Laura Colar

'Build your brand'. It's become a highly popular buzz phrase in marketing, technology and social media circles. Building a brand is a process, some would say a life-long undertaking for any company or product. It takes innovation, great customer relations and cosistent messaging.

If you're the leader of a company, small business or not -- it's just as important to build your personal brand. You are the public face of your operation to the customers, the media and various business partners. In meetings, in the headlines and cocktail hours, people will relate or be drawn to the personal brand you have developed and project. You had better start working on it if you haven't already.

Inc. Magazine has some pertinent suggestions to help you start.

Pick an area of expertise
So you're going to be an ambassador for your brand. But what do you want to be known as an expert or pro in? Maybe you run a marketing firm - your specialty can't be that broad when building a brand. What do you bring to the table that no one else can? Maybe you're great at the design aspect of marketing or maybe you know all of the technologies that can assist in marketing efforts. Just make sure you've zeroed in what it is you can do for others that really sets you apart.

The web is your friend
After you meet a potential employee or business partner or hey, your daughter's boyfriend -- where is the first place you go to get the 'real' scoop? Google of course. You should automatically assume this is where people are going to check out you, your company and anything else you've published or are associated with. You should be making sure your website as up to date and state of the art as possible. Also be sure any other sites you have profiles on are updated and grammatically correct such as LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

Writing and blogging
Making your perspective readily available for anyone who may be interested in it shows you care to communicate with others and you know how to intelligently express your opinions. It can also help you make connections with others, whether they be for business or personal purposes. If you blog regularly and invite comments, criticisms, etc. you open the door to two-way communication that can ultimately benefit you. (i.e. what if someone sends you an idea on new products or has insight into a global marketing strategy)

Make some headlines
Being quoted in stories or making an appearance in any form of media can benefit your personal brand, positioning you as an expert people go to for insight and information.

There is so much one can do strategically to enhance your personal brand which will ultimately benefit your company as well as yourself. It's not about publicity, attention or making yourself known. It's about establishing who you are, what it is you're about and being sure you can be seen in enough places where those who need to find you can do so.

Remember a while back when we addressed the value of walking a mile in someone else's shoes to gain fresh perspectives that might help you run your business better? Well, it appears some CEOs have actually done this - as a recent Fortune piece highlights. The participants, Maxine Clark (founder and CEO of publicly held Build-a-Bear) and Kip Tendell (cofounder and CEO of the privately held Container Store).

And yes, just as we anticipated, these retail veterans found they gained a great deal from the experience. Spending time in someone else's realm, dealing with their daily challenges shook things up and while dealing with employee issues, product questions and in-store management issues, they found themselves continually stumbling across ideas and inspiration that they could incorporate into their own operations.

Here's a peek at a few of their takeaways:

Clark, for instance, appreciated how the Container Store acknowledges sales associates for a job well done with Post-It notes left on lockers. Kendell, meanwhile, liked Build-a-Bear's "Strive for Five" technique, which is designed to sell each customer five items. (via MarketingProfs.com)

True leaders know that real ideas must come from a variety of experiences, sometimes you need to take on something completely new to move to another level. Innovation comes from so many places, from crazy situations to mundane tasks, maybe even, from spending time working in a different industry.

To me, the above insight is part of the beauty and value that our Indianapolis consulting services team here at Milestone Advisors brings to our clients. We have worked in a variety of industries, been tasked with an array of projects. Outsourcing bookkeeping, we've done that. Providing market research forecasting for a new business plan or endeavor, we've done that too. What about building a technology architecture to streamline a company's work flow and make them more efficient? Been there. With or staff's diverse backgrounds, we've done it all which better equips us to advise and inspire. What can we do for you and your operations?

Whether or not you started your career in retail, we're all more than familiar with the phrase, "The customer is always right". Yet as more and more credence is given to the importance of programs that enhance what it means to be an employee at a given company.

If management is continually siding with disgruntled customers, won't that detract from employee morale? Maybe make them feel like they're being sacrificed for a buck? Does that really enhance customer service? Or just make employees so grumpy they make customer service worse? All legitimate questions.

