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<title>Latest Articles by jackdeal</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/</link>
<description>Articles at Populate.NET</description>
<language>en-us</language>
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<title>Product and Service Diversification Can Help Your Profits Grow</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/product-and-service-diversification-can-help-your-profits-grow.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/product-and-service-diversification-can-help-your-profits-grow.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ In down times many companies are looking for new income streams and new profit potential to replace declining and lost revenues.   For some, diversifying is a simply a bad idea and not in their Vision Plan.   

But for others diversification may actually make all the difference.   

For many business owners diversification allows their company to create new customer value and creating a new and stronger value proposition.   A strong value proposition creates significant barriers to entry for competitors.   In today's "downturned" markets companies need every advantage they can get.     

One creative strategy is to aggregate new types of income by 'repackaging and remerchandising' existing products and services.   This strategy has the obvious advantage of not having far to look to find new products and services to offer because the base strategy is to simply repackaging what you already have.  

Even though repackaging tactics may give the appearance of being 'smoke and mirrors', this strategy actually gives your company a chance to enhance your brand or company's "look and feel."  

"We kept adding new products and new groups of products and suddenly we found our market strength in diversity," says Wayne Kiltz, CEO of New Jersey based Africa Imports, "and because we had built a strong infrastructure we have had the capability to keep expanding."  

Looking for new niche markets is another strategy but one with considerably more risk.   The entrepreneur should always remember she is never alone in her quest for niche market opportunity.   And as with all new ventures the smart strategist takes a realistic look at risk, exposure and return.  

One way to leverage new niche market opportunities is to combine them with your 'old' products, services and offerings.   Doing a "makeover" or updating your "look and feel" can breathe new life into stagnant sales.   Remaining flexible and always on the prowl for opportunity simply 'enhances your chances.'

And sometimes those chances can be right under your nose.  

"For years we had designed, prototyped, manufactured and raced motorcycles," says Ray Shott, Jr., owner of Hellbent Motorcycles in Hollister, California, "one day we just took apart some engines and started designing some better ones and now we sell our own engines."  

Which leads the strategist to conclude it is almost always best to stick to what you know.   Going from motorcycles to hamburgers would be too far a stretch.   And don't count on tried and true answers in a steep economic downturn.   In turbulent times growth can come in funny ways.  

"Locally we were in one of the toughest construction markets in the Unites States," says Wayne Medina of Medina's Construction Company, Santa Cruz and Salinas, California, "we kept adding to what we could and were willing to build so we found new business and started growing again."  

Diversifying what your company does and sells can have other positive benefits.   If you diversify intelligently you should grow and growth attracts skilled employees.   Current employees can also grow and learn new skills through diversification.   

And most importantly from a Human Resources viewpoint, your company becomes an interesting place to work which keeps employee morale high.   An interesting workplace creates employee 'buzz' and helps your company retain your better employees; 'why would I want to leave?' 

By strategically choosing the right ways to diversify your products and services you can take advantage of the turbulent economic downturn and actually grow.   Whether you succeed or not depends first on your strategy's strengths and subsequently on how well you execute your plan.   

There are successful companies that "neither make nor do" but focus on diversifying into new markets and actually creating new markets.   Since diversification works for them it certainly might also work for you.  

And it could be a lot fun, too. ]]></description>
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<title>Why Big Motorcycles and Motorcyclese Make No Sense but Really Do</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Automotive/Motorcycles/why-big-motorcycles-and-motorcyclese-make-no-sense-but-really-do.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Automotive/Motorcycles/why-big-motorcycles-and-motorcyclese-make-no-sense-but-really-do.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ First off, it's important to understand why big motorcycles are loud as they hurt the ears of anyone on the street or within 50 feet.   Why is this important?  It's important because it's not about being loud; it's about being heard, on your own biker terms.  

Just why one wants to be heard is not the question to ask jumbo sized bikers.   They really won't answer such a foolish question but just give you a snarl and a jumbled mumble.   In the end they assure you they know but 'just can't seem to put it in words'; a typical biker behavioral cop out.    

It's all about the chopper but in a certain sense it isn't.   The true essence of bikerhood brotherhood is not riding but "talking" about your bike.  If there is one thing bikers love more than their bikes it's talking about their bikes.  

But who are we wannabes to judge.  Our middle-aged Michelin man bodies can't take much riding around on a bare frame.   We have to pull over, take a breather, get a beer and have a smoke and most importantly look for any available opportunities to talk motorcyclese.   

The problem for amateurs is real bikers can tell right away if you can talk motorcyclese or not.   To get away from being an obvious wannabe, you have to be proficient in motorcyclese.  

