As a real estate broker, I had contracts just as I do now as a web designer.  I discovered a major difference, though.  With my real estate clients, it was easy to hold myself (and them) accountable to a contract.  The Big Bad Real Estate Commission would get me (and them), if we didn't uphold its terms.  There were state and federal laws that had to be followed, and I held myself and my clients to them - end of story.  If a client attempted to break a term or law, I easily, and without hesitation, reminded them of the contract and said that I could not represent them if they wanted to break it - too easy.  I never lost a client due to my being firm with a contract.

These days, I'm the Big Bad Law and Contract Enforcement Agent.  The buck stops here, but it's much easier (or tempting, I should say) to be lenient with my own laws.  Clients break them (or try to), and I worry about feelings and relationships.  Real estate contracts don't care about those things.  They worry about the interests of the parties, and I should know enough (from all the time wearing my broker hat) to worry about the interests of the parties here, in this business.  This time, my parties are not LAW > CLIENT > BROKER/COMPANY > SELF.  They are LAW > ALL MY CLIENTS > CLIENT > BUSINESS > SELF (with the last four parties being interchangeable in priority, depending on the situation and what terms are being broken).

As a business owner, I have to respect the boundaries I've set for myself and the standards I've set for my business.  That's how I protect the interests of my business, myself, and every one of my clients.

Why is law so important?  Why can't we break the rules (or bend them here and there) to accommodate someone?  After all, these are OUR businesses.  We make the rules.

But that's the answer right there.  We made the rules.  We've given a lot of thought (hopefully) to how we want things to run, to the care we want to give to each client and job we take on.  If we don't stick to the rules, we don't stick to those standards of professionalism and service, not just to an individual client who hopes to bend them, but to every other client we hope to serve.

Do relationships matter?  Is there a blurry line between what's business and what's personal?  Aren't our businesses very much personal to us?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Here's the caveat, though.  If we don't maintain some level of order, professionalism, and service, both to our clients and to ourselves, then our businesses become giant doormats, and our clients will no longer want to do business with us.  We have to hold ourselves, our businesses, and therefore our clients to a higher standard, if we hope to be better than many of the other businesses out there (flip on the news, if you need an example or two).

We have decided to be in business for ourselves, and that's very much a personal thing, but just as we are challenged to do as individuals, we must uphold our values in our businesses.  We do that by maintaining the promises we've made to our clients and to ourselves.

We can't argue ourselves down by playing the "personal/relationships/feelings" card, and we can't feel bad about it when we take a stand for our values or our terms.  It's not an easy thing to do, for sure, but very necessary to build that great business we envision.

Like our "success in life" standards, we've come to equate online business success with online celebrity, and they just aren't the same thing.

We look at our "lowly" website traffic and subscriber counts and think that we are somehow falling short, simply because we don't have 25,000 next to our Feedburner ticker, but have you stopped to consider where you are right now and how that positions you on the ladder of YOUR definition of success?

Here's what I mean.

My stats don't come close to the numbers I mentioned, but I can tell you that I'm very close to reaching the financial goals I've set for my business.

For a long time, I had those arbitrary targets in mind.  "I must hit 25,000 readers."  Then I started looking at the real numbers, the ones that count - my bottom line and my work load.  I was very close to being booked solid, there were times when I hired outside help to manage it all, and if I continued on this track, I would very quickly need at least a part-time assistant.

For me, those were numbers I could wrap my mind around, and on top of that, I was starting to realize something about myself.

While I love Michael Port, Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, Darren Rowse, Donny Deutsch, and the like, I know now that I do not want what they have (no offense, guys).  I don't really like the limelight, and having that kind of attention would not be fun for me.  While I love sharing and exchanging with people, I don't want 10,000 followers on Twitter, and I realize now that it doesn't take that to succeed.

So, what does this mean for your business?  It all depends on your goals.  Consider a few questions.

1. Where you are right now?
2. Where you would like to be?
3. How did you get where you are today?
4. How many times would you need to multiply the efforts that it took to get you here in order to reach your ideal level of success?
5. Is that doable?
6. Does it require 10,000 website visitors per month, 25,000 subscribers, or 1,000 true fans? 
7. What does it require?

