TalkisCheep.com Women’s Month: Jill Slater is Making House Calls

March 11, 2010 | Author: Administrator

This morning I was on my way to work and headed to the train station. As usual I grab a free Metro paper that they give out every morning and proceed to the platform. This morning I found a great article about Jill Slater the owner and founder of House Call Haircut in the City Business Section of the paper.

As you can tell by the name House Call Haircut is a business where you can get your hair done in the comfort of your home. As a side gig Jill bikes around New York City carrying a little black bag with a spray water bottler, combs, shears and two capes a black one for the adults and one with penguins for the kids.

This is a great service for the mom who is always on the run and who does not have time to spend hours in a hair salon waiting for service.
Jill Slater

MAIN: Slater gives Tzipora Kermaier, 8, a haircut. LEFT: “I’ve been building an empire — a home help empire,” Slater said.

Elana Kermaier whose daughters received a cut from Slater this week says

It’s much more convenient. You don’t have to go anywhere and they’re in a familiar surrounding.

Slater did a smart thing that I sometimes do myself on a daily basis to see what the market is like. Jill conducted a semi-extensive Google search she says and only found one other person providing the service and

thought parents with kids could really use this.

A simple Google search turned an idea into a blooming business. Jill started her home haircutting business because it came natural to her, not only because of her haircutting history but also because several of the other jobs put her in people’s homes.

Your destiny could be just a Google Search Away.

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Social Media: Trackable and Reliable

March 4, 2010 | Author: Administrator

Many companies are beginning to incorporate Social Media and Marketing into their business plans. But I think the biggest questions that most business owners have is how do I know that my efforts are working? how do I track it? and what is my return on investment going to be?

Obviously due to the nature of Social Networking it isn’t as cut and dry to track the conversions of individuals that companies interact with on Social Networks. But believe me it can be done.

Social Media Today has provided a list of valuable items needed in order to monitor your Social Media campaigns.

Social media leads. Track web traffic breakdowns from all social media sources, and chart the top few sources over time. If members of your social media networks are sending referrals, consider measuring this data as well.
Engagement duration. For some companies, engagement duration is more important than page views. For example, if you have a Facebook application, how much time are social network members spending using it? Is per-member usage increasing over time? Alternately, if people visit your your company websites from SM (Social Media) sites, how long are they spending? (Also consider tracking which pages they visit.)
Bounce rate. Are visitors coming to your site from SM sites but quickly leaving? Maybe your landing page needs better, more relevant copy. Maybe the information they’re seeking isn’t easily found.
Membership increase and active network size. This is the portion of your company’s social networks (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) that actively engages with your social media content (e.g., Twitter, Facebook Pages, etc.) Is your collective members, followers, fans network growing, and is there interaction with your content?
Activity ratio. How active is your company’s collective social network? Compare the ratio of active members vs total members, and chart this over time. There’ll always be some social network members who are inactive, but if you initiate a campaign to increase interaction, you should also measure the resulting data. Activity can be measured in a variety of ways, including usage of social applications.
Conversions. You want social network members to convert: into subscriptions, sales (direct or through affiliates), Facebook application use, or whatever other offerings you have in your overall sales funnel and that can somehow be directly or indirectly monetized. (E.g., subscription to a weekly e-newsletter can be monetized by giving other companies access to your list in the form of advertising.) Measure all types of conversions and chart them over time.
Brand mentions in social media. So, you have a highly active social network and members are talking about your company or the company’s brands. Measure and track both positive and negative mentions, and their quantities.
Loyalty. Are social members interacting in the network repeatedly, sharing content and links, mentioning your brands, evangelizing? How many members reshare? How often do they reshare?
Virality. Social members might be sharing Twitter tweets and Facebook updates relevant to your company, but is this info being reshared by their networks? How soon afterwards are they resharing? How many FoaFs (Friends of Friends) are resharing your links and content?
Blog interaction. This is actually more than one metric lumped together. Blogs ARE part of an SMM (Social Media Marketing) toolkit, but only if you allow comments and interact with readers by responding. If you’re doing this, encourage responses either directly in the comments section of blog posts, or via Twitter. (Use a blog widget that allows this.) If your blog’s content is suitable for social voting (Digg, Propeller, Mixx, etc.) or social bookmarking (Delicious, Stumbleupon) sites, install a blog plugin that displays the necessary sharing “buttons”, then track referrals back from those sites.

