The director of communications and PR at TV Guide has said that TV Newser’s report on the September demise of the magazine was false.
“TV Guide magazine is alive and well,” she wrote. “There was no mandatory meeting today; like most businesses, our offices closed at 1 pm for the holiday weekend. Everything is business as usual at TV Guide magazine as we are busy preparing for the new fall television season as well as our 5th annual after party celebrating the Emmys on September 16
Read More: MediaBuyerPlanner
Over Come Business Start-Up Blues
Most small business owners who have managed to survive the proverbial
first 2 years in business probably started out thinking mail order was an
easy business to get into.
Chances are the experience would have been a fun-filled nightmare they may
not want to experience again. Sure, it was full of fantasy and hope. But
it also means a lot of hard work and long hours.
When trying to figure out where you want to take your business financially,
it is common for entrepreneurs to extrapolate numbers based on their
advertising budget. This style is perennial among mail order people who equate
advertising as the foundation of their operations.
This approach sounds very logical and statistical, but it doesn’t happen
like that in the “real world” of mail order! Well, maybe once in a blue
moon, but most of the time - it just don’t happen. It’s not always because
your offer is bad or the price is too high. And it’s not always because
your mailing list was bad. Often times, the reason lies in the fact that
you and your company are unknown.
But one of the most important reasons this statistical data only works well
on paper is that most beginners are not skilled in the area of TARGET
MARKETING. Yes - that word is vital to the money your business will make.
Target marketing is the process of focusing on a select and specific group
of people you are advertising to. And it has everything to do with the
product you are selling.
For example, if you are marketing infant products, it would be very unwise
to stage a direct mail campaign on a random list.
How many times have you got a mailing that went in the trash just because
it was selling a product or service you have no interest in? See what I mean.
If the company mailing these catalogs and advertisements would have
pre-qualified you or I and target-marketed their items correctly - we would
have never received them. It is wasted money for the company!
But how can you pre-quality or target market your audience before placing
an ad? If you are a beginner, it will take some time before you are
experienced enough to do so. However, you can always get a sample copy
of the publication first and see what items other people are advertising.
Then, test your ads in the smaller mail order publication that offer
low-cost advertising until you refine your ad and hit the right market.
As soon as you begin generating responses to your ads, keep in contact
with these customers and grow from there. They will bring you more customers
like themselves because “birds of a feather flock together.”
Therefore - SLOW DOWN a little - but if you don’t slow down, you could easily get ripped-off
and lose a lot of money. Just like attending college - you won’t get a
Master’s Degree the same day you begin classes. It takes 3-4 years!
Take your time to get to know some of the pros and read what they have to
say. Survey and study the market. Read and educate yourself by investing
time into study. Start out in mail order like you would start working for
any company - at the bottom. Learn the tricks of the trade. Make friends
and associates with “good” dealers and stick with them. Honor your word and
work dealerships to the advantage of yourself as well as others.
Mail order is only a process by which products are advertised and delivered
to consumers. It works for any product and works for anybody. You don’t have
to be rich, educated or a certain age, color or heritage. You don’t have to
wear certain kinds of clothes or have your hair styled in the latest craze.
The only limitations are your own abilities and confidence in yourself.
I know because I started out really poor and brought my business up to
a thriving, self-supporting home business!
a lot of money. Just like attending college - you won’t get a
Master’s Degree the same day you begin classes.
These services are supported by users. Users pay an access fee to use the
service. You can pay either a one-time access fee, a fee per minute/hour
you are online, or some require you to pay a monthly access fee. Anyhow,
the charge usually includes an instruction manual, as well as some online
credit.
Sometimes the cost for connect time will vary depending on the speed of the
modem you are using. For example, you will be charged less for a 1200-baud
modem than you would for a 9600-baud modem. They might also charge more
or less depending on the time you are calling. You might be required to
pay a fee for special access to some of the files, doors, or conferences.
However it is worked, the charges are most easily billed to your credit card.
Choosing A Service
When you are choosing an online service, you will need to do a little research.
You should make a note of the things you are looking for in an online
information service. When you have decided what you are looking
for, you will need to “shop” around and look at several of the services and
find one that best fits your needs.
Many online services offer starter kits for new users. The starter kits
offer a variety of things to you. It will include registration information,
tutorials, users guide and several other useful items available.
