How are you trying to create competitive advantage for you and your company? More advertising? More time on the social web? Work longer hours? Cutting costs? All of these tactics can provide short-term gains … but they’re not really strategic. Your competitors are probably trying to do the same thing, aren’t they?  So if they are, how is this going to create ADVANTAGE for YOU?  There is only one way to create competitive advantage in the long-term: Listen to your…

The blog has been really quiet this last week or so, as has my Twitter stream and other online outposts. This is due to some serious health issues I’m having at the minute, which is leaving me drained. Therefore, I’m taking an extended break to hopefully work myself back to full health. I’m currently waiting on some test results to see what the next stage is. There will still be the odd post here as I hand over the blog…

Down in Austin, Texas, the South by South West (SxSW) festival has started in earnest. A collection of music, film and interactive mediums, it’s an event that always sees a large social media presence. And precisely why I’m glad I’m not there this year. Scanning through some tweets about SxSW it’s clear to see that, while not everyone has fallen for the malaise, the same social media circle jerk love-in so visible last year has already set in. Comments about…

What’s your social media story? If you could have the space to say exactly what social media meant to you personally, how would your story unfold? Would it be about the fantastic job opportunity you got? Would it be about the great connections you’ve met and how they changed your life? Would it be about how a cause dear to your heart was suddenly launched into the stratosphere? Would it be about friends you’ve made that have no real interest…

While becoming more mainstream, social media still holds fear for many businesses, especially small local business. Fear of time involved; fear of where to start; fear of where to be. While this fear is understandable, it also means that many local small business owners miss out on social media and all the benefits it can offer, especially when it comes to competing with the big boys. While I’ve written before about how expensive social media can be from a corporate…

When it comes to the Headway premium WordPress theme, there’s no question I’m incredibly biased about what it can do for bloggers. I’ve written about it more than once on here, and I use it on the three sites I’ve created so far, with more to be shared soon. In fact, it’s the only product that I’ve fallen in love with so much that I’ve signed up as an affiliate. So yes, when it comes to premium WordPress themes, Headway…

Here’s a question for you. If you’re in business, how do you treat your clients? Or, to look at it another way, how do your clients treat you? Is it with respect and shared passion for doing the same work, or is it just having a need for each other and no more? When dealing with a client, do you meet your deadlines or do you constantly offer excuses why their project isn’t ready? Do you work closely together, listen to/make…

Rules are the sticks of those in charge to beat us with. Rules are the lines that are drawn to stop us overstepping the mark. Rules are the barbed wire fences of self-important power mads. Rules are the reason companies go bust and blue collar loses while executives move to the next golden handshake. Rules, though, are made to be broken – just ask Adam and Eve. If two tiny people can defy God, just imagine what you could do…

Your people are your assets. It doesn’t matter if you’re a business, a blogger, a non-profit or any mix of personal and professional outlet – your people are your assets. Want to build a legacy? No-one’s going to know about anything you’re doing just from your voice alone; it’s what your people are saying about you that builds the legacy. Want to create history? Your people are the ones that will share your stories down the ages. Your people are…