As an IT consultant looking to go solo, how you can cut through the information overload so you can tune out the distractions and focus on only the most relevant, critical tasks for starting up a business? You need to first realize you may need to stop…

Thanks for your comments.

First off, you assume Google is doing something purposefully wrong with results returned on your “walmart chelan” search, I don’t, I either would assume there is no occasions where “walmart chelan” actually occur together, and I would then try searching for Walmart Chelan, without the quotes. When Walmart Chelan is searched without the quotes, there are 44,900 results returned, so I don’t think there is a sinister problem here, as Google would have been smart enough to block this query as well. I also have problems with our own servers doing queries in our MySQL databases. I know the info is there, I just have to go about it a different way sometimes, but I never think the servers are conspiring against me or are purposefully blocking my queries.

In your comment you write:

Spare me the “aw shucks, jeez, aren’t we all just nice people” routine and educate yourself about the conscious choices that are being made daily all around to not play by the rules, especially by those who are in strong positions to set those same rules up. Please learn to follow the money, develop some healthy skepticism, and remember that most businesses operate under the golden rule; he with the gold rules. With that said, my point is not either a for nor against the Walmart.

I believe skepticism should be influenced by experience, not just random and absolute, as that is an ugly way to live. In my past I have seen my share of unscrupulous people and dishonest companies, I have personally sat in an office “negotiating” with a “client” who asked me for a 50% discount on his future orders while his armed guard had his sub-machine gun in my back. I told him I would be happy to honor his request, shook his hand with a smile, took a cab back to my hotel, packed up and left Peshawar, Pakistan on the next flight, which was to Dubai, and then I cancelled all future orders to this madman. I have done business in over 50 countries and seen quite a bit, as an independent consultant I have helped clients expand their businesses into 26 different countries, and also seen quite alot of stuff. And in the last five years I have founded or co-founded 12 different companies, and 2 of them now service Fortune 500 clients. I believe my skepticism is an appropriate amount for this present discussion, and it is based on past practical business experience, not haphazardly with a broad brush.

Frankly, I can see no competitive motivation for Google to restrict search results, and as you aptly put it, Google has a reputation as “being more exhaustively thorough than any other SE,” then earned this reputation. Nor can I figure out why Google would even care about a Walmart in Chelan. However, if what you say is true, and Google is now blatantly restricting searches, they will quickly upset the public when other searches do not return the applicable results, and the public will begin using Yahoo, or some other SE, which provides better search results, and Google will fall from grace. It is a simple economic and proven principle working here. As long as Google returns the results we need to make our life easier, then the public will remain happy, and Google will remain on top. And if Google remains, then we must adjust our sites to do well in their search algorithm, so our companies can get to potential online clients. That was the only point of my post. I assure you, our companies will adjust to all the search engines, to make our sites more visible via search, it is an important part of doing business in this day and age. We don’t do so because it makes us happy, frankly properly SEOing a site is a long and arduous process, but we do it because we want potential clients to find us as easily as possible, nothing more.

Finally… and way off the point. Walmart gets the same response from most communities when they announce a new store, as some will always attempt to “protect the community.” I personally think you can’t generate support outside of your community, because the protests haven’t worked elsewhere, the general public is directly to blame. I personally think Walmart should follow all ordinances, and play fair, but ultimately if they do, they have earned the right to do business anywhere, whether we like it or not. Chelan isn’t the first, nor will it be the last to make “national news” in going up again Walmart, news about the big guys just sells papers. (Now there’s some skepticism for you)

If we don’t want Walmarts then we should all put our money together and buy up all the land, so Walmart has no place to build. But if we don’t have the money, and Walmart has purchased land, obtained permits, purchased the land, built to spec, and has been approved by our elected officials, then we are out of luck to stop them from building. So it is probably time to start drumming up support for the Boycott Walmart campaign, to see if we can force Walmart to close their doors, due to lack of revenue.

This is the same point as the Google argument above, Walmart is where they are because the public put them there. The Jones’ sat around their home, looked at their bank account, and decided the lower prices at Walmart made good economic sense for their family. The Corner Market’s, although lovely, and with a good deal of history, just couldn’t complete on low price, and loyalty to the Corner Market wasn’t going to help get the Jones’ kids through college, so… I would guess the same will happen in Chelan, the doors will eventually open, the public will want to save money, and will enjoy the convenience, and Walmart will do just fine.

Just between you and me, I don’t shop at Walmart either, it is way too crowded in there.

Thanks again for the comments.