You can see from the above list that there are both key metrics and variations that you’ll probably want to monitor and analyze, depending on your business objectives. Not all of them are simple metrics to track, and as such do require either or both custom tools and custom reports. Supplement your metrics reports by noting any milestones in your SMM plan. Also, if you run any sort of social campaigns, measure the ROI on specific goals. Measure application usage and resulting conversions. Finally, the use of complex measurements such as Multiple Moving Averages (MMAs) can show both short- and long-term trends, thus providing you with an overall view of the health of your sites and social networks.

Are there other metrics you measure that you feel are more important for your company? What tools do you use to measure social metrics?

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Traditional Media from Mars, Social Media’s from Venus, Choosing a Marketing Plan

March 2, 2010 | Author: Administrator

Choosing a Marketing Plan: Traditional or Social Media?

I came a cross this case study about a week ago about a budding Cigar company who used Social Media as well as traditional to kick their business off. I think people always try to make it a battle of sexes between media outlets but you should incorporate all forms of media to help your businesses growth.

Below is a Case Study by JANE L. LEVERE featured on NYTimes.com about a Cigar company who used new media form outlets to develop a great marketing strategy for their business.

EPC CIGAR COMPANY manufactures and distributes cigars that are hand-rolled in the Dominican Republic from Ecuadorean, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco. It has been in business since April, although the family that owns it previously ran a successful cigar company that was sold to Swedish Match in 1999.

THE CHALLENGE To develop a cost-effective and efficient marketing strategy to promote the company and its new brand, E. P. Carrillo, while building on the family’s legacy.

THE BACKGROUND EPC Cigar, based in Miami, is owned and operated by the Perez-Carrillo family, whose Cuban-born patriarch, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, established El Credito Cigars in 1968; its best-known brand was La Gloria Cubana. After Mr. Perez-Carrillo’s death, his son, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., sold El Credito to Swedish Match in 1999, working there until March 2009. Mr. Perez-Carrillo Jr., 58, remains a big deal in the cigar world.

He was encouraged to start EPC Cigar by his daughter, Lissette, 36, a lawyer based in Miami, and his son, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III, 28, a management consultant based in New York, both of whom had worked for El Credito while growing up. The three family members run the company, which employs 34 people in Miami and the Dominican Republic.

Its first product was a $13 limited-edition inaugural cigar released in December; it will be followed this spring by the core E. P. Carrillo line, which will be available in five sizes priced from $6 to $8.

Last year, Mr. Perez-Carrillo III, who oversees the company’s marketing, hired an advertising agency, DeVito/Verdi, to develop a logo, labels, packaging and a marketing campaign to introduce the new company and its cigars. Mr. Perez-Carrillo III estimates that EPC Cigar will spend $300,000 on the campaign, which began in April 2009 and will run through December.

THE OPTIONS DeVito/Verdi suggested a range of traditional and new-media marketing strategies.

The traditional options included taxi-top advertising in New York City; commercials on cable channels like Comedy Central, Spike and VH1; radio ads in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago; and print ads in publications like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Yachting, Golf Digest, Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado. With the exception of Cigar Aficionado, these promotions would aim at casual cigar smokers and even nonsmokers willing to try the company’s cigars.

The social media options included three Web site concepts: one involved a collage on the company Web site of live, online mentions of the company and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.; a second featured a world map (from Google Maps) on the Web site that showed the origin of real-time Twitter messages about cigars; and a third would use a Facebook page as the company’s main online presence. In any case, the digital strategy would involve the use of Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.

THE DECISION Ultimately, Mr. Perez-Carrillo III decided to take DeVito/Verdi’s advice and emphasize the Internet and social media initiatives. Ellis Verdi, president of the agency, calls social media “a natural place to go when you want to show something real,” adding, “If you say it’s real, people won’t believe you, but the Internet lets you show it.”

Mr. Perez-Carrillo III said his primary objection to traditional media outlets was the expense. “For the first go-around,” he said, “we put them off the table.” The company, according to Mr. Perez-Carrillo III, will spend $40,000 on digital-media initiatives between 2009 and 2010, with the remaining $260,000 of its marketing budget going to trade shows, cigar-enthusiast events, point-of-sale material and some traditional media.

Social media allow the company to communicate directly with cigar buyers, retailers, tobacco growers and others with whom it does business, according to both EPC Cigar and its agency. This is particularly important as the popularity of once-fashionable cigar bars wanes and public smoking bans proliferate.

