Business Goals for 2018

As we inch closer to the new year, I have decided to put to the screen some of my business goals for 2018.

These are some of the goals I have on paper and in my head.

They are not meant to be final, but should provide some insight into the business direction I am taking to start 2018.

If you have questions or comment, please let me know by sending an email to: michael@hackmer.com.

Or you can share a comment below.

*NOTE: This post was updated on 1/9/2018 and includes changes to the structure of Catoctin Education.

Social Web Tactics

The company’s general focus has been to help businesses better identify their target audience and effectively communicate how they solve their customer’s business challenges, and to help companies efficiently deliver products and services to their customers.

In the early years (SWT launched in March of 2013), we provided a basic mix of search engine optimization, content development, and social media management services.

However, the in-depth discussions which followed a customer’s initial inquiry for one of the above revealed they often had significant deficiencies in knowing about their customers. Businesses, organizations, and agencies were all trying to reach people, but with little insight in exactly who they needed to communicate with, and what their interests and needs were. What’s more, not only was there a lack of knowledge about the audience, but a lack of connection existed between online and offline sales and marketing.

Put simply: many companies benefited from getting help building a total strategy – from identifying their mission and building customer profiles to delivery of goods and/or services and providing customer support.

More recently, companies and organizations have expressed strong interest in learning the latest data and trends around specific business tactics, improving internal employee skills through online learning (with the goal of retaining good employees), and better using e-mail and inbound marketing to maximize efficiency and generate more business leads.

When I think about the last few years, and the last several months, I realize that as time has changed, so too have the business needs of many companies, organizations and government agencies.

SWT has changed as well, but we must change more to be successful.

Here’s what is planned:

• Industry Data and Marketing Trends
  • We are going to provide market data and industry trends on a regular basis.
  • Some of this information will be sourced from third parties, while other data will be generated by our team.
  • This information will be posted on our website (on the homepage under the banner) and LinkedIn, as well as sent out via email and direct mail.
  • We will start with an email that offers a data point, trend, or tactic in areas such as: audience acquisition, website optimization, content / messaging, lead generation, advertising and social media.
  • We also will integrate data or trends within specific industries, such as: education, government contracting, technology and more.

• Courses for Sales and Marketing Professionals
  • We will start to offer courses through our new Catoctin College network in 2018 that will address core sales and marketing needs within different companies, organizations, and government agencies.
  • These courses will be available at individual rates, as well as subscriptions (corporate, government agency, and non-profit).
  • All courses will be taken on the Catoctin College website.

• Marketing Services (Adding HubSpot and Automation)
  • While the core suite of marketing services will remain, there will be some additions to what we offer in services, as well as how we group and position our marketing services.
  • One change, for example, will be to how we look at website optimization. In the past, optimization was almost exclusively aligned to improving a website’s performance in search engines. However, focusing on optimizing the user experience will accomplish this and more. In our view, the content, what is offered, how it is offered, the use of marketing automation solutions, and better use of email connects into a more complete, optimized user experience that is better for the consumer as well as the business owner. Certainly, search engine performance is still critical. By focusing on the customer’s needs and structuring content and technology in the right way, we believe we can continue to provide great SEO service, in addition to other benefits.
  • For marketing automation, we will offer HubSpot services starting in January 2018. We started to do this in 2017, however we have not promoted it. Since the strongest need has been for HubSpot, we will start there and gradually grow into other automation platforms – depending on capability, cost, and customer interest.
• Share Insights On LinkedIn and Distribute Via Email and Direct Mail
  • All key updates will be shared on our website and LinkedIn, as well as sent out via email and direct mail.

Your SEO Consultant

Your SEO Consultant was originally formed with the intent of bringing together SEO consultants who had expertise in different industries. Later, this idea changed into the site being more of the SEO portal for SWT – and where all search engine optimization content (especially the very technical content pieces) will be housed.

Here’s what is planned:

• News and Trends In Search
  • Every week are going to provide a summary of what is being talked about in search engine optimization. What are other experts talking about? What, if any, algorithm changes do people need to be aware of?
  • The summary will get posted on our website (in the Search Strategies blog) and LinkedIn, as well as sent out via email and direct mail.
  • As time goes on, we will consolidate data and trends into specific industries and house those in industry-specific pages for easier reference.

