I am a strong believer in following my intuition and the “guidance” that I receive on a daily basis. When I do this, I often experience amazing synchronicities. Tonight was no exception.

I was undecided about how to spend my evening and tried to make last minute plans to see a film at the local art house. In the end I decided to go with my original plan, which was to attend a nearby outdoor Artisan’s Fair. It was a lovely summer evening and several friends were showing their work, so I went to the reception. It was the perfect Friday night event.

I left about 7:45pm, and on my way home I swung by Stop and Shop to pick up a few items that I knew were not available in any other store. I had this on my “To Do” list for almost 2 weeks and for various reasons had not yet completed the task. I could have scolded myself days earlier when I still had not run this errand, but I find that when I appear to be “procrastinating” or not doing what I think I “should” be doing, there is always a good reason and an auspicious outcome as a result of the delay.

That was certainly the case this evening when I ran into Chris Brogan in the produce department. If you are not familiar with Chris, he is one of the world’s most respected bloggers and social media marketing experts. I have followed him closely for the last few years and met him at Boston’s Inbound Marketing Summit last October. He was also gracious enough to welcome me to blogging almost a year ago by sending a tweet to over 95,000 of his followers on the day I launched.

So to say it made my day to see him in the grocery store, is an understatement. But that’s not even the best part. After I asked to take a photo, to which he kindly agreed, we chatted about his mom’s recent birthday and his switch from the WordPress Thesis theme to the Genesis theme. (these are affiliate links)

When he found out that I am a Thesis Web Designer he asked me what types of businesses I serve. I told him small businesses – that I had recently contracted with a solo entrepreneur, a property management company and an employee benefits management firm. Chris told me that his followers have often thought he was a Thesis designer himself because he promoted the WordPress theme. He then offered to send me Thesis site design referrals.

After picking my jaw up off the floor and probably bumbling over my words, I pulled a business card out of my pocket and handed it to him.

I carry my cards on my at all times. I am known for hounding colleagues to always carry business cards with them. I often spout off, “You never know when or where you’ll instantly need a business card…and by not having one you can miss a huge opportunity!”

And here I was in that ultimate moment, that we only hope for. But within a micro-second my business card was in the hand of one of the most influential marketing experts in the world.

Was all of this mere coincidence or dumb luck?

I don’t think so. I have been working very hard recently and have been attracting more and more clients. I am not having to work at it. I am committed and more often than not, in an attitude of “allowing.” I am no longer resisting my own success. Okay – maybe an itty bitty amount sometimes when I get scared…but for the most part I am “letting it in.”

Letting what in?

Letting in the folks that want and need what I have to offer.
Letting in positive energy.
Letting in more self value and my willingness to shine.

It takes practice and most of all it takes courage. Being successful means taking full responsibility. It requires a lot of me.

I’m up for it.

And I’ll give you my business card to prove it!

Will you?

I guess it’s no secret, but I’ve had this romance developing with a real hottie named FB. I’ve grown quite fond of FB, and I’m rather attached. I guess I should have done a background check before I got involved. Maybe I should have played the field. But FB is so attractive and we have so much fun together!

I really feel heard in the relationship. FB sees me and knows who I am. Plus the relationship has helped my business. Not to mention FB’s extended family who has welcomed me so warmly.

Now I find out that FB is not who I thought (hoped) s/he was. I thought I could trust FB, but now I’m not so sure. The relationship is so one-sided – with no consideration of me. Everything is on FB’s terms. And now I find out that s/he’s been talking – telling my secrets all over town!

Am I being played for a fool? At first I looked the other way. I didn’t want to believe what I was hearing. How could those things be true? No, I don’t want to know. Love is blind.

I know I’m in denial and deserve better, but I love FB! And I love FB’s extended family. They are always there for me.

Maybe FB can change. If I love FB enough, I know s/he will change. If I love FB enough s/he will become trustworthy and respectful. I know FB really loves me but just doesn’t know how to show it. Maybe FB had a difficult childhood and doesn’t understand the meaning of healthy boundaries or privacy. Maybe there’s a rehab program for abusive social networks. Yes, that’s it! – a 28 day program. An intervention! Maybe FB’s extended family will participate in an intervention and get FB into treatment.

I don’t want it to end. I hate to admit it, but it’s FB’s extended family that I will miss the most. Will I lose contact with them? Where will we meet? Can we find a new place to hang out? What will the impact be on my business? FB introduced me to so many people – from all over the world.

I need more time. I can’t just leave. I’ve invested too much. I’m not even sure FB will let me leave. I might not even get my stuff back.

How can I bear this loss? Will I find another? Can I ever trust again?

How can you mend a broken social network?….

Seriously – Will Facebook get its act together? Or will we all have to click the big “Unlike” button and go elsewhere?

Here’s the SlideShare format of the presentation I gave to the Port City Women’s networking gathering in March 2010.

No tiny detail screams “unprofessional” more than an outdated website copyright. That little line of type at the bottom of your site can translate to “another not-on-the-ball small business owner” to your visitors.

Maybe you think few people notice, but don’t be so sure. I’ve seen so many websites with copyrights two and three years old. There’s nothing with more potential negative impact that is easier to fix.

