If you are a regular reader of The Hot Iron you may know I am reading through all of the books on my bookshelf, blogging my takeaways from them, and passing the books along to friends and colleagues. One book I just finished is Free Agent Nation by Daniel Pink, published in 2001. Look for my takeaways on this great book soon.

At the end of the book it mentions the Web site for the book at freeagentnation.com. So I entered the address into my browser and it resolves to nothing, no Web site. Daniel Pink has a Web site for himself and one of his most recent books, Johnny Bunko. According to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, the last pages of freeagentnation.com archived were on November, 2005, and it was a link to his personal Web site.

This surprises me, especially as the book is probably still sitting on the bookshelves of many entrepreneurs and in circulation. I am glad to see at least he still owns the domain name.

Web sites can and do have a shelf life, and taking it down can be the right move. However people still may be seeking the site or its topic. Routing Web traffic to another site at a minimum is straightforward and can suit those looking for the Web site, and maintain value for the topic as well as the domain name.

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Diversions • (1) Comments • Permalink

I have just registered for the Great Chicago Networking Extravaganza, to be held on Thursday, May 8 in Lombard, Illinois. Yes, I will be venturing out to the suburbs of Chicago for this event, and I am looking forward to it.

This is the seventh such event put on by Lillian Bjorseth and Jason Jacobsohn. I have gotten to know Jason over the last couple of years, first virtually through our own blogs then in person. His blog, Networking Insight, is an excellent resource for information and tips on business networking. He offers straightforward, practical advice without hype, thus making it a popular resource for people not just in Chicago but worldwide.

With those credentials, this event will surely be an effective platform for meeting colleagues. Hope to see you there!

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When I read the book Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin, it reminded me of one of his previous books I read, Purple Cow. But was it just the content of the book, or the fact that the book arrived to me several years ago in a milk carton?

The premise of the book Purple Cow, published in 2002, is about being remarkable. Godin’s point is that in an age where we are deluged with images and messages, these have reduced their overall effectiveness, and to get your message out there, your product or service needs to be different or unique in its own way. The first example in the book is driving through farm lands and seeing cow after cow and they all look alike, but a cow that is purple will stand out and be remembered, thus remarkable.

So is remarkable something you put on top of a product or service? Not necessarily. The book gives examples of how L.L. Bean and Sears Craftsman line of tools are remarkable in their unconditional return policy. Ikea is remarkable in how they sell low-cost, assemble-yourself furniture that is extremely stylish. Dr. Bronner’s soap is remarkable in its unique labeling.

My greatest takeaway is that remarkable is not a gimmick. From the above examples, what makes them remarkable are attributes that have lasted for years. Gimmicks may drive sales, but not over the long term. Gimmicks are also not considered sincere.

Another takeaway is that you may already be remarkable. When many entrepreneurs venture out on their own, their catalyst is often they can do what they do better or in a more unique way from where they previously worked. They may not have been able to do it, whatever it is, when they worked for someone else and have the conviction to do it themselves. This was part of my own motivation for starting Dunkirk Systems, LLC.

The book Purple Cow does not over-do it with examples and is an energetic, quick read. If you are venturing out on your own, or taking a strategic look at your business I recommend reading the book as it will definitely inspire you, and you may get some ideas from it as well.

Book Take-Aways • Business • (2) Comments • Permalink