• Monthly Webinar (Starting February 15)
  • Every month (starting on 2/15/2018), we will hold a monthly webinar to recap key trends in SEO and respond to questions.

• Interview Series (Starting March 5)
  • Interviews are a helpful way to put into context search engine strategies and tactics. But it also is a helpful way to better understand tools. In March, we will launch a series of interviews with experts from different areas of the SEO marketplace, including executives with software tools.
• Directory of Resources
  • By mid to late January we will have a complete directory of resources for search engine optimization – including software and other online tools.
• Share Insights On LinkedIn and Distribute Via Email and Direct Mail
  • All key updates will be shared on our website and LinkedIn, as well as sent out via email and direct mail.

Your Webinar Experts

Your Webinar Exports is a part of the SWT family. It’s purpose is to provide a dedicated set of resources and services for companies and organizations interested in conducting webinars or online events.

The site was launched in 2017, but it is not complete and has not been promoted.

The goal for 2018 is to increase its presence, and make sure businesses, organizations, and government agencies, as well as individuals interested in hosting online events / webinars, are aware of the website and make use of its resources.

Here’s what is planned:

• Webinar Provider Directory
  • Complete the directory of webinar software providers from basic to enterprise level by January 12, 2018.
  • This directory will include pricing information for each product, and screen shots of the service.

• Interviews
  • Interview people from Webinar software users to Webinar provider representatives. The idea is to capture thoughts on trends and tactics that have worked, as well as promote upcoming events.
• Events
  • One thought I had when the site launched was that we could promote third-party events. This can include events from webinar software providers (potentially housed on their profile pages). But it also could include corporate events as part of a master Webinar calendar. The easiest way to gain traction for this kind of service is to offer it for free, which we will do in 2017. We cannot vouch for the content quality of events we showcase, but hopefully we can provide people with knowledge and a learning experience by connecting them to different kinds of events. This calendar will launch on January 19, 2018.
• Webinar Product Announcements
  • Include product and other announcements from different webinar providers. This will be housed in the blog, but also tagged so content appears on each company’s profile page.
• Share Insights On LinkedIn and Distribute Via Email and Direct Mail
  • All key updates will be shared on our website and LinkedIn, as well as sent out via email and direct mail.

Time To Brainstorm

The idea for Time To Brainstorm came out of a few professional experiences. One was a brainstorming session I was apart of at Strayer University. Another was a series of lessons on “Energy Leadership” that I participated in at K12. Between those two and a few other experiences, and in thinking about how much I enjoyed true brainstorming, creative thinking, and helping others to think through challenges, I decided to create a company where I could channel my talents and help others brainstorm.

The site launched in 2017. And the goal is to launch the services in 2018.

Here’s what is planned:

• Post Regularly On Brainstorming, Creative Thinking, and Idea Generation
  • Every week I think it is important to share thoughts on brainstorming, creative thinking, and idea generation. Some of this will be original content, while other pieces will be from third-parties.
  • The goal will be to send a thought-leadership piece out / publish it every week on either Sunday morning or Monday morning.
• Share Insights On LinkedIn and Distribute Via Email and Direct Mail
  • All key updates will be shared on our website and LinkedIn, as well as sent out via email and direct mail.

• Advertise To Businesses and Government Agencies

  • Advertising services will be key. The goal is to offer a cost-effective series of sessions that allow businesses or business teams, and government agency groups to better map-out their goals, objectives, and future opportunities.

Catoctin Education

Catoctin Education is the parent company for all the education ventures I am involved in, including Catoctin College and the Education Blog.

When I was in high school, I developed a strong belief that there was something fundamentally wrong with the education I was receiving. As I sat in one boring class after another (with the exception of my history classes), I wrote and sketched a new type of school. A school that I would enjoy learning in and being a part of.

As the Internet expanded, and new school concepts emerged, I continued to believe that public education needed to be different.

