How much does this REALLY cost?

      One day not too long ago, I was walking past the front window of a music store. Displayed in the case under beautiful showroom lights was the keyboard of my dreams.

      As a vocal coach, having a piano is a key factor in being able to perform your job duties at the highest level. I had been working without one for some time, renting studio spaces that provided pianos, but I was limited to where I could go and how many students I could teach due to scheduling conflicts with the studios. At the same time I had been saving up enough fund

s to put my car into the shop to fix a dent put into it by an anonymous individual who seemed to have , *ehem*, difficulty parking in the space next to mine.

 ( Gotta love those people who hit your car and don’t leave a note!) 

 Along with the other dings created by people who cant seem to be able to control their shopping carts.

                                              

      Coincidentally the amount I had saved matched the cost of this shiny new keyboard. I felt the money burning a hole in my pocket and had to make the choice, pretty car? or shiny new keyboard?  As I weighed the pros and cons, I realized that the cost incurred for going with car over the keyboard was more than money. Yes I would love for my vehicle to be presentable (rather than the embarrassment it currently was), but buy buying the keyboard, it would increase the profitability of my business as I would be able to work out of my home rather than renting studio space and I would be able to increase my client roster by travelling directly to a students home with my portable keyboard.  What do you think I chose?

      Every time you make the decision to do something, you are giving up the opportunity to do something else. This is referred to as opportunity cost. A lot of times it can be measured monetarily ( when one thing costs more than another) but other times it can be the decision between something that will provide instant gratification over long term benefits. I think we as artists, musician, and small business owners tend to look at things one way or the other: money, or value. A prime example is  concert guitar-piano duo Robert Bekkers and Anne Ku who discuss the "cost" of attending a concert when you are a musician yourself in their  Concert Blog.

 It is important to growth of our businesses, careers, and personal lives to revaluate every choice while factoring in what you would be missing out on as well as the “cost” of the choice. Sometimes the cost is time, other times its experiences, and often, its education. Remember, not all things can be measured in money.

Do YOU have Klout?

     In finance, one is asked to analyze “meaningful comparisons” or ratios to determine the health of a company. One looks for trends, crunches numbers, and collects numerical data in order to determine how “well” a company is doing.  We look at profit, sales, expenses, stock prices, assets, and debt and review how our numbers compare to similar companies within our own industry. This information helps business owners to determine whether or not to make changes in the future, can reflect success of past business decisions, and may reveal indicators of needed changes to some of our business practices.

     As musicians, artists, party promoters, and individuals in the entertainment industry, you may ask, “What does this have to do with me? I don’t own a business, I just do what my record label (or parent company tell me to do.)” Whether you own a small business or are a rock band on tour, your goal is to influence your target audience. You are selling a physical product, an idea, or an image and as important as is to keep track of your financial health, it is equally important to measure your sphere of influence.

     Social media is how most entertainment entities reach their fans and potential clients. Although not all interactions turn into profit, they can be a huge indicator as to how far your ideas have spread. They can also show how likely your target audience is to spend money on your product, attend your concert, buy your album etc. based on how much they interact with your public identity. Until recently, you were only able to measure your success based on how many Facebook likes your fan page has, or maybe the number of followers you have on Twitter. Now there is an even better way to monitor your sphere of influence: Klout. 

Why is Klout important? 

     Klout measures your social media activity on all of the major social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

    According to Klout.com your “Klout Score measures influence based on your ability to drive action. Every time you create content or engage you influence others. The Klout Score uses data from social networks in order to measure: True Reach: How many people you influence, Amplification: How much you influence them, Network Impact: The influence of your network”

    With the recent addition of YouTube, Google+, Blogger, Flickr, Instagram, Last.fm, Tumblr, and WordPress Klout now has the ability to monitor the full scope of your social media influence. This can be used as a tool to examine marketing success, for brand building  test a new product or idea, and to see how much of a buzz you can create throughout the Internet.  “So I get a score, big deal.” There is more than that. Klout users at differing levels are offered perks like swag, exclusive experiences, and of course, bragging rights.

Hidden Potential

       Seth Godin in his talk on TED.com spends 20 hilarious minutes discussing things that are broken. In this lecture, he talks about things present in his everyday life that he (and perhaps you) perceive as broken. “If I think it’s broken, it’s broken” he tells his audience as he shows slide after slide of examples split into 7 main categories: 1. Not my job, 2. Selfish jerks, 3. The world changed, 4. I didn’t know, 5. I’m not a fish, 6.Contradictions, and 7. Broken on purpose. These ideas inspired him to co-create a website called www.thisisbroken.com where users can upload their own personal “broken” experiences.

       Mr. Godin’s passion is evident in every word he speaks. It is as if the ideas are moving so quickly through his head, it’s all he can do to get them out at a speed that we can understand. He is most focused on the interaction between people and how these poorly designed situations devalue the customer experience.