At the agency’s recommendation, the Perez-Carrillos chose the Web concept based on Google Maps and Twitter. Thus, on the home page, Twitter messages about cigars — regardless of whether they are about EPC Cigar or raise health concerns about cigar smoking — appear on a world map that rotates to show where the messages originated.

The site’s “About Us” section uses another world map to show places where EPC Cigar conducts business or has roots, thus honoring the family’s history. The section also offers photographs and videos, including a vintage, black-and-white snapshot of Mr. Perez-Carrillo Jr. as a child in Cuba and modern videos of a Nicaraguan tobacco farm.

The site lists retailers that sell the company’s cigars, with Google Maps indicating their locations, and more than 1,000 places to smoke, with recommendations contributed by visitors and by Cigar Places, a Web site for cigar enthusiasts. DeVito/Verdi is in the process of developing an iPhone application that will feature these cigar-friendly places.

The agency has encouraged Mr. Perez-Carrillo Jr. — and not his son — to use Twitter to build and communicate with the company’s following. It is Mr. Perez-Carrillo Jr., said Tyler DeAngelo, interactive creative director of DeVito/Verdi, who is “the face of the brand.”

While Mr. Perez-Carrillo Jr. posts Twitter messages almost daily, Mr. Perez-Carrillo III maintains the company’s Facebook page, where he posts articles and reviews and encourages fans to comment. There are also links on the page to the company’s Twitter feed, YouTube videos and Flickr photos. Similarly, there is a box that pops up from the home page of its Web site that lets visitors “follow Ernesto” on all four social media channels.

THE RESULTS So far, only about 250 people are following EPC Cigar through Twitter and about 700 are Facebook fans. These numbers notwithstanding, the Perez-Carrillo family and DeVito/Verdi say they are satisfied with the campaign’s impact.

“To have a lot of people talk about the limited-edition cigar after only a few months, in a market that’s challenged, in an industry that’s not really growing, is very exciting,” Mr. Verdi said.

The campaign has “generated a lot of buzz so far,” Mr. Perez-Carrillo III said. “When we talk to retailers, to the end consumer, everyone pretty much knows Ernesto’s gone on his own. They can’t wait for him to come out with the core line.”

One unexpected benefit is that Mr. Perez-Carrillo III has been using Google Analytics to track how many people visit the Web site and where they come from. He has discovered that almost one-third of the visitors do not live in the United States. “I’m talking to foreign distributors far more quickly than I expected I would,” he said.

The 25,000 limited-edition cigars that EPC Cigar has been releasing monthly since December “are selling extremely quickly,” Mr. Perez-Carrillo III said. He projects sales of $1.5 million this year.

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Social Networks Play a Major Part in How We Get News

March 1, 2010 | Author: Administrator

by Stan Schroeder(Source: Mashable)

The latest study from Pew Internet analyzes the news Americans are consuming and various different ways they find news. Based on a sample of 2,259 adults, the study reveals that three fourths of the people (75%) who find news online get it either forwarded through e-mail or posts on social networking sites, and half of them (52%) forward the news through those means.

This translates to a large portion of all Americans. According to the report, 59% of those surveyed get news from a combination of online and offline sources.

However, the study also shows that very few people nowadays (7%) are getting information from a single media platform. In fact, nearly half of Americans (46%) claim they get news from four to six media platforms on a typical day. And while TV is still the biggest source of news (78% of Americans say they get news from a local TV station), Internet sits at second place (61% of users get news online), ahead of radio and newspapers. Interestingly enough, relatively few people — only 17% — claim they read news in a national newspaper such as The New York Times or USA Today.

Also interesting is the division between news consumers according to their relationship to news. Thirty-three percent of cellphone owners now access news on their phones, and 28% use personalized news, meaning they have a customized page that includes news from sources they’ve chosen. Perhaps most importantly, news consumers today participate in the creation of news; 37% have contributed to news creation, commented on news or shared it via social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

To View the Entire Report Visit Here.

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NYTimes Offers More Bang for Your Buck

February 26, 2010 | Author: Administrator

Small Business Can Now Get Big Time Attention Thanks to NYTimes. The NYTimes website is now offering Self Service Advertising for Small Businesses. The Self-Service Display Advertising is powered by AdReady and is designed to be a simple and easy way for you to advertise your small business on NYTimes.com.This new feature allows Small Businesses to be able to have their business become noticed by millions who view the NYTimes website everyday. It also allows you to create your ad with their online tool, or upload ready-made creatives, schedule where and when you want your ad to run, with many levels of targeting to meet your needs and confirm your campaign budget and when your campaign is set to run.