It was not until I got behind the curtain, so to speak, of a for-profit that my eyes really opened to other problems within the education space. Strayer University, which recently merged with Capella,  was an excellent place to interact with students, use the online education platform, and learn how “for profits” made their money. In one meeting, I asked an executive if the University planned to expand non-degree, certificate programs, or offer mini-degree programs, similar to what Rutgers offers today with its mini-MBA. The answer was “no” because such programs did not generate money. More accurately, people were not likely to take out loans to pay for these kinds of courses. Loans were quick infusions of cash, and the most dominant way Strayer and other for-profits generate revenue.

Later, in May of 2012, I read a great blog post by Mark Cuban entitled, “The Coming Meltdown in College Education & Why The Economy Won’t Get Better Any Time Soon.” In it, Cuban really hits home on many of the problems within higher education.

I then discovered Ken Robinson’s TedTalk from a few years before, “Do Schools Kill Creativity” (which has been viewed over 13 million times) and realized that between the TedTalk, Cuban’s post, the Third Wave concept from Alvin Toffler, and my past experiences and research, I now had the outline for what I wanted to do in education.

Catoctin Education will be the parent of a new, high-end, un-accredited, branded school that will be designed to offer more futurist and personalized education mixed with apprenticeship. I want to do this, and change less money than traditional colleges and universities, and lead people to better job opportunities.

When I pitched this concept to a few area executives over the last couple of years, they almost said word for word what Cuban writes in his blog post, which was more than enough validation for me.

Cuban wrote: “As an employer I want the best prepared and qualified employees. I could care less if the source of their education was accredited by a bunch of old men and women who think they know what is best for the world. I want people who can do the job. I want the best and brightest. Not a piece of paper.”

Here’s what is planned:

• Launch Catoctin Education In January 2018
  • The core of the company and the pieces that will flow off it will be listed. And while the launch will in no way represent the finished product, it is important to have the core structure started.
  • Catoctin Education, which is the parent company, will oversee Catoctin College, the Education Blog, and the apprenticeship program and Virtual Reality Training program.
  • Catoctin College will be the learning platform – home to all the courses offered.
  • The Education Blog will be the content platform, fueling discussion on education and learning. Authorship will come from a wide variety of sources, and not be limited to Catoctin Education’s mission or beliefs. The idea is to create a platform for ALL voices.
  • The apprenticeship program will be integrated into other offerings, but Catoctin Education will oversee this effort.
  • The Virtual Reality Training program also will be integrated into other offerings, but managed by Catoctin Education.
• Catoctin College
  • Offer online and in-person courses that fit with our curriculum model, as well as an apprenticeship program (one for seniors in high school, and another for adult professionals).
  • Start with government contracting (to be offered through the Catoctin College and Government Contractors websites), and cannabis (to be offered through Cannabis Business Today, but not visible on the Catoctin College website).
  • A section of curriculum will focus on: habit formation, motivation, organization tactics / skills, and communication.
  • Another section with focus on futurist writers, such as Toffler – setting a new foundation in thought.
• Education Blog
  • This will be a media platform that provides content written by a mix of educational professionals (teachers, administrators, and experts) as well as policy-makers, politicians, parents, and students. The goal is to provide daily education conversation and publish content directly from all those interested in and involved in education – to be shared with everyone else.
  • Content will range from written articles, studies, videos, podcasts, polls, photos / photo essays, and infographics.
  • There will be an editorial team and content writers who will put together content for Education Blog.
  • Third-party content will be produced by the source unless the source asks the staff at the Education Blog to research past positions and statements to create a content piece. If we are asked to assist in writing any content, we will be transparent and note that was done. However, anything coming from a third-party must be approved by that person, and they will have the byline.
  • We are going to invite writers from other content publications regardless of their political affiliation or view.
  • The Education Blog will cover topic areas including but not limited to: trends, policy, personal stories from teachers, parents and students, technology, homeschooling, campus living, diversity, gender, and more.

