Keep Working – EOM

“EOM” means “End Of Message”

All right. Context is everything. I am reading “Do The Work!” by Steven Pressfield

Not enough? Research is not work. Revision is not work.

Thank you, Michael Reynolds, for recommending the book.

How To Keep Up On Your Blogging

Can You Keep Up?

A common blog article topic usually comes forth on the InterTubes as “What to Write About When You Don’t Know What to Write About.,” or “How to Overcome Bloggers Block.” The most common suggestion I have seen is to keep a file or folder of ideas for future articles. When inspiration comes, write down as many topics or specific ideas as you can. Then, you’ll have numerous ideas for future dry spells.

You should definitely do that.

But to boost your output even more, I’m going to take a different angle on that idea today. This particular strategy takes some work, but the payoff is double, compared to the “idea bank.”

Top 4 Things You Might Read Here

More content is coming soon, that fits one or more of the following categories:

• fun
• useful
• inspiring
• ridiculous

I just want you to know that I haven’t quit on my blog. I’ve been mighty busy with numerous projects (grateful to God for that), but haven’t spent any of my free time right here. Feel free to post any comment you like. (Please keep it clean.) Thanks for reading! –JR

Reload: Create A New Product

Reload #2 from Marketing Mercenary

Are you stuck in a rut? Producing but not creating? Selling but not solving?

In this edition of Reload, I’ll share something that gave me a spark a while back, and is generating new business for me now: creating new products.

A while back, the gentleman that was my business coach challenged each person in his group to create a new product in two weeks. He also thought that, since I deal mainly in electronic media services, I should easily be able to create a range of new offerings: low-cost, mid-range, and premium.

I did it, and I sold one of the mid-range products for about $400 a short time later. It was my biggest single sale up to that time! Was it expensive to launch this new product line?

Gallery – Tipton County IN Fireworks

Clear skies and little wind made for a great fireworks display at the Tipton County Fairgrounds in Tipton, Indiana last night (7-3-2011). I hope you enjoy this gallery of photos I shot last night!

[ My blog has been getting hundreds of hits for the schedule for area fireworks displays for the Indiana towns of Tipton, Greentown, Walton, Peru, Burlington and Kokomo. This tells me that the Internet marketing for the official sources of this information could use improvement. If your business or organization is in need of traditional or internet marketing assistance, please contact me: Marketing Mercenary (the About JR page of this blog), or via Best Property Marketing. ]

Thanks for visiting! Happy 4th of July, and God Bless America!

2011 Fireworks Displays for the Kokomo Area – UPDATED

Tipton Indiana Fireworks

Our local paper, the Kokomo Tribune, posted the following times for area fireworks displays yet to happen for the 2011 Independence Day holiday. They are accurate in that I could not find any up-to-date sources that contradicted them, except for the Kokomo Tribune itself. I was able to confirm most of these dates via other sources. UPDATE: Kokomo fireworks were postponed due to weather. Please see red text below.

• Peru – At dusk Sunday at the town park

• Burlington – At dusk Sunday at Burlington Park

• Greentown – At dusk Monday at the Howard County fairgrounds.

• Tipton – 10:10 p.m. Sunday at Tipton County Fairgrounds.

• Walton – Monday at dusk, Walton town park.

• Kokomo – Friday, July 8, 10 PM at Foster Park
  

It’s our family tradition to enjoy the Tipton County fireworks. The Tipton display will reportedly add a substantial 35% more fireworks to their 20-minute “sky concert” display. Music is provided on the FM country station, WWKI.

Enjoy yourself, and BE SAFE! –JR

Mid-Week Reload: A Flood of Productivity?

Mid-Week Reload #1

Welcome to the new “Mid-Week Reload!” Marketing Mercenary found the Monday Morning posts difficult to do “regularly,” so I’m moving the post to mid-week. In addition, I’m refocusing on articles that are hopefully helpful to your work, rather than topics that are merely interesting to discuss.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about all the rain we’ve had.  It’s quite evident that there are portions of some area farm fields in which the crops have been drown out. However, it’s also easy to see that the grass, trees, and the remaining crops are growing like mad!

What does this have to do with productivity?

MMMM Food For Thought – Admit It

Food For Thought

It’s Marketing Mercenary’s Monday Morning, and here’s what I’m chewing on.

I made a mistake. I called a client, and told her something. It could have caused her to rearrange her schedule. A short time later, I realized my mistake.

I could have saved face, and let it seem like I knew what I was doing. She would have had to scramble, possibly change other appointments, make child care arrangements…who knows. That would have kept me from admitting any problems with my habits and “systems.”

But, instead, I called again. I had to apologize for my mistake, and any inconvenience it might have already caused. As far as I know, I didn’t cause her any major problems.

This happened with a brand new client. Would this matter to you?

What would you have done? What if it had been much more major – what then?

11 Money-Making Ideas for a Rainy Day

Money-Making Ideas

In the context of yesterday’s storms and today’s rain, Marketing Mercenary suggests that you create an attention-getting promotion for you business today!
For example:

Rainy Day Specials

• Banks offer a bonus service or gift for opening a savings account – today only!
• Insurance agents offer a gift card or other incentive for purchasing home-owners insurance, or adding a flood insurance rider – today only!
• Department Stores offer a deep discount on boots (you know, not the high-heel kind – the utility kind)
• Realtors offer to help prospective client find a new home in a higher, drier area – OK, this may take longer than a day…
• Remodeling Companies offer a discount on shower enclosures and installation. Get it?
• Massage Therapists offer a discount to help alleviate the jangled nerves brought on by lightning and thunder and jumbled schedules. Offer discounts to FARMERS that are stressed out from waiting for the weather to clear – today only! Offer discounts to power company personnel that have worked overtime to help the public, clearing downed trees and power lines – OK, offer similar discounts all the time.

Clean-Up Specials

• Grocery Stores offer discounts on paper towels, floor cleaner, Lysol, etc. – anything needed to clean up muddy and water-damaged areas – today only!
• Car Washes or Detail Centers offer a two-for-the-price-of-one deal – today only!
• Disaster Recovery providers – OK, you’re pretty well set. Just sponsor the local radio weather forecasts for the rest of the Spring and Summer.
• Carpet Cleaning Services offer multi-room specials – through the weekend only!
• Landscaping companies offer clean-up specials, to remove debris from flower beds and other areas – through the weekend only! (You won’t be doing any mowing for a few days, anyway.)

I hope this got you thinking how you can help folks out, have a little fun, AND bring attention and revenue to your business in a good way. Be safe!

For help with any of these ideas, or with developing unique marketing tools and strategies for your business, contact the Marketing Mercenary!

MMMM Food For Thought – What You Put In

Food For Thought

It’s Marketing Mercenary’s Monday Morning, and here’s what I’m chewing on.

Many, many times, you’ve heard people say, “You get out of it what you put into it.” It seems to be universally true. I think it’s most often used in terms of a civic organization or a self-improvement strategy – some effort to better one’s community or personal situation. I most recently heard it in terms of Rainmakers, one of the business networking groups to which I belong.

It seems that, in various situations, some frustrated folks might think, “I’m putting A LOT into it (whatever IT is), and not getting a lot out of it!”

In that case, it’s time to evaluate the quality of what you’re putting into “it.” You might be putting forth enough effort, but not putting the right kind of effort into “it.”

What do you think? Are there times when you made an adjustment in your efforts or attitude, and it made all the difference?