Aliza's Biz Talk posts

Best Applications for Managing Your Contacts?

I met someone who had a booth at BizJam Seattle that had a contact management tool similar to Salesforce but not as pricey. Does anyone remember who that was?

And what are YOU using to manage your contacts? I've tried ContactHero but didn't continue to use it. And also have toyed around with SocialMinder. But nothing is really becoming a "habit."

Looking for a Business Plan Writer

Hi all,

I have a client who has a learning disability and cannot write easily. He is working with our local SBDC to develop his business plan but they don't help with actually writing it. He is very frustrated with the writing process but does understand his business and just needs someone to put his words into a plan.

I'm hoping to find a writer for him who has written business plans before. His business is an exclusively online retail fishing gear company.

Anyone know someone who has a great way with words, business savvy and a whole lot of patience? Please put them in touch with me so I can make an introduction to my client.

Where to stay during BizJam Seattle?

I'm looking for a great place to stay during BizJam Seattle - not familiar with Seattle so not sure what is nearby.

Looking forward to meeting folks!

What Do You Want from BizJam Seattle 2008?

This post is both general and specific. I'm wondering not only what everyone who is attending BizJam Seattle 2008 wants to get out of it, but also which of the 3 topics I'm proposing will be of most interest to you.

What I hope to get out of BizJam: Be more connected to like-minded business people who are interested in and embracing social media. I tend to feel pretty isolated up in Alaska so am looking forward to making new connections in the Seattle area.

My three topic ideas:

1. SOCIAL NETWORKS - Marketing your company and cultivating business using social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, etc. - how to assess which ones to use, how to manage more than one, how to connect them all with your site/blog so they aren't floating out there lost in cyberspace.

2. MICROBLOGS - Marketing your company and cultivating business using microblogs - how can small businesses really use Twitter, Tumblr, Jaiku and/or Pownce to enhance their brand and disseminate marketing messages? How can microblogs help you sell products or services? Do you really need more than one and if so, how do you manage them all? How do you leverage the social networking side of microblogs?

3. SECOND LIFE - Marketing your company and cultivating business using the social media aspects of the virtual world Second Life. How a small business can realistically use Second Life for brand building and social networking - what are the tools, how do they work with Web-based tools and social networks/microblogs; what kind of budget is reasonable to have a presence in a virtual world that works for your business.

Think of this as Burger King where you can "Have it Your Way." Looking forward to your feedback!