by Nicole Ouellette | Sep 26, 2009 | This Week In Business
This week, I’ve driven at least 500 miles, 400 of which was to attend a cool conference in the hip city of Portland. Here’s what’s new on the business front:
I went to a social media conference and networked my butt off.
I (and about 200 other people) attended the Social FTW Media Conference in Portland Maine on Wednesday (hence the lack of posts the last couple days). I learned a little and mostly found it was fun to 1) meet people in real life who I’m ‘friends’ with on the internet and 2) feel like I actually understand social media and how and why businesses should use it. I certainly learned some cool stuff to take home but it’s always nice to know you might actually be good at what you do….Also nice to get to Portland and spend time with friends!
For those of you who want to continue the networking (I certainly do!) check out #ftw09 on Twitter and/or check out the Flyte blog. There’s also this article on the event via the NXT and this one via Maine Business.
by Nicole Ouellette | Sep 22, 2009 | Too Cute Tuesday
Too Cute Tuesday allows at least one interesting thing to happen to me every week.
I stopped by Annie’s Pride Farmstand in Ellsworth. If you haven’t been, it’s a good stand/general store/bakery and you should totally go to it if you are in Downeast Maine.
Apples are definitely in season and those sweet ones fresh off the trees are perfect for homemade applesauce. So this Tuesday, we sure got cooking!
by Nicole Ouellette | Sep 21, 2009 | Marketing Monday
Every Monday, I talk about people doing clever marketing. If you know a company that’s doing something neato, contact me and let me know!
It would be easy for any print magazine to get a little flustered in this economy. Journalists are being laid off at a higher rate a than other professions and I think we have all seen our favorite newspapers and magazines change over the last year or so.
One magazine that seems to be doing well is Readymade. I first learned about the publication via my first conversation with who would become my friend Jessica. We were in the company breakroom where we both worked and since she was the new girl, I struck up a conversation. While she didn’t quite have me at hello, she did have me at a creating a chandelier out of string lights for her parents’ anniversary present. As a snappy dresser and fellow crafter, clearly we are going to be friends for a very long time.
Here are a few reasons Readymade seems to be thriving while other magazines seem to be floundering:
by Nicole Ouellette | Sep 18, 2009 | Personal Finance Tips
Nothing like figuring travel logistics over email to drive connected people to save a few bucks.
My friends Lydia and Travis are getting married this weekend. About a month ago, ten of us who went to college with Lydia tried to figure out group hotel rooms through a series of emails over the course of about a week.
I had first seen my friend Bailey use Priceline to get us a cheap rental car in Vegas. I was impressed with her internet savyness and her ability to save us about 25% on the rental. When Bailey suggested we use the site for the hotel room, a few of us jumped on it.
Four of us formed a Priceline bidding team, each taking a turn to bid on a two star hotel in Ellsworth Maine (hint: there’s one on Priceline so we knew it was the hotel the others were staying at). If you bid on something and Priceline doesn’t accept it, you are locked out of bidding for a certain amount of time so having another person or two can be critical.
by Nicole Ouellette | Sep 17, 2009 | This Week In Business
Some weeks are more inspired than others, and this one certainly was filled with good ideas and productive conversations. Here’s some of what happened:
I had a great idea and decided I deserved to make money off of it.
I’ve been working with a web developer on a project when she showed me her pet website. I think she has a great product which would be perfect for one of my clients if she repackaged it and came up with a price. I told her about it over Gmail chat. She asked me to make the introduction.
The old, more passive Nicole would have just done so, wondering why my taking the time to help people out never paid off.
The new Nicole tried a new approach.
This week, I’ve driven at least 500 miles, 400 of which was to attend a cool conference in the hip city of Portland. Here’s what’s new on the business front:
