It started with an invitation to join Alignable (which is basically a subset of LinkedIn for small businesses). It was by a trusted business friend from a monthly networking group that I attend.  I accepted the invitation and Alignable asked me if I wanted to “invite” my LinkedIn connections.

So I downloaded my contacts and carefully went through my connections to select other small business owners who might also like to join. Then I pushed a button – undoubtedly the wrong button, so that’s my bad — and every connection I have on LinkedIn received a message saying “I might have some business for you.”

This was undoubtedly a mystery to my clients at Fortune 500 companies who hire me to write marketing content for them. They are not now nor will they ever be in need of work from me.

So if you are one of the more than 700 people who received this message in error —and to whom I haven’t already made amends— please accept this apology. I know many of you accepted to be a good friend, but please feel free to opt out.

To stop being bombarded with unwanted Alignable emails, click “unsubscribe” on the next email you receive. Once again many apologies and feel free to contact me if you’re still willing to do business.

Alignable Does Have Some Purpose

If you are one of the 150 small business owners I intended to invite, Alignable does provide a way to connect with other small business owners in your area.

For me, learning about local web designers, graphic designers, photographers, caterers, marketing strategists, focus group researchers is great. I belong to a number of networking groups whose members will probably be my first choice, but it’s nice to know what services are available.

I can’t really recommend Alignable wholeheartedly until they:

1.    Add some method for customizing messages. For example, I don’t want a program to offer the promise of new business — or invite people I don’t know all that well for coffee.

2.    Provide an “Are you sure?” pause before they mass send invitations.