An outdated copyright raises questions from your visitors like:

• Are they still in business?
• Does anyone visit this website?
• Is this web content still current?

This seemingly small inaccuracy points out your lack of attention to detail and/or ability to meet deadlines. That may not be true of you or your business, but as a web visitor, that’s the red flag in my face.

It’s the equivalent of a typo on a resume. That one simple error raises doubt about your competency and efficiency.

Many of you will have to shell out at least 50 bucks for your web manager to change those two digits. And if you are not a techie, you may not know that the date only has to be changed in one spot behind the scenes, and every page will be updated.

I know you don’t want to spend that money. But do it. And do it no later than the first week in January. And while you’re at it, update anything else that’s stale on your site. Your webmaster will likely charge the same price even with a few additional updates.

Or maybe it’s time for a Web Content Makeover. The new year is a great time to freshen up your site. What is your site lacking that your visitors will find of value?

Your website is the hub of your online presence. You can be crankin out social media posts till the cows come home, but if all that effort sends your contacts to a stale site with nothing compelling them to stay and look around, you’re wasting your time.

Make it your resolution to improve your web content. Better content means more traffic and more customers. How’s that sound for 2010?

Happy New Year and thanks for reading!

1/3/10 Update: I use the WordPress Thesis Theme for this site (and the sites I design) and I just learned how to add the code that will automatically update the copyright for me!

For those of you who still think that online connections result in avoiding face to face contact with “real” people – you are absolutely wrong – they don’t – in fact 93% of the time, digital connections do the opposite. (I made up the 93%, but that’s my sense of it)

Obviously, if you’re someone who is already disconnected and have difficulty relating to people, perhaps you will stay isolated. But if finding friends and business associates in cyberspace is the best you can do, than good for you!

But for those who want to be more connected, but perhaps are shy and don’t have a dazzling or magnetic personality, the digital world can level the social playing field and help you get more in the game of your social circles. It’s a dream come true for introverts (more about that in a future post). I feel more and more connected all the time. Being self-employed and alone in my office for most of the day, the online communities provide a welcome relief to isolation.

The digital world also provides previously impossible opportunities for lost connections. A few weeks back, an old friend from 30 years ago found me because of my strong online presence. How cool is that? I’m sure you’ve had that same experience if you have your own website or participate in Facebook or other social media venues. And all the more reason to crank up your social media efforts.

Without the Internet and search ability, there are many people I would have never seen or heard from again. We lost touch and had no way of finding each other, short of a pricey private investigator. Today we all have a number of free private investigators at our disposal. Use them – reach out and find those from your past that you want to reconnect with to say hello, to un-burn bridges, make amends, pay back the hundred bucks, offer forgiveness, or whatever. Keep it positive. Don’t look up those who will bring you down or with whom you have a bone to pick. For those folks – send them a prayer or blessing, instead.

The only word of caution about looking for people from your past, is if you are in a committed intimate relationship, it may not be wise to look up old flames unless you absolutely know you are in a clean space with them. Be honest with yourself about your motives. Tell your partner and be fully transparent in your reconnecting. And if you get together in person, invite them to your home to meet your partner. (sorry for the personal life aside, but this is a potential danger zone and deserves the advice of consciousness and caution).

Reconnecting with old friends and colleagues can also help you find a job or offer possibilities for professional collaboration or business deals. Two of my recent reunions hold this promise.

So why not cast your web of connection even farther? Do a little time travel online. Reach out and click someone! You never know what positive outcome might be in store.

Is it just me? Or do most people want to see a photo of who they might do business with online? I personally can’t imagine hiring someone to provide a service without being able to see what they look like. If it’s a product it might not be a deal-breaker for me but when your picture is not there I feel uneasy. I know I’m a visual person but I need to SEE YOU! This is a trust issue. If your picture is not there I wonder what you are hiding? This is not all that different from online dating – the profiles with photos get 90% more views.

On Facebook I have this thing that even if I know you, I am hesitant to confirm a friend request until you show your face. It’s not called Facebook for nothing you know! On that venue, I realize there might be a technical issue for people who don’t know how to upload a photo.

When I come to your business website I want to see who I am dealing with. If it’s a solo operation it’s an absolute necessity. If it’s a small to medium sized company I want to see who founded it, who runs it, etc. In that case it’s partly curiosity but it is still a trust issue. Come out of the cyber shadows and show me and tell me who you are. I have bought many products online from solo entrepreneurs and I guarantee that if you show your face and tell me something about yourself, I will head to your shopping cart twice as fast and often on my first visit to your site.

Some companies don’t mention the management team at all, much less feature their bios with photographs. Why would they not do this? The same goes for books I buy – I immediately search for the author’s photo on the back cover or inside flap – and I am sorely disappointed when all I find is text. I want to know who you are. I have always had this curiosity and desire to see who’s behind the curtain of the company with whom I am considering a transaction…or the writer who poured years of themselves into writing their novel. Okay, I rarely read novels…but when I’m reading WordPress for Business Bloggers, why can’t I see Paul Thewlis?

And now in this age of Social Media engagement for businesses, it is a necessity to have photographs of yourself and at least your top managers or partners.

Business is more and more personal. The personal touch is not just a nice addition – it is essential.

What are your thoughts on this? How important is it to you that the About Page include photos?