Motorcyclese is like learning a foreign language and the best way to learn a new language is called immersion.  If you want to learn Spanish, you go to Mexico City.  If you want to learn motorcyclese, you go to a chopper shop.   

Right away you probably guessed that chopper guys aren't concerned so much about your spiritual needs as they are about your motorcycle.   Actually, if you really dig hard and deep enough, you will find for many their spirituality is their motorcycle.  

Having said that, one then comes to the conclusion that the whole big motorcycle thing is all psychological; a perceptual smoke and mirrors show.    This enlightened concept is almost certainly to be greeted with disapproving biker growls.   

Why grown middle-aged men would want to bruise their posteriors and find solace with comrades that have also bruised theirs, is well, a certain type of peak religious experience.   On a certain level.   OK a lower level.   OK, on a lower brain stem level.
     
But more likely it's an aging body with little rebellion left that can actually let the motorcycle do all the rebelling...that is of course, unless one falls off.   And at that point one may have to in fact enlist the aid and succor of a professional biker babe.   

The professional biker babe fills three primary biker functions: 1) keep her biker guy from falling off 2) pick him up when he does fall off and 3) wire him back with Mexican baling wire if he is in more than three pieces.  

Clearly big motorcycles aren't a typical female thing; biker babes are not known for their dainty femininity.    Most biker guys will reluctantly admit there are better ways to chase after dainty women than riding smelly, loud, big motorcycles.   It emits an image.  
  
And maybe that image and resulting self image is getting closer to our answer.   That's why the only way to really learn motorcyclese and big motorcycle chat is by totally immersing yourself.

It's not just the raw motorcycle technology, but the look and feel of your big motorcycle self-expression that truly matters.   

The first tactic is to speak wistfully of motorcycle parts like tapered exhaust phalanges; understanding you really have to be wistful or it will clearly ring phony.   It's not just knowing about tapered exhaust but having your self-expression actually exude tapered exhaust passion. 

Then again just for fun you could try going into the local chopper shop and start talking carbon footprints and such; make sure to feel the warm reception you get from all the biker tribe.   Beware here as some of the biker guys only think of face and footprint in one context.   

Just remember never insult a biker's babe...she might be his wife.  These days smart bikers are known to find women that drink less than they do so they always get a ride home.   To a certain extent that does dampen the rebelliousness benefit but then practical is practical.   After all, past a certain age any barroom floor is just too hard.    

And never question a biker's motives; you can question a lot of things but not his motives.   So in the end we are stuck with fancy explanations like 'rebellious spirituality' or simplistic ones like 'better than a scooter'.   Right.   

But like many bastions of thought, there one day comes the true revelation like "Big guys ride big motorcycles because they don't fit on little motorcycles."   

Like many things in life, the truth is often laced with disappointment.   So take a deep breath and rest assured it's okay.   It's highly unlikely you will see 350 pound men riding around on Vespas.   

Just don't forget to swagger a little bit as you approach any showroom with the sign Harley or Hellbent written over the door.  It's really important for you to keep up your biker self-esteem. ]]></description>
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<title>How Smart Companies are Opening New Multi-Channel Markets</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/how-smart-companies-are-opening-new-multi-channel-markets.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/how-smart-companies-are-opening-new-multi-channel-markets.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The race is on.   Brick and mortar companies are rapidly shifting to multi-channel markets primarily through e-commerce sites targeting customers locally, regionally and nationally.   E-commerce is not eliminating brick and mortar stores but opening up new venues or other ways to sell products and services.    

In the process these companies are eliminating ineffective traditional marketing and using search optimization and search marketing instead.   These companies are searching for online solutions that automate the buying process and create 24/7 sales. 

The relationship of online sales to offline sales is becoming more blurred and more complicated.   For some products, especially high consideration products like automobiles, consumers research online to learn what they need to know and then purchase offline.  

Other products are researched offline and bought online; this is a strong trend that many specialty stores are now seeing.   The consumer will get the 'look and feel' of a product and then buy it cheaper online.   

Many of these specialty stores are finding it increasingly difficult to remain competitive as their cost of sales is greater than e-commerce stores.     

Flexible entrepreneurs are now using their offline presence to drive online sales.   Others are using their online presence to drive offline sales.  Many companies are now doing both.  

Companies now have these new options thanks to search technology and especially "local search".   Companies can now target local, regional and global prospects and customers by using organic and pay-per-click marketing campaigns.   

The initial beneficiaries of this new technology are those companies using local search; geocentric local search technology has now made it much easier to market across a region instead of just a locale. Many brick and mortar stores are finding innovative ways to leverage search technology to boost their brick and mortar products and services.   

