-
Help for Homeless Pets
As sad as it is, not all pets have a wonderful home with a window that looks out on the yard from the sunny spot on your person’s desk, like I do.
Yes, there are lots and lots of pets that need a home, and lots of people who work hard to try and provide homes for them. One of those groups is the Homeless Pets Foundation in Marietta. The Homeless Pets Foundation was founded in 1998 by Dr. Michael Good, an Atlanta veterinarian who saw a need for help and homes for the homeless pets in the area. Since 2002, the Homeless Pets Foundation has found homes for over 10,000 homeless pets here in North Georgia.
You can help and have fun to boot; on February 8th, at Marlow’s Tavern in Kennesaw, there will be a fundraiser –accent on ‘fun’– at the Second Annual ‘I Love My Pet’ Fundraiser for the Homeless Pets Foundation.
The fundraiser will be held from 7 pm to 11 pm and will offer “great food, drink specials, door prizes and more.” The Zaib Kahn Band will perform and their will be a special photo contest, so bring a picture of your pet!
Marlow’s Tavern is located at 745 Chastain Road in Kennesaw. For more information, visit them online at http://www.marlowstavern.com/.
You can also visit the Homeless Pets Foundation here: http://www.homelesspets.com/.
-
The More Things Stay the Same
Welcome to the
North Georgia Business Blog!Our newest blog is here, featuring information for and about business, interviews with business owners, and reviews of some of the best businesses in North Georgia
The More Things Stay the Same:
Or Don’t Be Intimidated by Social Media
By Katherine CookI haven’t been playing around with social media all that long (I can honestly say I was really intimidated at first, but now I love it!). At first it seems overwhelming, maybe even a little scary, but, like a roller coaster, you need to just jump in and hang on!
I began by reading about social media; much of what I read suggested that with social media, the relationship between buyer and seller had changed. ‘Everything is different now!’ much that I read said. ‘Social Media is completely different!’
But the more I became exposed to the world of social media, the more I realized that the same sort of business and sales rules apply in it as do in the non-digital one. For example, lots of social media ‘gurus’ talk about the importance of social influence marketing online, have even written books about it, but of course, it is crucially important in the non-digital sphere (particularly in big ticket items, where purchase is a more serious-read expensive- investment). Of course, what retail store owner hasn’t experienced social influence right before their eyes?
In terms of social influence, it does seem that influencer-contacts can be added quicker and in greater numbers, though; that means social media can improve your sphere of social influence- assuming your particular influencers are online to talk to, of course.
While some of digital’s fine young cannibals talk about how everything in social media is about “customer relationships”, virtually anyone who has been in sales or business recognizes that it’s that same “customer relationship” they have been working on their entire careers. The concept hasn’t changed, just the method of communication. Nothing really scary there, see?
Many of the same rules apply in digital, like the famous “Four C’s” of capture, connect, communicate and close, just repeated in a slightly different way. You still capture the prospect’s/customer’s attention, connect with them, and communicate with them although a lot of the closing is done offline, I suspect. One good thing about social media is that the number of prospects you can capture, connect and communicate with can be expanded more easily in the digital world (and what salesperson doesn’t want more prospects in that funnel?).
Communication is vital in the world of business/sales, and social media is great for that. It really isn’t anything so different; you just need to learn that new method of communicating with your prospect. If you are a pro in sales, you’ve been communicating constantly with your prospects your entire career. You just need to adapt a bit. (And I believe that professional salespeople are some of the most naturally adaptable people around.)
Small business owners may be of a little less “adaptable” mindset, but they tend to see the handwriting on the wall and adapt when necessary. After all, that’s really the only way you stay in business, right?
A couple of small differences…if you are looking for a niche market, social media is great for that, since, once again, your possibilities are so much bigger and ‘work’ quicker. You needn’t worry that your prospective customers will be hard to find. Talk a little about what you are looking for and they’ll find you! That’s probably the coolest thing about social media!
Social Media should not be about hard selling; but most salespeople would say that prospects in the non-digital world are turned off by that, too.
I have heard people complain that qualification might be a little more difficult in social media, and that may well be true, but that seems a fair trade for the sheer volume of real possibilities you may find.