Sometimes the customer is simply wrong. Here's a great anecdote where a CEO simply stands behind his company and product:

One woman who frequently flew on Southwest, was constantly disappointed with every aspect of the company’s operation. In fact, she became known as the “Pen Pal” because after every flight she wrote in with a complaint. She didn’t like the fact that the company didn't assign seats; she didn’t like the absence of a first-class section; she didn’t like not having a meal in flight; she didn’t like Southwest’s boarding procedure; she didn’t like the flight attendants’ sporty uniforms and the casual atmosphere. Her last letter, reciting a litany of complaints, momentarily stumped Southwest’s customer relations people. They bumped it up to Herb’s [Kelleher, CEO of Southwest] desk, with a note: ‘This one’s yours.’

In sixty seconds, Kelleher wrote back and said, ‘Dear Mrs. Crabapple, We will miss you. Love, Herb.’”

Here are the top 5 reasons why the customer can in fact be wrong and why it needs to be recognized:

1. It makes employees unhappy
Sometimes, they just need to know you stand behind them

2. It gives abrasive customers an unfair advantage
By letting them "always be right", you're empowering the picky, the cheap and so much more.

3. Some customers are literally bad for business
Some customers perpetuate such awful experiences, it isn't worth the company's time or money to deal with them. You have to be willing to refuse service or to sell.

4. It results in worse customer service
If your employees don't feel supported or aren't happy are they going to deal well with customers who may not be happy and need help? They need to be confident in management's attitude toward them in order to deliver a good product.

5. Some customers really are just wrong
And here's how Herb deals with them...

Herb Kelleher [...] makes it clear that his employees come first — even if it means dismissing customers. But aren’t customers always right? “No, they are not,” Kelleher snaps. “And I think that’s one of the biggest betrayals of employees a boss can possibly commit. The customer is sometimes wrong. We don’t carry those sorts of customers. We write to them and say, ‘Fly somebody else. Don’t abuse our people.’”

Now, I'd be happy to put up with an unhappy camper for this guy, wouldn't you?

A baking company offers employees English lessons and sees an increase in efficiency. An apparel company gives hourly workers incentive -- the more clothes they produce, the more they get paid. Guess what, productivity picked up. Offering employees a little something extra, particularly workers further down on the ladder, can go a long way.

You can read the full article here. It is a simple concept and we've addressed the issue before. Incorporating incentives or regular, creative ways of encouraging and rewarding employees into your business plan or business strategy is necessary to breed goodwill and keep people producing efficiently.

You can do this in a variety of ways:

- build a bonus structure
- adjust your time off policies, perhaps summer hours or one Monday a month off
- plan company bonding events, nice dinners, cocktail hours, bowling (you would be surprised how far efforts like this go)
- institute an employee of the month program, recognize the winner publicly and provide a small gift
- free gym memberships

There are many more ideas but some type of program to keep your employees happy and healthy may extend the life of your business.

A recent Wall Street Journal piece addressed the rapid growth of women-owned business -- they have started twice the amount of businesses as men and their growth has swelled during one of the bleakest economic times in America's history.

Yet, the article quickly qualifies that information, "So, it is dismaying to see that, despite all this progress, on average, women-owned business are still small compared with businesses owned by men. And while the gap has narrowed, as of 2008—the latest year for which numbers are available—the average revenues of majority women-owned businesses were still only 27% of the average of majority men-owned businesses."

Interesting, isn't it? What do you think causes this disparity?

Some will say women don't have the 'killer instinct' men do when it comes to making deals or that, by nature, they're too empathetic to make the difficult decisions necessary for businesses to shed extra weight and sauced. Do you buy that explanation? I certainly don't and it truly has nothing to do with my being a woman :)

The WSJ writer, who happens to be a woman herself, offers this explanation.

"I am convinced that the problem is twofold. First, you have women's own self-limiting views of themselves, their businesses and the opportunities available to them. But equally problematic are the stereotypes, perceptions and expectations of business and government leaders."