For 25 years Mike Fine ran Fineline Screen Printing before expanding into Cheapfasttees.   Mike had been doing business only locally because marketing outside his immediate area was prohibitively expensive.

Using search technology and his existing screen printing facility, Mike now offers a discounted volume product he can sell throughout the United States. It all began as Mike's local market stagnated he began looking at ways to utilize the excess capacity of his equipment.  

"When I looked at my equipment over a 24 hour period I found that most of the equipment wasn't being used most of the time," said Mike, "and since I was paying for it all of the time, it occurred to me that it wouldn't cost me more to use it more and expand my sales through an e-commerce website.   Cheapfasttees was the natural business evolution for me."   

Many companies already have a good infrastructure in place with fully operational phone and computer systems.   Only minor changes in inventory tracking and bookkeeping are needed to accommodate new online business.   

Strangely the biggest challenges many of these companies face is psychological.   

E-commerce and search marketing have advanced so quickly many companies have found the necessary mental adjustments difficult and at times impossible.   E-commerce requires some degree of computer sophistication but the biggest challenge is implementing effective search marketing campaign strategies.   

This requires a change of mindset or a 'shift in the Gestalt' as managers and owners are faced with the new realities of search marketing.   Search marketing must be developed and implemented internally and old style managers often resist taking on these new tasks.   

But many entrepreneurs now realize that if they don't take control of their search marketing strategy their competitors will and beat them to it.   This is because the markets are unforgiving of those that decide search marketing is optional.   

Even local businesses are discovering they are losing business to competitors that are able to run effective local search marketing campaigns.    

"It's simply a matter of being found by those that are ready to buy," says Mike of Cheapfasttees. ]]></description>
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<title>If My Personal Assets are Worth Less, Am I Worthless Too?</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Finance/Personal_Finance/if-my-personal-assets-are-worth-less-am-i-worthless-too.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Finance/Personal_Finance/if-my-personal-assets-are-worth-less-am-i-worthless-too.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The biggest problem with defining oneself by one's possessions is unfortunately one's possessions.   This follows directly behind the old proverb 'be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.'  And later wish you hadn't.  

This week we learned the median price of a house in Southern California dropped from $500,000 to $325,000 in twelve months.   In my county in the Bay Area the median house price dropped from $770,000 to $582,000 in one year.   These drops in price have amounted to almost $200,000 per house in one year.  

This is a truly disturbing trend.  Let's say my net worth drops from $1,000,000 to $600,000.   Do I mentally and perceptually have to scale back my self esteem 40%?  "I'm less the man I was a year ago by about 40% or $400,000."   What a bummer!   

That's not the way it's supposed to go.   Everyone said "get moving up the housing equity ladder and sooner or later one would either be rich or have a steady refinancing income."   Right.   

So a lot of folks one sees walking around the streets of Salinas, Stockton and Santa Cruz are only shadows of their former selves because they truly feel they are less than they once were.   

Their elevated self opinions have taken a big hit and they just aren't the hot stuff they were some time back.   They are not smiling.  They are not happy campers.  Life is one big bummer.   

Five years of equity growth wiped out in one year.   And more of the same down the road.   
 
Fortunately misery does love company and we are not seeing mass suicides by the fact that equity loss is the number one group therapy topic in coffee shops and workout gyms in the Bay Area.   This and the uncomfortable realization there is no security.  The realtor lied.   Houses don't always keep going up.  

As a reaction to the widespread fraud perpetuated by subprime loan underwriting, lenders are now actually making buyers come up with a down payment and verify income.   

As it looks right now, the banks and investment firms will get the bailout and the government and consumer the tab.   So if I really want to be crazy I will still try to be caught up in the moment and buy that dream house right in the middle of a declining market.   Right.  Smart strategy.   

That means I will have to wait until the market bottoms out and then starts to rise before I can hope that it eventually gets back to the point at which I signed the mortgage.   That could be 3-5 years in some areas and 5-10 years in other areas.   Not much of an investment but like the realtor said,  ' it's not just a house, it's equity in your very own home.' 

"I lost $500, 000," the victim proudly touts, "and it could be worse next year."  Right.   That's certainly more likely than you admitting that for the past 20 years you have slaved like a beast of burden to increase your personal equity so you could once and for all get rid of your inferiority complex 'middle class feeling'.   Right.   And just where do you think you will end up?  

In fact you get this sinking feeling that if you had it to do over again you wouldn't do it the same way.   Going sideways is not only less glamorous but not very unproductive.   

