Winters Company Plumbing & Heating recently announced their new “green initiative” for homeowners. Read more about it in the Cambridge Chronicle – http://bit.ly/ar0A4t
Cambridge Chronicle Touts Winters Co. Green Initiative for HomeownersRead More
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Winters Company Plumbing & Heating recently announced their new “green initiative” for homeowners. Read more about it in the Cambridge Chronicle – http://bit.ly/ar0A4t
Cambridge Chronicle Touts Winters Co. Green Initiative for HomeownersRead More
// by admin
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY AND HAMPTON ROADS, VIRGINIA…
Winfree Business Growth Advisors, a business coaching franchise, recently named Owen Van Syckle, owner of its Hampton Roads, Virginia business coaching franchise, as “Franchisee of the Year”.
Located across the United States, Winfree Business Growth Advisors coaching franchises help sales professionals and small business owners maximize growth potential and take their respective businesses to a higher level through cutting-edge sales coaching, business coaching, sales training and seminars. Van Syckle, a business coaching franchise owner since 2007, received this honor based on a number of variables, including growth of his territory in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
“Owen epitomizes what we seek in owners of our business coaching franchises,” said Dr. Keith Winfree, founder of Winfree Business Growth Advisors. “He brings a combination of energy and know-how to the table that draws new clients and inspires existing ones. The bottom line is he and his clients get results.”
A resident of Norfolk, Virginia, Van Syckle received a bachelor of arts degree in history and political science from Trevecca Nazarene University. Prior to becoming a Winfree Business Growth Advisor, he worked as a sales manager for Headgear LLC before running his own consulting business, Prominent Business Development.
“Winfree’s different than any other sales training programs out there,” said Van Syckle. “It’s not only what we teach, but how we teach it and then stand behind it by guaranteeing results for a fixed fee. That made me want to be a franchise owner. Frankly, it’s why our clients are successful because we literally put our money where our mouth is.”
If you would like to work with Mr. Van Syckle you can contact him at http://www.hamptonroads.winfree.org or 757-237-5222.
About Winfree Business Growth Advisors
Located across the United States, Winfree Business Growth Advisors coaching franchises help sales professionals and small business owners maximize growth potential and take their respective businesses to a higher level through cutting-edge sales coaching, business coaching, sales training, and seminars featuring Winfree’s signature Black Belt System™–a Five Phases and 12 elements covering everything from initial marketing efforts to customer retention.
Winfree Business Growth Advisors currently runs coaching franchises in California (San Francisco and Los Angeles), Illinois, Kentucky (Louisville), Massachusetts (Boston), New York (Manhattan), Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) and Virginia (Hampton Roads) as well as in Canada (Winnipeg, Manitoba).
For more information on Winfree’s programs or franchise opportunities and available an Area Development territories, please go to www.winfree.org or contact Dr. Keith Winfree at (800) 616-9260.
If you would like to work with Mr. Van Syckle you can contact him at http://www.hamptonroads.winfree.org or 757-237-5222.
Van Syckle top business coach franchise owner for Winfree Business Growth AdvisorsRead More
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CHICAGO, GURNEE, HOFFMAN ESTATES, NAPERVILLE, TINLEY PARK, IL …
DirectBuy Clubs across North America have a well-earned reputation for saving members thousands of dollars in creating the homes of their dreams. Their reputation for providing service to members is quickly catching up. Case in point, DirectBuy of Tinley Park receiving an “A” grade from the Better Business Bureau.
Accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2004, DirectBuy of Tinley Park, located at 18400 South 76th Avenue in Tinley Park, Illinois, earned their “A” grade based on 19 criteria, ranging from years in business to complaints received and resolved, to other service-oriented factors. Each criterion has a certain number of points associated with it, with a perfect score being 90 out of a possible 90 points. DirectBuy of Tinley Park’s “A” grade represents 85 out of a possible 90 points.
