SoKy Local Business or "SoKybiz"

Everyone Wants to be an Expert!

expert : ex·pert (ek'sp?rt')
n.

1. A person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.

As I visit local area businesses in Bowling Green and south central Kentucky, people talk about marketing consultants and advertising representatives at length. Many who read this blog have assumed that I’m some kind of consultant or ad agency, I quickly correct them and explain that I am simply sharing my experience and opinion.

Fact be known, I do offer advice and opinion to local businesses when asked or when the topic comes up, but I do not get paid for it. Sure, I’ve written about advertising, marketing and public relations at length here on this and other blogs, but I am not a paid consultant by any stretch of the imagination.

I did toy with the idea and put together a business concept called Soky Solutions with a very good friend of mine, but due to professional career changes by my friend, we never started the company. I do have a vision, but it would be expensive and complicated and there are enough self proclaimed experts out there already.

This issue was raised recently by a very good friend of mine who publishes a local area phone book. He went on a rant about unqualified individuals who hang a shingle as a marketing and advertising consultant or “expert.” He went on at length about a few people out there who have never owned their own business nor have they ever purchased advertising for themselves. He feels that many of the so called experts out there are woefully unqualified to represent small businesses because they don’t have the experience much less the expertise to do so. I tend to agree.

There appears to be a number of people around who claim to be marketing experts which begs the question, “What makes a marketing expert?” Is it someone who achieved a college degree? Or is it someone who used to be an advertising sales person for one of the area media outlets? Apparently, it takes very little for someone to proclaim to be a marketing expert which once again puts the burden on the small business person to do some due diligence when deciding to trust someone else to handle their marketing dollars.

Some small business people feel overwhelmed with the vast number of advertising representatives who call on them while they are trying to conduct business. Many get frustrated and refuse to listen to opportunities offered, or they are afraid of being “sold” something that may or may not work. I’ve heard a few people say that they wish there was a way to “filter” all of the media reps so they can quickly and intelligently make a decision as to the best method.

The concept of having a qualified person or company to take care of selecting the right media outlets and implementation of a marketing strategy is not so farfetched. It is basically a good idea if you can afford it and if you have found that right person or agency.

The cost: Frankly, it doesn’t surprise me that retaining a good and qualified ad agency is expensive. It should be. The time required to represent a small business, establish a good strategy and then to implement it is exorbitant. That’s why you hired them in the first place. If they are truly taking the time to consider your best interest, then it is and should be expensive.

When my friend and I were brainstorming for the agency, I told him that all clients should be willing to pay a monthly stipend based on the amount of work they expected from us. This price ranged from $500 to $5,000 depending on the needs of the client and their expectations from us. He pushed back and said that small businesses couldn’t afford to pay monthly agency fees as well as pay for advertising to which I replied, “then we need to find the companies who can afford it then don’t we.”

When we considered offering marketing services to outside clients I explained to my friend that we need to do some serious research. We need to find out traffic patterns, demographics, psychographics, as well as negotiated rates with all of the advertising outlets in the market. I said we had about 6 months of real research to perform so when someone entrusted us to answer their questions, we would know the answers.

Some business models for ad agencies don’t expect a monthly fee if you’re spending enough money on advertising. The reason for this is they get a discount from the media outlet and that is their compensation. I don’t agree with this concept for a number of reasons. Typically, people are loyal to those who write the checks. If their income comes from the media instead of the client, then who are they really working for? Another reason I don’t like this concept is the lack of disclosure. How much are these guys actually making? And how much could I be saving if I were doing it myself? These are just a couple of the questions that burn in the mind and tend to tear down good working relationships.

I think that the business should be willing to pay the consultant, but the consultant should be good enough to show savings in excess of what they are being paid. If you were paying me $5,000 per month to take care of your advertising and I showed you that I was able to negotiate discounts resulting in savings on media buys that exceeded that amount, you would actually be saving money by paying me but more importantly, you would have full disclosure and confidence in your decision to retain me. (I use “me” as an example... again, I’m not an ad agency nor a consultant.)

I have seen a couple small businesses in the area who have made the decision to hire a full time marketing person. This is a good concept because it allows the small business person a level of control that is not possible when hiring an agency. The limitation however, is that all of the money spent on the salary is for that one person. When spending the same amount with a good agency, you will retain the skills of graphics, copyrighters, public relations and communication specialists instead of one “affordable” member of staff.

The bottom line is to get to know who your “expert” is. What have they done? Has their experience and background made their clients money? Saved their clients money? Do they even have clients? (grin)

In the end, it comes back to making an informed and intelligent decision, and only one person can make it, you the small business owner. Ask questions and by all means, get references! Call the references and interview the clients. It’s the least you can do when you are considering entrusting someone to spend your money. Choosing wisely can be the best thing that ever happens to your business because it will grow and you will make more money; choosing poorly will waste time, money and cause more work than had you not considered hiring that expert in the first place.

