Trully amazing video…..

You must take a few minutes and watch this youtube video of Susan Boyle. She is a 47 y/o Brit who tried out for Britain’s Got Talent. She gives new meaning to the phrase “Looks can be deceiving”. If you have a dream, you must pursue it. ………

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related

Do you network?

If the answer is no….why not? I truly believe that there is no better way for a small business owner to gain positive exposure. I started a “new phase” within my company a few months ago and 100% of my business has come from networking with the Tulsa based Cup of Coffee Networkers. Whether it is from someone that attends the networking meetings or it comes from a referral, all of my work has come from that. Check it out HERE.

Matt

Branding yourself…

Here is a great article about branding and marketing yourself. Very good read.

Matt

Does Anyone Know What Networking Really Means Anymore?

By Susan Wilson Solovic, co-founder of SBTV.com

Everyone talks about the importance of networking. Every motivational speaker, small business expert, business coach, and self-help/business author: They all at some point include the boilerplate networking banter. It’s become so common that I’m not sure anyone really understands what it means to network anymore. By the way, a bit of trivia for you, the word networking wasn’t recognized as a noun until 1967. (Miriam Webster)

Of course, online social networks make the definition of the word networking even more nebulous. Sure I use sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and I happen to like them – a lot! But is communicating via technology really networking? Call me old fashioned, but it’s not what I think of when I think of networking in the purest sense.

Networking isn’t a race to see how many business cards you can load into your database or how many friends you add to your profile page. Real networking is about real people and real relationships. So let’s get back to the basics and best practices of networking.

Here are my three rules for effective networking – the old fashioned way.

Rule One: You must be committed. You aren’t networking if you’re out for instant gratification. An effective network is built upon a solid foundation of relationships that are built over time. A number of years ago I taught a women’s entrepreneurial training course at a community college. As part of the course we discussed networking and their homework assignment was to attend one or two events. When we returned to the subject, a student reported she’d thought networking events were a waste of time. When I asked why she felt that way, she explained that she’d paid to go to several events in her community and she passed out tons of business cards, but she hadn’t gotten any business. Rule number one – don’t expect immediate gratification.

When you make a new business acquaintance, take time to learn as much about them as possible. Engage them in conversation and ask open-ended questions. Are there common interests you share? Do your children go to the same school? The magic words in my opinion: “Tell me about yourself.”

Rule Two: Develop a relationship. Stacking business cards on your desk or scanning them into your Outlook doesn’t create a network. Sending your new acquaintance a brochure or sales letter doesn’t develop a relationship. And calling to set an appointment or make a sale is really not going to do the trick either. However, taking time to develop a relationship is what’s going to help you build a solid network. For example, let’s say I meet you at an event and during our conversation you mention you are a dog lover. Guess what, so am I. We have a nice conversation and you tell me you’d like to know more about creating a dog-friendly office environment. So what do I do? I go back to my office and send a “nice to meet you” email, but in addition I include a link to an article with advice for pet-friendly workplaces.

Rule Three: Give, give, give. The second magic phrase to remember: “How can I help you?” You know the adage, it’s better to give than receive, that applies here. Be willing to put the other person first. Find out how you can help them and follow through. Perhaps, you can make an introduction or suggest a good resource for their business. Become the “go-to” person. Then, when you need assistance or business referrals, you’ll be rewarded abundantly. There is no better asset – personally or professionally – than a strong network.

Via Duct Tape Marketing

Susan Wilson Solovic is the co-founder of SBTV.com, the first television network on the web devoted 100 percent to the small business market and the author of several books, including The Girls’ Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business.

eMedia Marketing

Please take a moment and visit my company’s new site, eMedia. I want to help businesses develop a Unique Business Brand by offering website design, website rehab, logo design, video & audio marketing. Take a look around and let me know if I can help you with your online marketing efforts.

Delay in Posting

I know that it has been a terribly long time since  have posted anything on this blog but……… I am happy to announce that I have launched a new site and have re-structured my business to meet the needs of my clients. Please visit www.mattlouviere.com and check it out. Please give me feed back, so that I can make it better for you. I have also been heavily involved with a new networking group that began in the Tulsa, OK area. Cup of Coffee Networkers is growing like wild fire and it is really exciting to be a part of. Now that my new sites are up, I can focus more on the content of this blog. So, keep visiting to stay up to date on the exciting new changes!

