We want to Get You Noticed

At KB2Intuit, our mission is to get your business noticed in the eyes of Google. That’s what we are here for.

Your mission, should you accept it, is to utilize the Spring (Ahead of your Competition) Special (details below) we are offering and let us do what we do.

Less than thirty days ago, I began to apply KB2Intuit techniques to the websites of three SEO clients. I would write a blog post for each. I would reconfigure some settings, research what was going on in the associated field, change some small things here and there and BAM!!!

It is amazing how some of  things, when you know how and when to apply/modify them, can make the biggest difference in what Google thinks of your site!

Before you click on these reports to view them, I’ll explain a bit about them. First, the column in the far Left is the Keyword(s)/phrase(s)  being targeted. Next, the color-coded column is the Keyword Ranking (for the website) in the eyes of Google. The colors are a quick way to identify what page your site will be listed on: Green is Page #1, Yellow is Page #2 and Orange is Page #3. The numbers in the column are the actual position in which your website will be displayed when the associated Keyword/phrase is searched. Finally, the column to the right of the colored column is the movement (in position) of the associated keyword since the last time the report was generated.

Oh, the second set of columns (colored and movement) are for Bing.

Spring Special

Step 1:

1. Initial review of your current web-site
2. Intense Keyword research based on you business and clients’ preferences.
3. Initial adjustment/modification to current web-site to enhance keyword data
4. Submission of new sitemap to Google

Step 2

1. Weekly modifications to current web-site based on response from Google
2. Authoring of blog/article based on keyword/phrase data
3. 25 hours/month SEO Optimization and targeted content management
4. Generate monthly SEO report and submit to client

Step 3:

Review SEO Optimization results over ninety (90) day time span. If the results are not dramatic and/or the client just doesn’t want to invest in SEO Optimization any longer, no new contract is created. If the results are dramatic, the business owner realizes the benefit of investing in SEO Optimization and the client is please with the service provided by KB2Intuit, a new contract will be created based on the market rate at such time.

On the other hand, do we want to be ‘that parent’–the one that the ‘other parents’ complain about? You know… the parent whose house those ‘other kids‘ (usually belonging to the parents described in the above paragraph) run to in order to get online and update their facebook status?  On the account their parents don’t even know exists?

Well, I am going to admit it here and now… I am that ‘other parent’.  But… before you are tempted to write me off as some liberal lunatic ruining my kids and really, the entire future of the world as we know it, please allow me a moment to explain…

First, I don’t ever knowingly allow a child whose parents have forbidden facebook to access the site from my house. I ask before a kid comes over. Really. And I honor that parent’s wishes.

After all, just because I allow my kids to be corrupted by the potential evils of Social Media doesn’t mean I will override your decision to protect your kids from them.

With my own kids, however, social media – facebook, specifically – is not taboo.

Obviously, Facebook and the entire spectrum of social media is what provides about 75% of the income my family enjoys. Therefore, I know the platform to a greater extent than the majority of the population. I know the ins-and-outs of the system and I also know all the privacy guards that can be put into place.  I also have a few of my own tricks up my sleeve to keep my kids in check. And they were aware of these the moment I allowed them to create their accounts.

For example, I created my kids’ user names and passwords and they are never allowed to be changed while they live under my roof. Surprisingly, as this rule was set from the very beginning, it has not ever been questioned or argued.  It is 100% accepted and my kids actually expect that I will log in and check their accounts sometimes as often as every day – even at times when they are “chatting” (instant messaging; a parent’s nightmare most of the time) with others online.  (If you aren’t aware, the same “user” can be logged in to Facebook on different computers at the same time. Thus, if your child is “chatting”, you can log in and observe the conversation in real time.)

I also send updates and notifications of everything my kids do while in Facebook (including chats) to their email address. An email address mind you, that I also have added to my own personal Outlook.  Do I read them all? No. Do I frequently scan them? Yes. In fact, once a week or more, I will spend an hour or so actually searching for specific words in these posts.  Most of the time, however, I don’t even mention to the kids what I read unless it needs immediate attention. While I am raising them, I do believe this is my business. But I also don’t have to rub their true lack of privacy in their face unless it is something that really sets off warning bells.

