Community Rallies to Help Leading Local Family Hit by Tragedy
Now you know I only support businesses and causes that I truly believe in. So here we are and I have something big I need your help with. Please read about Zack Mayo below, and see how you can help.
WHY SPRING FOR ZACK?
Ernie and Wendy Mayo were busy working hard and raising two boys, the light of their lives, Zack and Nick. Zack was 10, and enjoying being a big brother to Nick, age 6. They were good boys, and it seemed to Ernie and Wendy that their dedication to their boys and each other was working.
On June 9th of last year, Zack fell while riding his scooter. Although none of the injuries seemed serious, he passed out, and Wendy called 911. Within 10 minutes of arrival at NHRMC, he was in cardiac arrest. He was rushed into surgery after it was determined that he had severe abdominal bleeding – and a few hours later the Mayos were told that Zack had a cancerous tumor on his liver that had ruptured, causing him to almost bleed to death. Two surgeries later they were still having trouble controlling the bleeding, and he was sent to UNC Chapel Hill. He stayed there for many months until being sent to Cincinnati Children’s hospital, where he is currently being treated for Hemoblastoma, waiting for a liver transplant, and attempting to clear tumors from his lungs.
That is the short version of what Zack has gone through. He has survived cardiac arrest, kidney failure, being on a ventilator for 23 days, 9 surgeries, brain swelling, and a coma. Yet he has a very positive attitude, and has big plans for his life. He is an inspiration to be around. Wendy and Ernie are determined to save their son, and are unwavering. They and Nick have not left Zack’s side since June.
SPRING FOR ZACK – A Family Fun Afternoon For A Great Cause
On May 1st, young and old will gather at Halligan’s on Masonboro Loop Road to listen to music, eat good food, take parts in lots of fun activities, and enjoy each other’s company – all in support of a wonderful local family that has been hit hard by tragedy. Spring For Zack, a benefit for the Mayo family, will take place from 1 until 5 PM. The minimum donation is $15 for adults and $5 for children under 10, and includes an all you can eat buffet and access to the entertainment. For the adults, there will be live music on the patio, drink specials, a silent auction, and raffle. The Kid’s Area will feature inflatable bounce-houses, make-your-own Kona ice, games and much more. Tickets are available at all First Bank locations. For more information please visit springforzack.com or call Deb Conard at 470.6611.
The single biggest mistake a small business can make
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As a new business owner I faced the daunting challenge of planning my own public relations (PR) and marketing campaign. Even though my company offers PR and marketing solutions in a guerilla warfare fashion, coming up with a strategy for myself was something I had to really work on. To be honest it is something I constantly revisit and work to reenergize and correct.
There are many pitfalls to starting a new company and it is easy to go down the wrong path with PR and marketing and waste time, money and energy. But the #1 mistake anyone can make is to not accurately research their market and demographics. While people may think they know their demographic and have looked up the statistics for their area, often these numbers are just an overview. For example a high end lingerie shop will appeal to females 25-40. While there may be a large number of these in the are that the store is planning to operate and sell to, these women may not make the income necessary to spend money on high end lingerie.
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As any business gets started the vultures of advertising sales will descend. Each will give you their own numbers and statistics. What a good business owner will do is seek outside research. While a radio station my say their audience is your ideal demographic, they may not be the top station in the area with the largest listener share. A local publication may be the ideal way to reach your ideal client, but the cost per ad will not be worth the resulting sales.
In most cities around the nation there are small business development centers that will not only help you with your business plan, they will also help you gather the necessary research. And best of all, unlike a marketing firm, these services are free.
In this economy with the change of income and job locations, knowing your market will make all the difference. Be sure that every six months you are looking back over the numbers. Keep an eye out for new research and new studies in your field. Stay informed and you’ll stay ahead of the game.
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Whale Wars: the answer for non-profit fundraising?
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So recently I was visiting my sister and she introduced me to the Animal Planet show, Whale Wars. I only watched a little bit before falling asleep but I came home and began watching seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix instant play. I find the show addictive and challenging. I debate myself almost constantly about whether or not their actions are justified.
If you’re not familiar with the show, it follows the crew of the Steve Irwin a Sea Shepherd vessel as they attempt to stop whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Each episode they battle the cold, storms, each other, and most importantly the Japanese Whaling fleet. While there is a ban on whaling, there is a loophole that allow countries to kill whales for research. Each country can set their own quota. For more details you can look here at the International Whaling Convention.
