Business Strategy, Marketing, Sarasota, WordPress & More…
Author: David G. Johnson
I have owned and operated Grow The Dream in Sarasota, Florida since 1998. We are a strategic consulting firm focused on small to mid-size organizations, and we specialize in making things grow!
The Sarasota real estate market continues to be something I’m paying close attention to. Why? Very simply: our local economy is inextricably tied to what this market is doing. When the housing market started to tank locally, it was the first domino in a long line. As inventory levels (representing the number of single family homes and condominiums listed as “for sale”) have climbed, construction and other business sectors related to housing have all dived.
So, a couple of recent tidbits from Perry Corneau represent good news. First, inventory levels are at their lowest in two and a half years. This is great news, and I can anecdotally attest that I’m seeing fewer for sale signs. What’s unclear to me is exactly what this represents…
Is sales volume actually up?
Are more banks in possession of properties now? If so, it seems to me that they’ve not been good at marketing the properties they own. And when foreclosure occurs (as opposed to short sales), these properties wouldn’t appear in the MLS anyway.
Have sellers given up on moving properties as prices have declined?
Another piece of good news: prices are still higher than they were 5 years ago. In 2003, the market was still on a major upswing, but of course the highest prices were 2-3 years later.
Based upon numerous conversations with those keeping their eye on the market, here are my predictions: prices will continue to drop and volume will begin to surge. For how long? I’m not sure, but it seems to me that the “bottom” of this market hasn’t quite yet been reached — at least in terms of pricing. There are a few investors who are starting to dip their toes into the water, but the buying frenzy that I expect isn’t here yet.
The best thing that can happen for this market is for transaction volume to increase. This will help prices bottom out sooner rather than later.
And… in the interest of full disclosure… I currently do not have any property on the market. 😉
With so much talk of recession… and some actual slowdowns — some of them serious, especially within certain industries — businesses have a tendency to cut back in areas that can make matters worse.
Marketing is at the top of the list.
If you know me, then you know that I’m not in favor of untracked, unmeasurable and expensive advertising anyway. So, don’t get too upset if you think I’m thinking mainly of advertising… I’m not. What I’m referring to are the systems in your business that produce new prospects and/or customers on a regular basis.
You do have some of those, don’t you?
If not, then the time has come for you to put some in place. And fast! If you do, then it’s important that you proceed with caution if you’re eyeing them in your budget.
2 Big Announcements
First… we are happy to unveil a shiny new blog site that just launched. It is focused on small business marketing and already has a few posts on it (some of which were gleaned from other publications for which we’ve written). This reflects the renewed focus in our business: Epiphany Marketing.
Secondly… there are a couple of big things coming in the next few weeks. So, this is an announcement about our coming announcements! But there will be some significant new opportunities for you as a business person to learn how to use applied strategy along with some free and low-cost technology to make sure that your future customers find you instead of someone else. It’s going to be big!
Here’s a hint: there will be something happening in Sarasota.
If you’re one of our many readers from across the US and around the world… not to worry, we’ve got something coming for you, too. Keep your eyes glued to this spot… and the new marketing blog, too!
Google recently added a setting to its Gmail service that allows users to always keep their sessions encrypted. It’s a really good idea to turn this one on if you want to keep hackers out of your account.
But I already login with https…
That’s true… the Gmail service handles your login in an encrypted fashion, but… unless you’re very specific about opening the site using https:// (or SSL), the service will authenticate your login and then switch you back to an http:// (non-encrypted) session. So… your password remains secure, but your session does not.
A tool is about to be unleashed to hackers that will allow them to get busy breaking into Gmail accounts. You’re particularly vulnerable if you access Gmail from a wifi hotspot or any public computer… which is one of the reasons we all have Gmail accounts, isn’t it?
Here’s how to make the change
Our “don’t be evil” friends have been kind enough to be very quiet about the new settings option, and then bury it so it’s hard to find. Here’s where to make the change:
Login to your Gmail account. Here’s a hint: use this secure login link.
