Marketing for Solopreneurs

Dot Mobi: Websites on Mobile Devices

Well, we knew it would happen. With cell phones and hand-held devices now outnumbering computers, the new marketing challenge is mobile websites.

If you have ever called up a website on your cell phone, you know that most sites just don't work at "matchbox sizes.” So, in September of 2006, the extension .mobi was launched, and with it, the industry of making a web site work on a small screen. Companies are already offering .mobi services—taking your website and making it work on the mobile screen. Looking for a FedEx drop while on the road? Just punch in Fedex.com and it will take you to their .mobi site. The web site, tailored to fit a cell phone screen, makes it real easy to find what you need.

So the big question for you as a small business is: Are you going to need a .mobi site"? Dot mobi started with social networking and dating sites, but more and more businesses are finding a real value in them. Take, for example, a specialty store that caters to young people who spend practically every waking minute on their hand-held device. Or someone who is in one shop, and, while pricing an item they like, go online and check out competitors’ prices.

So, what are the applications for you? Do you think your business could benefit from a .mobi site? We’ll be covering this subject in more detail in the March issue of our MarketingYourSmallBiz.com Ezine.

Have thoughts on this? Post your comment!

Business Networking: Get Personal

In the last few days, I have attended two networking functions. One was a local Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast and another was an informal chat-over-coffee with some friends, who are business colleagues—and clients. Both offered incredible opportunities for sharing and networking. But the Chamber breakfast had over 50 people, while our coffee shop group totaled just six. So where am I going with this?

We often make it a point to attend large, more formal professional networking events. But it can be just as beneficial to meet in smaller, more intimate groups. Whether it's a scheduled monthly event, or a spontaneous, "let's get together for coffee, " the small groups can be as powerful as any large networking event—sometimes more so.

It is in these settings that new, creative ideas are exchanged, people are connected to helpful resources and, yes, even partnerships are formed. As a result of last Saturday’s “coffee talk,” every person there left with at least one concrete way we can all support each other’s business goals. We have even decided to restart the monthly networking group we had launched (and let lapse), with plans to explore more ways we can work together.

So don't forget those one-on-one meetings. Take the time to share lunch or a cup of coffee with new people you meet and cultivate deeper relationships with existing colleagues. Of course it takes time, which is so valuable to us small businesses, but the more personal relationships you build, the stronger your network of partners and the greater benefit to your business in the long run.

It is interesting to me that the large corporations are beginning to recognize the value of personal networking. Heck, we small businesses knew that all the time!

MarketingYourSmallbiz.com Launches

Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant. Mitchell Kapor

Welcome to MarketingYourSmallBiz.com. This is our first blog post and I'll try to keep it short -- although I could go on and on about our new web site. But, in a nutshell, we want to help you, the small business, discover marketing strategies that will help you grow your business.

There’s a lot of clutter out there—tons of free information on the web about marketing your small business, some great, some mediocre and lots of junk! Who has time to sift through it all? That's what we do for you.

We’ll give you the best information and what it means for you in our free weekly marketing e-tip, our members-only subscription ezine, and—very frequently—through this blog. Visit us here at the MarketingYourSmallBiz.com blog to hear our take on the latest marketing trends, news and observations to help you, the small business owner.

We want you to feel that this blog is your place, so we welcome your comments and insights on the topic of the day. Our editor, Judy, will also post on this blog from time to time, so you can respond with your thoughts to either one of us.

Visit soon—and often—for news and comments to jumpstart your thinking on small biz marketing.