E-Tail London is in the books. Stewart Buskirk and I enjoyed our time in London, exchanging ideas with E-Tailers from across Europe.

How to measure and monetize social media was a constant topic throughout the conference. Unfortunately, no one possesses absolute answers. Certainly, "listening" to reviews and Facebook pages is of utmost importance. Those E-tailers who quickly resolve negative reviews and feedback - and turn those negative touches into positive interactions - are the ones making the most of Social.

High-touch customer service continues to be the hallmark of successful E-Tailers regardless of geography. Several companies noted that they had abandoned low-cost call center providers and focused on native language contact centers to provide a positive customer experience.

Dealing with complex regulatory issues in both the EU and the U.S. occupied most of One World's forum on "Going Global." For companies on both sides of the Atlantic, the other's taxes, tariffs and regulations create a fog of uncertainty.

High-quality order fulfillment continues to be a competitive advantage on both sides of the pond. Quick turnaround times is still important to consumers.

In the end, it comes back to taking care of the customer and taking care of the Brand.

- Thomas Unterseher, CEO

One World's CEO, Thomas Unterseher, and VP of IT, Stewart Buskirk, will be on hand at eTail London on June 16 and 17 to announce a brand new service from OWD – Global Guide. Global Guide is a service that OWD's founders have long considered essential for small and mid-sized companies to take advantage of the global opportunities of the Web. Fundamentally, Global Guide is a one-stop service for companies entering the U.S. market. Global Guide bundles all the services a new market entrant would need, from front-end consulting about regulations and legal issues all the way through to fulfillment and call center. We're really excited about offering this unique new service. Unterseher and Buskirk will be hosting a round table discussion on U.S. expansion on June 16 in London. Please contact Heather Bohr to arrange an appointment; heather@owd.com.

e-Tail London: http://www.wbresearch.com/etaileurope/home.aspx

Amber LaFramboise, our VP of Client Services will be at Internet Retailer on June 8-11. Please stop by McCormick Place. We'd love to see you. Internet Retailer: http://www.irce2010.com/

Recently a current client asked if our inbound call center could handle calls for Spanish speaking customers. The answer: Yes. While our physical call center is in South Dakota, our system supports at-home agents all over the country who speak multiple languages. My first thought was that our South Dakota labor pool would be short on Spanish speakers and that we'd send the calls to our at-home agents.

However, our astute VP of Client Services, Amber LaFramboise had a different idea. She had just added additional capacity to our center and was ready to hire more agents.

"Let's just post the openings with Job Service and see what we have in the local talent pool. It doesn't hurt to ask," she said.

Although I thought we'd get no responses, much to my astonishment and delight we received the candidates who were easily able to meet the call center needs of our client. Who would've imagined that we could expand our call center services with Spanish speakers from rural South Dakota?

In business, how often have I dismissed an idea because I couldn't imagine the solution could be that simple? The experience reminded me to ask.

It also reminded me of the many times our clients have had unusual problems that needed unusual fixes. I don't know when we've ever not tackled the problem or found a solution. It's amazing how creativity is unleashed when you simply ask.

I am one of those people who loves to reflect on the old year and project for the new. But it’s mid-January and although we’re pretty much finished talking about resolutions, it still is a good time to take stock.

Yes, it’s a good time to look at your business and your goals. And it’s also a good time to literally take stock. You likely have a list of inventory on hand, but have you been paying attention to what’s selling? Which SKUs are making money? When was the last time you looked at the fast moving inventory report?

Now is the time to get rid of your dead weight and replace it with new, better or different inventory. If it didn’t sell over the holidays, it’s unlikely to become suddenly popular during the doldrums of winter. Liquidate the items that aren’t moving. Turn those assets into money. Use that money to promote your website and sell your fast movers.

Whether you outsource your order fulfillment or keep it in house, slow moving inventory is costing you money. Not only is your capital tied up in inventory, one way or another you are paying for warehousing (even if your order fulfillment company is giving it to you for “free”) and the duds are taking up real estate on your webiste.

Starting the New Year by being realistic about your stock help you channel your energy and money for growth. And isn’t that what we are all in business to do?