BizStratBlog2

If Rochester, Michigan can do it, why can't we?

Rochester, Michigan - a smaller city that shares our name in Michigan, has decided to make their downtown a "winter wonderland" - lighting every building downtown for the holiday season.  As we "enjoy" our dead downtown this holiday season - think of what doing something like Rochester Michigan has done, in combination with free downtown holiday parking and a strong police presences to ensure and maintain safety could do to improve the vital retail and business environment downtown...

http://www.ledgenlighting.com/slideshow3.php

CompUSA going out of business

CompUSA has decided to close or sell all their bricks and mortar stores after being sold to an investment firm that intends to liquidate it's assets.  They are attempting to sell stores in major retail markets, and close them in markets that are not profitable.  The local CompUSA in Rochester is already starting it's going out of business sale with discounts of 5-20% on everything in the store.  Popular and expensive products like Apple, HP, Audio Visual etc. are at the lower end of the discount range while products that have typically carried higher margins such as power supplies and computer cases are closer to the higher end of the spectrum.  Since they are selling fixtures I'll assume the local store is to be closed.

So what does this mean for the average consumer?  Well for one thing - if you know EXACLTY what you want and are happy with the manufacturer's warranty on it you can save some dollars buying during their "close-out sale".  No doubt discounts will deepen as the end approaches, and some real bargains can be had (current discounts just bring the price of the retail products down to roughly what you'd pay online for them).  But these discounts come at a cost.  Every receipt is tagged "no refunds, no warranty service" - you cannot trade the item back in if it's the wrong thing or not what you expected.  In addition, there will likely be no one on the other end of the phone to assist you if you have problems installing it or configuring it with your system.

It also means anyone who bought extended warranties from CompUSA directly will likely be out of luck. Once they close their doors - there will be no one left to fix anything.  Similarly if you have an item in for repair - better be sure you get it back within the next week or two - whether it's fixed or not. 

Entrepreneurs Abound in Rochester

Rochester is a city buzzing with activity. We have a lot going for us and one of the major areas we excel is in entrepreneurship.

Out in Henrietta there's HTR - High Technology of Rochester, an incubator that works with new companies to help them become all that they can be. A quick perusal of their website shows their commitment to success.

We also have the Simon Graduate School of Business which if forward thinking and focused on leadership. Their motto is: Where Thinkers Become Leaders. It's to their credit that they have two public facing blogs created to interact not only with the current students, but with media and the public. One is for the Office of Marketing and Communications and one is for Admissions (which has a great post on Anne Mulcahy this week).

One of the most famous entrepreneurs in the country is from Rochester. That would be Tom Golisano. He started Paychex with little cash and not a whole lot of business experience (from what I've heard) and built it into the outstanding success it is today. He'll be speaking at the Convention Center later this month on how the Sabres jumpstarted their brand. Promises to be an great event - and there is still sponsorship opportunities available, so I hear.

All in all, Rochester is a great place to do business, have fun, and create a world of opportunity. Come join us and see for yourself.

Rochester Rocks: Networking is Alive and Well Here

Life in Rochester is never dull. If you aren't experiencing the excitement, the interactivity, the good food and good connections, then you aren't paying attention. Rochester has so much going for it, it's amazing that anyone can whine about "nothing to do."

For businesses, we have a proponderance of good networking groups and events, on a weekly basis. SCORE always has something important and useful going on - including how to market yourself on the Internet. A worthy seminar, if ever there was one.

Plus, each town has its own Chamber of Commerce and as such, offers monthly programs to help local small businesses be uber successful. If you do nothing else, please look into the Chamber of Commerce in your area. You will find like-minded people eager to connect and learn more about you.

NAWBO, the National Association of Women Business Owners, has a local chapter and its leader this year is the dynamic Jonna Martin of Advance Me Associates. We heard her speak at AWC, yet another women's chapter of a national org, the Association of Women in Communication. She was not only informative and approachable, she was a lot of fun.

Rochester is also home to RAMA, the local chapter of the American Marketing Association.  This well-rounded group of marketing professionals contributes to the local business focus by providing monthly events that rival anything you might attend in bigger cities. Case in point, Monday, October 29th, one of our own, Howie Jacobson, (part of RAMA's super hero marketing series) will be talking on branding and Tavern on the Green. The event is at the Pittsford restaurant, Tastings, and sure to be a memorable one (good food always makes an event more memorable).

And, of course, there's the ever-present and very useful group of small business consultants who meet every Friday, RPCN. RPCN, the Rochester Professional Consultants Network, is focused on small businesses, and has programs that cover financing, marketing, sales, setting up and office, and more. Anyone even thinking about starting their own business as a consultant should join this group. (they also rent out their projector, if your group is in need of one)

This is just the tip of the iceberg that is the Rochester business center. We have technology covered, we have publishing covered, we have women's groups covered, and we have business in general covered. Networking to find new business, to meet new professsionals in your field of business, or to introduce a friend around, is alive and well in Rochester. Just ask anyone involved in the groups listed here - they will likely introduce you to other groups that can help you make your business a success.

Dell sees the light...

Dell, in a move to recapture market share lost to HP, has decide to provide their products through brick-and-mortar retailser such as Staples.  You can be assured that this won't be a permanent exclusive arrangement.  My prediction is that Dell will eventually become another channel and direct model supported computer vendor - just like HP.