One paradigm seems to be changing; the world of social media was initially made up predominantly of the fairly young (teens and 20’s, mostly). Now the social media world is growing older. No, I don’t mean that the younger market is aging. I mean that more people of every age group are learning about and using social media. (The fastest growing group on Facebook is women over fifty!)
Last of all, I do not believe that social media will mark the death of traditional forms of media as many “gurus” claim. Social media moves very fast, too fast I think to fully brand online. One of the greatest complaints that marketers are making currently is the lack of ROI in many of the social media sites’ advertising. This is, I suspect, due predominantly to the sheer volume of participants and the speed at which social media moves. With limited ROI, however, very few marketers are going to invest their client’s money.
One thing social media can do very well, though, is drive website traffic. That means that using social media should make you think hard about adding ads to your site. We have.
All-in-all, social media can be a wonderful business tool to assist you in improving your bottom line. Of course, that’s exactly what email did, and the telephone, and probably everything else back to the discovery of the wheel.
We have a new tool to add to our marketing-sales-advertising toolbox. Nothing scary here….and nothing really all that different.
-
“Liquid Landscapes” at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid lovers! May we have your attention!
If you love orchids, you have a treat in store; once again the fabulous orchid collection at the Atlanta Botanical Garden will be featured during the ABG’s annual Orchid Daze.
What does Orchid Daze have to offer? First of all, there is the orchid collection at the Fuqua Orchid Center on the grounds of the Atlanta Botanical Garden –it is the largest collection of species orchids in the United States. Orchid Daze for 2011 will once again be housed in the Fuqua Orchid Center, but each year, the collection is presented in a fabulous surrounding; this year is no different.
This year’s display is entitled “Liquid Landscapes” and will feature hundreds of orchids in full bloom set against the backdrop of waterfalls, trickling beads of water, and more watery wonders. Cathleen Hunt, gardens exhibitions manager says “It really forms a natural companion for the exotic nature of the orchids.”
Events at “Liquid Landscapes” include: Guided Exhibition Tours on Saturdays, beginning at 1 pm, on February 5 and 6, March 5 and 6 and April 2 and 3. There will also be Orchid Care Clinics on February 5, March 5, and April 2 from 10 am until noon. At the Orchid Care Clinics, you can bring a maximum of two orchids for advice from experts on them (if you wish to repot your plant, you can purchase re-potting materials for $5). Of course, the highlight of the show for many will be the Atlanta Orchid Society Show on March 11 through 13, from 9 am to 5 pm, where hundreds of orchids will be on sale (along with orchid supplies).
For more information of Orchid Daze, visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden online at http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/
-
The Antiques Roadshow is Coming!
The Antiques Roadshow is coming to Atlanta on August 6th.
You can apply for tickets to the AR online, at their website at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/faq_02.html#tickets_03 . You can also apply via postcard. The ticket deadline is April 18th.
The AR is one of the premier events in the antiques world, and even if you can’t go, you can still watch and cheer on our fellow North Georgians!
-
Fresh Corn and Potato Chowder
Our friend Helen is a vegetarian, and eats so much healthier than we do! When I heard she was sick, I knew I needed to make something fresh and tasty for her but without meat, broth or anything that isn’t dairy or vegetable. I dreamed up this creamy corn and potato chowder. Wade tasted it and asked “Can you make more of this for dinner?”It’s so easy and quick, you bet!
½ cup chopped onion
3 Tbsp butter
2 to 2 and ½ pounds red potatoes
2 to 3 ears of yellow or bi-color corn, cut off of the ear
4 cups milkPeel and cut into chunks all but two or three of the potatoes. Cover cut potatoes with water and boil until tender. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot, sauté the onion in the butter until onion is transparent. Add in the corn and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the cooked potatoes and the milk. Return to a gentle boil.
While it simmers, cut the remaining two potatoes into a small dice (1/2 inch) and add to the soup. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until the small pieces are tender.
Using a potato masher or fork, mash enough of the cooked potato chunks up, mixing them in, until the soup is thick and creamy.
Enjoy!
North Georgia Living Magazine Blog
On our blog you will find the latest information about events, the things we are doing, our thoughts on North Georgia and more. Feel free to comment.
