When social networking fledgling giant Twitter began to pick up speed and gain popularity last year, all I heard from clients was, “I don’t want to get on it because I couldn’t care less when someone goes to the store, sees a good program on t.v. or is sitting on their porch doing nothing.

I couldn’t agree more.

But then we all started hearing how staggeringly useful it was when a hotel was bombed by terrorists in Southeast Asia – the “tweeters” getting the story out to the world before the media could comprehend what had happened. Again, when unrest hit Iran and their government imposed a media blackout, Twitter was asked by the U.S. government to delay their maintenance cycle so that the flow of information from that beleaguered country was not impeded. I myself used Twitter to warn locals of a water main break and to avoid that area like the plague and recently to warn my clients of the health warning of a salmonella outbreak in eggs across the United States.

What does all this tell us?

That Twitter is a force for either good or evil, depending on who you follow in your network.

It is easy to blame the other guy for their tweets, but since we cannot control the actions of others, doesn’t it make more sense to take the responsibility of harnessing Twitter’s power for good and choose who we follow more carefully? Take a few seconds when considering whether to follow someone or not and do a quick scan of their last few tweets…are they garbage or are they useful, inspiring, uplifting and motivational information? Choosing to association with people that tweet with care will also reflect better of our character to others who choose to follow us. No one with a busy networking schedule wants to follow someone who follows gossipers and time-wasters, or worse, someone who constantly swears…if you really need to follow people like that, get a private Twitter account and follow such people anonymously. You will find it will make life a lot easier.

Follow me at: http://twitter.com/civicsitedesign . If you tweet responsibly, I will gladly follow you back.

My roommate Darc, worked on a project recently that paid off big dividends for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Her company was hired by Daniel Logan (the young Boba Fett in “Attack of the Clones”) to create an artistic stormtrooper helmet celebrating the Maori tribe of his native New Zealand. Our friend Shawna carved the actual design and Darc did the paintjob (which, btw, made it look like wood. Not an easy trick on fiberglass!). The helmet went to auction and brought in the highest bid at $3,500.00! Way to go, Darc!

Another tip…some forums (like one I discovered tonight), actually tell you how many people are viewing that topic RIGHT NOW. Go there – post, comment, participate. That will get you noticed.

Come back and tell us how that worked for you. We want to know!

Is it because I optimize for search engines? Ha! My specialty is Website Design providing, NOT spending endless amounts of time chasing after the big-dog search engines begging them, tricking and bribing them to be listed. Take a look at that blog and tell me here why you think it got the attention of the search engines. Any opinions? I’ll tell you when I get some comments on your theories.

The WebMistress

I am also taking some time off of a networking group I have helped nurture and grow over the past year. Right before the college I realized I had outgrown it…I hope that doesn’t sound pompous or arrogant. Instead it feels like it isn’t meeting my networking needs any more and that I need something more challenging. Quite often we all go through contemplation periods in our lives. This being a Mercury Retrograde cycle right now offers me the best chance to sit down and reevaluate it’s worth in my life with the best possible chances of making a balanced, objective decision about whether I should continue on it with or not.

I had the great, good fortune the morning of April 30th to spend a brief time at breakfast with Quattro teacher Gary de Rodriguez. He was staring, lost in thought, out the window at the vast sea of boats and masts docked just outside the Kona Kai hotel in San Diego (where the college is) and I went over to say Hi and how much I enjoyed his classes when he invited me to sit down.

Though we only spent about 10 minutes talking, it was great to just converse outside class about little things here and there…the kundalini of the planet, where we each were when Kennedy was assasinated, further training for Quattro reps in the Los Angeles area. He expressed a desire to train us in such a way that we “don’t even mention sales during our presentations”, making them all about the service Quattro provides and how important it is to the future of small business owners and entrepreneurs everywhere. It was a great, pleasant start to the morning I will keep among the best memories of our time here at the college.

I learned so much as a student in his class at the Quattro inagural College. The transformations I saw in his Powerful Presentations class among my husband, the students I worked with and the ones who gave their talks at the end of the class were amazing. It was during that 20 hours of instruction with him that I felt us as a community at the Quattro College really bond to each other. Having that brief time to talk at breakfast during the college, too, was a joy and a rare moment. I can’t wait for him to come to L.A. to give us more instruction. I will be there, whatever it takes!

The next step in business evolution for me, I believe, is to become a better salesperson. To learn more about how to sell my products and myself, to learn more about how the world of business works, and especially about who is not only surviving, but thriving in this downturned economy and more importantly WHY they are thriving. Even before the economy turned, about a year, year and a half ago, I realized that jewelry and cell phone purse retail sales were not going to cut it in bringing in enough money for me. I followed what the Universe seemed to be guiding me to do, and that was website design. When the economy killed my retail sales half a year later, it began bringing me more opportunities for expanding my website design clientele and so I went back to school to get some more education in the Adobe CS3 suite. But that was only the beginning of my evolutionary journey.

