Once again I drank the blue Kool-Aid from fellow TVCNet members, BlueLine Grassroots Marketing, as they and Balihoo sponsored Cendesic's Findability Workshop yesterday at Boise State University. The focus of the workshop was how to take your business website and make it more visible on the world wide web.
My excitement and enthusiasm for the Web 2.0 movement (blogs, podcasts and the interactivity that comes along with it) has been hammered home by me ever since I started this blog and the TVCNet organization. I make no apologies for it, because this is one train I'm glad to be on.
Just the other day I was thinking about my past entrepreneurial endeavors. Back in 1996 and 1997, when the world wide web as we know it today was really in its infancy, I dabbled a little bit in web design. Had I been serious about it, invested the time and energy into learning more about the technology, the programming behind web development and the artistic side of the trade I probably would have developed a successful web design company. I practically kick myself every time I think about what might have been. I was in the midst of an amazing opportunity and I didn't see it for what it was worth.
Hey, I can't dwell on the past. Onward and upward!
Because the world wide web has become more of an interactive environment since its early days, consultants and independent business professionals have a tremendous opportunity to hop on board the Web 2.0 train and start using the tools available (a lot of them free) to begin displaying their knowledge, skills and abilities to the business community at large.
Currently I'm in an e-mail dialog with a gentleman from the Mid-West who is looking to relocate to Boise with his family. I'm looking forward to meeting him next week when he pays a visit to Boise. Like me, he too is a consultant and based on the information he sent about himself and his company the man has a lot of experience. First thing I did was look to see if he had a website or a blog. I didn't find any. If there is one piece of advice I can give him right now it's - get on the web! Let people know you exist and use the more than 10 years of experience you have to demonstrate that you are the right person to solve a unique business problem or issue in the community. Website and blogs, what were novelties several years ago, are now the norm and lend more toward your credibility as a professional.
There's so much more to say about where we are heading as business-to-business consultants in a Web 2.0 world. If you haven't done it yet, get on board this train! Learn about using blogs for your business. Learn about how you can optimize your website and the content you create for your website so you can be found on the search engines. We are living in an amazing age and to not take advantage of it and be a part of the conversations (or creating the conversations) that are going on would be unwise.
People are looking for you. If you have the knowledge and experience in a particular area of business, then flaunt it. Don't hide it. The best advice given to me was came from a man you may know, Vincent Kituku. He told me, "You invested the time, money and energy into gaining all this knowledge and experience, you have every right to profit from it."
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