This is a great opportunity for small business owners especially if they have a decent budget to invest in marketing for their website. Rates run as low as $50 per campaign and up to $10K per campaign, obviously if you spend more, your ad will appear more often during the time period you specify. They also give you the option to target the Run of Site channel, where your ad may appear in all of the channels (sections) available through Self-Service or you have the option if you don’t have a huge budget or if you just want to target a niche market to target only certain channels and/or sections of the site.

Visit the NYTimes to learn more.

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Is Blogging a Slog? Some Young People Think So by Martha Irvine

February 4, 2010 | Author: Administrator

(Source: Yahoo News)

CHICAGO – Could it be that blogs have become online fodder for the — gasp! — more mature reader?

A new study has found that young people are losing interest in long-form blogging, as their communication habits have become increasingly brief, and mobile. Tech experts say it doesn’t mean blogging is going away. Rather, it’s gone the way of the telephone and e-mail — still useful, just not sexy.

“Remember when ‘You’ve got mail!’ used to produce a moment of enthusiasm and not dread?” asks Danah Boyd, a fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. Now when it comes to blogs, she says, “people focus on using them for what they’re good for and turning to other channels for more exciting things.”
Those channels might include anything from social networking sites to others that feature games or video.
The study, released Wednesday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, found that 14 percent of Internet youths, ages 12 to 17, now say they blog, compared with just over a quarter who did so in 2006. And only about half in that age group say they comment on friends’ blogs, down from three-quarters who did so four years ago.
Pew found a similar drop in blogging among 18- to 29-year-olds.

Overall, Pew estimates that roughly one in 10 online adults maintain a blog — a number that has remained consistent since 2005, when blogs became a more mainstream activity. In the U.S., that would mean there are more than 30 million adults who blog.

“That’s a pretty remarkable thing to have gone from zero to 30 million in the last 10 years,” says David Sifry, founder of blog search site Technorati.

But according to the data, that population is aging.

The Pew study found, for instance, that the percentage of Internet users age 30 and older who maintain a blog increased from 7 percent in 2007 to 11 percent in 2009.

Pew’s over-18 data, collected in the last half of last year, were based on interviews with 2,253 adults and have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. The under-18 data came from phone interviews with 800 12- to 17-year-olds and their parents. The margin of error for that data was plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
So why are young people less interested in blogging?

The explosion of social networking is one obvious answer. The Pew survey found that nearly three-quarters of 12- to 17-year-olds who have access to the Internet use social networking sites, such as Facebook. That compares with 55 percent four years ago.

With social networking has come the ability to do a quick status update and that has “kind of sucked the life out of long-form blogging,” says Amanda Lenhart, a Pew senior researcher and lead author of the latest study.
More young people are also accessing the Internet from their mobile phones, only increasing the need for brevity. The survey found, for instance, that half of 18- to 29-year-olds had done so.

All of that rings true to Sarah Rondeau, a freshman at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.
“It’s a matter of typing quickly. People these days don’t find reading that fun,” the 18-year-old student says. She loves Facebook and has recently started using Twitter to share pictures of her dorm room and blurbs about campus life, which are, in turn, shared on the Holy Cross Web site for prospective students.

Meanwhile, New Yorker Jackie Huang hasn’t made a posting on her long-form blog in two years, and she now uses Facebook and Twitter because her friends do — though she’s still not too hot on tweeting.

Now 25, she started blogging when she was a college freshman, using Xanga and then Wordpress to tell friends, family and a few strangers about anything from travel experiences to pop culture to politics.

“My blog was my own little soapbox,” says Huang, who now works for a communications agency. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m interesting enough for my followers to want to know where I am every hour of the day and what I’m thinking. I’m not Ashton Kutcher, and I don’t post racy pictures of Demi Moore in her skivvies.”

Few doubt that blogging will die. Lenhart suspects that those who blog for personal reasons may focus more on events — a wedding, a trip, a baby’s birth.

Arax-Rae Van Buren, who writes about trends, travel and food on her Kiss and Type blog, is relaunching her site with a mobile audience in mind. “It is imperative that the site design is translatable to a phone,” says the 24-year-old New Yorker.