Now, many of you are probably thinking… that sounds like way too much work. Some of you are also probably thinking I am doing way too much – sticking my nose way too much – into my kids’ business. Others of you are likely thinking I am not doing it enough. Trust me, I have heard both sides.

But here’s the thing…. Facebook – the way I monitor it – has given me much more insight and knowledge about what is going on in my kids’ lives – and in their heads – than my parents ever had of mine. I know their friends to an extent my parents couldn’t have imagined. And while I won’t say that I use these things as total determinants of who my kids can spend time with (sometimes kids act one way online when I KNOW them to be totally different ‘in real life’) – I know with who and when to be on my guard.

If you are one of those parents who doesn’t want their kids on Facebook, am I telling you you’re wrong? Absolutely not. If you are a parent who lets your kids spend time on the social networks and you don’t monitor it like I do, am I saying you’re irresponsible? Absolutely not. My job requires me to be on Facebook – an reading email non-stop – much of the day anyway.  It’s not really an inconvenience to me to perform these few extra steps to monitor their account and ensure if they are doing or saying things I don’t agree with – or even if they are being a victim or oblivious instigator of cyber-bullying – I know it right away.

But I also just added a tool that is going to take care of all these issues – alleviate every single concern I might have lingering – regarding my kids’ use of social media like Facebook. It is a tool I wish I thought of because I don’t think I will ever live without it until my kids are graduated and off to college.  It is a tool that I honestly believe every parent should have on their home computer.  And it is less than $20 a month.

This tool is the leader in web-based scanning and analysis of children’s social networking activities. Our technology goes deep beneath the social network surface and sees what parents can’t; helping you identify, understand and protect your children from potentially dangerous, harassing or embarrassing social media exchanges. It is also is easy-to-use and takes just a few minutes to activate. Simply set up your customer account online , then login to your account to register your child’s social networking accounts and let the tool do the rest. This powerful technology lets you stay in touch with your child’s activities, analyze the people they’re in contact with, and know when you need to get more deeply involved.

Here are some of the key benefits:

• Scans and analyzes your child’s social network 24/7.
• Provides instant alerts and prioritizes risks that most parents wouldn’t have the time or knowledge to discover.
• Features an easy-to-read monitoring report, updated in real time.
• Is invisible to your child and their friends, allowing you to trust and verify your child’s activity without embarrassment.
• Empowers and enables you to teach your children responsible behavior and awareness of their social interactions online.

Does this tool take the place of active parenting when your kids are using Social Media? No. Will it help you with that active parenting by making monitoring easier and faster? Yes. Absolutely. Does it give me additional piece of mind? You bet. The name of this product is Social Shield and I highly endorse it.

The price of Social Shield? $19.99. The price of really knowing what my kids are doing online – and who they are doing it with…. Priceless.

To Learn More About Social Shield, visit www.fhtmus.com/kimbrooksv

***I want to make it clear that I am a rep for Social Shield but I would NOT be if I didn’t believe in – and use – the product or service myself. You will need my rep ID to access additional information and to register for Social Shield. That number is 4207074

Costa Rica real estate developers launch latest phase of Costa Rica ocean view lot and new home project–Bajamar Hills. This community has many high-end amenities at low prices and with minimal down payments. Additionally, owner financing is available at a mere 7% interest rate fixed.

Bajamar Hills, Costa Rica – January 29, 2012 – An established Costa Rica real estate developer is now launching the most recent part of their current project, Bajamar Hills. Bajamar Hills offers Costa Rica ocean view lots and new homes starting at only $39K with low down payments and owner financing at a fixed 7% interest. This is one of the best deals for Costa Rica property for sale whether you are looking for a Costa Rica home as a personal residence, second home, or investment property.

The Costa Rica Bajamar Hills team believes it is this understatement and over-delivery that has made this project the best deal in Costa Rica real estate. Another factor is likely that these developers add very little markup to their offerings and commit to keeping costs as low as possible so that they can pass off this savings to the customer.

