I don't do a lot of tweeting but whenever I publish an article I go to Twitter and announce it with the URL. When the URL is a long string it can literally occupy the entire tweet.
There are a number of online application providers that have created ways to shorten a URL. One of them is Tiny.cc.
Here's an example of what using this application does for you:
I created a blog with the following link name:
http://lenrosen4.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/energy-in-the-21st-century-part-1-our-history-and-the-current-global-dilemma/
In Twitter the URL pretty much would occupy the entire message.
With Tiny.cc, however, you can contract the size of the URL to a very tidy number of characters.
http://tiny.cc/42ldf
And you have room for a message as well.
Tiny.cc is not the only application provider offering this service. I found it using a Google search query "short URL names."
You can use Tiny.cc for wall postings in Facebook or for updating your LinkedIn status. It's a great way to maximize your marketing message while minimizing those long strings of gobbledygook that constitute URLs.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tear Down Knowledge Silos with Enterprise Social Networks
This is the title of my latest article to appear on CMSWire. Silo thinking is a challenge in any organization whether large or small. By creating a social network cross fertilization can begin in an organization to improve processes, to create new products, to build better bridges to suppliers and customers. Hope you enjoy the read.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Social Networking in the Enterprise: What’s the ROI?
This article just appeared on the CMSWire site. It describes the compelling forces that are making companies look at social media: work force retention and knowledge retention.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Is Franchising Right for You in the Current Economy?
Two years ago I started a social network using Ning, the public social networking platform that allows you to build your own. I called it Franchise Formula. In the last few months I have started working with a franchisor and have found myself increasingly posting forum discussions on the site and have watched it grow in terms of members and visitors. I posted an article as a discussion piece that I wanted to share with readers of this blog because many small businesses are acquired franchises. The article appears here in part.
The toughest decision anyone can make is the leap into a new business, going to the unfamiliar from what is comfortable. Many of you seeking a franchise have been pushed. Your leap is not necessarily voluntary. You've been laid off, downsized, or terminated. It's happening everywhere these days. And it is to you that I throw open the doors of this discussion.
There are so many franchise choices out there from fast food to opulent sit down restaurants, from home-based businesses focused on a wide range of services, from retail to wholesale, from educational to pet services. The range of franchise offerings is immense. So what's the right fit for you?
Here are some very important points to consider.
1. Not everyone is cut out to operate a business on their own. Some of us want a pay check every 2 weeks and don't want to live with the risk factor of self reliance. You have to ask yourself honestly. Are you willing to take that kind of risk? If you have a family are they willing to share that risk with you? If the answer is no then you should be talking to HR folks and sending out resumes, not looking at franchises.
2. Not everyone who is prepared to risk going it alone is cut out to be a franchisee. Franchises work on the premise that those who become operators are prepared to follow a proven system, a business model that has been built for them. Often franchisors mention seeking those of you with entrepreneurial skills. The truth is entrepreneurship can get in the way of being a good franchisee because entrepreneurs tend to do things their way, not the franchisor's way.
3. The cost of acquiring a franchise from a franchisor is only a fraction of the money you need to have put aside to become successful in operating the franchise. Is there a hard and fast rule for the ratio of just how much money you need in your first year and subsequent years to succeed? It varies from franchise to franchise. The relationship between the cost of a franchise and the money required to operate it is significant when talking about storefront franchises such as restaurants and retail businesses. Think of an ice berg when looking at these types of opportunities. The cost of the franchise is the ice you can see above the water. Your other costs are all the ice you cannot see. That is less the case for home-based franchise businesses where your operational costs are to some degree covered by your existing home. You probably have a computer and Internet access. You probably have storage space. You probably have a car, truck or van. You don't have to build anything. For these types of franchises your first year operational costs may be equal to or a little more than half the cost of the franchise acquisition. So is the franchise you like one that fits with your economic circumstances? We cannot all buy McDonald's franchises because not all of us have the means.