Now, I'm not sure I buy the first reason. Most of the women I talk with and read who are in business have no different view of themselves or their operations than the men whose brains I pick. I believe to most women, business is business and their differences they see as advantages or differing perspectives, nothing more. I also think most women business owners have ambitious goals, my reasoning being that a woman who desires to start and run their own business is already shedding years of stereotypes and taking on a world they know is dominated by the other sex. If anything, I think these women may even be more ambitious than many men, most of whom are expected to work in the professional world and who are seen in traditional roles of management.

However, I think her latter explanation, that of stereotypes in business and government makes much more sense. The article asserts that training available for women entrepreneurs, such as courses at community colleges etc. is far more focused on the initial phases of beginning an operation and often leaves out planning for growth or making projections for the future.

She also asserts that women have less access to funds and capital -- I could see this holding true. This can cause entry into markets that are cheaper to get into but more difficult to remain in, let alone grow. Seeing a theme here? It's all about growth. You have to envision it, build plans around it. It has to be a fame of mind. Women may be cheated out of the opportunity to grow because of our preconceived notions of how we believe they will do, never giving them a chance to show us what they believe they're capable of.

What do you think contributes to these stereotypes and how can we break them?

I found a great compilation of tips in the New York Times online today that address the challenge of bringing your products or services into new markets, particularly those overseas. The need to expand into new and different markets can come from a variety of places, new ambition or sometimes, a given offering simply becomes popular in an area or with a demographic that is a complete surprise. If this is happening to you, take advantage, this is a great opportunity!

1. Choose a market
When expanding overseas, it's best to just pick one and focus on that at first, perfecting your business there, establishing relationships with vendors etc.

2. Build relationships
And not just with vendors. In foreign countries you'll need to understand local governments and typically count some friends among its officials (not for special favors but for inside knowledge that will be sure your business succeeds)

3. Customize your products
You may already have a following in a foreign market, but a little bit of research to make it even more targeted to that audience could go a long way to translating into great sales.

4. Remember to make a profit
Make sure you understand the foreign market's stipulations and customize your offering to still remain profitable in the new arena. This may be something as small as a tweak to packaging. Also be sure to familiarize yourself with the tax structure of the new market.

Ultimately, expanding into foreign markets is a great idea, particularly if you've already started to see interest in your products there. Just be sure to do your research before committing to it completely.

We discuss the importance of blogging and social media quite often. It should be a part of everyone's business plan and an even greater part of your company's marketing strategy. And while you can appoint one key person to handle the load, it's important you have diverse voices coming from all areas and levels of your company so the average reader gets a comprehensive look at your operations.

Yet explaining the importance of blogging, making sure others understand it and are willing (maybe even excited) to participate isn't easy. You should be prepared for it to be a long process, one in which you will need to be patient and regularly follow up with people. I have been charged with implementing a social media strategy here at Milestone Advisors and encouraging others to take part so we provide well-rounded information on all of our specialties (which include marketing, technology, outsourced bookkeeping and much more).

Here are some suggestions that might make the process a bit easier for you that I have learned through trial and error:

1. Take time to explain and be sure participating members truly understand the value of social media, what it means to your company, your customers and more.

2. Explain the technical aspects of the platform you're using. You will surprised at how many people don't adapt quickly to different software products. Carving time out to walk people through the steps, leading by example will save you time in the long run

3. Do some creative brainstorming as a group. Just explaining what blogging is and how to do it isn't enough. And leaving it at that can lead to your team members sitting in front of their computers with question marks in their brains and blank stares on their faces. Helping them talk through subjects they can write about a few times will help them to easily develop story ideas on their own.

4. Send them some examples of blogs you really like, whether that's because they are well-written, tackle pertinent subjects or are just fun -- giving your team examples will also aid in inspiration.

