One more day “off”, and it’s back to work. This has been a really nice vacation - just lounging around home with Maryellen, doing some gardening, setting up spring/summer stuff, etc. Got really hot towards the end here (high 80’s/ low 90’s since Sat, which is astonishingly odd for a NY April). I actually put the air conditioners in on Sunday (earliest I ever did that by a month.) 

And tomorrow night, it’ll be in the 30’s. Really odd.

Anyway, just wanted to say “hello” as I’ve been away for a bit. I’ve been thinking of some new stuff to write. Until then, here’s a neat pic of a carpenter bee (it was so hard to get the camera to focus on him as he zipped along - they move like Hummingbirds.)

I’m taking a break for about ten days (I do this every April… Maryellen and I like to take a Spring Break to essentially do some landscaping and enjoy spring… we like playing in the dirt!)

But before I go, let me leave you w/ something that I find funny.

Ok, I was born in 1966, meaning I came of age in the 80’s. Thus, I have a soft spot for all things 80’s. But one aspect of the 80’s that I can admit hasn’t aged well is music videos. I mean, looking back, the music videos of the 80’s were horrible. It was the infancy of mainstream music videos, and as a result, people really didn’t have a feel for what made a video bad or good. Thus, you had a lot of videos that were almost literal translations of the song. 

For example, if a song mentioned a jungle, the video usually had a jungle in it. Or, to give another example, I recall a video by the band Bananarama where the girls in the band threw bananas out of a car window (I could just hear some marketing dweeb saying “look, it’s quite simple… the name of the group is Bananarama, so we have to have Bananas somewhere in the video, ok?? People are going to expect that.” )

I think that guy went on to become one of my many bosses, but that’s beside the point.

Anyway, even worse, some bands didn’t do the simple “follow the song” script, and instead tried to make some ”artsy” video that told a story, interjected with the band playing. And the results were usually side-splittingly laughable. Because the bands are just so… serious about it.

Journey did this in their video for Separate Ways (Worlds Apart). The song is a decent enough 80’s anthem, but it’s a pretty funny video. Not just because it’s cheesy, mind you, but because they were really trying to be cool. I have referenced this particular video for years whenever discussing how funny 80’s videos were.

Here’s the video for you to look at (this will open a new window… sorry, this video won’t let me embed it in the blog):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQbZRMLKozk

Ok, did you watch it?

Isn’t that just… I dunno. Words are hard to come by. But they were seriously trying to be “hip”. I mean, I can imaging the director saying to the keyboardist.. “you know what would be REALLY cool? If you could play the keyboards on_the_wall… yea, you heard me right - THE FRIGGEN  WALL!!! It’ll blow their MINDS!!!” 

Now, here’s the funny part - obviously, I’m not the only person who thought this video was funny. A group of college kids remade this video last year shot for shot. What’s even better, they put the original in a little window within their video. The results are positively hilarious - check out the wigs, phony moustaches, etc. These guys definitely had a good time, and it shows.

Cool, huh?

Others have taken to copying these guys and do their own remake (the original Separate Ways video has taken on a cult-like status in the ”cheesy 80’s videos” genre), but nobody else’s is nearly as good.

Now, I don’t mean to disparage Journey - I definitely like the band, and they always bring a good 80’s vibe to mind. But that’s when I hear them, not watch them

Alright - have a good week, all.

I wrote this awhile back as an article on my website, but I really like it, and the point I make is very valid, so I wanted it here, too:

******************************************

My mom, bless her, tried using e-mail a few years ago. Despite the fact that teaching her to double click was a three month ordeal, she wanted to get online and see what this whole internet thing was all about.

My mom’s interest in the internet and e-mail was short lived, however. After an enthusiastic beginning where she would e-mail everyone in the family awkward two line ALL CAPS messages (”I LEARNED WEBPAGES TODAY SEE YOU SUNDAY LOVE YOU BYE”), her e-mail output started to wane as time went on.

I think perhaps this is because she felt intimidated by technology and the “fast pace” of the internet. Also, the “internet-speak” baffled her. For example, LOL (laughing out loud) is most certainly “loll” to my mom (this is a woman who, for thirty years, thought the Beatles were “working like a dove” in A Hard Days Night.)

