Archive for March, 2009

You can't do business alone - you will need groupies.

Imagine a rock band. They start out playing in a garage and eventually move to the high school dance circuit. They complete an indie album and open for someone vaguely remembered by some. Their music might be heard on an Internet station or the alternative rock station in the region on "Indie Music" night. At some point the band's persistence develops a following. Their hard work endears fans. It is this fan base that provides the initial spark needed for this group to be recognized. Why? These fans are motivated to share their interest in the band with others. They will share their music and the band's story. Others will be intrigues by the optimism.

Ecommerce can be a bit like that. It starts with you. As the 'lead singer' in this dream you will have to persistently take your message to virtually anyplace you can. It may start small like the proverbial garage or high school dance, but you must not be content to stay there. Keep pushing forward seeking out new placed and faces. Frequent boards and blogs, offer an advice column on a complimentary site, write expert articles for free article directories and keep 'singing'.

Every successful band was established when the members continued to push on when the halls were silent and the requests weren't phoned in. When it would have been easy to go home, lick their wounds and give up they stayed put. When family and friends questioned motive and talent they continued to work at their craft and in the end someone miraculously saw the diamond.

Business startups are always difficult. There can be the exception, but for the most part the individual developing the business will wage a friendly war with the world in an attempt to have enough people view them as a credible source for business that others provide some enthusiastic and much needed support.

Online networking remains the best way to pitch your idea and establish your presence. Are you credible? Authoritative? Enthusiastic? Honest? Does your idea come across as too good to be true or an empire built of plastic? Learn to present yourself well, be professional and welcome new friends to your 'movement'.

You might consider standard social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Then add relevant forum boards. Establish a credible and highly focused blog. Make your presence known and keep growing your network. Develop a mailing list, maybe even an ezine. Keep in touch with the interested and enlist their help in sharing the cause.

Dale Carnegie once said, "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."

It can be easy in today's economic environment to want to give in and give up. Don't do it. Don't get wrapped up in pessimism. There are opportunities and there are individuals who want desperately to believe in quality, service and integrity. Give it to them. Provide a reason to trust you. Give them more than they expect. If you're passionate enough about this then the consumer will be at the very least intrigued enough to take a second look at what you are offering.

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Moonvine aka Joan Adams, and Moo aka Kate Loving Shenk and You, openedup the radio waves for our radio show called "Moon, Moo & You: The Collective Wisdom,"3/3/09.

We had a practice show 2/25/09. The purpose of this show was to make sure we knew how to work the web site so that Joan and I were equally able to contribute and interact with our listeners.

Because I was the one who originally set up the page for the show, I was the one who had to "man" the switchboard. However, I did not really understand anything about the switchboard, but figured I could get it together during the practice.

However, this did not happen.

I got on the line and people were trying to get on but I had no idea how to bring them on, Joan included.

So I flew by the seat of my pants.

I began to feel like the Fool in the Tarot card who is about to take a leap of faith, jumping off the cliff with total faith that he would and will be taken care of.

Speaking extrapraneously is not one of my strengths. I've never in my life been faced with a microphone and a radio show that I am responsible for providing Grist For The Mill.

But there I was!! And so I decided to just have fun with it.

I remember talking about the importance of numbers, that as we prepared for the show, the number 44 kept surfacing and resurfacing as the magic we were supposed to be paying attention to.

The number 44 has been Joan's magic number for quite some time. She told me that at one time, she was in a job she hated, but instead of emphasizing how much she hated the job, she decided to look for angel blessings in the form of the number 44.

She involved family in this activity and when her daughter saw 44 anywhere at all, would call her mom and say, "Mom!! An angel just blessed us!!"

And that brought Joan closer to the liberation from the job that then evolved to doing the things she now loves doing.

The host call in number for the show is: 646-200-4444. The two 44's at the end of the number seemed to beckon us to take the leap of faith.

So I talked about the significance of numbers. I talked about Squidoo Lens making. I talked about Single Payer Guaranteed Healthcare for all in Pennsylvania.

I talked about the 1986 Toyota Turcel that I just brought home, and was sitting in the driveway with 45,000 miles on it. I talked about how the car was spooking the dogs because they never saw it before.

I talked about how I loved Gypsy Owl's name, who was by now listening to the call. I spoke about an owl we once had by the name of Persephone who came to live with us after we hit her with our then car on the way to see Tom's sick and dying Aunt Hilda.

Hilda loved animals.

I told the deep significance of this story on the practice show.

I talked about self-image and eating disorders.

I talked about the entrepreneurial spirit and how those of us who hang out on the internet communities all tended to rise above the negative vibrations that plague so many people.

I talked about all of Joan's Squidoo lenses and about her husband Whitey, who is legally blind.

I talked about our MasterMind group who would be meeting in a few hours and how a few of us were shooting for Giant Squid, an award bestowed on Squidoo lens makers after they make 50 then 100 lenses.

I talked so much that I was hoarse by the end of the 60 minutes.

After the practice show, I figured out how to work the switch board, and am confident that all upcoming shows will be interactive and robust in the sharing of the Collective Wisdom.

I know that this is true.

Yet I stepped off the cliff, like the Fool. I learned to speak off the cuff, just like I once learned how to play the violin by ear.

It happened after many years of visualizing and dreaming about it.

And that, my friends, is the origin of our show!

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Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and Destiny." Click here to order the e-book:
http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com
Check Out Kate's Blog and Lens:
http://www.squidoo.com/collectivewisdom
http://www.katelovingshenk.com/blog
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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/moon-and-moo-842081.html

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