Milestone Advisors

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 .

'Good work, kid.' That doesn't sound like much, does it? But from a young age to the present day, hearing those words come out of my dad's mouth mean the world to me. You can twist that into some dependent need I have for my father's approval. You can assert that I am weak individual because I like to know that he's proud of me. But those three little words of encouragement have helped fortify me on my worst days, whether those were soccer games I hadn't played well in or work days I feel I am not delivering 100%. I can think back to the times he's said it on the phone or typed it in an email and it restores a tiny bit of faith in myself. I think sometimes parents are unaware of this incredible power they have to positively influence their children's lives just as many bosses or company owners forget small utterances of encouragement or gestures of appreciation can have the same affect on employees, enhancing company culture.

So, ask yourself, how do you say (or convey) "good job" to your employees?

There are no wrong answers here. Your response could have been, "I just tell them, good job". Simple, effective and quick - a solid strategy.

Just speaking the words can mean a great deal to your workforce. It can motivate. It can create loyalty. You can also create other means of encouragement or recognition of someone who's done something outstanding. Rewards, public recognition, increased responsibility, exposure to different aspects of the business, even allowing for flexibility in a typical work schedule are all ways to say 'well done' and 'I appreciate you' at the same time. Find a style of doing so that fits with your personality, company culture and goals. Just make sure you are making an effort to say thank you in some form.

Employees need to know they are valued and their contributions matter just as much as kids need to hear their parents think they're living life well. The incredibly small gesture of letting them know will go a long way for all parties involved.

I don't eat mayo on anything - I'm a mustard girl all the way, spicy mustard more specifically. Mayo has always grossed me out. It's not about the calories, after all, when one consumes either mayo or mustard a large beef patty with cheese is typically involved as well. To me, mayo just looks like it immediately clogs arteries. To Jerry Murrell, founder of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, mayo is an essential part of his business philosophy.

When selecting all of the ingredients to be used in his burger chains, Jerry and his four sons (hence the name) tasted 16 different brands of mayonnaise. Now THAT is the kind of commitment to quality that provides for future success. Jerry serves only the highest quality ingredients, regardless of cost to the company. Using fresh instead of frozen meat not only costs Jerry, it costs his customers. The result? They don't care. Sales for 2009 topped out at $483 million. People would rather pay more for burgers made from the best that taste great.

It is Jerry's unwavering dedication to making sure his products taste good, his employees are treated well and his stores are clean that has launched Five Guys into the world of franchising that actually works.

Jerry simply knows how things should be done and doesn't compromise, something every small business owner should pay attention to whether they're just formulating their business plan or business strategy or they are preparing for a new product positioning. What aspect of the business are you passionate about? How do you believe things should be done? Take advice from others, yes, but stay true to your vision. Even if it requires you ingest far more mayo in one sitting than is natural.

What's one thing you have been committed to since starting your business or just starting your career? For more insight from Jerry Murrell, check out Inc. Magazine's 'How I Did It' piece highlighting one of the best burger chains ever.

It seems to me it's easy to begin working, build a career, contacts, establish a routine, grow an operation and then wake up one day and realize, business is fine but you don't feel like you're doing what you're truly passionate about any longer. It can be simple to get started on a career path and even easier to plateau. The change can occur in the blink of an eye or while you sleep. Literally, you're just sitting in your office one minute, answering emails and scratching agenda items off of your to do list and it hits you like a ton of bricks.

"What am I doing?"

This is not to say that you wanted to work with non profits and you find yourself leading an expansion team for McDonald's. I'm not talking about anything that drastic. But we all know someone who took a position for its competitive benefits package and then allowed certain areas of enjoyment to dry up or fall by the wayside.

In other instances I think people can be doing work they're passionate about but daily grind over a period of years may lessen their appreciation for their work.

Regardless of the situation, regular self-assessment can go a long way toward preventing this type of situation and ensuring your happiness. And when you're content your business will be far more likely to truly thrive.

