The "blossom" of Social Marketing...

Lane - I actually had the nerve to fire a couple of clients in the the past year, and the only reason I could do that, is because I know they were actually costing me a lot of money. It sounds like you are getting to the point where you have enough businees to pick the best clients, and it make for a lot better attitude when you know you don't have to.

Picking and choosing is tough, no matter what point you are at. Some people outright lie to your face, so it makes it a little difficult in the beginning. I used to have trouble with it, but no longer.

 My time is precious to me and why should I waste it on people who are really not serious? I love helping people, but there are people that will "use" you and your knowledge (and gas) for months! Working with these people takes time away from your "real" clients.

Being new to the industry, and not having a lot of clients, I found it very difficult to "just say no."  What I also discovered rather quickly is that I had some leads that had no jobs, no money, no credit, and I was supposed to find them a $300k home.  I know now that all leads need some sort of qualification prior to you spending a great deal of time with them.  One of my first buyer clients, I discovered, was basically a lonely lady who had nothing better to do with her time.  Now I only work with people who are qualified, honest, and want some help.  Even though I am not real busy, I can't afford to spend time with people who really are not able to buy or only willing to sell to the lowest bidder for the job.  That is not how I want to run my business.

Lane - Interesting story about the blood drive and the interest it has created over the past 5 years.  It is nice to see that people and businesses/vendors are reaching out. 

Lane - This is a wonderful way to give back to the community. How do you market the blood drive? Do you reach out to local media? press releases? I hope you wouldn't maind sharing a bit more about the marketing. Best wishes!