Think about where you are in relation to your definition of success, and then figure out ways to reach your target, realizing that huge numbers may not be necessary.

There is no one answer for how to market a business.  So, how does that help us?  It doesn't.  Instead, it makes us afraid of missteps.  It makes us afraid of making mistakes, so we sit on the side lines, watching others get ahead, while we hesitate and wait for the foolproof method for getting our names out there.  Only, it never comes.

We study, we read, we over-analyze, but having a lot of information about marketing doesn't make us smart marketers.  If we hope to swim, we have to get in the pool.

So what can we do?  We can get off the side lines and get in the game.  Here's how.

Pick up a good marketing book.  I recommend Michael Port's Book Yourself Solid.  Pick two or three strategies for marketing your business (no more) that:

1. Appeal to your strengths,
2. Are realistic for your time constraints and budget, and
   
3. Make sense for your business.

Once you have your strategies, make a plan for implementation.  Commit to that plan for six months (at a minimum).  And here's the biggie - have faith that your strategies and plan will work.  Trust that there is a tipping point and that that tipping point is the unknown, not the strategies themselves.  At some point in the future, your efforts will hit that tipping point and begin to snowball down the other side of the mountain.  The main thing to tell yourself while you're on this side is that there is a tipping point, and it will come for you and your business.

In the meantime, you work hard - daily, implementing your two or three strategies.

Here's your schedule.

For one-third of your time, focus on administrative type tasks, those "must dos" that don't really contribute to your bottom line, but nonetheless have to be done.

The rest of the time, you're doing one of two things:

1. Billable work OR
2. Implementing your chosen marketing strategies - writing the blog entries, creating the podcasts, sending the mailers, running the online networking circuit, or whatever your tactic may be.  Do these things with your remaining time, no matter how fruitless and pointless they may seem to be.
   

1. Spend at least 2 hours a day continuing to implement your marketing tactics (do those first thing and without fail -- you must keep the pipeline full, no matter what's happening right this second) AND
2. Systematize, delegate everything that you can, and focus on your "highest and best use" activities.

Stop being frozen with fear or analysis paralysis.  Get in the pool.

If your goal is to be a better blogger, then you must write very often.

Sure, there are bloggers who can pull posts from their hats with relative ease.  They start with a blank screen, and somehow a post develops that lands them on Alltop.  For most of us, though, it's just not that simple.

Most days we struggle with the very first step - what to write about.  If we could manage to get past that tiny hurdle, everything else would come much more easily.

But how do you find that endless stream of blog topics?  How do you figure out what's interesting and what is momentary lapses in judgment?  (It sounded like a good post at the time.)

The answer is, keep a journal and write in it daily.  It sounds simple enough, and I'm sure you're thinking, "How is keeping a journal going to help with my blog?"  There are a few ways. 

Finding Fodder
Writing every day will help you come up with "blog fodder," stories and ideas of things you can write about in your blog.  If you write daily and blog only a few times per week, there's a good chance that at least some of what you've written will help you develop a few good posts.

Creating a Habit
Keeping a daily journal gets you into the habit of writing, but without the pressure to hit it out of the park (or even get a base hit).  You're free to write whatever comes to mind, in whatever way you choose to write it, without worrying about offending anyone or getting a good (or bad) grade.

Better Grammar
Writing helps to improve, well, your writing.  The more you do it, the better you'll be at it.

Finding a Voice
Writing helps you develop your own style.  One thing you may hear in the blogosphere is the idea of "finding your voice."  There was a time when I thought that was just a bunch of hype, but I now know that it really can happen and is very important to the success of a blog.  If you're able to find your voice, it will help you connect with your readers and build an audience much more quickly.  I can honestly say that I feel as if I've lost my blogging voice, but there was a time when I had definitely found it.  Knowing that is motivation enough for me to find it again.  Writing every day can help you connect with your own voice and style, and I think nothing is more important than a true voice with which readers can identify.

Find a nice journal, get an even better pen, and set aside some time to write every single day.  Not only will it improve your blog, it will also help clear your mind and maybe even improve your life and business.