If you can’t decide on a service, then just sign up for one that sounds
interesting to you. Try it for a few weeks/months and see if it is what
you want. If it isn’t, then quit that one and try another one. It won’t
take long until you find the one that suits you best. If a service only
charges you when you log on to it, then it won’t hurt you to use it when
you want to, and don’t if you don’t want to use it.
Keeping Costs Down
You probably have noticed that the major disadvantage of online services is
the cost. You can run up quite a bill if you aren’t careful. Rates very
from $2.50 per hour all the way up to as much as a hundred dollars or more
if you are accessing a special database. The best way to keep the cost down
is to limit access time, and don’t waste time while online.
You will want to look over the user’s manual for a few hours before you use
the OIS (Online Information Service). This will give you an understanding
of the system and how it works, and will save you some money by saving
time online. You should find out if you can skip the menu screens so you
don’t waste time searching for things.
You can also save on costs by taking advantage of the OIS’s billing
information. You might be able to access the OIS cheaper after 11 PM, or
on weekends. You might find it cheaper to operate at a slower modem speed.
When chatting only, you should have the modem speed at 300-baud; it will
not seem any different, but you will be able to notice the difference in
price.
If you are going to access a database, you need to set your modem at its
fastest rate. Sending information at a fast speed will save a lot of money.
You should also use the highest speed when up and downloading files. Most
online services will give you a better rate when you operate faster.
Tips and Techniques
A lot of the services have a variety of commands that are similar. This
makes it easier to explore additional services. Each OIS will have its
own unique functions, but most will generally operate the service and follow
the commands. Most of the OISes use either BTNA, SprintNet, or other packet
switching networks to route calls from users around the country. You can
get local access numbers by calling the customer service number.
Before you sign up, call the support line and ask them whether or not there
is a demo account that you can log onto so that you can get information and
try the service out. You should also find out if there are activities for
you online that do not cost anything, such as online help, checking and
billing information, and filling out questionnaires.
When you log on for the first time, you should make it a quick visit. You
should log on and look at some of the menus, and get a feel for the service.
Make sure that you capture a command list so that you can read them later
off-line. After you do that you should log off. It will do you some good
to print out a list of the commands and post them near your computer for
future access.
Most of the OISes are set up in pages. A page is a menu or a screen. Find
where the page identifier appears on the menu. This may be a number or a
header. This will allow you to jump from anywhere in the service to any
other place. Areas that are frequently used will have special commands,
such as: GO MAIL will take you to the mail menu. You can press T and you
will be taken to the main menu.
Log-off commands will vary from one to the other. Most of the time it will
either be BYE, EXIT, or QUIT. But, if you enter these commands at a submenu,
you might just be taken back to the previous menu. You will need to test
it out and find out what works.
If you remember one thing I say, it should be this: NEVER TELL ANYONE WHAT
YOUR PASSWORD IS! This is a no-no. Remember this: No authorized
representative will EVER ask you for your password. If someone does, then
tell them that if they needed to know it, then they already would know it.
If someone gets your password, they might log on and spend a lot of your
money, and you WILL have to pay for it. One way to make sure that you
don’t give it to the wrong person is to make sure that anytime you type
the password it shouldn’t appear on the screen. Most services will just
show something like “********************” as you are typing in your
password. As you type, the screen will show a new asterisk. If you give
out your password, then change it immediately.
PARIS - Even holy water from the Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes can’t get by airport security screening passengers for suspicious liquids.A passenger on a new Vatican-backed charter airline had to hand over a container of water collected at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral to security officials at the airport in southern France on Monday before boarding a return flight to Rome, officials for Mistral Air said.
They identified the passenger as Italian television personality Paola Saluzzi.
Airport officials barred other pilgrims on the Mistral Air flight from taking holy water from the shrine back to Rome, the Italian news agency Apcom reported. The pilgrims protested that they had waited in long lines to fill up their bottles with holy water from the grotto.
Airport officials refused to comment on the incident, saying only that international regulations banning passengers from carrying containers with more than 3 ounces of liquid aboard are applied across the board
Read More: News & Observer
RALEIGH - In the beginning, they were two sleepy gravel roads that provided informal access to the Triangle’s biggest playground. Runners, mountain bikers and hikers used them for quick — and often after- and before-hours — access to the 23 miles of hiking trail and 15 miles of bike and bridle trails that explore 5,500-acre Umstead State Park. There was no formal parking area, but there was plenty of room along the shoulders.Then, the improvements began.
