Why I am in Network Marketing - In My Own Words

It seems like an eternity since I have written a blog which is not generally a good practice in the world of social media.   So what has been going on in my life?

So in 2015, I continued to run two businesses, AIMC Business Solutions for website solutions and AIMC Health Solutions for health & wellness.    I actually became a TLS Weight Loss Coach in March 2015.   I got a new "day job" as an IT Director at a behavior health company in Boston and even bought a new car at the end of the year.    All in all, one thing did not change, my pride and joy and my vehicle to retirement, my network marketing business, my shop-com business.    Finally, I became an Executive Coordinator w/ shop-com in 2015 which is nice designation and demonstrated with a little hard work, you will succeed.   What a year!

So why do I have my shop-com business which is going on eight years this April?   There are so many reasons.  Everything from the education, the people and the business, there is no single reason but it has been the most amazing ride.    Being in a network marketing business, you meet all types.  From the negative, close-minded "You are in one of those MLM scam things" to open-minded millionaires that know the ups and downs of success.   I have gone through three rebuilds of my team in eight years and have had great years and not so great years.   That is what being a business owner is all about, so it is told.   But the one thing is, I am in a lot better place now than I was eight years ago.   I have a vehicle toward a lucrative retirement, I have learned a tremendous amount about business, and I am taking the best products in the world.   At nearly 47 years old, I feel like I am 27.

So why network marketing?   Heck, I can get a second job if I needed more money or freelance.   Sure I can survive on four hours of sleep a night.   Network Marketing stresses team/ organization where everyone duplicates efforts and does a little bit toward everyone's success.  Everyone wants you to succeed, unlike at a corporate job.    Most network marketing companies have great products and services.   You have to remember, these companies do not need to pay for distribution of products and can focus their efforts on delivering great effective products.   Network Marketing companies have teams of entrepreneurs to deliver their products.  Very powerful.

The biggest challenge and sometime frustration in network marketing is delivering its amazing message.  There is a perception out there that all network marketing companies are a scam, even it the company had the best products.   What if I said Proctor & Gamble was a network marketing company, would you stop buying Gillette razors?  The only difference is a network marketing company builds by building a network of people that all work toward the same success no matter what their level or expertise is.   Proctor & Gamble builds by internal company resources and executives that get rich on your dime.

I sometimes take offense when people tell me that I am in a scam.   I am a pretty smart and successful professional.  Do you think I would get involved in a scam?  My motto is to help others like I would want to be helped.    So if you like to join me, I would be more than happy to discuss my network marketing opportunity with you.   Serious inquiries only.  I take my business seriously and plan to help others meet their objectives in life whether it is financial or personal.

So what does the "AIMC" in AIMC Business Solutions mean anyway?

I started my own business a little over seven years ago called AIMC Websites which eventually became AIMC Business Solutions a couple of years later, when we offered more business services with social media management and IT Consulting, among other services.   It has been a great ride and there is no slowing down.  The goal is to expand our network and help small businesses take the next step in their vision to success.

Ok, I did not answer the question yet.   AIMC initially stood for All In My Cart, our internet marketing portal where our customers convert spending to earning.   It has been a wild success, since it is a no brainer for our customers, since they can convert all their online shopping onto one website and build a little annuity doing so.    I also cannot forget the great products in health/wellness and cosmetics too.

However, since the AIMC Business Solutions is a business services company, the "AIMC" needed to have more meaning in the business world.   I have always had a successful career in IT and more recently in social media management and have learned that in any technical or marketing challenge is important to develop an operational process/ structure in everything you do.    

Before you kick a project off the ground, you need to Assess (the "A") what you will need for financial and personal resources to design/define the system needed to meet the client's need.   Assess is the most important part of the project, so there are no surprises later in the project.  

Once the assessment and plan is complete, it is time to Implement (the "I") the system.   Implementing in the IT World can be building the system, going through a pilot or test cycle, and then going live in production.   In a social media campaign implementation, this would be the setup of the social platforms and activating all postings and interactions.

Once you go-live with an implementation, it is important to closely Monitor (the "M") how the new system is running or how the public is responding to a new social media campaign by reviewing analytics.   The first 30-60 days are very important.  Adjustments can be made and monitoring tools start providing good data on the system or campaign.  After 60 days, the system should be a well greased machine!

Once the monitoring tools are in place it is important to stay on track and Control  (the "C") how the system or social media campaign is performing.  In the IT and Social Media world, it is making sure you are proactive and not reactive to customer needs.    The IT System or Social Media Campaign cannot be a burden to the customer.   This is why the Control phase is important and when we never lose sight of this.

So there it is Assess Implement Monitor Control - AIMC Business Solutions.  If you need anything give drop us a message.   We would be happy to help your business plan your next project!

So it is 2015, Now What?

We are in interesting times.    Protests in the middle of busy expressways in major cities, cheap gas, and the possibility of the Olympics coming to Boston in nine short years.   Ask anyone even a year ago if any of this is possible, and you would get that confused stare.

