A moment in time

As I racked my brain trying to enhance a social network exercise I had launched, I happened to look up and glance out the window. A tanker was slowly making its way across the bay in the afternoon sun.

Wow.

When I first saw this office, the view took my breath away. But with the hustle and bustle of the business day, I rarely notice. I am sure it’s out there every afternoon, but who looks up?

Now, the view in this office is a big deal. Our first office in SOMA had no windows. We toiled away for 5 years without so much of glimpse of the outside world. Many winter days started and finished in the dark. Three years ago, we moved to Dogpatch. We took an office on the west side of the building. It had windows – oh happy, happy, joy, joy!!

The view on the west side was the 3^rd Street light rail. Our first year was comprised of wondering if we would ever see a train since the project was running two tears and many millions over budget. Then one day – a train went by. We had a new view, and we became experts on the inefficiencies of the T line.

We out grew that office and moved to the east side of the building and to the view. I remember that view, but it’s been about 3 months since I’ve looked up from my computer. Now, I was faced with a dilemma – I could enjoy the view or I could toil away. My natural instinct was to work. I had 3 unanswered IMs, an interview to edit, and phone was ringing. But there was this moment in time.

In a few moments, the sun would shift - the light would change. The tanker would cruise out of view. It was now or never. So, gasp, I took in the moment. I enjoyed the light on the old warehouses that line the shore, I studied a myriad a broken windows that toyed with the afternoon shadows, and I just stopped for moment. The world didn’t end, the IMs would be there, voicemail would pick up, and life would go on.

I may look out the window again tomorrow.

Managing Debt

The folks over at Bankaholic have come up with common causes of business debt. I left out the easily avoided part, because I am sure many a struggling entrepreneur has ventured down these slippery slopes. But, it provides a good reminder of the pitfalls faced by small businesses everyday.

"Start-ups go out of business all the time, often before they even have a chance to even really star up at all. The main culprit in the savage slaughter of these young establishments is the same perpetrator behind the bulk of our fiscal difficulties: Debt."

8 Easily Avoidable Causes of Business Debt

Broken Links

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. . ." Charles Darwin

This is probably one of my favorite quotes. And its application to business is endless.

These days, many businesses use the web as a primary tool for marketing. We spend fortunes and endless hours building our websites, creating links and then we forget about them. Did I mention change?

That article in the NYTimes is gone, that link to the local Chamber is broken, that picture of your acceptance speech is missing - your visitors hit a dead end. You spend the time developing interesting content and links - don't let your user experience end on a broken link.

Alexa.com offers a link report and it's free. I recommend you run it periodically to clean up broken links. The first time you run it - you maybe surprised at what you find.

Remember, change is a fact of life and a fact of the Internet!

Making lemonade . . .

Last weekend, I headed off to an industry conference. I checked online and the flight was on time. But when we got to the airport, there was a three hour delay. Apparently, thunderstorms were blanketing the East Coast. Ugh!

I took a seat at the gate and contemplated my fate.

Unintentionally, I took a glance around the waiting area. As you can imagine, there were many disgruntled passengers milling about. Across the way sat a industry colleague, who I did not know that well.

I went up and introduced myself. We had met at a function last February, so we exchanged pleasantries and grumbled about the delay. He in turn introduced me to his boss, who I had not met before. I suggested we grab some coffee to pass the time.

We talked about the industry, we talked about projects and we talked about how we could work together. Next thing we knew, they were calling our flight. When I returned to my office on Tuesday, there was a message waiting to schedule a follow up meeting.

So the next time life hands you lemons and lots of free time – NETWORK!

From our familes to yours . . .

Location, Location, Location!

The Web has long been heralded as the Golden Grail to retailers - the world at your door, if it may. Many have launched, gone broke on Adwords and ridden off into the Internet sunset. What can we learn from our brick and mortar counterparts?

Any savvy retailer knows the age old mantra “location, location, location.” A quality location enhances visibility, benefits from foot traffic and leverages anchor tenants. The three principles of real estate success also apply to your home on the Web.

When you initially launch your store on the web, it’s like opening a retail outlet in the middle of nowhere. No foot traffic, no visibility and sadly no sales. You can spend a boat load of money trying to advertise your new location or you can can consider a tried and true alternative.

Many successful retailers locate their start ups in malls. Why? Because they know the strength of anchor tenants will drive foot traffic past their door. Therefore, the online business must find the Internet equivalent of an anchor tenant. You must get a prominent relevant site to link to your site.

“But why would anyone link to me, I am new?” That depends on your site. Does it add value to your target?

• Do you provide interesting articles and helpful tips that might be of interest to the target’s clientele?
• Do you offer a complimentary service to their product mix?
• Do you post helpful links and advice that might be beneficial to their customers?

If you position yourself as a valuable resource to an industry leader in your field, well you’ve just scored the little store next to Starbucks. And who wouldn’t want that foot traffic?

Shop local

When we go shopping, we typically choose to do business where we perceive the best value for our time and money. But in that decision have you considered the value of locally-owned small businesses?

Consider the real cost of losing locally-owned small businesses – local values. It’s the local business owners that typically employ more than 50% of the workforce, support local charities, sit on local boards, elect local officials and even challenge City Hall.

And when you think of your favorite restaurant, café or shop – is it a national chain? Not likely! It’s the local merchant who went the extra mile. It is the restaurant whose food and service is off the chart.

By supporting these businesses, you insure that they - along with the diversity they provide - don’t disappear. Shop local!