WebSitesOfNote

Face Time and Free Stuff: "Business has been booming for my little custom software company. We're not ready to take over the world or release a product just yet, but things are doing OK. I'm happy. And I've been pondering the means by which I've managed to grow the business. Sometimes it all seems like a happy accident. But after a talk with a good friend and colleague, I think I understand what has happened. How does any business get customers? By advertising? Nobody pays attention to that anymore. By clever PR? Sure, there's always the odd person who will hire you because he saw that newspaper article about how you donated 100 hours of your time to build a website that takes donations to help cure those poor kids in the oncology ward of the local hospital. But as I talk to other solo and small businesspeople, an interesting trend reveals itself: the #1 way small firms get business is by utilizing Face Time and Free Stuff. I can hear you already - 'Wha-a-a-a-t?' Just bear with me for a moment. People like to do business with their friends. Period. Finito. End of story. Go out and ask 100 prospects if they'd rather do business with SuperMegaJumboCorp or with their poker buddy Bob. Go ahead, ask them. I guarantee you that if Bob is even remotely competent at doing what SuperMegaJumboCorp does, 100% of the time, the prospect will choose Bob. Yes, he co"