4. If you have fallen in love with a concept that is not within your budget you need to investigate sources of funding. There is money out there despite these tough economic times. In the US the Federal Government SBA loans program is worth investigating at all times when considering sources of funds. This is a much better alternative than remortgaging your home, or maxing out lines of credit and credit cards. Canada has an equivalent program through the federal government and in both Canada and the US, local banks are the places to go when considering this option.
5. Finally you need to do a self assessment when looking at a franchise opportunity. Are you ready to take the time necessary to make the franchise you have selected successful? Every franchisee goes through the same stages when operating a franchise - the euphoria and excitement at the start, the fear when the initial effort doesn't lead to immediate rewards, the grind of daily operations, and finally the potential boredom that comes with having mastered the franchise model successfully to the point that the business no longer excites and you seek a way out. It's important that you look at any franchise purchase knowing that you will experience all of these stages. Is your personality capable of dealing with this? In your own mind are you the right stuff?
The toughest decision anyone can make is the leap into a new business, going to the unfamiliar from what is comfortable. Many of you seeking a franchise have been pushed. Your leap is not necessarily voluntary. You've been laid off, downsized, or terminated. It's happening everywhere these days. And it is to you that I throw open the doors of this discussion.
There are so many franchise choices out there from fast food to opulent sit down restaurants, from home-based businesses focused on a wide range of services, from retail to wholesale, from educational to pet services. The range of franchise offerings is immense. So what's the right fit for you?
Here are some very important points to consider.
1. Not everyone is cut out to operate a business on their own. Some of us want a pay check every 2 weeks and don't want to live with the risk factor of self reliance. You have to ask yourself honestly. Are you willing to take that kind of risk? If you have a family are they willing to share that risk with you? If the answer is no then you should be talking to HR folks and sending out resumes, not looking at franchises.
2. Not everyone who is prepared to risk going it alone is cut out to be a franchisee. Franchises work on the premise that those who become operators are prepared to follow a proven system, a business model that has been built for them. Often franchisors mention seeking those of you with entrepreneurial skills. The truth is entrepreneurship can get in the way of being a good franchisee because entrepreneurs tend to do things their way, not the franchisor's way.
3. The cost of acquiring a franchise from a franchisor is only a fraction of the money you need to have put aside to become successful in operating the franchise. Is there a hard and fast rule for the ratio of just how much money you need in your first year and subsequent years to succeed? It varies from franchise to franchise. The relationship between the cost of a franchise and the money required to operate it is significant when talking about storefront franchises such as restaurants and retail businesses. Think of an ice berg when looking at these types of opportunities. The cost of the franchise is the ice you can see above the water. Your other costs are all the ice you cannot see. That is less the case for home-based franchise businesses where your operational costs are to some degree covered by your existing home. You probably have a computer and Internet access. You probably have storage space. You probably have a car, truck or van. You don't have to build anything. For these types of franchises your first year operational costs may be equal to or a little more than half the cost of the franchise acquisition. So is the franchise you like one that fits with your economic circumstances? We cannot all buy McDonald's franchises because not all of us have the means.
4. If you have fallen in love with a concept that is not within your budget you need to investigate sources of funding. There is money out there despite these tough economic times. In the US the Federal Government SBA loans program is worth investigating at all times when considering sources of funds. This is a much better alternative than remortgaging your home, or maxing out lines of credit and credit cards. Canada has an equivalent program through the federal government and in both Canada and the US, local banks are the places to go when considering this option.
5. Finally you need to do a self assessment when looking at a franchise opportunity. Are you ready to take the time necessary to make the franchise you have selected successful? Every franchisee goes through the same stages when operating a franchise - the euphoria and excitement at the start, the fear when the initial effort doesn't lead to immediate rewards, the grind of daily operations, and finally the potential boredom that comes with having mastered the franchise model successfully to the point that the business no longer excites and you seek a way out. It's important that you look at any franchise purchase knowing that you will experience all of these stages. Is your personality capable of dealing with this? In your own mind are you the right stuff?
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sharing an article I read that positions social media for business both present and near future
The article I speak of is entitled, Social Network Economy Leaving Business Behind: Resistance and Disbelief Still a Common Response. The author, Lorraine Mallinder, argues that social media is altering all the rules that business has accepted as "operating by the book" for the last 60 years. What do we mean by altering the rules? What were those rules?