But it's always too late to act and once again, depressed and depraved souls will question their reason for being and cling to their guns and rock and roll to lessen the pain.   And maybe a bottle of Jack Daniels now and again.   

Those that can't afford the ten dollar shots at the Uptown Deco Lounge will be relegated to sipping Wild Turkey in back alleys and church cemeteries.   Men will huddle against the cold and wind as they yearn for the days when at least on paper they were worth millions.   

Henry David Thoreau said the farmhouse imprisons the farmer so in the end maybe a really good tent isn't so bad after all.   As long as it isn't in the snow.   Or mud.  

Children will someday ask their parents what it felt like to be paper millionaires as mama's and papa's eyes get glassy remembering when high self esteem matched high personal equity.   

"Well son, it felt like being a lot more about being whole and a lot less about feeling worthless."   The son is bummed.  Short term he realizes he is getting royally shafted.  

But not to worry, Junior   There is always hope.   Not much maybe, but some.   If we didn't have hope what would we have except a lot of worthless mortgages exceeding assessed value.    

Maybe ours is not to reason why but hope things get better so we can get back to doing what we do best and that is building personal equity.  Or perhaps the illusion of building personal equity.   When that happens our frowns will turn to smiles and things will start to move in the right direction.  

So don't be foolish.   Just because you have the chance to get out of the rat race and perhaps discover and actuate the real you, doesn't mean you have to.   You can continue on the treadmill until another bust comes along and again takes the wind out of your sails.  There is no law prohibiting you from being a complete fool.   And there is no reason to live a lie, no?  

But no matter what you do never buy the argument that you might be happier living a simpler life without the artificial trappings of status and materialism.   If enough people begin to feel that way our way of life will be in trouble. 

Dios Mio!  If that happens imagine everyone will walk around quoting Walden and not arguing about whom has the worst home equity decline... ]]></description>
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<title>How Obama's Weak Campaign Organization Has Made It a Race</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Politics/how-obama-s-weak-campaign-organization-has-made-it-a-race.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Politics/how-obama-s-weak-campaign-organization-has-made-it-a-race.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ This was supposed to be the one.  After close calls in 2000 and 2004, the Democrats were poised to take over big.  After all, with an unpopular Republican President, an unpopular war, unpopular economy, unemployment, foreclosures and bank closures, how could the Democrats not win?  

But now the Democrats are wringing their hands as the polls turn south and Hurricane Sarah blasts through America.   How could this happen?  

The answer lies in the campaign organization that the Obama team had put together.   The campaign's inner circle was reduced to a handful of people.  From this group comes all the campaign's command and control and just as importantly, minimal dissent.   

In the primaries as Obama's star was rising this type of organization worked well, even considering that Hillary Clinton ran a very bad campaign.   But John McCain has shown he is no Hillary Clinton.   

All was well until just before the conventions.    The Obama campaign picked as its running mate Joe Biden, a 'safe' bet with the strategy that Biden would shore up Obama's lack of experience especially in foreign relations.  

So far, so good.   Obama entered the conventions with a 6-10 point lead in most polls and what appeared then to be solid lead going into the final stretch.

Obama's people had convinced him that Biden was a great VP choice and certainly McCain could do no better. Maybe a 15 point lead wasn't reality but a 10 point lead sure was.   

And it might have stayed that way if McCain had followed suit and picked a safe choice like Mitt Romney.   But of course McCain didn't pick Romney; he picked Sarah.  

Clearly the Obama campaign never imagined that McCain would pick Sarah.   They, like most Democrats, were initially stunned.   They couldn't believe McCain would pick an unknown.   

But McCain's campaign advisers stood up and made their candidate face a hard reality; something the Obama campaign has had difficulty.   McCain not only listened to the feedback but based his decision on it.

And then the Obama campaign became besieged with 'why didn't you pick Hillary?' The initial reaction turned from surprise and shock to anger and resentment.  'How dare McCain appoint a woman?'   Even Sarah was later to state that perhaps Obama regretted not picking Hillary Clinton.  

The anger continued and even though Obama said he would fire anyone making sexist comments about Sarah, Pandora's Box was already opened. The election had fundamentally changed and in a period of less than a month Obama went from eight points up to three points down.   

Now the real flaws in the Obama campaign had begun to emerge.   Obama was put on the defensive and stayed there.   Obama himself began to look desperate as he attacked Sarah; a first in U.S. politics.  

But the real damage came from the lack of surrogate control; the surrogates were going after Sarah in ways no other candidate had ever been attacked.   The hope was they could quickly discredit Sarah or cause her to quit.   

