Greetings!
It took me a while, but I've put the holidays behind, and I'm fully back at work. I hope you are, too.
This issue is all about gearing up for a productive and profitable New Year. In the first article, I share some very good lessons I received from fruit flies and squirrels. In both cases it's about timely action.
The second article hearkens back to one of the earliest lessons I ever learned about communication--make sure the medium matches the message. It's a comment about prudent use of video and includes a link to a video that informs, inspires and entertains.
And for the first time ever, we're offering a coupon for a free 30-minute phone-consulting session. Do take us up on the offer. The price is right.
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Lessons from Nature
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 So it's 2010 and time for all the great initiatives that you didn't get done in 2009. How do you decide what to take on and what goes so far down on your list that it will still be there in 2011? Here are some useful lessons I've learned recently from mother--mother Nature, that is.
Right Action
If you ignore it, it will only get worse. I learned that from a fruit fly. I saw a few of the tiny things buzzing around my kitchen compost pail, but I ignored them. As every grade-school student knows, fruit flies multiply fast. In no time, they were everywhere.
I raced to the Internet which, of course, had the perfect solution. Put a banana peel in a clear plastic container. Punch small holes in the cover. In no time there were hundreds of flies inside. For some reason, which Google didn't explain, they don't fly out again. After five or six such treatments, all is well and, we're composting again.
Not to sound like your mother here, but often a relatively easy action will stave off a lot of work later on. Or, on the positive side, a small investment can produce a huge payoff. A really effective marketing effort like a newsletter or a revised Web site, for example, can help your business multiply.
Try Again
 Be sure that what you know is true. We have a squirrel-proof bird feeder. It sits on a pole and is protected by a clear plastic skirt. Two weeks ago, the squirrel baffle disappeared. We left for a walk and it was there. We returned, and it was gone. We even talked to the UPS driver in case it had blown off on the walkway, and he had moved it. But no luck. So we ordered a replacement.
In the interim, the feeder was fair game to any enterprising squirrel that would invest a few seconds in shimmying up the pole. None did. Why? Because they knew it was hopeless. They had tried before and had run into an impenetrable barrier.
As you start the New Year, be sure that you aren't missing some great opportunities that looked out of range in the past. Perhaps circumstances have changed and something that was difficult has become much easier.
Consider a new Web site. It's not as daunting and expensive a task as it used to be. So if you decided a new Web site was out of reach, just remember the squirrel and give us a call to discuss how you can climb up that pole and get to the great Internet feeder.
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Right Medium
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 Effective messaging is under attack again. Each new advancement in technology threatens good communication because it makes a process easy that used to be difficult. Video is the latest offender.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not against the proliferation of video--at least not in and of itself. But just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. The right use of video is great. And it doesn't need to be slick and cool. But the wrong use is just plain silly.
For Example
This video about a surfing dog is an example of a good use of video. The piece tells you things you need to know with titles, and it shows the dog doing activities that would be difficult to accurately describe in words. Perhaps it could have been edited down a bit, but I enjoyed it all.
My favorite candidate for a misuse of the medium is this little ditty about a Tweetup. Excuse me. Could you just write two or three clear sentences about what this thing is? I don't need some teenager reading a script about something as banal as a face-to-face event.
Great Technology
My husband and I love our Flip video camera. We were thrilled to get it for less than $200 a few months ago. It will be under $100 in no time. Everyone should have one.
The camera is amazing--simple to use and easy to download to your computer for viewing and editing. It has great quality--even in a dimly lit restaurant. And the sound is good, too.
I can run it, but I have no idea yet how to make a good video. Even with a tripod, my movies would send you racing for the Dramamine. And most of the dialogue on our videos sounds like the home movies of 50 years ago. "Here we are at the restaurant. Billy, would you say something for the camera?"
Billy: "Hi."
You get the point. Making good video even for ourselves and a few close friends takes a lot of work. And creating movies for the masses on YouTube requires skill, training, patience and dedication.
Knowing what you want to say and getting the message tightly constructed with good visuals takes a professional. And most of us aren't. Over time, we'll all get better. But in the meantime, be sure the medium you use fits the message you want to convey.
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| Web Tips |
 Is one of your New Year's resolutions to improve your invoicing? If so, check out this free offering from Intuit--leader in the small business accounting field. Even if you don't use QuickBooks, Quicken or TurboTax, check out Billing Manager.
With this product you can create customized professional invoices, send them by email and track payment history and status. The service also handles estimates and recurring invoices.
For less than $20 per month, you can add Intuit's Merchant Service, which allows you to take credit cards.
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And Finally . . .
Shawenon Communications collaborates with small businesses, solopreneurs, professionals and not-for-profits to get their messages across in the written word.
We specialize in electronic communications, including e-zines and other forms of email marketing, and Web site content. We also ghostwrite articles and other business communications. As a business partner, we resell Constant Contact's email marketing service.
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www.shawenon.com
Sincerely, 
Susanna Opper
Shawenon Communications
413-528-6494
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Special Offer
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Want help getting off to a great start in 2010?
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If you want to know more, contact me.
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