Trade show season is upon us in Whatcom County. From construction pros to wedding vendors, Whatcom County event centers will be buzzing with excitement as all types of businesses step out to showcase their products and services at local events. Did you know that your...
The classical Greek philosopher Socrates had a great quote about change: “The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Now that we’re all inspired and open to the idea of letting go of the past and focusing...
Experts have predicted that 2015 may be a good year for businesses to ramp up the use of “owned marketing platforms,” especially if Facebook has been their main marketing tool in recent years. That prediction has small business owners and marketing professionals...
I often talk with clients about the need for time and desire when it comes to taking care of marketing tasks like social media, blogging and in-person networking. With enough time and desire, people of all ages can learn to do just about anything they set their mind...
There was a spirited conversation on LinkedIn recently about how users decide whether to accept a connection request or not. The question that started the conversation was: How do you feel about receiving “I’d like to add you to my professional network” notifications?...
“Hey, can you give a 45-minute presentation to our group next week?” That simple question can make otherwise poised and polished business professionals shake in their shoes. I can relate, because I have been one of those shoe-shakers. Does the thought speaking in...
Picture this: A potential customer hears about your product or service from their friend. They Google your business name, find your company’s website and like what they see. They click the “Contact Us” tab, add their name and email address to the form on the page and...
In my last column, I wrote about copyrighting and how to protect your business from a copyright lawsuit by understanding image use rules on the Web. In this column, I’m going to tell you about a word that sounds exactly the same, but has a completely different...
Where did the images on your website or blog come from? If your answer is “I don’t know,” or “we copied them from Google,” then you are at risk of being sued for copyright infringement. This is a legal process that can cost your business hundreds or even thousands of...