As of today, this blog no longer exists. Well, it exists, but it is morphing into something new – something more focused and markedly different than its current incarnation.
While not a complete 180-degree shift, the new blog direction is a significant change, and I thought it best to write a post explaining the transformation. However, before we talk about what is happening to this blog, let’s talk about why it is happening.
The Backstory: 6 Months of Discovery
When I first began blogging in February 2011, I decided to write about small business and franchising. The decision seemed a logical one. I’ve been in and around small business for most of my sentient years and have worked intensively in franchising for the past five years. It’s what I do everyday – surely, it should be what I write about.
In my inaugural post, I wrote: “This blog was created to address a wide range of topics related to small business, franchising and entrepreneurship. The goal is to begin a conversation, one that hopefully provides fellow entrepreneurs a resource for strategies and ideas that can help them to become more successful. … There seems to be room in the blogosphere for small business and franchising advice that comes directly from the non-digital trenches. I hope this blog can help to fill that space.”
But a funny thing happened on the way to my 6-month anniversary. I discovered a few things about myself as a blogger. The discoveries made over these past months led me to the place I am today and are behind the redevelopment of this blog. Two realizations, in particular, stand out:
I love franchising but really don’t enjoy blogging about it.
I won’t delve into this in detail, but suffice it to say, I spend most of my time working in franchising and when I sit at my computer at the end of the day, it is not what I am inspired to write about. Looking back, the last time I wrote about franchising was in April.
This is not in any way a knock at franchising itself. I consider franchising, when approached prudently and intelligently, to be one of the best methods extant for achieving small business success. I also consider the industry to be wide open for more blog voices, but alas… I am not to be one of them.
Small business is a passion of mine, but it is also an extremely broad category.
The beauty of small business is that it leaves you a variety of topics to discuss. Want to write about social media? Put a small business spin on it. Want to write about hiring techniques? That works too. A huge percentage of business topics are relevant to small business.
But sometimes writing about everything is writing about nothing. It provides broad appeal but also dilutes acknowledged expertise and weakens depth of content. Like it or not, in an Information Age, specialization begets differentiation, and differentiation is at the heart of any brand.
So, these were the two lessons of self-discovery I took away from the past six months, leaving me at a crossroads. The original name of this blog was Adam Toporek’s Small Business and Franchising Blog.
Small business is out.
Franchising is out.
Where does that leave us?
Strangely, talking about hedgehogs.
Hedgehogs and The New Blog Conception
The Hedgehog Concept comes from Jim Collins’ book Good to Great, one of the most popular business books of all time. The essence of the Hedgehog Concept is that successful companies adhere to the three principles outlined in the graphic below, and they succeed by maintaining focus on what they do best and by not being distracted from their primary objectives.
Now, as a bit of a data geek (and someone who prefers fact to myth), I must note that Good to Great has been called out for having a flawed statistical methodology. So I won’t speak to whether or not the Hedgehog Concept produces the stated results for large public companies. What I will say is that as a model for business blogging, the Hedgehog Concept seems a useful framework, and it is the paradigm I used in evaluating the future direction of this blog.
What are you passionate about? This is a tough question, as I am passionate about many things. I have always been a bit of a polymath, and have never had that one passion that drove me to the exclusion of all others. I am certainly passionate about business, and in particular, small business. But if I had to pick the two areas of business that I am most passionate about, they would be customer service and marketing.- What can you be the best in the world at? Of course, this phraseology comes across a bit arrogant for an individual. So let’s recast it as where can you add remarkable, rare and substantial value? And herein lies the beauty of the Hedgehog Concept, when I ask this question it leads me to only one answer: customer service. Despite having a concentration in marketing at the graduate level, if I had to pick an area where I have focused the most — through reading, studying, training and field testing, the area where colleagues actually call to specifically ask my advice — it would be customer service, not marketing.
So, combining the first two questions of the Hedgehog leads me inexorably to customer service as an area of focus. Which leaves us with question 3, driving the economic engine. While I do have an answer for question 3 that completes the circles, it can wait for a later time. For now, the mission of this blog is to build a strong community by creating great content in a focused area of expertise.
Well, I now have my pet hedgehog, and his name is Customer Service. What will that mean for the future of this blog?
Laser Focus and Losing the Easy Love
One of the challenges of participating in blog communities is the tendency to get sucked into the topics of the day. For those of us whose blogs are not focused on marketing, social media, or blogging, it is the easiest thing in the world to get drawn into those conversations. My previous focus was small business and franchising. Yet, my two most commented posts to date are about Paper.Li and Google+.
