There has been much talk since the floods of 2008 about buying local. Indeed, on Jan. 6, the Cedar Rapids City Council passed a policy that will give local businesses preference in terms of consideration for goods and services sold to the city.

Most people intuitively understand marketing, customer service and distribution, but do they understand how the three work together?

What do callers to your business hear when you put them on hold? Hopefully it’s more than sleepy music, a problematic radio or (gasp!) nothing at all.

So, what makes a good campaign, ad or video? Creative directors will have their own set of criteria, social media experts another, but doesn’t it come down to just being memorable?

Long-tailed hedgehogs? I’m combining, in my own mind two concepts: Jim Collin’s hedgehog concept, from the book “Good to Great” and the “Long Tail of Marketing” by Chris Anderson, editor of Wired Magazine.

In the ever-evolving online market, your Web site is one of the most important factors to help grow your business.

Social media describes Web sites that allow users to share content and media. Common examples are the popular social networking sites like Friendster, Facebook and MySpace or photo and video sharing sites such as YouTube, Photobucket and Flickr.

From the first handshake to handing over the keys, the interaction between a real estate professional and a buyer is that of an interdependent and mutually beneficial relationship. Each needs to give and receive information from the other to proceed and succeed.

Many businesses today rely on a Web site for business. That Web presence offers one-way communication with current and potential customers. The problem is getting those new customers to your Web site.

I remember going to an elementary school assembly in the early 1980s to learn about recycling. I remember thinking, “What is that?” We left that day with pamphlets, coloring books and tips on how we could all recycle at home and help save the environment.