Click on “Settings” (on the top, near the right)
On the “General” tab, scroll all the way down. I’m including a picture below for you, but click “Always use https” and then save your changes. Your settings will be remembered no matter what computer you login from.
Now you should be in good shape. Hey… when was the last time you changed this password? (You do change passwords regularly, right?)
I’ve gotten a lot of questions from friends and business associates about the Ad Surf Daily Cash Generator program. Now that the US Attorney’s office has seized assets and filed suit, with Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum right behind, it seems likely that the program will not continue.
A Few Facts
Initially, I was approached by people who wanted me to look at the program to see if it seemed legit. My friends know that I do not join multi-level marketing programs, nor anything that seems like it might be a network marketing venture. Nonetheless, I took a peek at this program to find out if there was anything suspect about it on behalf of those friends.
The first clue that there might be something “up” was that people were wondering if it might be a scam. Why? Well… the good old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true…” comes to mind.
Here’s the premise: you sign up for the program (even with a free account, if you prefer) under a sponsor. You then begin to “auto surf” ads every day. There are rewards for doing this, including the right to place a website of your own into the ad rotating system so that other people will be forced to view your site.
At this point, it sounds a little bit like a modified version of Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC). With PPC, which most people are familiar with because of the right-hand side of your Google search results, advertisers bid to have their ad show up on certain sites and then only pay when someone “clicks” on their ad.
Ad Surf Daily seems to provide a cost-effective way to do this… at first glance.
But what you quickly learn is that the vast majority of people who join (and later “purchase ad packages”) don’t actually have anything to advertise. So… the question becomes, “Why are they signing up?”
It turns out that if you “purchase ad packages,” (which the US Attorney’s Office has now labeled “investing”) you have the opportunity to “earn rebates” by faithfully viewing advertisements every day. I won’t get into the mathematics of it, but let’s just say that this appears to be highly profitable because you can earn more in rebates than you “purchased.”
There are numerous incentives and rewards built into the program that are designed to get you to purchase more ad packages. Also, as a member of the program, you are incentivized to leave your earnings in the program because the higher your “cash balance,” the more rebates you’ll be able to earn. You can even increase your rate of earnings by paying for a monthly membership at several different levels. There are even big rallies where you can obtain much larger bonuses by “purchasing” ad packages on the spot…
And… of course, there are commissions. This is where some of the biggest incentives are. This is the part where you convince your friends and family (or even random acquaintances, like some of the people who have spammed my inbox about this) to sign up under you.
I Smell A Rat…
If you’re around the participants for very long, you hear amazing stories of large cash payouts. You hear about credit card debt being wiped out, even millionaires being created. All of this occurs in short periods of time. You hear about the explosive growth. You hear about the founder, Andy Bowdoin, and his impressive award that was given to him by the President of the United States. You hear about his many successful businesses over the years. You also watch videos online which focus repeatedly on “we’re good guys” without providing any substantive information about why you should expect this program to continue.
But I have a fundamental question:
If the bulk of the customers have no need for the item they are purchasing, where is the value that this company is actually bringing to the marketplace?
In other words, they claim their goal is to be the biggest seller of online advertising in the world. They even claim to be threatening Google’s position as market leader. But one thing I’ve noticed… the people/companies buying ads from Google (and other PPC establishments) have one thing in common: they all have something to advertise.
One friend of mine has a local contracting business. My question for him was, “What are you advertising in the ASD system that people might be interested in purchasing?” The answer: his local contracting business. My next thought is, “What the heck does someone in Bolivia do when they see an ad for a contracting business in Florida?”
As a marketer, my next thought after that is… that’s a little bit like buying a billboard on a California freeway for your McDonald’s in Memphis.
Poor use of advertising dollars.
Not so poor, perhaps, for those who have a digital product with universal appeal, or perhaps those selling something that can be purchased and then shipped anywhere in the world. Again, however, the key would be that it has universal appeal.
Like… toothbrushes. We all need those, right?
Anyway…
Is It Sustainable?