The first “No Parking” signs appeared more than 10 years ago at the point where Reedy Creek and Trenton Roads terminate into each other on the southeast side of Umstead. The first signs were just on either side of the intersection, and they were intended to keep the tight intersection open enough for motorists going the posted 35 mph.
“There’s no parking in that vicinity so motorists can make turn at a reasonable speed,” says Tom Norman, director of the Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation for the state Department of Transportation.
That became a greater concern about three years ago as construction projects — the paving of Reedy Creek and construction of the adjoining greenway, not to mention The Lakes at Umstead, a pricey housing neighborhood — brought in hefty construction vehicles. The no-parking zone was extended.
Park users were concerned that the neighborhood entrance — one of three at Umstead in addition to the main entrances off Interstate 40 and Glenwood Avenue — would be closed. Park officials assured the worried users that the popular entrance wasn’t closing, it was just losing a few roadside parking spots. The concerned were appeased.
Until this past week.
“What’s the story on the new ‘No Parking’ signs on Reedy Creek Road at the south end of the park?” wrote Lin Savage, who visits the park regularly, on foot and by bike. “Surely those new residents were aware that they were moving in next to a park entrance.”
No doubt they were; can you imagine a better amenity?
In fact, the reduction in parking has nothing to do with Umstead’s new neighbors. It’s a direct result of added recreation, namely the Reedy Creek Greenway. The final stretch of that 2.3-mile greenway, from Edwards Mill Road to Umstead, opened last year. The greenway turned gravely Reedy Creek Road into an island-divided two-lane road with an adjoining greenway.
The problem?
Those enhancements gobbled up the roadside parking.
“N.C. DOT installed those signs for the protection of the greenway trail and for erosion control,” says Vic Lebsock, Raleigh’s greenway guru. “People were parking on the greenway and in the ditch, destroying the grass in the drainage.” As a result, 15 “No Parking” signs spaced at roughly 60-foot intervals now line a stretch of Reedy Creek.
There’s another reason the signs went up, says Umstead State Park superintendent Martha Woods: Most people couldn’t park without their tires spilling out onto the street.
“It’s a safety concern for sure,” says Woods.
Read More: News & Observer
RALEIGH, N.C. – On Friday, Coastal Federal Credit Union, North Carolina’s 8th largest financial institution, will commemorate its 40th Anniversary. The milestone will be celebrated with in-branch activities that day, and highlighted in the company’s marketing and member communications through the remainder of 2007.
The credit union was chartered on August 31, 1967 by employees of IBM as the IBM Raleigh Employees Federal Credit Union, and later became known as the IBM Coastal Employees Federal Credit Union as membership grew to include employees throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and most of Virginia. In 1991, the credit union’s field of membership began to expand to include other businesses and associations, and the name was shortened to Coastal Federal Credit Union.
Since then, Coastal has grown to become an industry leader. Fueled by a membership comprised of several of Research Triangle Park’s high-tech companies, Coastal was among the first financial institutions in the world to provide online banking, and has been at the forefront of the industry in terms of developing and incorporating new technology into its branches and services.
Today, with more than $1.7 billion in assets; 164,000 members; 1,100 participating employers and associations; and more than 420 employees, it is the second largest credit union in the Carolinas. Coastal’s presence has grown to include 22 branches in 7 counties across the state, along with providing members with 24-hour online and telephone banking, and access to 58,000 surcharge-free ATMs and 2,700 credit union service centers nationwide.
“Through four decades of solid growth, we’ve seen an incredible amount of change here at Coastal, and throughout the industry,” says President & CEO, Larry Wilson. ” However, one thing that has remained constant is our dedication to providing members with all of the services they need, in an affordable, convenient and professional manner. We’re a not-for-profit financial cooperative, and while we’ve grown to become one of the 50 largest in the U.S., we’ve remained true to our core value, fostering the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’. Because of that we always have, and will continue to, focus on serving members of modest means.”
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
Raleigh, NC – As real estate woes spread to even the Triangle and the real estate market continues to suffer from the downturn in the sub-prime market, mortgage brokers and real estate agents are forced to become creative and innovative in order to remain competitive.