Before social media arrived on the scene, companies would develop products or services in anticipation of a market, based on experience, market research, analysis of competition, and so on.
These companies would then find mass communication resources like newspapers, magazines, television, and radio and determine branding messages, campaign pitches, print ads, TV and radio spots, mail drops, fliers, sales literature, and price lists.
If the companies had websites they would try and feature their URLs in ads and throughout their campaigns they would invite prospective customers to learn more, call toll free numbers and maybe even get involved in a contest. Company sales forces would respond to leads generated from these campaigns and follow up to convert prospects to customers.
Enter social media and begin to see how the rules change. Here is just one example.
GroupOn is a company that creates instant demand and uses the viral marketing of social media to build sales. How do they do it?
1. A company approaches GroupOn to create a campaign around a product - it can be an event, a restaurant or bar. a retailer. GrouOn charges no upfront fees for its services. The one common denominator is the offer is at a great price representing significant value.
2. GroupOn targets a specific demographic and specific locale on behalf of the company and sends its offers via email. GroupOn email recipients are often repeat buyers of GroupOn offers.
3. Every GroupOn email recipient who who responds to the GroupOn offer is encouraged to invite friends to take advantage of the deal. GroupOn includes Facebook, Twitter, blog, RSS and email feeds to make it easy for the word to spread.
4. Because every GroupOn offer is goth time and numbers sensitive the incentive to connect among its recipients is very high.
5.When the threshold number is reached within the time deadline everybody in the instant buying group gets the product at the great price. Otherwise the deal goes away.
Think about how different this approach is to traditional marketing. The target audience is narrowly focused to a single city. The prospective customers are incented to invite others to participate. There is no outlay of money for advertising and promotion on the part of the seller. Instead GroupOn helps design the ad, provides editorial and copy assistance and provides the target audience database. GroupOn takes a share of the risk and gets a percentage of the revenue from each GroupOn campaign. With 97% of its clients providing repeat business it's hard to dismiss this approach to selling in the social media age. It just simply works.
What social media has done is create motivated consumers who are involved with your business when you embrace them through social media. GroupOn is just one example of how companies are taking social media connections seriously and yielding immediate ROI.
That's why I encourage you to take the first steps to make social media part of your marketing strategy in 2010.
Before social media arrived on the scene, companies would develop products or services in anticipation of a market, based on experience, market research, analysis of competition, and so on.
These companies would then find mass communication resources like newspapers, magazines, television, and radio and determine branding messages, campaign pitches, print ads, TV and radio spots, mail drops, fliers, sales literature, and price lists.
If the companies had websites they would try and feature their URLs in ads and throughout their campaigns they would invite prospective customers to learn more, call toll free numbers and maybe even get involved in a contest. Company sales forces would respond to leads generated from these campaigns and follow up to convert prospects to customers.
Enter social media and begin to see how the rules change. Here is just one example.
GroupOn is a company that creates instant demand and uses the viral marketing of social media to build sales. How do they do it?
1. A company approaches GroupOn to create a campaign around a product - it can be an event, a restaurant or bar. a retailer. GrouOn charges no upfront fees for its services. The one common denominator is the offer is at a great price representing significant value.
2. GroupOn targets a specific demographic and specific locale on behalf of the company and sends its offers via email. GroupOn email recipients are often repeat buyers of GroupOn offers.
3. Every GroupOn email recipient who who responds to the GroupOn offer is encouraged to invite friends to take advantage of the deal. GroupOn includes Facebook, Twitter, blog, RSS and email feeds to make it easy for the word to spread.
4. Because every GroupOn offer is goth time and numbers sensitive the incentive to connect among its recipients is very high.
5.When the threshold number is reached within the time deadline everybody in the instant buying group gets the product at the great price. Otherwise the deal goes away.