There also are early signs that “microblogging” on sites such as Twitter might actually create long-form bloggers out of people who get frustrated by the constraints of the 140-word limit. Already, sites such as Tumblr and FriendFeed have emerged to allow for expansion of thought and content, though it remains to be seen whether those services will catch on with younger people.

“Blogging is actually a quite involved form of self-expression. It takes a lot of time and effort,” says Eszter Hargittai, an associate professor of communications studies at Northwestern University.
She and other tech experts also suspect that fewer young people have an interest in sharing their every thought with the whole world.

“Five years ago blogging was a club,” says Sifry of Technorati. “There was this wonderful, delicious feeling of being able to talk privately or semi-privately with people who shared your interests. And there were few consequences of being able to share with your friends on a blog.

“I think we’re seeing a deeper awareness of the perception of privacy and how that can affect your life if it’s violated.”

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TalkisCheep.com Introduces: The Vintage Scarf

January 25, 2010 | Author: Administrator

You would think that because we are in a recession that the vintage industry would be suffering tremendously, but it is quite the contrary. Many people are investing in quality apparel due to the recession so that they can have a wardrobe that is unique and in addition one that last longer. This is where companies like The Vintage Scarf come in, providing customers with quality products with a unique and personal touch to them. Paula who is the owner of The Vintage Scarf adds a personal touch to each scarf that she sends out by ironing and folding them herself before shipment. She takes great pride in her craft and TalkisCheep.com would like you to get to know her and The Vintage Scarf better.

TIC: Why did you decide to start The Vintage Scarf?

The Vintage Scarf: I started out selling on eBay in 2000 it started with a few things I had and then I got hooked! It was a nice hobby and made some extra money. Last year in 2009 I wanted to sell in a niche market. I got a vintage scarf in the mail from my mom and just started looking at it and thinking about the history and the name The Vintage Scarf popped in my mind. I was laid off from my job and decided in between looking for a job I would pursue my dream. It gave me that push that you better try to do what you want to do.

After a year and still looking for employment I am still dedicated to The Vintage Scarf.

TIC: How did you come up with the concept and name for the company?

The Vintage Scarf: I got a vintage scarf in the mail from my mom and just started looking at it and thinking about the history and the name The Vintage Scarf popped in my mind. It is so there. People can’t mistake what I sell. lol

TIC: What does your business specialize in?

The Vintage Scarf: One of a kind Vintage Scarves and Scarf Accessories

TIC: During this recession have you had to create any innovative products or services that reflect the times such as discount some of your vintage items?

The Vintage Scarf: My prices are already priced lower than most. But I do offer discounts and specials to people who sign up for my newsletter. Example: I might have 50% off for a week. I also offer free shipping all the time.

TIC: What differentiates The Vintage Scarf from other vintage companies?

The Vintage Scarf: With The Vintage Scarf everything is done by me. I iron each and every scarf, I take the photo’s, I maintain the website and when someone calls they get me. When someone purchases a scarf I send them a hand written thank you card.

TIC: How are you currently promoting your business?

The Vintage Scarf: I am on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin. My scarves are on other peoples websites.

TIC: What advice would you give other individuals who are trying to break into the Vintage Industry?

The Vintage Scarf: You have to be serious about your business. I have been at it a year now and it is still not bringing the income I need to be able to do this full time. If you give up too soon you never know what might have happened. If something doesn’t work try something else and so on. You have to be consistent in your marketing and your product. And the most important thing is you have to believe in it.

TIC: What does the word entrepreneur mean to you?

The Vintage Scarf: Someone who follows their dreams.

You can learn more about The Vintage Scarf by visiting their website www.TheVintageScarf.com and for the latest updates Follow them on twitter @TheVingtageScarf

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TalkisCheep.com Introduces: Pink Eye Fashions

January 15, 2010 | Author: Administrator

I Got Pink Eye

Since I was a young girl I have always had an obsession with sneakers, I always wanted to get the newest most unique Kicks, as I use to call them, before anyone else did and if I saw anyone else with the same sneakers that I had on I would get so upset that I would no longer wear them. I remember making sure that my sneakers were always fresh, I had a special toothbrush dedicated only for my sneakers, I kept a special brush for the suede one’s just in case someone stepped on my foot, I would just brush it off literally. I also use to soak my shoe laces every weekend to make sure the look was complete as well as shoe polish for every sneaker color I had just in case I had a scuff. When I came across Pink Eye Fashions on twitter I became ecstatic and was captivated with their eye grabbing tag line “I Got Pink Eye Did You Catch it Yet?” catchy right? I was infected from the start and was hoping to spread my contagiousness by featuring them on TalkisCheep.com.