I used to bookmark things the "old-fashioned way," using the bookmarking feature in my browser.  I still use that method for more permanent bookmarks (those I intend to use often or that will likely be staple sites in my little arsenal), but now I'm also using StumbleUpon to house those that don't quite fall into that category (ones that need to be researched or tested and those I just want to check out at some point).  Here's how it works.

I've got my little Stumble toolbar (an add-on) in my Firefox browser window.

As I'm browsing the Internet (reading my feeds, researching for a client, etc.), if I come across something I like that doesn't really qualify as a permanent bookmark, I simply click the "I like it!" button.  That's it.  It's stored.

When I remember that I've saved something in StumbleUpon or when I want to look into some of the things I've bookmarked for later, I just click the "Favorites" button in my toolbar,...

The thumbnails are a great memory jogger, too, which is much better than regular bookmarking, and I can quickly get to any of the sites just by clicking the thumbnail.

Too easy.

Try it and then look me up (user name: brownbugproject).  We can share bookmarks and great finds!

The History

About three years ago, I found a new online social network.  I joined, without knowing what I was really doing (social networking was still relatively new to me).

I posted a few blog entries and quickly started getting comments.  I stayed with the network for a couple of years and developed a respectable following.  The atmosphere and community there were great, and I enjoyed being part of it all.

Then things changed.  Many of the members I knew moved on to other interests, and the network was not quite the same.  I went back and forth for a while, trying to get things back as they were, but ultimately decided to move on.

A More Recent History

Not long ago, I decided that I missed the connections I had there and decided to get back into online networking.  After all, I had developed a lot of great relationships as a result of my efforts there, many of which had greatly contributed to my business.

It wasn't long, and I became disappointed with how things were going (not at all like what I had experienced before).

Finally Getting It

Then it hit me.  I realized what I had gotten from my time at that network. 

When I first started blogging there, I wrote about things I thought were relevant to the network.  After a little while, I started throwing in posts that had more personality than purpose (well, maybe they had a little bit of purpose).

I started getting a lot of positive feedback from the other members.  I got a lot of "Nice post" types of comments, but I also heard a lot of really valuable and helpful comments about the style of my writing and how the readers connected with it.

What I realize now is that, while I enjoyed the networking side of things and the more "surface-level" comments, what I really got out of it was a deeper understanding of who I was, and by developing my writing, I was also developing much deeper relationships than I ever could have with only "surface-level" interactions.

Something Real

I realize now that, for me, surface-level connections and followings don't matter so much, and with some of the social media and networking sites all that's available is that type of interaction.

Sure, if writing is all that I do, it will take longer to develop a respectable following, but what I've learned is, two or three real connections can mean one hundred times more than two or three hundred surface ones.

So, I'm not going to worry so much about doing things that don't fit with my style or personality, and I'll let the chips (or pegs) fall (or fit) where they may.

I’ll get that to you in two seconds. 
Give me two seconds. 
That’ll take two seconds – too easy.

Setting up the ideal workspace is a good place for the two-second rule.  I like everything within reach, everything accessible, and if I can make it so that as many tasks as possible can be done in (you guessed it) two seconds, I’m that much happier and more productive.

My workspace has been driving me slightly bananas over the past few days.  I finally got my main computer back from being repaired, so I’ve been reinstalling software and restoring files for three days now.  One thing it has made me think about is how big of a difference it makes when a workspace is as streamlined as possible.

One example, I use Cooliris to send links of things I find on the web.  I send them to myself several times a day, and it’s a tool that I completely take for granted…until I don’t have it. 

It allows me to simply right-click on the page and press “Send,” and it goes to my email box.  This is good for a few reasons.  One, it’s easy.  Two, it’s fast.  Three, it helps me avoid getting distracted by surfing the web throughout the day.  If I come across something I’d like to check out, I email it to myself for later.

Without this one little browser add-on, I’m finding myself wasting time and losing track of things.

Cooliris is just the tip of the iceberg, and I know it will take me several weeks or more to get things back the way I like them.

The good thing is, restoring a computer always helps me find new and better ways to streamline my work, so I know that when I’m done with this, I’ll be very glad for the improvements.

