How to brand your business and position it for success

(ARA) – For small businesses, having a well-established brand with a loyal customer base is critical to both immediate and long-term success. While investing money in brand developing tools may be costly, building a suite of business cards, postcards, signs, banners, brochures and other products that give your business a professional look can be easily and inexpensively accomplished. When your brand acts as your identity, anything you can do to increase public awareness will only help your company.

Here are some tips on what to consider as you’re developing your business suite from Staples, which offers a broad assortment of customizable Copy & Print marketing collateral.

First and foremost, it is important that your company map out exactly what it stands for, who your target customer is, how you would like to be represented, and how you want your message to be delivered. Once that has been decided, define your brand – how you are going to help a customer identify your business with a given product, promotion or piece of advertising. Will it be with a logo, color scheme or a slogan? To make this as effective as possible work with focus groups made up of current and potential clients, as well as peers within your industry so you can come to an educated decision on which vehicles will work best to accomplish your goals and objectives. Also, remember to always keep your marketing tools up to date.

Next, focus on which marketing tools your company is going to use to deliver your message. If you’re not in a position to develop a complete set of marketing materials, then focus your efforts on one piece at a time. For instance, one of the most valuable tools in today’s market is a simple business card. With a business card in hand, an ambassador of your brand is effectively able to provide your contact info and exposure to the corporate brand.

Business cards are most impactful when the logo is prominently featured and includes your associate’s contact information, title, website URL and Twitter handle, among other things, and the font is easily readable. It’s also important to develop a consistent message to deliver across all channels at all times. This assists in building a recognizable brand that consumers will automatically associate with your company.

It’s also important that you consider your geographic location. If your company is located in a bustling community with a large amount of foot traffic, it may be a good idea to create a large banner to place on your store front which features a special offer or promotion. Using this type of tool assists in generating awareness and not only helps to attract new customers but retains existing ones by providing additional incentives to keep them coming back for more. Alternatively, if you have a business specializing in lawn care or real estate, then perhaps creating a lawn sign to place on your client’s property may be beneficial as the property serves as a testament to your services.

Another low-cost promotional tactic is a well-crafted brochure to feature within the office or give to potential customers/clients. A high-quality brochure enables your company to relay in-depth information, such as the company’s mission statement, pricing, services, accreditations, certifications and more. Additionally, they give your organization an extra level of credibility since consumers have come to expect printed material from companies with whom they are doing business. Also if you truly want to make your brochure buzz-worthy, try to integrate an offer or coupon into the copy of the brochure itself.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that creating an effective marketing strategy will take a considerable level of effort to organize and execute. However, having an assortment of customized marketing materials will attract your desired target customer and leave them with the information and incentive they need to revisit your company in the future.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, July 15, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ — Bayer CropScience (http://www.bayercropscience.us), one of the world’s top innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and traits, has announced that it is a presenting/season sponsor of the North Carolina Theatre. Bayer is donating more than $25,000 to the theatre this season. The North Carolina Theatre’s mission is to strengthen the cultural vitality of North Carolina by cultivating musical theatre appreciation. It strives to produce outstanding professional Broadway musicals and to develop the next generation of artists through youth training, performance and outreach programs.

Bayer CropScience is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees live and work. Over the years, it has sponsored a variety of cultural and educational events as part of its commitment to valuing people and their different perspectives and cultures

Read More:24-7 Pressrelease

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As a small business owner, you know that any moment could be your next business opportunity. Therefore, you would never want to lose an opportunity because you were missing one of the key tools in your marketing arsenal.

Whether it’s checking in with the email marketing company you work with to make sure you’re staying in contact with your customers , or revamping your website, now is as good of time as any to take inventory of your marketing efforts. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are 10 marketing tools – some old-school and some new technologies – that you don’t want to be caught without.

1. Business cards: No matter what type of business you own, you need to be able to pass on your information so those you come in contact with will know where to find you.

2. Customized business forms: Whether it’s invoices and statements or sales transaction forms, including your logo on documents is an easy way to make a professional impression on the people you do business with.

3. Brochures: They provide an easy way to let those you meet know what you’re all about when time is short to explain.

4. Promotional items: Putting your logo on useful items given to your potential clients will keep your business front and center.

5. Special events: There’s no better way to introduce new people to your business or promote interaction with loyal customers than hosting a special event.