In my defense, I wrote about these topics because I had something to say (not because I was chasing clicks); yet in retrospect, I still consider these posts a form of taking the easy way out. I wrote about what I was thinking about instead of what would advance the mission of my blog. It got me the “easy love,” that sugar rush of increased engagement, but in the end, the posts were detours from what should have been my focus. While topics like Google+ are well within the purview of bloggers like Gini Dietrich and Danny Brown, they have little to do with small business, franchising or customer service.
Moving forward, this blog will be almost monomaniacally focused on customer service and the customer experience. And it is hard to imagine that this will not hurt engagement, at least in the short term. It’s not that I think that most will consciously abandon the blog, but simply that no one has time for the many great blogs out there. Hot topics, blogosphere-ready topics simply draw more engagement. It’s neither a conspiracy nor something I take personally, just the nature of the blogosphere.
But such is the nature of business: the pain almost always comes before the reward.
Will I ever post about anything outside of customer service? Occasionally. In fact, my next blog post will be a recap of my first six months blogging; however, it will be the last post not focused on customer service for quite awhile.
Now, I do hope to still talk about the many other topics I love by guest posting. While technically even this activity could be considered a diversion, blogging is about fun and relationships too. Sometimes you just have to kick back and have a great conversation with your friends, and to help them discuss their topics of choice.
Converting to the Customer Service Experience: What to Expect
Like all rebirths, this blog will not spring fully-formed from the ashes of the old one but will need time and nurturing to grow. I will be taking the conversion slowly. This blog is not my day job, and a big splash redevelopment is simply not practical.
Obvious changes have been made already. Pages have been temporarily removed, the title has been changed, and the home page has been reorganized to be more blog-centric. My plan is to finish the majority of the site’s conversion by mid-September, by which I really mean sometime before the next Halley’s Comet. Inevitable delays aside, here is what you can expect to see during the transition.
- A change in focus for blog posts. The blog content moving forward will focus on the customer service experience. As mentioned, I will be doing a 6-month blogging report card on Wednesday but starting next Saturday, we will be on topic.
- Introduction of a new series. One of the things I am most excited about with the new direction is an idea to have others guest blog for a series called Customer Service Stories. Our first post in the series will debut next Saturday, and I could not be more pleased than to have the inimitable Kaarina Dillabough writing the first entry!
- A rework of site pages with killer content. This will certainly take some time, but I hope to slowly add static pages that can stand as excellent resources on the topic of customer service.
- A rework of branding and design. A lot of work to be done here.
Finally, A Note to My Readers
Ironically, the decision to change the course of this blog was fairly easy. What was not easy was potentially abandoning those who might have come here for the previous topics. Whether you are a regular commenter or one of the quiet readers who shows up in my analytics, know this: I appreciate every minute you spend on this blog. It’s a big world with a lot of great content out there, and you honor me with your time.
I hope that the new direction will be something you are interested in; if not, I understand. I believe that the new direction will enable me to add more value to more readers over time, but I realize that might not be true for some existing readers. Whatever your decision, please know I appreciate your support thus far.
Thank you all for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all next week.
So, what do you think of the new blog direction?
Acknowledgements
An enthusiastic shout of thanks to marketing and PR strategist Erica Allison, business and life coach Kaarina Dillabough, and inbound marketing consultant (and fellow Hedgehog enthusiast) Marcus Sheridan for their advice and counsel during this transition.
Resources
For those looking for resources on small business and franchising, I would recommend the following three bloggers. For franchising, please check out Joel Libava AKA The Franchise King, who provides good insights into the topic and is an engaging writer. For general small business, please check out my buddies small business CEO Extreme John (a fellow brick and mortar guy) and local business coach Vernessa Taylor.
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Adam,
Thanks for the shout-out.
That was really great of you to point your readers that are interested in the franchise business model over to The Franchise King blog. I really do try to provide straightforward guidance and tips for prospective franchise buyers. I don’t serve any franchise industry kool-aid there, and you know that, for sure.
Best of luck on your new focus; customer service. I’d like to recommend looking my friend Barry Moltz’s blog up. He has some great posts on customer service that you may enjoy.
Let me know how I can help you spread the word.
