My wife and I just started a new healthier diet plan. We customized it but the foundation of what we're doing is based on the "Abs Diet" that has been published by Men's and Women's Health Magazines. It's good for me from a toning and muscularity perspective and good for my wife from a weight loss perspective.
My goals:
- Lose a thin, stubborn layer of stomach fat.
- Increase muscle definition, especially in my chest and legs
- Build some muscle but not a substantial amount (not bodybuilding level just solid, cut physique level).
It's a six week program but we will probably continue well beyond that point. Eating out, beer, wine, and even diet pop are OUT for the most part (aside from 1 day per week when we can eat a limited amount of some of these things) during the next six weeks.
I expect to meet my goals sooner than week six because they're all pretty simple. If that happens I will make new more difficult goals.
Tom
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Sunday, November 16, 2008
New Business Website
I've been on my own business-wise for several months now so I built my own website that can be found at: www.tmbroadwater.com. Over the next three months I plan to aggressively promote my services using the same Internet marketing methods I help my clients use. I will be adding demo's of some of the software applications clients can use as well as templates that can be used to design their websites, e-newsletters, and other Internet marketing/communications applications.
I've changed some things from how I've done business in the past. I'm now using a "subscription style" fee plan where clients pay a monthly fee instead of a several thousand dollar up front fee. The reason for this is that websites, to be effective, can no longer be built and forgotten about. It's important that they continuously change to be effective marketing tools and my new fee plan will help clients do that without substantial cost. If a website is stagnant people will eventually stop visiting it, search engine spiders included thus causing it's generic search ranking to fall.
Hopefully I'll be able to convince my clients to expand their usage of Internet-based marketing.
I've changed some things from how I've done business in the past. I'm now using a "subscription style" fee plan where clients pay a monthly fee instead of a several thousand dollar up front fee. The reason for this is that websites, to be effective, can no longer be built and forgotten about. It's important that they continuously change to be effective marketing tools and my new fee plan will help clients do that without substantial cost. If a website is stagnant people will eventually stop visiting it, search engine spiders included thus causing it's generic search ranking to fall.
Hopefully I'll be able to convince my clients to expand their usage of Internet-based marketing.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Business News
As of this week we've decided to no longer develop new websites for clients. Many factors came into play to cause this decision including, but not limited to, lack of profitability, foreign competition, and unrealistic client demands. I'm currently trying to decide what the web services business should focus on. One thing we will definitely work more on is our business news website, eastcentralohio.com. Covering a region of over 700,000 people, eastcentralohio.com has the potential to be an great, low-cost marketing tool for area businesses and an easy to manage source of revenue for the business.
I have several new ideas that I think are worth trying and information about those will show up on our website soon (www.hassemanmarketing.com). We will still service our existing clients (in case you're one of them) for as long as they want to work with us. I'm relieved we're no longer doing websites because it sucked up far too much of my time for the amount of money we were making off of it. I'm now free to focus on things that we can develop regular revenue streams from so the focus isn't always on finishing one project so we can go out and try to get another one.
Changes are always common in business. You have to adjust constantly to stay competitive and keep making money. This is why it's so important to be comfortable with risk and able to tell when changes are necessary and when persistence may pay off. The challenge of business operations is why I prefer to be in charge.
Tom
I have several new ideas that I think are worth trying and information about those will show up on our website soon (www.hassemanmarketing.com). We will still service our existing clients (in case you're one of them) for as long as they want to work with us. I'm relieved we're no longer doing websites because it sucked up far too much of my time for the amount of money we were making off of it. I'm now free to focus on things that we can develop regular revenue streams from so the focus isn't always on finishing one project so we can go out and try to get another one.
Changes are always common in business. You have to adjust constantly to stay competitive and keep making money. This is why it's so important to be comfortable with risk and able to tell when changes are necessary and when persistence may pay off. The challenge of business operations is why I prefer to be in charge.
Tom
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Climbing Back On The Blog Bandwagon Again
Apparently I was standing too close to the back edge of the blogging bandwagon and fell off again, which means it's been a while since my last entry. I've been busy with some exciting projects and a couple of projects I'm so tired of dealing with I'll be excited when they're done... if they're ever done.
I hope to make a couple of posts over the next few days that I wrote but never had a chance to upload during the past few months, including one with pictures from the big snowstorm in March. We had around 21" of snow in most areas of central Ohio. Normally, our largest snowfalls are around 8" to 10" so this storm was very unique and unusual. It's actually odd writing about that right now because as I sit here it's 78 degrees and sunny outside. I'm wearing shorts sitting here in the air conditioning.
I found out today, by way of a paper stuck in my front door frame, that someone has started a blog for Albany Crossing, my neighborhood. This is fantastic because it's hard to figure out what is going on in here at times. We have a homeowners association that I pay regularly but really don't know what they do other than snow removal. We also have a pool and a clubhouse that I know they are supposed to maintain. It'll be interesting to see what other residents have going on and to read their opinions on things involving our neighborhood.
Look for more regular entries all summer long!
I hope to make a couple of posts over the next few days that I wrote but never had a chance to upload during the past few months, including one with pictures from the big snowstorm in March. We had around 21" of snow in most areas of central Ohio. Normally, our largest snowfalls are around 8" to 10" so this storm was very unique and unusual. It's actually odd writing about that right now because as I sit here it's 78 degrees and sunny outside. I'm wearing shorts sitting here in the air conditioning.
