After an eventful four-month period of general craziness, it’s come to a New Year. Solace always takes a back burner to everything else, and of course after Zo?, it’s time to start focusing on it as my next priority.

If I don’t start ramping up the hype, someone else will take my idea and do better with it.

With that, here’s my Goals for Solace for 2008:

1. I need to revamp my storefront around my new methodologies. I no longer teach small classes - the masses have spoken, and they want individual care. People were willing to pay more for an hour of individual time, so that’s what they’ll get.

My big dilemma was how to spread the word that people can come in for an hour and learn ANYTHING, whether it be questions, or something more structured.

I think I did it successfully. I have a new ad campaign called “How will you use YOUR hour?” In the flyer, I give brief descriptions of how others have used their hour. I am very careful to also include use of the word “learning” rather than just “training”. Training implies benefit to the employer. Learning implies personal benefit.

In addition, I am also calling myself a “Technology Coach”, which implies one-on-one personalized care.

Right now, I have notepads free to everyone, especially clients. As they say right on them, “Keep this pad by your computer. When it’s full of your questions, bring it to Solace.”

2. I need to be more retail-oriented to encourage in-the-door traffic. I am in a boutique-retail walking shopping district, complete with coffee/ice cream shops, cafe’s, and a beautiful Victorian strolling park. I am right across the street from the town library and neighborhood pizza parlor. There is lots of foot traffic!

I currently have a fun marketing scheme. All around my office are “Solace” themed things. The coat hooks have “solace for your coats” written above them. I have coffee mugs that say “Solace for your early morning sleepiness.” I want to find computer-related tchochkes to sell, that are gift-quality and unique. Even 1Gig USB drives with “Solace for your data” on them would be perfect.

However, this plan brings me to goal #3:

3. I need to find funding to get a receptionist onsite for at least 20 hours. I have lots of jobs. I am a Lotus Notes and Domino consultant, with many writing contracts in between. I hate the fact that my shop sits empty for too long. A part time receptionist would be able to be a face to the company, and could answer questions and make appointments, which I desperately need right now.

4. I need to write Press Releases until I become one. I am bringing affordable computer learning to everyday users. This is revolutionary, and everyone needs to know about it! My goal is therefore to get a story in at least ONE magazine this year.

5. I need to stick to my “Tuesday night is free friend help” plan. I love helping my friends with their computer issues. However, each friend does not realize that at any given time, there are also 20 other friends requesting help also. There has to be limits and boundaries. Therefore, this year I am instituting a new policy. Tuesday nights are when I help friends. If I am all full on one Tuesday, they can book for next Tuesday.

6. Finally, I need to stop taking every SNAFU that occurs as a sign that I should close up shop. Matt can attest, or maybe I’m just paranoid. But it’s hard not to get discouraged when I pick a night to have a special event, and the power goes out in my shop. Or when I spend money to order custom notepads, and many of them get soaked because I left the car door open overnight when it rained. Trust me, this happens a lot.

Here’s to 2008, let’s see what it brings.

Self-created window poster in storefront:

Why the word “apparently?” Because I had no idea my abstract was even submitted to be one.
I submitted an abstract for the Best Practices track titled “Blogging Best Practices”. This was the description:

Whether you already have a blog or are just thinking about getting started, you’ll walk away with info you didn?t know! This session will cover why you?d want to blog in the first place, creative uses for blogs, blog software options, corporate blogging, how to build your brand, and some quick “Writing 101″ tips to keep your readers happy and coming back!

I didn’t hear anything about it, so I inquired. It couldn’t be used, which was not a big surprise, especially after seeing the AMAZING track listing.

What WAS a surprise, however, was getting this in my email:

Re: Blogging Best Practices

We are pleased to inform you that your BoF session listed above has been chosen as one of the Bofs attendees would most like to see included on this year’s agenda.

Well, cool!

Because this is a “Best Practices” type of discussion, I think I may include a few discussion points such as some creative uses for blogging (such as meeting minutes), and your favorite tips for keeping return visitors to your blog. I also want to talk about potential blog “faux-pas” (if you care about that sort of thing), etc.

What else would you like to discuss?

Oh, and who wants to tell me how you run a BoF? I was a deer caught in the headlights reading THAT email.
Edited: For those that aren’t sure, a “BoF” is a ‘birds of a feather’ discussion at Lotusphere2008. Instead of a formal presentation, I’ll be leading a discussion on the topic above. Think talk show host. This is in response to an email I got from my mom about five minutes after posting this, that said “Congratulations, I think. By the way, what’s a BoF?”

Google has a new, free service for phones: Goog411.

From any phone, dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (800-466-4411). A fast an accurate voice prompter will ask you for a city, state, and name or category listing. It will then walk you through choosing the possible results, will speak the information for each, and then will dial the number for you.

Of course, I had to try it with “Westerly, RI - computer training.”

In no time, the number one listing was announced to me - “Solace, located at 43 Broad street in Westerly.” Apparently, it will read to you any information listed in it’s Google business directory, or send it to your phone as a text message. You can also connect directly to it.

Could they be using this to gather marketing information? Possibly. Do I care? Absolutely not. I use Windows Mobile on my Treo. Fumbling with the dial pad is not a favorite past time of mine, and now I don’t have to. I have Goog411 listed as a speed dial right on my Today screen, so it’s completely hands-free.

I was quite surprised at the speed an accuracy of the voice-recognition software. Apparently, it’s all volume-related. Google has millions of accents, voices, and dialects to use to train it’s software; the “individual” need is now irrelevant.

Try it. Never has looking up information been quite as much fun!

* …begin friendly reminder… *
This is just a friendly reminder to add the LotusUserGroup.org blog to your RSS subscriptions if you haven’t done so already!

As always, anyone is allowed to log in and sound off. I’ve been hosting it during the “off season”, but now that Lotusphere approaches, once again be prepared for some good traffic!

We get all sorts of cool people logging in and telling us which sessions they liked best, how Lotusphere is going for them, and how things are going on the Product Showcase. One thing I really like about it is that it’s a great way to feel like you’re there and get caught up in the good energy if your reading from home.

The URL for the blog isn’t that user-friendly, which I’m trying to see if that can be changed, so here it is:

http://www.lotususergroup.org/blogsphe.nsf

Here’s the RSS excerpts link:

http://www.lotususergroup.org/blogsphe.nsf/stories.rss

* …end friendly reminder… *