The Franchise King®
@FranchiseKing
Joel,
No problem. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m a fan, and quite frankly, I’ve been meaning to reach out to you for some time. Sorry I haven’t; the link was the least I could do. I appreciate your approach to franchising, and even on the rare occasions when I disagree with you, I know you are always coming at the topic from a place I can respect.
I will definitely check out Mr. Moltz — thanks for the tip! I setup a little franchise reference site awhile back. If I ever do anything with it down the road; I’ll let you know. Admittedly, not really high on my list considering today’s change of tack.
Best of luck with the book by the way! Feel free to let us know when it’s coming out, and if I can help, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Whoops.
Follow me on Twitter @FranchiseKing
JL
I fixed it above for you too.
Thanks!
Hi Adam,
The one thing I will emphatically state: I am not sorry to see you go. That is, go in a different direction. And that is not because your content is not engaging for it certainly is. I am not sorry to see you go in the direction where man meets hedgehog because I firmly believe in being true to one’s passions, gifts, and altruism. Bravo!
You know – and say eloquently – just how difficult it is to avoid the distractions of this new digital realm and adopt a laser focus. I’m so happy that you recognize that your topic might not be as sexy as some, which might cause a drop-off in engagement, but the long-term usefulness of the content you share outweighs those factors. I enjoy anything you write (really!); I’m looking forward to your focus on Customer Service.
I’m pleased to counted among the giants you feel comfortable entrusting your readers to. (Thank you!) I can’t wait for the first article in your new series. Godspeed!
Vernessa Taylor recently wrote about this…Guest Post on Performance Marketing Insider: Bloggers Survey
You’re in good company Vernessa — most people are not sorry to see me go!
Kidding aside, I know what you mean. I really appreciate your kind words, and I am glad — as someone who has engaged with my small business content a lot — that the new direction is not chasing you away!
Like you say, it is not as sexy as some content, but hopefully, customer service is a topic that is reasonably accessible to most businesspeople. I am sure that if I were choosing to blog about convertible debentures or genome mapping, I could expect a fairly rapid loss of my current audience. Also, CS still allows for a social media angle on occasion, as the use of social in customer service is a topic that is only growing in relevance.
I truly appreciate all of your support and encouragement Vernessa, and it is my pleasure to recommend you to people interested in small business! Have a great weekend!
Twitter: KDillabough
Couldn’t be happier for you Adam! Love the direction you’re taking, and I’m pleased as punch to be kicking off your “Customer Service Stories”. And wow…doubly honoured to have been acknowledged among such great company. Thanks so much Adam. I know you’re gonna’ hit this waaaaayyyy outta’ the park. Cheers! Kaarina
Kaarina Dillabough recently wrote about this…5 Simple Steps to Achieve Your Goals
Kaarina — thank you so much! I appreciate the support and am very much looking forward to your guest post. I couldn’t be more pleased having you bring your awesome energy an insights to the new blog!
Hi Adam,
Blogs are always evolving and the wise recognize when their path has changed. I came across an interesting compilation of the Top 50 Customer Service Blogs I think you may find useful and may also want to submit your information there.
I did the search that turned that up because I wondered how many customer service blogs there might be. A strategy I regularly recommend to bloggers is to specialize more than most think they should. That can take one of two forms (or some of each):
1) Focus on being the best customer service blog for a specific industry or type of business because you can become “the” consultant or strategist for that type of business and thereby become vastly more ‘recommendable’.
2) Add a geographic component primarily because, again, you make yourself more recommendable – and more importantly it makes your blog more easily monetizable.
Many will argue with me that doing either of these limits your audience and my response to them is NO it GROWS your audience: and here is why:
People are more likely to recommend a blog specific to their location or industry than they are a blog that is just as good or even better that isn’t specific BECAUSE if you have general appeal they’ll assume others already know about you AND because there isn’t anything really compelling they can say about you.
When you are “the” customer service expert for their industry now they have something VERY COMPELLING to drive them to recommend you.
If you’re a local expert that is also a VERY COMPELLING reason someone will recommend you because they can imagine actually meeting you or being the first to tell someone there is a local expert they should know about.
This is so obvious to me, but every time I write about why a blog needs a geo-targeted aspect or why being a big fish in a small pond is infinitely more important than being a small fish in a giant pond commentators will insist I’m wrong. Believe me when I tell you I am positive I am right on this.
I have a couple of posts that speak specifically to this issue. If you’d like the URLs just let me know.
