This isn’t only about blogging, it’s about all aspects of being mobile, of doing business when you’re out and about. Today we have technology at our fingertips (literally) that allows us to update, catch up and initiate our marketing and communications wherever we may be, as long as we have a spare five minutes to give it our full attention.
The internet is fully accessible in a majority of places (majority until total coverage is available throughout the British Isles) and there are also devices that provide it for us if it isn’t freely available. I say ‘freely’, as I think the way forward is to have free wi-fi in most public places so everyone, not only businesses, can continue communicating with whoever is important (or sometimes not).
So why do some establishments make it darn difficult to get access to wi-fi? I’m not going to mention names, but there are some hotels that charge £10 for wi-fi, or others make it equally difficult with passwords that don’t work. What they don’t realise is that they are missing a trick. Small businesses frequently work outside of the office, sometimes it’s vital to be able to read your emails or check up on someone’s website before a meeting, and being able to do this in comfort with a decent coffee at your elbow, or even hold these meetings in the coffee bar, certainly will bring in more custom.
But going back to blogging. I had a delightful experience at a garden centre last Wednesday; not only was it a bright and airy experience in their restaurant, not to mention the delectable cakes beckoning me from the counter, but they had free wi-fi with no password! This positively encouraged me to sit with my iPad and write some blog posts, and the ambiance was so conducive to inspiration I got loads done! The staff were friendly and forthcoming, and didn’t mind a bit that I sat in my corner blogging away.
Then an idea came to me: since this location was perfectly suited to mobile internet usage, I could take advantage of it to help others. It was a wonderful place to hold a blogging surgery, where I could sit for a prescribed amount of time and anybody who wanted to talk to me about their blog could come and find me. Obviously I need to see if this is a going concern, as I have a very busy diary and would not want to waste a good afternoon (though I could always write some posts), but plomping myself in between Reading and Maidenhead may be suitable for some people and their blogs.
Let me know what you think, or alternatively broadcast this idea via social media to see what others may think. I look forward to getting your feedback!
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About the author:
Alice Elliott’s alter ego is the Fairy Blog Mother, a magical educational resource for all your blogging needs. Find out about her tuition and design services at http://fairyblogmother.co.uk