How is art important to your business?

If you ask this question to most business people, chances are you’ll be given a blank look.

What is art anyways?  From Wikipedia, “art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions.”  The critical piece here is targetting the senses or emotions.

In this day and age, customers have hundreds or thousands of selections to choose from.  This is especially true with the proliferation of the internet, where people are no longer bounded by local choices.  Products that were once rare and expensive are becoming cheaper and more accessible.  Old competitive advantages such as price, features, and services are being narrowed.  If you go to Walmart to buy a blender, you will find many with the similar low prices, similar sets of features, and similar after-sale services.

How else can you make your products and services stand out from wave after wave of competing offerings?

The conventional wisdom is to “make it cheaper, cram in more features, and give better service”.  But this is exactly what’s everyone else is thinking.

Another approach is to turn your product or service into something that “appeals to the senses or emotions.”  Like how the iPod transformed from an electronic gadget into a fashionable accessory.  Like how the Toyota Prius appeals to our environmental conscience.  Like how Best Buy’s Geek Squad captivates our hope to be saved from technical headaches.

Elevate your products into an art piece, and you win.  How?  I’ll leave that for you to figure out.

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The idea is to provide qualified people with money they need to start a business.  This way, they can make a living, create jobs, and improve lives through a sustainable mean.  When the loan money has been repaid, you can re-lend it to someone else, again and again.  Isn’t this neat?

Give a man a fish, you have fed him for today.  Lend them money to start their own businesses, and you have fed them for a lifetime.


inFlow has been joining the cause for some time now.  Check out our Kiva profile.

When are you going to start?

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Words can’t do this clever company’s website justice - go ahead and take a look: http://booneoakley.com


Brilliant, isn’t it?


Now, imagine you’ve never seen this site before.  Your company’s web developer suggests to you, “Why don’t we do our website in YouTube?”  What would your reaction be?

My guess is somewhere between “Interesting…” and “Are you nuts?!”.  Most people would come up with a list of reasonable-sounding arguments for sticking with the old ways.  And we wouldn’t be talking about them.


It’s easy to say you encourage creativity in your company, but it takes a leap of faith to actually go ahead with it.

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“inFlow’s many options may not find use in every type of business, but this versatile program can be tailored to nearly any small business. We highly recommend this download for its ease of use, numerous options and free download.”

- CNET staff, May 8, 2009


We love you too, CNET!

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1.  It’s not the idea, it’s the execution.
Raw ideas are overrated.  Other people may have already tried your idea and failed, either due to weak execution or because the idea itself isn’t viable as-is.  We found it hard to excite our friends with the idea of building inventory software, but we’re doing well because we were able to execute building the best software out there.

2.  Think more clearly about your idea.
Many educators will tell you that the best way to learn is to teach.  Similarly, talking about your ideas will force you to crystallize them clearly from a perspective that makes sense to each person you talk to.  Have you ever had a friend come to you about a problem, then realize halfway through that just talking about it helped her come up with a solution?  Thinking aloud helps you think well.

3.  Get a reality check.
Even the best of us are wrong sometimes, due to missing crucial information or misjudgment.  It takes an optimist to start a business, but by talking with a number of other people, you make sure that your ideas are solidly grounded to reality.  Maybe somebody will point out a competing product that makes your idea not viable as a business, or bring some complexities to your awareness that help you re-evaluate your business plan.

4.  Look for unexpected opportunities.
I’m always surprised how often when I talk to people and find we can help each other in some totally unexpected way.  Chance encounters have lead to business partnerships, suggestions for improved working methodologies, sales leads, marketing channels, and so on.  Most people love to help.  The more people you talk to, the more doors you open.

5.  Let your excitement flow.
Your enthusiasm is a key resource for your fledgling business project; nothing gets done without it.  Expand this resource by going with the natural urge to talk about it.

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People often ask me how the recession is affecting us.  In my most sagely voice, I respond, “I don’t know”.

We’re continually improving our product, our marketing, and the way we do business.  As a result, we’re continuing to do better, despite the trends in the overall economy.  We might come up with a new way of promoting our product that helps increase sales 50%, or improve the product in such a way that doubles our revenue.  If we remove some roadblock that’s turning away one quarter of your potential customers, we increase sales by 33%.  Perhaps in a more prosperous general economy we’d see our numbers increasing by an extra 10-20%, but that’s just gravy - the things we can do have a much greater impact.

