Successful trip to Calgary...

Two days in Cowtown, yesterday being really cold and windy. But that didn't stop all the great business going on.

Fusedlogic has successfully continued to build it's presence in Calgary. We've identified what could be a couple of exciting possible corporate partners with international implications and also some local firms that are well positioned and well established.

Stay tuned sports fans...

GROW SOME BOLTS....

So, I go into a Tim Horton's and ask for (1) large - 1 sugar and 2 cream, (2) large double-double's (sounds goofy I know) and what do I get.

1 Large and 2 X-large and they can't tell me what's in any of them. People just don't pay attention or listen to the customer.

Go to Dairy Queen and order a double cheese burger, fries and a drink. What you get is a large box that makes the burger look tiny and a few fries sprinkled on the side. It's not that I think the portion should be increased. It's that some marketing stiff at headquarters thought it would be a great marketing idea to box everything up to make it look as if there was tremendous value inside and have ended up failing miserably. I'm disappointed not in the food itself so much as the short sightedness and waste of trees. Burgers boring, boxes boring, small burgers in boring boxes PATHETIC.

It's similar to what food companies do by providing a massive bag filled with hot air and less product inside. Of course we tolerate this by still buying their product and companies go on disappointing customers thinking they're really being brilliant and that no one will notice their cost saving measures. HERE'S A HINT - produce a product so irresistable that people simply can't go without it and you wouldn't have to be so painfully obvious in your goofy bag solution.

HEY....really expensive movie theatre owners. HERE'S A HINT: Want more traffic to your theatre chain, absorb the really annoying butter charge of .50. FREE BUTTER ON ALL POPCORN and instead of annoying every customer that buys your atmospherically priced popcorn, you'll have increased your general volume per show just on the principle. It will put people in a better mood and happy customers BUY MORE AND MORE OFTEN! Oh and here's another hint, when you hire the kids for the lousy job of cleaning up spilled pop off sticky floors make sure that the one thing they do all the time and really well is SMILE. People already expect your staff will have purple hair, nose rings and piercings, dog collars, acne and say "like", LIKE a thousand times. The least you could do besides ensuring the entire facility is spotless is make sure those hippy freaks smile. They're not mature enough to understand why a smile is so important in the service industry so you'll have to explain it to them. How do I know, my first job ever was in the service industry, minus the purple hair, piercings, dog collar and "like" only minor acne.

My drycleaner stapled the little tag used to distinguish my shirts from other customer orders right into my shirt. They only got to do it once since I've never gone back. They have no clue. People who do something so obviously stupid shouldn't have the benefit of customers fixing their problems.

Bad companies should pay more attention or just simply go out of business.

Business owners can be a funny group. Upon hearing our rates and instead of getting creative, looking for ways they can engage Fusedlogic (once they're convinced we're the right firm) ask for the price and if they can't afford the price they say thanks and hang up. They don't ask if there are alternative methods to payments, such as monthly and so on.

It's not that we're desperate for business, happily the opposite, I'm just dying to see some creativity in people. They've clearly stated that they have a small budget, my response is if there is sufficient reason to work together then we'll find a way to work things out on an equitable basis and if not then we won't. Still even after all of that, it flies right over their heads.......probably a very good thing for Fusedlogic we don't work together afterall.

Come on people....rise above the automatons you're up against in the marketplace!

START HERE:

Consider everything you know about business up to now WRONG! Start fresh. Identify what you would normally do and imagine the opposite. If you're conservative - open it up and let the big dog eat. Tired of terrible finances, start by being absolutely freaking amazing at what you do and get a great financial planner who also isn't a goof ball and can actually see the big picture.

INNOVATE, INNOVATE, INNOVATE. Pay more attention to your customer's experience and don't only over deliver, blow them away with value....and for goodness sake stop whining and "GROW SOME BOLTS!" (Movie - Robots)...

MORE.....

Last Thursday...

Last thursday I had the pleasure of going to my first Sherwood Park Chamber of Commerce breakfast mixer. What a gas. It happened to be Networking 101 day and so we were split up into groups and asked to discuss subjects on each table.

A lot of fun and learning was had by all I think. I know I was impressed by the quality of business person, what I mean by that was the level of genuine interest in their colleagues and of course I was the easy target being the "new guy."

Having just moved to the park, I'm very excited about learning more about the community and neat businesses that exist.

Think globally...

Small business really doesn't need to always consider itself as "small." That is a limiting mindset.

Rather think globally, how can I put my talents, experience and skills to work for people around the world? Answer that and you may find yourself opening all sorts of new doors and opportunities. Finding ways to deliver your services are already out there. It may be different than how you do it close to home but if you don't at least consider the possibility well....

Adversity....

Many business owners handle adversity in different ways. Some travel right into the fire with all the courage of a 1000 person army and others sit and do nothing or look for reasons as to why they couldn't, shouldn't and wouldn't.

I've sent out a challenge to my local business community. I've had inquiries and people are starting to warm up to the challenge. We'll see who comes forward. People want the cash, in this case the goal is $1 million. They're just not sure if they can really get it done. They're skeptical, reserved, and that's just fine. In every crowd there are those ready to take the first step ahead of others, ready to put themselves on the line.

Adversity in the form of a challenge really will show all of us what we're made of....I fully intend that Fusedlogic will not only reach that goal in 2006 but surpass it in dramatic style.

Selling the Brooklyn Bridge...

Is selling small one-inch sized pieces of lumber from the Brooklyn Bridge for $14.95 each smart or stupid?








SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS SMART. The story goes that a man picked up some lumber from the Brooklyn Bridge construction site and had it cut into small pieces, sending out a press release stating that he was selling the Brooklyn Bridge for $14.95. He sent out thousands of orders each complete with a piece of the Brooklyn Bridge along with a certificate stating that the lumber was from the bridge and that the person was now the proud owner of the Brooklyn Bridge or a piece thereof.

Not bad for a little creative thinking and seeing opportunity where others saw old worthless lumber scraps....

Finally.....The Million Dollar Challenge is here.

After 3 years of research and development the Fusedlogic Million Dollar Challenge is ready for the business public.

The program will be unique to say the least. Not to mention so jammed packed full of life changing exercises, strategies, mind sets all with the intent of making the retention as sticky as possible. This isn't some game show this is real blood, sweat, and tears. Why don't most focus on specifically making a Million dollars in less than a year, when the previous year was $40K? Because people usually don't have a clue as to where to start and they first get overwhelmed, then dejected. Nothing materializes in many cases. Their mindset is wrong, their belief system and perspective not to mention execution all point towards $42K. They don't even think that generating a Million dollars is even possible except for the lottery. For most they're absolutely right, it's not going to happen. Unwilling to change, adapt, learn and apply themselves in a way that attracts Million dollar opportunities. At fusedlogic, our culture is based on Visualize, Believe in, and Seize Greatness. We know we can and more.

Not wanting to repeat what I feel is the failure of other programs in terms of lasting effect, poor long-term results, we've made sure there is strong accountability features within the system. Extraordinary results is what driving at. The kind they write stories, movies and songs about. There's only 10 chairs in the room so there may be some unhappy people, at least those who are slow on the up take regarding registering anyway. I'll keep you posted...

Why not take a shot at the moon?

A little radical thinking might just be in order. Plot the course, communicate the plan and execute. Or you could just keep with the status quo...that's about as much fun as a counting dust bunnies.

Here's an idea, maybe you should go take some measurements of the box you're currently in.....

Here's another warning sign things are a bit off balance. You know your marketing sucks when every dollar spent instead of coming back with pals is gone and all you have to show for it is a lousy t-shirt.

hmmm, some get it and others right over their heads.