Business advice Tweetchat
TWEETCHAT – The best of the TWEETS Gina Schreck Social Media Maven Make sure you use the right mix of promotional info & helpful and interesting content. Keep ROCKIN’ biz growth in Pittsburgh! See the business advice and strategies from a Tweetchat. In small biz we have to have more discipline to monitor our time. Log in w a purpose don’t sit w chips all day chatting! I don’t spend time on MySpace but in music industry you’d better still be there. There are many other ways to improve your business – go seek good business advice from the experts. I don’t belong to some assoc I used to because my needs changed–same with social platforms You do have to know what is out there but spend time where the biz opportunity is Staying w/in our comfy social world w our “friends” is like keeping that ad in the YellowPages cause you know the rep The new social consumer has an insatiable appetite for new tools and biz MUST keep up to satisfy If you stay on the social sites where YOU are comfortable, you are missing HUGE opportunities-get out and EXPLORE Pinterest PINS should point to your site–but there are over 7Mill social consumers crawling & sharing there Always ask “Who is my audience or community?” “What do they want or need from me to stay engaged...
read moreBenefit of Virtual Employees
What is the Benefit of Utilizing Virtual Employees? With today’s market taking advantage of technology, more employees are working from home. The benefits for an employee working remotely can include the following: • Minimizing gas expense to get to and from work as well as parking expenses. • Minimizing the dress expense. • Potentially the ability to flex around family and appointments. • A more balanced lifestyle. • Generally a higher morale. The benefits to an employer: • Doesn’t have to rent office space for employees. • Has the ability to recruit for a position nationwide rather than geographically which gives the employer a bigger talent pool. Here are a few tips to ensure success with virtual employees: 1) Performance-based goals: Micromanagement with virtual employees does not need to occur. Getting a better understanding of how an employee will structure their day working from their remote offices as well as setting up performance-based goals can eliminate micromanagement and set up an employee for success. 2) Frequent and regular communication: The employee needs to know they are part of the organization. Include the employee in conference calls as well as set up a weekly time to touch base will help an employee feel they are part of the organization. 3) Adequate tools: A broadband connection is a requirement these days. Is a video camera needed for conference calls? Not all cell phones provide solid connections, so make sure the communication path is a good one! Does the employee have a company platform that needs to be used? Is a webinar platform required for the...
read moreBranding and Customer Loyalty
Branding and Customer Loyalty – Retaining Clients How important is a formal branding/marketing strategy? A marketing plan helps you define your market, establish your message and measure results. Make adjustments if needed. Without a marketing plan it’s like throwing spaghetti against wall & hope something sticks. Don’t confuse the market. your marketing should be concise and consistent. You can’t be all things 2 all people. Brand should project your company’s value proposition. and your marketing messages should be consistent with UR brand. An absolute must. you have a brand either by design or default. be in control. Your brand defines your biz. What should I do to retain customers ? Realize complaints are opportunities to turn a dissatisfied customer into a raving fan. Deal with it professionally. Say thank you. sometimes we forget those two little words. always let them know how much you appreciate their biz. Make customers feel like a vip not a number. respond quickly. remember names, birthdays, personal info. Under promise & over deliver is First thing. And a communicate if something goes wrong. customers appreciate honesty. Don’t forget customer loyalty programs. reward them for their business. E-newsletters that R informative R good way to keep connected. & once again Social media keeps communication open. I think face-to-face contact is important. Lunch, coffee, Make it about building rapport not selling. Build the bond. Customer advisory councils also good way 2 learn what customers think & how U can enhance service even add new products. There are survey resources online. Some free, but my favorite is Constant Contact. Offer an incentive 4 participating. Customer surveys are an excellent way to understand and connect to your customers. Learn what they are...
read morePA CYBER- U can B
U can B taught at East Liberty, Erie, Wexford, Allentown, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg. Each Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m. over a 15-week period that began Jan. 15, participants gathered at seven PA Cyber support centers and satellite offices across the state for live, interactive online sessions on specific topics including entrepreneurship, website and graphic design, government and politics, jobs in the “green” sector, film, and trade careers. The live online sessions in this series originated from PA Cyber’s office in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty business district. They were streamed using Google software to offices at Greensburg, Erie, Wexford, Allentown, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg. Hissam and Brian Boothby, a facilitator in the gifted-talented program, are simultaneously streamed the sessions to other PA Cyber students at home on their laptops, using the same Collaborate meeting software students use to attend their regular PA Cyber virtual classes. In the second session, for example, Tom Kubilius of Bally Designs of Pittsburgh explained what entrepreneurship is, what entrepreneurs have in common, choices to be made in starting a business, creating a business plan, what a small business looks like, and why having a passion for what you do is important. Jill Valentine, Director of Admissions and Marketing, 724.888-7814,...
read moreText Messaging – Does it Still Work ?