It always surprises me that in an age where digital information surround us, where opinions and criticisms are readily broadcasted and available for all to see and everyone online is sharing a tip or how-to that people still pitch off-topic, anger journalists and then -- remain indignant.

It is for this reason that blogs such as The Bad Pitch Blog exist. They do their best to make the missteps of PR professionals public knowledge with the hope that they learn from their mistakes and the reputation of the overall profession can be improved. Yet it seems many public relations professionals don't care they are abusing information or that their names or firms are being labeled as hacks. Not to mention -- usually, their sloppy tactics don't result in coverage for a client!

I am blessed to have learned early on that blast emails never get read and general or off-target pitches frustrate journalists. Upon my entrance into the field of public relations I was told, a little research can go a very long way.

A few years down the road, the same mantra holds true.

Next time you have a story angle or idea, here are a few things to consider.

What market is the story most applicable to, both in terms of demographic as well as geographic area?

When you've answered that question, figure out who covers topics in that area and who writes for the audience you or your client want to reach. Think you're ready to pitch? Nope, stop right there.

After selecting some journalists, read their most recent pieces. I'm not talking one or two stories. Read between four and six of their latest stories. This will help you with two things. Most importantly, reading their pieces will allow you a deeper understanding of the types of issues they like to cover and confirm if they're the right reporter to reach out to. Doing the research will also allow you to custom tailor your pitch for that specific reporter - showing them you've taken the time to familiarize yourself with their work. This is a small gesture that will go a long way toward building respectful relationships with the media.

Getting ready to pick up the phone or press the send button. Hold off a little longer. Take a peek at their Cision profile. Make sure you're reaching out to the appropriate email address (or dialing the right number) and give their 'pitching profile' a read. This ensures you're reaching out in the way they're most comfortable with, yet one more step that increases their receptivity to your story idea.

Yes, this pitching process takes some time and can be considered labor intensive. But taking the extra time is more than worth it to give your pitch a fair chance, begin a mutually beneficial relationship with the journalist and the best result of all, GET YOUR CLIENT COVERED.

Any PR pros reading? I'd love to other strategies for successfully reaching out to the media.

I have lived in the Broad Ripple area for almost a year now. I have been shopping and eating in it for almost two years and as the title of the post indicates, it's safe to say I've fallen in love.

I find Broad Ripple to be a unique place with an eclectic group of people, interesting food, daring boutiques and friendly open-air bars. On any given Saturday afternoon you can find young couples walking their kids, even younger couples walking their dogs, groups of men getting together to watch a sporting event and everyone in between eating, drinking, jogging and socializing.

It's a place where young and old connect. Artsy meets the athletic. And, something I've observed, you feel very welcome, very quickly.

Part of what makes this area the little gem I believe it is can be attributed to the small business owners who operate the dress boutiques, sandwich shops, stationary stores, microbreweries, etc. They are a tight knit community of fiercely passionate entrepreneurs who daily bring their those interests to the public. It is professionals like them who inspire me.

Pardon me a moment while I gush but I believe the existence of this little grouping of shops on the north side of Indianapolis is indicative of small business being alive and well, a wonderful fact for Indiana in general. I also believe it shows that being passionate about a cause, product, service or specific way to brew beer can become your life's work and better yet, you can make money off of it. What great news for those of us who march to the beat of our own drums and crave originality. Entrepreneurship is alive and well in Broad Ripple Village - I encourage you to spend some time there and maybe support it a little with the purchase of a cold drink, sit out on one of the many patios and enjoy!

As the Inc. piece points out, the freedom of not having to answer to shareholders, a board of directors or hundreds of employees can be a benefit of family operations. However, those closest to you are dependent on your success for their own success. For some, that means even more pressure. The best way to handle this situation is to...

"Keep solid books. By incorporating basic financial tools used by other businesses, including balance sheets and income statements that are prepared regularly for distribution among family members. By sharing and analyzing financial data, you can make your business more predictable, and thus more stable. If no one in the family has a knack for financial analysis, establish a relationship with an outside accountant. Over the long term, strong financial will be an absolutely essential tool."

