The Internet Keeps Changing and so Do I

If you have been involved with the Internet for any length of time, you will readily admit that the Internet seems to keep changing at a faster and faster pace.  At times, it probably overwhelms you because as soon as you master one skill or area, it’s time to move on and try your hand at yet another.  It’s the nature of the industry, and you have to either keep up or find a niche – a little area of the cyber world that you can keep up with, and that’s in demand.

Many firms try to do it all.  That’s okay for some, but that doesn’t have to be you.  When I began designing Web sites in the late 90s, I could wear more hats and keep with all the changes that were taking place.  As time as gone on, I have found myself specializing and changing at the same time.  I used to do it all, but I discovered that my niche is in two areas:  designing sites for small businesses and using social media as a marketing tool for small businesses.  There are still many things that I do beyond that, but I concentrate on the things I do well and that I feel confident about.

If you depend on the Internet for your business too, consider not doing it all.  There’s nothing wrong in limiting your business to things you do well.  If you do, then make sure you network.  Then if someone needs a service that you don’t excel in, you can either refer them to one of your acquaintances or contract that acquaintance for the work.

At the same time, you need to remain flexible and current.  The Internet is constantly changing, so you do have to keep up and you do have to be able to adapt and change directions as needed.  I never would have pictured myself as a social media marketing just two years ago, but I took on the challenge as a volunteer for an organization I belong to, and I found that I liked it.  Then someone who knew my volunteer work with social media approached me and said he liked how I handled the marketing, and suddenly, I realized that I had a new aspect to add to my business.

Change and adapt – that’s what I do.  Consider it for yourself too.

Selling Sand to Saudi Arabia

That’s right.  I’ve sold sand to Saudi Arabia.  Don’t they have enough sand?  Yes, but they don’t have the right type of sand.  Years ago, I worked under a salesperson whose sales territory included Saudi Arabia, and one day we got an inquiry for sand from a company in Saudi Arabia.  People in our company laughed and congratulated us when we managed to lock in a sale for thousands and thousands of tons of sand the country known for its sand.  It was specialized sand used in those reflective tiles on roads that help us stay in our lanes at night.

That brings me to my topic today.  What does it say about a country where it is cheaper to ship our raw minerals to other countries, have them manufacture the items and then ship them back as finished products for Americans to buy at lower prices than if they had been manufactured here?

Think about it.  That same company I worked for also sold raw materials to Korea and Taiwan for products that were manufactured there and shipped back here for sale.  Think about what went into those products.  The raw materials came from places like the United States, Australia and South America.  Then companies paid for those minerals to be mined and shipped via truck, rail and ocean to countries such as Taiwan and Korea.  Then the workers in those countries worked in factories and built those products – cars, ovens, china, paint, lawnmowers, and so much more.  Those products were put back on ships and brought here to the United States and dispersed to stores throughout our country via rail and truck.  All that moving around, and those products are cheaper with that long manufacturing and distribution chain than if they had been made here.

I liked working for that company because I learned so much about raw materials and freight, and I also was exposed to so many people in this country and in so many other countries, but I often thought about the implications since I knew that many of those products produced overseas would be back on our store shelves.  Someone said something the other day, and I thought about our sand sale.

I would like to see the United States build up a manufacturing base again.  I think one of the things our economy needs is a balance among all kinds of industries, and we have lost so much in terms of manufacturing here.  But I don’t have any good answers.  I myself am a consumer rather than a producer.  I offer services rather than goods.  One thing I can try to do is buy American when I can, but it’s not the easiest thing to do especially with a tight budget and so few things produced here.

What can we do to make American manufacturing more competitive?  There has to be a way to compete with goods that travel so many more miles and are touched by so many companies than our own made goods.

Selling Online – What Options Are There?

The world is bigger than just eBay, Amazon and Craigslist.  Before you sell online, you need to research and decide which format is the best for you.  You need to consider fees and shipping carefully before you jump in.  Make sure their fees are along the lines of the other ones and that they offer shipping options that work well for you as the seller.

Some sites you should consider in addition to eBay and Amazon are eBid, BlueJay and eCrater.  The reviews of them are quite favorable, and you’ll find that they are popping up in the links I give you below.  What I find most useful in reading what others say is the recommendations they give that may help you sell your particular product.  For instance, one site mentioned that Overstock.com seems do well with jewelry.  I didn’t even know that I could sell products on Overstock.com until I read the article.

