Why is it that the first job/position/department people think to cut is Marketing - when in reality it should be the last. 

When business is failing, when the economy is low, when no one is buying, your marketing department should be working overtime to find the problem and create a solution.

I've been in the industry for only 5 years now but I've found time and time again that most people, (not all, but a large percentage), only find marketing important during a launch or to 'create flyers'. Only after a successful marketing campaign they may see the error of their ways.

About.com gives a simple definition for marketing: Marketing is the process of interesting potential customers and clients in your products and/or services. Period. 

We're here to help bring customers to you, to show them why your company is different/bigger/better/smaller/faster/reliable/useful etc. 

Marketing is always needed, it's as important, if not more important than sales.

Making sure your company stands out amongst the crowd is crucial during an economic low. People are trying to save and the money they do spend needs to be made on smart buying choices, so marketing your products correctly can help bring these clients to you. 

I personally think that small businesses can thrive during times like this, if they market themselves correctly. 

Guest Blog Post.

Thank you to Zach Heller over @ www.zachheller.com and his blog 'Be Innovation'. 

I had a guest blog post and had great fun doing it. Check it out at: www.zachheller.com/2008/12/23/do-it-yourself-tips-for-marketing-pr/

My Confession.

You know when you first meet a person, or catch up with an old high school buddy and you know that inevitable question is going to come... "So what are you doing with your life these days?" 

Not that there's anything wrong with it, because I know that I always ask. And for the most part I am honestly curious about what they are doing. It's nice to hear that someone is doing well or that they're happy.

My answer is always the same, "Oh. I'm in PR/Marketing." Problem is, that's not what I want to say. I wish I could say what I'm really thinking. What I'm really doing with my life. "Oh. I'm a dreamer." 

I'm constantly thinking, dreaming, wanting and wishing about the next thing that's going to lead me to easy street. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night with ideas and thoughts. I'm going to start keeping a notepad beside my bed. 

I was talking to my husband yesterday and mentioned this little 'problem' I'm having. He was supportive and said, "Well, hopefully by the time you're 30 one of these dreams will pan out." 

I know my problem. I've just never wanted to say it out loud. Maybe now is the time? 

My ideas are good. My business work. I push and push and usually I succeed. And then... when the slightest thing goes wrong, when business slows down, when another idea comes up, when I get distracted, when money isn't coming..... I panic and stop. 

There, I said it. I'm hoping my confession will get me an Amen. I know I'm not the only one out there with this problem. Or am I? 

A whole lot of...

So, I've wanted to start a blog for quite some time now. I actually started a few, wrote an entry or two and then quit. My thinking was; I'm not a writer, not a blogger, don't have anything interesting to say and I don't want to be one of those people who just write a whole lot of nothing, because who's interested in that? 

So instead I did research. I searched blogs, read blogs, followed blogs. 

I attempted to survey what people found interesting. And know what I noticed? A whole lot of nothing. So apparently people are interested in that. 

I fell in love reading the blogs of people whole just wrote because they wanted to write. People's experiences with work, with life and their daily encounters. People are interesting. That's just it. That's why people read blogs, follow blogs and search them. 

So with that new attitude, I bring you my blog. 

A blog about my daily encounters and my road to easy street. 

What's easy street, you ask? 

That's my way of saying...working for myself and being able to be financially stable because of my own business. Not having to rely on working 9-5, be under someone else's watch, have someone else take credit for my thoughts. Or worse, not be able to express my thoughts. Now, I know it'd be much easier to win the lottery, or fall into a million dollar inheritance...but since none of this is happening I'll take matters into my own hands.

Welcome to my blog, I hope you're looking forward to my whole lot of nothing.