Week 2 – Not Trying to Pull a Doug Flutie

Another rough week for the economy. Job losses up. Stocks down. If I'm not careful, this blog could start sounding awfully repetitive. But regardless of the continued economic meltdown, my resolve remains unwavering. I am still excited and enthusiastic, with a twinge of urgency mixed in, to repackage and expand my product and get it out there. I am ready to get version 2.0 of my business rolling, but first things first.

I received several notes of concern after last week’s posting from those who wondered if I was on the verge of bankruptcy and was attempting some kind of Hail Mary to stay afloat. The truth is that I have been month-to-month for years, with the combination of regular income and special projects creating sufficient funds to meet payroll regularly and consistently. The same is true today. So, no worries there.

The difference is that the world is changing before our eyes, and if I don’t make a move to enhance my presence and get my business in front of a lot more potential customers pretty quickly, then I don’t know what will happen. None of us do. I simply need more customers, and I am not going to sit around and hope they stumble upon me. I am working to create the infrastructure I need to handle lots more customers, and then I am going to go get them. And it all starts in the next month or so.

The process has actually already begun. We have decided on a logo for the new name. The copy is written for the home page of the new Web site and the design process is underway. I grabbed a couple new clients last week, so that is always encouraging. And I have received feedback about how what I am offering is making a difference and helping other businesses be successful.

That is probably what I like best about this whole thing. If I am successful, then that means that a lot of other companies are too. Together, we will chip away at the doom-and-gloom monster, keep our heads up and do some business.

So what exactly is my business? More on that (plus a progress report) next week.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT
Dow: 6626 (roughly half the value of less than two years ago)
Unemployment Rate: 8.1%
Big News: 2.6 million jobs lost in the last four months

Week 1 -- Introduction

I am a small-business owner in Tallahassee, Florida, who has decided that I have no choice but to be aggressive in the fight to keep my company alive. Becuase I sometimes depend on the contracted skills of others to deliver the services I offer, I have more flexibility than some, but less margin for error than most.

A bad couple of months, and I am done. No lines of credit to bail me out. No huge retainer clients to insulate me from the ups and downs other businesses are facing. In fact, because I am strictly B2B, my only hope for survival is to convince the very businesses that are themselves struggling to keep their doors open that I am part of the solution. That partnering with me is worth the risk. I believe it is, and I am betting that enough of them will agree with me.

I am currently completing negotiations with a leading new media firm to reinvent my brand, my Web site and my shot at reaching the kind of national audience that is necessary to achieve my goals. I can no longer go half-way. I'm all-in.

This blog will chronicle my adventure.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT
Dow: 7062 (near 12-year low)
Unemployment Rate: 7.6 % (Jan)
Big News: Sorting through the Obama Stimulus Plan

Next week: Some Backstory