This is tough love week when it comes to all-things-internet. On Tuesday, I really held your feet to the fire about who has their fingers in your store’s online presence. More than a couple of you went into damage control mode immediately (based on emails landing in my inbox right after the post landed).
Today, my friends, we’re going to take a look at that email address of yours…and get honest about what it says before you even begin typing a message beneath it. Make no mistake; what falls ahead of the @ symbol is as important as what follows it. [click here to continue…]
To play video, click on the arrow at the BOTTOM of the window, center. The link at the top doesn’t work.
Thanks to Atlanta’s NBC affiliate, WXIA-TV, for introducing their viewers to The 3/50 Project. Just a couple of hiccups to contend with so none of you fine media folks inadvertently wander down the same paths:
• If you’re covering the story, please don’t add the word “slash” to the middle of our name. It’s pronounced “three fifty,” not “three slash fifty.”
• The $42.6 billion dollars in revenue is annual, not monthly.
• Please don’t round the 68 and 43 numbers up; they’re good on their own.
• Also…please be sure to mention our web address: the350project.net since that’s home base for information, tools, and the list of businesses participating in the Project.
Don’t get me wrong…I really, really, really appreciate the piece and the great coverage for local businesses. Just want to be sure the info out there is accurate.
Just a reminder that I’m doing a seminar about The 3/50 Project in New York this Sunday, during the New York International Gift Fair. Here’s the scoop:
Title: The 3/50 Project: Turning the Tide for Brick and Mortars Date: Sunday, August 16,2009 Time: 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Location: Javits Convention Center, Room 1A02-03 (lower level, south end) Hosted by: George Little Management, New York International Gift Fair Open to: NYIGF attendees -and- area business owners* Admission: Free RSVP: Click here to respond online
To those of you in the New York area or planning to attend the show, you have big shoes to fill. The crowd in Chicago was standing room only, and wildly enthusiastic. Now, tell me…are you going to let this session slip by quietly?
I think not.
I’ll be sharing ideas for how to promote your business using The 3/50 Project as the centerpiece, so bring the other business owners in your neighborhood along, then head out for a brainstorming lunch afterward. As one Chicago attendee, Cindy Crawford (owner, Saraboo Creek) put it:
“I enjoyed your presentation and came away from the weekend re-charged and ready to take on what remains of this recession.”
* If you’re interested in walking the gift show but don’t have a badge, please visit nyigf.com for qualification requirements. Apply for your badge ahead of the show for free or apply on site for $50.00.
One of the golden nuggets I drill into consulting clients is the importance of owning their web presence when establishing a home online. ”Well duh,” I hear you saying. ”We registered the name, we own it…right?”
We all know customer service must be provided at premium levels these days. It’s hard enough to get consumers through the door, but losing them because someone dropped the ball just isn’t an option (and never should have been). So heads up: that ball just might not be the one you expect. [click here to continue…]
Remember those days when old school marketing could give you a heart attack? The press broke down…the magazine ran your ad on the wrong page…an unseen typo lurked hidden until the Yellow Pages ad ran? The downside was either delay, or worse-—long term marriage to the mistake that saw ink.
Today’s marketing arsenal includes social media, most typically Facebook and Twitter among the lot. So what happens when both go hinky at the same time?
It makes you nuts (which pretty much explains my level of frustration the past two hours). [click here to continue…]
The Buyers Market of American Craft is an amazing show to visit if you haven’t already. From extraordinary jewelry lines to fine hand blown glass, you’ll see it all. Pretty impressive stuff, as well as a pretty impressive venue (the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia).
The mood on the show floor was positive, and reminiscent of what I recall from NSS in May. Not surprisingly, because they’re both niche shows, vendors and buyers are pretty passionate about the wares, often enjoying long term relationships they’ve known for years. [click here to continue…]
Yes, you read that right. CNN posted an article online about The 3/50 Project as part of an overview on grassroots stimulus programs. As the youngsters on the block, we’re pretty honored to be among the six buy local movements selected…and the only one with national scope.
A big high five to Tanja von Kluajta Winn, owner of RSVP in Plymouth, Michigan, our point person for The 3/50 Project there. Crazy thing about those yard signs she and her local counterparts have produced…? They aren’t just landing in front of business owners’ homes. Consumers are clamoring for the signs too, making the town look like they’re in the height of a political run-off. Well done, Plymouth…well done.
Just a reminder that I’m doing a seminar about 
One of the golden nuggets I drill into consulting clients is the importance of owning their web presence when establishing a home online. ”Well duh,” I hear you saying. ”We registered the name, we own it…right?”
We all know customer service must be provided at premium levels these days. It’s hard enough to get consumers through the door, but losing them because someone dropped the ball just isn’t an option (and never should have been). So heads up: that ball just might not be the one you expect. 
Remember those days when old school marketing could give you a heart attack? The press broke down…the magazine ran your ad on the wrong page…an unseen typo lurked hidden until the Yellow Pages ad ran? The downside was either delay, or worse-—long term marriage to the mistake that saw ink.
The Buyers Market of American Craft
Yes, you read that right. CNN posted an article online about 