5. Continue to provide encouragement. You're asking your team to step out of their comfort zones and do something for the good of the company as a whole. A confident financial advisor or marketing strategy pro may be nervous about sharing their thoughts in an open forum like a blog, check in regularly with words of advice, tips or positive feedback. It will go a long way

Company blogs aren't easy to get off of the ground and they're not easy to maintain but I will say, they are more than worth the effort. They enable you to connect with like-minded businesses, leaders, enhance your brand and maybe, sell a little!

Last night I was cleaning my house and found May's issue of Fortune under a pile of other magazines and notebooks (I live with someone in law school). And, excited as if I had found a little treasure I hadn't planned on receiving, I cracked it open. I also ended up reading far more than I had intended due to the great writing and topic selection at Fortune (if you don't have a subscription, you should).

A great feature in the month's issue is a profile featuring Steve Greenberg, son of the infamous Hammerin Hank of Major League Baseball. Steve did play ball for a while, but his knowledge of the game combined with his education (Hotchkiss, Yale and then UCLA) made him an asset for the front office of many sports teams, player union negotiations and other sports business deals.

He's created TV networks including CSN which sold to ESPN for $175 million and one we might be familiar with here in the Midwest, the Big Ten Network. He's helped Jerry Reinsdorf (owner of the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls) and Ted Leonisis (owner of Washington Wizards and Washington Senators) structure deals to buy teams, property and more networks. He was even the voice of reason during the 1990 MLB player lockout. Quite a list of achievements.

But what I take away from the article is more related to the manner in which he's achieved these things. Yes, his father is famous, his upbringing is what may would call privileged and he has always been well-connected. It seems that his success at innovation comes from his nature. He is described as quiet, incredibly honest, calm, resourceful and much more. He inspires confidence and trust upon a first meeting and while he's a great businessman, no one has used the word aggressive (a quality that can turn people off during business deals).

He gets clients what they want and need by putting himself in the shoes of people on BOTH sides of a deal. In the words of his clients...

"He seems to be everywhere. He is preternaturally, embarrassingly charming. "Immensely attractive as a human being," says Herbert Allen Jr. "Able to get good results without making enemies," says Reinsdorf. "Always keeps his cool," says Wilpon. "Incredibly knowledgeable and connected," says Jim Delany, commissioner of the Big 10 Conference. (Greenberg made a cable network for him too.)"

I personally find Steve Greenberg to be quietly and calmly inspiring. He doesn't make me want to go out and act immediately, he makes me want to extremely cerebral about the needs of my company and its clients, to listen more than I talk and provide people with what they need so I become a go-to resource. What does his story make you want to do?

Lesson learned from the recession: parents stop spending money on themselves but are still willing to spend it on their children.

The New York Times recently published an article that features three small business owners who altered their companies focuses and have stayed afloat over the past few turbulent years.

Case study #1
A women's clothing store that started out focusing on hand-made sweaters and women's clothing (not cheap, but not too expensive) experienced a significant drop in sales in September 2008. Stores all around his began closing their doors and their empty display windows goaded the owner into action. What did he notice? Stores specializing in merchandise for children were still doing fairly well. So, he adapted, ordering baby blankets, toys and christening dresses. The result? He's happy to have his doors still open.

Case study #2
Meet a frame shop owner who knew things were going to get rough and began sending out gift certificates to the likes of interior designers, churches and schools. He noticed the main redeemers of the discounts were parents coming in to frame their children's artwork. Capitalizing on parents' desires to show off their kids' creativity now accounts for 25% of the shop owner's business.

Case study #3
Originally a copy store, Desktop USA has always had an adaptive business model, evolving into a shop that sold computers, accessories and could help with repairs. When business began to bottom out, the company started offering tutoring as well as service that teaches kids the ins and outs of the computers they are so attached to for social networking, gaming and homework. With the advertisement, "Can Your Children Build Their Own Computer? Let's Do It Together". Many parents have seen value in equipping kids with technical knowledge believing it will give their students a leg up on others in school.

Only time will tell if these ideas are true solutions for these business owners' woes. However, we can all take away the lesson that often times, adapting and evolving to our environments is necessary for our businesses to survive the bad and continually remain relevant to our customers.

