In truth I have been catching up from our fortnight’s holiday in the USA and as I’m sure you understand, sometimes you just get your head down and get on with matters, which in my case has been working in the business and missing my early morning swims at Tenbury baths.

As I write this in a restaurant, I have watched with interest the numerous people coming in and out of the restaurant and they have one thing in common, most have very little to say as they are all listening to music on their headphones or looking at their mobile devices.

Now this has reminded me of being on the ferry recently from New York to Hoboken in New Jersey where our son and his family live. The one day we came back from New York at peak commuter time and the ferry boat was jammed full of commuters travelling home.

It is how commuting from major cities the world over has progressed, if it is indeed a progression I wonder?

My point is that businesses spend an inordinate amount of money trying to influence potential customers, yet so many individuals are oblivious because they are in their own world.

That is at least until it is time to buy something and then where do most people check things out - on the same mobile communicators.

I was at a recent networking event where I overheard a struggling business owner say they have nothing to say about the modern methods of communicating because they simply don't like or use them.

When invited for my thoughts my advice to them was simply to get over themselves and either learn fast or employ someone who knows how the modern ways work and how to make the most of them - or they will go broke!

Whether we like it or not the buying habits of the vast majority have now changed and you have to be available when an individual shows interest which now is mostly through the internet, which means your social media, websites, blogs etc need to be user friendly and instant, because if not, the individual simply moves on to someone else.

So if you're not available with something to say you will be missed and will surely miss out.

Spend the time marketing your family business in every area of marketing you can afford and spend it wisely. No marketing equals no business...

Even when you have nothing to say...