center in Grants Pass, Oregon. It is a long move from Plattsburgh, NY and challenging transition; but I am excited about joining a great new team and a progressive organization that is committed to providing support to small business owners at any stage of their development.
Join me from time to time, send comments and give me some suggestions for future post topics.
Join me from time to time, send comments and give me some suggestions for future post topics.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Adopt a Family Business
I wrote this article for Strictly Business magazine -
I have to admit, it has my entrepreneurial spirit has been fired up again and I have been thinking about my next "family business." What, when and where are questions that still need be answered, but I have a few draft plans in the works - stay tuned!!!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Show Some Love
My office keeps a Facebook Page. We would love for you to "like" us, but more importantly, I recently posted a YouTube video that I would like you to watch, called "The Break Up." This humorous little skit speaks volumes about marketing and the power that social media can play in your efforts.
It is not my goal in this post is not to talk about how to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other social media sites to market your business. There are plenty of social media wonks out there with blogs and articles on how to effectively utilized these tools. Dr. Jonathan Slater, a colleague at SUNY Plattsburgh, keeps this Google Bookmark that he continually updates with fresh articles about social media.
The intention of my post today is to help you think about the foundation of your marketing strategy. Whenever I discuss marketing strategy, I remind people that developing a message is not about sharing what you have; rather it is your ability to communicate what you have for the customer. As that YouTube video demonstrates, the consumer doesn't want a one way conversation. They want the opportunity to share and be involved in the dialog. Consumers want the producers to understand their wants and needs.
I can't stress enough the importance of emotion when it comes to purchasing decisions. We don't buy things because we need that particular item or service; we buy things because of emotions that convince us we want these things. Those who think low price is the only thing consumers care about are outright wrong. Don't believe me? Try to think about every financial transaction you made last month. Were there other lower cost options? If you really think about, the answer would be yes (choosing not to buy is a lower cost option); and if I asked you to justify why you purchase the things you do, my guess is there would be some emotional reasons that would be part of your answer.
As you develop your marketing strategy, my suggestion is that you start by thinking about why your customers would love to do business with you. Come up with all the reasons why you are more special then your competitors. To help you along, think about the 4 P's of marketing:
Most importantly, you want to monitor feedback and listen to your customers. Are they understanding your message? Are they telling you that they want something different?
This is where social media can really add value. Not too long ago, it would take significant market research efforts to find out what your customers think about your products or services. Now with Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and YouTube, you have the power to quickly learn what your customers are saying about your business.
The business/consumer relationship, like any lasting relationship, should be based on communication and mutual benefits. It is much easier to build a bond with someone if you show them you care. Take that to the next level by showing your customers that you really listen...if you really want to stand out against the competition, use powerful emotional language and show some love.
It is not my goal in this post is not to talk about how to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other social media sites to market your business. There are plenty of social media wonks out there with blogs and articles on how to effectively utilized these tools. Dr. Jonathan Slater, a colleague at SUNY Plattsburgh, keeps this Google Bookmark that he continually updates with fresh articles about social media.
The intention of my post today is to help you think about the foundation of your marketing strategy. Whenever I discuss marketing strategy, I remind people that developing a message is not about sharing what you have; rather it is your ability to communicate what you have for the customer. As that YouTube video demonstrates, the consumer doesn't want a one way conversation. They want the opportunity to share and be involved in the dialog. Consumers want the producers to understand their wants and needs.
I can't stress enough the importance of emotion when it comes to purchasing decisions. We don't buy things because we need that particular item or service; we buy things because of emotions that convince us we want these things. Those who think low price is the only thing consumers care about are outright wrong. Don't believe me? Try to think about every financial transaction you made last month. Were there other lower cost options? If you really think about, the answer would be yes (choosing not to buy is a lower cost option); and if I asked you to justify why you purchase the things you do, my guess is there would be some emotional reasons that would be part of your answer.
As you develop your marketing strategy, my suggestion is that you start by thinking about why your customers would love to do business with you. Come up with all the reasons why you are more special then your competitors. To help you along, think about the 4 P's of marketing:
- Product/service (perceived quality and friendliness)
- Place (ease of possession)
- Promotion (familiarity/trust)
- Price (value)
Most importantly, you want to monitor feedback and listen to your customers. Are they understanding your message? Are they telling you that they want something different?
This is where social media can really add value. Not too long ago, it would take significant market research efforts to find out what your customers think about your products or services. Now with Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and YouTube, you have the power to quickly learn what your customers are saying about your business.
The business/consumer relationship, like any lasting relationship, should be based on communication and mutual benefits. It is much easier to build a bond with someone if you show them you care. Take that to the next level by showing your customers that you really listen...if you really want to stand out against the competition, use powerful emotional language and show some love.
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