It's been a while

Hey,

If you're wondering who this is and why I'm in your inbox, that's a fair question. You signed up for one of my email lists a while back, and I've been quiet since then.

Here's who I am. I'm Steve Duetzmann, and I run Side Quest Solutions in Bristol, Connecticut. I build websites and handle marketing for small local businesses. My clients are aestheticians, bookkeepers, editors, consultants, therapists, and remodelers.

I've moved my email list to a new home, and you came along with it. I'd rather introduce myself properly than start sending you things out of the blue.

What you'll get

Starting next week, I'll email you every Wednesday morning. It's one short email with the same three things every time:

• One thing that's working in marketing right now
• One thing I'd skip, so you don't waste money on it
• One real question from a reader, answered

Here's what each one looks like. The "working" item is something you can put to use right away, explained in plain terms. The "skip" item is a tactic, tool, or sales pitch that sounds good but costs more than it returns, and I'll tell you why. The reader question is a real one, answered the way I'd answer it for a client.

The "skip" item matters most. When you run a small business, a dollar spent on the wrong thing is a dollar you don't have for the right one.

What it won't be

You won't get guru talk or fifty-step funnels. You'll get plain answers to the questions small business owners actually ask. Do I really need a blog? Why does my website feel slow? Is it worth paying for ads at my size? Questions like those, answered in regular English.

Why I write this way

A lot of marketing advice assumes you have a team and a big budget. My clients run small local businesses, so that's who I have in mind when I write. If something only makes sense for a company with a marketing department, it won't show up here.

I also won't try to scare you into anything. If something on your website or in your marketing needs fixing, I'll tell you plainly, and I'll tell you it's fixable.

One thing to do

Hit reply and send me the marketing question that's been nagging at you. It's just me on the other end, so your reply comes straight to my inbox, and yours might be the one I answer in an upcoming issue.

Steve