See what sites are recommending to sell your items:

·         Top 6 Places to Sell Online (Article from 2008)

·         Best Places to Sell Your Stuff Online (Article from 2011)

·         5 Best Sites to Sell Online (Article from 2011)

·         19 Places to Sell Online Other Than Ebay (article from 2009)

These sites won’t tell you everything you need to know.  They just open your eyes to the sites your can use.  Now what you need to do is visit the sites that interest you most and see what their terms, fees and conditions are.  Then you should turn to a guide to online selling.  This may be an online article or a book in your library.  Libraries actually have some very useful Internet resources.  Just make sure that the book you check out is less than two years old since the online market changes rapidly.

Whether you are trying to begin an online retail business using a online selling service or just selling a few items to pocket some money and get rid of things, make sure you do your homework and take the time to describe your product well and showcase it with photos.  One thing that all of these sites agree on is that how your display and describe your product matters in selling it successfully online.

Kindness of Strangers

Sometimes, it is good to get off topic.  Today is one of those days.  Sometimes, I am struck by the kindness of strangers.

This week, while running errands with my children, my son inadvertently lost his IPod which he had had for less than two weeks.  Needless to say, I was upset and frustrated.  I had the kids look carefully through the van while I called the stores to see if it had been returned.  I wasn’t too hopeful because many people would simply pocket the thing if they found it.

I was thrilled when I called Target, and they said someone had returned it to their lost and found.  Apparently, my son had dropped it by the van in the parking lot.  It’s amazing that it wasn’t even scratched let alone smashed by another vehicle.  Someone was a really good person and simply did the right thing:  returned it.

Throughout the years, I’ve run into many people who were just plain kind to strangers. 

Years ago, when I was in college, two of my high school friends were visiting me in Baltimore.  We had spent much of the morning roaming through Inner Harbor and then we were planning to go to the Aquarium.  It cost more than any of us expected, and we stared at the sign with the fees, and among us, we didn’t have enough.   This older gentleman walked up to us.  We weren’t sure about him since it was the city, but he said he would pay for one of us to get in.  What?  Admission for free?  There had to be a catch.  We were young women and not totally naive.  No catch he said.  His wife had passed away some months ago, and he was lonely and still had his membership.  He said he came most days to the Aquarium just to pass the time, and he made a point to look around and choose someone deserving of a free admission.  Sometimes he would pick a young couple, but that day he picked us.  He said he could tell that we were in college and probably didn’t have enough money.  So he led us through the membership door, paid for one of our admission, tipped his hat and wished us well.

Then some years later, I was at the Bay Bridge heading to visit my parents and got my turn at the toll only to find that the person ahead of me had paid for me.  It was Christmas time.  After that, I’ve done that a few times myself.  It’s a nice gesture and doesn’t cost all that much.  Apparently it is done at lot at the Bay Bridge.

While it doesn’t make up for all the meanness out there, those acts of kindness that pop up here and there give me some faith in humanity.  People have to remember that it’s the little things that matter.  Holding a door for someone coming up behind you.  Letting people off the elevator first before getting on.  Turning something into the lost and found instead of pocketing it.  It doesn’t take much, but it makes a world of difference.

Creative Marketing for Small Business

            Don’t have a large budget to promote your business?  You don’t necessarily need that, although it’s nice if you do.  There are many ways to market your small business without the budget taking a heavy hit.

·         109 Ways to Make Your Business Irresistible to the Media – This is a usefularticle that gives you sound ideas under the headings of “Build Relationships Months in Advance of Pitching,” “Once You’ve Met, Make the Pitch Transition Smooth,” “Ponder These Issues Prior to Pitching,” “21 Kinds of Reporter Bait,” and “A Few Important Don’ts.”

·         Pearl of the Week – The Pearl of the Week offers some simple and enlightening tips to consider when doing business.  They are simple common sense tips that can help your business grow.

·         How to Turn the Conversation from Blogging into Selling – For any of you who are trying to link your blog to your business, this article is useful.  It helps you bridge the gap without feeling guilty or like you are being pushy with your readership.

·         20 Creative Marketing Ideas for Small Business – Although this article was written in 2009, I find that they still are as relevant today as they were two years ago. 

There are many more ideas.  The key is to find ones that you can use comfortably and consistently until they begin to pay off.  The other tip I offer is patience.  Marketing won’t bring changes to your business’ bottom line overnight.  Have the patience to try this things for months consistently to bring results.