Here's a great article on business networking:
How to Survive Speed Networking by Alan Matthews.
http://www.webtrafficpromotions.com/marketing/6368.php
Matthews reminds us of some of the networking fundamentals we all have been told but maybe don't actually implement. And while they are written to apply to speed networking - a timed exercise - they are also terrific truisms for any form of business networking.
Here's a quick summary:
1. Have one specific goal - decide ahead of time what you are going to promote and how, and keep it to a single purpose or message.
2. Ask them to take the action you want them to take - be specific, be direct, and always ask them to take some action that would help them, and your business.
3. Hand them something to reinforce your message - give them a business card or brochure that repeats in writing numbers 1 and 2.
4. Follow up - make contact after any networking opportunity with those you met. Just send a quick email and reinforce your message.
See, pretty simple. But how often do any of us network in that organized a fashion? Seems to me it would take little effort and make good business sense.
Tom Poorman
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Banned in Boston
I read an article today entitled "Banned in Boston" on cnn.money.com. It was about a waterborne sightseeing company that is having trouble getting the permits to do business in Boston.
It reminded me of the recent debate at Zanesville City Council over rezoning the former Y property, which would have allowed an existing Zanesville business to relocate to there and expand and improve a now mostly vacant property that happens to sit in a highly visible location.
Very unfortunate, in my humble personal opinion. It sends the wrong message to expanding businesses, as did the hassle Hannon Electric received when they wanted to add on at their property in Putnam.
I am not saying that development should happen at all costs - obviously it should not. But we have to give businesses the right climate in which to grow...or they simply will not.
Fortunately there are many, many other examples of times this community has gone to bat for businesses and helped them locate here and/or grow here. The list is long.
Undoubtedly there will always be disagreements between those that support business growth and those trying to preserve something else positive about an area. Its universal and not unique to our community. So how do we balance the two important interests? I am not sure, but we had better find a way. Common sense - applied case by case - has to prevail, but we had better never lose sight of the need for a positive business climate. We had better have darn good reasons to not come down on the side of local businesses when we consider such issues.
As Plato said, "What is honored in a country will be cultivated there." And what is not, will not be. Which message do we want to send?
It reminded me of the recent debate at Zanesville City Council over rezoning the former Y property, which would have allowed an existing Zanesville business to relocate to there and expand and improve a now mostly vacant property that happens to sit in a highly visible location.
Very unfortunate, in my humble personal opinion. It sends the wrong message to expanding businesses, as did the hassle Hannon Electric received when they wanted to add on at their property in Putnam.
I am not saying that development should happen at all costs - obviously it should not. But we have to give businesses the right climate in which to grow...or they simply will not.
Fortunately there are many, many other examples of times this community has gone to bat for businesses and helped them locate here and/or grow here. The list is long.
Undoubtedly there will always be disagreements between those that support business growth and those trying to preserve something else positive about an area. Its universal and not unique to our community. So how do we balance the two important interests? I am not sure, but we had better find a way. Common sense - applied case by case - has to prevail, but we had better never lose sight of the need for a positive business climate. We had better have darn good reasons to not come down on the side of local businesses when we consider such issues.
As Plato said, "What is honored in a country will be cultivated there." And what is not, will not be. Which message do we want to send?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Its the time of year to ride the Lorena Sternwheeler up and down the Muskingum, which is beautiful. Here's a great photo of the Lorena, I think by Joe Clark...sorry if I have the photographer wrong...but in any case it illustrates what a nice time can be had on the river. This is the Lorena's 60th year, so come give it a whirl.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Weeks like this are kind of strange
Have you ever had a week at work where you are jumping back and forth between two totally different types of work? It can be strange and even a little disorienting.
Here's what I mean: This week the chamber staff is helping organize the Zanesville Gus Macker Basketball Tournament. It is an annual project of the ZDA, which is an arm of the Chamber, and it is a major undertaking. So our staff members are running around doing physical set up for the event, alongside dozens and dozens of volunteers. Yesterday, for example, we set up the basket units, which are metal structures that come in pieces on a truck and then are assembled here.