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Now in its third season this series has garnered rave reviews from many. It is also increasing international pressure on Japan and its whaling operations. But is it encouraging “eco-terrorism” ? Many would argue that it not only encourages it, its romanticizing it. Personally I’m still torn. Each episode is edited in order to build the maximum suspense. The scenes of whales being harpooned and pulled onto the processing boat is gutwrenching. I will definitely be looking for ways that I can join the fight to stop this. What I can’t decide is what is the best way? Watching the crew of the Steve Irwin, you would think that they are the only ones out there actively working against the whalers. However a little research will show that Greenpeace and several other groups are working in a more peaceful fashion. The real debate becomes, what is working?
So what does any of this have to do with my other blog posts? Easy, Sea Shepherd has entered into an agreement with Animal Planet to allow them to film their actions at sea. This has to be the best marketing scheme ever for a non-profit. They will tell you that they are allowing them to film to increase awareness of the plight of the whales. But even in the first season, they are able to have several fundraisers to make repairs to the boat. And in the second season, much of their equipment is either new, or showing several new additions. Items on the ship that are crucial to the ship’s functions seem to be the last thing they really think of repairing or replacing. Their focus and all the funds they are raising seem to go only to those items that help them reach and “attack” the japanese ships.
In this day and age, non-profits are struggling to make ends meet. No longer do you hear them talking about canceling some of their programs. Now they discuss shutting their doors for good. Many of these groups are unique programs that are specific to their community. Their charitable acts are often taken for granted and many do not realize the impact it has on the local economy, community. and lifestyle.
With the ease of video editing and the many videographers that are out of work and looking for work, it could be very easy for a non-profit to put together a single short film or several episodes that showcase the good work they do. These videos can be optimized for their website, sent to past donors, and even posted on YouTube for more exposure. With the impact of social media, a good video, or one with a strong message could become viral within the course of one day.
So, I challenge you to find a new way to market your company, self, or non-profit. Share links here so others can see the success.
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The importance of celebrating fellow bloggers
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The last post I had on here was celebrating a fun post by my good friend Kelly Cain Smith. Her blog is always creative, personal and inspiring! Today I’m going to highlight another blogger who is always good about celebrating the people he meets!
Bruce Brown has become a local legend in our community for his early adaptation of social media, particularly in video form. He is also a skilled networker, attending up to 3 events in one evening if he can! At each of these events Bruce is on hand with his camera and small video camera ready to capture faces and the feel of the event. We all groan and laugh when the camera is aimed at us, but secretly I know we all love it! It makes you feel important while he takes it and the next day when he shares it on his blog. That’s right the next day! He quickly edits all the pieces together and writes a review of the event. How does he do it so quick? Well for one thing he’s up around 4am every day, sharing positive thoughts, encouragement, and more!
I have begun doing some work in Internet Marketing, or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) as the new term has been coined. Several of the blogs and podcasts that I have been reading suggest you visit blogs relevant to your area of expertise or that are of interest to you. You then comment on the blogs with a link back to your website or Twitter account with the hope that this will build your ranking in the various search engines. But I think something is missing. If you really enjoy a blog or article, don’t just comment on it, share it! Post it to Twitter with your comment, post it on Facebook or hit the “Like” button. Even better, share a quick link on your own blog and mention why you like them.
You can check out Bruce Brown’s Blog here. There are several events that you can read up on, video blogs of Bruce, and more.
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The Benefits of Free Seminars
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Today I was fortunate enough to sit in on a free seminar offered by local Action Coach Reggie Shropshire. This program titled “So you have a website, now what?” was a 3 part presentation. Reggie provided basic information on websites and the importance of placement on Google. Then Kent Millholland with NeoNexus gave a presentation on web marketing and link building. Lastly Matt Davis of Your Best Sales Person gave a presentation on web videos and testimonials. Each section was informative and clear with good visual examples.
This was FREE! Reggie regularly offers seminars on a variety of subjects that can boost business and sales. They are sometimes after work, or like this one on a Wednesday morning. There are several other companies and businesses in town that offer classes. The local community college brings in experts to teach seminars on a regular basis once a week.
What offerings are in your town? Are you waiting around till you raise enough money to pay to go to a sales clinic or other program? Stop and search online. Not only do you get some amazing education, but you will meet other local business owners and get to network!