                           

       I find this lecture particularly relevant because, although he focused on the things he has observed in everyday life, a lot of examples have to do with marketing. From Spam email, to signage, to product packaging, he explains how each one of these “problems” break the interaction between the audience and the intended message. He describes how many companies are not taking advantages of the possible continued relationships with their customers.  Marketing is a conversation between a company and its intended audience. Clear communication solidifies the relation between a company and its consumer. The poor execution of simple ideas can form barriers that hinder this relationship.

       What a great way to look at your marketing strategies regardless of the industry. Many companies, artists, etc. have such great ideas, but poor execution. Mr. Godin inspired me to look at my everyday environment and see what can be improved, then take action to fix it. This ties right in to what I do for my clients, problem solve. It’s not enough to notice something isn’t working, its time to do something about it and discover the hidden potential within your company, art, or product, and develop it.

Organize! Your mind, your space,your life!

One part of the general management consulting industry is workplace organization. For those moving into the realm a great resource is the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Many think that professional organizing is a tool only used in your home. Workplace clutter is one of the top reasons that the day-to-day operation of your office or studio can be hindered. Not being able to find a client file, having a cluttered desk, and a lack of storage all contribute to inefficiency in the workplace. One of the main goals of NAPO “is to have the world recognize the value of organizing and turn to NAPO as the leading organizing authority. Our mission is to develop, lead, and promote professional organizers and the organizing industry.”

NAPO is a wonderful resource to continue your education in organizing and creating workplace systems. They offer courses for general knowledge or specific challenges. The courses all count as credit toward certification, which can solidify your reputation within the consulting industry and confirm credibility by becoming a certified professional organizer.

Their varying chapters give organizers at any level the opportunity to network with others in their field. NAPO also participates in community outreach going into schools to teach basic organization skills as well as assisting people in transition with organizing their lives to help them move forward out of homelessness. The community efforts are a great way for consultants to get new clients as well as identify needs within their market.

Membership offers the advantage of discounts with many retailers related to organization. They also offer a section called the Industry Exchange, which offers member a first look at new products, and deep discounts only available to NAPO. Members have the chance to become involved in national conferences throughout the country. These conferences involve specialized education, lectures from leaders within the industry as well as front row access to the latest trends and changes within the industry. NAPO has also created a member directory where prospective clients can search for the best Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) to suit their specific challenges.

Becoming a member of NAPO helps the general management consultant to refine their skills, increase their knowledge, and connect with the rest of the industry. Credibility is one of the most crucial parts of success as a consultant as well as being on top of what’s new and useful to your client. As part of the organization, you are marketed directly to your target market as part of their official website. Don’t we all want to be part of something great?

"Delivering Happiness": The Importance of Company Culture

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Be Remarkable!

It's not enough to be good at something. Sometimes its not even necessary. But in today's age, what is most important is to stand out. Playing it safe is risky, be bold!

Welcome to the Matrix: QR Codes

     The goal of technology is to make things easier by getting  information to you as quickly as possible. A fantastic example of this within the entertainment industry is through the use of Quick Response codes. You may have seen them in the corners of magazine ads, and on band posters taped to the sides of buildings. They are little squares similar to barcodes. What are they for, you ask? They are your gateway to the Internet in the blink of an eye. Imagine Neo getting plugged into the Matrix.

QR codes are a great way to get consumers (whether in business or music) to see the specific information that enhances your brand. 

Whether it be a link to your band page,  

 the product list on your website,

or your Twitter and Youtube pages, these codes send your audience directly there. Its as simple as pressing the shutter button on your smart phone.

The use of QR codes is an amazing trend in mobile marketing. One of the attributes that make it so great, is how easy they are to use. Newer phones come with the Readers/Barcode Scanners pre-installed. There are also many free QR generators available on the web for public use. They can also be printed on practically anything, from product packaging to business cards, to decals on the side of your company car or touring van.

 Playing a gig ? Sell concert T-shirts at your merchandise table with QR codes printed right on them. That way your fans literally become walking billboards for your music. Put your album cover or band name on the front, and the QR codes on the back. The link can send curious people straight to iTunes or CD baby to listen to samples of your music and then purchase your album.

If you are a small business that sells a product or service, use QR codes to direct potential customers to coupons and special offers only available via this link. You would be surprised how many people walking by your storefront ( with a QR code displayed in the window of course!) would click the link and then come in to purchase the item associated with that special offer.

QR codes keep customers engaged without keeping them tied to a computer. They turn passive observers into active consumers. So will you take the blue pill and stick with the posters, stickers, fliers and mailers that you’ve always used or take the red pill and ride the wave of the future? The choice is yours.

"This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."~The Matrix

~All photos courtesy of the Warner Brothers film, The Matrix