There are certainly benefits to both social networking and networking in person. Is one really better than the other? Well, I guess my answer is that in order to really develop quality relationships, face-to-face is the best way. Is that always possible in today's technological age of communicating online all over the world? Not always.

Social networking makes is very convenient for the non-socialites to stay cocooned in their own little world. Sure, they talk to people on the phone, over Skype, they Twitter and blog, but I would argue that the bulk of that interaction with the outside world only creates a "surface relationship." Whereas an interpersonal relationship requires getting to know the other person more deeply.

Think about it. When you are working in email for example, you are or should be cautious about the wording, try not to respond in haste or in anger, because you never know how the person on the other end is reacting to your message. So, you avoid taking chances due to the lack of seeing the reaction. Right? If you are talking to someone in person, however, you will be able to see the reaction and address any awkwardness or misunderstanding right then and there. You can also take visual cues to delve into various areas of conversation. This could lead to more business opportunities or simply allow the discovery of common ground for further conversation.

How about listening to a variety of conversations at once. Sure- it can happen online, but when you are out in a social setting, you can listen to conversations, perhaps learn something by doing that, or because your interest is peaked- you ask to join the conversation. The next thing you know, you are meeting new people and they are meeting you. If you are trying to grow a business, having a face to go with a name and business card is a lot better than nothing!

Creativity- want to see the Aha! Moments? Get out and start talking to people about what they are up to?  After all, you will only seek out the information you need online and when in person are more apt ask what's happening and also to talk about what you are doing. New ideas happen through personal conversations and finding out how your services or product can fill a void in the marketplace.

Knowing what others are doing in either in your industry or in business generally is critical to being a good business owner. Why? Because you will be behind the eight ball if your competition is learning new skills, has a finger on the pulse of their clients' needs and what's happening in the world. They will be jumping on opportunities while you are sitting in your own little space with your head down claiming that you have too much work to do! It's called educating others about what you do. The more of that you can do, the more referral sources you will find and the more resources you will find for your clients.

Finding a balance between online and in person networking is what I would consider to be the best option. Social networking certainly offers the means to keep in touch easily and often with lots of people and if you are trying to sell your products or services, it keeps you visible and on others' minds.   You can update your peers with your new stuff, exchange ideas and even seek help and resources. But, if you want to forge a long lasting and quality relationship, you should consider finding a way to meet in person.

This blog post is a perfect example of why face-to-face gets the job done. If it wasn't for having met Brian Teeman in person at the CMS Expo in Chicago several times, I don't know that our online conversations would have ever gone farther than hello. But, because we have met in person and kept conversations going online, we discovered that we can work together to keep both of our blogs lively and I look to him to offer me ideas-, which he graciously does. This post can also be found on his site as a guest post!

So, the next time you realize that you have been in your office for a solid week and haven't even attempted to get out in public- get up, grab your coat and head out to your favorite coffee shop or bar. Find yourself an empty seat next to someone you don't know and start talking! Too scared to do that? Get over it!

If you are going to tell me you just have too much to do and too little time I will respond in one of two ways:

1.     Perhaps you are taking on more than you can handle! I know that saying no to work feels like saying no to your mother, but consider the option of saying no today, but yes to a deadline of two weeks from now.

2.     Perhaps you are frittering away hours in a day playing with your new iPhone or chatting on Twitter. Have you ever taken inventory on how you spend your valuable time at the office each day?

Having said that....I would also like to recommend doing one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is taxing on your productivity no matter how well you can do it. Don't get me wrong- I am a fairly chronic multi-tasker myself, but when I am heads down and focused on one project completely- my ability to be productive and effective triples!

It's not a wonder that children have ADD (not to mention lots of adults I know who seemed to contract it as business owners) - we are inundated with technological overload; working with two different monitors, twittering on phones, updating our Linked In profile, Skyping with friends and colleagues all over the world, not to mention watching fast paced commercials and shows on the television.... and the list goes on and on.

So, start evaluating how you spend your time on a given day and to the best of your ability begin to compartmentalize your day. At the very least, realistically prioritize the projects on your plate in order of how they will help you achieve your financial goals or business development- whatever you deem important. Then you must practice doing it consistently.

When in doubt, I always fall back on what my friend says to me: Will someone die if you don't get this done today? If the answer is no, well then...

Let me tell you, I love working with web developers, especially in the Joomla CMS world who develop staging sites. Why you ask? Well, there are two really good reasons for me personally as a content writer:

1. If the developer gives me admin access, I can just input all the content I am writing for the client as I go. There is nothing that frustrates me more than having to send word docs to the developer and then waiting for them to input it all. This reason goes hand-in-hand with #2.

2. I am a visual learner and although I don't always know what I would like something to look like prior to- I know it's right when I see it. This works with writing as well for me since the design, the brand and the organization of the website and content all go together.

There are additional benefits to this as well for the end user or client. They can see progress all along the way. They can also begin to understand how it all goes together and why certain things take more time. Lastly, they become engaged in conversations that help them understand all the things they didn't in the initial scope of work discussions. You know what I'm talking about....The clients are nodding yes to all sorts of things, but you can see on their face that they have no idea what you are talking about until they have something built on the staging site.

Joomla is such a wonderful tool for me and having used it for my own site and for several of my clients, I am completely spoiled. I love to have at least some control over the content and it sure helps me to keep projects moving forward because the developer isn't always screaming about lack of content!

So, if you are a developer and you have a good content writer who is saavy about Joomla- let them in (if you know they won't fiddle with things too much). You will be happy you did. If you don't believe me- ask Jen Kramer www.4webinc.com she'll tell you!

I was watching 2 and a Half Men last night on television and throughout the show the characters were simply not listening to whomever was talking. We knew this because we could hear what they were thinking in their mind and all the while the speaker was inaudible.

As business owners, we are so busy thinking about what we need to do next, or what we left behind before arriving to a meeting, sneaking a peak at our phones for missed messages or Tweets, or just looking out the window and daydreaming. Hopefully at some point we realize that we aren't doing the one thing we are supposed to be doing- listening to our client!

OK, don't panic and don't beat yourself up thinking you are the only one doing it- we can all take the blame for this faux pas.  I would encourage, however, that you become aware when it is happening and change the course of action from acknowledging the distractions to ignoring them. Surely you would agree that there is nothing ruder than speaking to someone who wants your business and knowing that they aren't hearing a word you are saying. That drives me crazy and if it happens to me, I can assure you that the person who is texting while I am talking will not get my business!

• If you are multi-tasking-you are not listening.
• If your mind is racing ahead to the next question- you are not listening.
• If you are looking out the window and not at the person speaking- not listening....