End of a Wonderful Year
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In just over 6 hours, we will be in 2009.
2008 will be gone, and we will even start thinking towards 2010. Doesn’t time just fly? Time seems to fly even faster when you’re having fun, when you wish that every day had a few more hours as you are excited about what you’re doing and even better, you love the work you are doing for clients and businesses.
This time last year, I posted this on the blog, and I was feeling great, knowing what I had to do and where I was going. I had put a whole load of negativity behind me an managed to leave behind professional relationships that were crushing my creativity, fun and inspiration. It really was onwards and upwards 
2008 Life and Work
I’m happy to report that 2008 was everything that I could have wished for. I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful fiancee who is the only person to really understand me, and puts up with my little foibles 
She is a star, hugely undervalued at her workplace, and deserves so much more. Thanks for believing in me, and bearing with me on quite a few things!
I’m also lucky to have the best sis and parents in the whole world! It is fun to see how much I am like them in a lot of ways. They have been so supportive this year, and quite frankly, I could not have done what I have without them. I owe them so much, and so a very public thanks is in order - you guys are just the best!
Having been in corporate [shackles] employment for 11 years, it was a big question mark whether the working for myself role would work. There were many questions to answer, not least, will there be people who would find me valuable?
With theappleofmyi now being established for over 12 months, I’m delighted to say that I have a regular roster of clients, from global pharma companies, to private schools to high end diamond and watch dealers, all I owe a huge thanks to, for believing in me and giving me a chance. jonmossphotography has also been success with motorsports clients and shooting a fair few weddings as well as being published for a calendar and newsletter series. 2008 has also been a year where the global economy has had a wake up call, and there is a huge amount of uncertainty for many people, brands and businesses.
The good news is that if you have a truly superb product, a remarkable company, or a brand that really means something and is relevant to consumers, you have a great opportunity to GROW your business, through establishing stronger relationships with your existing customers, and engaging with new prospects. Remember, get them to know you, like you, trust you, use you and talk about you.
The Online World - a way of life and work
I’ve always been a huge fan of the web, and it has been a real focus for me for the past 5+ years. What has been so amazing this year is using the web every day for my work, levaraging its power to help me with my businesses and with my clients. From blogging, to social media, to email marketing, to project management and RSS feeds, these are all the online activities I do each and every day.
I get a huge amount of enjoyment from using web applications - they are available from anywhere you have web-access, often via a mobile client, and can make every day work SO much easier. The web apps and websites which have really stood out for me this year, the ones I have used extensively and would recommend to you are:
- Anything by 37signals - I’m using Basecamp, Backpack and Highrise
- Echosign - for proposal signing and agreements - a sweet UI and works perfectly
- Google Reader - the best RSS reader bar none
- Meetup - superb service for organising events and meetups
- Spotify - free music! Awesome streaming music to your desktop
- Dropbox - 2Gb of free storage with superb syncing
- Remember the Milk - keep track of your tasks with ease, and with a top iPhone app
- dopplr - share your travel - so well designed and starting to become very useful with their traveller’s tips
- twitter - microblogging and great fun! Follow me below!
These are just a few of my faves, and I am really looking forward to seeing what is launched in 09!
New Ventures
Standing still is not an option for businesses anymore, and that also includes me. I’ve recently launched www.hulldigital.co.uk and also www.onlinepharmamarketing.com, two niche sites to help expand my web presence.
www.hulldigital.co.uk - is a community-orientated site for the Hull area, focused on talking about everything online and digital in the region, so looking at companies embracing the web, reporting on the local online news, watching what is happening with Karoo and speaking with people making a difference in the digital world.
www.onlinepharmamarketing.com - is a something I’m very excited about. Online Pharma Marketing is really in its infancy, and there is a massive amount of scope for pharmaceutical companies, as well as Medical Device and Healthcare companies to embrace the web and use it correctly. I’m going to be writing about what can be done, what is being done in this area and how companies can start in the right direction and differentiate themselves from the competition.
Lastly, there is the Hull Digital / Hull Open Coffee Meetup! It’s about time Hull had a regular monthly meetup for people who love the web, online design and technology - anyone who loves the digital age! If you would like to come along, then click on the badge top right!
