Category: Social Media

  • Digital Marketing: Week 3 update

    My unpopular opinion over Starbucks’ weak marketing to the over 50 crowd in week 2 is addressed to my classmates’ satisfaction and so now it’s on to a lesson on the impact of 3D printing. The digital marketing course takes 6-8 hours per week but I am please to be keeping up with it. I…

  • Getting to know Mike Pence

    I’m reading a little of Mike Pence’s writings to get to know him: “Time for a quick reality check. Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn’t kill.” “Global warming is a myth”. “President Bill Clinton must resign or be removed from the Office of President of the United States” “Congress…

  • Mixing journalism with advertising: dangerous for consumers?

    This article about buying life insurance on the local Patch website is an excellent example of how media is blurring the line between journalism and advertising. It’s a great business strategy but perhaps not so great for consumers. The article points out a very basic and valuable strategy on buying life insurance or any other…

  • A birthday greeting

    A birthday greeting

    Today is my birthday. I was born on this day in 1960 which makes me 46 after application of my election to take a one decade “do over” for lost time; a concept that almost everyone of my age appreciates. In my case this joke is grounded in reality since I spent most of the…

  • What I’m learning (or not) from my marketing consultants

    https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=2EAF4C902F5A1DB1!156446&authkey=!AK8uUjt_OIAyIJk&ithint=video%2cMOV I had a series of unrelated calls with marketing professionals this week and I noticed some trends in the discussion. There are a lot of things I should do differently to support my business goals. Marketing professionals are skilled they are at turning the conversation away from return on investment to the point of making…

  • Scams on Craigslist

    The topic of Craigslist advertising has come in different discussions over the past few months. A marketing consultant suggested that I need to do it for our marina business. One accountant even suggested last week that he was getting work through Craigslist. I am skeptical since almost all of my past Craigslist experience involves scammers in one…

  • A small online marketing milemark

    Late last year I made a decision to change the tone of my online posts so that the readership makeup would be fewer peers (accountants, attorneys, advisers) and more prospective clients (small business owners). Simple and logical, for sure, but this was the first time that I really noticed that most of my online audience…

  • Get the most from your small business accountant

    Get the most from your small business accountant

    your small business accountant is a primary agent of change Small business management is changing rapidly; more dramatically and at a faster pace than we have ever seen before. As a small business CPA I feel that it is important to help clients forecast the impact, tap into and leverage the benefits whenever possible and minimize the damaging impact of…

  • How should a CPA give references?

    A new client asked me if I could give references for tax work. It took me by surprise for a couple of reasons. First, it was the first time I’ve been asked for references since the relaunch of my practice. Second because we had already done a little work together; enough, I thought, for her to…

  • IRS on social media

      A relatively small portion of tax accountants  make heavy use of social media in their efforts to communicate with a wide public audience. The IRS, on the other hand, is seriously involved in almost every major social media platform: IRS2Go.  Use this free mobile app to check your refund status, pay your tax, watch IRS…