I’ve never done a post like this before on this blog. It’s basically a review of things I’ve already written. But since I’ve published 172 posts on the Fishbowl Inventory Blog since June 2010 (98 in 2011 alone), I figure it’s a good idea to look back for just a minute and reflect on which were the most popular last year.
So here are the top 10 most-viewed blog posts of 2011. I’ll also comment on what I find most interesting about them and/or how surprising it is that they made it on this list. FYI: Not all of them were published in 2011; I’m just basing their ranking on total views in that year:
1. I Didn’t Know Fishbowl Is Shaped Like a Boomerang
This was a major shock for me. I wrote this post right after coming back to Fishbowl, and I had no idea it would resonate with so many people. I made a big mistake when I thought I could find a better place to work than Fishbowl, and luckily they welcomed me back with open arms. I invite you to learn from my mistakes by reading this blog post and taking its lessons to heart.
2. Finding the Best Inventory Management Solution – Part 1
Some people ask me how I keep coming up with new ways to talk about inventory management software over and over. The answer is that I usually just try to answer a question I have, and I end up with a compelling blog post. This is a good case in point.
3. Succeed on eBay with Inventory Management Software
I’m often asked to write about challenging topics. eBay inventory management software is definitely a unique one. With this one, I was still in my really playful stage of writing about inventory management software, so I had quite a bit of fun turning a potentially dry post into one with a little spunk.
4. Episode 1: Fishbowl Security Basics
What do you know, a guest blog post made it into the top 5! I’m excited to see more and more of my Fishbowl coworkers and other industry experts contributing posts to the Fishbowl Inventory Blog. Aaron Wignall is an IT wizard, and he has a lot of helpful advice to share in this post about protecting your business information.
5. Need a Reorder Point Calculator? Here You Go!
Apparently reorder point calculators are really popular, especially when they’re totally free and easy to use. I’m pleased to see that so many people have found this post and put Fishbowl’s reorder point calculator to good use in helping them figure out the right time to order more products.
6. Homer Simpson’s Top 10 Inventory Management Tips – Part 1
One of my coworkers challenged me to write a blog post that would be interesting enough for him to read just for fun. I took up his challenge and came up with something both hilarious and surprisingly informative. Who knew The Simpsons could be educational?
7. Getting a Jump on New Year’s Resolutions
Another guest blog post! Ian Bird, Fishbowl’s HR expert, gave a little insight into all the kindness and fun in Fishbowl’s corporate culture. He also shared some good goals for all of us to strive for in 2012 and beyond.
8. This Looks Like a Job for INVENTORY MAN…agement
Okay, with this one I was really having fun. I came up with clever inventory-related names for characters in the Superman comics, and I wrote an entertaining story to illustrate several points about inventory management. This post is part one of the four-part story, so be sure to read all of them.
9. How to Manage Your Inventory Like Big Companies
This was long before I started talking about enterprise resource planning (ERP) as a good solution for midsize businesses. It’s interesting to go back and see how the ideas I used in this post were later molded and focused better.
10. 10 Generic Foods That Taste Better Than Name Brands
Speaking of which, here’s my first real foray into talking about ERP systems and why they’re important to midsize businesses. To broach the topic, I decided to use a fun and useful analogy: generic vs. name-brand foods. You get the same taste and quality for a lower price, just like how Fishbowl Enterprise offers all the inventory and accounting features for a fraction of the price of big-name ERPs.
There you have it, my list of the top 10 most popular posts on the Fishbowl Inventory Blog in 2011. I’ve got plenty more ideas for things to write about in 2012, so expect even more exciting posts right here all year long!
