GoHuman Blog

In today’s society, technology is a necessary component of business yet many businesses are hesitant to take on the additional expense.  As technology progresses, older systems need updating. Implementing new technology within a business, offers many great opportunities for your company to develop a distinct advantage in a highly competitive market. Many businesses have recognized this potential and are integrating the latest technologies into the workplace with a strategic mindset.

To utilize technology to its fullest potential, upgrading can be viewed as an excellent chance to increase your competitive advantage. Several of the more traditional business models are changing with the integration of technology and your company can creatively make use of upgrades, to achieve success from the benefits digital innovation offers.

Advantages New Technology Offers:

Waste Reduction-leads to lower costs and higher profitability.

Reduced Workforce- fewer positions may be required, when previous tasks performed by personnel become automated. If the existing number of employees is minimal already, attrition may be the next step.

Increased Profitability-due to increased efficiencies, which reduces expenditures, new technology allows jobs to be completed quicker and more accurately, to allow a steady cash flow.

Increased Productivity-among team members coupled with the introduction and implementation of new technology, creates additional efficiencies and overall production.

Higher Income-the greater the business profits, the greater opportunities there are for employees to increase their income, via bonuses or raises.

Improved Communications-allows information to be sent, received and responded to instantaneously, whether through e-mail, computer networks and cell phone use. Long distance communication of documents and information can be passed along much more rapidly. Remote based employees have immediate access to staff from cell phones, web cams, video conferencing and laptop use.

Competitive Advantage-allows a business to reduce product/service costs, while increasing profit levels, without compromising customer service.

Disadvantages of New Technology:

Management’s Decision-to upgrade with new technology can be extremely difficult. Do you buy now or wait for the next technological advance? The decision to do so can and usually is an expensive one. What’s more, the integration of and training required among the workforce, is a whole other task in its self.

Regular Maintenance-of new technology will be required to keep efficiencies flowing. More importantly, questions that must be answered in advance are, if the machinery on a production line breaks down, will this cease all production? What alternatives are available that can be immediately implemented, if this occurs?

Costs-will be reduced if integrated properly and therefore, the decision is whether or not the extra capital is available to purchase the new technology.

Additional Time-will be required for training and if you have to reorganize the workplace to accommodate the new technology. This is an important decision that must be taken into consideration, if your business works within tight deadlines. Furthermore, any IT issues that occur will need to be resolved quickly, to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible.

Abuse-of the technology made available to employees on their job can be excessive and very costly to a company, i.e. constant instant messaging, personal use of social media, non-work related emailing, inappropriate use of information on the web.

The key to deciding whether or not to upgrade your business with new technology lies in your ability to fully understand the culture of your workplace. This is an important aspect of managing any workplace. The culture of your organization is critical in hiring and retaining effective employees. Culture involves how workers feel about the organization and how they feel about their jobs. Create an environment that’s aligned with the company’s overall objectives and mission. A culture where employees not only trust their leaders, but are willing to follow them, even when they’re uncertain about change.

Twitter is a micro blogging website that allows users to post  very short (up to 140 character) updates, comments, thoughts and links  to other websites.

Once you have an account with Twitter you can find other Twitter  users who could be anyone from your sister to companies, or to  celebrities such as Larry King . Once you follow these other users their Twitter updates will become visible in your Twitter “feed”.

How To Create Your Twitter Identity

1. Go to www.twitter.com click on the “Sign Up
2. Create your personal or company account, you only have 15 characters so you may need to get creative with your name.
3. There is not a limit to how many accounts you can sign up.
4. If you have unique or special products or services it is worth registering an account for these also.
5. Personalize your profile by adding a photo, brand your background  add your location, link to your website, and write a short bio.
6. Start using Twitter. Use the “Find people” option to find someone you know on twitter and follow them.
7. Use the reply function to talk to a friend.
8. Send a direct message to someone.
9. Re-tweet a message you found useful that someone posted.

So if you would like more info feel free to email me at jon@redspotmarketing.com

GoHuman.com celebrates the small business owners helping us build a powerful new kind of Marketplace for the 21st Century.   We know you depend on us to help you grow and expand your business, the marketing guidance you so sorely need in today’s world.