“We talk a lot about how much money members can save with DirectBuy Club and that is true, you can save a lot, but that can only take you so far,” said I.J. Sell, owner of DirectBuy of Tinley Park. “What helps us retain and attract members more than anything is that they save money and are treated well. That’s the real draw to DirectBuy Club. The ‘A’grade from the BBB is gratifying because it means on the whole, we are doing right by our members.”
For more than 38 years, DirectBuy Clubs have offered members the opportunity to enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, flooring, and accessories by purchasing from more than 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers. In addition to DirectBuy of Tinley Park, located at 1864 High Grove Lane, Suite 124 in Naperville, Illinois, DirectBuy has several convenient locations in greater Chicago (Chicago, Gurnee, Hoffman Estates, and Naperville).
For more information on a DirectBuy Club membership, you can visit http://www.directbuycares.com.
About DirectBuy Club
Since 1971, DirectBuy Club has helped hundreds of thousands of families enjoy a better quality of life, enabling them to buy directly from more than 700 manufacturers or their authorized suppliers. Buying direct makes members’ hard-earned money go much further, while having the selection and choice not available at any retail store. Access to confidential prices, local suppliers, and unparalleled selection helps make members’ dream projects a reality. The DirectBuy Clubs serving the greater Chicago area are part of more than 160 locations throughout North America.
Consumers interested in becoming members may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting http://www.directbuycares.com.
Locations of the DirectBuy clubs serving greater Chicago area: DirectBuy of Hoffman Estates, 2200 Stonington Ave Ste. 150, Hoffman Estates, IL; DirectBuy of Chicago North, 6325 North Avondale Ste. 110, Chicago, IL; DirectBuy of DuPage County, 1864 High Grove Lane Ste. 124, Naperville, IL; DirectBuy of Lake County, 3900 Washington Street, Gurnee, IL; and DirectBuy of Tinley Park, 18400 S. 76th Avenue Ste. B, Tinley Park, IL.
To learn more about the superior value and benefits of a DirectBuy Club membership, visit www.directbuycares.com.
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(Reprinted from the Massachusetts CPA Society newsletter “SumNews”.)
By Steve Dubin, PR Works
eting
Last year, Americans generously donated
over $150 billion to charities. Eighty percent
of that total came from individuals, the
rest from companies and foundations.
While the total reflects an increase of 7.3 percent
over the prior year, the number of individual
donors is in fact shrinking, as is government
funding for many programs. This double
whammy is forcing charities to “sell” themselves.
Welcome to the increasingly popular
world of cause-related marketing.
Once you’ve been in business for a while, it’s
a good bet that at some point you may have
considered using cause-related marketing, or
that some local, regional or national organization
has approached you. Cause-related marketing
is an alliance between a company and
a selected charity through which the business
gives a few cents of the purchase price or
a share of the profits to a specified charity.
Among the better-known national companies
that have used cause-related marketing are
American Express, Coca-Cola and Ben &
Jerry’s.
A more cynical reader might ask the businessperson
involved in cause-related marketing:
Are you trying to sell products or services, or
are you trying to support a worthwhile cause?
The answer should be both.
Why, of all professions, would accounting
firms care? One is that community work
energizes your staff and allows them to connect
on a different level. Two, outreach
helps build and enhance your firm’s “brand.”
Three, nonprofit efforts can allow you to rub
elbows with potential clients. Most nonprofits
have well-connected board members who
could be your next star client. Four, all things
being equal, clients would prefer to work
with the good guys.
Consumers like these types of arrangements
between companies and charities because they
can help others while shopping for things
they would have purchased anyway. After all,
it makes you feel good to know you are helping
to save baby seals just by buying a certain
brand of toothpaste.
Some marketing experts argue that the product
and the cause should have some connection.
For example, for several years the
makers of Arthritis Pain Formula donated a
percentage of their profits to The Arthritis
Foundation. The charity even got to put its
name and logo on millions of bottles of the
over-the-counter painkiller. The charity got
lots of “free” publicity while the manufacturer
sold more medicine.
Last year, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade joined
forces with Yahoo! Inc. in “Lids for Kids,”
pledging ten cents for every yogurt lid mailed
in to linking schools to the Internet. As with
most such promotions, the sponsors set a
cap. With this campaign the cap was set at
$100,000.