Not only do you make profits and income more predictable, you avoid conflict that can arise when there are mistakes in bookkeeping or accounting that can cost you and other family members money.

Be sure to have those formal meetings we discussed earlier so your planning and strategy is clearly defined and everyone who wants to be a part of it, is a part of it. And don't be afraid to be formal. Heck, this is your company and being in business is a serious thing. Draft agendas, set firm times to begin the meeting and adjourn it. You will be more productive with the way you as well as others, use that time.

When your business is part of the family, family cannot always come first. By putting business first sometimes, you are actually putting family first.

And last but not least, while planning is key for the future. Be sure to always have awareness of the present and operate, both in terms of business and your role within your family, in the sense of today.

It's been a really rough day. One of those drives home from work when you can't decide if what you need is a long, tough, pounding the pavement run or to crack open a Sam Adams immediately upon walking though your door. There's been a lot of pressure at work lately to make the company grow and you had some poor interactions with your boss today -- a few times you said things that could have been interpreted poorly and other times, your boss made some comments the rubbed you the wrong way. Thank heavens you have the weekend to relax, get some space from the situation and recollect your thoughts, right? WRONG! You don't have the weekend. The truth is, your boss is your father and you're seeing him tomorrow for a barbecue then going to the same church he attends on Sunday. Welcome to running and working for a family business. You can't leave anything at the office. Communication is KEY.

Whether or not they are your business partners, "Your family is still your family. You have a set of existing relationship tropes that, whether productive or counterproductive, are difficult – and sometimes impossible – to break. "At the end of the day you are still family members, and you are typically going to revert to certain patterns of behavior," Stein says. "If your brother used to take your toys and break them, there is going to be something that triggers that anger in the office. The best thing to do is realize that is just a fact. Recognize that."

Recognizing this is essential but so is constantly thinking before you speak and being aware that communication in the office never affects just business and neither does communication at home stay there. While you can set boundaries and define roles, you are still family and hurtful or frustrating things that are said are remembered.

Yesterday we addressed the importance of planning in the very beginning of a business. Equally essential to survival is ensuring that every family member who is contributing clearly understands not only what their role is to be moving forward, but also what all other family members' roles are. I think this can also be associated with transparency. In family business, everyone has to be aware of everything, there are no secrets.

Before assigning roles to specific people, first define the roles themselves -- actually write job descriptions. Then begin having discussions as to who best fits the requirements for each position. An expert in the Inc. article also suggests planning formal business meetings to avoid utilizing actual family time as company time. This will blur the lines and lead to confusion and conflict down the road. Don't let the dinner table double as a conference table!

When working on the roles themselves, don't think of the family members first. View the job descriptions and requirements as entirely separate from the family members who will be involved in the the immediate future as well as down the road. Do you want those involved in the business to have a college education? If so, you have to make this a clear requirement from the very beginning.

Setting guidelines for some type of employment policy as a part of a great strategic HR plan will go a long way in avoiding discrepancies in the future. Take the time to define standards for compensation, time off, performance and reviews.

The Inc. article stresses defining compensation over everything else and it makes sense. Money can be the root of all problems for small or family owner businesses.

In his book, The Survival Guide for Business Families, Gerald Le Van stresses the importance of fair compensation. Reasonable benefits should come "along with an understanding of money, it's meaning, its potential, its limits, what is involved in making, spending and saving money…" There is a relationship between money and self-esteem, he notes, and as the manager of a family business, that's something you need to be cognizant of nurturing.

Let's start today's post off with a statistic. Did you know that less than 30% of family businesses survive being passed to the second generation and only 10% make it through third generation ownership? What do you think is the source of such volatility? I think maybe these low percentages are due to a lack of planning in general, the more things that are forecasted, anticipated and made clear from the very initial stages of a business -- the more successful it will be.