6. Websites: Make sure your website is up to date and accurate. Your business domain name should accurately reflect the name of your company. It may also be worth it to purchase similar domain names that you could envision your customers using to ensure they’ll be headed to the right place when they search for you on the Web.

7. Social media: Facebook and Twitter are free to use, and are an increasingly effective way to interact with customers and spread news about your company.

8. Email marketing: Keep your clients aware of new developments at your business by sending out a weekly or monthly newsletter.

9. Search engine marketing: Tailor your message to specific demographics using marketing directly related to where your clients are searching from and what they are searching for.

10. Marketing analytics: Analytics programs can tell you what type of marketing works best for you.

By taking stock of all the tools in your marketing arsenal, you can figure out how to improve your message and make sure you aren’t missing any opportunities to attract new business.

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Thanks to Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance for his contributions to this article. You can follow his reporting on public networks at www.muninetworks.org.

Conservatives would have us believe the public sector can’t compete with the private sector. The private sector itself knows better. Nowhere is this more evident than in the telecommunications sector.

People hate their telecommunications companies. The poster child for poor customer service in the public sector may be the Department of Motor Vehicle Bureau, but its unresponsiveness and arrogance pales into insignificance to those of Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and AT&T. In 2010 Comcast, the largest cable company in America bested 31 other companies from all sectors to win Consumerist.com’s Worst Company in America award.
As if to prove it was worthy of the award, Comcast recently pulled $18,000 in funding for a girl’s summer camp because one of the organizers had disapprovingly tweeted about Commissioner Meredith Baker’s jump from the FCC to Comcast just four months after approving Comcast’s $13.75 billion union with NBC. In an e-mail to the group, Steve Kipp, a vice president of communications for Comcast explained, “Given the fact that Comcast has been a major supporter of Reel Grrls for several years now, I am frankly shocked that your organization is slamming us on Twitter. I cannot in good conscience continue to provide you with funding — especially when there are so many other deserving nonprofits in town.” (The resulting uproar from the mainstream media’s reporting led Comcast to rescind the cutoff.)

The increased importance of high speed broadband in everything from business to education to entertainment coupled with soaring prices, slow speeds and bad service from private providers finally led cities to take matters into their own hands and build their own broadband networks.

Today, over 54 cities own citywide fiber networks. Another 79 own citywide cable networks. Over 3 million people have access to these networks. Hundreds more own and/or operate network connecting only schools and municipal buildings. An interactive map showing these networks can be found at Community Broadband Networks, a project of the Institute for Local Self-Realiance.

Cities now view high speed broadband networks as essential infrastructure like water, sewer, and roads. Says Doug Paris, assistant to the city manager in Salisbury, which launched its Fibrant network in 2010, “It’s really not a luxury anymore. It’s a necessity.”

For Harold DePriest, head of Chattanooga’s state of the art broadband network and its municipally owned electricity company an even more fundamental issue is involved. Who will write the rules for our information future? “(D)oes our community control our own fate, or does someone else control it?,” he asks.

Soaring telecommunication rates are straining already stressed public budgets, leading many cities to build networks for their own use. Montgomery County, Maryland’s network allowed it to stop leasing lines to schools and public buildings, resulting in remarkable savings.

Read More:HUFFPOST MEDIA

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New medicine approved by FDA to treat type 2 diabetes

(ARA) – Diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) affects approximately 25.8 million Americans and an estimated 220 million people worldwide. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, accounting for an estimated 90 to 95 percent of diabetes cases. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body either does not properly produce, or use, the hormone insulin.

Now there is good news for people with type 2 diabetes. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved TRADJENTA(TM) (linagliptin) tablets, a new prescription medication used along with diet and exercise, to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.

TRADJENTA (pronounced TRAD gen ta) can be used alone or with other commonly used medications for type 2 diabetes – metformin, sulfonylurea or pioglitazone. TRADJENTA lowered hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C or A1C) levels up to 0.7 percent (compared to placebo) in clinical trials.

A1C is measured in people with diabetes to provide an index of blood sugar control for the previous two to three months.

TRADJENTA should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis (increased ketones in the blood or urine). It has not been studied in combination with insulin.

“Many people with type 2 diabetes are not able to control their blood sugar with diet and exercise alone and may also require one or more medications,” says Dr. John Gerich, professor of medicine, at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. “The FDA approval of TRADJENTA is exciting because there is only one dose to remember for patients, regardless of kidney or liver impairment. With TRADJENTA, physicians will have another option for managing type 2 diabetes, a potentially devastating condition.”