Blogging
www.theappleofmyi.com/blog has been updated a fair bit this year, and I would like to thank you all for visiting and contributing. The statistics make amazing reading!
- 25,000 unique visitors!
- IE and Firefox vying for top browser position, with Safari a little off the pace
- Visitors from 145 countries (!)
- Over 400 regular readers
What I aim to do this year, is try and elicit a few more comments from you all, so that means writing better content on topics that you find important!
Brands
Ok, I admit it, I like nice things, and I like brands that are well designed, do what they are supposed to and make you feel good about using them. A few of my 2008 brand faves are:
- Apple - the iPhone 3G is superb, a real device that enables me to do a whole lot more than a regular phone. The MacBook Air is also a revelation, but the MacBookPro was a real dent in the Apple karma, showing that a big company must never slack on quality control
- Haglofs - a recent discovery - amazing quality and design for skiing
- howies - a huge thanks to them for inviting me to the do lectures, and they continue to resonate with me, with simple, cools clothes
- Icebreaker - lovely merino stuff period, and a superb website
- Rude Health - their muesli is yum!
- Hard Graft - seriously nice stuff for laptops and iPods
It’s a Wrap
So, 2008 is nearly over. 2009 is nearly here. I know it is going to be an amazing year. Thanks again to Kate, my folks, my friends, my clients and anyone else who feels like they need a thank you! I’m sure I have left out many things I wanted to mention, so they will bound to pop into my mind shortly, and I’ll either update this post, or write a new one.
All that remins is to say, Happy New Year and I want to leave you with a little story about Seth Godin’s book Triiibes. There is a little story he writes about in the book:
‘It’s 4am and I can’t sleep. So I’m sitting in a lobby in a hotel in Jamaica, checking my e-mail. A couple walks by, obviously on their way to bed, having pushed their idea of a vacation a little too hard. The woman looks over to me and , in a harsh whisper, a little quieter than a yell, says to her friend, “Isn’t that sad? That guy comes here on vacation and he’s stick checking his email. He can’t even enjoy his two weeks off”.
I think the real question - the one they probably wouldn’t want to answer - was, “Isn’t it sad that we have a job where we send two weeks avoiding the stuff we have to do fifty weeks a year”.
It took me a long time to figure out why I was so happy to be checking my email in the middle of the night. It had to do with passion. Other than sleeping, there was nothing I’d rather be doing in that moment…’.
This sums up 2008 perfectly for me - I’m doing something I love and am hugely passionate about for a job. That rocks.
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Hull Digital Launches
Hull is not the first place you think of when you imagine a vibrant, innovative online, digital community. However, there are web-lovers, online evangelists, deisgners, developers and gamers, so I thought it was about time we embraced this, and more importantly encourage this community.
This has brought me to launch Hull Digital, a site which is dedicated to Kingston Upon Hull’s Digital Community. The site is going to focus on a number of key areas in the Hull area:
- Local news, events and happenings in the online world
- Online Web Applications
- Broadband
- Home and business computing
- Gadgets
- GPS and Geo Location
- And many more great topics!
If you are from the local area in East Yorkshire, and would like to contribute, then please do head on over to HullDigital.co.uk and get in touch, or at the very least, comment and contribute!
We’re currently planning our first meet up in January, so please spread the word!
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Not All Clients Are Tech Savvy
Spending time with friends and family, there can be a sudden realisation that you are not like them.
What do you mean you don’t know what twitter is?
You DON’T use a feed reader?!
Spending time online, or with fellow ‘techies’ (hi Ian!) , means that you can become very blase in terms of technology.
Most people don’t use twitter. Most people don’t blog. Most people don’t have mulitple websites, and most people think that twitter is something Bill Oddie does.
This scenario is exactly the same with most clients, heck, that is why they are employing me in the first place! However, it is easy to assume that they are up to speed on technology and web applications that we take for granted.
