Raza Imam at Boycott Software Sweatshop blog is an outstanding example of small business blogging at its (humorous) finest. I love his “about Me” bio here–to the point and honest. Raza’s blog is a way to win the hearts and minds of small/mid-size and startup companies that could benefit from the services of his offshore outsourcing company (Adaptive Solutions, Inc.).
He is focusing on the trials and tribulations (of which there are evidently many) of companies who make bad choices when selecting offshore software partners.
Kudos to Raza for investing in this educational, entertaining blog. The blog is helping him to win business. See Raza’s comments on a recent post (aptly titled, Blog Dammit) at the award-winning Duct Tape blog here. Here is how he describes his blogging success (in part):
“I started it (the blog) a few months ago to liven up my brand and it’s been my main lead generation tool. It’s very hard to differentiate myself from the dozens of “Bob’s from Bangalore” that call on the same prospects I’m after, so I decided to make fun of my entire industry.
The results have been phenomenal. In a crowded marketplace, I all of a sudden stand out. It ain’t safe, but it works.
Mentioning my blog to people helps break the ice because it’s funny. I’ve gotten new clients all over the country, and even one in Belgium because of it. I publicize it like crazy at events and even wear buttons with my blog logo. When I make cold calls, I tell people to visit my blog. I tell them that I’m making fun of my own industry. It differentiates me and has been the main reason for my growth. ”
Congratulations, Raza. To all the non-blogging small business owners, as John Jantsch says so eloquently, “Blog Dammit!”.
Thank you so much for the kind words Cynthia!
I really think more small businesses need to blog. The results are truly amazing if you’re creative and persistent.
Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com
One more thing… I love your aversion of big fat marketing budgets. We bootstrapped our business and have gotten our clients using 4 tools:
-Networking at events
-Blogging (leaving comments, publicizing my blog at events, etc.)
-Cold calls (mentioning my blog and making my calls funny and fun)
-Public relations (emailing journalists about the success of my blog… and mentioning my main business as a side note)
You are most welcome Raza! Also thanks for the additional insight into how blogging has helped you to grow your company. I think journalists are (still) finding that successful blogging for business is a a powerful story. Kudos to you for being your own online public relations wizard. That is exactly what I coach my small business clients to do.
Best,
Cynthia
,..] http://www.smallcompanybigimage.com is other nice source of tips on this subject,..]