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Michael Hess

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President/CEO, Skooba Design

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Michael Hess, CEO, Skooba Design, national writer and speaker

Michael Hess is the Founder and CEO of Skooba Design (www.skoobadesign.com), a Rochester, NY-based company specializing in the design, manufacturing and brand development of carrying cases for technology and ...

Michael Hess, CEO, Skooba Design, national writer and speaker

Michael Hess is the Founder and CEO of Skooba Design (www.skoobadesign.com), a Rochester, NY-based company specializing in the design, manufacturing and brand development of carrying cases for technology and other applications. He has over 25 years’ experience in consumer product sales and marketing, product development, entrepreneurship and executive management.

After running a multi-million dollar division of a national retail store, Mr. Hess joined his family’s well-known photographic equipment company. The family successfully sold the 50 year-old business, and after aiding in the transition to new ownership, Hess left to start RoadWired, the company which later became Skooba Design.

Mr. Hess has also founded other companies and brands including travel goods retailer Journeyware, which was later sold to a major luggage company. Most recently, he launched Hot Dog Yoga Gear, a new brand of innovative fitness products of his company’s own design. He holds multiple patents and over a dozen product and brand trademarks. He has traveled extensively, developing close, long-standing relationships with suppliers and customers in over twenty countries.

Hess also speaks and advises on a variety of business topics, and writes a twice-weekly small business column for CBS News.

New personal website: www.michaeljhess.com

(New Facebook page link below)

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May 15, 2012

Michael Hess and 8 other people answered this question

What are the biggest concerns about social media that need to be addressed?

I'm not sure I completely understand the project, so my answers may not be what you're looking for, but here are my general observations/experiences about the 4 biggest things that go wrong with "commercialized" social media, in no particular order:
1. Overuse: Many companies think ... more

April 12, 2012

Michael Hess and 7 other people answered this question

When a small business thinks about hiring, what should be the key considerations?

Always, always hire for culture fit first and everything else after that. You can hire the most technically qualified person in the world, but if the chemistry/culture fit isn't right, the long-term prospects will never be good. Over 20 years and many, many hires I ... more

Human Resources

March 19, 2012

Michael Hess and 7 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Social Media Tips and Tactics for Events [3/14 @ 1 pm]

What type of content is found to be most effective when it is shared via social media?

I have a short answer to this that will never steer you wrong: In order for social media -- especially media with commercial goals -- to be effective, ontent must serve the *reader,* not the writer.
Everyone knows you're trying to sell something, and they ... more

Feb. 15, 2012

Michael Hess and 8 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Social Media and Content Marketing For Business Q&A [2/14 @ 11 am]

What are some of the best free tools to use to help manage and monitor social media?

There are some outstanding ones that haven't been mentioned:
- google alerts (the original and still a key tool that serves many business purposes)
- socialmention.com
- addictomatic
And though I know the question is about free services, if you ever want to step into ... more

Content Marketing

Jan. 9, 2012

Michael Hess and 19 other people answered this question

What makes content go viral?

I'm going to make up a ratio but I doubt it's far off: content that goes viral is probably 10% planned and 90% luck. Every company and many individuals want to strike that pot of gold and have their video, blog post or other content ... more

Dec. 22, 2011

Michael Hess and 13 other people answered this question

Is Google AdWords a waste of time?

It's a big question with many big answers. But the short answer is that for the right business doing it the "right" way, it is absolutely not a waste of time. I know more companies doing well with it than not--but again, it depends on ... more

Dec. 9, 2011

Michael Hess and 10 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Optimizing Content Marketing - What, When, & Where? [12/1 @ 11 am]

Are marketers emphasizing content quantity over quality?

People have short--in fact, in this day and age virtually non-existent--attention spans. They are bombarded with messaging every second of every day, and are uninterested in most of it (ambivalent at best). In fact, as I mentioned in an article a while back, studies suggest ... more

Content Marketing

Online Marketing

Nov. 9, 2011

Michael Hess and 8 other people answered this question

Would you rather be the CEO of a 100 person company or a 10,000 person company? Why?

