Today’s message is more of a public service announcement. According to the Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal, Apple Maps has moved Risdall Advertising to the middle of a munitions plant…

That’s because, for whatever reason, Apple Maps is putting the interactive ad agency in the middle of the former  Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, the Superfund site in Arden Hills that was, for a time, almost the future home of the Minnesota Vikings. That’s a good few miles away, in a different suburb.

Risdall has a post about the mix-up on its blog, titled “Our Agency is not a Superfund Site,” which includes some helpful maps of the firm’s neighborhood (with a post office and pizza place) as well as an arrow pointing to “creepy abandoned munitions plant.” Officials in Arden Hills, who are trying to  redevelop the Army plant, would probably prefer they’d used different adjectives.

So the good news is that there are now many ways for people to find you online. The bad news is that you may not have control over each interaction someone has with your business online. There are online maps – that may or may not be right. There are online reviews, which may or may not reflect your best side. The first step to taking control is finding out what people can find. Do a search for yourself and try out a few searches that you think a potential customer might use to find someone like you. Do you like what you see?

The Blandin Foundation supported MIRC (and now BBC) programs that help businesses gain control of their online profiles. If you are in rural Minnesota, you might talk to the local Chamber. Many communities have started up Social Media Breakfasts where local businesses discuss issues like this and more. The University of Minnesota Extension developed a series of e-commerce classes. And I even did some training. (In fact I’ll be in Mora next weekend and Cloquet the following talking to businesses about online marketing.