The current phase of the Bajamar Hills community has a pool, pitch-and-putt golf, as well as horseback riding and four-wheeling.

These Costa Rica new homes and lots are about one hour from the San Jose airport, 30 minutes from Jaco, and the beach is a mere 10 minutes away. Yet, the beach is also 200 yards above sea level providing protection and security from storms. Amazingly, the weather in this area is a moderate 70 – 80 degrees 8 – 9 months out of the year.

It bears repeating that the purchase terms for these Bajamar Hills ocean view lots and homes are amazing. The Developers will finance all non-cash purchases themselves with only 25% down and 7% fixed interest.

Taking all of this into account, the developers expect Bajamar Hills Costa Rica to be one of their most successful ventures to date. Says Mike:

Like any other home purchase, your investment should have a solid foundation. Don’t let others fool you. This is all available at very low costs. We feel that treating every customer right and dealing with their individual needs as far as monthly payment, down payment, building or investing. Doing this right and well is our best source of advertising. Our pre-approved, in-house financing is all arranged over a cup a coffee and then cast in stone. All the legal aspects are carried out but without the stress usually surrounding many home purchases. We WANT You Here… We WANT You to Be Our Neighbor. We enjoy this project and seeing new buyers coming in is a reminder of the first day we ourselves walked through the gates. Although it was very raw then, we could see exactly what we wanted and what we needed to do. And we did it. If you have ever considered living in Costa Rica, we really believe we are your only real choice.

To learn more about the Bajamar Development visit the Bajamar Development website.

For more information about buying Bajamar Hills Costa Rica ocean-view lots or how you can purchase your Costa Rica ocean-view home with owner financing including low down payments and 7% fixed interest, contact Sales and Marketing Director Kathy Lynn at kathylynn_bajamarhillscr@yahoo.com or call Kathy at (US) 850-502-2245 or (Costa Rica) 506-8976-4856 or 506-8743-4311.

Incoming search terms:

• bajamar hills costa rica
• bajamar hills beach costa
• costa rica owner financed homes

Whether you like it not, Facebook is where it is today.  This is not only true for individuals.  For public officials, brands, and/or businesses, it has become THE place to attract new potential customers and stay top-of-mind with your current fan base.  In fact, that’s why Facebook “Pages” have come to be known as “Fan Pages” by many.

See, here’s the thing… Facebook is currently the 2^nd most visited site on the web (www.Alexa.com) and if anyone tells you this is declining, they’re wrong.

In the last 3 months, Facebook’s page views have actually increased 50% (Alexa; July 25, 2011).

Thus, Facebook is not going anywhere – at least not anywhere downhill – any time soon.

It is no doubt marketing and brand-building are instrumental to increasing revenue. It’s not complicated.  People need to know you are “in business” in order for you to get business.  This applies whether you are selling a product or service or just “yourself” (in the case of public officials, bands, brands, etc.).  Thus, one of the keys to marketing and brand-building must always be getting in front of as many people possible.  And while there are numerous ways to do this, the easiest way, is to find where the traffic already is and put yourself (or your business/brand) in front of it.

In this manner, “Social Media Marketing” – as Facebook and its other contemporaries such as Twitter, Stumbleupon, Youtube, etc. have come to be collectively known – is really no different than traditional marketing (although, the message you will disseminate through these platforms is vastly different, that’s a whole different subject we’ll cover later).

Think about it this way… if you wanted to put up a billboard in town advertising your brand or business, and money was no object, you would want it at the busiest intersection you could find, in the area where you could get exposure to the largest share of your market (potential customers) in the quickest amount of time.

Facebook is this online, high-traffic, “intersection” and the cool thing? It doesn’t cost you anything at all (or very little in the event you need to hire someone like us to create your fan page) to get your own “billboard” there!

We gave you a couple of facts about Facebook’s “web traffic” above but any quick, simple, search you can do on your own can prove a thousand times over that this is the busiest “intersection” on the web where you can position yourself, your business, or your brand, for FREE! Most people today have a Facebook page and if they don’t, they are in a very small minority.  Thus, since that is where many, many, many people online are (and are spending much of their time online) , that is where you, your business, and/or your brand need to be as well in order to get in front of those people.  And if you are not there yet, you need to get there fast!

