Maybe not. There are some great blogs out there—I should know as I read quite a few of them! But I also know how time consuming it is too keep up and that many of the resources aren’t scaled for the small business owner.
I am a business counselor at the Redwood Empire Small Business Development Center. I meet each week with small business owners who are trying to improve their web sites (or get a web site!), and fit online marketing into their already tight budgets and limited free time. Where to find the time to search out all the options? Is MySpace really the right place for a natural products retailer? What about Google AdWords? How can I move up in the search results?
When the web was just getting popular (was it only a decade ago?) , the big cry was, “The Web levels the playing field.” This level playing field idea was over quickly. Did we really think that the “big guys” wouldn’t find a way to get an advantage? That ad agencies wouldn’t find a way to make money on the Web by charging handsome fees ?
So now the big players have elaborate sites supported by a large staff and rounded out with hired consultants and experts. The little guys are left trying to figure out to stay in the game.
Back to the original question—yes, although there are enough marketing blogs out there, I think there is room for one small addition. One that tries to uncover gems of ideas and scales them for the small business owner. We will look at traditional and online marketing as long as it is practical, affordable and effective.
This blog is not meant for everyone. It is written for my clients (both private clients and the ones I see at the Redwood Empire SBDC) but is open to anyone else who cares to join us. I hope to be able to share some of the best ideas found on the Web, ideas I learn from meeting with my clients, good books that offer practical ideas for the small business owner, and maybe an original thought or two.
Janet