We all know how important business plans or business plan strategies are to making sure operations flow smoothly. However, when dealing with a family operation, it's not as simple as drafting those basic documents, clear, concise agreements must be drafted and detailed roles assigned to family members who will be part of the company.

A section in the Inc. article points out:

"The families that are really smart about it, that set up rules, are typically the families who do not fall apart and end up never talking to each other again," Stein says. "Setting up rules when you are getting along can save years of heartache - even if you just set up a rough framework."

Rules are the best way to manage emotions that will certainly come into play when working side by side with family members as well as having your livelihood wrapped up in this work. It's also important to nail down what all those involved are hoping to get out of the experience other than make a living. Some things to discuss are:

- What is everyone involved hoping to achieve?
- What do they NOT want it to become?
- What are their highest hopes for the operation as well as your lowest expectation?
- How do they want to work together and structure operations?

Talk is the main takeaway here. Getting everything out in the open from the very beginning, putting it all on paper and signing it will provide a foundation for good communication down the road.

At Milestone Advisors we work with many different types of companies. We work with creative people in the beginning stages of turning their passions into profitable businesses as well as seasoned veterans that have been making deals and growing companies for years. In either stage, many of these operations either begin or eventually become, family owned and operated businesses.

The family business is a complex entity. It is sometimes beautiful and successful. Other times is a constant source of stress or the reason for relationship issues. Some family ventures are extremely successful and others are riddled with issues stemming from poor communication, hurt feelings, etc.

Over the course of the next few blogs, we're going to examine the different facets to running a family business well, using a recent Inc. Magazine piece as a guidepost for the aspects that should be examined.

We'd love to hear from those of you who have faced challenges in the areas we shed light on as well as educate us on those we do not discuss. After all, you are the ones in the trenches dealing with the daily trials and tribulations that are running a family business.

Email has come quite a long way. It is a vital component of our everyday business dealings and often, the lifeline of communication between either our clients or our customers. Some would call email, the most essential business tool we have in both terms of strategy and tactics.

While email used to be what the email marketing industry terms as 'one-to-one' communication, it has blossomed into 'one-to-many' or 'one-and-back'. Those marketers who understand the transformation of email as a communication tactic that can gain new customers, keep other loyal and lure old ones back - also understand it is now a tool of conversation and must be seen as such.

iMedia Connection recently detailed ten ways that email marketing has changed since it was first identified as part of any savvy marketer's arsenal. The article then highlights ways in which businesses can adapt to the changes and utilize public perception of the communication medium, connecting with them in a way that respects their preferences and ultimately leads to profitability.

Some of the fundamental changes are detailed below.

1. Acquisition is important, but retention is where the money is
The article asserts that people view their email inboxes as different from their actual mailboxes. It's more personal and companies need to ask for permission to be there. People should have the power of choice in subscribing to be a part of your communications. And if you can get them to buy in, you have to spend the time and resources in making them stay. Developing loyal customers is what will ultimately lead to increased business.

2. Email is all about the conversation again
If you're tuned into any social media sites or are keyed into the scene at all, you're aware that to truly engage clients or customers you must first 'join a conversation' before expecting something in return for your activity. This means providing information of value or commenting on things other industry experts are saying. Soon, you will develop loyal 'listeners' who appreciate your participation and are more proned to buy from you, or at least become familiar with who you are.

3. A marketer can't claim success until it's measured the right way
A good marketer will also measure the success of any email marketing efforts you may be invested in. But they should also be mining that data for other reasons, not just to determine if people are opening or reading the email. There is simply so much data available now, a lot of conclusions can be drawn from subscriptions, click through rates, opens, conversions and unsubscribes. And these conclusions should be incorporated as future tactics in any marketing strategy plan or marketing plan process.

The article contains many beneficial insights -- all of which should be analyzed as a way to incorporate email marketing into your business plan in an intelligent and proactive way that will allow true connection to those who matter most to your company.