Some promotions have little connection between
the cause and sponsoring company’s
product or service. It was American Express,
you may recall, that popularized the idea of
cause-related marketing with its 1983 project
to help restore the Statue of Liberty. Maybe
you even used your American Express card a
few extra times, so you could proudly boast
that you helped preserve the famed lady.
American Express also reaped immeasurable
positive publicity during its “Charge Against
Hunger” campaign, which ran the last three
holiday seasons with a $5 million annual cap
(Well, even for mega-companies, you have
to draw the line on charity somewhere!)
Some promotions border on good taste.
The Society for the Preservation of History
promises to pay “a portion of the proceeds”
from the sale of each $199 “Queen of Hearts”
Princess Diana Doll to the Princess of Wales
Memorial Fund. How many would you like?
If there’s a charity you’d like to support
through cause-related marketing — which
might help boost sales or polish your company’s
image at the same time, contact the organization’s
marketing or development director
and explore the possibilities. If done correctly,
the campaign can be a major win-win proposition
for both parties.
Well, gotta go. I think I’ll get my tires
changed at the place that supports the Olympic
Team and have a cup of coffee at the
place that buys books for inner city schools.
Steve Dubin is president of PR Works, which is
based in Kingston, MA, and serves clients nationally.
The firm offers a wide expanse of public
relations services including strategic PR planning,
news releases, feature story development,
media placement, media coaching, newsletters,
case studies, grand opening management,
product and service launch management, press
tours, and press conference management.
For more information, please visit
PRWorkZone.com.
Cause-Related Marketing – Doing the Right Thing and Taking a Bow for ItRead More
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The cost of admission is one can of food or a box of dry goods. This small donation to local South Shore food pantries gains you entrance to a Home Buyers’ Workshops to be held on March 4 and March 6 at the Thayer Public Library, 798 Washington Street, Braintree.
All participants will receive a free credit report and personalized credit analysis.
The free workshops are set for Thursday, March 4, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. or Saturday, March 6, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made by contacting Jason Gravelle, Advanced Mortgage Services, 617.620.9440 , JGravelle@ams-loan.com.
Presenters will include Jason Gravelle, Senior Licensed Loan Officer at Advanced Mortgage Services, a local real estate attorney, and Tiger Home Inspection.
The objective, informational workshop will cover how credit scores and monthly debt impact the program you may qualify for, the pre-approval and home buying process, how the current federal home purchase tax credit works, and what down payment requirements are for the different homebuyer programs.
Historically low mortgage rates and low listing prices are acting as a major stimulus to the real estate market. Future workshops will outline strategies for improving credit scores, renovation financing programs for purchase and refinance, maneuvering the short sale and bank owned property markets, new requirements for purchasing investment properties.
Advanced Mortgage Services LLC
Advanced Mortgage Services LLC was founded as a mortgage lending company in
2005 by Brian Thomas Comer, a financial services professional with more than
13 years experience in the South Shore real estate market. Advanced Mortgage Services is a full service mortgage company that values and nurtures long-term customer relationships, providing options and solutions with maximum benefit and genuine concern for their customer’s interests.
Advanced Mortgage Services team of loan officers maintains rigorous licensing requirements set by the Massachusetts Division of Banks and is committed to upholding the highest standards in the mortgage industry while offering customers the best possible solution for any mortgage-related needs.
Advanced Mortgage Services, which is an active participant in many community events and organizations throughout the South Shore, is located at 335 Washington Street in Norwell, MA 02061 and has an additional office at 25 Main Street in Plymouth, MA 02360.
For additional information on services offered by Advanced Mortgage Services please visit www.ams-loan.com. A Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Lender, Advanced Mortgage Services is a fully insured and licensed Massachusetts Mortgage Lender and Mortgage Broker (license #MC3702.)
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Massachusetts salon owner and internationally recognized industry expert in hair color, design and styling, Edward Blum, just returned from New York this week after working with the color and design team for fashion designer Donna Karan as she introduced her Fall 2010 collection during Fashion Week (February 11-18th).
