BUSINESS RESOURCES + TOOLS BARE BONES BIZ BY ELLEN ROHR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
development. The steam engine ushered in major growth in manufacturing and transportation. In the middle of the Great Depression, the auto manufacturing industry was born. In the 1980s, the
dot.com industry bolstered a prosperous economy. Mark was a multi-billion dollar beneficiary of that boom time. Next up: The current emerging markets are in alternative energy.
O 80
The right industry at the right time Right now there is a lot of political chatter about
unemployment. Here’s what creates jobs: Growing businesses. And here is some very good news: You are in the right industry for the most promising up and coming market. “Green” is not yet mainstream in the USA, but it will be. Look beyond our borders. Worldwide high fuel prices have facilitated alternative energy industries. Google what Denmark is doing with centralized steam heat. Discover how Australia is embracing solar energy. How exciting that you have the skill set to make things happen in the U.S. Thermal, solar? It is plumbing/heating work. Water conservation and reclamation? Bring in the plumbers and engineers. Energy efficiency? Raise your hand if you understand heat loss and high efficiency equipment. Natural disasters? They happen. And the first call is to those who can bring water where it’s needed and get rid of it where it isn’t. I don’t understand the politics and shenanigans that go
into pricing a gallon of fuel. When prices exceed $4, however, we see shifts in consumer behavior. Sooner or later, fuel will skyrocket in the U.S. Yep, there will be tough choices. But if anyone can figure out what to do to keep people warm and provide hot water, it’s you. If anyone can figure out how to squeeze every Btu from every drop of fuel, it’s you. You are in the right industry at the right time. Now, engage the right medium to get the word out.
The right message and the right medium You have the opportunity to establish yourself as the
expert on solar energy or water reclamation or whatever it is that totally blows your skirt up. Every person on the planet must address the need for water and energy every day. There is room in this industry for a voice to lead the charge, to cut through the clutter of information. That could be you! The way to do this is through social media. Social media, according to Wikipedia, is, “the use of web- based and mobile technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogue.” The essential social media outlets are Wordpress, and
easy, do-it-yourself blog program; Facebook; Twitter, the number one “news” source during recent natural disasters and government coups; and YouTube, where hundreds of millions of videos are being watched every day. This list is subject to change by the time this magazine
n a news talk show last week, businessman and Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban pointed out that economic recoveries are linked to new industry
hits the website or your mailbox. Social media is an emerging market too, and it is morphing all the time. Sure, you can waste a lot of time looking at You Tube videos of cats and people falling off docks. However, you can meet people and make friends online. You can find customers because people buy from people they like. This is marketing in the year 2011, amigos, and it’s time for you to jump in and lay claim to your empire. Like any marketing, your online marketing should
pass the, “So what? Who cares?” test. What is it that you do and why, and why should anyone else need to know about it? Trust that if you are passionate about what you do, someone else may be too. Clarify your message and marketing position. Then, start with a blog. Load up no-more-than-two-minute-long videos from your smart phone that are fun and helpful about your area of expertise. Record on-the-job moments and invite your customers to join in on the game. Let them share what they learned or how they benefited. Keep it authentic and loose. The blog can serve as your search-engine-attractive website. You can add buttons for “sharing” on Facebook and Twitter. And you can connect the dots so that when you update the blog, your Facebook and Twitter statuses are updated too. Need help? Find someone under the age of 25 and have
them help you put all this together. You could pay them $10 per hour and help them earn college credit as a marketing intern. Kids know a lot about social media because they use it every day for just about everything, from connecting with friends to finding a place to eat to tracking sports stats. You might also study how Gary Vaynerchuk turned the
wine industry upside down. Check out his Facebook page,
www.facebook.com/dailygrape, and his website,
dailygrape.com, which is a Wordpress blog. Gary loves wine. He also thinks that a lot of wine reviews (and reviewers) are pretentious and stuffy. He started posting short video blog wine reviews. Gary knows his stuff, and he delivers it in an irreverent, funny and hyper-energetic way. His fans have taken to calling themselves Vayniacs. You know you’re making an impact when your fans have a collective nickname. Maybe you could become “The Solar Guy” or “Wando the Water Wizard.” Maybe your fans could be known as Solarians? Wand-er-ers? Gary shares his social media tips in his best-selling book,
Crush It! Why NOW is the Time to Cash in on your Passion. He’s right. It is. Tweet to Mark Cuban @mcuban: Thanks for the
reminder — green is gold! I know a few PHC companies who are ready to expand. Just sayin’. l
“Like” my fan page for terrific business building tips and role play videos, www Follow me on T
witter
.facebook.com/barebonesbiz. , @ellenrohr or reach me the old
fashioned way at 877/629-7647 or
contact@barebonesbiz.com.
Scan with your smart phone to read Ellen’s blog on
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The emerging market…is yours
phc august 2011
www.phcnews.com
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