This applies not only in the case of finding new customers, but also in staying “top of mind” for your current customers—continually staying in front of them and providing some sort of value that makes them want to keep coming back.

After all, we all know that making more money is really simple…

More New Customers + More Return Customers = More Money!

Now, maybe you’re wondering… is a Facebook “Page” different than an individual profile page and are there advantages to having a Page that you don’t get with a profile?

Well, the short answer is…there isn’t much difference at all but there are MANY advantages of owning/operating a “Page” for businesses—advantages that can be MEGA-IMPORTANT.  Here’s just a few of them:

• Pages are public.  They are “crawled” by the Search Engines (like Google) and thus, can be found in the Search Engines.  Yet, because they are “public”, they can be viewed by anyone – regardless of whether they are connected to you in/through Facebook and/or are even a Facebook member!
• Updates to pages appear in the timeline of everyone who is a fan.  This means you not only get exposure to your fans, you get exposure to their friends/connections as well.
• Content delivery from your website/blog/RSS feed can be automatically fed into your page giving your customers/fans/followers a reason to come back and interact with you – and/or your company/brand – regularly (keeping you top of mind).

And these are just a few of the bigger advantages of a “Page” over a Facebook profile.

So, let’s talk about how to create a Facebook Fan Page.

You can get started by viewing our new page HERE.  Now, we know we don’t have many fans yet because we just changed our business name and thus, had to start a whole new page.  In fact, you can help us out a bit for providing you this FREE information by “liking” our page if you will. We’d really appreciate it.  Moving on…

It’s really easy to get started…

1) Create the page

• If you don’t have a Facebook page or are creating the page for a brand/business you don’t wish to have associated with your personal facebook page:
  • Visit http://www.facebook.com. On the home page, do not enter any details or you will just be creating another regular facebook profile.  Instead, look under the place where you would sign up and click on, “Create a Page for a celebrity, band or business.”
  • On the next page, click on the category that best fits the page you want to create.
  • Fill in the details.
  • Facebook now offers the ability to create pages while in your private account but NOT have the page associated with your private account. So, you can also…
  • After you log in at http://www.facebook.com, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages.  In the top, right, corner, click on “Create Page”.  
  • On the next page, click on the category that best fits the page you want to create.
  • Fill in the details.

2) “Spruce Up” Your Page – There are many ways to make your page look visually appealing.  You should always have a profile image and fill in all the “Information”.  Basically, you want to give people a reason to “like” your page so that it appears in the timeline of all their friends and connections too!

• Make it interactive – Facebook has a robust applications directory (http://www.facebook.com/apps/ ) that makes it very easy to add fun and engaging
  “apps” to your page that help to bring customers in – and back – to your page.  Especially appealing are iframe applications that let you have custom “Welcome” (landing) pages for either new or return viewers to customize your user’s visit and experience.  (*It’s not hard to create these on your own but we do specialize in custom Facebook Fan Pages with custom landing tabs/pages if you need assistance). If you have your own web developer/IT person on staff, it is not difficult to create your own Facebook applications either.  The obvious advantage with this is for branding purposes so that you get your name – and/or your company and/or brand’s name (and image) – out there to a much greater extent.  Especially if your app “goes viral”, this can be an awesome way to build your fan page – and fan base – quickly and effectively.

• It’s important to make your page appear professional and attractive.  It should also match the branding of all your other marketing material and images “out there” in the public eye.  Also, don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through.  People in social media want “real” social interaction—hence the name “social media”.  They want conversation and they want to feel like a part of the brands/companies they follow.

• Give your fans a reason to participate in your conversation and not just follow it.  Statistics prove that fans come back to a page more often when they are a part of the conversation happening there.  Thus, your status updates shouldn’t just spout facts and statements.  You can really use this as free – and very targeted – market research.  Ask questions about new products.  Even ask your fans’ opinions about ideas for future products/services you are thinking of launching.  You can even find already built apps and/or services that allow you to survey your fans and/or hold contests and sweepstakes.  Bottom line?  Put some thought and effort into figuring out what makes your fans want to become active on your page, do it, and do it frequently.

