Dominic's Biz Talk posts

Hey, Marketing Genius!

I'm launching a startup and I need your help.

As many of you know, I come from a marketing background myself, but I also love brainstorming with other smart marketers.

So here's the situation...

Company: Dibspace.com - A barter currency for indie businesses. Launched almost four weeks ago. Currently about 300 members.

Target: Indie businesses such as massage therapists, consultants, electricians, and other service-based businesses. The idea is that you post the open space in your workday, people "Dib" on it, and when you do a job, they pay you in the site currency which you then spend on offers from other members.

Current Marketing: Mostly word of mouth driven by bribery. We pay in site credits for signing up, posting offers and inviting friends. And the site is free so there's not much disincentive. I'm on Twitter (30 followers). I'm starting a blog. I sent out a press release to local media (minimal response). Posted on Craigslist (worked great but was flagged and removed).

Here's what I need your help with:
First, how to get to indie businesses. Biznik, of course, is a great place for that, but how can we branch out? Could be blogs, professional organizations, um... Facebook, special promotions, or PR stunts like maybe getting Nadya Suleman to barter one of her octuplets for psychotherapy.

Next - how to get users actually using the site. Right now we're getting a lot of sign ups, and a pretty good amount of offers, but there's not a lot of interaction between members and not a lot of completed transactions. In other words, how do turn a bunch of lookie-loos into a strong, vibrant community? To help with this, we added a "Follow" feature (which kicks ASS, btw). It's helped but I'm sure there are other awesome features I haven't thought about.

OK, who's sparking with ideas? Given the dire state of the national economy, Dibspace could be a real life saver for indie businesses across this great land of ours. So how do we get it there?

What would you do?

Welcome to Barter Club

This group is all about trading so feel free to post anything about what you have to trade, what you're looking for, tips and ideas, questions, etc.

ALSO, the more people we have, the better this will work, so use the Invite Others feature on the Club's main page. The Biznik folks did an awesome job so it only takes about a minute to invite your contacts.

Thanks, and welcome to the Club.

A Virtual Currency for Indie Businesses

Hi Everyone, I wanted to let you know about the site I just launched. It's called Dibspace.com and basically it's a way for us indie businesses to keep hiring each other even in the midst of this collapsing economy.

Not only is it super awesome. It's also free. And better yet, we load you up with credits just for joining.

See you there! Dominic

Business Boot Camp, Anyone?

I've been looking for new and better ways to help out the Indies and I think I've come up with a good one. Love it or hate it, I'd love the feedback.

From what I've seen, and I've seen a lot, with most independent businesses the greatest hurdle is not lack of ideas, motivation or even money. Indies tend to be powerful idea-machines and you can always hire someone to help make your ideas better. Most of us are highly motivated. And building a business isn't that expensive, and when it is there's always loans.

The biggest problem facing Indies is actually lack of focus and discipline. There's a lot of wheel-spinning and not a lot of progress.

To address that issue, the core issue, the Root Cause, if you will, I'm considering putting together a kind of Business Boot Camp. It would be like an accountability group with a (friendly) drill sergeant.

I'm thinking the group could meet every other week for about two months. This should give us enough time to get everyone set up with their core marketing system.

Of course it could also be free form.

Or it could be purpose-driven. A Bloggers Boot Camp, for example, where you graduate when you have a full and marketable blog. (posts, design, etc)

Or it could be something I've never thought of.

What do you all think? What would truly help you turn your business into all that you know it can be?