Marketing for a non-marketing professional

Marketing has got to be the biggest time drain on my business, along with keeping up with technology. I've been doing marketing work this week. Making changes to my website, talking to other professionals who can offer services that are compatible with mine, net working in general.

I try to market on a tight budget. It's tough to know what will work and what won't and just like any small business owner, it's 9pm at night and I'm still working.

I finally posted some articles on my website. I'm trying to offer free information so people can get to know me. Not just junk, but really good stuff. I need ideas for topics, please send some!

That's another subject: the web definition of an article. It's the big thing these days, "get your articles published on the web". Funny thing is, what "they" call articles are about 3 or 4 paragraphs. People don't have time to read much. It's amazing what a time warp you can get into when you get on the web, so articles are kept at a minimum. We all need time for our other life; reality: those who give you a kiss every now and then when you aren't pecking away at your computer.

A day in my life

Recently I spent a day with one of my new clients. I spent the day with them in their conference room along with their chief estimator, vice president and their controller. We looked at their new software and viewed screens within the software and discussed their current business process and how it would fit into their new software.

What we did in that meeting was so important to the success of this company.

• It was important that the meeting was attended by the key players and only those players (although there are times when all players should be involved).
• It was important that all of us dedicated that time to the meeting un-interrupted with no phone calls, only a break for lunch.
• It was important that the software was used as a guide for how things would be done and who would do what and what sequence of events would be followed.
• As the process for the implementation of new software was unveiled, notes were made about how to perfect the existing process in the future. IE: potential problems in the current process were uncovered that came up as a result of creating the new process.
• It was important that we documented the revised process right there in the meeting as a part of the meeting.

We all came out of that meeting with a clear process in writing of how their company would function using the software to it's fullest potential.

Keeping up with the Blog

I know it's been some time since I posted here and I appologize for the delay. Many companies decided that 2008 was the year to get new software and that thrills me, and it keeps me very busy. I am always happy to see the progress companies make when they implement new software. It's like cleaning out your house and repainting, sending all the old clothes to Goodwill, buying new furniture and appliances and learning how to finally program the DVD player, all at the same time. What a task, but how rewarding when everything is set up, organized and the employees truly understand why they are doing what they do and everyone understands how to read the reports.

January 26th my daughter married her sweetheart who is a wonderful young man and I couldn't be more proud. The wedding was in the hills of Texas in a beautiful large log cabin. The weather was perfect and the guests were even better.

So it's back to work, meeting with my peer group and working on my website and classes and helping clients understand the world of financial software.

I sure do love my work. I hope you do too!