Actually, we are in good times, but despite it all, there is a sense of "Where do we go from here?" this year.  Terrorism is back in the spotlight, it is not very popular to be a police officer and the economy is just plan weird.  With social media in the mainstream, everyone has a voice and opinion to be heard via that infamous social media post.  It has opened up possibilities of that person either needing to hide in the most remote place with fear of being killed or becoming the newest Kim Kardashian.

It looks like this year is going to turn out to the best in years, really....
The cost of living is actually going down (the income tax rate went down in Massachusetts in 2015), the cost of travel has gone down, there are more professional opportunities, anyone can get married now regardless of orientation.  We are in positive times.   But why is there so much hate in those social media posts?   It makes you think, "Now What?"   Would everyone be happier if gas was $9/gallon, the unemployment rate was higher than the tax rate in New York or social media didn't exist?

It will be interesting where we will be, at the end of this year.  I have good vibes about this year, I really do.  I hope you do to.   Any guesses on the next surprise?  The Cubs winning the World Series?  Nah.

Networking Tips Going Into 2015

It is hard to believe that I have been hard core networking for almost eight years now.   From my infancy days going to the Northeastern University Alumni Networking Events to now running my own business networking group,  the landscape has changed.   Back in 2008 and into 2009, the economy was at its worst and networking events were the place to be seen and heard.    Almost all of the events were packed mostly with professionals looking for their next job or trying to start a new business venture.   From Foxboro to Providence to Framingham to Boston, every event had well over 100 hungry professionals trying to meet as many people as possible.   I fell into the same routine, and aggressively build a large network myself.

Fast forward to the past year, I noticed the networking events have become smaller, but the quality of people and relationships are much better.    It is probably because the economy is much more stable and growing now.    There are not many unemployed attendees but instead professionals with great business ideas, expansion and growth.  It is actually a shame some stopped networking when their situation got better.    I always thought when things get better, professionals should network more than ever.

So we are now about to enter the year 2015.   The networking events are smaller, more focused and the attendees are more seasoned.    Here are some of my recommended tips to survive networking in 2015:

- Stop the sales pitch now.   When you are at an event, look to make friends.  Would you go to a bar and start pitching your product or service?   Probably not.

- Know why you are attending a networking event.   Who would you like to meet?  What questions you would ask to understand if someone you meet is worth following up with?   What is your thirty second non-salesy elevator pitch?  Having structure going into an event makes it worthwhile.

- Only ask someone for a business card if there a possibility of following up with that person.   I am guilty of being a business card collector.  I have three full shoe boxes of cards to prove it.   Chances are, I have a card from every company in Massachusetts.

- Go to as many events as your schedule allows. As I mentioned earlier, even when the going is good, you should continue to go to events.   You never know when your scenario will change.  You lose your job or your business no longer exists.

- Stop thinking social media is for kids.   I still meet people that think Facebook or Twitter are for children and they wouldn't be caught dead using social media.  Social media is here and now and the #1 way to meet the right people.   The best way to use social media is for follow-up with professionals you have met at an event.

- Your goal is to become a people magnet.   I am going to end this blog with this tip.   When you are popular and a great resource, people gravitate to you.   Be a nice person and make everyone you meet to be about them and not yourself.

Happy Networking in 2015!   

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Marketing and Information Technology Do Go Together

The IT Team has always had an identity crisis in corporate America.   Does the IT Organization at your company report up to the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Medical Officer, the COO, the CEO or even Human Resources?    Over the course of my IT career, I have been in IT Organizations that reported to all of the above.  OK, maybe not Human Resources.  

The most common report structure today is that IT reports to the Chief Financial Officer.   It is unfortunately antiquated thinking, since IT would be looked at as a cost center and the finance executive is always focusing on how to control their company's technology costs.    Computers, introverted high-priced techies and applications cost money, they think.   There is no innovation in this structure and the most common project is to cut costs by going through vendor contracts and conducting telecomm audits, to do what?  Save money.  From a people perspective, CFOs are always looking at how to reduce the cost of labor by outsourcing IT to Managed Services companies and even some outsource IT to services firms with operations overseas.

I view the COO, a lesser evil of the CFO, for the IT group to report to.  Money is still an issue, but instead process is more of a focus of the COO.  Process is a great thing.  I love process.  Technology is all about streamlining workflows and the way business is run.  I am currently at a firm that uses LEAN Management to help eliminate process "waste".   Believe me, there is a lot of waste in IT organizations today.   The mindset of the COO with process is a great thing, but again where is the innovation?  How is the IT group generating revenue for the bottom line?  Process only saves money.  Process can generate money if efficient technology is involved.

I will not discuss IT reporting to the Chief Medical Officer or Human Resources, since if there is a company that has that organization in place, they are not worth mentioning.  What does a doctor or human resources executive know about technology?