Whether you’re trying to grow your business, cope with extra work for the same money, or find a job; don’t let the economy or the news make you feel helpless.  It may be more of an uphill battle, but it’s still your battle.

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The average Fortune 1000 executive reads 6.7 books per year. Some even says 9 books.

Bill Gates once said he read 30 books during his vacation.

When a total stranger asked Warren Buffett for a single piece of wisdom, his advice was “Read, Read, Read”.

I think you get my point.

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Luckily there are many solutions out there available to the intrepid learner.  In light of that, one of the easiest and quickest ways to gain useful information or pick up a new skill is to simply ask the questions we need answers to.

In the course of business, we end up interacting with many professionals who are filled with all kinds of knowledge and possess highly trained abilities.  Sometimes we hold back our questions from fear of losing face or not being taken seriously.  Other times we see professionals as being behind the brick wall of another organization, their skills as tools that are off limits to us.

In most situations, though, people are glad to help.  Whether it’s letting us in on a few marketing strategies, telling us what forms to fill out during tax season, or showing us how to use a mysterious tool in our computer programs, professionals generally like opportunities where they use their skills to help someone out.  It also lets them showcase their expertise to a newbie.

In the grand scheme of things, the few minutes it takes for someone to help out is marginal compared to benefits we can receive.  Those benefits can have a big impact on a small business with a few gaps.  Most people understand this so go ahead and ask away.  It’s okay, really.

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How does it all work?  On the subject of organization it’s easy to get swamped in the vast amount of literature out there, which can range from business-oriented how-to’s or philosophies offering to give your life a complete makeover.  The basic principles are generally the same though.  Recording a task somewhere removes it from your mind and reduces the effort you expend on having to remember things.  This freedom allows you to better focus on actually performing tasks instead of worrying about what’s around the corner, or what you shouldn’t be forgetting.

The specifics of task management vary depending on personal needs.  Some people prefer to keep things really simple, relying on the tried and true pen and paper To-Do list.  Others prefer a more detailed approach using desktop and online PC tools that can associate dates, timelines, contacts, locations, and priorities with a given task.

In light of so many options, success comes in using the right tool for the job.  If all that’s needed is to jot down some quick reminders, a task manager laden with features can become more of a burden that deters organization.  After some trial and error, you should be able to find something that works well based on how much effort you want to spend.  Understanding your habits, and how capable they are of adapting, is also critical in figuring out what kind of task manager you are.  Keep in mind that, ultimately, no system of organization will pay off without some kind of maintenance.

While becoming a taskmaster is by no means easy, the rewards can be drastic.  The personal health benefits from stress reduction are accompanied by rises in productivity and efficiency.  When you work within your own system, it becomes easier to schedule and anticipate what you want to work on and when you want to do it.  Preparation, in turn, makes the quality of work higher and provides an opportunity for revision and improvement.  Being able to maintain and stay on top things can also become a great motivator as well as a source of confidence.  Additionally, setting and reaching goals becomes more of a habitual practice.

Most importantly, at its core, a task management attitude makes sure that you don’t forget the little things. Tying up all your loose ends, both in the office and in life, can really put you in the driver’s seat when it comes to getting things done.

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Most businesses are looking for ways to get new clients. Although this is a healthy practice, many miss out on a relatively untapped market: selling more to your existing clients!

You’ve already gone through the process of attracting a customer, getting them through the door and eager to buy your product or service. They are interested in what your business offers. Over time, most of your happy customers will forget about the great product or professional service that you offered. It’s just human nature. But how do you keep the relationship after the sale is over? How do you ‘still remain friends’ after the initial sale has completed? One way is through E-mail Marketing.

Sending your existing clients a regular e-newsletter is a powerful way to keep your customers in the ‘know’ about topics that they might be interested in. Here are some examples to include in your e-newsletter:

1)    Tips and tricks to get the most out of your products or services
2)    Recent news relating to your products or services that might impact your client
3)    New products for services that you are offering
4)    Promotions, such as 50% off all products or services until the end of the month.

These are just a few options. Think about what your customer would want to see. You know what your client wants more than anyone. Be creative!

In an earlier blog entry, the importance of performing E-mail Marketing the right way was discussed, which included the important point about always giving the customer the option to opt-out of the e-newsletter. As long as you’re respectful and courtesy, most of your client will appreciate that you didn’t forget about them once the check cleared.

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