How exactly can you take advantage of this amazing opportunity? Here are a few easy steps. 1. If you’re not doing so already, start collecting the cell phone numbers of customers, prospects, and friends. Use this list when you set up an account with a text messaging service. Alternatively, work with your text messaging service to build your list (see #2 below) by getting people to text a keyword to the company’s short code (a 5 or 6 digit number that receives text messages). When a person sends your keyword, their phone number is added to your database, so you can message them in the future. 2. Either instead of, or in addition to the above, create a campaign to build your list. Select a giveaway or come up with an offer that is simple, attractive, and free. Advertise on printed materials, your website, your social media profiles, paid ads, and in any other media available, describing your offer. People then can text your keyword to your service provider’s short code, and subsequently receive your offer. (You can elect to have your own short code, though the process takes many weeks and costs thousands.) 3. An important protocol of SMS is not to send too many messages. You want your recipients to be excited about what you’re sending. If you text them several times a week, they will soon tune you out. So plan your summer campaign carefully. After a few weeks of your special free offer, you might send a message to your accumulated list asking for their opinion, or their vote on something. Again, you are respecting them and even providing a little fun. This cultivation of relationships is key. Once you’ve won them over, it will become appropriate to send them personalized reminders (“It’s time for an oil change,” or “Spaghetti dinners are 2 for 1 tonight, and we know you love our pasta!”) 4. At a carefully planned time, send to your list an offer – a sale, discount, special item, new item, coupon, or other promotion. There are three parts to your 160-character message: the offer, its benefits for the buyer, and your call to action. (Certain disclaimers are also necessary on a text message – this article has a good explanation of these.) 5. Be sure to send texts thanking people who opt in or purchase. The best use of text messaging is to employ it as a way to stay in touch with people on an ongoing basis. Emphasize human relationship factors in SMS. (If you want the quick sell, use broadcast marketing.) Think of ways you might use text messages to make existing customers feel extra special. Wishing you fun and great success with your text message...
read moreWebinars for Career Growth
Webinar Schedule – June 2015 CLICK here for the List and to REGISTER http://thealbertinstitute.com/109612.html Click any title for registration details! Webinars for career growth. A portion of the profits from all webinar sessions will benefit Building Bridges for Business, a 501c3 that provides career awareness education for students grades 7-12! Rap Sheet Cleanup Friday, June 5th @ 10:00 AM EST Rap Sheet Cleanup Topics will include How to Interpret a Criminal Record, Process for Making Corrections, Filing Expungements and How to Access National… Databases for Assistance! Networking 101 Wednesday, June 10th @ 10:00 AM EST This workshop will provide job seekers and career counselors tips for building contact lists, using social media and creating a branded message that will help generate better job leads. Very practical and applicable information. Participants will leave this webinar with actual tools and strategies that can be put to use same day! This webinar is esential for career growth. Job Club 1-2-3! Friday, June 12th @ 10:00 AM EST Job Club 1-2-3 is a step-by-step guide for setting up and carrying out successful Job Clubs. This workshop is ideal for job developers and career counselors who want to improve program outcomes. Topics will include Job Club History & Effectiveness, A Typical Job Club Agenda and more! Using LinkedIn for Job Search Friday, June 19th @ 10:00 AM EST Social Media can be a powerful tool in the job seeker’s toolbox. LinkedIn is sort of the professional’s version of Facebook. If utilized correctly, LinkedIn can help job seekers connect with employers. This webinar will focus on LinkedIn profiles, tips for following potential employers and the ways of tapping into passive job leads! Participants will leave this webinar with practical tools and strategies that can be put to use same day! Upcoming Sessions! Offender Workforce Development Basic Skills – Online! g-CDF Pittsburgh – September of...
read moreU can B – Mon Valley
U can B a healthcare employee with Adagio Health and Jefferson Hospital. Great information for students and all the students who wanted to volunteer over the summer were able to get volunteer positions. The U can B solution The U can B Curriculum is tailored to meet your school’s needs, and allows each curriculum component to be expanded or contracted to fit within a specific number of weeks based on the strengths and weaknesses of the class. Classes included in the U can B curriculum include: • Entrepreneurship • Trades and Careers in the Trades • Website design and SEO • Film and TV • Green and Sustainable • Politics • Healthcare • and More! The U can B program provides a unique interactive classroom environment that utilizes “Google Live Stream Technology” in a partnership with Google. The program further engages the students with our proprietary Coffee With Film series, which showcases industry leaders and politicians with a variety of insight in those careers. The program is further augmented with In person speakers and experts that share real world experiences and advice in career development and planning. Finally, U can B’s Student Goal Tracker Software with Smart Technology connects each student with matched company profiles, internship opportunities and unique access to industry...
