Whether you meet on the golf course or ball game, at the beach or on the water, or drinking and dining al fresco at one of Rhode Island’s wealth of outdoor venues, summer can certainly be ripe for business development.

These ten tips -- gleaned from one of my past presentations to young professionals -- are still a good reminder of a business-building approach to social media, ... no matter your age or experience.

A recent onslaught of clever Internet villains have certainly got my attention. I have heard of and seen websites hacked in a number of painful ways including the addition of blatant ads for body-part-enhancing drugs, the transformation of all text into Chinese, and the not-so-subtle placement of flashing pictures of naked women on the (aka my) blog page.

Companies often seek to build awareness about years-in-business milestones, expansion and moves, and other newsworthy accolades via business events. These business-centric gatherings allow organizations to connect with clients, customers, prospects and other centers-of-influence for face-time; events are a nice change of pace from the world of e-mail communication and phone conferences that often dominate our time-stressed interactions.

Mobile-geddon is here. Basically, as I explain to my clients, Google’s new algorithm will favor sites for ranking purposes that are mobile optimized. While this functionality has been built into most new websites in the last few years – we knew mobile-geddon was coming – companies that use their websites as no-frills, online brochures may not have adopted responsive technology.

From holiday video greetings to shiny new website launches to major milestone events, communicating with clients via e-mail “campaigns” is an integral and strategic element of today’s marketing approach. When combined with tactics to leverage basic social media and drive traffic to your website, it becomes a vital component to generate ROI of marketing dollars for business professionals.

Looking back at the diverse array of marketing projects from 2014, my top picks are those that provide outstanding return-on-investment of time and energy for my clients, ... and go beyond the ho-hum to convey creative business savvy and strategy. It’s not about the most complicated or costly, but more about fulfilling your marketing objectives and connecting with target audiences.

As an avid follower of the impact of non-verbal behavior on business-building and communication, I was surprised to see a reference to cell phone etiquette in a recent article from Inc.com on body language. Our cell phones have certainly become a vital part of our anatomy. So, ... when is accessing your cell phone crossing the line into the realm of bad body language?

As summer winds down, my unofficial unveiling of my new website is here! Yes, it’s sad to say goodbye to my original website (from 2006) that was updated, revitalized, face-lifted and band-aid-ed many times. My shiny new website is equipped with many of the best-practices I preach to my clients; it uses the latest in technology, leverages the newest functionality and strategically showcases my offerings.

Cognitive neuroscientists warn we are developing digital brains with new circuits for skimming. We read a few sentences, look for exciting words, and then grow restless, scampering off to the next page. Beyond effective business writing, train members your team to maximize their potential. "Unless you have a rarefied product or service like Walter White’s concoction on Breaking Bad, you must first sell the client on you."