One huge AHA (more like duh) moment for me was the reaction I got when meeting my social network friends in person for the first time. We’ve retweeted links to great information and tweeted a mix of personal and business thoughts. But, what really seals the deal is getting to meet these great folks in person. Nice to finally meet you in person!” got to know them (and they me) on a more personal, intimate level. We get a lot from our cyber relationships, but we get so much more in person. It was a successful conference on a number of levels. MORE >>

I don’t mean this from a personal perspective, though that is always helpful, too. Personality Attributes – Finally, you need to be clear about how you are perceived in the market. Defining your personality attributes will give a greater dimension to your image and should help differentiate your brand. Go find a list of personality traits and look for words you’d like to be used to describe your company. Once you’ve answered that question, check to see that your visual design matches your personality. The business climate is in perpetual motion. Cool and hip? MORE >>

Here are some considerations I think should help make an objective decision: Table of contents – Personally, I’m not a big fan of using a ToC in white papers, unless they are very long (12 or more pages). White papers are still one of the most popular marketing tools for BI and high tech companies, among others. Proof positive is that I just finished my fifth white paper in almost as many weeks. find some long held beliefs about white papers very interesting. Like many opinions, some are held long past their expiration dates. The ToC is yet one more distraction. understand it. MORE >>

will look for a well-designed, organized, and complete website, regular newsletters, targeted e-mails, trade show presence, search engine results, and most of all: contact information that leads me to a real person. Does your brand personality show through? Remember watching cartoons about Aladdin and the magic lamp? always hoped I’d find a magic lamp on a beach somewhere and I’d be granted three wishes. Didn’t you wish you could have three wishes too? Well today I’m setting aside my marketing hat, my BI hat, and my corporate sustainability hat. Are you approachable? MORE >>

Any self-employed person could not ask for a better gift! With deadlines looming, it’s easy to remain heads down and not take a moment to reflect on the year. So, I’m taking a few minutes to look back and send my thanks to some wonderful clients. Since the start of the year, I’ve had steady work  that’s even meant often working weekends and evenings. I’ve also had the opportunity to learn about s ome great topics : Pervasive, self-service BI. Biometrics. Call centers in the cloud. Auto Demand Response (energy). Thin film coatings. Sustainability. OpenXML. MORE >>