Gail Gardner recently wrote about this…Case Study: How to Deal with a Negative Review on Google Places
Wow Gail, now that is a comment!
I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and expertise. I know you have built Growmap into an extremely successful site — and hey, how many people have a plugin named after them? My point being I know you have A LOT of insights into these matters!
You make some great points, and I will definitely consider them as I develop the new direction over the next couple of months. I have a good friend who does web design and he is a big proponent of the local/geo-targeted focus idea.
Anyway, I really appreciate you taking the time to offer such comprehensive thoughts. It was very kind of you, and I hope your comments will be useful to others here as well. Also, feel free to drop those links you mentioned in a reply comment; I would love to take a look at them.
Thanks again!
HI Adam,
I don’t have the time to comment nearly as often as I’d like to but when I do comment it is usually because I feel I have something useful to contribute. I’ve really been working to get bloggers to see the benefits of specializing both geographically and by topic so your post came at a timely moment.
The posts I mentioned are:
Why Your Geographic Location IS a Niche
Bloggers Position Yourself Where the Money Is
I hope you and your readers will benefit from those posts and I am working on another one about why social media is far too broad so you have to specialize.
I’m glad you use the GrowMap anti-spambot plugin {GASP) so I know you’ll see my comments. There is a tab all about G.A.S.P. on my blog should you ever want to find the information on it to share it with other bloggers.
Gail Gardner recently wrote about this…Case Study: How to Deal with a Negative Review on Google Places
P.S. Congrats on your post going viral. The RTs are STILL coming in and that may be at least partially due to my Tweet still sitting on @TonyRobbins Twitter page. Topsy is showing 732 RTs for Google + and the Illusion of Privacy.
Gail Gardner recently wrote about this…Case Study: How to Deal with a Negative Review on Google Places
I know; it’s wild! I’ll reach out to you offline about your questions.
I appreciate the tweet that started it all! Thank you.
Adam Toporek recently wrote about this…This Blog Is Dead: I’m Starting Over
Thanks for the links Gail!
In fact, the plugin worked, as this comment with the links was put into the Pending bin. Caught by your eponymous spam filter — that has to be the definition of irony!!!
Adam Toporek recently wrote about this…This Blog Is Dead: I’m Starting Over
Congrats Adam and I fully agree 200% with your choice of Kaarina as you first blogger
John Falchetto recently wrote about this…Why my daughter is the perfect expat
I appreciate it John… however, I think Kaarina deserves at least 300% appreciation.
Twitter: KDillabough
And Adam…wow…no pressure, right?
Kaarina Dillabough recently wrote about this…5 Simple Steps to Achieve Your Goals
Twitter: KDillabough
John, that is so very kind of you to say: thanks!
Kaarina Dillabough recently wrote about this…5 Simple Steps to Achieve Your Goals
I read this yesterday in the movie theater and then got caught up by the previews so I didn’t make it back until now (BTW “The Help” is a very good movie!).
I, personally, loved reading the journey of your using the Hedgehodge Concept to determine the direction of the blog. You’re a writer with a true gift.
I guess the only thing I really disagree with is the idea that the tools, such as Google+, don’t have a place in customer service/experience. I absolutely think they do and, while it may be social media to you, it’s how most of us will communicate with our customers in the future. So I’d love to see you also talk about how the various tools help.
And, if you don’t already know her, you should connect with @jeanniecw. She’s one of my very favorite customer experience pros.
Gini Dietrich recently wrote about this…Gin and Topics: Gaming, the Economy, and Riots
I wholeheartedly agree with Gini! Don’t discount those topics that you view as “easy love” simply because they don’t overtly cry Customer Service! I use topical content all the time and then frame it with my marketing or PR focus primarily because it does attract readers AND I stay within my overall scope…well, most of the time.
I think the best blogs out there are the ones that can talk about anything (ahem, billy the exterminator
) and bring it back to a business, marketing or *customer service* lesson. Those types of blogs engage and teach. As Gini also pointed out, you have a gift for writing, you could easily hit posts out of the park that couch your topic in relatable content or events.
I really should have just written “what she said” but know that you love to hear from me, so here I am!
I’ll gladly hang in there with you on this blogging journey, Adam.
Erica Allison recently wrote about this…Billy the Exterminator is a Branding Genius
Well, of course, I do love to hear from you… but then you have to go and bring that Billy guy into this!
