A newspaper editor recently inquired about my education and experience in business management. I couldn’t help but smile at the prospect of having somehow squeezed business school into my already crammed résumé. Yet each day I’m learning something new about business. Quite often new techniques and ideas arise from thumbing through major publications, chatting with fellow merchants and paying attention to generous suggestions provided by clients and customers. However, I seem to learn more by observing the failures and mistakes of other businesses. I know that sounds unsympathetic but in an age when many are forced to reinvent the wheel I find it valuable to keep a close eye on what’s happening in the business community.

Several months ago while perusing through a major business magazine, my eyes fell to a rather large article featuring a story about one son’s innovation to help save his mothers independent bookstore. The wonderful little bookshop found the Christmas season faring poorly. So a concerned son decided to utilize his Twitter connections to help generate awareness and drum up business. Promising to max out his credit card by providing free Mexican food to anyone who produced a $50 plus receipt from the store, the caring son helped push his mothers business through the roof and created a dream Christmas rush. Yet as the article reached its final paragraph I was sadly disappointed. The once-in-a-lifetime Twitter escapade only lasted through the holidays and while creating wonderful New Years cheer left the shop still struggling come the following February. While I’ve yet to discover the final fate of the business, a quick glance at the bookstore’s website at least gives the appearance of normality. However, I can’t help but express my disappointment.

Business does not just drop out of the sky. I think with the advent of great tools like Twitter, Facebook and even blogs like this one, many business owners are looking to the wrong sources for recovery. Online networking can only be effective if it is consistent and provides valuable information people are interested in. The burrito idea shared one son’s fond memory of a mother’s eclectic shop and effectively produced temporary results. Had the owner captured customer email contacts, mailing addresses, created a newsletter, extended loyalty specials, and a host of other basic practices, the shop might have done more than survive but actually grown. While I sincerely applaud one son’s efforts to help his mom, I encourage business owners to push open any door that comes your way. It might take a little extra work and land you in uncomfortable business realms but the results are worth it.