No Frankensteins!!!

Over the last four years of developing software we have seen the industry move into a lot of different areas like outsourcing, open source, freeware and many other innovative fields that come along with the software industry.  From the outside it looks very inspirational and exciting but sometimes we do not see the dark and shady side that is also there.

There are many great companies and talented people putting out great web products and solutions that make it easy and exciting to try new concepts and ventures.  It seems like everybody these days is a “web guy” or “web expert” who is very optimistic that they can put together anything you need by piecing web products and solutions together to make it do whatever you want.  Many people are looking for that diamond in the rough “web guy” that will make it all happen for them for a fraction of the cost. Some tell you that you can get the software for free but is it all that it is cracked up to be?

From the entrepreneur standpoint, it is like a dream come true.  We can try an idea without many barriers (i.e. costs) and see if it works. But what happens when we find it is a good concept and we need to build a business around it?  This is where it gets somewhat difficult.

Although there are many very good standalone web products and solutions out there, they do not necessarily work well together.  At first, it might work ok for a time but when there is a problem there is usually no customer or technical support to fix the problems.

In most cases there will be a forum where you can post a question in the hopes that someone will help.  Actually, there was a time in our early years that we used a few products that were built by other programmers and we tried to use them in our system.  One did work for a bit and it did some of the functionality we needed but when we tried to customize it to fit the needs of our clients, it seemed almost impossible. And why did that happen? Because, programming software is somewhat of an art form and is done differently by every individual. So, the product may have great functionality but for another programmer to go in there and work on it, they will need to study how
it was built to be able to make changes to it.  The more sophisticated the functionality, the more difficult it is to learn, fix or customize the system.  On that last example, we finally got in touch with someone that could do what we needed done but they wanted to charge us more than it would have cost us to fix it ourselves.

Yes,  you can get a good shopping cart system from one provider, an email marketing solution from another provider, a pre-built social network from yet another provider but then you still need a host for your website and someone to put it all together and maintain it.  All this could drive an entrepreneur crazy over time, not to mention the high turnover rate of programmers and designers in the industry.  We have heard more horror stories of how some have gone with the one “web guy” that they felt was a genius, and then come to the realization and panic that there is no one there to fix your system because they did not actually build it. Meanwhile clients are getting very frustrated and going other places to do business. There is one question we would recommend you ask if you are evaluating “web guys”; have they built a system like the one you want built from SCRATCH?  This will quickly tell you their skill level and if they will be able to take care of you when problems happen.

We have coined a term for this as a “Frankenstein” or “Building a Frankenstein”.  This term come from the tale of the Monster of Frankenstein where the Doctor tried to piece together parts to build the perfect human and how it turned into a disaster.  This is what we have seen through some of our past clients’ experiences also.

Here at The Connection Center, we offer 24/7 full managed support for all our clients so they can do what they do best while we take care of everything else.  We offer a one-stop-shop for products and services to make your business flourish.  Our services include everything from basic to very high-end dynamic database-driven social network and ecommerce websites, as well as a full team for you to use for marketing (traditional and online), writing newsletter and content for blogs, and we will even answer the phone for you if need be.  We are here to serve you in any area of need.  Our goal is to leverage our global network and offer all products and services at better rates and higher quality than you can do it yourself.

If you are interested in building a business for the future and want a company that will be a great support system for you, contact TheConnection Center @ www.theconnectioncenter.com or 888-472-5828.

Now is the Time to Build Your NETWORK!

In these days of mounting fears about the recession, and people holding on to their money, a lot of companies and small businesses are pulling back into themselves; They are afraid to reach out to their customers, to network and bring in new business. Money is an issue, they say to themselves we can’t afford new projects, or try new things.

This is absolutely the wrong sort of thinking, in my opinion. Now is the time to build your network, not run away from it! Humans have the need to connect to each other, especially in times of crisis, and this definitely counts as a crisis. It is time to bring new people into your circle, seek new ideas, get the word out about what you are doing, and help others.

But, how do I do this? How can I expand my network without spending a lot of money on advertising?

There are a number of ways to expand your network of connections that 1) do not cost a lot in money; and 2) are very productive.

Networking on the Web is very effective these days, as more and more people are turning to their computers for answers. By building a network on your ConnectionCenter website, and letting people know about it, you can expand your reach and thus your brand / product/ service.

Ok, so I have a network on my ConnectionCenter site. Now what? Now you need to reach out by using social media websites.  A new study by Forrester shows that 75% of the US population is now using social media in some form (including just reading blogs).

