Lessons Learned from Attending Internet Retailers Conference

I’m on day three of the 2010 Internet Retailers Conference, and I have enjoyed my experience.  This event was truly an eye-opener for me as conferences and conventions are my primary targets for my writing business.  I would like to share some of the lessons learned from attending this event.

1. I am much smarter than I was two days ago. I am almost genius!
2. There are very few black people that were in attendance.  Ok, this is one of the things I look at anywhere I go. However, being in this technology world and not seeing a lot of faces means lots of opportunity for me.  I don’t know if people were not there because they are not in tune with technology, if they are not interested, or if they do not care.  If I had to estimate, there were less than 100 black people in a room of thousands of attends.  Either way, I guess it’s time for me to educate and work on bridging that digital divide.
3. I saw huge opportunities for me on several levels.  First, I can definitely get paid several ways for the service I’m offering under my writing business. Second, I have so many stories to share from community newspapers to professional magazines to trade journals. I don’t have to be an expert in the topics; I just have to know where to find those experts.  I have lots of business cards and contact information. Anyway, that’s another way to get paid.  Third, I can technically establish myself as the South Side Resource by attending such events and sharing on my blog as well as community resources.  I can also do short presentations about eCommerce. Fourth, people were impressed that I was a blogger.  I feel freelance opportunities coming along.
4. Being one of the few black people at the event makes you easy to remember.  This is great when you’re looking to build your business and make connections.
5. I have to hurry up and a lay a foundation for the service I’m offering so I can train my teen workers. The Internet Retailers Conference would have been perfect for young people.  They would have connected with people who are conducting online businesses; learned about tools and resources available to optimize website; and saw companies of all sizes doing different things.
6. This is too much work for one person, even two people, so I need to hire staff ASAP.
7. I can hire people for Shorty and my writing business.  My Shorty staff will be doing traditional reporting and then uploading to the blog.  My writing business staff will be providing on-site coverage in real-time using social media and multimedia tools.
8. I’m ready to make things happen.  I discovered so many ways to get paid and it’s time to do it.
9. Since I have to complete day three, I gotta run.  Oh, I’ll get someone to take my picture today. 🙂