It is amazing to me how many people tell me that social media is nothing more than a "time suck", "a waste of time" or my personally favorite; "completely and utterly useless".
What is truly amazing is that within 90 dyas of sharing information via social media tools I personally have received 9 quality self-referrals! Meaning THEY checked me out prior to THEM CONTACTING ME! I have also received 3 calls over the past week from clients who also have had similare experinces. One a realtor who was able to meet with an out of area investor and in turn sold him 4 houses! This translated in closed $480,00.00. Who wouldn't want that?!
I find that many times we make a decision prior to hearing all the pros and cons of what we are so against. Does this mean that we often lack the education necessary to properly run our business. The old adage is true, "if you don't keep up, you will be left behind".

When I was growing up, my friends mother  decided to open a boutique. Ultimately, nothing special she simply wanted to sell some delicious homemade chocolates (to this day I still dream about them!).
I recall helping implement some things such as, lining of shelves, painting and on a special note, helping to carefully place all the beautiful and delicious treats in the window. When all of this careful planning she then just opened the doors and she was in business! Never a thought came to advertise beyond word of mouth.
Fast forward 15 years I wonder how she would fare these days. She had a wonderful product, at a reasonable cost. There was absolutly no one kinder and more reasonable when it came to last minute rush orders. And yet I wonder if she would be able to re0open her business these days with her simple motto;"They will come because of the smell. They will keep coming because of the taste."

Everyday the headlines seem to cry out how not only the small business owners are closing their doors, but also how the "big guns" are downsizing, quietly closing and in some cases, going bankrupt.

The question is what caused the collapse? If we are truly honest with ourselves, can we soley blame the economy? Or was it our human nature and distain for change that caused these long-standing business to go under?

More and more people are searching the internet for their everyday needs, steadily decreasing the ability for traditional advertising to work. Depending on the statistic, the number of people searching on-line PRIOR to purchasing off-line is 70-85%. While only 50% of business truly have an appropriate web presence.

The numbers show that there is a serious failure of communication between how consumers search and how business owners are attempting to reach their potential customers. Are you communicating appropriately?