We're a year away from political elections, and jobs and the economy permeate the candidates' rhetoric. What if one of them was to stand up and literally guarantee millions of new jobs for rural Americans?

I'm not running for office, but I am proposing a jobs creation plan that can do just that: A National Rural America Jobs Creation Plan. Funded through a public/private partnership, the plan offers private investors a 50 percent reduction in investment risk when investing in rural USA companies.

Imagine, taking outsourced technology jobs back from India and China. Putting Americans back to work and getting better results at the same time!

There are a fair amount of assumptions in job creation proposals, but here are some current facts from FCC's The National Broadband Plan, submitted to Congress in March 2010:

1. 50 percent of U.S. jobs currently require technology skills;
2. 100 million Americans are currently without broadband service;
3. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided $7.2 billion to fund the expansion of broadband access and adoption across the U.S., both upgrading current, and adding new, users;
4. In 2000, our country counted 8 million broadband users, but 10 short years later, that number approached 200 million;
5. The U.S. government, through a variety of mechanisms, is reaching its goal for every American to "have affordable access to robust broadband service, and the means and skills to subscribe if they so choose".

Based on these facts, the FCC's The National Broadband Plan: Connecting America assumes that in another 10 years, the number of jobs requiring technology skills will grow by another 27 percent - suddenly, that 50 percent of U.S. jobs requiring technology skills becomes a mind-boggling 77 percent!

So, why invest in rural USA jobs? Check your news sources. Rural USA is lighting its way out of dark economic shadows. Yes, extreme weather conditions have hit agricultural industries hard, and that means that those who depend on agriculture as an income source now must augment that income, or transition completely. But it's not just agricultural workers; families longing for a quieter, less restrictive and more importantly, a more profitable way of life, have discovered and are still discovering a quality-of-life treasure trove in the Midwest such as is highlighted by Wisconsin's Lake Michigan TechShore.

Cost of living is often half of urban areas, which means wages can be lower while still allowing workers to enjoy the dreams their urban counterparts lost years ago. The lower rural USA wages enable rural Americans to be cost competitive with outsourcing countries such as India and China. I knew this when I created my company, Rural America Onshore Outsourcing. We routinely beat overseas competitors' prices....especially for higher, value-added, outsourcing services.

The talent is there, combined with a willingness and desire to work - indeed, a strong work ethic that often exceeds urban areas. And navigating across rural America is not cumbersome when compared to overseas outsourcing. Why? Because of technology. Many of those 100 million Americans that currently have no broadband service will be accessible as they enter the virtual work force. Many already have the advanced professional skills. You are also not navigating through extreme cultural differences or geographical boundaries. Imagine, taking outsourced technology jobs back from India and China!

Why not take advantage of this technological infrastructure - a digitally-enabled, low-cost workforce - and, reinvest in the American economy? Ohio has proved it can be done: Ohio's Third Frontier Program was created in 2002, focusing on five advanced technologies programs. It was so successful in creating thousands of jobs and generating increased tax revenue that the program was extended to 2015.

How successful? How about creating 41,300 new jobs while realizing a $10 return for every $1 invested over a 5-year period? The overall tax revenue generated by Third Frontier should exceed the state's entire investment by 2014, and result in a total economic impact 11 times its investment.

In 2005, I spoke before Ohio's Senate Finance Committee about expanding their plan to Ohio rural areas; and helped write the language that was incorporated into the final authorization bill. I'm going to promote it again. My national plan will model Ohio's success, focusing on growth areas important to our country's future: Information Technology(IT), e-commerce, advanced energy, biomedical, and advanced materials.

• Funding is simple: 50 percent of the funding is backed by federal government bonds, 50 percent from local venture capital and angel investment groups. To start, I propose each state start with a combined pool: $5 million from government; $5 million from private investors. This allows each state to start with $10 million, which amounts to a total of $500 million for all 50 states. The investment groups get access to the bond money which reduces their overall investment risk by 50 percent. That's a huge incentive for investors to place funds in rural USA companies that will lead to job creation.
• These angel groups invest in existing and new businesses located in Tier 2 and smaller rural cities and communities. Entrepreneurs flow to where capital is available: New technology companies will be formed and that creates jobs. When successful, mature companies are sold, the profits are shared between the government and the investors.The government bonds are then repaid with proceeds from sales of the companies.

This should not be a hard sell. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is certainly an advocate of this thinking; his recent speeches to business and civic groups around the country tout hope and pledge action, particularly through the Connect America Fund. He acknowledges that connecting un-served and underserved Americans is one key to not only our nation's recovery, but global competitiveness.

