Do you remember the classic old TV show, The Rockford Files? It was always a favorite of mine. I mean, Jim Rockford always seemed to find his way out of tight situations, and even though his methods were not always exactly correct, he somehow always managed to solve the case. What was it, $200 per day…. plus expenses. If I remember the amount correctly!
Well, a minor part of the show, but one that always caught my attention was when Rockford would be doing an investigation, and he needed to pass himself off as somebody other than who he really was. He would turn around, reach into the back seat of his gold Firebird and grab a little machine. With that machine, he could instantly produce any business card that he might need. Instead of being a Private Investigator, in a matter of minutes, he might be a movie producer, a gem collector, a CEO of a big corporation, or anything else the mind could imagine. I mean, having a business card that says you are the CEO of IBM really makes it so in the eyes of many people! After all, how could you have such a business card if it wasn’t true! Today, in the 21st Century, we can print out business cards on our Laser Printers for anything we want to be too, but 30 or 35 years ago, something like that was unthinkable!
Well, the other day I was writing an e-mail to a friend, and I mentioned The Rockford Files. I mentioned his “business card machine” to him, and it kind of kicked off some thoughts in my mind. Think about it, now, in the 21st Century, we have a new kind of “business card machine” ala Rockford. What is it?
The Website.
The website makes for complete portability. No matter where we are, no matter where we go, a good website makes our business available worldwide. Jim Rockford’s business card maker was portable, he took it with him wherever he went. The website is available no matter where we go or what we are doing too.
Yes, the website is the 21st Century “Rockford business card machine.” After all, we can sit down at our computer and in an hour or two we can produce a credible looking website to open any kind of business that we wish to have. I myself have a half dozen different websites for businesses that I started online. Just the other day, I started a new business, put up a website, and am in business today (and have already made money in that business). What is the difference between what Rockford used to do on TV and what I did with the new website? Well, I can think of only one thing that is different. I didn’t put up the website to make it “look like” I had such a business, but to really do it. With Rockford, he was a Movie Producer, or whatever he chose to be, just for long enough to serve his purposes, then he threw the card away and moved on to something else.
Yep, in my mind, the Worldwide Web is today’s version of the Rockford Business Card Maker! What do you think?
Good one, Bob. I didn’t see that coming. Indeed the Web is a business card machine.’ And as you point out, it’s a ‘business machine’ in truth, not just fiction.
So many folks today haven’t yet made the simple connection that where you live does not have to have anything to do with where you earn your money. They somehow thing the web is only some sort of mysterious techno-geek stuff like SEO and TCP-IP and HTML experts. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As an example I owe a fellow a return email. he lives in one country and despartely wants to live in a different country. I asked how he earns a living now. His reply, he is an artist. Hmm, I don’t even know the medium her works in, but would his art skills be any different in his desired country? Doesn’t seem that way to me.
A lady I am working with also is in the Philippines. She’s working for a large medical center as a telephone receptionist/appointment setter. Aside from the fact he work hours are 9-5 in the US is 2100 to 0500 in the Philippines,where she lives makes no difference at all to where she earns her living.
The net is more than a toy for ‘geeks’ 😉
Hi Dave – So, the curve ball caught you swinging that time? Well, I’m glad that my arm can still get a batter or two! 😉
You are so correct… you can make a living where the money is, while living where you want to live! That’s the beauty of today’s technology! A website is no different than having a shop at the mall, just that it’s virtual instead of brick and mortar. Functionally, though, it makes money for you just the same.
As for the lady in the States, if wasn’t doing the call answering, somebody else here would. That’s what call centers are all about!
I hope you enjoyed the article, Dave.