Wait, what is social media? Think of social media as word of mouth. People getting together online to discuss their recommendations of what movies to see, what products to buy, and who to buy them from. A good metaphor for social media is two neighbors talking over a backyard fence. Only, with social media, you are talking with 30,000 neighbors.

You need to become active on social media websites in order to attract people to your network. Now, I am not saying that you need to run right out and sign up with every social network out there. No, you need to carefully evaluate each website to see if it fits your needs.

By this, I mean, whom are you trying to reach? If you want to reach business people, then you need to be on LinkedIn.com, or Facebook.com. Yes, I said, Facebook. The average age of people on Facebook is 37, and there are a lot of business networks on there.

If you want to reach people interested in health matters, or food, you need to look for these types of websites. And they are out there, believe me.

Once you are on such a network, the best way to start talking to people is by offering information and advice. Be helpful. Answer questions and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Once you have done this, you can then suggest that people might be interested in your network, and invite them over.

Within your network on your ConnectionCenter website, you can encourage people to talk to each other, help each other out, and invite their friends in as well. Keep in mind that you will need to monitor your network and answer your people’s questions as the network moderator. Networks do not grow themselves; they need a little watering and helpful dabs of advice to keep them alive. But once they take off, you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Anita Cohen-Williams

Social Media Expert

Connection is a BIG word!

When you think of Connection what comes to mind? Some people may think of Love Connection and others may think of the TV Connection. Some say Connections are Power or Connections run the World.

What does the word “Connection” mean to you?

Webster defines it as:

1: the act of connecting : the state of being connected: as a: causal or logical relation or sequence connection between two ideas> b (1): contextual relation or association connection the word has a different meaning> (2): relationship in fact connection with a robbery> c: a relation of personal intimacy (as of family ties) d: coherencecontinuity

2 a: something that connects : link connection in the wiring> b: a means of communication or transport connection>

3: a person connected with another especially by marriage, kinship, or common interest connections>

4: a political, social, professional, or commercial relationship: as a: positionjob b: an arrangement to execute orders or advance interests of another connections> c: a source of contraband (as illegal drugs)

5

: a set of persons associated together: as a: denomination b: clan

As you can see here, Connection has a lot of different meanings and touches us in every aspect of our lives. I would say it might be one of the most important words we have. Even bold enough to say… Connection is everything!

Did you know that you will go crazy without human Connection? Tom Hanks showed a good depiction of this in the movie “Cast Away”. He was stranded on an island for an extended period of time because of a plane crash. He eventually drew a human face on a volleyball and named it “Wilson” to have a friend to talk to. As the movie went on he demonstrated how much Connection is needed.

Have you heard of the Six Degrees of Separation? The theory goes; everyone is only 6 people away from each other. They usually talk about how many degrees people are from “Kevin Bacon:. Like he is Mr. Connection or something? Did you know that they have done studies that show that Kevin Bacon is not as connected as many other less popular actors? Well, this is because the other actors did much more diverse rolls which gave them much more Connections than Kevin Bacon.

There was also a different study done on the Six Degrees of Separation in the book,”The Tipping Point”, which showed all Connections are not equal and that most people go through certain “Connected” people to get Connections.

Think about how important Connections are in your life. Well, you have Family Connections, Friend Connections, Business Connections, Sports Connections, and on and on…. Most Connections are built around some type of relationship. Actually, a simple smile can provide a Connection.

For this article let’s focus on what it takes to build strong human Connections. There is a lot of Psychology that goes into this. Although I am not a Psychologist, I have done quite a bit of research on this because I needed to find ways to build stronger Connections. Well, I found out that Connections have to do with every part of you. It has everything to do with your past, present and future and how that relates to other people. Every experience you have had in your past can lead to build Connections. Some people that have a checkered past may want to hide it, but actually it could lead to stronger Connections for the future. Here is an example: Let’s say John has been through a bad divorce in the past and a new business Connection has expressed that he is going through one right now. John could use this bad past experience for a good purpose and build a Connection with the new business client by sharing his past experience. It could lead to a very strong Connection and potentially a great business relationship.

Connections do not stop here. Think about every aspect of your life. Actually the more diverse life you have the more experiences you have to build Connections with others. These include: Where you were raised, where you have worked, your interests, religion, where you have traveled, what your parents did for a living; basically anything you have been exposed to.

The problem is, that most of the time, we do not have enough time to find out all the possible Connection areas with someone. If only there was a way to find out this information, we could build much better Connections with each other.

Well, The Connection Center is a company built on the concept of Connections and providing the “Best Practices and Products” to facilitate Connections. It is important to remember that every experience you have had in your life can lead to building strong Connections.

Have A Great Day Connecting!

TheConnectionCenter.com