An efficient workspace isn’t about gadgets and gizmos and toys; it’s about helping get things done quickly and effortlessly. 

So what are some of the tools you can use to spruce up or fine-tune your workspace?  Here are some ideas.

Get a good web browser.
I use Firefox, and the latest version is pretty fast.  I do not like Internet Explorer (not in a box, not with a fox, not in a house, not with a mouse).  There are many reasons I prefer Firefox, but my main ones are speed and customization.

Get good browser add-ons.
Although there are too many Firefox add-ons to mention, all created to enhance your online experience, I’ll say that my favorites are ColorfulTabs, Cooliris Previews, Forecastfox, Foxmarks Bookmarks Synchronizer, Google Toolbar for Firefox, PDF Download, Session Manager, and StumbleUpon Toolbar.  (Try searching for them by name, as new versions tend to roll out pretty regularly.)

Set up your bookmarks toolbar.
If there’s one thing that will save you time and energy, it’s putting buttons to your most-frequented websites in your browser’s bookmark toolbar.  Click a button and you’re there.

Use good programs and applications.
There are so many online apps (many of them free) that will make your life and work so much easier.  My favorites are Gmail, Google Reader, Jott, GoPlan, any and all 37Signals apps, Pandora (gotta have some music!), Carbonite, and DropBox.  (Most of these applications are the buttons that make up my browser’s bookmark toolbar.)

Make sure everything is within reach.
Whether it’s your stapler or your computer-based files, everything should be readily accessible and at arm’s length.  If you sigh at the thought of having to get or do something, chances are it’s not very accessible.  Also, any resource materials (checklists, phone numbers, or other information you reference frequently) should be nearby or in eyesight.

Set things up so that work flows easily.
If you’re right-handed, for instance, you need enough space on the right side of your desk for your mouse, as well as to write.  You want things to be comfortable, not cumbersome or crowded.

Get rid of the clutter and chaos.
As much as we all probably hate to admit it, clutter and the lack of organization can be a major distraction and frustration.  Straighten up.  You’ll be so relieved when it’s done.

Your workspace can make a big difference in how productive you are each day.  Take some time (make a weekend project out of it) and find ways to improve your working environment.  You’ll be much more efficient, not to mention happier after eliminating or at least reducing some of those little time-wasters around you.

It’s a fun post about how pronouns can take away from our search engine optimization and that, by replacing those with nouns (paying careful attention to how our posts sound), we can improve our SEO with this one simple trick.

As Jeff and Albert Andreas Armadillo say in combination, “You see a pronoun was made to take the place of a noun, but saying all those pronouns over and over again really brings your SEO and YEO results down.”

Here’s what they mean.

If you were an expert on purple-spotted alligators that live in the Florida Everglades (not real, in case you were wondering), you could write something like this…

Although the purple-spotted alligator has been seen in rivers and lakes as far away as Louisiana, it is mainly found in the freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades.  It is a reptile that survives by eating fish, turtles, mammals, and birds.

…or like this…

Although the purple-spotted alligator has been seen in rivers and lakes as far away as Louisiana, the purple-spotted alligator is mainly found in the freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades.  The purple-spotted alligator is a reptile that survives by eating fish, turtles, mammals, and birds found in the Florida Everglades.

Of course, you wouldn’t want to be so obvious with your attempts to optimize your posts, but if your goal is to generate consistent web traffic to your site, you definitely want to find a happy medium between using keywords effectively and making your posts interesting and easy to read.

Take the time to review for keywords (aka nouns) to be sure you aren’t replacing them too often with ineffective (aka useless) pronouns.  Otherwise, you might be throwing your posts to the wind.

I’m convinced that online social networking is not a one-size-fits-all type of thing.  We each have to figure out what will work for us depending on our availability, preferences, and needs.  I know that some of these will likely not make the cut in the end, but I’m willing to give them a try.

If you use any of these services, be sure to add me as a connection, and please share any tidbits you have for making the most of them in the comments below.

Also, let me know if you have recommendations for other social media or networking sites, outside of those listed here.