By the way, I do not mean to imply that Doves don’t work hard. I’m sure they do. In fact, between posing for the Woodstock logo and crying on Prince’s Purple Rain album, the dove has been positively tireless, and a shining example for all avians. Don’t shit on my truck, ok?

Anyway, to continue with my story, my mom never mastered e-mail, and stopped using it. This was several years ago. Her e-mail inbox currently has several thousand unread messages.

My point?

Simple - I see many many companies, both large and small, have hired my mom to handle their e-mail communications.

Are they insane?

Really, my mom does lots of things well: She can drive a school bus; she’s a champion shopper; she keeps  a great house; and she buys the best presents for people. But trust me - she’s abysmal at e-mail. Why some companies hired her is beyond me.

To further demonstrate this, let me give you a real life example of what happens:

Your Customer writes in an e-mail: Please help - the gruddy rod broke off the extra coarse kippey pad, causing an odd vinegar-type smell… What should I do?

My mom reads the e-mail and thinks: “I wonder if Dan wears a large or an extra large shirt? Will the one I bought fit him? And does he like zippers?”

And the e-mail goes unanswered. This happens *all* the time.

WHY ARE YOU TRUSTING MY MOM TO HANDLE YOUR E-MAIL?? SHE’S TERRIBLE AT IT. PLEASE, HIRE SOMEONE ELSE WHO WILL ACTUALLY ANSWER.

Ok, I think I made my point. By the way, it’s XL, and no, I don’t like zippers all that much.

I’m a member of a small business discussion group, and post there often. Once in a while, I’ll repost one of my posts here in the blog if I think my audience will be interested. This is one of those times.

There was a question asked about financing a business with credit cards. The original poster (who doesn’t own a business - just saying that for context, not to disparage her) stated she wouldn’t feel comfortable doing this. That’s probably a fairly smart attitude for most, but it goes against what I feel makes a successful business owner.

Here’s my reply:

*********************

Not to sound negative or disparaging to those that won’t do this, but I think part of what makes an entrepreneur successful is that willingness to fly without a net. That includes quitting jobs, that includes using savings, that includes taking on debt.

There are millions of people out there that would “like to” start a business and/or work from home. However, they say things like “but… right now, I have x and y, and my job is good….. maybe someday”. That’s all well and good, but those people will never start businesses. They want it to be safe and foolproof. They don’t want risk. They may fool around with something part time someday, but that’s about it. Business isn’t “safe”. There is no good time.

I quit a good job and financed my first business on credit. I was 24 or 25. It failed, and I was left with maybe 10k in CC debt. I eventually paid it off, quit another job (or got fired… same thing) and started another business. That one didn’t work either. Left with maybe 4k in CC debt. Paid it off, got fired again, used CC a little, and here I am, nine years later.

I always knew I’d succeed. Knew without any doubt. Thus, taking on debt didn’t bother me.

I know I sound very black and white here, but I think that’s what you need as an entrepreneur. If one is adverse to risk, one should not work for themselves.

I’m on a roll with these pricing posts, so let me do one more and make it a trilogy.

One thing you need to remember when pricing people is their business credentials, their experience, etc etc. Not everyone is the same.

Let me give you an example:

Last week, a guy says to me “You’re higher than two of your competitors… why?” So I ask him “who are these competitors - show me their websites”. And surprisingly, he shows me.

One guy is an ad on Craigslist.  Really, that’s it - a free ad on Craigslist.

The other guy has a one-page site obviously made with “WEB-NOOB PageMaker” or something like that, has one paragraph of copy, 4 misspellings, a link to a 404 blog, and little else. 

That’s who I was being compared to.  My 50+ page site (plus this site), stellar Dun and Bradstreet rating for 5 years now, BBB Membership, two books… and all that gets me is “gee, the guy on Craigslist was cheaper”.

Now, it sounds like I’m mad over this or something. I’m really not - I would say that most people who talk price with me do NOT compare me to Craigslist.

But every so often, someone does… They compare me to someone with no samples, no credentials, no experience, and no writing on their own site… I mean, that actually astonishes me. I have enough copy on my main writing website to fill a small book. And I get compared, as a writer, to someone who has fewer words on their website than I have on this blog post. And that’s even if they have a website.

It’s the equivalent of going to a nice, fancy, sit-down restaurant, and then wondering why they don’t have a Dollar Menu like McDonald’s does.