Blogging is a fantastic business medium. It can be molded to any cause or purpose, put a human face on your company, help build relationships with customers and make important information available immediately to large groups of people.

We've also discussed that encouraging your own team members or employees is a great way to fill a blog with rich content, different perspectives and infuse personality. And it should be a part of your business strategy to reach customers. However, empowering employees to put personal thoughts on your company website would give any leader pause.

There is always a chance that they could disclose confidential information -- it's easy to get lines crossed concerning things that are discussed in the office but shouldn't go any further than the front door. And, as much as we hope it never happens, unhappy employees sometimes choose to vent or air frustrations in public forums.

So, how do you give employees ownership of this social medium and ensure that your trust isn't violated?

1. Create a governing policy
Guidelines reign people in well and can be pointed to when there are small mis-steps giving you something to reference when discussing what is expected of all your bloggers.

2. Make it clear what should and should not be included
It's okay to tell people what they can and can't write about. It's also okay to extend the agreement to their personal blogs, if they want to participate at all, they have to agree to terms for both.

3. Learn from those who have gone before
Plenty of companies both small and extremely large invite employees to participate on corporate blogs and have create social media policies to govern their participation. Their guidelines are readily available online, when creating yours, see what some of the most successful companies have done.

A social media policy can save you a lot of frustration, time and money should someone abuse the forum. Incorporating a policy into your company's business plan, marketing strategy or strategic hr plan can only benefit operations.

Jack Stack believes the economic recovery is under way. In fact, he asserts it has been for quite some time. He then warns - if you don't have a business strategy or business plan developed and in place to take advantage of the upswing, you may miss it completely.

It may be difficult to believe, particularly in our tiny worlds where we still hear about small businesses struggling for capital or individuals losing their jobs. So, where does Stack get this perception from and what evidence is he using to support it?

"I’ve been speaking eyeball-to-eyeball with entrepreneurs all across the country — in places like Pittsburgh, New York City, Richmond, Va. and Fresno, Calif. — and when I ask them how they did in the fourth quarter of 2009 or the first quarter of 2010, I keep getting responses like, “amazing,” “fantastic,” “record-breaking” and even “best we’ve done in years.”

Yet it seems we're all a little afraid of admitting things might be getting better. Maybe for fear the the worst is yet to come, just as we've allowed ourselves to breathe easy.

But there is firm evidence pointing to companies around the country once again experiencing growth. Stack uses his own company as example, SRC. He admits he had spent so much time reflecting on the economic collapse that when portions of his operations were experiencing new growth, he missed it completely.

Another sign he claims to see -- an increase in lead times, the period ordering something and actually receiving it. This means more and more orders which means more money being spent. Can we get two huge thumbs up for that.

"If you’re still not convinced, do some research of your own. Ask your customers and peers how they’re doing (and tell us in the comment section below how you’re doing). Do your own eyeball-to-eyeball research. Just as importantly, start putting together a strategy to take advantage of the recovery whenever you believe it’s going to hit. If you keep looking in the rear-view mirror and forget to look at what’s headed your way, not only might you miss a golden opportunity to build your business, you might just give your competitors the chance to move ahead of you or, worse, to eat your lunch right out of your hands."

We'd love to hear what you're seeing, hearing and experiencing yourself that either confirms Stack's assertion or proves it wrong. Please share, do you think we're in the midst of recovery? What evidence do you have that supports your claim?

Depending on your answers this might be the perfect time to initiate buying a business that supplements current operations, compiling new financial projections or rebuilding your financial model for the improving economy or to begin the product launch plan you put off when the bottom dropped out of the market. Any way you look at it, it may be time for action!

That time has arrived. Ambitious college students abound, hitting the mall for dress clothes, making a sincere effort to enjoy the taste of coffee and heading off to a nine to five -- all to gain a few lines on their resumes. Yep, we're talking about internships. What used to be an optional form of summer employment has now become a requirement if one hopes to get a job opportunity immediately upon graduating from college.

Internships are not only a great resource for students themselves but also serve a purpose for the companies who offer the programs. They are exposed to the talent and imaginations of a variety of young, fresh minds -- a valuable resource.