Mark Brown, President and CEO of Golden Life Financial has teamed up with some of the Triangle’s finest realtors to offer an innovative program that makes it possible for homebuyers to realize their dream of owning a home, get the support and service of top notch professionals and save money.
The Golden Life Financial Homeownership Rewards Program gives 25% of the realtors’ commission, back to the buyer during closing. “The program is an opportunity for us to give back to those people who are still moving forward with their plans to become homeowners,” explains Brown. “Giving back is one of the building blocks of our company and we think homeownership is the key to achieving and securing wealth.”
It’s an offer local realtors find attractive. “Clients have been pleasantly surprised to learn about the program because in this market they are always looking for ways to keep their costs down,” says Tony Perry, Tri-City Realty. “Even though I am not getting a full commission, I am finding that it is a way to generate business and keep the momentum moving at a time when sales are down.”
Realtors also benefit from free advertising, an expanded network of Golden Life Financial customers and the security of having pre-approved customers.
“It’s a win-win for everyone…the lender, the agent and most importantly, the buyer,” adds Brown.
The Golden Life Financial Homeownership Rewards Program runs until October 30, 2007. For additional information, contact Golden Life Financial, 919 424-8331 or visit them online at www.goldenlifefinancial.com.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
CARY, N.C. — Sapiens International Corporation N.V. has chosen to partner with Cognos the world leader in business intelligence and performance management solutions. The combined Sapiens and Cognos offering will provide customers an insurance administration suite with stronger enterprise reporting and analysis capabilities, enabling a comprehensive view of performance data and how it affects their business.
Cognos 8 Business Intelligence (BI) provides decision makers at all levels of the enterprise groundbreaking capabilities to better manage performance by delivering a consistent, accurate view of all business information. As a complete, flexible product, Cognos 8 BI easily integrates into existing infrastructures with multiple systems and data sources. Its simplified BI environment improves user adoption, enables better decision-making, and provides a robust foundation for enterprise BI and performance management.
“We are pleased that Sapiens chose Cognos as its business intelligence partner. We have extensive experience in the insurance domain currently serving four of the top five global insurance companies,” said Rich Luciano, Cognos Senior Director of Channels Development. “This partnership will provide customers the ability to drill down into their data for detailed analysis of information from all dimensions giving them a clear understanding of their business performance.”
Sapiens INSIGHT(TM) for Property & Casualty is an insurance administration suite for policy, billing, claims and reinsurance management and gives insurers the tools they need to respond quickly to business challenges including speed to market, increasing customer demands, globalization and regulatory change.
“Insurance companies own massive amounts of data. Knowing how to interpret that data and having it readily accessible when they need it is a huge challenge many carriers are facing today,” commented Roni Al-Dor, President and CEO of Sapiens. “Our alliance with Cognos takes our state-of-the-art insurance administration solution to the next level. This partnership will benefit our customers by allowing them to unlock key information that will help them make even smarter business decisions.”
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
This year, internet ad spending in the U.S. will outpace radio, according to a new report from eMarketer. Online spending has already overtaken radio in the U.K., writes Media Life.
The eMarketer forecast predicts that online ad spending will hit $21.7 billion for 2007 - $1.3 billion more than radio. Internet spending trailed radio by more than $3 billion last year. The report also predicts that web spending will double between now and 2011, where as radio spending will grow by just $2.2 billion.
Read More:MediaBuyerPlanner
Foul play isn’t likely, police say
RALEIGH - Friends and family say Mildred Early Rogers began wandering from home in February after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease late last year.
Rogers, 76, took her last walk down a gravel road off Yonkers Road near Crabtree Creek. Police say she wandered down the tree-lined road that gave way to soft dirt and then grass before she became mired in a boggy area with heavy vegetation and died.
She had not been seen since Saturday afternoon, five hours before her husband reported her missing. She was found at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday more than two miles from her home on Dennis Avenue.
Police are not sure when Rogers died, though they do not think foul play was involved because her body bore no signs of injury.
“It may have been exposure,” Raleigh police Capt. Chris Bertram said Tuesday near the entrance of the road that led to where Rogers was found.
Police had used all-terrain vehicles, horses and a helicopter to search the wooded area near Crabtree Creek for three days before finding Rogers’ body, Bertram said
Read More: News & Observer
