BizStratBlog2

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.

How can we be both 1st and 93rd at the same time?

In an earlier post I remarked on how Rochester had been rated #1 in the country for quality of life by Expansion Management Magazine - they recommended that companies look at Rochester as a location to move to.  Another recent survey by BizJournals.com ranked Rochster as the 7th worst city in the nation for small businesses.  How can we be both!? The Bizjournals.com evaluated the potential for growth of a small business, rather than overall quality of life.

The special report entitled "Where the best markets are to grow small business" covers the growth potential using a 12 factor evaluation:

• Existing small businesses/100,000 residents
• The 2-year and 5-year change in concentration of small businesses/100,000 residents
• The 2-year and 5-year change in total number of small businesses
• The 2-year and 5-year change in total residents
• The 2-year and 5-year change in private-sector employees
• The 2-year and 5-year change in private-sector payroll
• Average pay per private-sector employee in 2006 dollars

They're looking for cities on the way up - cities that are growing in all these factors.  And Rochester is in fact either shrinking or staying flat in vertually every category over the 2 and 5 year trends.  BizJournals attributes this to our population remaining flat, and our shrinking major industry manufacturing companies (Kodak, Xerox, Delphi) not pumping new capital into Rochester to help it grow.

Read on to the post continuation for a more detailed comparison of our scores