A bit of real-life humor this morning. An associate of mine recently sent me an email, referring to a meeting he had with a business planning consultant.

Enjoy this excerpt.

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We published an impromptu edition of the StartupLounge.com podcast. Check it out - it features Anne Simons; Mike and I had a great chat with Anne about how early stage entrepreneurs can best leverage consultants to achieve their goals.

We also rolled out our Startup Lounge forums - if you are an early stage entrepreneur, we invite you to pop in and post your questions (and help others). That’s what it’s all about!

Cheers.

Recently I received an email broadcast from an networking contact promoting an executive position for a software company here in Atlanta. The position was for a VP of Services, and by all accounts, it seems like an interesting role. However, once I realized who this person would report to, I immediately deleted the email.

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As much as it pains me to say this, there are some software firms out there who openly shun professional services work. Oh, they may have a small “services group”, and offer a few basic services to their clients, but they don’t really embrace the concept of professional services. Ignoring services, or not providing a focus on it, is both financially irresponsible and a strategic mistake. In Frank L. Baum’s 1900 classic tale, The Wizard of Oz, the lead character, Dorothy, was afraid of things she couldn’t see: the lions, tigers, and bears in the forest. But as you will see, there is no reason to be afraid of integrating services into your revenue streams.

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