I learned several tips and tricks today that I’ll be applying to my website, so look for changes!
Social Media for Lycanthropes
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In my day to day business I work with different businesses on their social media marketing. With each business and individual they have to have a unique approach. This is especially true for Lycanthropes or as they are more commonly known Werewolves.
For the active Lycanthrope, social media is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family across the globe. Facebook allows you to share stories, pictures, and just simply express yourself. Twitter is even more accessible because it allows anonymity. But as with any venture onto the web, privacy is a large concern. When you’re a Lycanthrope it becomes an even larger concern. So below are some basic tips that I feel can make the social media world fun and safe.
1) Check your privacy settings! Be sure that all of your setting are set to “Friends Only”. This includes photo albums. Your latest haircut when in wolf form should not be available for just anyone to see.
2) Don’t friend everyone! Yes it’s fun to see all your old friends and see who you’re connected to, but if you don’t know someone don’t accept their friend request. Just hit ignore and they will get the message.
3) It’s okay to unfriend someone. Just go to their profile and scroll down. On the left hand side you will see a blue link that says “remove as friend”. They don’t get a message that you’ve removed them and it will take some time before you come up in the friend suggestion box if at all.
4) Applications are fun, but not everyone has time for them. Look for friends that are already playing the game but don’t bombard people who don’t with requests. It’s not nice and it draws attention to yourself. If you yourself don’t like the games, you can block the application as a whole and in your news feed you can choose to “Hide” the posts about the game.
1) Be yourself! Twitter allows you to create a profile and choose what information to share. This is great for a Lycanthrope! Leave off your location and use a different email and you can truly talk about your day to day concerns. Since your friends can’t find you, they won’t see that you talk about the pain of the change and more.
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2) Take a good picture. If you like put up a picture of your wolf form. Just make sure to fit your whole head in the shot.
3) Talk about what’s going on in your day to day life. Don’t constantly try to sell your grandmother’s hair removal tonic. If you’re using it, mention it and add a link, but don’t fill your posts with ads.
4) Engage with your followers and friends! Ask questions, respond to tweets by others, retweet posts. This interaction is what makes Twitter fun. It will also help keep you grounded to your human form.
5)Look for others who share common interests. You would be amazed at the number of Lycanthropes using Twitter. Sites like Monitter are a great way to search. Their zip code search allows you to look locally. So that silver wolf you saw last night can be found (he was good looking)!
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Outsourcing: The new trend
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We used to hear the word “outsource” and cringe. It was the sound of jobs leaving the area and possibly going overseas. It was the idea that instead of a friendly southern accent when you called the cable company, someone far away with little idea of your lifestyle would answer the phone. Is this still occuring? Of course. But now to “outsource” for your business is the new way to save overhead and produce results.
Marketing firms used to be large corporations, taking up multiple floors in a building, or even the whole building. They had HR departments to handle all the employees and mail rooms were a foot in the door. Now, a marketing firm can be as few as 3 people.
My firm is just one person, me. But I have a team that I rely on to help my clients. I am a professional when it comes to outsourcing. I spend the majority of my time connecting my clients with skilled professionals. Sometimes I find someone to complete the task at hand and bill my client. Other times if the job is bigger I refer them to the company and sit in on some of the initial meetings. This is my strength, making connections.
I have several weaknesses, but I have worked hard to not only identify them, but find individuals and companies that can fill these gaps. You need a simple website, I know a guy. Going more complex with ecommerce, I have a web design firm. You haven’t had a vacation in years because you can’t close your business or leave it to employees, I know someone who is at your Bec and Call. Looking for someone to write a few press releases, or polish up the content on your website and brochures, check out my site for proof of my contact’s skills.
It is this team that allows me to operate as a large promotions firm. It gives me an edge, while I work at home with little overhead. I am able to personalize my service to each client because I am not relying on a single contact for each task. Every one of my clients has a unique personality, and I am able to place them with individuals and companies that match that personality.
How are you running your business? Are you hiring part time and full time employees for simple tasks that could be outsourced? Are you building a unique team of qualified individuals that you can call on as needed?
There are more benefits to outsourcing than just reduced overhead. Using individuals and small firms to help with design problems and promotions gives you a new outlook on your business. They are looking from the outside in, and are not held back by concerns of losing a job. They want you as a client, but their reputation is on the line as well. This allows them to provide you with a fresh, direct perspective on your business and the best way to promote it and advertise it.