Blum, who was a team colorist with the “dynamic duo” Christopher and Sonya Dove, was brought to New York’s Fashion Week by Wella Professionals as a colorist/stylist for Donna Karan’s models. Blum is co-owner of the prestigious Makeovers Salon & Spa, a state-of-the-art facility located in Easton with a staff of 80. Known for his artistry and technical knowledge, Blum has been a hair stylist for 31 years and a salon owner for more than 21 years. Makeovers Salon & Spa is his fourth salon and one of the largest salons and spas in Massachusetts.
“Donna Karan’s Fall collection has an emphasis on curves with gathered suiting, body hugging wraps and scarves. Hair style and color is all about looking very natural and approachable yet at the same time, ultra chic and refined. Any hint of brassiness in hair color is out. To get the gorgeous, shiny, natural looking hair that the models are sporting is definitely an investment,” noted Blum.
Blum shared some of the fashion trends that will be seen this fall:
• Hair color will be natural looking with glosses and glazes leading the way. Hair styles will be sporty and slightly edgy.
• Nails will be natural looking. Gel nails and gel polishes will be all the rage.
• Trends in body care will be bio-organic and very moisturizing.
According to Blum, “We’re really going to see a turn towards the natural and organic this fall and it will be reflected in hair style and make-up, even in spa treatments.”
Blum has worked alongside a number of greats over the years including Vidal Sassoon, Jon Louis David and Jaque Dessange. He trained with Alexandre de Paris and also served as the International Spokesperson and Market Leader for Wella Corporation for 15 years, providing hair design and styling for major hair shows in the U.S. and Europe.
He is a contributing writer to many professional beauty publications including Modern Salon Magazine, American Salon Magazine and Salon Today Magazine. No stranger to the stars, Blum has been the stylist for “One Life to Live” soap opera’s Christian Alfonso and Judge Maria Lopez of the “Maria Lopez Show” as well as for Buena Vista Studios-Disney, New England Today, Boston Channel 5 and Channel 4. He has won numerous awards and worked on many other stage, hair and fashion award shows over the last three decades.
On the local level, Blum holds the Northeast Cutting and Styling Championship title and his salon has been honored 15 times with First Place Reader’s Choice Award in all beauty categories. Additionally, he frequently serves as a consultant to many cosmetology schools in New England.
About Makeovers Salon & Spa
Makeovers Salon & Spa is owned by the internationally recognized, award-winning designers Edward and Norah Blum. As one of the largest salon and spa in Massachusetts, Makeovers Salon & Spa is a 13,200 square foot “paradise” with 26 styling stations, nine large treatment rooms and a staff of more than 80 providing hair styling and coloring; nail and spa services. Makeovers Salon & Spa has been honored 15 times with “First Place Reader’s Choice Award” in all beauty categories.
Every member of Makeovers Salon & Spa hair design team undergoes an intensive two years of training at the salon. The majority of the salon’s design professionals have been with the company for at least 15 years. Makeovers Salon & Spa designers travel to New York for training in the latest color and cutting techniques each Spring and the salon frequently hosts renowned international guest trainers. Services offered at the Day Spa include facials, laser treatments, massage, manicures/pedicures, wraps, body treatments, waxing, reflexology and aromatherapy. Makeovers offers a range of Day Spa packages including special Day of Beauty, Bridal, Groom’s, Couples and Men’s packages, as well as the ability to host private parties from 4 to 40. Their line of high quality products include G.M. Collin and Glymed Spa products and Wella, Sebastian, Rene Furtier, Alterna and Icon hair care products.
Salon owner Ed Blum has been the stylist for “One Life to Live” soap opera’s Christian Alfonso and Judge Maria Lopez of the “Maria Lopez Show”, Susan Wornick and Natalie Jacobson of Channel 5 Boston and numerous others. Most recently, Makeovers Salon & Spa was the set for the Disney pilot, “Postcards from Heaven” with medium Maureen Hancock and casting calls with ‘The Rock’.