To further our mutual goals, GoHuman.com is proud to add a noted marketing professional, author and successful small business owner/manager as a regular contributor to our Blog.  Starting this week, Jon Johnson, CEO and President of Red Spot Marketing will be providing invaluable advice in a “Monday is for Marketing” blog series.

Jon has marketed hundreds of small businesses in over 10 countries, including Australia, UK, Canada, USA and Thailand.

His success lies in bringing a simple approach to each company’s marketing and helping them implement more elements of the marketing mix to get better results.

“Blended” is Jon’s first book and draws upon his experience from marketing vastly different types of companies worldwide and seeing the challenges they all face.

Jon holds a BA Hons Degree in Marketing from Bournemouth University in England, and lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife Dr. Joyce Johnson and their two daughters, Olivia and Charlotte.

In past blogs I’ve compared Corporations to Dinosaurs.

One reason is the “Reptilian Brain Stem” – where we get our fundamental survival instinct – the so-called “Fight Flight” response.

The DNA of even the best intentioned corporations, such as Apple and Google, determines it’s nature.  The purpose of corporate structure is to remove the personal risk to the creators and investors by creating a new entity, under the control of the creators, which acts to secure profits.   Even with the most noble of intentions, once this new entity reaches maturity, and the intentions of noble founders recede into the background, it uses its gargantuan power to dominate and control any market it can, for the profit purpose for which it was created.  Frankenstein style.

Most people don’t see Apple and Google that way.  Apple is cool, hip, stylish, trendy.  It’s customers identify with it, and are willing to pay premium prices.  At the opposite end we have Google.  So nerdy it’s cool, lavishing free stuff on all as it slowly worms it’s way into a position of absolute dominance relative to all information on the planet.  And information is power.

They’ve also had a cozy inbred relationship, even sharing Board seats – until recently.  Here’s an article that shows the Reptilian Nature inherent in their previously symbiotic relationship beginning to emerge.

GoHuman.com’s DNA is different.  I hope you’ll dig deeper to learn why!  We hope you’ll join us in deploying a better evolutionary model.  We hope you’ll use us to change the way your world works.

Why GoHuman.com?  Reason #12 is that we’re more Human!

Reason #1; Reason #2; Reason #3; Reason #4; Reason #5; Reason #6; Reason #7; Reason #8; Reason #9; Reason #10; Reason #11;

We’re excited to announce a unique partnership with Red Spot Marketing, which provides marketing planning, consulting and management services to small and medium sized businesses across North America.

Join GoHuman for free today and you’ll get more exclusive marketing help for your business! Already a GoHuman member? The just drop us a line.

The first 10 members to respond receive: 12 months of $9 GoHuman.com subscription level ($1,080 total value!)

AND everyone who responds by April 15 receives: 6 months of $5 GoHuman.com subscription level ($30 value each) and Red Spot’s Free Marketing Planning Start Bundle that includes:

• Marketing Plan Template
• Marketing Plan Sample
• Marketing Plan Budget Spreadsheet

This set of templates and guides retails for $99 but is free for GoHuman members. It includes everything you need to get a marketing plan and monthly budget put together. This is the most important part of the marketing process.

Red Spot is partnering with GoHuman to gain more exposure to small and medium sized businesses within the GoHuman network.

As the GoHuman community grows, Red Spot Marketing will be bringing a number of exclusive offers to our members designed to help them implement better marketing practices and grow their business by marketing outside of GoHuman and learning how to get the most from their GoHuman experience.

Red Spot has ten full time marketing management consultants plus a support network of marketing back office staff to help manage the execution of their 100 plus clients’ marketing.

Focused on affordable integrated marketing designed to generate new leads for their clients, Red Spot Marketing uses a variety of awareness and lead generation marketing both online and offline to generate new leads for clients every month.

Join GoHuman for free today to get started!

Congrats eLi DeMarcus Parr, of Los Angeles, CA — proud owner of a new GoHuman Flip video camera!

Call eLi today for Female Deep Tissue therapy – the BEST in LA

eLi said, “I really believe GoHuman is the way of the future. A way to create communities and help individuals thrive. Just the name inspires a certain feeling of connection, and makes you want more. More connection in your personal and business relationships, more connection to the planet, more connection to your community. And luckily, GoHuman offers the portal to all that and more! I can’t wait to see where it goes Go – Human!”