Think about how different this approach is to traditional marketing. The target audience is narrowly focused to a single city. The prospective customers are incented to invite others to participate. There is no outlay of money for advertising and promotion on the part of the seller. Instead GroupOn helps design the ad, provides editorial and copy assistance and provides the target audience database. GroupOn takes a share of the risk and gets a percentage of the revenue from each GroupOn campaign. With 97% of its clients providing repeat business it's hard to dismiss this approach to selling in the social media age. It just simply works.
What social media has done is create motivated consumers who are involved with your business when you embrace them through social media. GroupOn is just one example of how companies are taking social media connections seriously and yielding immediate ROI.
That's why I encourage you to take the first steps to make social media part of your marketing strategy in 2010.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Crystal Ball Gazing About Technology and Its Impact in 2010
I had the opportunity to read a column called 5 Technologies that Could Change Your Life in 2010, written by R. Colin Johnson. I couldn't help myself but had to respond and wanted to share with you both a link to the original very thoughtful article and my own prognostications that appear somewhat critique-like. Of course I had to make my own 5 technology forecast.
It's always fascinating to crystal ball about technology and its impact. I would argue that many of the items described in the original article, which you can read by clicking on the link above, will not have a significant impact in 2010 but should become part of our everyday use within 3 to 5 years.
The first one mentioned is the Kindle and its competitors. I call these early stage technologies. In "Second Foundation," Isaac Asimov described a scene with youngsters at the beach reading from an electronic book. I think Asimov probably had the sand, water and electronics mix problem pretty much licked in his mind but I highly doubt that these current technologies have the ability to replace a paper book form factor when on vacation and going to the beach. Ever tried to read an electronic screen outside on a sunny day? Kindle and its ilk have a long way to go to displace paper.
The second innovation Johnson mentions is touch screen. We have had a run of touch screen technology generational PC tools over the years and have yet to see the technology become ubiquitous. Touch screens are a highly desirable concept but it is interesting to watch them in use. The iPhone and its imitators have got a pretty good handle on the use of this type of technology in a small form factor. Where touch can replace a mouse or other pointing device we have yet to see a product become a must have platform. I think we will see touch panels on electronic devices like thermostats, LCD-specialty displays on appliances but in 2010 beyond mobile phones I don't suspect this technology will have a big impact in the short term.
Johnson talks about the growth in LED usage. I am in total agreement. LED should arrive in 2010 in a big way, from TVs to lighting fixtures, driven by demand for lower energy cost and the pollution issues associated with disposal of fluorescent fixtures.
Johnson talks about 3D printing technology entering wide usage. 3D printing needs to get down to a very economical unit cost before it will become ubiquitous. Currently 3D inkjet technologies are not priced for home users (around $5K at my last look). I see this as a 2 to 5 year item.
Finally, Johnson talks about pico-projection, a technology that remains very early stage in commercial application. I don't see it having a huge impact in 2010.
So here are my choices for 2010 in terms of technology that will impact us in business and in our personal use.
1. Ever cheaper notebook technology will make computing more and more affordable for all. We will see notebook computer pricing drop dramatically in 2010 with pricing approaching $150 to $200 on entry level systems (not netbooks but notebooks). By 2012 I expect we will see the $100 to sub-$100 notebook. See the article that recently appeared in Forbes.
2. WiFi / MiFi will be huge in 2010, almost ubiquitous. Not as sexy to talk about as the stuff in Johnson's article but definitely the phenomenon we will all benefit from globally in the coming year.
3. 3D will enter the living an
d rec rooms of homes through gaming devices and TV in 2010. In addition we will see, as in the popularity of Wii games, significant growth in interactive gaming that includes full body movement integration. See the article in PhysOrg.
4. In-the-cloud computing applications with HTML5 will bring a significant change to the applications we use on computers in 2010. I am convinced that Office 2010 may be Microsoft's last kick at the can in creating a desktop office tool. The Chrome Operating System will have a significant impact on computing platforms as we strive to see the OS on our PCs become as simple to use as dial-tone is on telephones. Apps running in the cloud will run on our desktops whether we are Internet-connected or not.