• Make sure your page is connected with your website and other social media accounts in an automated manner that produces major results for very little time investment.  It is very easy to automate the process of having your blog and/or website’s RSS feed route directly to your fan page wall.  And from there, feed to twitter.  Similarly, you can have your Youtube account feed to facebook and then on to Twitter as well.  Even LinkedIn can be connected to a Facebook fan page and all of these “connections” serve to further increase exposure and help your business/brand gain a strong foothold in the online world.

To see what can be done (although, some of these have quite a bit of money invested in their development), you should visit a few of the top Facebook pages that are out there and see what they are doing.  While you may not be able to match their level of development – or even involvement – initially or all at once, it will give you an idea of your ultimate goal or general direction.

Some of our favorites are:

Starbucks : http://www.facebook.com/Starbucks

Red Bull : http://www.facebook.com/redbull

Redbox: http://www.facebook.com/redbox

Target: http://www.facebook.com/target

Tide: http://www.facebook.com/Tide

Once you have reviewed these, you can see what is possible.  And while you can learn to do most of these things yourself, we also offer a lot of this at affordable rates that are also “progressive” in that you can do a bit at a time as you can afford it.   Additionally, there are some templates out there available that can help you design your own pages but you will have to do some searching to find them.  You can find some at http://www.facebookpagetemplates.com/.

 *NOTE: Until you have 25 fans for your page, you will have a long, numerical, identifier URL. After you have 25 or more fans, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/usernames to assign a more user-friendly name to your page.

3) Now that your page is up, start inviting friends and again, give them a reason to share your page with others.  With a fan page, you can invite all of your friends at once.  Then, email your entire address book with your Facebook fan page information and ask them to email their friends.  Also, once you get fans, give them a reason to share it with their facebook connections as well.  And remember, when they interact on your page, it now appears in their timeline so all of their friends see it.  Then, when others in their timeline see it, if they comment and or “like”” that post or comment, it now appears in their timeline also.  And so on… and so on… and so on… Do you get the picture?  Facebook can be a never-ending stream of easy, free, exposure with just a little forethought, creativity, and very minimal effort.

So, without a doubt, if you are interested in promoting an individual (especially yourself), a brand, or a business, you really cannot afford to NOT have a Facebook page.  Especially considering how simple it is and free to at least get started, there are no ifs-ands-or-buts… about it.  Get out there and just do it now.   And then, don’t stop.  Don’t just let it sit there stagnant. Stay active, stay fresh, even get a little funky if you’re brave enough, and watch your image/brand/business thrive!

Most business, marketing, design, web, and Internet Marketing services we offer are available individually or on a package basis.  A summary of available services is provided further down this page beneath the very valuable information we share immediately following this paragraph.

Call or Contact Us at KB2Intuit for a free business analysis, web development, or marketing services (including SEO or social media) consultation.

After a thorough discussion with you regarding your needs and desires, we will craft a personalized quote designed specifically for you, your goals…and perhaps most importantly, your budget.  No longer will you be at the mercy of large agencies or firms who can “take or leave” your patronage, often resulting in you having to “take or leave” their prices! 

Also, always remember that with web design, optimization, and social media marketing services, one of the most important things in choosing a design or designer is effectiveness of their work.

There are a lot of designers and consultants out there that create web sites, do SEO (search engine optimization) work, and perform social media marketing. And some of them can produce some very beautiful work or websites!  Yet, “beautiful” work or a website that does not perform – does not help you get web traffic (customers) by making you easy to find in the search engines – is nothing more than the proverbial “pretty face“.  And if someone is doing SEO work for you, you should see PROOF of your search engine ranking rising… along with your traffic. When comparing web designers, SEO specialists, and social media marketing consultants, one tool anyone can look to is the “Alexa traffic ranking“. ***You should check out the Alexa Ranking (www.alexa.com) for the website of the companies/individuals you are considering hiring and ask for proof or examples for others for whom they have recently done SEO or social media work.