TRADJENTA is a tablet that can be taken once a day, with or without food. It lowers blood sugar by increasing incretin levels, which increase insulin levels after meals and throughout the day.

It was approved based on a clinical trial program which included approximately 4,000 adults with type 2 diabetes. Included in the program were placebo-controlled studies evaluating TRADJENTA alone and with other commonly-used medications for type 2 diabetes.

TRADJENTA lowered fasting plasma glucose (FPG) compared to placebo, when used as monotherapy and in combination with metformin, sulfonylurea or pioglitazone. FPG is used to determine glucose levels in a fasting state, usually upon waking up in the morning.

It also lowered two-hour post-prandial glucose (PPG) levels compared with placebo as monotherapy and when used in combination with metformin. PPG is used to determine glucose levels after meals, usually two hours after eating.

To learn more about TRADJENTA and for full prescribing information visit: www.TRADJENTA.com or call Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at (800) 542-6257.

Please report any unexpected effects or product problems to the Boehringer Ingelheim Drug Information Unit by calling (800) 542-6257.

What is TRADJENTA?

TRADJENTA is a prescription medicine that is used along with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. TRADJENTA is not for people with type 1 diabetes or for people with diabetic ketoacidosis (increased ketones in the blood or urine).

It is not known if TRADJENTA(TM) (linagliptin) tablets is safe and effective when used with insulin.

Important Safety Information

Who should not take TRADJENTA?
Do not take TRADJENTA if you are allergic to linagliptin or any of the ingredients in TRADJENTA.

Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction to TRADJENTA are rash, raised red patches on your skin (hives), swelling of your face, lips, and throat that may cause difficulty breathing or swallowing. If you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, stop taking TRADJENTA and call your doctor right away.

What should I tell my doctor before taking TRADJENTA?
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you take other medicines that can lower your blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. If you take TRADJENTA with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), such as a sulfonylurea or insulin, your risk of getting low blood sugar is higher. The dose of your sulfonylurea medicine or insulin may need to be lowered while you take TRADJENTA. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, confusion, irritability, hunger, fast heart beat, sweating, or feeling jittery.

Also tell your doctor if you take rifampin (Rifadin(R), Rimactane(R), Rifater(R), Rifamate(R)), an antibiotic that is used to treat tuberculosis.

TRADJENTA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how TRADJENTA works.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

What are the possible side effects of TRADJENTA?
The most common side effects of TRADJENTA include stuffy or runny nose and sore throat.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.  Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call (800) FDA-1088.

NEWS FROM TOOLS-AND-THINGS .COM, Please Note
Do to tornados on April 16th 2011 we have a waiting list for furniture repairs and finishing, so please call (919-803-4425 for more detailed information on how long the list is or growing.
We repair and refinish furniture here in our small shop in west Raleigh NC, and I’ve been involved in working for over 25 years. We have never tried to get too big to do a good job for our customers. We ‘ve only posted one ad to promote the business in 14 years, most our business is word-of-mouth. We stay busy and we never take on more than we can handle. I work mostly a one man operation, with two part-time helpers.

We repair and refinish almost any kind of furniture, from wood to metal and modern to antique. We take our work very serious and aim for customer satifaction.
We repair tables, chair, beds and headboards, damaged by water or pet. Broken spindles,regluing joints, dowels, inside outside furniture, restoration of modern and antiques. We also strip off old finish for all natural look, fill and sand, polish and buff, hand strip and chemical strip, specialty paint finishes, hardware restoration. All types of top coats: Varnish, Lacquers, polys, shelac, oils, waxes, paints, stains.
We can get the job done and satisfy our customers at a great price! If you live in or arround Raleigh NC we can help you. including Cary NC, Apex NC, Garner NC, Holly Springs NC, Clayton NC, Fuquay-Varina NC and area’s within reasonable driving range.
BIRDHOUSES, FEEDERS, YARD DECOR & OUTSIDE FURNITURE.

All our birdhouses, bird-feeders and butterfly houses come with a 30 days return policy.

We are always adding new products so feel free to check back often. We want to make you a lifetime customer by giving you the best in products and services. We ship most orders 24-48 hrs if in stock items and after customer’s payment has processed.

