BizStratBlog2

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).