Now, in April 2009, my research into this area has me sitting at the inagural opening ceremonies of a new business college created by Quattro University. This is a large, financial chance we are taking, but in a sense it was also a no-brainer. With our 401ks hemmoraging money every month, they no longer served our purpose where they were. They are better invested into sharpening our business and entrepreneural skills. Remember, give a man a fish (or a job) and you’ll sustain them for a time. Teach them to fish (or run a business as an entrepreneur) and they will not only feed themselves, but they will be able to adapt and adopt to changes in the economy. And, as Quattro teaches, they will be able to “pay it forward” so everyone around them who are willing to listen will also benefit.

The paraphrase is: “Be careful what you say in emails.”

What was said, “There has been a lot of negativity in the emails back and forth on this upcoming project…many seem to think we are the enemy, but the truth is, we aren’t AND you need us to fund your project.”

My long-time experience with sending emails and seeing the repercussions of poorly-worded/tactless emails made me sit there and silently agreement with this man. He had the grace and tact to word it in such a way as to not make it look like the friendly warning it was, and while I applaud him for his decorum, at the same time I feel sorry for him.

He is fighting an uphill battle against the anger ineffective government has engendered in today’s common people. Whether he or his department is guilty of the all too common funding shenanigans that run rampant in any City Hall, he is still a victim of it, as were the upset constituent, you and I. There is a time and a place for such ventings of one’s anger at officials or the “system”, BUT it is never at a volunteer meeting, or on an email list going to the very people one is accusing. I guess this must be a lesson learned, and not common sense, and of course, when tempers run high, ALL sense and common sense go flying out the window and back into the mouth of the horse who just said it (hence the title of this piece).

What amazed me is the fact that as soon as this official said this, someone spoke up right away (gee, I wonder who sent the email?) and added to the fire by reiterating what was in the emails. Gee, he wasn’t listening, was he? In this day and age in the United States/California, expecting government to have tons of money to throw at small, community projects when their budget is getting cut and their staff is let go is positively ludicrous. But I digress…

…back to the main point, at least in this blog. If you are in business, and I will capitalize this for emphasis, RE-READ THAT EMAIL BEFORE YOU SEND IT! Would you tell that person this to their face if you were face-to-face? I look at words spoke like pointing a gun – if you are going to point it, say it, email it, YOU BETTER BE PREPARED TO USE, DEFEND AND LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT HURLED VERBAL BULLET!!!

Don’t burn your business bridges because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut long enough to rethink that stupid, thoughtless, antagonistic comment you felt it was your God-given right to say. Sure, you have a right to say anything you want, but if it hurts someone else or your business for future, potential business, you better think twice or be prepared to live with the consequences of fewer friends in life and less business.

Civic Site Design now offers online, real-time help with your computer problems through CrossLoop.com. CrossLoop is a free service that installs a desktop icon that you can click to contact us anytime you have a question or problem with your computer. This way we can troubleshoot your problems over the phone without having to make an appointment to come over! Quick, easy and convenient, contact us about setting you up as a client with the ease of online service today.

This company started out as a side project that was born during a neighborhood residents meeting. A local school owner was threatening to put yet ANOTHER school right across from one in our small area of the San Fernando Valley and having TWO SCHOOLS already within two blocks of each other was taxing the resident’s nerves as it was. Noise, garbage thrown onto our streets and lawns during lunch hour, traffic in the morning and early afternoon, reckless teenage drivers were already annoying and the occasional escalated nuisance in the case of the trash, but the horrible pollution belched from the tailpipes of LAUSD school busses already made it intolerable to be out during these pick up and drop off times in what was otherwise a beautiful neighborhood. With the announcement of this pending yet-another-school in our midst project, we had finally had it. Since I was the only one of the neighbors at the time that created websites, I volunteered to take on the task of creating a new one to fuel our cause against this negative, neighborhood-degrading project. We fought them and won.

I guess that is why I love non-profit organizations and heeded my business consultant’s advice to take them on as my exclusive territory in the over-populated world of website developers. That first project showed me that the regular guy CAN successfully fight City Hall. We went up against the City of Los Angeles to protect and preserve our neighborhood’s character. It was an awesome win and one I hope encourages everyone in the same situation to fight for their cause no matter how big the other guy is. You not only can win, but they will think twice next time they want to invade your peaceful community with a property development deal that only benefits themselves no matter how much they try to tell you it’s for the benefit of all.

Roll up your sleeves when you are threatened, then call me in to help you fight the fight you need to win for your neighborhood’s, community’s and organization’s sake.