Makeovers Salon & Spa is located at 574 Washington Street in Easton, MA. For more information, visit the website at www.makeoverssalon.com or contact (508) 238-1211.
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The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield will host caricature artists Mat Brown of Scituate and Sue Petersen of Rockland at their annual Gala on March 6th.
Brown, who is best known as the cartoonist who creates Building #19’s prize winning advertising, and Petersen, a professional graphic designer, commercial illustrator and Mass College of Art graduate who has been drawing since childhood, will star at the Boys and Girls Club’s gala drawing caricatures for attendees.
Last year, the duo turned out 40 caricatures over the course of the evening. Those who sat for the artists were excited to pose with their spouses, groups of friends or by themselves and take home a ready-to-frame piece of art that captured their unique physical attributes.
“Many people came up to me during last year’s gala to show me their caricature and said they were just thrilled with the humorous portrayal of themselves. My husband David and I were drawn and it’s now framed and hanging in our Marshfield office,” noted Pam Snell of American Computer Technologies who is a member of the Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors and gala co-chair.
According to Petersen, “I have done portrait work as well, but people really get more joy out of the caricatures and can laugh at what they perceive as their ‘flaws’ instead of obsessing over them.”
The Boys and Girls Club Gala will be held from 6 to 11 p.m., on Saturday, March 6th at the Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston. For tickets, contact Shawn Costa, Director of Development at the club (781) 834-1300 (ext. 277). Tickets are $100 each or $1,000 for a corporate table for 10. For more information visit marshfieldboysandgirlsclub.com.
The Annual Gala
The Boys and Girls Club Gala is a major fundraiser for the privately funded, non-profit club and this year more than 350 people are expected to attend. Marshfield Selectman and Town Moderator Jim Robinson and his wife Maureen will be honored for their support of and dedication to the Boys and Girls Club and families in the area and the “Youth of the Year” will be presented with a scholarship.
The Gala promises to be dazzling with lively entertainment, caricature artists, hors d’oeuvres and dinner. Silent and live auctions will be held featuring items such as a weekend on Martha’s Vineyard with golf for four; a Dell Notebook and printer; an African Safari for two; a one-week stay at a condo in Treasure Island, FL; a wine pairing dinner for eight; architectural services for an addition or renovation; a four-hour pontoon boat trip for four; a BBQ for 30 and Red Sox tickets.
Major sponsors for the event include Rockland Federal Credit Union and Tiny and Sons Glass.
The Boys and Girls Club
The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield provides a safe haven for recreation and fun, which includes a variety of supervised activities for the 1,100 current members and is available to youth (between the ages of 6 to 18 years old) within the town and surrounding communities. The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield has five Core Areas: Character and Leadership; Education and Career; Health, Sport Fitness Recreation and Life Skills; The Arts; and Technology. These Core Areas serve as the foundation for all programming.
As a privately-funded, non-profit organization, the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield relies tremendously on the generous philanthropic support of individuals. Financial gifts assist in providing the financial strength necessary to continue the club’s mission “to enable and inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive and responsible citizens, as well as become tomorrow’s capable leaders.”
For more information about the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield, please contact (781) 834-CLUB (2582) or visit the club in Library Plaza or the website at MarshfieldBoysAndGirlsClub.com. The club’s mailing address is P.O. Box 311, Marshfield, MA 02050.
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WINNIPEG, MANITOBA…
The Manitoba Welcome Wagon Association recently honoured DirectBuy of Winnipeg for its support during the past 10 years. DirectBuy of Winnipeg’s Membership Director Beverley Ebertz and Service Supervisor Helen Wiebe received the plaque from the Manitoba Welcome Wagon Association at the Association’s Bridal & Baby Trade show held on February 7, 2010.
“As a company that helps people to create the homes of their dreams, it’s always seemed quite natural to support an organization like Welcome Wagon, which has a similar purpose in making people new to the community feel at home,” said Lynn Till, owner of DirectBuy of Winnipeg. “We’re quite touched by this recognition and look forward to continuing to support Welcome Wagon in the years to come.”