Thanks for supporting our effort to empower small businesses everywhere! Best of luck to you.

A Video is Worth a Thousand Pictures. Did you know you could embed a Video Intro of yourself right on your GoHuman postings? It’s easy!

After logging in to your account tab, click on “My Video Intro – link to yours now” and paste in the embed code from YouTube, Vimeo, or any video site that supports this simple feature. Once you’ve pasted your code, click the “Embed My Video Intro” button and you’re done!

Your video will automatically appear on each of your postings under the “Video Intro” button, and it’s a great way for customers to “meet” you, which makes them more likely to hire you!

Congrats James Wood, of Abbotsford, B.C., Canada — our latest Flip Video camera winner!

James is a local business consultant. Call him today for help finding new business opportunities!

James said, “Since being a part of GoHuman.com, it’s changed my life. I’ve met so many small business owners that have enriched the world I live in. They have inspired my own growth, they have rekindled my artistic flame within me, they have dared me to be not good..but great in what I do, each and every day.

”GoHuman.com is not a passing fad. It truly is a family of like minded individuals concerned with the communities they live in, bringing out the best in all, and realizing that we are ONE!”

James, you are truly one of a kind. Thanks for everything you’ve done to support GoHuman over the past months!

GoHuman is all about empowering small businesses and independent professionals by connecting them with the right customers in their community to establish a more sustainable economy. We’re not the only ones with this idea, which is a great thing. We can’t do it alone, and we depend on people everywhere who believe there is a better way.

But how do we do it?

Word of mouth has proven time after time to be the single most powerful form of marketing. People trust people like themselves, who are typically people they know well like friends or family.

At this stage in GoHuman’s growth, we are connecting with as many small businesses as possible in Chicago; L.A.; Madison, WI; Knoxville, TN; and Vancouver, Canada. You might ask why we’ve chosen those particular areas and I would tell you that in a way they chose us.

We believe in involving people who share our vision for a better, more equitable world, no matter where they are. We’re looking for people to join our grassroots marketing teams, whether they are in one of our existing markets or if someone has the gumption to get a new market going. It’s happened before, and we welcome anyone who is up for the challenge and the rewards.

Businesses everywhere are hurting. People everywhere are being shut down by the powers that be. GoHuman.com represents a genuinely better way for business to work to support themselves and their community.

There is nothing more inspiring than meeting new people who want to join the cause. Some have established themselves in their community and others are just looking for a way to help make things better. Either way, it’s the fuel that moves us forward and gives us hope that our dream can work.

And guess what? People just like you are growing GoHuman.

If you’re interested in joining our team and becoming a Founding Member of GoHuman.com, just email refer@GoHuman.com for more info. We guarantee that an actual human will respond.

A recent Time Magazine cover article praised Twitter’s “game changing” nature – touting the brilliance of its simplicity, and the ecosystem built around it. It described a “home depot” of ways outsiders tweak the way tweets are created, reviewed and leveraged for a variety of purposes.

Another Time article, on facebook, discussed how divorce lawyers mine Social Media for personal information. When Susie shares on facebook that Bob bought her a necklace, Bob’s wife’s lawyer uses it in court. Or if his wife claims she can not work to increase her case for alimony, Bob’s lawyer uses Jane’s discussions on LinkedIn with potential employers.

The real news here isn’t technology, it’s the behavior of people. This may be an endless chicken and egg discussion, but it’s clear people are exercising less caution about sharing things – in writing – publicly. Facts previously hidden are coming to light more often.

In general, I find this to be a good thing. Our founding fathers established a balance of power which includes a Judicial branch – our legal system – for the sake of justice. The unveiling of facts, the sharing of secrets, enables justice to triumph, where, otherwise, the more savvy lawyer has carried the day – truth and facts be damned.

Will the growth of Social Media result in more truth? Can we handle the truth?

GoHuman.com’s advanced reputation model is designed to both catch and grow this wave, on our way to a more transparent, and therefore more effective, not to mention fair, marketplace.

Are you ready for transparency?