Johnnie Firari

Do not get me wrong, I still value great content but the value is extremely low and is only going to go lower.

Many people are forgetting some basic economics, “Supply and Demand”. With more and more people looking at producing “CONTENT” through video, blog post and pod cast we have to realize what is happening. More content is being produced than what is demanded. Supply goes up, demand(value) goes down!

So should you keep producing content?

This is a decision that needs to be based on the strategy of you and your business. You hear others such as Gary Vaynerchuk who scream you can produce some income based off of blogging (producing content) about your passion. Do not get me wrong it can happen but lets be honest if you do not ultimately have a product or service the content is not going to bring you income (granted some income will be made off of advertising. I have done it and have made a fair amount from my site www.socialmediadj.com).

I still believe you should produce content around your business and what you care about but you have to make it part of your strategy if trying to produce income. Just remember the content is not the “Value” you bring to your community. Your services or products you provide is what is important.

Technorati Tags: Content, Social Media, Supply and Demand

Tonight while at a networking event, I was speaking to a gentlemen about his business. We ended up talking about the company that did not deliver his website after months! We discussed his project and I know from what he was asking and willing to pay, it was not a three month project. Yes, I know there is always another side to the story. But it gets better. With out him naming the company that was doing his website, I expressed to him I had met a gentlemen (call him “LIAR”) three months ago at an event gloating on how LIAR’s “Web design” company did not have any competition in Indiana.  They were 1 of 2 companies in Indiana who could provide the services he provided. NATURALLY, I asked for the “LIARs’” card so I could check him out online. As I figured, nothing special or at least nothing I could not see other companies including myself doing in Indiana achieving. But then I noticed a website of someone I had just met three weeks prior to meeting the LIAR. I gave them a call and was completely honest. “I am just calling today because I met this LIAR and wanted to check out my competition and see what type of experience you had”. WOW! Long story short, she had a nightmare story.

So plain and simple check my company or any other company out before doing business.

What do you need to ask?

First do not ask the company you are considering anything!

Talk to the people they have done work for. Ask them, would you recommend Yougo Network, why or why not?

This one question will tell you if you want to work with them.

Final note: There is just to much AMAZING competition in Indiana to highlight the top 5. Instead of looking for the top company, look for a business that will listen and care about your needs. You can find this out by talking to their current clients. It is just to easy for the company to Lie!

Technorati Tags: Liar, Indiana web design, top 5, amazing

Next to all the post on predictions for the new year and so many people tweeting “2010 will be the best year yet and they are so excited for the new year”, is over! I think it is great to be excited about the upcoming new year (Note the new year has started, did you?)but come on, honestly a new year is not going to change anything, unless you are excited about what you do daily.

Stop predicting and get productive today!

Technorati Tags: today, 2010, predictions, focus

At Yougo Network we work very hard to build on old and new client relations. I can openly admit our competition is great and we are not the best. We do work very hard to provide what we call the “WOW effect” to every client. We work to exceed expectations regardless of the budget. It has been the “WOW effect” as to why we have grown and added new services.

To answer my question, we do have a good relationship with our clients.

• Clients tell us when they are not happy.
• Clients tell us when they are happy.
• Clients refer us to others.
• Clients ask us to provide a new service that we currently do not offer, just so they can leave their other service provider!

It all comes down to one thing for us and that is to “CARE”. It might also be that we have the best clients in the world!

I would love to hear how others build relationships with their clients and how they know their relationship is good.

Technorati Tags: clients, CARE, service provider

So you are in business and working hard to build on what you have accomplished. Great job!

Are you monitoring your competition? You could have a problem! Some forget that the smaller businesses, you know the place where most business owners start, are competition. We tend to measure ourselves next to businesses of the same size or bigger. The smaller companies are the ones to watch out for. They bring new thoughts and originality to your industry. They are smaller and can react faster. Think about your business and how much drive you had when you started out, is it the same? I would bet it isn’t.

Technorati Tags: Indiana, competition in business

So I have failed! I set a personal goal for myself to maintain and work diligently on my blog. No excuse is a good excuse but just maybe you would accept that I was working hard for customers? Anyways, I would love to hear how you might keep up with taking care of clients and practicing what you/I preach.

How I plan on keeping up with all that I do and updating my blog.

1. Write shorter post.
2. Start doing video post (You will see in 2010 some videos that are not the best quality but let me know what you think of the message).
3. Still a tough one for me at times but doing away with my “corporate mindset”.
4. In the words of @mattrouge: Just rock harder, bro!

Love to hear your advice or keep up, please share.
Technorati Tags: 2010, blog, Indiana,

Have no idea where the idea for this post came from or why I even made this note to myself to do a post on “Connect the dots”. I guess I need to make detailed notes, so I do not lose the original idea of the topic in the future.

So what does connecting the dots mean to me. Well I think about myself as a kid growing up and how connecting the dots prepare us for the future. This simple exercises forces you to move in the direction the creator setup for us. Connecting the dots teach you that if you want to create something, you have to have a starting point, a step by step plan, a vision, execution and a end result. Do you connect the dots the same as others? Have you looked at what the orginal creator created and see a different picture from the dots than everyone will see? I think it is easy to see how this relates to business. We all hear how important a business plan is. Your busienss plan is the starting point, creates your turn by turn road map and ultimately clarifies your vision. Of course you need to execute the business plan.

PROBLEM!! This post is really bad. I would like to open this up to anyone who could provide a better post on how “Connect the Dots” relates to business. Thanks for any help you can provide me and my readers. Please post below.
TKS

After a brief discussion with a newbie to networking, I thought I would share some of my networking tips online.

1. Listen to others!

2. Listen to others (very important)! Get your ears checked before networking.

3. Do not just throw your business card or hand your business card, unless the person ask for it. Make them ask for it.

4. If you are bored, you are probably boring.

5. Remember your 30 or 60 second elevator speech is not a sales pitch or presentation.

6. Listen to others and see how you can help (cannot say this enough, hopefully you got it).

7. Do not expect new business. Approach the event as a way to help the other people you have been listening to.

8. Build quality not quantity relationships.

9. It is a good idea to align yourself with others to help each other. Two, three, four or even five heads are better than one.

Do you have any good tips? Please share below…

Many times people go to a event with high expectations for a large turnout, only to see a smaller group than expected. Turnouts with the masses are not always a good thing. Sure you many have a ton of potential clients but it does no good if you are not listening and effectively communicating with the one or two people standing in front of you. Next time you go to a networking event and see a small crowd, be happy, take your time and focus on the person in front of you.

Big networking event turnouts are not wrong but they can be if you approach them wrong. Do not be the person telling everyone about your product or service and NOT listening to others.
Blog topic provided by John Cannon (My Car Doc).