Labels: marketing, planning, small business

This was posted by SoKy : 2:29 AM  0 comments links to this post

I know, after the long drawn out explanation that Soky.net is no longer accepting clients, the last thing you would expect is the announcement of a new website deployment. Alliance and I agreed to work together after meeting at a chamber after hours event at the Bowling Green Country Club. Jim DeCasare, who is an acquaintance of mine and director of business development at Alliance Corporation introduced me to Pat Weaver at the event. I was honored by Jim's glowing recommendation to Pat but explained, "I don't do websites too much anymore because of my new project." We talked about website strategy, design and management for a while.

www.alliancecorporation.com

Long story short, Pat was not happy with the existing vendor nor the delays and asked me if I would consider taking on a new client. I didn't have to think about it for long because hey... it's Alliance Corporation. A few weeks and a million e-mails later, I am proud to announce that we went live this morning.

You will notice that the website is clean, easy to navigate and text based. It uses my own custom programming for fast and easy updates and management. This is the first version or basic foundation of the website that we will build on over time. While it may not be flashy and there is a lack of so called bells and whistles, it conforms completely with the instructions provided by Ms. Weaver as well as the needs of the company to communicate their outstanding services. I am proud to have broken my own rule and now be a member of the Alliance Corporation Team.

This was posted by SoKy : 3:17 PM  0 comments links to this post

My move from a Microsoft Personal Computer (PC) to and Apple Macintosh (Mac) has not been without some frustration; mostly due to literally 20 years using a PC. I started using PC’s when the biggest hard drive on the IBM PS2 was 10 meg and Windows had only been on the market for a couple of years. I have never regretted learning the PC in the days of MS DOS. The command prompt in not unfamiliar and those basic skill are still in use today; even if rarely.

My decision to publish a print magazine forced me into the world of commercial printing, professional print layout, graphics and Adobe software. I tried to hold onto my PC but due to incompatibilities, lock ups and slow loading of the large files, I was “encouraged” by a good friend to try the Mac. I did, and didn’t like it, but in the end, the Mac (and my friend), won out.

I am what you would call a fan of Microsoft (MS); and that’s not so popular in some circles, especially in the land of Apple, Adobe and even the web development community. I have been a professional web developer since 1998. My first and biggest client was a large international organization whose entire information technology infrastructure was based on Windows NT servers, Windows PC’s and Microsoft Office.

I developed a web structure that would work well in their environment and would be easy to train editorial staff to contribute. I defaulted to Windows IIS and Microsoft Front Page compatible web services to shorten the learning curve of staff who were already familiar with MS Word and other MS software.

Since that time, I’ve focused on MS Active Server Pages, MS SQL database servers and Windows based software for development. I was so entrenched with MS that I became a partner per se and have promoted and sold their technology quite loyally. Even considering the move to a Mac made me feel disloyal to all that I had recommended over the years.

It’s my opinion (now), that the combination of the Mac hardware and Adobe software is more productive in a graphics environment. My impression was, and still is that the graphics and print industries are typically devoted Mac users. This also weighed on my decision to move to a Mac because as I work with my commercial printer and pre-press departments, having compatible files is important. Also, as I consider expanding my own creative staff, I cannot deny that they are typically trained and experienced on the Mac and Adobe software.

My best friend brought me a Mac and gave me some pointers. I struggled a good deal with menu items and terminology. Even after 3 issues of my magazine gone to press, all created on my friend’s “spare” Mac, I still have trouble finding some of the tools I’ve grown accustomed to on my PC and Windows software.

The need for the capabilities of the Mac outweighed my frustration and persistence has paid off. Now I find myself shopping for a Mac Pro and the CS3 suite from Adobe. It’s a very expensive combination; but it is one of those necessary expenses of business.

The new Intel based Mac computers have been promoting the fact they can run Microsoft and Mac software. I’ve always avoided a duel operating system environment due to conflicts, but my needs for more speed and power have me reconsidering my old dog rules once again.

This morning I stumbled upon a website that has eluded me for the past 4 months. I was reading a blog by the creator of SimpleViewer where he described is move to Yahoo and the need to change from a PC to a Mac. Apparently, Felix Turner was hired by Yahoo and moved to CA where their creative department was all Mac and he has been in the throes of switching to a Mac environment.

In a comment on his blog post, someone offered a link to myfirstmac.com. I clicked it and wondered where the heck this had been hiding for the last 4 months. It’s an informative and entertaining website that helps people get started on the Mac.

I’ve book marked the site and would recommend it to anyone considering a Mac computer.

(Note: I am not affiliated with nor compensated by My First Mac in any way.)

