SteamboatStuff.com click to zoom

I’ve been hard at work on a new venture that puts a positive twist on an old business. I have a strong belief in doing my part in making our community better. In 2009 I developed WeLoveSteamboat.com which allowed people who love Steamboat Springs to tell their story in an authentic way. I also helped start Ignite Steamboat, a group to connect entrepreneurs forward thinkers and tech junkies.

In 2010 I was the principal architect for the Ride 4 Yellow event which raised over $300,000 to fight cancer.

So in late 2011 I teamed up with David Wittlinger and we developed another project to help our community – SteamboatStuff.com.

As residents of Routt County I believe I have at least 3 things in common with fellow locals:

• We love Steamboat Springs
• We have a garage full of STUFF
• We could stand to have some extra cash in our pocket

Building from these three commonalities as our foundation, Steamboat Stuff was born. When I first started thinking about a new, local classified ads website I decided it needed to be more than just a place to buy and sell things. If this was to be done right it had to have a larger purpose than just ads.

SteamboatStuff.com

If you look at great companies like Tom’s Shoes, Sevenly and Charity Water you’ll notice that each of these brands started by fundamentally approaching business in a different way. These innovators resonated with me. Specifically, the idea that a business could stand for something more than just their financial reportsjust feels like a better way to build a new business.

We began with the idea that this website could serve as both a valuable community resource for users to raise some money for themselves while also benefitting area non-profit organizations.
The driving idea behind this venture is that:

The value of the transaction doesn’t end with the sale. The dollars generated here will go on to improve our community for years to come.

So think Toms Shoes meets Craig’s List and you have the essence of SteamboatStuff.com.

Try it Free

For a limited time you can list an item you’d like to sell for free just by using this promo code at checkout:

PROMO CODE: jaysfriend

So as you explore the site I urge you to think about your own life and the ways you give. Perhaps you too could find one or two items around your house that it might be time to sell.

And when you decide to advertise these things to prospective buyers I hope you consider the impact you can have on local charities by choosing SteamboatStuff.com as your selling partner.

Go ahead visit www.SteamboatStuff.com.

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

Pics from Steamboat Halloween 2008 are up on my Flickr account.

I can’t tell you how many people commented that Halloween is the best Steamboat event of the year. Great weather and no time-change made last night awesome!

Click for pics – you may see someone you know.

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

Hahns Peak & Steamboat Lake

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

From a project we’re working on. You are not alone.

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

I hear the same objections over & over regarding investing in their business. In good times many brokers say “Why should I spend any money to market myself or my properties? Business is so good, these properties just sell themselves.” Then they go play golf.

In bad times they say “Business is too slow right now. I can’t afford to spend and invest in my business. I’m going to cut way back till things get better.” Then they wait.

But the brokers who are successful in bad times are the ones who take a consistent approach to investing and improving their business in good times & bad. This works because it lengthens the good times and shortens the bad. As they continue to improve & invest in their business they put themselves in a position where they have more opportunities and more lucrative transactions. So when the market begins to turn south their opportunity pool is much deeper than otherwise, thus extending their good business.

They not only make more money but they also take deals off the table that could have been there for you.

When times are bad the same brokers continue to invest & improve their business Their down market is shorter than others. Why? For two reasons. First when many other brokers scale back their efforts those who maintain a strong presence have a greater chance of being noticed. Second, for the most part, the market pendulum will swing back the other way and when it does, those who have continued to invest & improve will catch the upturn much earlier than others. They not only make more money but they also take deals off the table that could have been there for you.

Cam Boyd recently hired a full time marketing person – in a down market. By doing this he’s positioned himself to catch opportunities much earlier and free his time & focus to find & properly market those opportunities.

There will be no green light for a better market and by the time you read about it, a ton of money will have already been made.

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

So in reorienting some to the reality of what buyers want, great photography is something that brokers should require of themselves as a minimum. I’ll try to illustrate some differences between really good pictures and the uninspired, drive-by point & shoot photos we see way too often.

I was recently on a trip and took a picture of some super colorful shops. Online, someone else had posted the same shot but with very different results. Take a look & imagine yourself in the market. Pay attention to how these photos make you feel.

This first version was taken by someone else with a simple point & shoot.

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I took this picture with serious camera gear and an inspiration to get a great photo:

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Big difference. Or how about this photo of a ranch:

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Compared to this one I took last fall:

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Which one would interest you?

Photos are such an important asset for real estate agents and here in Steamboat there’s almost no excuse in having crappy pictures. Hire a great photographer and smile when you pay them knowing that you have awesome photos that tell a story and sell property much more effectively. Great photos will pop on the MLS and can be leveraged in many ways.

Kim Keith is an excellent local photography resource. She’s a real pro and puts art into her photos. What this means to you is you’re likely to get photos that evoke emotion. More emotions equals more sales at higher prices.

Kim Keith Photography
Studio K
2550 S. Copper Ridge Rd, suite #204
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
(970) 846-3680
kim@steamboatgallery.com

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

With so many brokers concerned about referrals are you memorable enough?

There is so much average stuff in the middle there’s not enough room to remember it all. I suppose it’s a bit like this graph with the painful experiences being a little more memorable:

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If you do everything right & meet expectations, you’re average.

So many Steamboat Springs brokers are concerned with referrals but I wonder if they’re really doing the stuff that’s memorable. Are you memorable enough? 3 years from now will your clients remember the exceptional experience they had with you. 3 years from now what will your clients say? Will they say you were average? If you’re truly average, I doubt they’ll remember anything at all. And in today’s world truly average is actually a pretty high bar.

If you do everything right & meet expectations, you’re average. It’s only when you exceed expectations or really screw things up do you become memorable. Going with the flow, blending in, doing what everyone else does feels safe but we won’t remember you come referral time.

Buying & selling a home is such a life changing experience for your clients the goal should be to make it THE most memorable experience of their lives so there is no way they could forget you.

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

(Can’t see the video? Click here)

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

See the rest on our Flickr account

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology

(Can’t see the video, click here.)

Altera Marketing Group - New Media Marketing & Technology