Back to my fundamental question. How long can this program carry on — even if they’re careful not to promise to pay out too much money in “rebates” — when their basic product is not needed by the people who are purchasing it today?
Can it be that the only reason they are buying advertising is so that they can earn a rebate?
The answer is: absolutely, 100%, unequivocally, “yes!”
And that, my friends, creates a problem: as soon as the market figures out that:
a. there are better ways to buy advertising, and
b. this is only sustainable as long as there are more people willing to buy something they don’t need,
the whole thing comes tumbling down…
…not unlike a Ponzi scheme.
Precisely, by the way, what the US Attorney in Washington D.C., otherwise known as the Attorney General, concluded.
Is anyone guilty of a crime here? Well… that remains to be seen. In the meantime, no one is surfing the “ads.” No one is “purchasing ads,” and nobody is spending the $53M in cash that was seized while the investigation and the lawsuits proceed.
Bad news for those who used their life savings to buy something they didn’t need.
I’m admittedly a little biased on this one. OK… I’m very biased…
My gorgeous and amazing wife, who is a speech and language development expert, has just unveiled a shiny new downloadable audio program intended for parents of infants and toddlers.
Now… I’ve actually lived through the development of this material. Our beautiful 3-year-old daughter is one of the most articulate and verbal children I’ve ever seen in my life. So, not only do I know it works, but I’ve been encouraging Jill for nearly 10 years now to help other people understand this material.
Who Would Benefit From This?
If you’re an expectant parent or if there’s an infant, toddler, or preschooler in your life, you don’t want to miss out on this information. Until I married Jill, I was unaware of how significant the speech and language development of a baby was to their intellectual and — get this — even their physiological brain development. That’s right, what you do in your interactions with your little one can actually affect the way their brain gets wired as it forms and develops.
Complex Made Simple
Jill is one of the few people that I know who has that rare ability to take volumes of information and distill it down to something simple and actionable. So, while there’s a healthy amount of research and high level info for those that want to sink their teeth into it, anyone will find this useful. She provides very simple tips and techniques you can use to help your child develop.
$chool i$ awe$ome. I’ve got lot$ of friend$ and I’m $tudying and learning ton$. I’m so bu$y, I $imply don’t have time to earn any extra ca$h. I mi$$ you though and $o appreciate your ongoing $upport. I would love to hear from you.
Love,
Your $on
The Reply:
Dear Son,
I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are quite eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student running. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, that putting your nose in your books is free and that you can never study eNOugh.
Love,
Dad
What is it about dads and money? When we think of Mom our thoughts are all flowers, hugs and appreciation. However, when our thoughts turn towards Dad things get much more practical.
Some relational experts say that this difference between the roles that dads and moms play and consequently the way we view our relationships with them is possibly why business on Dad’s Day isn’t quite what it is on Mother’s Day.
According to a BusinessWeek article published this month the projected consumer spending for Father’s day this year is $9.58 billion. Compare that to the close to $16 billion spent on Mother’s Day. The average consumer is expected to spend around $95 on Father’s Day, about 60% of what we spend on Mother’s Day.
Hallmark sold over 150 million cards for moms but is expecting to sell somewhere just over 90 million for dads.
Now this is usually where a writer would close the article with a wonderful sentiment about how we love our fathers no less than our mothers. Now that may be true but I want to go another direction.
The economic stimulus checks have gone out and consumer spending rose slightly in May. We all want to support economic growth and we all want to show dear old Dad that we love him as much as we love Mom.
So here it is, lets forget the $95. Let’s buy that electronic gadget that our dads really want and an extra card and take the spending up to Mother’s Day levels.
After this week’s emotional round on American Idol, it’s official, Syesha is in the AI Season 7 Top 3!! Congratulations, Syesha!!
We’ve alreadypostedoursupport for this hometown Sarasota girl, but the exciting news this week is that local residents will have a chance to see Syesha tomorrow (Friday, May 9th) when she blazes through on a whirlwind visit to the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Evidently, she’ll be making some stops in the morning on Tampa TV & Radio, but she visits Bradenton (where she’ll receive a key to the city) and then comes to Sarasota for a concert on the gorgeous grounds of the John & Mable Ringling Museum!