Interspersed with that kind of work, we plop down at our desks every now and then and hurriedly answer phones messages and emails and try to get some essential tasks done, maybe in preparation for an upcoming meeting or something. Then we get back to work out on the street or down the hall.
It is kind of fun and its not hard, although it can be physical. But it sort of throws me off. Switching gears rapidly from physical labor to thinking and concentrating on information and issues is evidently not my forte. All of our staff does it and does it pretty well, however.
This weekend we will all spend two days working various jobs at the tournament. In some ways that is the easiest part since we can just worry about the event coming off okay. There is no administrative work back at the office that can't wait for two days.
Then the event tear down takes place, and as you know the aftermath of a party is always the worst part. For at least few days into next week we wrap things up and put supplies away.
Then its back to our mostly administrative work. And even though we are all very tired by this time, I think all of us kind of miss the nice change of routine we just had and regret now being relatively tied to our meetings, memos and desks.
But its never for long. Some project, meeting or other event will soon drag us out and make us do real work again, before the month is out in fact. And we all look forward to it.
Here's what I mean: This week the chamber staff is helping organize the Zanesville Gus Macker Basketball Tournament. It is an annual project of the ZDA, which is an arm of the Chamber, and it is a major undertaking. So our staff members are running around doing physical set up for the event, alongside dozens and dozens of volunteers. Yesterday, for example, we set up the basket units, which are metal structures that come in pieces on a truck and then are assembled here.
Interspersed with that kind of work, we plop down at our desks every now and then and hurriedly answer phones messages and emails and try to get some essential tasks done, maybe in preparation for an upcoming meeting or something. Then we get back to work out on the street or down the hall.
It is kind of fun and its not hard, although it can be physical. But it sort of throws me off. Switching gears rapidly from physical labor to thinking and concentrating on information and issues is evidently not my forte. All of our staff does it and does it pretty well, however.
This weekend we will all spend two days working various jobs at the tournament. In some ways that is the easiest part since we can just worry about the event coming off okay. There is no administrative work back at the office that can't wait for two days.
Then the event tear down takes place, and as you know the aftermath of a party is always the worst part. For at least few days into next week we wrap things up and put supplies away.
Then its back to our mostly administrative work. And even though we are all very tired by this time, I think all of us kind of miss the nice change of routine we just had and regret now being relatively tied to our meetings, memos and desks.
But its never for long. Some project, meeting or other event will soon drag us out and make us do real work again, before the month is out in fact. And we all look forward to it.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Blue Ocean Strategy
Are you familiar with the book "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne? They also have a website by the same name: www.blueoceanstrategy.com .
I have not read the book yet but I am going to. I have read summaries of it and talked to others who are pretty knowledgeable about the whole concept, and it sounds like it has real potential to help a lot of business people, especially right now.
The basic premise is that businesses should NOT seek to compete head to head in a crowded marketplace but that they should find the "blue ocean", that great big wide open place where there is little or no competition for what they are trying to do.
How exactly do you do that? I am not sure yet, but I plan to find out. And it sounds like innovation and creativity are required, and that has to be part of what many businesses need right now.
If you want to read some summaries of Blue Ocean Strategy here they are (and these are also provided in our Business Survival Toolkit discussed below).
Blue Ocean Strategy Book Summary: http://www.giantpromotions.com.au/Downloads/Blue_Ocean_Strategy_Book_Summary.pdf
Video summary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJH0g-EPGDs
Nine Key Points of Blue Ocean Strategy: http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/about/whatis.html
Blue Ocean Power Point: http://visipramudia.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/blue-ocean-strategy.pdf
A Conversation with W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, authors of BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY: http://www.insead.edu/alumni/newsletter/February2005/Interview.pdf
I have not read the book yet but I am going to. I have read summaries of it and talked to others who are pretty knowledgeable about the whole concept, and it sounds like it has real potential to help a lot of business people, especially right now.