The quick, high, initial search engine ranking we are able to obtain easily with many of our sites is one reason we create websites almost exclusively in WordPress. Not only does WordPress produce sites that are pleasing aesthetically, this platform also enables us to get you high results in the search engines FAST. Furthermore, it gives you the ability to log in and make changes to your site yourself just by clicking a couple of buttons – as easily as editing a WORD document!

Alexa Rankings are not perfect but they can be one quick and easy way to get a rough measure of the effectiveness or traffic of a web site. And while some may tell you that Alexa only uses the information from the browsing of those with the Alexa Toolbar, this is no longer the case. To help validate our results, in our portfolio we list the Alexa ranking of each of the sites we produce and/or for whom we are doing SEO or social media work. Thus, if you are choosing between KB2Intuit and our competition, always be sure to check out the Alexa rankings of their produced sites as well. After all, don’t you want to be more than just another “pretty face”?

CREATIVE / MARKETING SERVICES

• Software Development (custom; most languages; nearly any database project imaginable)
• Web and Blog Design (WordPress; Joomla; Drupal – see KB2Intuit website samples)
• CUSTOM Themes (WordPress; Joomla; Drupal)
• Logo Development, Design, and Creation
• Ad Design, Development, and Production
• Complete Branding Design & Collateral Development / Creation / Production
• Other art/print/etc. (such as press-ready print book covers, digital posters, etc.)
• Social Media Account Setup (Facebook Fan Page with specialized tabs, artwork, opt-ins, etc.; Custom Twitter Backgrounds and Twitter automation if desired; Squidoo page development and setup; Digg, StumbleUpon, De.lic.io.us, account setup; YouTube Channel creation and setup; etc.)
• Social Media Marketing Execution
• SEO (search engine optimization – with documented results)
• Wholesale Printing (of nearly anything you can imagine) at 20 – 50% off “regular retail” pricing

WRITING

• Copywriting
• Technical Writing
• Corporate Presentations
• Training & Education Manuals
• Ghostwriting and/or Editing of Articles
• Ghostwriting and/or Editing full trade/print BOOKS! (with very little startup cost and no inventory or initial order required through our “print on demand” contacts)

AUDIO / VISUAL

• Voiceovers
• High-Quality Commercial and Personal Video Production
• Conversion of 35MM Slides/Negatives Into Digital Format and/or Video (with restoration)

PLANNING / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

*Prices start at $350

• New Business Development (Plans, Proposals, Proformas, Business Plans, Marketing Plans, etc.)
• Marketing (Plans, Proposals, Execution, Implementation, Advertising, Media Buying, Collateral Design and Development)
• Web Traffic Instruction/Training/Execution
• Social Media Training/Implementation and/or Social Media Marketing Account Management (*see “Creative” above) – Click HERE for Specific Information About Our Social Media Services
• Public Relations (Strategy, Release Writing and Distribution – Online and Print)
• Strategic Business Plans
• Customer Acquisition and Retention
• Business Rehab
• Efficiency & Process Evaluation & Improvement
• Policy & Procedure Manual
• SOPs

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

*Prices Vary

• Customer Service
• Management
• Leadership
• New Employee

PLUS MUCH MUCH MORE!

Request a FREE Quote for Specific Services OR Contact Us For A FREE 20-Minute, In-Person, or Telephone Consultation.

*Review Our Digital Portfolio / Samples HERE.

Incoming search terms:

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The idea behind this article (but you should read it yourself HERE) is that the recession has forced people out of their comfort zones – and secure corporate jobs.  In their desperation, many turned to looking for a way to turn their passion into revenue.

As the author or that blog says:

You have a computer, right? A cell phone? A table at Starbucks? That minimal infrastructure is adequate for a huge number of new businesses and allows entrepreneurs to hang out their shingle quickly and cheaply, and to compete powerfully.

The end result being tons more small businesses (558,000 a day to be exact) entering the marketplace. Ultimately, the writer feels this will actually result in more job growth and stimulus to the economy.

