FAQ
Is it a good sign that I’ve done anything to warrant having some kind of page dedicated to frequently asked questions? Thinking about it makes me humble. So, I’ll try to be succinct. As with any page like this it’s sure to grow and change.
Just so you know – I follow the 90/10 rule here. It’s my rule and it can bend any way I see fit.
What is the 90/10 rule?
It means that 90% of the time I give 90% business-related info. That doesn’t mean that it’s dry, boring, marketing talk. “Business-related” (in my world) can cover a variety of topics and can get quite interesting. If it relates to how I do what I do, or something that happens with my business, a peer, the industry, etc. it can be considered business-related. That leaves 10% of the time I might veer off because all work and no play makes blipfish a dull boy and honestly… I’m not a one dimensional person and I think there’s a mild benefit to you nice folks seeing something other than just business stuff.
Yes, I will freely answer some marketing questions about your business, product, or service.
There’s a degree, though, of which I’ll do it – and subject to factors that aren’t always the same. I get frequent questions asked of me that usually have some sort of question about improving sales, marketing, promotion, advertising, setting up a business, and so on. That’s groovy – that’s what I do – that’s what I’m here for. However, it’s important to note that I also put food on the table by charging for certain services and consultation.
So, sometimes I will do any number of things: I’ll simply answer a question directly, and hopefully sufficiently to start a person on their way; I might respond so thoroughly you’ll be shocked you got an information-dense, three page response from me for free; other times I might direct you to contact me and arrange a consultation. My consultation rate schedule (which I’ll post soon) breaks down to my finer areas of expertise (as “marketing” is a huge universe and I’m not a master of it all by any means), type of consulting requirements (education, review, research, divulging super secret stuff, email versus telephone, etc.).
To that end, I can’t always predict why I might answer one person’s question freely and in detail versus why I might suggest another person contact me for consultation – every question and subject (and answer) can be different. Obviously, the more detailed and personally applicable answers will be found via a consultation or series of consultations.
However, never let it be said that there aren’t many people out there who have kindly thanked me for free-of-charge responses I’ve given that exceeded what they hoped to hear. Even more so some of them were kind enough to permit me to repost some of that information here on blipfish.com for others to learn from. It’s a win-win situation: They (and you) hopefully learn something valuable and I gain another way to, hopefully, validate my worth as a consultant.
What the hell is a blipfish?
You mean it’s not evident?
I’ve told many little lies about the nature and origin of that name. No, it’s not my given name (there is no Ma & Pa Fish that I know of). My given name is Dan Mowry.
The hard, honest truth is it was a silly, if not memorable name, cooked up in my living room while my family and I watched the 2006 Super Bowl. I was needing a new domain name for a project that, at the time, was in its infancy and needing development. I wanted something unique, memorable, and something that left interesting doors open and didn’t lock me into any one, particular niche. I also wanted to keep a certain spirit of “non-corporate” alive because, in spite of whatever success I’ve achieved, I have to be true to myself and my beginnings and frankly… I’ve had enough of being a “suit” and branding myself with a corporate-type identity. So, a quirky, humble start toward success is part of my history and I don’t want to outgrow that attitude – it keeps me real.
…and I think there was some weird moment where a Super Bowl commercial, combined with a beer-induced comment from someone in the room conspired to spark the words “blip” and “fish” in the same sentence and I knew I had to run with it.
Hey… it’s strong branding and image, right?
No, I don’t do face-to-face consultations much at all.
I’m sure you’re a lovely person and we’d probably enjoy each other’s company over coffee and marketing talk. However, my wife and I worked very hard to put me in a position where I could not only work for myself but also work from my home office and I’m not set up to have visiting clients. I also have a tight enough schedule where traveling (even locally) to a meeting place (even if they have great coffee) is also not the best use of my time.
I know that, for some people, a face-to-face consultation is something they get a lot of mileage out of and I can understand why. However, it isn’t the workday routine I worked hard to establish so I unfortunately will decline nearly any request to do so unless you’re truly willing to pay well and take notes – my time is extremely valuable and I’m assuming yours is too.
I can, however, schedule video conferencing, which will be outlined in my consulting rate schedule (not yet posted).
Yes! I have advertising opportunities available to you.
I’ll be posting my advertising rate card soon.
What’s up with the video/audio posts? I thought this was a blog?
Well, it’s something more than a blog. I try to maintain a 90% business-centric presence here, however I sometimes deviate, a little. I also thought that answering some of the questions or covering topics I might otherwise write about would be more interesting as a video or audio? Sometimes, creating these is faster, more free-flowing, more descriptive, and frankly… creates another interesting element to blipfish.com. Some people also learn better through watching and listening than they do by reading – so I try to cover all the bases.
Huh??