I’ve now expanded slide 12 to include the industries I work with:
• Healthcare
• Packaged goods
• Legal
• Technology
• Financial
• Startups

For more information, visit Zeimer’s Advertising Shoppe.

View my PPT:

Larson Shores Architects is a minority/women-owned residential and commercial architecture firm which believes great design should be made accessible to all individuals. Our design perspective is rooted in sustainable practices, concepts of multi-generational living, adaptability and accessibility, the spirit of entrepreneurship for business owners, and the overall satisfaction of the user experience.

Thursday, March 11, 2010
6pm – 8pm

At: Sens Restaurant
sens-sf.com
4 Embarcadero Ctr – Promenade LevelSan Francisco, CA 94111-4106
(415) 362-0645

Relish in appetizing appetizers! No host bar!

We encourage you to invite persons of professions not currently represented in our chapter including:

1. Appraiser
2. Auto Body Repair
3. Car Mechanic
4. Commercial Realtor
5. Craftsman
6. Credit Consultant
7. Debt Consultant
8. DJ
9. Ecommerce Expert
10. Email Marketing Specialist
11. Electrician
12. Esthetician
13. Florist
14. Hair Stylist
15. Handyman
16. Horticulturist
17. Jeweler
18. Landscape Architect
19. Lawncare/Gardener
20. Lawyer: Areas not already represented
21. Marketing Strategist/Consultant
22. Moving Coordinator
23. Office Supplies/Paper Supply Rep
24. Plumber
25. Professional Conservator of Finances
26. Restaurant
27. Risk Management for Insurance
28. Specialty Cleaner/Removal
29. Talent Agency
30. Therapist/Psychiatrist (non couples, non hypnotherapist)

Please RSVP to Cathy Cohn by March 10th at cc66@sbcglobal.net

Thanks!

CHEAP INK  is easily found, if your printer model is just a little older & if it’s popular enough they’ll make knockoff ink; within a year of the initial manufacture. Some would argue that knockoff ink isn’t as good – I’ve had good luck. The high priced inks that Epson and HP sell are great quality, but you pay the price … literally. Personally, I purchase my ink from a company called shop4tech.com; they’ve been sending me 15% and 25% off coupons (they might go the way of economic downturn), however until then I’d sign up!

Then there is the refilling option of used cartridges at Wallgreen’s and Office Depot. If you do choose this route, and can keep an eye on the ink level (ask and I can see if your system is set up to monitor the ink level), it’s better to re-charge ink cartridges when they’re not quite empty. HOWEVER I’ve heard several “a refilled cartridge leaked all over my printer” story; personally I’m not convinced that the skill of the person refilling the cartridge is as high as I’d like. However the lead guy in the photo department at Walgreen’s on Castro x 18th looked really reliable!

What kind of printer should you buy? If space is a factor then the all-in-one’s can be good, but just remember if and all-in-one breaks, the whole unit may not work. If space isn’t a factor I always recommend separate machines: fax, scanner, printer but depending on how much you use it the all-in-ones can be great.

Did that help? If so or not feel free to email me and I’ll be glad to offer advice.

A few easy steps to attempt a repair: (1) make sure the printer is powered on and plugged into your computer since that can be a simple fix. (2) If you can find the manual (or google the manual) and learn how to print a “test page” this might tell you if the printer is working properly. (3) And/or try powering off the printer and the computer and powering them both back on.

(4) Or is it the printer? Are there any red lights on the printer? Is the printer flashing any lights? This might indicate that it’s a problem with the printer and the manual can help you decode what the printer is blinking at you about.

(5) Larger Fix: Try going to the Apple menu (upper left hand corner of your screen) –> system preferences –> printing or print & fax. Then: (a) Click on the problem printer and click the minus – sign, then (b) click the plus + sign and see if the printer is listed and attempt to re-add the printer.

Restart your machine and keep your fingers crossed. Usually most printing problems are the “drivers” which a geek can easily re-install. If you feel brave ask me about deleting preference files!

Traditional media-focused PR is certainly taking its hits – newspapers, magazines, investigative reportage are all slowly changing. And many folks who worked in these fields have had to change with the times. They all explore the on-line media world, find and nurture respected industry bloggers, and start social media campaigns for clients. And the faster the industry changes, the more obvious it becomes that just knowing new technology and new media is not always enough.

Communications and messaging will only be enhanced with the new media. However, we must remember that Facebook, Linked-in and blogging are only a few elements of the communications mix – brochures, annual reports, promotions, trade shows, one-on-one briefings will be around for years to come. Communicators need to have enough experience to know how different audiences are getting information and how it is influencing their decision making process.

Another note frightening new communicators: good journalism will never go away. Even though the general public is reading shorter and shorter tweets and blogs, it does not mean everything that was taught in journalism school goes out the window. On the contrary. To be effective in the new media, we need to go back to the basics of journalism and choose our words carefully for maximum effect. If the quality of writing does not engage the new media audience, our efforts can easily be clicked into oblivion.

The key to all media – both traditional a new — is content. This is where seasoned PR folks have the most to offer. They understand how to message and create content. They understand how a client’s message fits in with the other news trends of the day and how it relates to what else is going on at the world. The key to making the most of new and evolving media is to craft great content and deliver it through the channel/media that’s most appropriate for the audience. And PR pros have been doing that for years. They bring years of writing, communicating and analytic experience to the table. While social media provides a valuable tool, the people using it need to know when and how to use it effectively. Even though a company has a facebook page or a blog, they will not necessarily meet business goals unless there is careful consideration of the principal goals of communication. New campaigns need to have strategic plans, a well-investigated knowledge of key audiences, an analysis of various communications tools, and honed skills to manage communications.

And these days, the old guys have moved into the new millenium faster than the time it will take the young bucks to get decades of experience in the field.

Phil Siegel is principal at MediaWorks and an old buzzard who has stepped into new media to offer the best PR available.

Anyone who wants to attend our Leadership Training Session with me on Monday, March 15th, is welcome to come at no cost to you. (The chapter pays the fee.) Breakfast is served at 7:30; training is 8:00 am – 1:00 pm at Hotel Monaco, Grand Café Room, 501 Geary, SF, 94102.
Let Gil know ASAP if you plan to attend.

This is a project that I recently completed as a freelance website copywriter, using more descriptive copy and two SE0 keyword phrases per page. It was a BNI Embarcadero referral from Bart Saling of Bridge to Bridge Technologies.

As an established IT managed services company serving clients in the San Francisco Bay Area, IPSO FACTO IT SERVICES works with small businesses, medium-sized businesses, large enterprises, and government entities, as well as not-for-profit groups.

Visit the site of approximately 50 pages: www.ipsofacto.info

Copy by Gil Zeimer; Web design by Naoki Nitta.

So here’s some examples:

1. A friend says he wants to lose weight. I tell him I know a great trainer and nutritionist.
2. Someone in our group needs a plumber, I give them the name of my plumber
3. A friend says he is looking for a good estate attorney and asks me if I know someone, I give him Susan’s name. He says he will give her a call.
4. I see someone slip on a wet floor at Safeway. I walk up to them and hand them Kalin’s card.

I only consider #3 a referral. What does everyone else think?