According to the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau, the concert is FREE and open to the public! Park nearby on the New College Campus. I’d get there early (parking is available at 1pm) for the 3:30PM concert. It’ll most likely be brief, as she’s got to get back to Hollywood!
If previous seasons are any indication, we should see footage of Syesha’s Homecoming Visit on next week’s American Idol!
Ever the optimists, Real Estate brokers always manage to locate a silver lining… no matter how far and how hard they have to look. And, with a number of friends and business associates connected to the real estate business, I certainly am personally hopeful that their optimism has its roots firmly cemented in reality.
But alas, this is not always the case.
Take, for example, the blog published by Michael Saunders & Company. Here’s a great example of a company reaching as deeply as it can for data — any data — to support the notion that somehow the market is on its way back to normal. Is their data pulled from the number of transactions in the MLS, you ask? Perhaps it’s based upon some newfound trend in the tax rolls?
Nope.
In fact, it’s taken from their Google Analytics account. Yes, that’s right folks. Now we’re basing the real estate outlook for Sarasota on the performance of Michael Saunders’ website according to the ever-so-reliable folks at Google.
Now… don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of Google. Chances are you’re here thanks to one of the many Google searches that we rank well on. But… as we know, their analytics package — feature-rich though it may be — is fraught with inaccuracies. And… even if it were 100% accurate, the Michael Saunders blog post smacks of a self-congratulatory webmaster more than it does market realities in the real estate business. After all, our traffic is way the heck up, too! Doesn’t say anything about the consulting business, though…
But… I digress. (By the way, business is better than ever! Not a touch of whining here!)
What Michael and gang aren’t really interested in pointing out is the simple fact that, by every measure, the housing crisis is only deepening. Even if transactions are up, prices are down. And this is based on real data from none other than Standard & Poor. Granted, the data are not local to Florida. But then, we the unwashed don’t have ready access to the data for our market. This is part of the classic information asymmetry associated with buying and selling real estate. Your broker knows more than you do. Perhaps someone with readily-analyzed data would be willing to step forward and comment.
In the meantime, I’m going back to my web analytics to look for more optimism…
*Update (May, 2011): Unfortunately, the downloads we originally linked to are no longer available as The Kingdom Alliance website (see below) has been taken down. We have located this downloadable product (link fixed, January 2014) available for purchase directly from Gary Keesee’s ministry that can serve as an update to / replacement for the materials we originally recommended here.
This week’s Financial Revolution Conference in Sarasota got underway last night with a powerful kickoff meeting. Gary and Drenda Keesee shared the emotional story about how they turned the tide on their drastic financial situation — credit cards, finance company loans, IRS debt, medical bills, personal loans from family, mortgages, etc. — and began creating wealth instead. Gary pointed out that the “switch” for this about face was in their hearts.
The Kingdom Alliance has posted the audio from Gary’s talk (*Update: 5/11/2011, the Kingdom Alliance website is unfortunately no longer available) last night for all to hear at no cost. It is definitely worth the time to listen to it. Those who came to the event last night expecting to hear a talk on better money management, budgets and numbers were surprised at what Gary had to say. Not only did he address the issues of the heart, but he also dealt with what he characterizes as misconceptions that have been perpetuated by church teachings regarding money. Based upon the content of last night’s talk, the remainder of the conference promises to be significant.
The conference continues with meetings tonight (Friday) at 7pm and Saturday at 9am. The meetings are being held at the facility belonging to the First Church of the Nazarene, 3375 Fruitville Road in Sarasota.
If you’re not familiar with who they are, The Kingdom Alliance is a group of 5 congregations who have joined forces to increase their impact on the communities of Sarasota & Bradenton. This type of cooperation among church leadership is quite rare in a landscape filled with competition over what some experts would describe as a dwindling pool of potential congregants. This is the first community event that they have publicized, and it’s a good taste of things to come!