Lastly, I do not want to leave out my interest in outdoor learning / education and the concept of adult recreation centers, which are not gymnasiums, but a mix of relaxation, wellness and physical fitness. I also like concepts like the “escape room” and other adventure themes. Those are not part of the Catoctin Education plan at present, but they may be in the future – OR – they may be part of a separate venture.

Government Contractors

The Government Contractors line of business was started recently and is in development.

From my time working on GovWin (the Deltek acquired MySBX), I saw there was tremendous interest in and need for a non-corporate aligned community and resource center for government contractors. When the website and its community was discontinued, and the domain re-purposed by Deltek for its contract opportunities solutions, I wanted to find a way to bring aspects of that old site back to help the thousands of small and mid-sized businesses be more successful in government contracting.

Here’s what is planned:

• Complete the Government Contractors Website and Launch By February 5, 2018
  • The core website design and elements are in place. Most of the work that needs to be completed between now and 2/5/18 is content-related.
  • Reach out potential partners for content and programming (Deadline is 1/22).
  • Schedule preliminary Webinar and advertising campaigns for the site and specific content.
• Outline Courses for GovCon Professionals (to be managed by Catoctin College)
  • The core website design and elements are in place. Most of the work that needs to be completed between now and 2/5/18 is content-related.
• Corporate GovCon Webinars (to be housed on the Government Contractors and Your Webinar Experts websites)
  • The core website design and elements are in place. Most of the work that needs to be completed between now and 2/5/18 is content-related.

CBT Media

CBT Media is the parent company for all cannabis-related businesses and interactions. The company will not have any references to cannabis on the website, but Cannabis Business Today and the Marijuana Marketing Agency will act as subsidiaries.

The primary function of CBT Media is to manage Cannabis Business Today, and grow that media platform into the primary business news source for the cannabis industry.

Here’s what is planned:

• Marijuana Marketing Agency
  • Minimal activity on the website – except re-purposing content from CBT and publishing case studies of successful marketing initiatives, eg, GDS, Bankcard Brokers, etc.
• Cannabis Business Today
  • Focus on content about: Cultivators / Growers, Labs / Processors, Distributors / Delivery, and Dispensaries. There also will be interest in product manufacturers (including those that service the industry), technology, and hospitality and travel, which continue to grow.
  • Focus on showcasing cannabis industry reports and data, which are key for business success. This can include publishing third-party reports, but should emphasize CBT producing reports internally. The reports created by internal staff will be a significant part of revenue – and be part of a subscription service for businesses that will include marketing, and courses / training.
  • Create a “marijuana dispensary directory” that is constantly growing and being updated.
  • Create an additional business directory that includes some paid options for expanded profiles.
  • Offer education / courses for the cannabis industry that are managed by Catoctin College.
  • Discuss how to potentially integrate a product marketplace (Ecofy?) into the website at a later date.
  • Generate some additional revenue from advertising and third-party Webinars / events.

SOCiCLE

SOCiCLE was a domain I purchased a few years ago, because I wanted to launch a business that focused on the social side of life. While lots of ideas have percolated over the years (and remain in development), the future vision for SOCiCLE is to two-fold: one part of the website will be loosely based on the Japanese “ossan” rental concept (click here to read the article about this on this website) where a person can rent a person who is there is listen; the second part is to pull together a group of people with therapy experience and / or licenses in therapy – to provide monthly online support for people based on a subscription package – similar to those who pay for a medical concierge service with a general practitioner.

Here’s what is planned:

• • Complete Core Website Design – February 5, 2018
    • Complete the website with a basic outline of both types of services.
    • Develop a simple way for people to register to be “listeners” and provide a way to monitor and approve.
    • Outline business relationships for team that will provide health and therapy-like services for people online.
  • Build team – March 5, 2018
  • Complete legal documentation and policies
  • Scheduled Launch – April 23, 2018
    • Complete the websiteEvery week are going to provide a summary of what is being talked about in search engine optimization. What are other experts talking about? What, if any, algorithm changes do people need to be aware of?

Your Travel Guide

Your Travel Guide is a fun and exciting concept that I want to see grow significantly over the first half of 2018.

The core business concept is very simple: travel guides for different parts of the world.