Global competitiveness through connectivity in underserved rural areas, supported by the U.S. government - that's an investment worth pursuing.

Here's how you can help get the word out about creating jobs in rural USA:

1. Contact your federal and state representatives. If you are unsure who represents you, go to www.votesmart.orgfor information on both your federal and state representatives. Here is some sample text for your e-mail or written communication (to be most effective, you should try to put these thoughts into your own words):

   Dear Senator/Representative Name:

   The Plan also complements and meets the goals of the bipartisan American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which invested in technology to bring Internet access to millions of under- and un-served Americans. The Plan would grant our state $10 million to create or expand jobs in IT, e-commerce, advanced energy, biomedical and advanced materials. Please visit www.techshore.org/NRAJCP to become one of its advocates.The National Rural America Jobs Creation Plan will employ thousands of unemployed Americans in rural areas - including in your district - with minimum risk to private and government investors. This simple but comprehensive public/private Plan models the successful Third Frontier Program implemented in Ohio in 2002, which created jobs and increased that state's tax revenue.

   Sincerely,Your name

2. Volunteer your time to assist in promoting the National Rural America Jobs Creation Plan. Signup at www.techshore.org/NRAJCP.
3. Use your social media network to share with your friends. The power of social media is changing the world. Let's use that power to create jobs.

Working together, we can create jobs in the rural USA. I welcome your thoughts, ideas, and passion for improving people's lives.

As Rural America Onshore Outsourcing (Rural America), prepares for its annual Strategic Planning Meeting (fancy phrase for the meeting where we set big hairy audacious company goals for 2011), I've been contemplating the future of the USA rural onshoring outsourcing industry.

Here are my top five predictions for 2011:

Prediction 1: 2011 will be a banner year for bringing technology jobs back to rural USA.
As market awareness of the rural onshoring alternative to offshoring continues to grow, greater volume of contracts are flowing to the industry leaders. There is a pent-up demand. Using Rural America as an example, the agreements we've signed in the past 45 days are equal to 40% of our 2010's total revenue. This is good news for rural America. This means we will continue to be hiring Talent nationwide.

Prediction 2: Numerous start-ups competitors will launch.
We are seeing numerous early stage companies endeavoring to capture market share. Most will not survive the competitive learning curve leading to profitability. Onshoring outsourcing may sound like a simple business model, but mastering the details to gain customers - trust and repeat business is extremely difficult.

Prediction 3: Onshoring vs. offshoring will be used by state and national politicians in their election campaigns.
This was done in 2010 by Ohio's outgoing governor who mandated that state agencies could not send work overseas. An easy issue to sell to voters that jobs will not go overseas once the candidate is elected.

Prediction 4: Thus, offshoring companies will continue to establish operations in USA either from scratch or by acquiring an existing onshoring company.
The lure of health care and government contracts is also driving this interest. I receive, on average, an inquiry once a month asking if Rural America is interesting in being acquired, merge, or partnership.

Prediction 5: Availability of USA skilled talent will increase.
Just as customer's "C" level executives are becoming aware of USA onshoring, skilled IT, marketing, design, etc. talent is learning about the rural onshoring employment opportunity. Rural America receives over 100 resumes a week and the volume is increasing. We have far more talent available than we can put to work. Rural broadband is enabling rural talent to enter the job market, thus fueling American global competitiveness.

Prediction Bonus for 2012:
"Brick and Mortar" development centers are slowly dying.to be replaced by cost effective mix of micro-centers and telecommuters.

This past November, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak at the National Broadband Expo (www.thebroadbandexpo.com). My topic was "Labor Components of Rural Broadband: the Impact of OnShoring."

The vast majority of broadband service providers I networked with during the Expo conveyed that they are primarily focusing on the hardware and installation of broadband coverage.

In this rush and focus on broadband installation, often overlooked is what I call the Human Element, the opportunities to provide additional complementary services to millions of new and upgraded customers.

Millions? Look at these statistics:

• The United States now ranks 22nd among the world's nations in the density of broadband internet penetration and 72nd in the density of mobile telephony subscriptions.
• There are an estimated 50 million Americans living in rural areas (defined as having a population less than 10,000).
• Rural population areas have a broadband penetration of 75 percent, well below the national average of 89 percent.

