2010 Penobscot Bay Business Expo

The annual business expo is on the horizon. Local businesses will be on exhibit at the Samoset on May 26, from one in the afternoon to seven in the evening. Whether you are an exhibitor or an attendee there are key ways to maximize the experience. As an exhibitor you want to be sure to do the following:

• Look your best;
• Have adequate booth staffing for the entirety of the event;
• Have adequate booth staffing for the entirety of the event;
• Commit to speak to every person who approaches your booth;
• Deliver a consistent, unified message regarding your business;
• What are the three images you want your visitors to walk away with;
• What are the three things you want to know about each visitor;
• Identify the type of visitor:
• Possible Customer
• Possible Business Alliance
• Possible Networking Opportunity
• Follow-up with each visitor
• Handwritten note
• Email
• Facebook
• Phone Call
• Capture visitor data in your database, Constant Contact, etc; and
• Schedule regular follow-ups including a reminder sixty days prior to next year’s expo to stop by and see you.

Visitors have the option of a precursory walk through of the event, stopping only long enough to pick up a giveaway. However, if this is your normal pattern we encourage you to give the expo and its exhibitors a few minutes of your time. Consider the following:

• Visit any booth that has the remotest interest to you;
• Introduce yourself and your business;
• Identify the possible relationship to your business:
• Possible Vendor
• Possible Customer
• Possible Business Alliance
• Possible Networking Opportunity
• If any of the above offer to follow-up in the next ten days;
• Capture the businesses information in your database, Constant Contact etc.; and
• Communicate with them and follow their business fan page in Facebook.

Whether you are an exhibitor or a visitor, remember to get the most from the expo. You will garner the most value from it if you treat it as an interactive rather than a passive or reactive event. Learn about the businesses in our vibrant community. Put faces with names. Network. You never know how it might benefit you or one of your customers in the future.

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Because You Can Blog, Doesn't Mean You Should

Every business owner is told you must have a website; you must be on Facebook; you must Tweet and you must blog.

Your website is a virtual representation of your business. Everything about it is a reflection of how you want your business to be perceived.

Facebook is a thumbnail extension of that image and Twitter is regularly updated sound bytes that keep your customers apprised of news and where to find the related detail.

A blog is a platform to educate, inform, entertain or amuse your readers. You can do all of these things regardless of your business. But let’s be honest, some of us do not have the time to commit to regular blog updates. And if we are going to be really honest some of us still live in fear of the seventh grade teacher who assured us we should never write anything but a check.

A blog is important. It is a way to educate your customers, inform them of new trends and if you have the knack to amuse and entertain them as you would favorite guests at a dinner party.

You can be the best in your field but that does not mean you would design your website, sketch your logo or layout your ad content. If you do not have the time or feel it is the best use of your time to make each of the components of your business to be the best consistent image of your brand and message, there is a simple solution. Define an update schedule and hire someone who can help you achieve a consistent, professional image of your business including the regular composition and update of blog entries. Let a writer, compose your blog entries. You can have editorial control while you can be confident that your site is update at regular intervals with professional posts that provide the best professional image for your message.

Forty-eight hours in Rockland

The current issue of Maine magazine has a six page spread about Rockland. It highlights thirty-seven businesses around town. That’s impressive by anyone’s standards. It is another indication of the vibrancy of the mid-coast. The vibrancy is a year round trait, not one that is fueled only by tourists for a brief season. Yes, the businesses listed profit from tourists but a healthy business environment has to serve its residents as well as its visitors. The restaurants, shops and inns are open all year. The business owners are active members of the community. Many are members of the Downtown Alliance, most are chamber of commerce members.

A key factor to local success is collaboration. Take the historic inns as an example. They work together to plan events, offer promotions and set a standard of quality to ensure customer satisfaction. They do so without losing their own identity or uniqueness. When you see businesses in the community who offer comparable services to yours try to view these business owners as possible alliances who with you can better serve the community. Through collaboration you can work to raise the bar for your customer base and improve your contribution to the vibrancy that is the mid-coast.

Creatures of Habit

We are creatures of habit, and as such we often run on auto play. Take spring 2010 as an example. We are used to a spring that is cold and damp. Instead it got warm early and everything is in bloom weeks ahead of schedule. Regardless of the reality of the spring we have had scores of people have been heard to complain about the weather. They complain out of habit. It's something to say.

We talk about the economy in the same way we talk about the weather. It has been doom and gloom for two plus years. Instead of celebrating signs of recovery we fall into pattern and complain. We don't notice the number of houses that have sold recently or we prefer to view the sales as an anomaly. We stop looking for business opportunities. Once true and dire economic indicators have become rationalizations for inertia. Just as the forsythia has bloomed and the tulips have come and gone don't ignore the indicators that bode well for you and your business. Stop and listen to your own comments about the economy, your business and our Main Streets.  Don't run on auto play. Seek out the upticks and take advantage of them. If you don't the season will soon be over and you will have missed it.

Great Blogging Advise

Great site with great social media advice. Check this one out, 11 Ways to Create Great Blog Content