Founded in 1930, Welcome Wagon is a Canadian-owned, free greeting service renowned for their “welcome baskets” and friendly visits paid to families undergoing a change in lifestyle – including moving to a new neighborhood, planning a wedding, expecting a baby, a new executive, manager or professional, 50 plus, or new parents/grandparents. In its 10 years as a supporter, DirectBuy of Winnipeg has contributed gift items to the welcome baskets given to families in the Winnipeg area.
“As Area Manager of Manitoba, it is my pleasure to acknowledge and honour DirectBuy of Winnipeg and to express appreciation for their more than 10 years of sponsorship in our Welcome Wagon service to the community and special event programs,” said Sandra Ross, of the Manitoba Welcome Wagon Association. “It is our hope that our relationship will continue to be mutually beneficial for many more years to come.”
For more information on the Welcome Wagon, please visit www.welcomewagon.ca.
About DirectBuy Club
As the leading members-only home improvement and home furnishings club, DirectBuy of Winnipeg offers direct insider pricing on products ranging from light fixtures to televisions to kitchen cabinets, all from more than 500 manufacturers or their authorized suppliers. DirectBuy Club also offers design, delivery and installation services. Conveniently located at the Prudential Business Plaza at 180-117 King Edward Street in Winnipeg, DirectBuy of Winnipeg has been serving the greater Winnipeg area since 1999.
To request a “Free Insider’s Guide to Buying Direct” and a Visitor’s Pass to learn more about the superior value and benefits of a DirectBuy Club membership, visit www.DirectBuy.com or www.DirectBuyCares.com.
DirectBuy of Winnipeg a welcome sight for Welcome Wagon for 10 yearsRead More
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WATERLOO, ONTARIO…
DirectBuy of Waterloo, the leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices, recently donated more than $5,000 to the Canadian Red Cross’ Haiti relief efforts with help from the Canadian government.
Inspired by donations and relief efforts from around the world, the club owners and staff set up an all-day “Help Us, Help Haiti” fundraiser where a portion of every member purchase, as well as any additional member donations, were collected to help those affected by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010.
DirectBuy of Waterloo offers consumers thousands of items, including kitchen cabinets, flat-screen televisions and major appliances from more than 500 top manufacturers or their authorized suppliers. With more than 160 clubs throughout Canada and the United States, DirectBuy Club allows members to purchase merchandise at direct insider prices, bypassing traditional retail mark-up.
To promote the fundraiser, DirectBuy of Waterloo encouraged all club members to visit the club on Saturday, January 16, 2010, to place an order. Interest from members was greater than expected and many Waterloo members made an extra effort to stop in the club that day to place orders and support the cause. In fact, due to the high number of orders placed, the club was open well past closing time to meet member demand.
In less than eight hours, the club raised nearly $3,000. With the Canadian government’s promise to match all charitable donations made in support of Haiti relief, the final tally on the day of the fundraiser reached $5,665.70.
“I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish in just a few days. At DirectBuy, we’re in the business of helping families live and buy better – so to be able to expand on our company’s mission and help on a much larger scale was even more fulfilling,” said Service Manager Erin Budd. “And we couldn’t have done it without the help of all of our wonderful members who showed incredible support for the cause. We’re so proud of our members and we hope our contribution makes a difference!”
About DirectBuy Club
For more than 38 years, DirectBuy Club has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes – from furnishings, home improvement and flooring, to entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much, much more. With more than 160 locations in North America, DirectBuy Club offers its members access to more than 500 brand-name manufacturers or authorized suppliers in Canada, and approximately 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the US. .
In addition to saving its members thousands of dollars, DirectBuy Clubs are active contributors to the communities they serve and have been known to contribute to disaster relief operations. Among the many non-profit and community programs DirectBuy Club franchises across Canada and the United States support are local Boys & Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, and various Children’s Hospitals.
Consumers interested in seeing DirectBuy Club’s savings, service and selection up close may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House by visiting www.directbuy.com or www.getdirectbuy.com.
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