Do to high gas prices, higher shipping rate and increases in shipping supplies, we try to ship the most economical way. Please call if you need to order or get more information on a product or service:919-324-8905

Please Note: That these handcrafted items are not massed produced they are handmade, one at a time, in our small shop here in Raleigh NC. Our wooden birdhouses and bird feeders are made from the very best woods and plywoods that can be used for outside products. We use waterproof glues and sealers to make sure our handi-crafts stay together in wet and harsh weather.

Our metal top bird houses and birdfeeders have extra thick and insulated tops to help from over heating. We use only woods that hold-up year round and is harmless to human and animals. We do use presure treated lumber for planters, garden art, and some pic-nic tables and they are all sealed or painted to prevent contact.

Do to the tornados in April this year we are still cleaning, repairing and rebuilding from the damage, untill we are completely finished with rebuilding we won’t add any more pictures of our new products, but feel free to call and inquire about our products and services. We only make our blue bird houses in the Fall Season at this time, do to early nesting of bluebirds in North Carolina in Spring.

At peak times (April-July, we may get orders that leave us temporary out of stock or I may have discontinued an item before taking it off our website. In this case call me. Please allow 2-3 weeks for your order to be filled and shipped if the products you order is out-of-stock..Look For Our New Bluebird Design Comming This Fall!

We invite you to shop our online store and our retail business with confidence. We adhere to a strict privacy that means your information will not be shared, sold. or otherwise distributed

Free Appliance and Electronics pick-up for recycling, Stoves, Dryers, Heaters, Freezers, Refrigerators, Computers, Washers, Radios, TVs, Tools, Metal Furniture and other appliances that you are trashing or nedd recycling. We pick-up free and disasemble and properly recycle all parts.
We pick-up in Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Holly Springs and some outside surrouning areas. If you have these items to be removed and it is out of our pick-up area you may still call us and we may be able to remove the item or find someone else to pick-up item. Please do not set your item out untill you have got a confirmation of pick-up form us. Do to high gas prices you must set-up a time for us to pick-up these items and confirm your address and what is to be picked up.

We also have these items checked for salvaging or repair, if repaired we give to persons free, or charge for repair cost and parts if needed only. We do not repair these appliances ourselves and not in the repair business, but we will try to salvage and donate appliances if repairs is not costly and is worth the effort and not just a delay to end up in landfills. Call 919-324-8905 OR 919-803-4425
If no answer please leave voice mail and someone will contact you and set-up a time to remove your items at your convenience. Thank you; Tools-and-Things

The national lighting design competition, Lighting for Tomorrow, hosted by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and the American Lighting Association will feature guest judge, Chad Ray, owner of Zebulon based multitude of sustainable companies, Shields of Green (

http://www.shieldsofgreen.com).

Chad Ray is co-owner of the Shields of Green companies (
http://www.shieldsofgreen.com), a multigenerational and family owned multitude of companies all focused on sustainability, energy conservation, and stewardship. The Shields of Green companies include Ray Family Farms, a Bunn, NC based organic farm, Olde Heritage Builders, a Zebulon based Green home building company, Build Trust Contractors, a group of sustainable construction experts, Energy Savers of NC, a residential energy auditing company, and many more. In addition, Chad Ray, known as “the green building guy”, is a Green consultant with years of experience as a speaker and advisor on sustainability efforts throughout the building process.

Ray has been invited to judge this year’s national lighting design competition, Lighting for Tomorrow. The efforts of the Lighting for Tomorrow Competition are to advance the energy –efficient lighting industry and encourage innovation in the new use of light sources. This competition is backed by about two dozen energy efficiency organizations from the US and Canada who have pledged over $150,000 to help fund this national competition.

This year, Lighting for Tomorrow is designated into two specific categories, lighting control devices and solid state lighting fixtures and replacement lamps. The lighting control category will be judging the products based on functionality, ease of use and installation, innovation and ability to work with other systems and existing lights. These specific lighting control devices must be compatible with both LED and florescent technologies.

The solid state lighting competition division is in its fifth year, and will feature designs judged on the basis of performance, style and energy efficiency of the lights. This competition is open to a very broad range of residential lighting applications and fixture types as well as replacement lamps.

The Lighting for Tomorrow winners will be announced at the American Lighting Association Conference in Palm Beach, Florida from September 11th-13th. Winners will be promoted by energy efficiency programs across the US and Canada.

