No I’m not suggesting that you go out and start doing something illegal - I’m talking about how virtual adoption can be a really great idea to connect people with your product or service (and donate funds!).

While Miro (a pretty cool video service that is definitely worth checking out) claims to be the first to allow “adopting” code - this is hardly a new business model - you see it a lot in charities like environmental groups that allow you to adopt a tree that you don’t actually physically own but you’ve sponsored; or aid groups that let you sponsor a child and be able to send letters to them.

Through beautifully rendered graphics charting the anthropomorphised growth of your code, Miro creates a real sense of connection between you and what effectively is a bunch of characters.

Remember how successful Cabbage Patch Kids were in the 1980s? Yes, they were adorable - but the killer marketing move was in giving each Kid its own birth certificate - it was no longer just a doll, it was your child. Miro gives you an adoption certificate that you can even post on your blog and “watch yours grow”.

And one day, your code will grow up to be “a little buddy like these”…

This has a place outside charities and open source software like Miro, I’ve seen apple farmers let you sponsor an apple tree for a year and you get all the apples it produces sent to you. 

Can you think of something in your business that can be “adopted”?

Do you sometimes have difficulty remembering what life was like without the internet? Without broadband internet? Yet only 15 years ago, most people wouldn’t have even heard of it let alone had it connected in their homes. 

Clare at SoloPortfolio posted this picture:

It’s part of Accenture’s Virtual Corridor. The virtual corridor is an always connected HDTV videoconferencing interface that lets people from different offices, anywhere in the world, interact. Because it is always connected, if you want to have a conversation, you can just drop by and there that person is even though they may be miles away. There is no technology that gets in the way, the person is just there talking to you. There is even a virtual office for those who wish to have private conversations.

While this is cutting edge technology now, how soon will it be until this is commonplace?

I can hardly wait!

Cat

I subscribe to Mari Smith’s  Online Marketing Tips eZine. She’s a Relationship Marketing Specialist and has run courses on Facebook amongst others - she’s a great mentor if you need help in this area. Yesterday she sent round an issue with a quote that I just love and had to share with you:

Um, is it just me or do you often find that life speeds up so fast your day goes by in a blur?  I tweeted this out not long ago and was heartened to receive this response back from @Canterucci:

“@MariSmith I think life is always that fast. Some days you just participate more.“

(CC Licenced image source: Daniel Morris via Flickr)

I’m a big fan of the power of reframing. We can’t control everything that happens in life, but we can control how we react. This was a really empowering way of seeing a busy day - instead of feeling that loss of control that can happen when we find we have so much on our plate, it’s a reminder that we are still proactive forces.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.

~ Thomas Edison

This is one of my favourite quotes and one that is worth repeating daily. While it might seem like all the good ideas have been taken and this or that market is saturated - you’ll find that if you’re open to it, the world is still full of plenty of opportunities if you’re prepared to work them.

The problem is that too many people look for the quick and easy way to success rather than committing to something with passion and effort. I’ve seen so many “get rick quick” schemes that promise money while you sleep. The thing is, while there are certainly lots of ways to create passive income, it’s rare that there’s something that didn’t require quite a bit of work to set it up in the first place.

By focusing on wanting to make thousands of dollars in a few weeks instead of having some patience and putting in some consistent effort, the irony is that often it takes longer to find success (if at all) and that success may be far smaller. 

Take time to build your foundations and don’t be scared of hard work. You’re far more likely to be rewarded.

You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.

~ Henry Ford

It’s easy to make promises - what counts is your ability to follow through and turn those words into actions. You’d be surprised how few people do indeed do. The mere act of getting out there and really trying something (with “umph” remember!) will easily put you in the top 10% (if not more) of everyone else out there.