What does Greenline Wheels and the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory have in common?

One of the chapters in Rework is titled "Say no by default." The leading quote in that chapter is by Henry Ford, "If I'd listened to customers, I'd have given them a faster horse."

How much time should you spend on Twitter? 

A recent report shows that Twitter and Facebook are equally well-known by Americans. Twitter is known by 87% and Facebook is known by 88% of Americans 12 years old and older. You know about them and almost everybody you have talked to has heard of them. They are the big social media names right now.

Do you know about the Chicago Company 37signals? I've followed this company for years. I've used their product off and on for years. I'm a fan of how they do business. I describe it as Chicago Pragmatic. They are loyal to their business like most Chicagoans are loyal to the Cubs or Sox.

This is an interesting post on the power of empowering the business user. This is what I'm all about as a small business digital coach. From: http://ping.fm/ccj1q

Anyone, anywhere on the internet can write about your business. They might say good things or they might not say good things. The internet is a true democracy in this regard. Thomas Jefferson described democracy as, “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” How does a small business person manage their reputation in this environment?

If you're geeky enough to know what Drupal is, you're probably thinking this is a no-brainer. If you're wondering what the heck Drupal is and thinking this post isn't for me, you should be brave and take a look.

You can find my original blog about technology at http://technologykudzu.spaces.live.com/. I may one day move some of the ideas forward, but for now you can look at the past.

A good web site is one that meets its business objectives. Okay, that's obvious. How does a web site become successful and reach its business objects? Form and function.  The site has to function to meet the user needs of gathering information, being entertained,  or placing an order. The site form should be usable, and maybe even pleasing to the user.

Have you thought about getting your small business on the web? Everybody tells you to try this site or that site. It really made their business take-off. Maybe you already have put some stuff on the web and are wondering if it is doing you any good.