This week I am leading the small business panel at the 140 Characters Conference in Los Angeles, California on behalf of my employer, America’s Best Companies. This is pretty significant in that I will be sharing how small business is being effected by the real-time internet. Basically, I’m going to talk about how Facebook and Twitter (social media) are helping your business in the current state of the world, even in this economy.

This panel and conference isn’t all about me. I’ll be sharing the stage with some fantastic co-panelists: Scott Townsend of United Linen and Neal Rohrbach of Idea Anglers. Together we hope to give you a rounded view of how small business works with these medias from beginning to end. We’re calling our panel Small as a Tweet. We’re taking a few questions up front. If there’s anything specific that you’d like any of us to answer, you can ask at our website or on our Twitter account.

The entire conference will be broadcast live on the internet via the conference website. If you’d like to tune in live for my panel, you can visit http://lax.140conf.com/ on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 1:55pm PST. Once the video is gathered afterwards, I’ll share it here on the ABC site as well. There are many other layers to the conference and a lot of big names going to appear and speak. I encourage you to check out the other panels and see if there are specific speakers that would pertain to your niche.

On a more personal note, I’m really looking forward to meeting so many of the fabulous people that I usually only interact with on the social networks. Along with my co-panelists I’m hoping to meet Anita Campbell, Jeff Pulver, CC Chapman and lots of other equally amazing individuals. If you’re going to be there please track me down!

Can’t find me in the crowd? Catch me any number of ways: my mobile (text or call) is 937-757-1331, Twitter via DM or @message me! I’d love to talk with you! Seriously.

Someone asked me the following question today:

Sometimes I see people making a little celebratory announcement on Twitter. Like being listed on the Top 20 Twitterers for this or that, for instance. Is that something where it’s OK for the influencer types to do it but not really the rest of us [average users]?

This is a great question to ask. I don’t think tooting your own horn or celebrating something you’ve done well applies only to the people on the “A List”. In my opinion it’s all in how you do it.

Don’t Celebrate Like This
“I was just told I’m amazing! I am amazing! Look at me! How could you deny it?”

Your approach should be more suave and celebratory.

Do Something Like This
“I was just called “amazing” by John. Gosh that makes me feel great! THANK YOU!”

There’s nothing wrong with saying that someone recognizes you as having done something good. Just don’t be one of those people who comes across as a pompous self-centered know-it-all.