I would like to introduce you all to Erica Purnell the owner and founder of Pink Eye Fashions and help you become more acquainted with her and what she does.

TIC: Why did you start Pink Eye?

Erica of Pink Eye: Pink Eye was started actually as just a way to earn a few extra dollars as I was customizing my own kicks. I started getting requests from people to do jackets and kicks and it became bigger on its own. I then took the vision of that, being that people love stuff customized and evolved it into what you see today. I combined my two loves of art and sneakers into a brand that is known for exclusive artistry.

TIC: How did you come up with the concept and name for the company?

Erica of Pink Eye: I had a logo at the time for one of my other ventures which was a graphic of an eye and had spilled something red on it and joked that “oh it has Pink Eye” then I started to think on Pink Eye and even though its gross and contagious thought I could put a spin on the name as every time I wear my kicks everyone would look at them (hence…”Catch It”) and it seemed to be “infecting” everyone I came in contact with and getting attention. So the concept just worked and 6 years later….its still infecting people!

TIC: What does your business specialize in?

Erica of Pink Eye: Pink Eye provides custom airbrush and hand-painted designs for sneakers, shoes, hats, jackets, t-shirts and much more. We believe everyone has an inner expression that needs to be set free and shown to the world and we create infectious fashion for individuals that like to make statements.

TIC: How has the recession affected your business?

Erica of Pink Eye: Orders are a little slower of course and Fashion is not a necessity so that always hurts business some. But I still get clients and in the off-time I just use to come up with new marketing strategies and keep networking because that’s always key, even in a recession.

TIC: During this recession have you had to create any innovative products or services that reflect the times such as discounted designs?

Erica of Pink Eye: Not major innovations, but you take advantage of “free tools” like twitter and other social sites as an outlet to get more traffic to your site and business. I’ve also given discounts to people knowing they really wanted one of my designs but also knowing their budget to satisfy a customer. I may take a pay-cut but their satisfaction goes a long way.

TIC: What differentiates you from other Artist/Designers and Pink Eye from other companies?

Erica of Pink Eye: Every artist/designer is different in their own way. Pink Eye as a company itself stands apart as we really are a BRAND of custom lifestyle. We don’t repeat designs. Everything is one of a kind. Our customer base is very unique as well. Different ethnic groups, We’ve done work for people ages 5-65 so we don’t fit in one box. We appeal to everyone who wants to make their own artistic expression through custom fashion.

TIC: What does the word entrepreneur mean to you?

Erica of Pink Eye: Entrepreneur to me means going for yours. No matter how long the road to get there or if you aren’t rich yet. The initiative to look in the mirror at yourself and say I’m going to show the world who I am and what I can do.

TIC: How are you currently promoting your business?

Erica of Pink Eye: I utilize all the internet social tools, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and more. I send emails. I do print advertisements at times and also do trade shows when they come available. I had a few magazine write-ups awhile back so that always help. There is always the best “carry your business card” and a Print portfolio on you because you never know who you will run into. Ive gotten plenty business off that last one because time is money and if its in someones face, they cant deny you or your talent.

TIC: What advice would you give other individuals who are trying to break into the Art realm?

Erica of Pink Eye: Take the time to develop yourself professionally. You cant expect someone to take you serious if you won’t. We get so caught up in the internet world that sometimes you have to take it back to basics. Like having a business card. You don’t know how many artists I meet and I’m ready to network with them at an event and they don’t have one. I tell them that’s your first mistake. You should always have that, even if you don’t have a site. Also, learn to speak. You cant be shy and want people to know you. If you walk up to someone and say hello my name is…. You never know where that opportunity can lead. Talent is the easy part, its the professionalism us artist lack sometime that we have to get sharper with.

TIC: Are there any dreams that you haven’t achieved yet?

Erica of Pink Eye: Definitely, I’m a visual and graphic artist as well. So I have other ventures I do now like web design and logo branding of other start-up companies. Im always keeping busy with something artistic. I write as well. I have a book I want to shop around and who knows. I like to surprise people. You’ll never know what may be next for me. So stay tuned!

