Research and Development — Doing Your Homework for Information Marketing

Dear Info Marketers,

Ah spring. It’s raining outside as I write this. I always think this is good, as we are heading into a new season and this is just the buffer to pass through.

As I sit here and write this next message, I am surrounded by books, newspapers, and some messages I have printed off from my e-mail list. I try to keep up with new trends, business developments, and trends in the global economy. It’s true that you never stop learning, and you also never stop being in the world around you. That said it’s best to keep up with what’s going on.

I do this for a lot of reasons, but primarily it’s to help me provide ideas for both myself and all my readers. But like anybody, I get stumped. Not just for ideas to write about, but for information on information marketing. Period. This goes beyond advice as you have to find the right sources for all the legal, government, or reference material to keep you knowledgeable as to what applies to your business and how to make it stronger as a result.

Here are some important outlets:

--The Reference Library: I have written about the value of a local library in the past for its use of periodicals, books, and magazines for inspiration to your business. But suppose you are looking for a case study that was recorded for a failed product similar to you yours in order to read it and not make the same mistakes. Or you want to check an old edition of a book that might provide information to your business but is no longer in print. The reference library is designed for this. They archive everything and keep everything available to researchers, scholars, and journalists looking for specific information. You might have to travel to a city or university town where it is located, pay for a special pass, and do your research there as these libraries do not often allow things to be checked out. But all this can be worth it for the information you need.

--Government Websites: Everything on is on the Net these days. And this is good. If you want to know the new tax amendments for where you live or what regulations exist to ship your product overseas, you can get it off the Internet. Be sure to refine your searches according to municipal, state/provincial, or federal government websites and what regulations exist for where you live. It used to be that you had to travel to a government publication office to do this, but now you can access this information with your mouse and monitor.

--Accountants and/or Financial Advisor: Along with government websites, you might want to get in touch with, well, people who know about money. This sounds pretty blunt, but ask no objection that they are very helpful people. These people base their careers on keeping up with changing economic times and they can provide you with information on how to save or spend your money, where to invest, what to avoid wasting money on, and how to pay your dues correctly. Be sure to get referrals from fellow business people who trust certain professionals and interact with those who have a solid reputation.

--Legal Counsel: This reference is one I intentionally leave to the end of the list. But keeping a lawyer’s number close by is a good in case you get into that extreme situation where it is necessary. Lawyers are expensive and even getting an hour’s worth of counsel costs a few hundred dollars. However, this can be well spent if you are dealing with fraudulent associates, get injured, or have other problematic areas of your business. Only consult a lawyer if you absolutely need to and make sure you find one with a good reputation, perhaps on the advice of a colleague.

You are an information marketer. You need to provide information, and that entails getting it as well. A lot of it. Be sure to absorb or record any information that could be helpful to what you do and you will see your business thrive.

More to come. Have a good week.

Best,

J.