What became increasingly apparent after the conventions was the Obama campaign had no alternative strategies and had not been considering any Plan B.   No advisor told Obama that Sarah might happen with the ensuing political nightmare.   

By mid-September the Obama campaign pretty much admitted they had no strategy for Sarah or anything else that was not in their game plan.   Since they had clearly not done scenario planning they found themselves in a box they could not wiggle out of.   

So the same stumbling and faltering that allowed Hillary Clinton to prolong the primaries now became evident in the general election campaign. The Obama campaign, once in complete control, now finds itself on the defensive, attacking negatively and doing the very sorts of things it once bragged it didn't have to do.   

It's still a toss up but if Obama eventually loses it will go down as one of the worst run campaigns in U.S. history.   If that happens the question will forever be one of "what if?" ]]></description>
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<title>Measure Your Search Marketing Efforts with a Weekly Googleprint</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Search_Engine_Marketing/measure-your-search-marketing-efforts-with-a-weekly-googleprint.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Search_Engine_Marketing/measure-your-search-marketing-efforts-with-a-weekly-googleprint.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ It's easy.  Just type your subject in quotes in Google's search box.   This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to test your search marketing efforts. Each week you can track which of your search marketing efforts is paying off and which isn't doing so well.   The results may surprise you.  

For instance, you might be surprised to see your Craigslist ad showing up surprisingly high in your Googleprint.   Placing an ad on Craigslist not only gets your name out but also gets you site picked up by the search engines.   

You can also find out what doesn't work; for instance, all those URLs you stuck on Twitter are fun but probably don't count for much. Using search Googleprints is also a good way to see what your competitors are doing.   If they are buying Google search words that will turn up too.   

And don't forget to click past the first page and examine other pages.   Every now and then look at the first five pages to get a sense of what is happening on the lesser hits, especially if your search is a big generic one.   

So how can one tell just what is going on? Much has been said about figuring out the Google algorithms or the way Google comes up with its search results.   Forget it.  

Even an engineer would have trouble figuring out exactly what Google is up to and Google certainly doesn't want to let the cat out of the bag.   Those algorithms are Google's greatest intellectual property.   

The truth is the Google algorithms change on a regular basis and if you are monitoring your Googleprint you can see how search results change when algorithms change.   Sometimes these changes can be somewhat dramatic significantly changing your Google footprint. But you won't know unless you are tracking your Googleprint.   

It's obviously important to remember that yours is not to reason why.   Your chore is to see the application and results of the Google algorithms.  If you begin to see the results, you can begin to understand the bigger picture and how that affects your search marketing efforts.   

Don't expect any great revelations, but if you keep a steady finger on the pulse of the algorithms they will begin to make sense.    

The basics don't change very much and they are most important; change your homepage with fresh,  original content daily, focus on keywords and keyword strings and publish, link and backlink  as much as possible.   Avoid scams and spam.   

Regular Googleprints also help you check for spammers and scammers that affect your Googleprint; in fact, you may have recourse.   

For instance, a short while back when checking my Googleprint I was dismayed to see that the number one hit was a scam.   This scam had lifted my name and business name and had posted it on a website that was selling porn.  

I flagged and reported the site, as well as probably hundreds others also did.   Within 24 hours it was gone; barred by the Google God.  Or Goddess.  Or their Googlenesses.  The lesson here is take action and don't panic.  Panic gets you nowhere when dealing in the search world.   

If you are just starting out with your search marketing efforts, make a weekly copy of your Googleprint and save it for reference.  Over a period of time you can review your Googleprint snapshots and see which of your search marketing efforts is more effective.     

You can also check your Yahooprint and MSNprint as well.  But clearly Google, as the biggest and most important search engine, is critical to search marketing and your search marketing campaigns.    

Think search. ]]></description>
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<title>The Death of Small Rental Offices and Stores</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/Small_Business/the-death-of-small-rental-offices-and-stores.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/Small_Business/the-death-of-small-rental-offices-and-stores.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The total cost of renting a small office or small store is going up.   

Taxes are up.   Triple Net, maintenance, parking fees and other fees associated with commercial rentals are up. 

Commuting costs to and from work are up.   Gas is up.  Some customers in some markets may have to choose between going to Your Store and going to Wal-Mart.  Or not going to any store and buying what they want online.    

Meals at work are up.  Childcare, up.  Business attire, up.  Utilities, up.  Furnishings and decor, up.  Janitorial and cleaning, up.  Employees and office help, up.     

This means that a smaller retail store must sell higher ticket items as there is just not enough shelf space to sell discounted items.   And most small retail spaces are too small for service businesses like restaurants or beauty salons.  