How do you manage interns? A good question as there are different parameters for this type of arrangement than there are for new employees. Inc. Magazine has some tips and tricks into best practices when dealing with an internship program.

1. Know what you want
In order for either party to get anything out of the experience, you must have clearly communicated your needs and expectations for your intern. This way they will have every opportunity to produce results for you and they, in turn, will learn.

2. Provide for your interns
From menial tasks to the really big opportunities. Interns should be required to deal with PowerPoint presentations and Excel sheets as well as delivering actual presentations to senior members of your team, providing them a well-rounded experience. You should also give them resources to use after their time with you is through such as connections to professional networking organizations.

3. Provide mentorship and advice
Part of the value in having an internship is derived from the intangibles, things we are exposed to when entering the working world on a daily basis. They can sit in classes and hear about how things work all day long but nothing compares to the knowledge gained from actually being in a given situation or environment. Make sure your employees make themselves available for interns to pick their brains and ask for advice.

You can find the entire article here. I think companies and the interns themselves both benefit from these programs. It is simply important that internships are built into your business strategy or business plan and serve a clear purpose in which some area, marketing strategy, technology, etc. benefits and that you have the time and resources to be sure the participating student benefits.

It's true! They have a 95% success rate. I didn't believe it either at first. Yet it's an assertion backed up by a wealth of statistics.

A 2009 report by Elizabethtown College sociology professor Donald Kraybill. Studying several Amish settlements, Kraybill found failure rates ranging from 2.6% and 4.2%; interviews with loan officers, accountants and industry professions in other Amish regions yielded additional anecdotal evidence of closure rates significantly south of 10%.

How do they do it? The answer is rooted in their culture. In Amish communities, nothing is more emphasized or promoted than hard work. That ethic permeates not only daily chores but the companies they form, own and operate. The Amish also stress the importance of cooperation, relying on others' strengths where you may encounter your own weaknesses. And we're not talking about the kind of collaboration that takes place online, which so many of us rely on daily for business purposes. We're talking about face to face communication and team building that centers around tangible activities and challenges that can unite participants and capitalize on an individuals' best attributes.

Another defining aspect, Amish business owners have a solid understanding of their capabilities and more importantly, the things they excel at. They know what they're good at and don't try to push into realms they may not be skilled in. This inspires something corporations are constantly trying to garner: trust and loyalty of consumers.

It doesn't hurt that the Amish tend to demonstrate humility, a quality that allows good leaders to grow into even better ones.

Many Amish businesses demonstrate great knowledge of business strategy and the accompanying concepts. They build strategies around concrete ideas, incorporate humility into marketing strategy plans and much more. Read the entire article here.

What can you do to be more like the Amish? How can you incorporate their culture into your company's culture or your business strategy?

If you're in charge of increasing public exposure and enhancing the brand image for your company, there are some basics when it comes to social media that you must know, fully understand and put into action. They are simple concepts that won't take much time or effort to wrap your mind around, however, their effective implementation may take a bit longer.

Simple Truth #1
It's your duty to learn how existing and new tools can help your clients or your company. No excuses.

Simple Truth #2
Use and learn new Social Media tools before your clients or executives do. What is an expert? Frequently, it’s someone who just has a jump on the information.

Simple Truth #3
As you learn about a new social media platform or tool, sign up and try for a minimum of 30 days. You may find that it has little use for you personally but it may be a useful channel for your brand or clients to engage stakeholders and customers.

Simple Truth #4
Take some time to reevaluate your personal usage of Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and any other platforms.

Simple Truth #5
You should be asking, what's next? One word, DIGITAL.

Once you take the time to research the foundation of each truth you will better understand how to use social media for yourself, your company or your clients. In-depth understanding of these concepts ensures effective implementation of all things social in your strategic business plan or marketing strategy.

So often we hit walls, both personally and professionally. We need to change some small aspect of our day to day routines or shake a facet of our lives in order to continue moving forward, a direction we all should be going.