See, 50% of all new businesses do fail in the first 5 years. However, those that do succeed often become solid and successful enough that they begin to hire others. My personal belief - based on the facts put forth by the author of this article – is that because many of these “new” business owners have lived through the pain and desperation of being jobless, and because many of them are coming from the hardest hit demographics (the “supposed to be retired” and African Americans), the ones that do succeed and are able to hire eventually will probably hire from their own demographic group. New businesses also need the services of other businesses (designers, accountants, web developers, printers, office supply providers, etc.l) and that further encourages economic growth as well.

Thus, this means we probably can “thank the recession” at some point down the line. It’s hard right now. But it’s always hard to be thankful for any “lesson” while you are in the throes of learning it.

So, what about you? Are you living your life ticked-off about the recession? Or are you looking for other opportunities and ways you can expand your business or knowledge into areas that are making money right now?

One idea…

If you own a business based on a specialty area, have you thought about writing a book to tell others how to “do it themselves”? This might seem counter-intuitive but I guarantee you, the people you help to save money now, will be your best customers in the future. When they come across something they can’t do, they’ll come to you because you were the one that helped them.

By writing a book, you also set yourself up as an expert,  You become the authority on the subject – getting your name “out there” – so that when other people have the chance to recommend someone with your knowledge or expterise to someone else who can’t “do it themeselves”, your name will be the one they come up with immediately.  Not to mention, writing a book using print on demand services is cheap and easy!   But we can help you with this too and it’s one of our favorite services we offer. We can even assist you with writing and editing the book if you need us. We have “ghostwritten” several books and have edited many as well.

Ultimately, once we get the title set up with the printer, we can also design a simple web page for you to sell your book or even add the sales page to your current site so that everything is automated! Imagine that! You just write the book and never have to carry inventory, pay for stock, or ship a single item. YES…that is REALLY how print-on-demand works!

That is just one idea for “surviving” during this recession! Contact us for a free consultation and we will give you many more based on your specific business or area of expertise!

British Airways

The story did exactly what the author intended – pointed out all the many mistakes British Airways made in their customer service in dealing with her lost luggage. Their lost luggage and claims customer service processes definitely weren’t designed to be easy on the customer. In fact, it almost appeared as if they purposely made this process difficult so most people would just give up before the claim was ever paid out.

British Airways also didn’t have customer service emergency backup plans in place. If communication got lost or ended up at the bottom of a pile on one administrator’s desk, there didn’t seem to be any mechanisms for follow up on submitted claims and definitely no checks in balances in place to ensure that a claim made it through their internal processes successfully or even at all.

They certainly didn’t keep the customer informed and they didn’t respond and communicate quickly either. This woman went for over 3 months before hearing anything and it would have been longer had she not kept calling until she reached the CEO of British Airways. Then, it was another 2 months before she received her check.

Finally, they broke the “Golden Commandment of Customer Service” – go the extra step to satisfy your customers and apologize if necessary. In fact, when she did finally receive a check for her claim – 5 months after the incident – it was HALF of what she put on her claim form!

Obviously this was a great story to illustrate the author’s points. But what it illustrated to me even more was how one negative customer service experience could really damage a company’s reputation quickly. Many businesses seem to think, “...one unhappy person doesn’t matter that much.”

Oh how wrong they are! I wonder how many people – like me – read this British Airways unhappy customer‘s blog? And I read it because someone else read it and forwarded it to me since they knew I was always seeking marketing and business information to blog about myself. I also wonder how many people – like me – went on to blog about this story themselves? So, just counting the people I know about, that is three people who are unhappy with British Airways over this incident. I am sure there will be many, many, more who read the original author’s blog – and who read this blog – who will feel the same way.

What you can take from that is this… In these days of the pervasiveness of the Internet – these days of social communication and information that spreads like wildfire through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube - “just one person” is never “just one person“. When you are operating a business or a brand, you must always treat every single customer like they have the biggest audience in the world and can make or break your business with one little blog post. Because…it just might be true.

*Information to be posted by June 30, 2011