When I say 'small stuff' I'm referring to rules, regulations -- the technical things that tend not to cross our minds throughout the course of our routine days. Today particularly, with so many businesses facing financial strain they don't have the time, resources or staff to pay particular attention to federal and state compliance policies (which are subject to what seems like almost constant change).

But these seemingly small details are of the utmost importance to ensure your operations are in compliance with these things. While they seem like, the "small stuff", if you plan to grow your business, hire, offer incentives to keep your star performers -- you must be aware of changes in regulations all of the time.

We realize not everyone can have an internal HR manager to keep tabs on these types of issues. For this, outsourced HR or having a strategic HR plan that includes an outside consultant can allow you to tap knowledgeable people who are experts in this area, bulletproofing your business and its practices from harm.

Being unaware of federal regulations and changes in them can result in drastic consequences for your business. A business plan for any small business should be sure to include some type of strategic hr plan so these important facets aren't overlooked.

At Milestone Advisors, we value input, advice and experience from people in all stages of the entrepreneurial game. Whether they're brilliant minds creating product development business plans or brilliant financial models, we believe learning about experiences on all levels is of the utmost importance.

The popular Web site, Unstrapped, spent the past year reading every entrepreneurial blog in the great digital unknown to pull together a list that highlights the best and most innovative minds ever to dare and begin their own companies.

They rated the blogs based on not only the quality of content but also on the remark ability of what they had to say and their appeal to people of younger generations.

I've included some of the highlights below.
 
Rise to the top: David Garland
Why: It's an ideal mix of news and trends in education, business, and lifestyle itself accompanied by quick interviews that last just long enough to glean nuggets of truth without boring those of us on the go.

Quick sprout: Neil Patel
Why: Here you'll find all the necessary information and tools to not just succeed in the workplace, but to truly stand out. And it's blunt (something we all can appreciate).

Startup lucky: Aronado Placencia
Why: Need to connect with investors? Here's where to learn how.

Under 30 CEO: Matt Wilson and Jared O'Toole
Why: If what you've needed to get your operations off the ground has been a little push, you'll certainly find it here. Wilson and O'Toole can provide you the motivation or kick in the hind parts to start turning your ambitions into reality.

The list has many more blogs packed with insight, ingenuity and breathes of fresh air to give us all hope that there are countless small businesses and great ideas to fuel future job and economic growth.

It's important we continue to look not just to those who have gone before for advice and inspiration, but also to those who are coming up -- they are untainted by the perils of the business world, they are full of hope and have grown up in an entirely different time than many of us. What has fueled their development as people and more specifically, as entrepreneurs is a different kind of influence and one that should be explored.

I just received my April issue of Fast Company last night and proceeded to devour the entire thing in about 3 hours. It was chock full of interesting perspectives regarding different business trends (i.e. will FourSquare be the next wave in geolocation, advertising, etc.?), profiles of innovators who have identified ares within their given industries that can be changed to improve them and so much more.

However, my favorite piece was a small opinion column that makes a simple observation and explores its potential consequences.

The key insight: We're absolutely obsessed with leaders, visionaries, founders and entrepreneurs.

The consequence: We've overdone it. Many of these 'idea' people can't actually execute their theories. What about those who can turn dreams or amazing ideas into realities. We should romanticize them as well.

"Our leadership obsession has real, unfortunate effects. We have too many wannabe leaders. This doesn't sound like a bad thing - the next generation should have dreams and ambitions. But which ones? The drive to start, grow, be in charge of something - anything - has spawned a generation of people hunched over laptops at Starbucks yearning for that big idea that will make them the next Larry or Sergey. But not everyone can create the Google of the future, and many of those who don't will think they're failures."

"We degrade the very idea of followers - lemmings! - yet the world needs people who can follow intelligently. I am not talking about mindless armies that march in formation and shoot if their leader points down a dark hallway. The key word is "intelligently." Good followers ask good questions. They probe their leaders. They crunch the numbers to ensure that their visionary boss's gorgeous plan actually works. 'But I want to be Hans Solo,' you say. 'Who wants to be a follower?' Exactly, we don't even have a positive iconic image for someone who isn't a leader."