Hariram, speaking from experience I can tell you that if the owner/CEO is not "having fun," it is almost impossible to create happiness elsewhere in the company and community. Just like an owner expects to get rewarded for all the risks he takes, it is ... more

General Management

Human Resources

Nov. 8, 2011

Michael Hess and 17 other people answered this question

How do I compete with businesses that can offer similar products/services at a lower cost?

This may seem like a complex question that merits a long and even "academic" answer, and some of the other comments address it that way very capably. But in the spirit of keeping things simple, the most basic answers to the price competition question have ... more

Oct. 21, 2011

Michael Hess and 31 other people answered this question

What will be the next big consumer product to become obsolete?

Since you specifically said "big" consumer product I am going to be a bit bold and say the laptop computer (at least as we know it). Laptop sales have been on a steady decline as mobile devices and tablets increasingly dominate the market. As these ... more

Information Technology

Consumer Behavior

Oct. 18, 2011

Michael Hess and 12 other people answered this question

Do 'one-time customers' exist?

I have to disagree with most of the other comments. One-time customers absolutely exist, and there's nothing wrong with it.
The vast majority of our customers are repeat buyers and we are fiercely proud and protective of our customer service reputation and track record. But ... more

Customer Service

Customer Experience Management

Customer Satisfaction

Oct. 7, 2011

Michael Hess and 23 other people answered this question

Is Facebook getting too complicated?

I think Facebook has *always* been too complicated. Not that it can't be figured out, but it is not clean, simple and intuitive. The vast majority of users I know aren't 100% sure they know what they are doing--or the ramifications and reach of what ... more

Information Technology

Product Usability

Social Networking

Sept. 21, 2011

Michael Hess and 4 other people answered this question at this roundtable

The Biggest Sin in Selling: Discounting! [9/22 @ 1 pm]

What are some other 'sins' in sales?

All of the answers so far are excellent and on target. I would add one of my favorite pieces of simple advice -- one that is useful in many business matters:
"Never be desperate."
Desperation will almost always lead to bad decisions and outcomes, like: ... more

Aug. 22, 2011

Michael Hess and 6 other people answered this question

Why do many small businesses view social media as unnecessary?

Social media is way overused by most businesses, often to little or no gain (in fact it can cost more in productivity--and even real dollars--than any benefit it might provide).
This is not just my opinion, it is well supported by studies and surveys. I've ... more

Small Business Social Media

Aug. 15, 2011

Michael Hess and 7 other people answered this question

What are key reasons why customers remain loyal to a product or service?

Tekle, the answer is really very simple and comprises just two things:
1. Satisfaction with the product or service - this is a given. It includes matters of quality, price/value, meeting (or exceeding) expectations, and so on. Satisfaction with a purchase increases the likelihood that a ... more

Customer Service

July 27, 2011

Michael Hess and 20 other people answered this question

Should a small business blog or just set up a Facebook page?

Now you have me thirsty for a beer.
Seriously, though, many thanks for the supportive comments. Unfortunately in my years in business, buying and selling and starting businesses, etc., I have found all to often that people don't ground themselves in reality. They may think ... more

July 27, 2011

Michael Hess and 3 other people answered this question

What should a small business do when they receive a negative review on Yelp?

I agree with Dianna, if you only have a small percentage of negative reviews among many great ones, you shouldn't worry much. Readers are used to that, they understand that there will always be complainers, and will come to their own conclusions. Much of the ... more

June 29, 2011

Michael Hess and 27 other people answered this question

If you were building a company would you prefer 1 super star or 100 really good employees?

sorry, typo: "poseurs" ;)

Human Resources

May 18, 2011

Michael Hess and 21 other people answered this question

How do you handle an angry customer?

Robert, I appreciate and respect your position. I am simply speaking from my experiences over the past 20 years of running two family businesses, and prior to that as an executive at a major national company with a significant consumer-service focus. And in that experience, ... more

Customer Service

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