I found out today, by way of a paper stuck in my front door frame, that someone has started a blog for Albany Crossing, my neighborhood. This is fantastic because it's hard to figure out what is going on in here at times. We have a homeowners association that I pay regularly but really don't know what they do other than snow removal. We also have a pool and a clubhouse that I know they are supposed to maintain. It'll be interesting to see what other residents have going on and to read their opinions on things involving our neighborhood.
Look for more regular entries all summer long!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Hasseman Marketing Web Services
About six months ago I started a web services business in Coshocton with Kirby Hasseman who owns Hasseman Marketing & Communications. From the beginning, I had a positive attitude about the project (it's close to impossible not to have a positive attitude towards something when you're working with Kirby Hasseman on it, whatever it is) but I still had a few doubts about how well Coshocton would treat me after a few not so good experiences over the years there. I'm happy to say that this business looks like it's on it's way to being a success and my doubts about Coshocton are pretty much gone.
It started off slow as can be expected with any new business but there was more interest from potential clients than I figured so that was a good sign. I had a pretty good feeling that Kirby wouldn't give up on it because he's very persistent and that played a big part in my decision to go through with this new business. His persistence started to pay off in November and our client base and revenues have been booming the past few months. We're to the point now, in January, where we have a few possible projects on the table and a few in the pipeline that we're already working on. I'm really feeling good about things right now.
I should also mention our programming consultant Tony Morris has done a great job working for little short term pay on projects like BuyCoshocton.com and our own HassemanMarketing.com websites. His knowledge of multiple programming languages, "can-do" attitude, and willingness to work on a pay/project basis have been very important to the success of our web services business. Tony is a student at THE Ohio State University in Columbus and is a Dover High School graduate. He and I are partners in my IT Consulting business TM Broadwater Technology Consulting in New Albany and we have worked on many projects together over the years mostly on the web.
Through Hasseman Marketing Web Services, I've been able to meet and work with a few people who are new to Coshocton and some who have been there for years all determined to turn the community around. It's been good to see this perspective as opposed to the negativity and defeatist mentality that exists with a certain segment of the community's population. I'm feeling better about the future of my hometown and I'm also feeling very good about the future of Hasseman Marketing Web Services. Hopefully we can create some tech jobs in the no-so-distant future.
It started off slow as can be expected with any new business but there was more interest from potential clients than I figured so that was a good sign. I had a pretty good feeling that Kirby wouldn't give up on it because he's very persistent and that played a big part in my decision to go through with this new business. His persistence started to pay off in November and our client base and revenues have been booming the past few months. We're to the point now, in January, where we have a few possible projects on the table and a few in the pipeline that we're already working on. I'm really feeling good about things right now.
I should also mention our programming consultant Tony Morris has done a great job working for little short term pay on projects like BuyCoshocton.com and our own HassemanMarketing.com websites. His knowledge of multiple programming languages, "can-do" attitude, and willingness to work on a pay/project basis have been very important to the success of our web services business. Tony is a student at THE Ohio State University in Columbus and is a Dover High School graduate. He and I are partners in my IT Consulting business TM Broadwater Technology Consulting in New Albany and we have worked on many projects together over the years mostly on the web.
Through Hasseman Marketing Web Services, I've been able to meet and work with a few people who are new to Coshocton and some who have been there for years all determined to turn the community around. It's been good to see this perspective as opposed to the negativity and defeatist mentality that exists with a certain segment of the community's population. I'm feeling better about the future of my hometown and I'm also feeling very good about the future of Hasseman Marketing Web Services. Hopefully we can create some tech jobs in the no-so-distant future.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Christmas Decoratoins
I haven't had a chance to post a blog on here in quite a while due to being overwhelmed with business projects. It's very difficult to keep up a blog even when you don't have anything going on. For a while I'm back at it again...
Today my wife and I started putting up our Christmas decorations. We have two small trees on each side of the front door that have colored over-sized lights on them now. We still have a long ways to go as far as decorating is concerned. It started to rain and was cold so we didn't do anything else outside and the entire inside is still left to do. We have new furniture this year along with a new layout so we are going to have to completely re-think our decorations. Whenever we get more of it done I'll post some pictures in a future blog entry.
Today my wife and I started putting up our Christmas decorations. We have two small trees on each side of the front door that have colored over-sized lights on them now. We still have a long ways to go as far as decorating is concerned. It started to rain and was cold so we didn't do anything else outside and the entire inside is still left to do. We have new furniture this year along with a new layout so we are going to have to completely re-think our decorations. Whenever we get more of it done I'll post some pictures in a future blog entry.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
It's Been A While
It's been a few weeks since my last post due in part to a case of Internet burnout. Now I'm recovered and back at it again. My new regional magazine East Central Ohio Magazine comes out in October so I've been looking for sales help. I have an interview with a guy this coming week who has a lot of experience so I'm hoping it works out. Surprisingly I haven't had much interest...this is surprising because I'm advertising these jobs in my hometown where unemployment is very high.
I've decided in the past week to do most of the sales myself. The October issue will have an Autumn/Halloween theme and will include stories about local job losses and what officials are doing to turn things around as well as supplement on November election candidates. I'll be sending out the first issue free of charge to anyone who requests it along with all of the area libraries. I'm pretty excited about this project and hope people are receptive to it. It will give them another option for local information and I think that is much needed.
I've decided in the past week to do most of the sales myself. The October issue will have an Autumn/Halloween theme and will include stories about local job losses and what officials are doing to turn things around as well as supplement on November election candidates. I'll be sending out the first issue free of charge to anyone who requests it along with all of the area libraries. I'm pretty excited about this project and hope people are receptive to it. It will give them another option for local information and I think that is much needed.
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