Congratulations Ann Arbor! Our city ranked #42 on the list of the “100 Best Places to Live and Launch” in a survey by Fortune Small Business. Towns across the country were evaluated based on business friendliness and lifestyle offerings, and Ann Arbor was cited as a good location for entrepreneurs to consider when starting and/or growing a company.

Why is Ann Arbor such a great place to start a company? Fortune Small Business says we have a strong high-tech industry. We’re also eco-minded people with a vibrant arts scene, award-winning restaurants, easy access to Northern Michigan’s freshwater lakes, and highly ranked college sports teams.

I would add that we also have a supportive and inclusive business community. We started Inner Circle Media in Ann Arbor nearly seven years ago, and had it not been for the relationships we’ve built in this town, we would not have made it past a year or two in business. Our success can be credited to our strong ties with other tech companies, marketing firms, groups at the University, and our heavy involvement with organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, Ann Arbor SPARK, the New Enterprise Forum, and the Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw.

If you’re competitive by nature and wondering how we stack up against other Midwest towns, Ann Arbor scored higher than Madison, WI (#46), Brookfield, WI (#72), Zionsville, IN (#57), Colombus, IN (#74), and Pittsburg, PA (#60). The only Midwest city to rank higher than Ann Arbor was Naperville, IL – which is just outside Chicago and ranked at #29.

Over the past few months, I’ve been talking with other Ann Arbor web companies and discovered an interesting trend – WE ALL TRYING TO HIRE THE EXACT SAME PERSON. Well, not exactly the same person, but we’re all trying to hire for the same job position.

We need experienced web programmers, especially those brilliant PHP and/or Ruby geeks who can jump right into projects, trouble shoot, and work well with a team. It’s also highly likely that these folks drink vast quantities of Mountain Dew, write code at 2 AM, and haven’t had a sun tan … ever. I say all this with kindness and admiration because our company depends on YOU. We want you join our team, and we promise to praise and reward your big analytical brains.

Seriously though - why are Ann Arbor web companies struggling to recruit for the same position? Why aren’t there enough good web programmers to go around? And how can we bring more of them here?

I think our local companies have an opportunity to band together and recruit more web programmers. Once they see that there are MANY career opportunities in Ann Arbor, they’ll be more likely to move here. They’ll understand that our region can offer them lots of job options and a career path where they quickly advance and easily change companies if need be. If you have ideas for how we can bring more experienced web programmers to the area, please comment on this post.

And for all you wonderful geeks looking for a new job, here are some Ann Arbor web firms who need you badly:

• Inner Circle Media (of course, I have to put us at the top of the list!)
• Dynamic Edge
• Ingenex Digital Marketing
• Igadea
• Boxcar Studio
• Linux Box
• MetaSpring (they’re looking for a designer right now, but always seeking great programmers)

I’ll keep adding to this list, so please let me know if you’d like your company added.

Here are my top 10 reasons to have a business blog:

1. Marketing – Talk about your areas of specialty, clients’ successes, and/or promotions.

2. Branding/Image – Create a “personality” or voice for your company.

3. Differentiation – Tell YOUR story. Be different & real.

4. Trust - Promote yourself as a trusted adviser; Connect with customers.

5. Low Cost / Cheap PR – Blogs are much less expensive than standard websites to create and update.

6. Writing Gigs – Great blog posts will promote you as a guest author, news contributor, or maybe even a book author.

7. Speaking Gigs – Industry leaders will recognize your brilliant thoughts and ask you to speak at conferences and meetings.

8. Customer Feedback – Comments on your blog posts allow customers to tell you how they feel (and you can respond).

9. Earn a Bit of $$ - If you employ Google Adwords, your blog can earn money for you. Simply sign up with Adwords to provide space for ads that are relevant and complimentary to your business. If you become an Amazon Affiliate, you can earn up to a 10 percent referral fee on books bought by Amazon customers who come from your blog.

10. Search Engine Optimization – Capture users in the long tail (highly specialized, low-traffic search terms that represent a significant amount of total searches); look fresh and relevant to Google

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And finally - here are some tips to avoid sucky blog syndrome…

1. Know and speak to thy audience. If you talk about the topics your target market cares about, they’re sure to listen and respond positively.

2. Present yourself as an expert - Be consistent & on topic. Decide how you’d like to present yourself through your blog and stick with it.

3. Don’t be too personal – i.e. I had the flu all last week. Let me tell you about my symptoms…

4. Be nice or don’t bother blogging. NO whiners, complainers, or digs at your competitors.

5. Use spell check and formatting to your advantage. Spelling matters. As with other websites, blogs are easier to skim and parse when they contain bold text, bullets, big messages, etc.

6. Allow comments (with your review + spam blockers). Blogs are only blogs if you allow an online conversation. While you may choose to block some inappropriate comments, it’s important that you let your readers speak to you and each other.

7. Link to important or relevant sites and other blogs. Act as a resource by connecting your readers with other sites and blogs that cover the issues important to your target market.

8. Create compelling content – not commercials. Tell a short story about one of your customers. As I’ve mentioned about good business karma, focus on helping others and your business will reap the benefits (plus, you’ll be creating a lot of good ju ju.)

On March 13th I’m talking about blogs with a group of Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce members. Here are excerpts from that talk…
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“People don’t listen to companies, they listen to people.” Seth Godin

People like to do business with people they know. Whether you like it or not, your prospects won’t choose to work with you because you have the best brochure, the slickest sales pitch, or the prettiest proposal. They’re most likely to choose you because they feel a connection with you. A business blog is a great tool to help you make that connection and have an interactive conversation with your prospects and customers, as well as others who are interested in what you have to say (media contacts, employees, potential hires, partner companies, etc.).

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So, why don’t you have a business blog? Check all that apply:

• I don’t like to write.
• I don’t know how to come up with topics.
• A blog about my business would be SO boring.
• I’m afraid I’ll look silly or just not professional enough.
• I don’t have time.

If you answered - I don’t like to write, then remember blogs are NOT formal. You don’t have to follow a certain format. You’re not writing a thesis for a literature class. You’re having a conversation with people who care about your thoughts, advice, struggles, and successes. Have fun as you write. Be casual, helpful, brief yet poignant. Let people get to know you.

If you answered - I don’t know how to come up with topics, then think about the business topics you are passionate about. You should write about topics that get you fired up, where you have an opinion or some specific expertise. Also make sure to create blog post titles with SEO in mind – i.e. use search terms that your target market uses. Here’s a sample blog topic that would appeal to readers and Google – “Michigan Roofing: Ways to Prevent Common Weather-Related Problems.”

If you answered - a blog about my business would be SO boring, then perhaps you’re not thinking about your business in the right light. The problems you solve are of great interest to someone (or many people). For example, if you’re an insurance agent you may worry that folks will find your services dull. Here’s a possible blog title that would garner a lot of attention – “Term vs. Universal Life Insurance - What the heck is the difference?”

If you answered - I’m afraid I’ll look silly or just not professional enough, then you’re taking yourself too seriously. People choose to work with people who are HUMAN, compassionate, caring, honest, thoughtful. Your blog won’t make you look silly (unless you want to look silly). It will make you look REAL.

If you answered - I don’t have time, then set small goals at first. Agree that you’ll post in your blog on a weekly basis and spend no more than 30 minutes on your first post. Set aside half an hour on Friday mornings for blogging. Take yourself to a coffee shop with your laptop or paper notebook. This is the time for you to think, write, have fun.

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I’ll follow with another post related to the reasons you certainly SHOULD have a business blog.