Matt

Using Blackberry Pearl as a Modem…

I, like so many,own a BB Pearl and have wanted to be able to use it as a modem since the day that I got my new laptop. Luckily, I have found the solution to this problem and would like to share if anyone else needs it.

How to set up?

1. Start your BlackBerry Desktop Manager and it should be running in the background. there is no need to click on any options. just open it. This is required to use BlackBerry pearl as an external modem.
   
2. Connect your BlackBerry using USB cable to your Computer.
3. Click on start->Control Panel -> Phones and Modems->Press Enter
4. Click on Modem tab-> select the standard modem -> click on Properties -> Advanced and add only ONE of the following Extra initialization command line That applies to your carrier. APN Settings: Cingular Blue/AT&T Users
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”proxy”

   Cingular Orange
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”ISP.CINGULAR”
   
   T-MOBILE USA
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”wap.voicestream.com”

   Rogers
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”internet.com”

   Vodafone UK
   +cgdcont=1,”IP”,”internet”

   Verizon USA – Blank
   Nextel USA – Blank
   Sprint USA – Blank

   1. Press ok until all windows are closed. now click on Start -> Connect To -> Show all connections -> Create a new connection.
      1. Click Next
      2. Select “Connect To The Internet” then Next
      3. Select “Set up my connection manually” then Next
      4. Select “Connect using a dial-up modem” then Next.
      5. Check only the Standard Modem (if prompted).
      6. Give the connection a name such as “Pearl Modem”, then Next.
      7. On the next screen, pick one of the following phone numbers, depending on your carrier:
      For GSM Phones such as Cingular , AT&T and T-Mobile use phone number *99#
      For iDEN phones such as Nextel/Telus use phone number S=2
      For CDMA phones such as Verizon, Sprint use phone number #777
      8. Click Next.
      9. On the next screen, pick one of the following, depending on your carrier:

      Cingular Blue, AT&T or Nextel:
      User name: Blank
      Password: Blank

      Rogers Canada:
      User name: wapuser1
      Password: wap

      Cingular Orange:
      Username:ispda@cingulargprs.com
      Password: cingular1

      T-Mobile USA:
      User name: TMobile.com User name
      Password: TMobile.com Password

      Verizon replace 8005551212 with your phone number:
      Username: 8005551212@vzw3g.com
      Password: 8005551212

      Sprint:
      Username: Sprint User name
      Password: Sprint Password
      10. Clear all check boxes (“Use…when anyone…” and “Make this the default…”)
      11. Click Finish

5. Make sure under TCP/IP Properties (Advanced) “Use IP Header Compression” checkbox is unchecked. To verify this, do these steps:
   1. Start Menu->Network Connections->”Pearl Modem”
   2. Click Properties Button
   3. Click Networking Tab
   4. Select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)”
   5. Click Properties Button
   6. Click Advanced… Button
   7. un-check “Use IP header compression” checkbox
   8. Click OK until all windows are closed.

   Uncheck all the following check boxes, if you see any of these checked:
   Turn off “Enable Hardware Flow Control”
   Turn off “Enable Modem Error Control”
   Turn off “Enable Modem Compression

6. Finally, click on the “Pearl Modem” icon via Start Menu->Network Connections. start using Internet from your Pearl.

Special thanks to Blackberry Portal for the tip.

Marketing and Networking on a Budget…

Start a Cup of Coffee Networkers group in your area. It’s 100% FREE networking with no strings attached. All you pay for is the coffee that you drink. The networking is FREE! There are currently groups formed in Northeast Oklahoma and Oregon. Florida and a few other states will be coming on very soon. www.cupofcoffeenetworkers.com

How many Twitter followers do you have?

Does it matter? We seem to be fixated on having the most friends on Facebook, the most followers on Twitter, etc. Why? Counting your friends on these social media sites is useless! It’s about being able to contribute to, and help people achieve their goals and doing it reliably & repeatedly, so that overtime, people will have an interest in helping you achieve yours.

New Facebook page for Curbside Marketing

I created a page on Facebook for Curbside Marketing. Check it out HERE

Become a fan so that you can be kept up to date on any changes withing the company.

Thanks