Based on these statistics, approximately 10 million people will eventually have access to broadband for the first time. They will be a mix of farmers, workers, freelancers, and business owners. They will need jobs, education, e-commerce sites, web tools, new business support services, etc. All these are human elements, services that people need. If these rural areas were themselves a single state, this market would be the eighth largest state in the USA, behind Ohio. Huge market!

This means new service opportunities are available for Companies to grab such as:

• Economic Opportunity to Work - Depending on which research study you read, anywhere from 250,000 to 2,400,000 jobs will be created. Tele-workers and micro-business development centers of five to 50 people will flourish. Expanded infrastructure support, new virtual management techniques, and new process methodologies will be required.
• Remote Infrastructure - Innovation is best when created from the bottom up. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are being created... from small e-commerce companies started in private homes to large companies, like those teaching English to customers overseas. Many of these companies will fail, but the ones that prosper will create more jobs, strengthen the community by paying more taxes, and generate wealth. They will need professional services provided either by local firms or via the Internet, aka "The Cloud."
• 21st Century Medicine - Remote medicine practices will continue to be refined and expanded. With the growing shortage of family physicians, broadband technologies combined with remote diagnostic equipment are urgently needed.
• Education and Training - Educational industries, training, distance learning, and secondary/advanced degrees are being made more available to rural learners.
• OnShoring - Because their cost of living can be up to half of urban areas, rural Americans are willing to work or provide services at rates far less than their urban brethren. This means rural USA can be competitive with offshoring. Rural onshoring will continue to take outsourcing market share away from both USA urban firms and offshore companies. This is the market niche that Rural America OnShore Outsourcing is successfully attacking. These new broadband users represent an opportunity for thousands of new jobs to be brought back to rural USA. Many of the rural professionals I've hired moved to the "boonies" in order to have a rural lifestyle or be close to family members. Over 90% work from their homes. These talented people bring with them Internet know-how and advanced professional skills. It's a pity, because we have turned down numerous other well-qualified candidates simply because they don't have access to broadband.

Broadband providers should be constantly examining the services they offer their customers to see what additional human element services they can provide. As well, they need to be exploring what partnerships can be created with other vendors in the above suggested service areas.

A tight, focused range of Human Element services complementing your core products/services should be developed to provide a tighter relationship with your customers, generate additional recurring revenue, and differentiate your Company from your competitors.

A management philosophy for confident, results-oriented executives seeking to maximize the full talent of their fast-charging personnel in a virtual workforce.

One thing I've learned while building 13 companies in almost 20 years of being an entrepreneur is that hiring and motivating the right people WILL make or break a fast-growing company. How fast? 100% to 300% or more growth per year.

My latest company, Rural America OnShore Outsourcing, is wrapping up its second year in existence and we are booming. To add to the complexity of managing our rapid growth, Rural America's team is largely comprised of Associates who work from home. Senior management is split among multiple states, and the heart and soul of the company — the talented Associates — is spread across many more states.

This virtual business model can be challenging to our communication. As a start-up company grows, the communication culture changes, i.e., the way five Associates work together changes when the company reaches 15 Associates. In comparing my notes with numerous seasoned entrepreneurs, I've observed that the next big communication culture change usually takes place when the group reaches around 50 members, when some communications breakdown occurs; by the time a company reaches 150 Associates, it's hard to know everyone's name, let alone keep the close-knit communication teamwork of the start-up days. To my dismay, I discovered that because everyone at Rural America was not in the same building, I was seeing the breakdowns in communication at the 25 person staff level typical of the 50 Associates staffing levels.

To tie all these diverse elements together, we had to create a new management style. While we had to keep management reporting layers to a minimum, preserve the flexibility of our widely spread out company, and be able to quickly respond to ever-changing market opportunities, we also had to tighten communication and wanted to reinforce our company's highly challenging and fun-loving culture.

Traditional "Top Down" management methodology won't work without layers and layers of management. On the other extreme, self-directed team management principles, where teams of associates manage themselves, are extremely difficult to incorporate in a short-term project-oriented consulting environment.

In a rapid-growth corporate environment covering numerous profit centers and large geographical areas, management simply can't be everywhere all the time. This means that team members must be capable of thinking and leading their part of Rural America themselves. And when they do that, they grow Rural America faster and make it stronger, as they themselves grow smarter and wiser.

At Rural America, we've labeled our unique style of management "Coaching Cats™"

All cat lovers understand that you can't tell a cat what to do. Cats tend to be very independent, usually very smart, and they don't listen when you tell them what to do. They will do what they want, when they want, and how they want. You have to make it worth their while for them to do what you want.