For more information about Lighting for Tomorrow, visit
http://www.lightingfortomorrow.com. For more information about Shields of Green, visit
http://www.shieldsofgreen.com
SOURCE:WidePR.com

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Wake County NC Business Directory and Resources

A contractor with a long history of problems has been found in contempt for violating a court order that banned him from paving work in North Carolina, Attorney General Roy Cooper said.

“Businesses that rip off consumers and violate court orders time and time again have no business operating in our state and should face full punishment under the law,” Cooper said.

Tommy Edward Clack has repeatedly pressured consumers into paying too much for shoddy driveway paving. For years, Cooper’s Consumer Protection Division has fought to stop Clack from scamming North Carolina homeowners. In June of 2010, Cooper won a court order permanently barring Clack and his associates from all residential paving work in the state.

But Clack violated that ban, and at Cooper’s request Wake County Superior Court Judge Michael J. O’Foghludha this week found Clack guilty of civil contempt. He must repay his two victims $79,600 or go to jail for at least 90 days. That 90-day period can be renewed if he still has not repaid them.

Judge O’Fughludha also cited Clack for criminal contempt for failing to show up for his civil contempt hearing as ordered. Clack must appear before Wake County Senior Resident Superior Court Donald W. Stephens on June 27 at 10:00 AM to show why he should not be found in criminal contempt and ordered to jail for an additional six months, plus pay a fine.

The order of civil contempt was granted based on information from two homeowners who said that Clack charged them for driveway work after the ban was in place. An 81-year-old homeowner in Chatham County paid Clack $7,600 to pave her small driveway in July of 2010. In March of 2011, a Greensboro homeowner paid Clack $72,000 for driveway work. Clack allegedly used false names in both cases to try to hide his identity and evade the ban, calling himself Ray Tillman and Tommy Clark.

Consumer complaints to Cooper’s office illustrate how Clack usually operates. Clack claims that he is already in the neighborhood and will charge them low price because he has materials left from other jobs. Clack’s crew then begins work as soon as the contract is signed and completes the job quickly using poor quality materials.

Under state law, consumers have three days to cancel most purchases sold door-to-door, but many consumers who’ve dealt with Clack say they didn’t feel like they could cancel once the work was underway. Consumers who tried to cancel and get a refund report that Clack is generally uncooperative.

Clack initially operated in the Wilmington area. Cooper first filed suit against Clack in 2007, winning an injunction in March 2008 that compelled him to pay $50,000 and correct previous substandard paving jobs. Clack then relocated to Greensboro, where more problems surfaced. That led to a November 2008 court order that required him to wait at least four days after a written contract was signed before beginning work.

Read more: Garner News - Poor Paver held in contempt and must face his day in court

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Tips for making your home office comfortable and functional

(ARA) – When you start a home business, you will probably set aside one room or area of your house to be your office. This is the place where you’ll handle general business, customer relations, shipping and delivery of products and services, payroll and many other details that pertain to your company.

Of course, this room is also in your house, so you want to make sure it looks good in case you have customers stop by, or if friends or relatives stay over.

Setting up your office so that it is functional and looks nice is important, but because you’ll be spending a lot of time in there, you should make it comfortable as well. Here are some tips on how to make your home office functional, yet fun and stylish.

* If you have young children at home, designating your office separate from the rest of your house with a closed door, or a standing partition, can help your children learn that you are “at work” and not to be disturbed unless they have an emergency. If you plan to use your office space for family business as well after work hours are over, consider making a sign indicating you are busy working to hang on the door or partition.

* Your desk probably will be where you spend the majority of time in your home office, which means you need it to match your style perfectly. Your office chair needs to be comfortable, but you also want it to match the decor as well. You can choose a HON Volt or HON Ignition chair, picking from over 30 different fabrics and colors, allowing you to match your decorating scheme and comfort levels. Visit www.officedepot.com/customdesign to see how a HON chair can enhance your home office space.

* Decorate your office in colors and materials that will help keep you operating efficiently, but also allow you to enjoy the time you spend working. For example, yellow is considered to be a stimulating color, orange encourages creativity and green provides a calming influence. Depending on the energy level you would like to have in your office, consider using file folders, binders, pictures and wall paint to bring colors into your office that would enhance your professional emotions and behaviors.