It has actually been chronicled that CEOs have switched places and roles within an organization to gain a new, fresh perspective that may altar the way they do something, propelling both the CEO and their respective organizations into a new arena.

Sometimes when we function in the 'know', we lose touch with our imaginations and creativity, two elements vital to success (although not always the obvious ones). We have to force ourselves to get outside of those comfort zones in order to experience new things, gain perspective and, in turn, a leg up on the competition. Not only that, a willingness to take risks, experiencing new things demonstrates to clients and colleagues a different kind of leadership - one people are attracted to. And if all else fails, it provides a great story to tell customers or clients.

Know anyone who works in a similar role to yours in a different organization? Maybe they work at your level but in a different division within the same company -- you don't have to switch places completely but ask to shadow someone for a day, a week, even two weeks. You will come out all the better for the experience.

Here at Milestone Advisors we advise businesses concerning almost every aspect of running a company. We consult on product marketing plans, financial market forecasting, writing business plans to attract potential investors or simply taking a look at someone's books to see if they could benefit from outsourced bookkeeping.

Recently, there has been a shift in the tools we recommend for marketing strategies. Social media has come out of the blue and now dominates most marketing and business strategy tactics. One of these mediums, Facebook, a social networking site, has become a hotbed for not simply B2C outreach but B2B as well.

In his most recent column, Fortune's Stanley Bing asks if this platform does society more harm than good. Even if you still plan on using the site as part of your social media strategy it's prudent to be aware of all the uses of Facebook as well as the different opinions being voiced about it.

He writes about Facebook as a place where the ugliest aspects of our worst high school nightmares come to life and fears that the worst perpetrators in this online environment will enter the business world and do immeasurable damage.

"In teaching social networking, virtual presence, aggressive electronic messaging and cold-blooded manipulation of group dynamics, Facebook is preparing young people to thrive in business life, particularly on the executive level. I’m just not sure it’s a future office space that I would want to live in."

What do you think? Is this a business world you want to live in? What can be done?

BusinessWeek is asking this question of the big banks and their small business lending practices in an article published a few days ago. With the major players taking responsibility in the recent economic collapse and their subsequent bailout, the government is asking for answers and checking up to ensure they're lending to 'Main Street' and getting small businesses or entrepreneurs the funds they need for launching a new operation or expanding existing ones.

Below are some of the status reports for the big guys. Hopefully, it will provide you with some insight as to which bank is best suited to extend the loan you need.

JPMorgan Chase made $2.1 billion in new loans to small businesses in the first quarter, the company reported in its first-quarter earnings release, or 21% of its goal to extend $10 billion in new credit to companies with under $20 million in revenue.

Bank of America loaned $19.4 billion to small and midsize businesses (those with less than $50 million in revenue) in the first quarter, the bank said in an Apr. 27 report.

Huntington National Bank, a regional bank based in Columbus, Ohio, and serving the Midwest, set a goal in February to increase small business lending by $1.2 billion in 2010.

I wrote about Yelp, the online review community, a few weeks ago. The company has recently come under a great amount of scrutiny as they hold a great deal of power to make or break the public perception of any given operation. Yet, their formula to determine ratings is a complete secret. They also advertise that the reviews come from 'real' people, another assertion that many have begun to question.

The New York Times recently sat down with Yelp's founder, Jeremy Stoppelman, for an interview any business owner who may be reviewed one day should read.

When asked if Yelp extorts people, the reply:

Absolutely not. The way Yelp works is very counterintuitive to a lot of folks, which is the source of the problem. In 2005, we created a review filter. It’s automated and algorithmic and screens out certain reviews that it just doesn’t know enough about. When a consumer encounters a business’s page, the reviews they’re seeing aren’t necessarily every review that’s been written about the business. It’s a selection of those reviews. It ensures that the consumer sees generally useful, trustworthy information that gives them a good idea of what to expect when they patronize that business.