These guides take different forms, including written, video, and personal (one-on-one, and on-site).

Here’s what is planned:

• Map out all travel guide content for launch (January 8 to January 22, 2018)
• Begin development of all content
• Start social media posts – January 29, 2018
• Create criteria for Travel Guides, and begin to invite Travel Guides to participate in the website – February 19, 2018
• Create advertising opportunities for site launch
• Complete Core Website Design – March 12, 2018
• Explore additional advertising opportunities 2 to 3 months following site launch – June 2018
• Phase 1 will be for Latin America
• Phase 2 will be for Canna Tourism and Ecological Tourism in the US and Latin America
• Phase 3 will be for Europe
• Determine Phase 4 and beyond by October 2018

Politics

I have been involved in third party, independent politics since Ross Perot ran for President in 1992.

Since then, I have worked to help maintain the national Reform Party, as well as build a state party in Virginia and in other states.

2018 is an important year, and one I want to dedicate more to politics.

Here’s what is planned:

• Reform Party of Virginia
  • Every week are going to provide a summary of what is being talked about in Virginia politics and how it impacts voters.
  • Posts from the week will be shared on LinkedIn – on the Reform Party of Virginia’s page
  • Complete a “Why you need to run for office” post and “How you can beat the Democrats and Republicans” guide
  • Advertise for candidates to run in 2018
  • Conduct direct recruitment for candidates
  • Send out a one-time mailing to business leaders / community leaders
  • Set-up and host events across Virginia to introduce people to the Reform Party, and why they should get involved
  • Other activities – to be disclosed later
• MichaelHackmer.com
  • Every week I will post articles about local, regional, national, and international political topics and trends.
  • The other areas of interest will be trends impacting American culture and society.
  • Every collection of posts will be shared on LinkedIn
  • Every two weeks I will do a video report
• Leadership for America PAC
  • Create and publish courses for Reform Party candidates
  • Create candidate training videos and primers
  • Outline plan for growth and fundraising
  • Send out first fundraising emails and letters
  • Complete website for launch – January 22, 2018
• Reform MyGOV
  • Reform MyGOV is a crowdsource platform for new policy ideas. It needs investment and a technical team to build out the interface.
  • Complete business plan
  • Build development team
  • Obtain funding
  • Scheduled launch date is May 2018

Hackmer.com

Last, but not least, is my own personal website and blog: www.hackmer.com

I have owned the “hackmer.com” domain for almost 18 years. Apart from my train collection, I cannot think of much else that I have owned for that long period of time.

My first business idea was captured on Hackmer.com, and that was to create a website that covered independent politics (third parties and their candidates). I had called it “Political Party News” and owned the domain until I abandoned the idea.

Later, I decided the site was best as a place where I could advertise my marketing skills – a virtual resume. This was long before the idea was popular, and about a year or two before LinkedIn launched.

Today, the site still has an element of that virtual resume concept – with summaries and links to businesses and projects I am involved in. I have done this because I want people to know about me, what I am interested in, and what I am doing. Sharing and making yourself visible is a way to keep people informed and open doors to opportunities for collaboration.

In terms of content, the blog, “Colliding With The Social Web,” has evolved over the years. For Hackmer.com, I am mainly interested in writing about the following topics:

• Motivation
• Parenting
• Start-ups and Entreprenuers
• Technology
• TV, Movies and Entertainment

Here’s what is planned for 2018:

• Interviews
  • Each section is a great place for a one-on-one interview to provide additional insight / perspective. We can research topics and trends, but often times – talking with someone else teaches us things we would never learn on our own.

• Reviews / Fan Blogging
  • Though it may provide no interest to people who know me or want to hire me for work, I love great television and movies. There are some television shows that I absolutely want to write about. In some ways, the posts may run the risk of turning into a “fan blog” of sorts. I am “OK” with this, because I hope to learn more about the shows I enjoy in the process of writing about them, as well as improve my writing and vocabulary.

• Increase Onsite Engagement and Awareness
  • Through the interviews and increased writing, I want to increase onsite engagement, and awareness of who I am.

Personal Goals for 2018 (COMING SOON!)