read moreCoffee With Film Series- Maverick Visuals
We have been filming our Coffee With Film Series on CBS/KDKA for several years. Our first guest on Coffee With was NOW MAYOR William Peduto. Maverick Visuals is the Production Firm for Coffee With. (www.maverickvisuals.com), Christian Lockerman, has traveled the world creating compelling moving images for a variety of television shows and feature films, both narrative and documentary. He has lensed promo spots for such corporate giants as ATI Specialty Steel, Maybelline New York, Garnier, Dodge RAM, Forbes, FoxSports, Versus, Liberty Power and OLN. In addition, he has also directed the photography on three feature length documentaries and three feature films (and he just finished principal photography on his debut directorial effort, The Last Samaritan, due to be released late in 2014). From the treacherous Amazon jungles of Brazil to the overwhelming rain forest cliffs of Pohnpei to the beautiful deserts of Israel, he has had the good fortune to see the wonders of the planet as he has honed the arts of cinematography and filmmaking. These experiences have shaped an intrepid artistic vision and provided a solid creative foundation that he draws upon for every project, no matter what the size and scope. He is particularly proud of the visually exciting work he has been able to accomplish with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre over the last few years. Recently, he was appointed to a visiting artist position in cinematography at Point Park University and directs a cinematography workshop for the graduate students of Carnegie Mellon University during their final “television” project each year. This year he will also DP two of the three Steeltown Entertainment winning films. Maverick Visuals was born in Pittsburgh, PA in 2006 as a small HD production studio called Lockerman Studios (www.lockermanstudios.com). Its lone goal was developing and delivering beautiful and compelling moving images across the ever-expanding variety of distribution outlets. And as our client list grew, so did we. We became a global filmmaking “consortium” of sorts, tackling video projects from Micronesia to India to Brazil to Israel (and all parts in between). We soon evolved into Maverick Visuals, an intrepid group of like-minded moving image specialists capable of producing the highest quality films and videos under the strictest of deadlines and, more often than not, budgets. From cinema to television to the internet to cell phones, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what motion pictures can accomplish. With new technology surfacing almost every day, we strive to provide a fresh perspective in this digital age. We consider ourselves digitally social, visually refreshing and fully committed to the art of the moving image. It is the most powerful and significant persuasion over audiences today. It can capture a precious moment, evoke a breathtaking emotion, and certainly influence opinion. A finely crafted film can tell a story unlike any other...
read moreCareer Education – U can B
U can B continues to grow and teach career education across PA and soon other STATES. A survey by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Com¬mittee and the National Career Development Association found that a majority of students report feeling unprepared in skills, knowledge, and attitudes upon entering the workforce. According to the Manhattan Institute, only about 20% of African-American and Hispanic students graduate college-ready. This skills crisis is becoming more critical because the American economy is shifting. Not only will the traditional skills of reading, writing and math be needed to thrive in this economy, but also technological know-how and proficiency in self-direction. Of the mainstream public school population, graduation rates hover between 70 and 80 percent for all students and 50 percent for minority students. The disparity widens when only “at-risk” students are counted. One-half of teenagers in child welfare systems...
read moreCoffee With Mary Beth Wilson, Innovesca
While pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, Innovesca’s Founder Mary Beth Wilson came across an alarming fact that launched the idea behind Innovesca. Science has shown that when you eat a carrot up to half of the vitamin A goes waste. This is because the human body has a difficult time breaking down the rigid cell walls of plant-based foods. As a result, much of the nutrition remains physically trapped inside of the plant’s cellular structure, inaccessible for the body to absorb during digestion Inspired by this knowledge, Mary Beth founded Innovesca to apply scientific innovation towards developing whole food ingredients that deliver more nutrition per bite. As part of their unique approach, Innovesca focuses on underutilized, nutrient-dense plants that already exist throughout the world but go to waste as robust and sustainable sources of natural nutrition. Initial research and development behind Innovesca’s first ingredient based on amaranth leaves has been funded by the Gates Foundation and National Science Foundation. In addition to scientific innovation, Innovesca aims to maximize impact through their operations. By sourcing raw underutilized plants directly from smallholder farmers in developing regions, they are able to pay farmers for crops that have traditionally been considered as waste or of low value — creating new market opportunities for these farmers. Ultimately, Innovesca aim to impact global nutrition through the consumption of their ingredients. Mary Beth talks with Christopher Evans on Coffee With… about her business journey. Mentorship and support from local Pittsburgh organizations has played a key role in developing Innovesca’s commercialization strategy and overcoming challenges in starting a small business. Coffee With… is an informal interview with prominent business, community and government leaders covering a wide array of issues from business planning to entrepreneurship, and business challenges that affect the economic landscape of the region. Watch the latest installment to see more about Mary Beth Wilson and...
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