Labels: Adobe, Macintosh, print publishing, software, tips and tricks

This was posted by SoKy : 9:17 AM  0 comments links to this post

FREE! FREE! FREE!
Reading the small print often requires reading between the lines.

I was recently robbed at “phone point” by an internet service company for more than $400. I had responded to an extraordinarily low price offer with many “free” add on services. The product was offered “from” 5.95 per month with a money back guarantee. I figured what do I have to lose... oops.

I was buying hosting services and that is the most embarrassing part because I’ve been dealing with hosting companies for more than 10 years. What compounds my embarrassment is the fact I’ve offered advice many times to others instructing them clearly to accomplish some due diligence; if nothing else, to do web searches on the company. Again, the $6 offer got me because I threw caution into the wind and filled out the forms.

BIG MISTAKE!
My biggest mistake was that I simply “scanned” the mile long terms of service agreement. I looked for the words money back, and the technical details of the service but missed a good bit of the small print. For 6 lousy dollars per month, I figured I’d give it a try and if I didn’t like the service I would simply cancel. Laziness bit me in the pants.

Long story as short as possible, and with the names remove pending possible civil and criminal actions, what happened after I hit send was a complete surprise. During the sign up process, I agreed to add more features raising my monthly cost to $8, then again agreed to a set up charge. In the end, my sign up fee was supposed to be about $40 and my per monthly fee with add on features was $12.95.

I entered my American Express (again because I believe it’s the safest protection from fraud), and received an e-mail that my order would be confirmed by phone within 24 hours. I thought that was good because I could clarify some questions I had.

The call came and I was told that their American Express terminal was being re-programmed and they needed another card. I paused, confirmed the amount and reluctantly gave my Visa. I was asked for the security code and gave it. Then, it was explained to me that the package I signed up for was a monthly service and subject to a “monthly set up fee” bringing my charge up to $32 per month for 12 months. I said, please cancel my order, I’m not interested. I was put on hold.

A little while later, the “boss” came on the phone where I knew I was lied to on several points and I refused to accept “another package” or a “better offer.” I said clearly that I do not authorize the transaction and did not want their product. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told that I was speaking to the highest person on the corporate food chain at that office. I continued to refuse service based on the changes to which I was told “too bad.” I asked about the money back guarantee only to learn that the company does not give money back, only credit for other service. I re-emphasized that I did not authorize the purchase and was put on hold again.

What happened next absolutely blew me away. This crook came on the phone and told me my card had just been charged $407 according to the electronic contract for service. After I was able to breath and speak without shouting, I explained to this “person” that I have an understanding of merchant account rules and what he had done was illegal. He said that I should contact my attorney.

I was HOT!

I didn’t want to waste any more time on the phone. I told him that I would be disputing the charge. He laughed and said my online form would ensure he got his money. I said, “Okay, we’ll see.” I hung up the phone.

I called my local bank branch where after explaining all of this, was instructed to call the 800 number on the card. Phooey! I called and after going through all of the menus and waiting on hold, asked about the charge. The lady could see the authorization but there was nothing she could do. I asked her to turn off the card and re-issue another one. It would seem that once a charge is pre-approved, it’s pretty well done and just waiting for the day’s end ACH batch to process.

The customer service rep said she would flag the charge for dispute. That didn’t work. I checked my statement online, saw the charge and had to call again. (I’ll write about this bank in the future.) They immediately removed the charge from my card and said they would call me if the merchant challenged my dispute.

So... I went from $6 to $8 to $13 to $407 in the matter of minutes thanks to some slick talking thieves who have done this to several people; which I learned by doing what I should have done in the first place; search the company for complaints.

In the end, what should have taken 5 minutes and cost as little as $6, at the most $40, ended up almost costing me $407 and about 40 hours of work and the inconvenience associated with turning off my credit card. (Plus days of anguish over all of this.) I’m tempted to send them a bill for $4,000 which is my billable rate but will wait for the rest of this to unfold through legal channels.

The point of all of this?
These thieves used their lengthy terms of service as a crutch the entire time. They quoted obscure paragraphs claiming that the total year was due and payable and that they don’t offer money back. The fact is, their website states clearly a monthly price and money back guarantee. They used their interpretation of their own agreement instead of what it actually said which gets to my point; not only do we need to read the fine print, we need to understand what they really meant to say. ?HUH?

Another tool in the criminal arsenal was the word free. It’s true, the words free, guaranteed, discount, sale and/or clearance are great attention getters in advertising; one has to face the fact that few things in business are actually free.

What inspired this diatribe was the fact I was doing some research into a reputable merchant account this morning. I found a list of businesses that offer all kinds of merchant accounts for online and offline business. The word “free” on these company websites were like daggers because I know enough about merchant accounts to know that free isn’t free, it’s just paid for somewhere else.