The fact is that, though computers have become commodities, they are complex commodities.  As such, people continue to feel more comfortable purchasing them from people or stores that they know, and knowing there's a local service organization to back them up.  This is especially true in the Server market where buying mail order is only for the technorati that already know what they want and how they're going to configure it.  I can't tell you the number of times that for employees of my clients, relatives, friends and sometimes casual strangers in restaurants will ask me "What computer should I buy".  For some of them I simply log onto the site and shop side-by-side with them for that new Dell or HP laptop.  That gives them the warm fuzzy and the inexpensive prices all wrapped into one.  For my clients I typically charge for this service - its reasonable that if they're tapping my expertise on what to buy - that has a value which I should be reimbursed for (since I'm getting no margin, kickback, or other compensation).

Windows XP given reprieve until June 2007

The popular Operating System Windowx XP will continue to be sold until June 2008, rather than ceasing sales in January 2008 as originally planned by Microsoft.  This means that for those of you considering Vista you have a little longer to evaluate it and get it up and running.  You can see in my next "This is IT" article my current evaluation of Vista.  Having made the leap myself I am very pleased with Vista's capability, stability and features.

So this reprieve means you have a bit longer to consider how you're going to move to Vista - but the change IS inevitable and you should start testing and planning sooner rather than later.

Cheers,

Lee Drake, www.os-cubed.com

Pulse of the City, September 2007

In our September Issue, we posed the question "What do you wish you had learned in business school?" to the members of the local business community. Their answers, are again, provocative appear in the September Pulse of the City. Post your answer here.

Welcome to Web 2.0

The Internet has truly invaded all of our lives. Even those who are not connected, are affected by this technology. It's pervasive and if you try to ignore it - well, you will come up short, no doubt.

Because of the World Wide Web, and the Internet, and all of the new social media and social networking going on, the concept of User Generated Content is all the rage. However, USG is just another label being put on the activity surrounding what's happening online, with business connections as well as personal connections. The reality is that user generated content, in the form of blogs like this one, are overtaking media, and creating a voice that may be authentic, but is often just loud, without substance.

The question making the rounds is, "Who cares about all this 'stuff'?" As the blog post linked here says, "We need more, not fewer, authoritative sources. Nobody is currently better at filling this gap than the existing media."

When it comes to authority, traditional media still rules, as it should. Some smart, intelligent bloggers are coming along, but the reality is that people are still mistrustful of blogs and bloggers. They want leaders they can trust. And, depend on. It's all well and good to build communities of like-minded people, but within each of those communities, there are certain members looked up to, certain members who influence the others... and those are the leaders.

Lee Thayer, leadership expert and author of Leadership: Thinking, Being, Doing, is blogging... but, he doesn't let that deter him from maintaining his offline connections, or from writing more books. The goal isn't to rule the world, it's merely to help executives build world-class organizations. That may mean a lot of web 2.0 (user generated content and social media) but it also means face-to-face meetings, where real people talk to other real people. In person.

So, where are today's leaders? Are they buried in the blog communities - hiding behind their broadband connection? Or, are they out front, championing causes? Who do you prefer to follow... a faceless, soundless voice on the Internet, or a flesh and blood person?

Maybe, the answer is: both. Because the flesh and blood person can reach more people via a blog. And because a blog can represent leadership, if it's open, authentic, and true to its purpose.

Welcome to Web 2.0.

Office 2003 - RIP

Microsoft is no longer selling retail or OEM versions of Office 2003.  If you want Office - you need to buy Office 2007.  Is your organization up to date and ready to deploy Office 2007?  OS-Cubed, Inc. recommends 1GB of RAM on a Windows XP machine or 2GB of RAM on a Vista machine for Office 2007 to run well.  In addition, you'll need to deploy the office compatibiity pack to allow your Office 2003 users to read and write the new 2007 format.

Be sure to pick the right Office suite for your needs.  Here is a handy matrix of what each one contains.

If you're going to upgrade your office en masse you should probably consider buying licenses instead of retail or OEM versions.  Contact your local Microsoft reseller for information about what license types are available and are right for you.

Eyes on the future - next meeting

The Small Business Council of Rochester, and Greater Rochester Enterprise have announced the next step in the ongoing Eyes on the Future process.  They identified the following 5 goals as a result of the summit's conclusions:

1. Be an Ambassador -- promote the Rochester Region
2. Be a Matchmaker -- connect businesses with resources to thrive in the Rochester Region
3. Be a Rainmaker - lead initiatives to increase resources for new and established businesses
4. Be Positive - positive thinking and positive action lead to a positive reality
5. Be Proud - proud to live, work and play in the Rochester Region

Are you looking for a way to further champion this mission? To find out how you can help, join GRE and SBC on September 17, 2007.  Their goal is to provide you with greater insight into actions taking place to revitalize the 9-county region and provide you with specific actions you can take to help us grow - concentrating on step one - Be an ambassador.

The "Eyes on the Future - Ambassador Program" meeting will be held on September 17 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am in the HSBC Auditorium at 100 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY.  The meeting will be right after Greater Rochester Enterprise's board and investor meeting. You're welcome to come early on September 17 and attend GRE's meeting from 8:00 am to 9:30 am.

Please rsvp to Bridget Loyde (Bridget) by September 10.