5. GoogleWave is a big question mark for me in 2010. I want to see this type of tool begin to create a homogeneous communication environment that replaces our present silos of communication like email, video conferencing, chat and instant messaging. Wave has the potential to do this. I'm not sure if the general public is ready however. We do get used to our tools and forget that computers are all about facilitating work and our lives, not about dictating to us the way we have to work.
If you are not familiar with my other blog postings I invite you to visit my WordPress blog focused on the impact of technology in the 21st century. Although my prognostications are far more futuristic than the year 2010 I invite you to visit that site from time to time as I try to describe the overall advances we will make in the 21st century as technology and humanity become forever entwined.
It's always fascinating to crystal ball about technology and its impact. I would argue that many of the items described in the original article, which you can read by clicking on the link above, will not have a significant impact in 2010 but should become part of our everyday use within 3 to 5 years.
The first one mentioned is the Kindle and its competitors. I call these early stage technologies. In "Second Foundation," Isaac Asimov described a scene with youngsters at the beach reading from an electronic book. I think Asimov probably had the sand, water and electronics mix problem pretty much licked in his mind but I highly doubt that these current technologies have the ability to replace a paper book form factor when on vacation and going to the beach. Ever tried to read an electronic screen outside on a sunny day? Kindle and its ilk have a long way to go to displace paper.
The second innovation Johnson mentions is touch screen. We have had a run of touch screen technology generational PC tools over the years and have yet to see the technology become ubiquitous. Touch screens are a highly desirable concept but it is interesting to watch them in use. The iPhone and its imitators have got a pretty good handle on the use of this type of technology in a small form factor. Where touch can replace a mouse or other pointing device we have yet to see a product become a must have platform. I think we will see touch panels on electronic devices like thermostats, LCD-specialty displays on appliances but in 2010 beyond mobile phones I don't suspect this technology will have a big impact in the short term.
Johnson talks about the growth in LED usage. I am in total agreement. LED should arrive in 2010 in a big way, from TVs to lighting fixtures, driven by demand for lower energy cost and the pollution issues associated with disposal of fluorescent fixtures.
Johnson talks about 3D printing technology entering wide usage. 3D printing needs to get down to a very economical unit cost before it will become ubiquitous. Currently 3D inkjet technologies are not priced for home users (around $5K at my last look). I see this as a 2 to 5 year item.
Finally, Johnson talks about pico-projection, a technology that remains very early stage in commercial application. I don't see it having a huge impact in 2010.
So here are my choices for 2010 in terms of technology that will impact us in business and in our personal use.
1. Ever cheaper notebook technology will make computing more and more affordable for all. We will see notebook computer pricing drop dramatically in 2010 with pricing approaching $150 to $200 on entry level systems (not netbooks but notebooks). By 2012 I expect we will see the $100 to sub-$100 notebook. See the article that recently appeared in Forbes.
2. WiFi / MiFi will be huge in 2010, almost ubiquitous. Not as sexy to talk about as the stuff in Johnson's article but definitely the phenomenon we will all benefit from globally in the coming year.
3. 3D will enter the living an
d rec rooms of homes through gaming devices and TV in 2010. In addition we will see, as in the popularity of Wii games, significant growth in interactive gaming that includes full body movement integration. See the article in PhysOrg.4. In-the-cloud computing applications with HTML5 will bring a significant change to the applications we use on computers in 2010. I am convinced that Office 2010 may be Microsoft's last kick at the can in creating a desktop office tool. The Chrome Operating System will have a significant impact on computing platforms as we strive to see the OS on our PCs become as simple to use as dial-tone is on telephones. Apps running in the cloud will run on our desktops whether we are Internet-connected or not.
5. GoogleWave is a big question mark for me in 2010. I want to see this type of tool begin to create a homogeneous communication environment that replaces our present silos of communication like email, video conferencing, chat and instant messaging. Wave has the potential to do this. I'm not sure if the general public is ready however. We do get used to our tools and forget that computers are all about facilitating work and our lives, not about dictating to us the way we have to work.
If you are not familiar with my other blog postings I invite you to visit my WordPress blog focused on the impact of technology in the 21st century. Although my prognostications are far more futuristic than the year 2010 I invite you to visit that site from time to time as I try to describe the overall advances we will make in the 21st century as technology and humanity become forever entwined.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
If Governments are Going Web 2.0 Then Why Aren't You?