Ok, now how about the IT team reporting to the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)?   Marketing is all about how to prospect and engage potential business.    Marketing executives have to innovate and set their product or service apart from their competition.  Every firm has competition, whether it is a retailer, a hospital group, a lighting company or a high technology company.   Marketing executives focus on how to generate revenue and know they need technology to set themselves apart from their competition.  They need to have a better website, an engaging social media strategy, a more efficient CRM to maintain customer relationships.    Think about this, a website, a CRM, mobile applications.  Doesn't the IT team build and maintain them?  In this organizational structure, IT has become an innovation center instead of a cost center.    With all of the freeware, opensource and services like cloud computing, SaaS etc, the cost is not a factor anymore, if done correctly.   Marketing and IT do in fact work together like bread and butter.  

So, if you are looking at your next IT opportunity, consider how the organization structure is at the company.  It can go a long way to determine how innovative the IT organization can be.   If you are a techie, don't think about servers, instead think about services that help market a product or service.  It is where we are going into the 2015, since we are in a social marketing world.

Anything is Possible If You Network

I always talk about the year 2007 as the year things changed for me.  I was at the tail end of my career at Staples and living the life that revolved around my corporate job.   I received an email from Northeastern about an Alumni Networking Event and how it attracts a mixed group of entrepreneurs, corporate professionals and forever students.   I was like, hmm, entrepreneurs.   Entrepreneurism was something you really didn't hear about in the walls of Staples Corporate.

So I went to an event, and then went to another one.  Eventually, I was going every month to Northeastern and meeting alumni in all phases of their career.   I also noticed something.  The entrepreneurs always were positive, always smiled, and was interesting to talk to.    I started connecting to "non-corporate" professionals on Linkedin, studied their profiles and was intrigued with the their professional life.

Ironically, at one of the Northeastern networking events, I was introduced to a business opportunity in internet marketing.  It was a foreign world to me.  Residual income, leveraged time, a Plan B?  Plan B to what?  So I started my business franchise with Market America, because heck, what did I have to lose and the products were damn good.   I started making different friends and started removing myself from the negative energy of the corporate world.   There was a distinct difference in energy between an entrepreneur. avid networking and the 9-to-5 corporate professional and I was engulfing in the world of business networking.

I also started going to other networking events over the next few years, expanded my business into the world of social media marketing, and became the positive energy that influenced me.   There were days I could not wait till the end of the work day, so I can go to an event and meet another 20-25 people.  Eventually, I started my own networking group and had my own events, since it was a great way to build business relationship and expose my business opportunity.

Along the way, I met a couple of entrepreneurs that were starting an internet content platform that focused on entrepreneurs and small business ownership.   They asked me if I like to do my own radio show on social media and business networking.  Wait a minute, in 2007, I was that introverted IT guy at Staples, and now in 2014, I am a radio guy entrenched into the world of social media marketing, how is that possible?   IT guys and marketing don't mix.  Well, actually  they do.   IT is all about innovation and ideas and you need to be an extrovert and know how to market your product or service.

Looking back,it made me think anything is possible if you get out there and network.  Living the life of going to work, then going home to watch TV, doesn't cut it anymore.  Anything is Possible if you network.  An IT guy becoming a radio personality?  An IT Guy that knows marketing?   It is possible, if you network and connect with the right people.   Give it a try.

Social Media is One Big Party

When I grew up, when you went to a party, you sneaked out of your house, gather your friends in the neighborhood and go to whatever friend's house where the parents went away and play some great 80s music.    The social aspect was calling everyone on your analog phone or leaving written notes around the neighborhood about the big party happening that night.  You play some shiny new music CDs and learn about what is going on by talking to people in person.   You even find out about that surprise relationship again in person, seeing the two lovebirds getting chummy in the corner at the party.   When the party is over, everyone went home and got on the phone with their friends until the wee hours.  This was the 1980s going into the 1990s.  Ah, those days, so simple, and full of surprises.

Fast forward to 2014.  Things are getting complicated.   You got Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Google Hangouts, Facetime, Skype and any other social platform of the month.  The whole idea of a party is let's hide out in our basement, and do group texts on our iPhones, Driods, Windows phone, iPads or any other mobile device.  Your party is now online instead of at someone's house.  Everyone's idea of a hangout, is Google Hangout.   The music, let's fire up some Spotify or Pandora and share some tunes online... again not in person.  You want to meet someone, send a picture via Instagram and do some Snapchat.  How many teenagers have a special someone that they have never met in person?

But look on the bright side.  You can have an international party with people all over the globe sharing music and pictures from the comfort in your home in your jamas using social media.   You can play and video record a song using your iPad and post it on YouTube for your friends on the other side of the world to see.  Social Media has brought a new concept of the party.

So let's have a party this Saturday night and bring your mobile devices.  Let's fire up some Pandora playing some processed EDM music and text and tweet each other while in the same room about how much they like the person next to them without actually looking at them and talking to them.     If only the 1980s party concept came back.   Would social media still be as relevant?