Final Piece Consulting, LLC

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My industry news intake has suffered drastically over the last few weeks thanks to a good deal of new business.  Now don’t get me wrong , new business is a great thing for my livelihood and more specifically my wife’s shopping habits, but it can make it hard to blog when you are a small start-up company. 

I did however have the opportunity to check out a few very intriguing articles and wanted to share them with you in this week’s edition of Monday Links.

1. Google TV Announces Its Programming Partners

Google continues to do everything they possibly can to turn America into 1984. I kid, I kid (kind of).  They plan on launching Google TV in the next few weeks and have signed contracts with HBO, CNBC and Turner Broadcasting (TBS,TNT) to name a few.  As with anything Google does, they hope to be the “leader in the growing industry of Internet-connected television sets, which Forrester Research expects to be in 43 million United States homes by 2015.” What do you think about turning television screens into bonafide web portals?

2. 4 Reasons The Social Media Industry Has a Credibility Problem

We need to stop talking about what we are going to do and actually do it.  We need to stop thinking our time is more valuable than someone else’s. Most of all we need to help others that don’t get social media instead of lashing out at them.  Basically just a great post from a great blog to help put things in perspective.

Just because some of us may be on the right side of a revolution doesn’t mean we are better than anyone else.

3. Why are Social Behaviors Plateauing?

Are we done acting as creators and instead shifting towards consumers?  And better yet, if we as communications professionals aren’t focused enough on creation – what will there be to consume?  One thing not changing – joiners. Joiners are the people that decide to test the waters with a social network presence meaning there are still more and more engagement opportunities out there.

 Where will the next shift be?

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Starting this Monday and running until the end of time I plan on posting 5-10 of my favorite links from the previous week on social media, marketing, public relations and business. Some of this may have already appeared in my Twitter feed, but for those of you who like your coffee served with a nice mix of RSS straight to your Google Reader or inbox - this is for you.

1. Top 11 Free Resources to Improve Your Blog’s Content

Some fantastic links from Harry Hoover that cover the blogging gamete to make sure you are creating compelling content targeted at those people you want to read your blog.

2. There, I Said It: Screw Viral Videos

Although I don’t agree with the overall idea of the post – this is a great read from Jim Louderback.  I personal think the main problem is simply the word – viral.  Great video content is a necessity online it’s just your expectations and initial investment that need to be in check.

3. See How They Did It: 104 Social Media Case Studies

Just like it sounds and just as glorious. The Conversation Agent has used her blog to review 12 case studies specifically and then link to another 92.  Not too shabby. Enjoy.

4. Wake Me Up When Your Press Release is Over

Extremely true take on why boiler plates are so awful and how companies can move away from the traditional way of ending a press release from Jonathan Grieb at CEC Insider.

5. 60 Proven Ways to Increase Your Online Marketing Influence

60 sentences taken from The Influencer Project from the good people at HubSpot.  Special shout out to my buddy Kipp Bodnar who is currently crushing it up in Cambridge!

6. The 10 Worst Business Books of All Time

Great topic and hilarious entry all around from Geoffery James.  Either don’t read these books or read them and decide whether or not they made you dumber

What links did you enjoy last week?  Help me out because I can’t read everything!

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Over the course of the last few months I have been moving non-stop in an effort to get my initial entrepreneurial endeavor off the ground. It has been extremely gratifying to see something I have complete control over come together but at the same time it has been overwhelming.  The one thing that has gotten me to the point where I am at now though (two clients and a good deal of freelance work) is my friends.

I can’t overstate the importance of reaching out to those friends you trust for advice, expertise, insight and an occasional kick in the pants as you begin a business. I consider myself an intelligent guy, but I know what I am really good at, and it’s the work I’ll be doing for this company – not the starting the company part.

Luckily I have a great group of friends I was able to look to when it came to choosing a business entity (Thanks, Bardin), getting my finances in order (Thanks, Theresa), designing a logo (Thanks, Ty) and searching for advice, insight and support (Thanks: Carrie, Mom, Dad, Dane, Mike, Ryal, Barbara, Lane, Will, Tom, Sean, Marshall, Kate, Ashlie and many others).  You may not have even known what you said or did was helping me at the time – but it was.

I know this isn’t going to be easy. I know I’ll have to work twice as hard. I know 100% of my livelihood and finances are now in my own hands. I know and understand all of this and that’s why I started Final Piece Consulting.

I thrive in high stress situations and love working for and with people I know have strong ethics and at the end of the day want to offer a quality product or service.

I wanted to be my own boss and you all helped that dream become a reality.

Thanks.