We endeavor to hire Associates who are like cats. That is, we hope they share the cats' traits: independent, self starters, high energy, self motivating, and yes, even a little argumentative. If they have worked as an entrepreneur, that's even better; we can help them become "intrepreneurs," that is, change agents inside a company.

Don't confuse hiring only Type A personality types with the concept of hiring "Cats." I made that mistake numerous companies ago and would up with rooms full of Generals all knowing that THEIR ideas and leadership directions were right. We argued and fought our way into corporate gridlock. I had to blow up the entire team and start over. Strive to hire a mix of different personality types — all intelligent, all motivated — to bring a diversity of ideas to the culture. As long as they have the "fire in their belly," they don't have to be brash and outspoken. In fact, one of the most talented members of our Management Team is also one the quietest; I've never heard her get cross with anyone in the company. She leads by quiet example, demonstrating the traits of intelligence and being a self starter without all the noise.

We give our Associates the work tools they need and place them in an environment where they can thrive, one with challenging projects to help them grow professionally and personally. We lead them by using coaching techniques rather than by telling them directly what to do and how to think.

The old-fashioned management style of an imperial CEO or an authoritative senior manager, who acts like s/he is Moses coming down Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandants, is dead. Traditional "top down" management methodology dictates that the cats must be told what to do and where to go. According to Wikipedia, the expression "Herding Cats" "refers to a task that is extremely difficult or impossible to do, due to one or more variables being in flux or uncontrollable." EDS's famous 2000 Super Bowl commercial demonstrates the difficulty all too well (see http://ht.ly/2n9RP). We get much better results by coaching our team of cats than by herding them.

What is Team Coaching at Rural America? At the basic level, coaching is:

• helping to identify the skills/capabilities that are within each Associate
• enabling each one to use his or her talent to the best of his or her ability
• increasing the operational independence within the individual, and thus lessening the need for direct managerial supervision.

Rural America's coaching technique rests on the:

• setting joint goals/objectives for both work/personal growth
• selected use of powerful questions with the aim of pointing the Associate in the desired direction
• allowing the Associate to discover different solutions and options in order to achieve the required project goals and objectives for a healthy relationship with Rural America's clients
• Utilizing "open book" financial management techniques to share with the Associate the Company's financial performance and how their actions are impacting the Company's operations.

This personalized coaching, combined with a "Trust, but Verify" project quality assurance methodology, enables us to have happy Associates as well as the ability to measure quality of work product, check milestones of progress, and report on client satisfaction.

By giving our Associates the trust and freedom to use their originality and experience in project implementation, we create a "Win³" environment: the Associates build on their existing experience, the Client receives superior product and service, and Rural America grows and flourishes.

Now, many executives may be afraid of this management style. To them, management is about maintaining control and minimizing associated risk by assigning authority. All our competitors in the rural USA OnShoring industry operate by traditional brick and mortar operations and with a management style based on traditional oversight of their employees. Rural America, on the other hand, knows that Associates, like cats, thrive when given the space to act independently. Our emphasis on trust and on results is no less important than the conviction we have that if you find and hire the intelligent, motivated and accountable people, you really get "the cat's meow."

150 years ago, America's Industrial Revolution was ramping up and workers flocked to the urban areas to seek work in large, top-down managed company. Today, in the Age of Internet Broadband, more and more companies will start rely on virtually-based associates spread across multiple states. The seven billion dollars of federal stimulus money authorized by Congress for internet broadband is going to accelerate this transformation. As we know at Rural America, rural-based Americans are entering the virtual-based workforce, and millions will still enter. They are all willing and able to work for labor rates far less than their counterparts in urban areas and still maintain a solid standard of living.

Many new and innovative entrepreneurs will be creating products and services with aims of competing worldwide. As the new internet-based workforce spreads out, new management methodologies, such as Coaching Cats™, will be required to forge this tremendous market force into its maximum productive capability.

© Christopher Hytry Derrington 2010. chris@ruralamericaonshore.com

During a recent interview with a global sourcing industry publication, we briefly discussed the number of confusing names.

Seems like every company in our industry uses a different name.

Hummm...ones that come to the top of my head:

1. Onshoring
2. Rural OnShoring
3. Domestic Sourcing
4. Domestic Outsourcing
5. Rural Sourcing
6. Farmshoring
7. Low Cost Domestic Sourcing
8. Inshore Sourcing

Have I missed any? If so, please comment and add.

