Work-Life Balance

Keeping it real. Work-Life balance is important.

Here's how I try:http://t.co/hr5aUVk

Social Media Gains are Impressive

For the last two years the good fellows at CMO.com have published an exceptionally important chart that shows the impact of nine top Social Media (SM) tools. Everything from LinkedIn to Facebook, from YouTube to Tumblr is examined. And rated.

The CMO's Guide to the Social Media Landscape is even color-coded. At a glance you can see what tools are having the biggest impact. Lay eyeballs on this and it becomes abundantly clear that SM needs to be in the mix for any organization seeking to make valued connections to key audiences.

To see for yourself, click here (http://tinyurl.com/6bhrhjb).

Small Business Summit

The Chicago Tribune's Carolyn Rusin was kind enough to interview me recently to help preview an upcoming Barrington Chamber event designed for local business owners.

Click here to link to the story.

In 2011 I take my turn as the elected Chairman of the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce. One of my goals is to be sure that chamber membership is ever-more relevant for small business owners, especially the many new start-ups that have resulted from the economic downturn of the last couple years.

It seems more than ever that a local chamber provides a nurturing atmosphere for business owners who may be confronting new challenges for the very first time. Whether a new business owner needs help with marketing, accounting, banking, branding, sales, product development or just wants to have a friendly conversation with somebody who's "been there, done that," a local chamber is an effective tool to successfully launch a business.

When Does Passion Trump Expertise?

Ron Santo died December 2, 2010. In his 70 trips around the sun he was many things: an All-Star ballplayer, a business owner, a popular broadcaster and a humanitarian.

As a ballplayer, Santo won his share of awards (Gold Gloves & All Star games). He owned a series of mostly profitable businesses following retirement from the game as a player. His achievements as a broadcaster transcended convention. He was anything but the consummate analyst in the booth. Santo was all grunts and groans and "Ohhhhh noooooooo" exclamations. His affection for the Cubs -- a team he signed with as a rookie for 4x less than what he was offered by another ballclub -- endeared him to Cubs fans everywhere. {Cubs fans may have thick skins from years of falling short, but that doesn't mean the pain of losing isn't any less real.}

The story has been told many times over the years; when Santo was diagnosed with diabetes as a young ballplayer he hid the disease from all but his closest teammates. He kept candy bars and Cokes hidden in the dugout for those times mid-game when he felt his blood sugar dropping.

He helped raise millions of dollars for diabetes research. He poured the same energy for baseball, business & broadcasting into finding a cure.

On the field he wasn't the slickest fielder. In business he had a few clunkers. In the broadcast booth he was far from polished. For Ron Santo, what drove him to succeed was his passion. He had that special something that all of us should consider, admire and emulate.

Are You Marketing Relentlessly? (Part 2)

This entry is the conclusion to a two-part series on "Relentless Marketing," a marketing approach I use and advocate for any other small business owner.

Q. What makes the most sense for a small business when it comes to social media?

A: There are so many options these days that seem cheap and easy. I'm hard-pressed to say that one thing or another makes the most sense. Over time, if I've learned anything it's that integrated marketing works best for any company, organization or non-profit. The idea here is that the business owner uses a balance of tools -- website, point-of-sale, targeted advertising including Google AdWords, design, networking and media relations -- in a consistent, relentless manner. When it all comes together the new business pipeline stays full.

Q. Are there any guidelines for deciding what percentage of revenue or expected revenue should be spent on marketing?

A: Do what's comfortable, but don't stay locked in. A good rule of thumb is that 5-10 percent of total revenue should be spent on marketing. There are plenty of examples, though, of companies that spend far more or less and get the results they want. What it boils down to is this -- can we ever have too many customers?

Q. Is there any way besides trial and error to determine what marketing tactics are best for a particular business? That is ads vs. direct mail vs. email vs. social media, etc.

A: For my small business clients I always recommend that some sort of tracking system be instituted to see how customers find out about their business. More sophisticated outfits, regardless of size, are continually polling customers on not just satisfaction, but also on what influences them. A simple survey goes a long way in determining just what makes a customer happiest. I never like trial and error. I think it's really important to look at what the competition is doing AND saying, and then figure our how to differentiate my clients so that they stand out more. When we figure that out, sales improve and life is good!