Ok, I mostly agree with you. There is nothing wrong with writing about topical matter IF you can relate it to your own blog direction. The reality is that most of the topics that are “blogosphere-ready” — social media, blogging, exterminator branding
— easily fall under the marketing/PR umbrella. Even how-to-blog topics are relevant, as most marketing folks are advising clients on blogging.
However, if the topic is more far afield, like customer service or personal finance or franchising, the relevance of those topics is much more narrow. A post about how companies are using Twitter for customer service would still be relevant. A post on Triberr or how to use Google + circles would not. The problem is myself and many other bloggers in those outside topics get sucked into writing about these things, without relating them. And that is the sugar habit I am trying to kick!
Erica, I do want to say how much I appreciate all of your support. You’ve been a tremendous champion since early on. Thanks so much for hanging in there on the journey!
What she said!
Gini Dietrich recently wrote about this…Niches, Starfish, and Circles: The Potential of Google+
Okay, now you ladies are just ganging up on me!
I just read “writer with a gift”… I’m sorry did you say anything else!
That’s truly kind of you Gini, and it means a lot coming from someone as skilled and prolific as you. (Though I am still convinced you have an army of content elves hidden away somewhere.)
I agree with your main point. In the original draft of this post, I actually spoke about being excited about talking about the intersection of social media and customer service. But I cut it because this post was past 2,000 words. So… I will just paste from my comment to Vernessa above:
“Also, CS still allows for a social media angle on occasion, as the use of social in customer service is a topic that is only growing in relevance.”
So, I’m with you a hundred percent; I plan to engage fully with how social tools relate to customer service/experience, just not the other aspects of them.
On a completely random note, I got a kick out of you reading my post in a movie theater. It made me think of an anecdote involving you that I was considering including in my six months recap next week. I think you just convinced me to include it!
Thanks for stopping by and for the tip on @jeanniecw. I will look her up.
Um. Should I be scared?
Gini Dietrich recently wrote about this…Niches, Starfish, and Circles: The Potential of Google+
Heh! Not at all.
Adam Toporek recently wrote about this…This Blog Is Dead: I’m Starting Over
Oh…and. While you’re changing direction of the blog, you should also install Livefyre. #thatisall
Gini Dietrich recently wrote about this…Niches, Starfish, and Circles: The Potential of Google+
I applaud you on your change of direction, Adam! This certainly isn’t an easy thing to do. It can be difficult to pull back and re-focus. But, when you do that, great things tend to happen.
I also appreciate your willingness to be an “open book” with your change in direction. You could have just shifted without an explanation, but I think it’s great you’re showing readers what’s happening behind the curtain. I really enjoyed hearing about your thought process for changing it.
I will agree with Erica and Gini, though. You CAN and should be creative about how you talk about customer service. I think there are a lot of tools out there that can enhance the customer service experience. I wouldn’t consider your previous posts to be linkbait necessarily. I honestly think those posts are still useful in the framework of customer service. Good luck with the transition and I can’t wait to see what you’ve got up your sleeve!
Laura Click recently wrote about this…Reading Roundup: The Ways of Washington
Thank you so much Laura! I will say while the decision to change tack was fairly easy; this was by far the most difficult post I have had to write. I almost cut the entire section called “Laser Focus and Losing the Easy Love” but decided to keep it in because so many bloggers I know have been reevaluating their directions (and results) lately. I thought it might help — even if telling someone how not to think about the topic!
As for the atopical posts, if you swing back by, please see my responses to Gini and Erica. Short version, I agree with you all on your big picture point.
Thanks so much for your comments and support Laura. Very much appreciated!
Adam Toporek recently wrote about this…This Blog Is Dead: I’m Starting Over
Adam, looks like I arrived just as the party was ending, but based on where you are going, I will certainly be sticking around!
Sometimes we focus so much on the marketing aspect of business, and closing the sale, that we don’t take the necessary steps to maintain the customer and the relationship. I know I have a leaky bucket on that end.
Exciting stuff! Looking forward to reading all about it man!
-Adam
Adam Sokoloff recently wrote about this…Who are my Biggest “Business Building” Role Models? My Kids of Course!
Adam, I appreciate you showing up for the end of the party.
When I was writing this post, I was thinking about people who had just found this blog and the effect the switch would have on them. Good to know at least you have not been chased away!
I appreciate the kind words and look forward to seeing you back! Have a great week!