You can find Pink Eye Fashions on the following Social Networks

Twitter: @IGotPinkEye
Facebook:Facebook.com/IGotPinkEye
MySpace:Myspace.com/IGotPinkEye

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Demoting Rather than Laying-Off? How Companies are Surviving the Recession

January 4, 2010 | Author: Administrator

The recession has had everyone feeling like that any day it could be possible that they may not have a job, home, car or any other thing pertinent to the survival of the American family. A friend of mine and I were talking about working in corporate America and the tactics that many companies are taking in order to increase productivity and save money in the process.

I know of a company that came up with an interesting tactic in order to save money as well as maintain jobs within the company during these tough times. Before the recession they had many individuals in temp positions that they soon had to get rid of in order to save money. Soon after they had to reevaluate the other employees within the company because the first set of cutbacks were not enough to help them sustain during the recession.

This company in particular began to do quarterly evaluations to assess one’s value to the company in retrospect to their role. In the process of these evaluations they began to make decisions about individuals futures within the company based off of their performance level in that particular sector and continued to do so every 3 months. Using these evaluations, they implemented a new policy in which they used the evaluations to demote individuals based off of their quarterly performance, thus saving the company money and jobs. Now the up side to this strategy was that if you performed well you were still able to be promoted and also be compensated accordingly which encouraged productivity and accuracy within the company. But it also gave you options, though you were being demoted at least you were able to keep your job and had the chance to redeem yourself for the next evaluation which would be 6 months instead of a whole year passing.

This technique was a great strategy I believe to increase productivity within the company and very unique but I hope that it does not backfire because some employees that are set in their ways may feel intimidated by the new structure. Despite the recession I definitely think it is a great way to help bring recognition to those who are excelling more than once a year to make them feel appreciated.

I am so glad to see the innovation that is coming about due to the recession and I hope that it will continue as we begin to come out of it as well.

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43 Things Never to Say in an Interview Ever

October 21, 2009 | Author: Administrator

My good friend @StephSwinton sent out a link on Facebook for an article featured on Careerbuilder called “43 Things Actually Said in Job Interviews” by Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer that you should never ever say in your lifetime while in an interview.

This was quite entertaining as well as disturbing that these were actual encounters and that individuals actually expressed these thoughts during their interviews. We always look up what to say and do on interviews but we rarely look for what not to say or do. Below are excerpts of the article and examples of what not to do and say in response to popular interview questions

Careerbuilder asked hiring managers to share the craziest things they’ve heard from applicants in an interview. Some are laugh-out-loud hysterical, others are jaw dropping — the majority are both. To be sure, they will relieve anyone who has ever said something unfortunate at a job interview — and simply amuse the rest of you.

Hiring managers shared these 43 memorable interview responses:

Why did you leave your last job?
1. “I have a problem with authority.” - Carrie Rocha, COO of HousingLink

Tell us about a problem you had with a co-worker and how you resolved it
2. “The resolution was we were both fired.”- Jason Shindler, CEO, Curvine Web Solutions

What kind of computer software have you used?
3. “Computers? Are those the black boxes that sit on the floor next to the desks? My boss has one of those. He uses it. I don’t have one. He just gives me my schedule and I follow it.” - Greg Szymanski, director of human resources, Geonerco Management, Inc

What are your hobbies and interests?
4. [He said] ‘Well, as you can see, I’m a young, virile man and I’m single — if you ladies know what I’m saying.’ Then he looked at one of the fair-haired board members and said, ‘I particularly like blondes.’” – Petri R.J. Darby, president, darbyDarnit Public Relations

Why should we hire you?
5. “I would be a great asset to the events team because I party all the time.” - Bill McGowan, founder, Clarity Media Group

Do you have any questions?
6. “Cross dressing isn’t a problem is it?” – Barry Maher, Barry Maher & Associates

7. “If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?” - Megan Garnett, Articulate Leadership Team, Articulate Communications Inc.

8. “What do you want me to do if I cannot walk to work if it’s raining? Can you pick me up?” - Christine Pechstein, career coach

9. “I was a Chamber of Commerce Executive once hiring a secretary. [The candidate asked] ‘What does a Chamber of Commerce do?’” – Mary Kurek, Mary Kurek, Inc. Visibility Consulting

10. “Can we wrap this up fairly quickly? I have someplace I have to go.” - Bruce Campbell, vice president of marketing, Clare Computer Solutions

11. “What is your company’s policy on Monday absences?” – Campbell

12. “If this doesn’t work out can I call you to go out sometime?” – Christine Bolzan, founder of Graduate Career Coaching

13. “How big do the bonuses really get once you make associate? I hear it’s some serious cash.” - Bolzan