I think as leaders of companies or more basic, members of the professional community, this is a concept we should be more than aware of but something we should actively think about. Are there ways we can design programs that honor or draw attention to those who have the skills to execute at a high level our entrepreneurial ideas? It's definitely worth some time, reflection and maybe a change to your strategic HR plan, business strategy or business plan. How can you make sure everyone understands how important these 'doers' are?

Here at Milestone Advisors we truly do it all, number crunching and market analysis to create financial models, we fulfill leadership roles such as part time CFO duties, we create plans and help businesses in the execution as well as tracking the results. Whatever the Indianapolis business community needs, we work to deliver customized solutions.

One of our favorite projects to help clients with is building a strategic plan. Why, you ask? The strategic plan is truly the defining blueprint for the future of any endeavor and we love seeing great ideas come to life as they're mapped out in realistic terms. It's all about clarity. How do we get there? 

- We conduct high-level analysis of external elements such as your Industry and Competition.
- We also analyze:
- Core competencies
- Mission, Vision, and Values of your organization
- Business objectives
- Major goals
- Key strategies

Once this 'self-reflection' is completed, an approach to business that is 100% original to you, your vision and company is developed along with actionable steps and plans to put it into place and start generating revenue.

As social media continues to grow by leaps and bounds in its practical applications for business operations and people's careers it's imperative we know as much as possible about the ways in which people use the forums (potential customers/clients included), how they prefer to be communicated with and what their motivations are for spending time on them.

But does Facebook have practical application for those of us working in B2B? Granted, we can all relate to its useful nature for any consumer product -- people love to visit and connect with their most trusted brands, see what promotions are being offered, what new spring line is being revealed or who won the latest contest. I could go on and on but we get it, it makes complete sense for those brands and companies to have a visible presence on Facebook. I, for one, am connected to Ann Taylor Loft across all SM mediums, I can't help myself and I get some pretty great coupons (which of course, lead me to shop and spend there more often than normal but I still sleep at night).

Yet in the same breath, all of us who work in B2B will acknowledge that marketing plans and marketing strategies often look much different than the fun and flash often associated with B2C. Yet, marketers, social media experts and leaders (and market research itself) alike are finding that Facebook has become a great place for B2B operations to be seen.

Follow this link for well done and highly effective Facebook Fan pages that B2B companies have added into their marketing communication strategies, product development plans and business plans to connect with clients in new way and demonstrate they're on top of the trends.

I read an interview with Guy that appeared in the New York Times a couple of weeks ago and thought it pertinent to share. Since entering the workforce and more specifically the world of communications and PR, I have looked to Guy for insight into the way people work and how understanding that concept can benefit the way you do business and simply work, on a day to day basis.

Some of my favorite insights are below:

Sales is everything. As long as you’re making sales, you’re still in the game.

You should hire people who are better at doing things than you are. So, in my case, I was not the warm-and-fuzzy manager, so I tried to hire people who reported to me who were warm-and-fuzzy types to provide a buffer. If you can’t do it, you should find somebody who can.

I learned from Steve Jobs that people can change the world. Maybe we didn’t get 95 percent market share, but we did make the world a better place. I learned from Steve that some things need to be believed to be seen.

Make yourself dispensable — what greater accomplishment is there than the organization running well without you?

Success in business comes from the willingness to grind it out. It’s not because of the brilliant idea. It’s because you are willing to work hard.

I don't think I am going out on much of a limb in saying that many managers, CEOs and entrepreneurs can all find a statement above that rings true or that hasn't already been incorporated into your strategic vision or strategic hr plan, etc. Listening to leaders such as Guy reflect on their experiences and impart wisdom is crucial to our own successes and failures as we grow in our careers and our companies grow. We should consistently investigate what others like Guy have experienced and incorporate their hard-learned lessons into our daily strategies our program management plans and even our financial plans (when appropriate).