Adam Toporek recently wrote about this…This Blog Is Dead: I’m Starting Over
I’m passionate about me, in fact I’m going to start posting 7 days a week………about me……..trust me, I have plenty of stories……………
I hear ya buddy; I love insurance and I love sales but I’m not passionate enough to write exclusively about either.
I’m more interested in people and how I can bring value to relationships to help people succeed, improve profitability and a connector of resources.
That is why I’m struggling w/ my blog now because after all this I still can’t find my direction. I can write about a lot of stuff and it might actually be interesting to others, but if it’s not doing it for me, it will be difficult for me to write about.
I look forward to staying plugged in with you and to see how the blog developed.
If I disappear, it’s not intentional and just send out a search a party.
I’ll catch up w/ you sometime this week; good luck.
Bill Dorman recently wrote about this…Lean on me
It’s hard to imagine you ever disappearing Bill!
I definitely think you have the most interesting situation. Such high levels of engagement — but to what eventual end? At least you’re making some great friends, that’s a start, right?
Anyway, I really appreciate the well wishes and all of the support. If I can help at all with the invisible blog, please let me know.
Have a great week. I’ll speak with you soon!
Hi Adam,
It sounds to me like you’re more evolving your blog rather than ending it. From what I can tell, you’re doing ENORMOUS traffic:
“Intensefence.com is ranked #359,378 in the world according to the three-month Alexa traffic rankings, and visitors to the site view 4.9 unique pages each day on average. It is relatively popular among users in the cities of Burlington (where it is ranked #841) and Orlando (#1,961). It is based in the US, and search engines refer roughly 4% of visits to Intensefence.com.”
I mean that’s so good that I’m not sure it’s right. But I see 20-40 comments per article so I guess it is. I see someone in the comments mentioned a post went viral. Which have been your top traffic generators?
I think customer service is an important area to explore and I’m sure many readers will continue to read just for the general advice and your clear writing style. So don’t call it dead yet. IMHO
Thanks,
-Jay
Jay,
Well, I do hope it will prove to be more an evolution than a termination.
I appreciate you running down the stats. I knew about my big Alexa number but not the city breakdown. Now, I feel like one of those used-to-be rock bands — we’re huge in Burlington!
The two posts I mentioned above were the biggest. The Google + and The Illusion of Privacy post is the one that went viral, so it dwarfs all the others.
I do appreciate the kind words. Great seeing you here Jay!
While I was gathering my thoughts, everyone here pretty much said them. This was a post I’ll refer back to as my blog evolves, Adam. I’d heard of the Hedgehog approach but not seen it described (I’ll get the book!). And I’m eager to read about customer service; as a one-person shop, it’s all I really have.
Thank you.
Shakirah Dawud recently wrote about this…Do You Really Need A Website Redesign?
Hey Shakirah, Due to the popularity of Good to Great, you can learn a lot about the hedgehog concept just by googling it — though I am not trying to talk you out of buying the book.
I appreciate the comment and am glad the new topic is of interest to you. All the best!
Adam, from one Hedgehog enthusiast to another, I’m completely excited for your direction here and I believe in it whole-heartedly. I very much hope you attain the goals you’re looking for, and am thrilled to have formed a friendship through this that will only grow.
Cheers brother,
Marcus
Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion recently wrote about this…The 13 Best and Most Powerful Blog Header Designs on the Internet
Thank you for the the kind words Marcus. I really enjoyed our talk the other day. Your support and counsel has been invaluable, and I too greatly appreciate our friendship.
Thanks so much for stopping by. All the best!
Adam Toporek recently wrote about this…This Blog Is Dead: I’m Starting Over
G’Day Adam,
I’ve run a business for 33 years. If I’ve learnt one thing it’s this. To be truly successful you absolultely must have a crystal clear business focus and a narrow, specific target market. Good luck for the future.
Regards
Leon
Leon Noone recently wrote about this…Staff Selection: How To Write A Job Ad That Works
Hi Leon,
Thanks so much for the words of encouragement. I know we met through the topic of small business, so I hope the narrower focus will still be of interest to you.
Thanks again and have a great day!
You are a great blogger and no matter how your site changes the loyal people will move with you. It is good you discovered what you like and are comfortable writing about.
I congratulate you on deciding to go to a different direction. Not that the old one isnt interesting for it certainly is. Loved that you used the Hedgehog concept to point you to the right direction. I cant wait to read more from you. Looking forward to it already. Best of luck!
I appreciate it Mel!