Comments on: BusinessWeek: A Penny Wise, A Pound Foolish

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:44:09 +0000

I delight not to run anti-virus and anti-spyware, but children are champion at meeting any computer with trojan horse in a single minutes. So, it is necessitated to bear anti-virus software, so I use http://www.search-and-destroy.com/ You should employ it.

Thank You!

By: Marketing Ideas

Marketing Ideas — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:04:55 +0000

Yeah, that guy is an idiot and a fool. You present the case very well with clear points how this guy should not be giving online marketing advice.

By: Internet Adviser delivers reliable marketing results.

Internet Adviser delivers reliable marketing results. — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:59:08 +0000

Thanks for the very impressive post. I\’ve book marked your site.

By: David

David — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:33:26 +0000

I agree with your post. I think the advice offered by Marks and Business Week is dangerous from a security standpoint alone. You nailed each issue, save one. You recommended “Joomla or Drupal” as a CRM solution. Those are actually Content Management Systems not “customer relationship management” systems. These are very different. Customer Relationship Management is a very useful tool for the small business person because it allows you to leverage the potential of each customer as well as grow your business by leveraging referrals and new business from the original crop. There are many ways to do this, and yes some cost thousands of dollars. Frankly, I like my notepad and stack of business cards, but that makes it difficult to send a broadcast email announcement. (oh… that’s free too eh? LOL)

Another quote you offered, “Don’t take marketing advice from a CPA.” After I wiped the coffee from my chin, I had to laugh out loud. I went into business with an accountant and he suddenly became the marketer of the century… well in his own mind. After he slashed the budget and eliminated all forms of advertising, I walked away from the business and consider it one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made. FACT: Marketing and advertising costs money. FACT: The return on each dollar should exceed the dollar spent. FACT: Saving the ad dollar now can cost you not only now, but in the long term through loss of momentum, loss of revenue and loss of identity. FACT: The first quarter of our partnership resulted in more than $250,000 in sales. FACT: “Pinching pennies” and removing the “expense” of advertising resulted in less than the first quarter in the next 3 quarters combined. … …. ….. Okay, this turned into a rant about taking advice from an accountant, sorry. Your point is quite valid; consider who you’re taking advice from. Are they qualified? Or are they simply persuasive?

By: Erica DeWolf

Erica DeWolf — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:17:40 +0000

Wow. I really enjoyed reading this post, and completely agree with you on every level. Gene really DOESN’T know what he’s talking about. I think people with perspectives like him want to move backwards and cling to the past. The marketing world is changing, and those that thing their current marketing media are working, simply don’t want to learn something new, even if it could work even better.

I wish more would embrace the ideas of e-marketing and new media. THEY are the future.

By: Small Business Marketing

Small Business Marketing — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:48:57 +0000

Here are some other reasons:
RSS allows you to choose the information you want to read.
Small business doesn’t have the resources (time, people, & money) to clean up after a spam infection. Better preventative spam medicine.
Same for anti virus. I wonder if this guy waits until he has a medical problem before seeking medical advice. I don’t think he understands what preventative care means.
A web site is like a billboard in the dark. who cares if they don’t know its there. Why have one if it not tune so that visitors come to it. Do you have to pay to get your customers there. Then it is just another useless piece of marketing collateral. This guy doesn’t understand basic marketing marketing. In fact I daresay he doesn’t understand basic business principles.

I’m beginning to get mad so I’ll stop right here.

Very nice post.

What an idiot Gene Marks is.

By: Content Marketing Today » Appallingly Bad Small Business Marketing Advice from Business Week

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:03:53 +0000

[...] components including blogs, RSS feeds, online video, and search engine marketing tools. The Blue Chip Marketing Tips blog did a wonderful job of eviscerating his article from the January 4, 2008 issue of Business [...]

By: Gene Marks, The Sequel

Gene Marks, The Sequel — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:21:00 +0000

[...] number of these costs have been guesstimated over at Blue Chip Marketing Tips. She also mentions that Gene Marks is a “penny pincher” by his own admission, failing [...]

By: Gene Marks, BusinessWeek Columnist, Says SEO Not Important | Search Engine Optimization

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:15:13 +0000

[...] Want to see where else Gene Marks is wrong? Read about it here. [...]

By: » Can PPC Work For A Small Business? Pay Per Click Journal

» Can PPC Work For A Small Business? Pay Per Click Journal — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:24:14 +0000

[...] a section of a blog post about BusinessWeek columnist Gene Marks’ absurd assertions that small businesses don’t need Internet marketing, Caroline Melberg had this to say: I’m [...]