Small business people are always on the lookout for a good deal, a better price or improved service. Like anyone, we can be swayed by special offers and keywords like free, clearance and guaranteed. It seems sometimes however, this small businessman allowed those words to hypnotize him away from reason in the hope of saving a few dollars.

Merchant accounts are an entire new subject that I intend to write about. There are so many ways to lose money and time as it relates to the topic. I have had merchant accounts; I have even been a sales rep for a large company that offered merchant account services; I think it’s time I started to discuss this topic for the benefit of small business readers here in Bowling Green.

Trying to save a few dollars ... well that didn’t work out!
There was another outcome to my quest for a new internet service company that is quite revealing. It’s true, I was shopping around for a new vendor for my hosting needs and it’s true, that I was going for the gold to save some money in the process. In the end, I decided to spend more money for more reliable service, better support and more control. It does remind me of all the times I’ve said; “you get what you pay for.” Or worse, the times I’ve sold my own products and services at a higher price based on quality and service.

When will I ever learn?

This was posted by SoKy : 12:01 PM  0 comments links to this post

Anyone who has read my posts in the past, know I'm a huge advocate of disaster preparedness. I have written volumes about ways to get back into business should there be an issue. While I have talked about fires, floods and hard drive failures, attention to the smaller details can be equally rewarding.

Case in point: During a phone call earlier this week, my cell phone shut itself off. No big deal except no matter what I tried, it would not turn back on. I tried everything from different batteries to dropping it on the floor; nothing worked, it was completely and totally dead. I was much less concerned than I thought I would be. Here is why.

1) I called my cell number and entered my access code to change my message and let callers know that my phone was not working and to please call my office. It's interesting to note that many people don't know their own access code needed to remotely access their voicemail. They rely on the internal methods that check the phone ID and never give a moments thought to the pin. I asked my wife for hers, she didn't know. She does now.

2) I called the wireless provider insurance 800 number. Yep, I pay the $4.00 per month for loss, breakage or theft. 5 minutes on the phone and $50 and my phone came within 48 hours.

3) I took the "smart chip" out of my old phone, turned on my new one and I was back in business. Well almost.

I have hundreds of stored numbers and associated names in my phone. I would say it is my most complete listing of phone numbers. My new phone had none, it didn't even say "BabyDoll" when my wife called. No problem...

a) I set the codes in my phone for my Bluetooth data modem.
b) Set up a new connection on my computer for the new phone.
c) Opened my cell phone data program which I use to store call information, phone numbers and even send text messages from my computer.
d) I highlighted all of my phone numbers in the backup and dragged them to my active phone.

Done!

Now all of my numbers, names and even speed dials are all back in my phone in minutes. Sure, it took some time to research the right hardware and software, and it took some time to learn about it, set it up and backup once in a while. But the information in my phone was important enough for me to take the time and do it. The fact I use the same data suite to send and receive text messages ensures that my backup is current.

Okay, I bet you're wondering what I used. Fact is, I'm not all that pleased with either the USB modem nor the data suite I am using. They do the job, but there are many issues I have with them. I would like to see a more comprehensive bundle from the cell phone manufactures.

• The phone is a inexpensive Motorola V-557.
• The cell carrier is Bellsouth, no Cingular, no... AT&T. Yeah, that's it.
• The Bluetooth data modem is generic. No brand name and actually came to me direct from China. I use Cellphoneshop.com and am quite pleased with them.
• The software (caveat emptor, read the license and user agreement carefully) is MOBILedit! from COMPELSON Labs headquartered in the Czech Republic. I like the software okay, but there is so much more I would like it to do such as provide dates, times and other conveniences. The main issue I have with them is their license limitations that don't allow program updates after a few months. I've been tempted to upgrade but am patiently waiting for a different product to replace it. Some phones come with a data suite, I would suggest trying those if you have one.

I don't use my cell phone for e-mail or scheduling. I've been toying with the idea of investing in a Palm Trio but I'm afraid I'd become too reliant on it. I don't know anything about their synchronization or data software, but my point is if you have it you should use it. At least as it relates to disaster recovery.

Now for a little rant.

With the popularity of cell phones and the amount of money being made by service providers and manufacturers, I'm deeply disappointed in the resources for small business cell phone users. In this day and age, I would have imagined that there would be software and cables to allow people to set up, manage, backup and operate their cell phones. I use my cell phone more than my office phone and I long for a more powerful package of hardware, software and accessories to meet my needs. To this end, I do plan on discussing this with a software company who already creates software for VOIP networks, perhaps they can integrate some of my ideas into their bundle.

Bottom line, preparing for the worst took some time before and a little time after, but frankly, it took me longer to write this post than it took to recover from losing my cell phone. I guess that time was well spent, I hope this time was too.

This was posted by SoKy : 2:20 PM  0 comments links to this post