Yesterday I attended a webinar on how government, banks and health care are moving to Web 2.0 applications to deliver services, retain customers and reach out to new audiences.
U.S. Government Adopts Web 2.0 Tools
The presenters talked about how the Obama White House has from almost the day after the President was elected pushed an agenda to make the U.S. government more open and accessible. Government departments were tasked with looking at how they could publish information that could be retrieved, downloaded, indexed, and searched using common web search applications. In the last week the U.S. government announced its Open Government Initiative, a further expression of the goal of the Obama administration to change the relationship of government and its citizenry.
Similar action is being taken by Australia where the federal government and many state governments have taken on the task of introducing Web 2.0 capability to make government information more accessible and usable. The Australian government has stated as one of its many goals to make public-sector information free, accessible using open standards, easily discoverable, machine-readable and freely reusable. Although the government of Australia intends to maintain copyright of all materials, it intends to license its content freely for reuse with no fees and no need to ask for permission on the part of the users.
In the UK the government has made similar moves implmenting openness through the sharinig of government data freely.
The federal government in Canada back in 2008 made many announcements about open initiatives and the adoption of Web 2.0 applications to make information more accessible. Unfortunately little has been done to turn those announcements into reality. At the provincial level there is a greater degree of accessibility but very little in the way of interactivity with the use of social media. This country lags behind.
For governments who adopt Web 2.0 as a standard it represents a new paradigm, creating a dialog among government and its citizens.
What are the implications for you in your business? If you deal with government you should have greater accessibility. But that is really not the point of this blog. Government communicates with citizens. You communicate with customers and prospects. If you are reading this blog you probably have an email address, likely a website, and maybe are already on Facebook or LinkedIn. So my question to you is are you using Web 2.0 to change the nature of your online communications? Is your current website interactive? Do you create incentives for customers and prospects to interact with your business in new and meaningful ways?
Whether you create events, contests, blogs, invite comments, or devise other virtual and physical activities you owe it to your business to rethink your Web strategy to take advantage of what Web 2.0 has to offer.
U.S. Government Adopts Web 2.0 Tools
The presenters talked about how the Obama White House has from almost the day after the President was elected pushed an agenda to make the U.S. government more open and accessible. Government departments were tasked with looking at how they could publish information that could be retrieved, downloaded, indexed, and searched using common web search applications. In the last week the U.S. government announced its Open Government Initiative, a further expression of the goal of the Obama administration to change the relationship of government and its citizenry.
Similar action is being taken by Australia where the federal government and many state governments have taken on the task of introducing Web 2.0 capability to make government information more accessible and usable. The Australian government has stated as one of its many goals to make public-sector information free, accessible using open standards, easily discoverable, machine-readable and freely reusable. Although the government of Australia intends to maintain copyright of all materials, it intends to license its content freely for reuse with no fees and no need to ask for permission on the part of the users.
In the UK the government has made similar moves implmenting openness through the sharinig of government data freely.
The federal government in Canada back in 2008 made many announcements about open initiatives and the adoption of Web 2.0 applications to make information more accessible. Unfortunately little has been done to turn those announcements into reality. At the provincial level there is a greater degree of accessibility but very little in the way of interactivity with the use of social media. This country lags behind.
For governments who adopt Web 2.0 as a standard it represents a new paradigm, creating a dialog among government and its citizens.
What are the implications for you in your business? If you deal with government you should have greater accessibility. But that is really not the point of this blog. Government communicates with citizens. You communicate with customers and prospects. If you are reading this blog you probably have an email address, likely a website, and maybe are already on Facebook or LinkedIn. So my question to you is are you using Web 2.0 to change the nature of your online communications? Is your current website interactive? Do you create incentives for customers and prospects to interact with your business in new and meaningful ways?
Whether you create events, contests, blogs, invite comments, or devise other virtual and physical activities you owe it to your business to rethink your Web strategy to take advantage of what Web 2.0 has to offer.
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