Being too small means one can't squeeze out enough margin and ultimately profit, the lifeblood of any business.   Cash flow-wise the office and store rental numbers don't match; hence the old expression 'working to pay rent'.   The business model is flawed.  

Increasingly many small businesses and professionals are realizing it is not necessary for them to have a physical presence where they must meet always meet customers and clients.   There are alternatives.

These smaller businesses that once were located at a specific physical location now locate themselves at a specific location online.     

In downtown San Jose, California it is not uncommon to see an outside business sign that is a website address.  In San Jose at least the line between real and virtual is becoming thinner and thinner.  

Have you recently heard someone tell you on the phone, "go to our website and it explains everything?"  

The drop in local commerce is due in part to an increase in web-based commerce.   As web sales pass the 10% of total sales mark, it is certainly expected by almost everyone that this number will increase.   

As consumers continue to search for product and service information they will replace "local" as the baseline for their purchasing decisions.   The concept of local has changed. 

As cultures and values change, so do priorities.  In some circles it is more acceptable to not have a physical office and less acceptable to have a weak web presence.   For many, it is worse to have a bad Google footprint than not to have a "physical" sit-down office.

Besides, a small office makes one look small.   Small stores look small.   A BIG web presence makes one look BIG.  Where is the better ROI?  In a Search world, which makes more sense? 

So it is not surprising to see half empty small office buildings and half empty strip malls.   The question is will small business market pressures prevent the rebound of small rental offices and stores?   

The real test will be on the boom side of the cycle after the downturn. 

If the small office and small store rentals don't rebound in the next upturn, many of these niche businesses will become web-based and no longer have or need a physical presence.  

The rest cannot adapt to compete and will simply fade away.     

The efficacy of web based commercial applications has given the small store owner an opportunity to compete in larger non geocentric markets.    The savings on these web based storefronts and offices versus physical rental offices and storefronts is significant.   

For the cost of a small rental office one can put up a somewhat extensive e-commerce site including search marketing.   These new, smaller companies can afford to purchase services like search marketing when their rent-paying competitors cannot.  

Big advantage web; big advantage in those that can invest in search marketing.     

As the costs increase and the advantages decrease, small office and small store rentals become more problematic and difficult when projecting future margins. 

The higher the fixed costs the higher the volume of business needed to pay for those fixed costs; only so much volume can be squeezed out of each foot.   

At some point, profits are also squeezed out. 

The looming picture for the future is one of being able to drive relevant traffic to one's website.   For many companies how they do this will determine their level of success; not the local physical foot traffic.     

The old adage: Location, Location, Location takes new meaning in a search society.  Being found now has a very different implication.   For many small and medium sized businesses, their location is no longer physical. ]]></description>
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<title>Is Your Local Chamber of Commerce Obsolete?</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Business/is-your-local-chamber-of-commerce-obsolete.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Business/is-your-local-chamber-of-commerce-obsolete.html</guid>
<pubDate>Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Wandering into the San Jose, California Chamber of Commerce one wonders what sorts of local businesses are members.   After all, San Jose is Silicon Valley Central and the home to many of the world's best known companies.  

As one glances at the list of members what is conspicuous is the absence of the heavy hitters.   What is also conspicuous is that of the tens of thousands of businesses in San Jose only a very small percentage bothers to join the San Jose Chamber of Commerce.

In the old days local C of Cs were places to advertise and promote your local business.   Somehow being a member and paying your $150 yearly fee would put you among the local elite and raise the credibility of your company.  

But as in the San Jose Chamber of Commerce most local businesses are not members as well as the "bigger and more important" local businesses.   

But it's not just San Jose.   Go to any local C of C and more than likely you will find the same thing.   Why?  

A big picture analysis shows that the concept of "local" has changed.   Technology and specifically search technology has opened the world to the local consumer with more than just local options.   

In the old days one did business with those that one knew or knew of locally; now the local consumer can do business with any company they find searching the Internet.  

The "Buy Local" programs have simply become obsolete as the concept of local has lost its meaning.   

The inference once was that local consumers were looking for businesses and a good way to find reliable businesses was through the local Chamber of Commerce member list.   Actually this idea died in the 1970's and 1980's and was in reality not a member benefit by 2000.  

In the past a new business would join hoping to gain local exposure and maybe get some extra business.   The badly maligned Mixers would help serve this function.  

New members were told to bring their "pitches" and stack of business cards and hand them out at the mixers.   So in effect the mixer became a big "let's sell to ourselves" exercise, as rarely do non-Chamber members attend the mixers.  

