My entrepreneurial guru Trevor Mauch insists one of the keys to a successful business is writing down your Core Mission and Values. It has taken about a year, but BP Media is preparing to do just that.

I thought I knew what to expect when I started BP Media. The other day, an innocent conversation made me realize that I am offering some unique services. Who knew? When I got 75% done, an amazing thing happened.

I tore most of it out. I admit I binge on passionate entertainers. I have found a new band to consume in mass quantities and it got me thinking about marketing. How sick is that? Does your customer service compare to what I found in an unexpected place? Seven months ago, BP Media was born. December 1, it moves into Roseburg's Entrepreneurial flat The Loft. As a business owner, being intimidated by and uneducated about social media is one thing.

Ignoring it is simply foolish.

It isn't going away.

Learn to tame it. Episode 8 of the Be Positive Podcast features Impact Entrepreneur Trevor Mauch.

Trevor's touch seems to turn things to gold and he happens to live in the same small town as I do. In fact, I work with several people who share office space with Trevor.

But there was a time when Trevor would rather lay in bed for an hour and avoid work altogether. Find out about his transition and his impact in this episode of Be Positive. I didn't recognize it at first, but once I stepped inside I realized all this time I thought those old cars were just old cars. Lately I have heard from several business owners who have a broken website or no idea who has control over their web presence. And no one to answer their questions.

Is it so dang hard to be accountable? This is the story of a client of mine. They are the result of persistence beyond reasonable expectation. It could be the story of many small businesses.

You want to succeed? Persist, my friend. A comment from a perfect stranger turned a recent meeting of the Myrtle Creek/Tri-City Chamber of Commerce into a meeting I will never forget. I was just talking with a client about blogs.

The client loves the idea of reaching out to his core audience of supporters, but fears the one thing that gets all of us.

Consistency is the key to success in anything you try. From raising kids, training dogs, pursuing a great marriage or running a marketing campaign you have to have input and effort on a regular basis over a long period of time before you see results.

I don't know the official numbers, but it would be safe to say that at least half of the marketing efforts I see from small businesses die due to the lack of energy.

You know how it goes. The owner returns from a conference or reads an article about the importance of Facebook or the web and they drop everything for a week or so to get their digital house in order.

The content is focused and on target and effective. For a week.

Then, like Novocaine and gravity, the same things that drew their attention before the conference or article start to have their effect.

Things like, you know, running the business.

It doesn't take long before the well-meaning blog, website, Facebook page or podcast begins languishing in the Boneyard of Great Ideas That Won't Ever Happen and a great opportunity is wasted.

The difference between the owners or executives who have a lively, popular online presence and those who do not comes down to a few things:

They Know Their Audience - I am learning about the value of identifying your key customer. Who consumes your product? This is deeper than just saying 'a 35-64 female who makes $50,000 or more per year'. This is saying 'my key customer is a 42 year old active woman with a well-paying job, two kids, a mortgage and a flair for fashion.' It can go even further than that. Having this level of detail can help you determine what your customers are interested in. Think like your key customer and write or post with them in mind.

The Way They Look at Things - Almost everything that happens can be turned into information for your core audience. This blog could have been about the movies I saw over the weekend or the trip I took with my daughter. I tell people that a blog is a place where you can write the things you find yourself telling your clients most often. That's how I decided on today's blog entry.

Commitment From the Start - It is possible for an old dog to learn some online tricks, but it is much easier to start em young. If you are just starting your business, make blogging, Facebook, your website and other digital communication part of your routine. Build your audience consistently with these tools and don't ever quit. If you are a long time business owner who has decided this must be part of your branding going forward - good on ya. The same message goes to you. Don't ever stop! I would even argue that average content over a long period of time is far more effective than a month of great stuff and then nothing.

If You Need Help, Ask! - One of the best things about the Internet Era is the amount of information that is at our fingertips - for free! You can Google any topic (including this one) and find a long list of people who have a long list of tips and tricks to get you started. You may also be pleasantly surprised by the number of people in your own community who would help you with various aspects of your business. Reach out and learn from them. They might be looking to learn something from you, too.

The benefit of a consistent digital presence far outweighs the cost. Your customers want to know more about you and your product. They like your take on things and want to know what you know. Share it with them.

Good luck with your digital presence. I would be happy to proofread or edit your stuff, too. Just send it to email@example.com. Do you shoot for a moving target and then get frustrated when you fall short?

This simple analogy might help your next launch...if you aren't too afraid to leave the shore. Apparently I need more competition because I find myself telling young people how to beat us old folks out here in the real world with just three simple steps. This time of the year, high schools and universities are churning out millions of bright, new, young, fresh minds. Those young people are launching into a world that tells them it has all been done before.

I totally disagree. Our community sustained a severe and senseless loss Memorial Day weekend. At times like this, I come back to one question. Three weeks in and the analogy of a roller coaster ride is spot on.

Here are a few observations from the front seat of a speeding thrill ride called Business Ownership. Dutch Bros Video Producer Daniel Jeremiah proves you don't have to be middle aged to have a weathered soul. Daniel shares his insights with Brian Prawitz in Episode 6 of the Be Positive Podcast.
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