Working with clients in 2009
Something I am very concious of, having started working with a new client recently is ways of working, and using web applications with them. I’ve come up with a few guidelines for helping the working relationship start smoothly, and improve over time: (I hope this helps other web workers / consultants and also help clients)
- Important! - Assume nothing - they are often paying me to help them with their online activities, including social media, and possibly business practices like contact management systems
- Understand what level they are at, from an online virgin to a web app ninja. I now have a couple of short, simple surveys I send clients to assess where they are on this scale
- Ask them how they currently work with providers and also internally
- Gently introduce them to any new forms of working, and make sure you point out that this is not a deal breaker / compulsory
- Show the BENEFITS to them, not just the features - talk about time saving, clarity of communication and ease of access for example if explaining about Basecamp
- Offer to provide a little training
- Be patient!
- If you don’t get immediate buy in, leave it and perhaps try again a little bit further into the project
- If it is going to really hamper your working style, then consider telling the client in a friendly manner with proper reasoning
- Don’t be afraid to listen to their point of view, as you could potentially learn something from them!
The only thing I would be completely firm about is with proposals and contracts. If a client is not happy signing something or giving written approval, this is something to take seriously, and you could be opening yourself up to risk. Just be tactful and always consider the option of walking away.
If you have any thoughts about this or anything you recommend, then please get typing in the comments!
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Merry Christmas
A quick post to say a very Merry Christmas to you all !
I hope you’re having a wonderful day with friends and loved ones, and a very special day for some close friends, JA and Charlotte, John W and Anna and Andy and May, who are celebrating new arrivals! Best wishes from Kate and I to you all!
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Thomas Cook Airlines Suck
Slightly OT, but I thought I would let you know about the DISGRACEFUL business practice of Thomas Cook Airlines.
£25-£50 to change Mr to Ms on an airline booking.
Disgusting. Ok, it states that costs will be applied for a change of passenger name, but not for a change from Mr to Ms. This is the kind of business practice which lets companies down in a big way and generates a huge amount of bad feeling.
Imagine if they had said, since it’s Christmas we’ll waive it, all changed and have a great holidays. It would be a very different story wouldn’t it? And the positive word of mouth would be flowing. Instead I’m posting this, tweeting about the shocking cost and bad service and will be encourgaing people not to use them.
(The sad thing is, I’m sure they are not alone in the airline industry. Far from it. About time there was an airline with decent customer service and a good wau of doing business, although airlines by their very nature are nasty polluting entities!).
Amazing Star Wars Lego Set!
DSC_0668, originally uploaded by brickplumber.
This appeals to my Star Wars geekiness Great job!
Wordpress Add Media Issues
For a long time, I’ve had a BIG issue with my Wordpress installation on this server, and it’s been a BIG one.
Not being able to upload any media.
So, yes, a right, royal pain. However the good news that it is now fixed and I thought it would be useful to let you know about it. There are 2 things you must do to make sure that you can upload pictures to your Wordpress Blog.
1. Ensure that the permissions are set correctly on the wp-content folder/uploads folder on the server - you must make sure that the permissions are set to ‘777′ or tick all the boxes.
2. You also need to make sure that you have filled out the appropriate info on the WP backend, see below:
I hope this will help anyone suffering from the add media problem!
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Tim’s Digital Crib
Mr Ferriss has been featured on a new advertising website for Cisco systems. It shows his SF apartment and gives a small insight into how it works.
I really like the tropical ‘rainforest’, but I do think he could get a new MBP
Click here to take a look - tried to embed the movie but not working correctly.
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howies T shirt of the week
howes T shirt of the week, originally uploaded by JonnyMoss.
The perfect Tshirt!
And a very good example of how email marketing should work! A nice email from howies, something I look out for, with a product I like, so a simple click, and purchase and it’s on its way to me!
howies seem to send some nice emails - well written, often with offers, and always fun and friendly. They’re always on brand too, and I bet, they have a great subscriber list and not too many unsubscribes!
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Google’s Master Plan
This is a fascinating presentation from Faber Novel looking at what Google is doing at the moment, and how it will survive in years to come.
For me, it shows just how strong they are, and also, how important they will continue to be for companies and their brands.
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BBC News- You may like to read this...
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