Local collective ads were once another way the local Chamber could promote its members; through brochures, local newspaper and magazine ads, an occasional TV or radio spot.   As mass media has gotten more expensive, the collective ads have gone by the wayside.   

And like many organizations, the local C of Cs have been hit hard financially in the recent economic downturn.   As their cash flows have diminished, the Chambers' ability to hire and retain good staff had diminished as well.   

Hence, all the ubiquitous job postings for Chamber Executive Directors.   Part of the "executive package" is that the executive director must raise money to pay for herself.   

This means that the primary function of the executive director is not promoting local business but raising enough money to keep the Chamber above water.   

But in all fairness, it's not just the executive director's fault; what can a group do locally to promote themselves?   

The biggest complaint today is that the Chamber does little or nothing for its members so it has become harder and harder to justify the time and $150 fee.  The first question a new prospect asks is 'what is in it for my business?'  

If the expectation is increased business, as many new members hope, then the expectation turns to disappointment over time.   That's too bad.

Communities need a strong business community to thrive and communities with a weak business community have problems. 

The simple fact is that the local C of Cs are delivering less and less value to their members.   Unless the local Chambers are able to redefine their mission and find ways to bring greater value, the Chambers will simply go the obsolete route of newspaper advertising. ]]></description>
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<title>How Local Search Technology is Changing Our Sense of Community</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Search_Engine_Marketing/how-local-search-technology-is-changing-our-sense-of-community.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Internet_Marketing/Search_Engine_Marketing/how-local-search-technology-is-changing-our-sense-of-community.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Throughout the depressing news on oil, foreclosures, credit, jobs and stocks; there has been little attention paid to search technology, which is quietly changing our sense of community and the way we do business.  

Several trends suggest local search is not just a fad but a tsunami.  Each day more and more local searches conducted.   Yahoo estimates their local searches have grown by 76% in just 12 months.    

This spike in use is partly due to users becoming more skilled at using local search to find exactly what they want.   Search logs reveal users are adding more modifiers or attributes to describe more specifically what they want.   And they are finding it.  

All of this is resulting in a huge fragmentation of the Internet from global to local to niche and hyper-niche.  These local niche sites or "tail sites" are popping up to meet consumer demands for more information and direct access to local markets.   

Additionally more searches are being done per individual.  Yahoo reports their user logs show average user local queries up from eight to twelve per month.   These statistics are showing that users are finding what they are locally searching for.  

The good news for local businesses is that they can now market in areas outside of their immediate location.   The bad news is outside competitors can do the same thing.   

Businesses can now create promotional campaigns that can compliment an online experience with an in-store experience; or combine a virtual experience with a real experience.   This double barrel approach using both real and virtual appears to be the current hot ticket.   

It's called ROBO: Research Online, Buy Offline and it is the true tsunami.   The trends are also showing online research often leads directly to an onsite office or store visit.   

On high consideration items like cars, fully 89% of all buyers research online before making their new car purchase.   

While only 10% of actual purchases are made online; 90% are still made offline.  Still, that 10% represents $500 Billion dollars in sales.  

Small retail merchants are also complaining about a reverse threat to their businesses: ROBO Reversed.   Customers will come into their stores to see and feel a product and then go home to their computers and buy it cheaper online.   

Another growing trend is the coming together of local markets and social networks, like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.  

With a burgeoning presence of smaller and smaller businesses on the web, local business marketing is seeing a rapid shift away from radio, TV and newspaper to local search marketing.  

It's simply a matter of Return on Investment or ROI.   Advertising is an investment and increasingly the better returns are coming from search marketing and not traditional media advertising.   

This better ROI is because search marketing is an entirely different way of marketing.   Advertisers can target a narrower niche market with very appealing promotional campaigns at a fraction of the cost of traditional media.  

A major advantage of local search marketing is shortened marketing cycles; the results are known quickly and changes can be made "on the fly."   With traditional marketing, results may not be known for weeks or months.   

In the age of the Internet, as the saying goes, "he who hesitates is lost."  

With this new capability to market geocentrically, local search marketing is changing the way we buy and sell.  Cars, home and garden, professional services, financial services and insurance, real estate and entertainment are increasingly being found and purchased through search technology.    

We all are watching as TV and radio viewing drops, newspapers shrink and telephone directories become obsolete.   This same local search technology is now beginning to drive local as well as global marketing.     

