Mistake # 61: To Twitter or not to Twitter

What the heck is it anyway? It isn’t a blog, it isn’t a search engine, well, it’s a… What the heck is it, anyway?

 

If it isn’t a blog, you can’t really diss an employee for tweeting during work hours. Can you?

 

I heard of one company that used Twitter during a national conference to let participants know about discount specials and where they could locate their booth. Brilliant!  

 

Why didn’t I think of that?

 

You can tweet me at Twitter.

Mistake # 52: Dare to NOT reshape the industry!

Be daring! Even now, when things look bleak, is when the competition is also down on their knees praying for an answer.

 

So, be like Apple. Reshape the industry! Before the iPhone, there were phones and networks. Let’s face it, all they sold were connections to bandwidth.

 

Today, you have phones, and a hand-held computer that allows you to do more than just talk and text. (I, personally, could not live without mine while traveling. Got to have my itunes!)  Apple couldn’t have done it without some sort of partnership arrangement with AT&T. And there are drawbacks for AT&T as well – for example, what happens when the customer no longer walks into the AT&T store to upgrade, add features, or buy accessories.

 

Now if only the auto industry could come up with a plan to do the same thing…

 

What does your company going to do to reshape the industry in 2009?

The Top Business Mistakes of 2007

1. Anyone who tried to challenge Apple on similar product offerings was a loser. (AAPL) Why? Because Apple dominated the media player business all year. I bought an iPhone several months ago and have a new respect for Apple. I am now converted. Although, Apple did make it on a Worst Of List for 2007…

2. Matell. (MAT) Matell’s apology to China as a result of having to recall recall Chinese manufactured toys was disgusting. Shame on Matell! It should have been the other way around, buckos!    

3. Jet Blue. (JBLU) Our memory is hazy now, but remember when so many were stranded on runways for hours on Valentine’s Day during the snow storms? How many times did Jet Blue apologize? Let me count thy ways…

4. Eddie Lampert, Chairman of Sears. (SHLD) ALthough he turned KMart into a $3 billion company, he has his work cut out for him at Sears. During his first year at Sears, stocks dove 44%. Third quarter profits fell 99%. Mr. Lampert needs to step up and lead this company out of the gutter.