No wonder the Media and potential clients get confused. This mish-mash dilutes our industry brand and marketing impact.

Reminds me of the early days of the VCR...VHS vs. Betamax. Or more recently, Blu-Ray DVDs vs. HD DVD.

As our exciting industry matures, a single industry brand name will emerge.

Guess which one is my favorite? Hint: Just look at our Logo!

OnShoring is simple, clear, and provides distinct differentiation from offshoring.

Today, I wanted to write about some of the great benefits Rural America offers to its team members. One of the benefits I enjoy the most is the ability to work from home in my own office.

Working from home allows me the luxury of having my very own office staff: two sassy calico cats who like to boss me around, and one neurotic, three-legged, scared, rescue dog, named Chloe.

But, even working in your own office, sometimes you just need to take a break from the computer and get some fresh air. Today was one of those days.The sun was shining and made for a beautiful day. So, I thought I'd take Chloe outside with me for a quick break.

Some back story:

Now, Chloe is afraid of EVERYTHING. At least, she is at home. I'm talking, tail-tucked, pleading brown "please don't hurt me?!" eyes. But, when she's at doggy daycare, she's the happiest, most playful dog you'll ever see. You would swear she is two completely different dogs.

My step-daughter started working at that daycare a couple days ago. She happened to be there yesterday at the same time Chloe was there. When she came home, she told us something that was too good to be true: Chloe played FETCH (with a tennis ball) with her all afternoon!

Okay, please note: I've tried on many, MANY occasions to engage Chloe in some form - ANY form - of playtime. So, I'm a bit jealous.

Present day:

So, today I decide that on my little break, I'm going to take Chloe outside and try playing some fetch with her again. I figure, "Hey. She played yesterday, so it's fresh in her head and she'll enjoy it. Right?" Well...

Here is how 'Fetch Experiment #1' went:

Throw #1: I toss the ball to the end of the yard and she runs the opposite direction, up the porch steps, and hides behind the railing by the patio door. *I* have to fetch the ball.

Throw #2: I call her to me. She reluctantly comes over. I throw the ball back to the driveway and she runs to the back door and sits against the wall with her tail tucked under her.*I* fetch the ball, again.

Throw #3: I throw the ball to the back of the yard again. She runs UNDER the porch. *I* fetch the ball, again.

Throw #4: I get her to run WITH me, with ball in hand, around the house. We get to the backyard and I toss the ball to the other side of the yard... she hides behind the porch railing. *I* fetch it... again.

Results of 'Fetch Experiment # 1':

After fifteen minutes out in the yard, I have learned that I am quite good at fetching, and have completely worn myself out running/playing. Therefore, I am leaving Chloe in charge of getting my client projects done and writing my newest blog post and I will be taking a nap on her couch.

I can't wait until 'Fetch Experiment #2'! Maybe I need to rethink how much how much of a benefit it actually is to work from home... it's exhausting!

Okay! In part three of this topic I said, "don't chase after all those cool widgets". Now I'm going to tell you that widgets, gadgets and social media tools can be good for your site.

No, no. I'm not contradicting what I said above. Work with me, here.

When the internet was really starting to draw users in to surf websites it was perfectly fine to create a static, brochure-type website. Companies basically took their printed brochures, made them into web pages, and made the occasional updates when services or prices changed.

Pay Attention to Me!

On today's internet, we're inundated with information from multiple sources that are clamoring for our attention. To compete for your audience's attention, your site needs to be active: an avenue for you to interact with your audience on a regular basis. Staying static (ie, never changing your site's content) can kill your website.

So, once you have your website completed and online, you need to find ways to keep your information fresh.

This is where you get to go back and review all those cool new things you found lying around the web and find ways to use them to your marketing advantage.

Social Media Widgets

Using social media tools to not only speak to your audience, but also speak with them - and allow them to communicate with you - will help keep your site and information fresh and in front of them. Social media venues like Facebook and Twitter are great ways to start a fan base and spread your message virally.

There are widgets available (yes, they are called widgets) that will allow you to have your most up-to-date status and tweets appear directly on your website. This will help keep your site content fresh and updated, and can also allow your visitors to post their comments and responses there, as well, allowing you to keep in touch with them and stay on their radars.

Rinse, Review & Repeat

It's good practice to review your website on a regular basis to figure out if your tools are still drawing the attention, and audience, you want. If your current tools aren't working, go back to that list and find new ways to share your message.