14. “[The candidate asked,] ‘Can my dad call you to talk about the job and the training program? He is really upset I’m not going to medical school and wants someone to explain the Wall Street path to him.’ The dad did call. Then that dad’s friends called and I ended up doing a conference call with a group of concerned parents … long story.” - Bolzan

15. “If I get an offer, how long do I have before I have to take the drug test?” - Bolzan

16. “When you do background checks on candidates, do things like public drunkenness arrests come up?” – Bolzan

17. “Can I get a tour of the breast pumping room? I heard you have a great one here and while I don’t plan on having children for at least 10 or 12 years, I will definitely breast feed and would want to use that room.”- Bolzan

18. “So, how much do they pay you for doing these interviews?” - Jodi R.R. Smith, Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting

Why are you leaving your current job?
19. “Because I (expletive) my pants every time I enter the building.” - Abbe Mortimore, Human Resources Manager, True Textiles, Inc.

20. “I was fired from my last job because they were forcing me to attend anger management classes.” – Smith

Why are you looking for a job?
21. “Cigarettes are getting more expensive, so I need another job.” - Pechstein

22. “My parents told me I need to get a job so that is why I’m here.” - McGowan

Why do you want to work for us?
23. “Just for the benefits.” - Jennifer Juergens, JJ Communications

24. “My old boss didn’t like me, so one day, I just left and never came back. And here I am!” – Matt Cowall, communications manager, Appia Communications

25. “I saw the job posted on Twitter and thought, why not?” – Rebecca Gertsmark Oren, Communications Director at The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

What are your assets? (as in strengths)
26. “Well, I do own a bike.” - Pam Venné, principal, The Venné Group

What are your weaknesses?
27. “I get angry easily and I went to jail for domestic violence. But I won’t get mad at you.” - Pechstein

28. “I had a job candidate tell me that she often oversleeps and has trouble getting out of bed in the morning.” - Linda Yaffe, certified executive coach

29. “I am an alcoholic and do not deserve this job.” - Deb Bailey, owner, Power Women Magazine & Radio Show

30. “I’m really not a big learner. You know … some people love learning and are always picking up new things, but that’s just not me. I’d much rather work at a place where the job is pretty stagnant and doesn’t change a lot.” - Michaele Charles, Voice Communications

When have you demonstrated leadership skills?
31. “Well my best example would be in the world of online video gaming. I pretty much run the show; it takes a lot to do that.” - Rachel Croce

Is there anything else I should know about you?
32. “You should probably know I mud wrestle on the weekends.” - Venne

When can you start?
33. “I need to check with my mom on that one.” - Bolzan

Use three adjectives to describe yourself
34. “I hate questions like this.” - Katrina Meistering, manager of outreach, National Fatherhood Initiative

Tell of a time you made a mistake and how you dealt with it
35. “I stole some equipment from my old job, and I had to pay for its replacement.” - Meistering

Have you submitted your two weeks’ notice to your current employer?
36. “What is two weeks’ notice? I’ve never quit a job before, I’ve always been fired.” - Meistering

Random responses
37. “One guy [said] ‘it would probably be best’ if I didn’t run a background check on him. Of course, I did, and learned all about his long, sordid past of law-breaking. Our client actually offered him a job as a staff accountant, but quickly retracted the offer when I had to tell them all about his recent arrest for a meth lab in his basement.” - Charles

38. “[A] guy said he did not have a mailing address, as he was living in a gypsy camp at the airport.” - Sandra L. Flippo, SPHR

39. “I went into the lobby to pick up a candidate. As he stood up, his trousers fell to the floor! [He said] ‘Oh, my gosh — they told me I needed a suit for the interview. I’ve got no money — so I borrowed this thing. It’s too big!’” - Beth Ross, executive and career coach

40. “Wow — I’m not used to wearing dress shoes! My feet are killing me. Can I show you these bloody blisters?” – Bolzan

41. “May I have a cup of coffee? I think I may still be a little drunk from last night.” – Smith

42. (During a telephone call to schedule the interview) “Can we meet next month? I am currently incarcerated.” - Smith

43. “[A candidate] was asked whether he could advocate impartially on behalf of the various universities he would be representing since he had attended one of them. He responded, ‘Well, I don’t like to poop where I eat, but I thought my education sucked, so I certainly wouldn’t put that school above the others.’” - Darby

I hope the responses to these interview questions have entertained you as well as informed you of what to stay away from when interviewing.

Source: CareerBuilder.com

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