When asked about how the frequency of reviews work:

If it’s happening all the time, chances are you’re soliciting reviews — asking customers or friends to write reviews. This is a practice we openly discourage. It’s unfair to your fellow business owners and potentially unfair to consumers who might get the wrong idea about your business. There’s a flip side: how do we protect businesses against malicious reviews? The coffee shop across town doesn’t like you or is very competitive and wants to write negative reviews to pull down your ranking. We’re trying to catch that and remove it automatically.

And when he's asked about being the most hated man in the small business world:

You can’t really feel that way if you have 30 million consumers visiting you every month. I meet business owners all the time, and the reality is they’re not all angry. The ones who are calling lawyers or calling the media are upset, but that’s not necessarily a representative sample. For perspective, it’s important to remember that there are up to 15 million businesses that you can find on Yelp and 10 million reviews. We have tens of thousands of advertisers. We have some lawsuits from a handful, I think 12, local businesses. In the grand perspective, it’s really a drop in the bucket.

As a business owner or professional, what are your reactions to this interview? I'd love to hear some of your feedback concerning the company and its affect on small businesses.

Interviews can be nerve-racking. Whether they are for a new job or with the media - a great interview is about far more than just what you say. Your body language, intonation, content of your message and the manner in which you deliver it all play into whether or not your desired point comes across to an audience.

To make things even trickier, each kind of media is different which makes your interview different and the way you should prepare. Broadcast, either TV or radio can be difficult as winning over the public and their trust is not an easy thing to do. So, how does one prepare for a broadcast interview?

Inc. Magazine has taken a look and gives us some insight in the May issue. Some pieces of wisdom include being fully aware what the nature of the interview medium is (TV, radio, print, etc.). What does that particular TV channel typically cover? Will they be spinning what you have to say? Are they on a deadline? Most broadcast outlets typically are and it's prudent to prepare yourself for an interview to be cut short or edited - making it essential that every response you give provides great insight.

Here's a bit more of their recommendations...

- Know what your three key messages are that you want to deliver – and make sure you can deliver them succinctly, with plenty of lively examples and facts in support.

-  Anticipate difficult questions and prepare your answers; even in positive reports, a tough question or two will emerge and stumbling on tape can throw you off your game for the rest of the interview.

- Do your research. Just because the reporter may not know much about you, don't make the same mistake.  Understanding the nature of the show you are appearing on —NPR's Marketplace is very different from a segment of the local nightly news—will help you target your message correctly.

There are many things to think about but it all goes back to one concept: be prepared.

Pitching the media for press coverage has never been something I would call an easy task. Sometimes it truly is all about getting lucky, other times a placement is the result of thorough research and several rough drafts of a pitch. Yet then there are times where no coverage results at all.

With the decline of print media steepening on a daily basis and digital media continuing to generate new scrutiny - the art of successful pitching is constantly up for debate and it seems like securing coverage is more difficult than ever.

Ragan.com, as reliable as ever for great tips, tricks and insights into the public relations world has published '10 keys to pitching your story' and they're relevant like never before.

1. Love your story
If you don't believe in the angle you're pitching and truly love it, no one else will. Fact!

2. Go for remarkable
You have to find an angle that's new and different. Set yourself apart. As PR pros, we all know that's what needs to be done but it's not easy. Don't settle for a mediocre pitch.

3. Remember the cascading effect
Journalists are a competitive bunch. If you can generate interest from one, it may encourage additional interest from others who are keeping tabs on what their rivals are covering. Just hook one!

4. Know your pitch
Inside and OUT. In order to get that catchy angle you must know everything about your client, story and audience.

5. Think beyond yourself
"If I was an editor, would this interest me?" "If I was picking up the Indy Star, would I read this story?" Placing yourself in the shoes of your intended audience will only benefit your pitch.

As a PR professional I read anything and everything I can about pitching best practices. Sometimes I hear a lot of the same things and it reinforces the knowledge and skills I already have when it comes to media relations (and what's wrong with a little refresher now and then?). Other times, I read about a new facet to think about when tackling a pitch. Constant and consistent education is the key when it comes to doing anything well. To read the rest of Ragan's tips on making your pitch stand out or for more PR strategy visit their website .