There are many options out there, but don't let the sheer magnitude of options weigh you down. Take your time; do your research; and keep your list of options to return to regularly.

As I noted in part one of this series, it's not the gadgets and gizmos that will make your site great.

Keep your message - and your tools - simple and consistent and you will keep your visitors coming back for more.

Okay, so, you've met with the experts, figured out your target audience, figured out your message and have a design ready to go. You, and your team, have decided on what you need to get done, how to get it done, and the timeline to get it done by.

So, in the eternal words of one marketing giant: Just Do It.

Unless you find that something you have planned on will either, a) Take more time and money than you originally planned, or b) might be detrimental to your website, don't second guess yourself or your team. Waffling about new technologies you found after your team has started the build will only delay your project. And, they can always be integrated into your site later.

Stick to your plan and get the project done. Your team, family and heart doctor will all be happier.

I LOVE New Gadgets, but I Don't Always Use Them

There is a never-ending spawn of new technologies and social media venues popping up on the internet every day. There are good ones, and bad ones. Some help you network with other companies. Others help you reach out to potential customers.

But, a person can go into information overload with all the great marketing technologies out there. When that happens, you can easily go into analysis paralysis.

Trust me; nothing will draw your project to a screeching halt faster than finding a new feature for your website.

Now, I'll be honest, I LOVE finding these new gadgets and widgets and modules and snippets to add to my website. I'm a GEEK! I love that stuff! I'm very easily distracted by shiny, flashing things. (My family calls that my "Oh, Look! A Kitty!!" mode). But, I also know I have to draw a line somewhere.

When you find those new tools that might help you with your online presence, do yourself, and your team, a favor:

1. Start a list
2. Write it down
3. Set it aside

When working on the project planning stage, create a 'phase 2' that is scheduled to begin once 'phase 1' is completed and running. Then, you can sit down with your team and review possible new additions to your site. That way, the first phase of your project can continue with fewer interruptions.

Keep your focus on your primary goal. Otherwise, your project will go nowhere, fast, if you continually try to add new items to the mix. I know. I've tried.

Stay tuned for Part 4 - Widgets Don't Kill Websites. People Do.

In my previous post, I wrote about keeping your focus through your project planning so you don't end up with analysis paralysis. This naturally-occurring phenomenon is not restricted to internet-based technologies. It can happen in the 'real world', as well.

Here is just ONE experience (of many) that I've had with this paralysis:

I love woodworking in my free time. I came up with a great idea for a weekend project: a simple, functional bookshelf for my office that would fit nicely with the style of our old house, and offer a stylish way to organize my design manuals. This was a small project that would have taken me two afternoons of my weekend, and appeased my need to build something with my bare hands.

It all started out innocently enough. I looked through design magazines and books for some nice styles. I came up with a perfect idea. I took all the measurements for the space I had and drew up the plans. I created a materials list and drove to the hardware store to buy what I needed. Everything is set! I'm excited and ready to start this weekend!

Before I started, I visited a friend's home and saw a shelf at their house that was absolutely amazing! I snapped some photos and ran home to do some research. I spent the weekend redesigning the shelves (instead of building them). I took new measurements; drew a new design; created a new materials list; and, ran to the store to buy a few more new materials. NOW, I'm ready to start... again!

Until... I find another cool feature in a magazine, or on a home improvement show. Then, I research, re-measure, re-design, go back to the store, get home. Okay, now I'm REALLY ready to start. Or, am I?

As you can see, what started out as a short, fun project turned into a long, drawn-out process because I couldn't make up my mind on the design. It should have been fun. But, instead, I not only made my life more stressful with change-after-change-after-change, and, I never finished the project.

My family also had to endure my stress, the clutter of materials lying around, and not having my attention focused on them, but on my project, instead.

Why am I talking about failed woodworking projects in a tech blog? Simple: these same principals ring true for web design projects - or, any projects - for businesses.

The internet is growing every, single day; with newer, faster, and cooler ways to market your business and bring in new clients. It makes setting up a new, or redesigned, website daunting. You will have questions bombarding you daily, like:

• Which social media outlet should we use?
• Which search engine is better to help increase site traffic?
• What programming language should my developers use to build it?
• Which new gadget can we NOT live without?
• What is our competitor doing on their site?

The possibilities are endless and nearly impossible to keep up with. But, reigning in your 'kid-in-a-candy-store' side can help you remain focused on your primary goal.

Stay tuned for Part 3 - Waffles: Great for Breakfast, Bad for Projects