In the past we chose our friends and business dealings with those we physically knew.   Today, with local search technology, we can choose our friends and business dealings with anyone connected to cyberspace. ]]></description>
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<item>
<title>Why San Francisco is the Best City in the World</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Recreation_and_Leisure/Travel/Destinations/why-san-francisco-is-the-best-city-in-the-world.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Recreation_and_Leisure/Travel/Destinations/why-san-francisco-is-the-best-city-in-the-world.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ For many of us, San Francisco is the best city in the world.   No matter how you score it, good old San Fran always is near the top, whether you leave your heart there or not.   

Driving downtown to Union Square is not so bad but it's always best to park early.  In fact, one of San Francisco's downsides is the parking problem.   

At any rate you can try the Stockton Street Public Parking Garage and if you get there before 10:00 or so you should not have any problems.   

In the current economic downturn, some Union Square hotels are offering early bird rates if you leave by 6:00 PM.   Parking from 8-6 runs about $30; half that if you get an early bird rate.    

Union Square combines the ethnic, financial, artistic, retail and down and out side of the City.  In fact, you can hang around Union Square and get your fill of just about anything.
 
Today we saw a finely dressed business executive give a boisterous panhandler a $5 bill.   Where else can you see that?   

We were attending a local search technology conference at the Marriot.  Since we live nearby, we decided to drive and not spend the night.   The conference had discounted rooms for $250 plus taxes; we could save enough to splurge on fried oysters in Pescadero.  

If you don't live in or near San Francisco, it is important to remember that visiting San Francisco is not cheap. 

The conference was great but technology can be nerve-wracking so at lunch we decided to take a break from the Virtual Earth and see some real Earth and maybe stop by some galleries in Union Square.       

We wandered into a gallery on the Square and it was spiffy.  Art in The City is always fun, edgy and stylish.   At least in the presentation; the presentations can be as interesting as the art.   

We saw Chagalls, Picassos and Miros.   Most of the Miros and Chagalls were prints and some of the Picassos were ceramic.  How does one authenticate a Picasso ceramic?

The salesperson was very courteous, not following us around but intermittently dropping in on us and asking us questions like "wouldn't you like to buy this wonderful Dali?"   

The prices weren't listed and we didn't ask.  Except once.  It was a mobile by Calder, perhaps the best known mobile or 'hanging art' artist.  

"OK, how much is this one?" the wife asked.  

"$1.5 million", was the answer.   Food for thought.  We wondered just how many credit cards it would take to buy this one.   Probably a shoe box full.  

We also wondered where one would put this thing if one were to buy it.   At 1.5 Big Ones maybe the only place to keep it is in a really big safety deposit box...

Like many conferences this one got boring after lunch and we decided to leave early and drive back home by Half Moon Bay and Highway 1.   We took Market Street to Mission Street and out to Daly City; not the scenic route but perhaps one of the most interesting streets in the U.S.   

There must be 10,000 small businesses along Mission Street; many with storefronts barely 10 feet across.    You name it, they sell it and in every ethnic variety.  And with such a mix.  

For instance, if you are Mexican and looking for some enchiladas, you can find them.   But perhaps the same restaurant also sells papusas from El Salvador.  It's Mission Street mix and match time.   

Which really is an apt description of San Francisco: mix and match.   In most of California, Latinos are of Mexican descent and in some communities the Mexican ancestry approaches 100%.  Not in San Francisco.   

In short, you can find a restaurant that says "Peruvian Style" or "Guatemalan Style" but if you are from Peru or Guatemala you can see the difference as cultures and styles criss cross and mix and match.    

And the prices are different too.  On Mission Street one can still get coffee for less than two dollars but on Union Square two dollar coffee is long gone.   In the real world location still matters. 

We parked on Mission and strolled through stores where some had ten foot storefronts but were 100 feet deep and filled with every imaginable Chinese trinket sold in the last 50 years.   

Going through these stores made us realize that even though we thought we had seen it all, there were a number of trinkets that were totally new to us.  

Maybe we need to get out more often.  

We stopped at Casa Lucaz on the way out as the wife wanted "chamitles" or sweet corn tamales.   It's not clear whether the owner's of Casa are Mexican or not but they clearly have done well for years by providing what the market wants as was in our case with the sweet corn tamales.   

As we headed back down the coast past Pacifica, Devil's Slide and Half Moon Bay we were reminded that our favorite route home from San Francisco via Highway 1 is the prettiest highway in the world and just 30 minutes from San Francisco.   

Don't believe it?  The CHP were stopping traffic just above Pescadero as they were filming a sports car commercial...    

We stopped in Pescadero at Duarte's Tavern and had fried oysters; a fitting end to a fitting day.   

And as we got closer to home we vowed to get back to the best city in the world more often...and not just for business. ]]></description>
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