* Keeping your home office picked up is key, especially if you pace while talking on the phone or while brainstorming a business idea. Make sure all your electronic cords are bundled and tucked away under your desk so you aren’t tripping over them while chatting with a client on the phone.

* Get organized with a cubby hole or filing drawer system, which will help keep the paperwork off your home office desk area and also help you find filed information quickly and easily if you were to have a customer catch you by surprise on the phone. These items are available at office supplies store such as Office Depot.

As you get your company up and running in your home office, don’t forget to add little personal touches to make it feel even more comfortable. After all, you might be spending a lot of time in your office, so there’s nothing wrong with having inspirational photos or a desk plant or two to provide you with the pleasant atmosphere you need to get your work done.

Free Business Listing For Wake County NC BusinessesMade to last wooden birdhouses and bird-feeders, made in Raleigh NC, USA.

Website or Call 919-324-8905 or 919-803-4425

ARA) – If you’re a recent college graduate or a professional looking for work, you already know you need every advantage to compete for work in a marketplace where there are more applicants than opportunities. It pays to be in control of every variable you can, from picking the right suit and honing your interview skills to making sure you know what’s on your credit report before a potential employer looks at it.

If you’re applying for a job, it’s very likely that your potential employer will want to check your credit. More employers than ever are checking job applicants’ credit history. Sixty percent of employers now check applicants’ credit reports, according to a report in the Washington Times. That percentage has climbed nearly 20 percent in the past five years, according to the report.

Employer credit checks can be problematic for many people in this economy. If you’ve been out of work for a while, you may have fallen behind on your bills. And if you’re a recent college graduate, you probably have little credit history – perhaps a few credit cards with a running balance, but probably not a car or home loan that can help add depth to a credit history.

Reviewing your credit report for inaccuracies before an employer sees it is an important step for job seekers, experts agree. It will also help prepare you to address any credit-related concerns a potential employer might have.

As you’re reading want ads and scouring job websites, keep this information in mind:

* Obtaining a report and score, such as the PLUS score offered by CreditReport.com, can help you understand your credit status before a potential employer asks to check your credit. While such a score and report are not necessarily the ones a potential employer will obtain, they can give you a snapshot of your credit status.

* The basics of credit management remain the same, no matter what your situation: pay bills on time, maintain a good ratio of credit used to available credit, show a long history of timely payment, and be smart about the types of credit you use (loans, credit cards, etc.).

* Employers will not be able to check your credit until you give your consent, in writing, for them to do so. While you may expect that an employer would check your credit if you’re applying for a job in the financial services industry or another industry in which you’ll be directly working with money, be aware that a broad spectrum of employers are now checking credit for applicants at all job levels – even some you may not expect.

* If your credit history has some blemishes, you may want to consider adding a personal statement of explanation to your credit report – the major credit bureaus all allow you to do this. While credit experts agree that such statements usually have little impact on potential lenders, an employer may view your explanation differently.

Finally, hold your head high regardless of what’s on your credit report. In this economy, many people are facing financial hardship through no fault of their own. If you’re one of them, be honest and open with a potential employer, explaining your challenges and what you are doing to ensure you’ll be able to meet your financial responsibilities. If your credit history is good, consider it one more tool to demonstrate to potential employers that you are organized, responsible and a desirable worker

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DANA POINT, CA, February 24, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ — Bolt Public Relations, a division of Bolt Enterprises, Inc., an Orange County, Calif.-based public relations, events and digital media agency, is pleased to announce the expansion of its operations into Raleigh, N.C. As part of the expansion, Bolt welcomes senior public relations executive, Jo-Anne Chase, as its vice president of the eastern region.
“Jo-Anne brings a wealth of experience and savvy to our team, while also bringing the opportunity to open the doors to our newest location on the East Coast,” said Caroline Callaway, president, Bolt Enterprises, Inc. “We look forward to delivering expanded physical reach and added knowledge and experience to small businesses and non-profits throughout the country.”
Both Callaway and Chase graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh with degrees in communication.

Chase most recently served as account supervisor at French/West/Vaughan, a Raleigh-based public relations agency, where she was responsible for the development and execution of national campaigns. Her work has earned national recognition in the PR industry, including two Bronze Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America, two finalist recognitions for The Holmes Report’s SABRE Awards, and numerous honors from North Carolina and Raleigh public relations societies.

Callaway founded Bolt Public Relations in January 2007 specifically to serve small
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Source:24-7 Press Release

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