The next time you head out to a networking event set yourself up with a new mindset.
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Don’t go out looking for new clients. Go out looking for a team to support your business. Look for individuals that could help you as needed on special tasks. Look for businesses that would be a good partnership for yours. A mobile car detailing service should look for lawyers and financial advisors, they can offer them special discounts for their clients. A retail store can look for other service businesses to put together promotions with them to bring out new customers.
Build up your team and you are sure to find success.
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Wilmington Twestival
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Here’s our short commercial for this year’s Twestival at The River Room.
On Thursday 25 March 2010, people in hundreds of cities around the world will come together offline to rally around the important cause of Education by hosting local events to have fun and create awareness. Twestival™ (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good. All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects.
Wilmington’s Twestival will be held at The River Room from 5:30 to 10:00 pm on March 25th. Follow the link above to learn more!
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Cheshire Cat
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There’s a lot of buzz out about the new version of Alice in Wonderland. My favorite character was always the Cheshire Cat. I loved how he slowly dissappeared and reappeared, and his singing and laughing.
Lately I’ve been a bit of a Cheshire Cat with my business, appearing when I feel like it, and fading away when it’s super hectic. I need to be more of an Alice, curious about everything, and ready to take little leaps of faith. Growing and shrinking my business as the opportunities arise. What about you? Which character do you feel you’ve been lately?
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To Survive a Recession, Become Cauliflower
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Ah Cauliflower, the often overlooked, delicious alternative for so many vegetables. That’s right cauliflower. I know what you’re thinking. Does she mean the boring white vegetable that I sometimes eat becomes it comes in the bag with the frozen broccoli? Yes I do, and look again. It’s not white, it’s a wonderful shade of ivory with tints of green in the stem. It’s the combination of broccoli and cabbage. A wonderful nutty flavor, with a smooth texture, it’s no wonder restaurants have started substituting it for mashed potatoes.
How does this help your business? Easy, go to the store, buy some cauliflower, follow one of the recipes at the bottom of this blog, and be pleasantly surprised. Don’t you want your customers to be pleasantly surprised when they visit your store or use your services? I do, and that’s why I am becoming cauliflower.
Branching out is one of the easiest ways to turn your business around. Just as cauliflower is made up of several branches of yummy clusters, your business can also offer many alternatives to it’s client or customer. Many times I hear clients talk about new avenues they’ve thought of in the past or always wanted to try, but they then shake it off as if it was an incredulous thought, too grand for their business. Sometimes it is these ideas that could open new roads and possibilities. A bar that puts in a kitchen, a salon and day spa that treats every customer as if they are there for the full treatment.
Are you one of many of a type of business, a seemingly plain vegetable among the many colorful ones? Sure you could be flashy and change your logo, or your ad strategy. Or you could focus on being consistent, and letting the quality of your business speak for itself. Spending your time and money on flashy new ads and out of the box promotions are not the way to invest in a business. You can bring in all the new customers you want, but if you can’t keep them coming back and you’re losing your regulars, then you’re not making any money. It’s the one in one out strategy that bars use to keep numbers down for the fire marshall. They hate seeing the one leave, because he was spending more money to keep the party going, then the new one who is walking in will spend all night. The new clients you bring in aren’t as loyal as the ones that have been sticking by you in these rough economic times.
Now to the best part about cauliflower! It’s an amazing anti-cancer vegetable. It has at least 2 identifiable chemicals that fight tumor growth and cancer in general. I didn’t even know that until I researched it for this blog! No I’m not telling you to fight cancer, I’m telling you to surprise yourself and your customers with what you are capable of. Pitch some of your new ideas to your most loyal customers and see how they react. Want to add a new service or product? Offer it to your best customers or the ones who would benefit the most from it. Just one positive experience could be what you need to make the decision to offer it to everyone.
The recipes below are simple and surprising. They accentuate the natural goodness of the cauliflower. Try one out and while you eat make a list of products or services that you can add to your business that will only improve the nature of your business, without changing your quality. I myself just ate a delicious dinner with cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Brussel Sprouts? Oh yes, but that is for another day and another blog.
Recipes
Roasted Cauliflower (what I just ate)
Cream of Cauliflower and Stilton Soup
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