The basic premise is that businesses should NOT seek to compete head to head in a crowded marketplace but that they should find the "blue ocean", that great big wide open place where there is little or no competition for what they are trying to do.
How exactly do you do that? I am not sure yet, but I plan to find out. And it sounds like innovation and creativity are required, and that has to be part of what many businesses need right now.
If you want to read some summaries of Blue Ocean Strategy here they are (and these are also provided in our Business Survival Toolkit discussed below).
Blue Ocean Strategy Book Summary: http://www.giantpromotions.com.au/Downloads/Blue_Ocean_Strategy_Book_Summary.pdf
Video summary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJH0g-EPGDs
Nine Key Points of Blue Ocean Strategy: http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/about/whatis.html
Blue Ocean Power Point: http://visipramudia.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/blue-ocean-strategy.pdf
A Conversation with W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, authors of BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY: http://www.insead.edu/alumni/newsletter/February2005/Interview.pdf
Monday, May 18, 2009
2009 Business Survival Toolkit for Chamber Members
The Chamber is offering all members a 2009 Business Survival Toolkit. The Toolkit is a collection of documents on a CD, all of which are geared to helping businesses improve and achieve success in spite of this year's economic conditions.
The Toolkit includes articles, columns and research papers by experts (sources cited in each case) such as:
"Buyer Behavior in a Recession"
"Ten Survival Steps to Take Right Now"
"Nine Key Points of Blue Ocean Strategy"
"Marketing Your Way Through a Recession"
"Financing & Development Incentives Guide" published by the Chamber
"Cash Management Strategies in Hard Times" published by CFO Research Services
Resources from the US Small Business Administration
Local market data from the Census Bureau
A list of books & audio tapes recommended by the Muskingum County Public Library System
A list of links to online videos, guides and handbooks
The Toolkit is FREE to Chamber members and is not available to non-members. To obtain your copy of the Toolkit you can pick one up at the Chamber office in the Welcome Center at 205 N. Fifth St. or email your request to khollins@zmchamber.com to make other arrangements.
The Toolkit includes articles, columns and research papers by experts (sources cited in each case) such as:
"Buyer Behavior in a Recession"
"Ten Survival Steps to Take Right Now"
"Nine Key Points of Blue Ocean Strategy"
"Marketing Your Way Through a Recession"
"Financing & Development Incentives Guide" published by the Chamber
"Cash Management Strategies in Hard Times" published by CFO Research Services
Resources from the US Small Business Administration
Local market data from the Census Bureau
A list of books & audio tapes recommended by the Muskingum County Public Library System
A list of links to online videos, guides and handbooks
The Toolkit is FREE to Chamber members and is not available to non-members. To obtain your copy of the Toolkit you can pick one up at the Chamber office in the Welcome Center at 205 N. Fifth St. or email your request to khollins@zmchamber.com to make other arrangements.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Happy National Tourism Week
This is a great week to reflect on the tremendous impact the hospitality industry has on our local economy. Tourists to Muskingum County have a $174.8 million impact on our economy. The wages earned due to the tourism industry in Muskingum County is $46.9 million. $22.9 million in taxes are generated and over 2,500 people are employed because of the toursim industry.
In addition, this week is a great time to promote all the great travel activities that are available for Spring and Summer travel - Staycations as well like to call it. Go to www.visitzanesville.com to make your destination plans.
Our hats go off to all the employees in the hospitality industry and a big thank you to families, friends, businesses, meeting planners, motor coach owners, trip planners and leisure travelers who choose Muskingum County as their destination.
Happy National Tourism Week!
In addition, this week is a great time to promote all the great travel activities that are available for Spring and Summer travel - Staycations as well like to call it. Go to www.visitzanesville.com to make your destination plans.
Our hats go off to all the employees in the hospitality industry and a big thank you to families, friends, businesses, meeting planners, motor coach owners, trip planners and leisure travelers who choose Muskingum County as their destination.
Happy National Tourism Week!
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