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How to hire sales people who can be a force…Business coaching franchise offers simple steps to avoid bad hires and make quality additions to your sales staff

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY…

The success or failure of your organization literally depends on the success or failure of your sales team. Yet for a position so important, many business owners don’t know where to begin when it comes to hiring quality sales people, the folks who literally butter their company’s proverbial bread?

This question takes on an even greater impact when you consider how much a bad hire—a sales person who leaves your company within three months—actually costs you. One leading sales training firm estimates a bad hire can cost nearly $27,000 in initial hiring expenses and just a few months of a modest salary/commission ($4000 per month) and benefits.

“The actual dollars are probably a fraction of what a bad sales hire can cost,” said Dr. Keith Winfree, founder of Winfree Business Growth Advisors. “The damage to your firm’s reputation may take quite a long time to recover and lost sales can cost a company up to $250,000.”

How to hire sales professionals is one of the areas that Winfree Business Growth Advisors counsels its small business clients on. Adds Winfree, “Most firms employ the same approach in hiring sales reps that they use for other positions. As we all know, sales professionals are a different animal altogether and hiring staff requires a different approach.”

In picking quality sales professionals, Winfree advises:

  • Identifying your ideal sales rep – Write down all the qualities and characteristics you’re looking for and set up benchmarks. Look to either best sales reps in your industry or the best one in your company as a model. Make sure you include those qualities and characteristics in any classified ads or job descriptions you post. Document the behavior agreement and stick to it.  They don’t do what they said they would do get rid of them.  Hire for values and your culture not just sales skills.  You need to know what it takes or the formula to close one deal per month.
  • Tailor your interview process for the sales rep – A traditional interview goes over previous job experiences, career objectives, etc., but doesn’t do much to identify a high-quality sales candidate. Set up a portion of your interview process for role playing to see how a candidate conducts themselves in a situation similar to one they will face on the job, e.g. approaching a prospect.
  • Forget your instincts during the interview  – Do not go by “gut” feelings or instincts during the interview process. Go by what you hear and see. You’re not only looking for the qualities you wrote down earlier, but potential weaknesses that might impact their selling skills. That can include such simple, relatively common characteristics like: a need for approval or to be liked; becoming emotional in the “heat of the battle”; or discomfort in discussing money as part of a negotiation
  • Buying habits – How the candidate goes about his/her own purchases can greatly determine dealings with prospects; candidates who shop around based on price may be vulnerable to prospects with the same approach.
  • Any signs of self-doubt – Self-limiting beliefs can figuratively be death to a salesman. Keep your ears open and read the body language during the interview process for these indicators.
  • Make your sales staff part of your recruiting efforts – Offer generous incentives to your employees for referrals who become part of your sales force for six months or more. Involving your employees in recruitment can improve the retention of current staff and the people they refer.

“Perhaps the most important thing you can do is never hire out of need,” said Winfree. “While replacing sales staff that leaves your company is important, you still want to fill openings with people who meet your standards. By consistently recruiting excellent sales professionals—whether there’s an “opening” or not—you can greatly minimize the possibility of bad hires and foster a healthy, competitive environment for your current sales force.”

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™ 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 (Chicago), Kentucky (Louisville), Massachusetts (Boston), New York (Manhattan), Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) and Virginia (Hampton Roads) as well as in Canada (Winnipeg, Manitoba).

In addition to coaching small business owners, Dr. Winfree speaks to many business organizations. Those interested in having Dr. Winfree for speaking engagement can call 800-616-9260. To purchase a copy of Winfree Rules of Surviving the Sales, Marketing and Business World, an e-book which sells for $9.95, visit Winfree Business Growth Advisors Web site at www.winfree.org.

How to hire sales people who can be a force…Business coaching franchise offers simple steps to avoid bad hires and make quality additions to your sales staffRead More

Orlando tops five… DirectBuy of Orlando South celebrates fifth anniversary.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA…

For five years, DirectBuy Club has been offering consumers in the greater Orlando area a new way to save on home improvement projects, furnishings and accessories.

“We’re extremely excited by our fifth anniversary,” said Brian Cohen, owner of DirectBuy of Orlando South. “In an economy where companies are closing doors, we’re seeing growth both in members and the number of manufacturers who want to sell their products through DirectBuy. As the economy is showing signs of improvement, we’re even more excited about the next five years.”

The leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices, DirectBuy of Orlando South offers products ranging from light fixtures to televisions to kitchen cabinets, from more than 700 manufacturers or their authorized suppliers at direct insider prices. DirectBuy Club also offers design and delivery services to its members, as well as a listing of local contractors who offer installation services, many times at a discounted rate.

“The economy of the past few years has made DirectBuy Club even more important to families looking to save money on their home improvement projects and home furnishings,” said Cohen. “We’re thankful for the relationships we’ve established over our first five years and look forward to helping even more families in the years to come.”

Since 2005, DirectBuy of Orlando South has helped consumers enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, flooring and accessories, by providing an avenue to purchase directly from manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. Conveniently located at 502 Sunport Lane, Suite 400 in Orlando, DirectBuy Club offers consumers a comfortable setting where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

About DirectBuy Club

For more than 39 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 150 locations in North America, DirectBuy Club offers its members access to more than 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the U.S. and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in Canada.

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.directbuycares.com.

Orlando tops five… DirectBuy of Orlando South celebrates fifth anniversary.Read More

New Hampshire-based company recognized for branding verve and shares the secret.

GOFFSTOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE…

Jack Child, Founder and CEO of BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT and BLACK DAWG FRANCHISE GROUP, was chosen by Entrepreneur.com as one of ten entrepreneurs whose work exemplifies the reach of building a powerful brand.

“It was very flattering when they called to do the story,” Child recalled, “The fact Entrepreneur.com knew about us and were impressed by our work speaks volumes about the power and potential in creating a strong brand.”

Child started BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT four years ago in southern New Hampshire, providing asphalt maintenance services to residential and commercial customers. He began selling franchises the next year and now has operations in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Ohio, and Kentucky, with prospects for more franchises in New York, Maine and Pennsylvania.

“I knew from the start the key to any success would be to build a recognizable brand. The asphalt maintenance industry is dominated by companies that do very little in terms of brand recognition. That was the opportunity I saw for a different way of providing these services,” said Child.

BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT takes its name from Child’s black Labrador Retriever, Olive. Her image is on everything BLACK DAWG – the sides of the trucks, yard signs, the uniforms the crews wear, hats, their signature smart car, Facebook and Twitter, the website – everywhere. “The dog sells. There is no doubt about it, but simply having a clever logo or name isn’t enough to build a brand. It is just the start. Having a cohesive plan and executing that plan is the difference between success and something less.”

Child’s advice for building brand recognition is to follow three (and a half) steps.

1)                  Reverse Engineer Your Brand – “Too often businesses view their marketing, their customer service and their products as flowing from them to the customer. Turn it around. Look at your business, your products and services, your brand, from your customer’s point of view and build to satisfy their needs – not your own. Our graphics – the black and yellow, the image of Olive – all reinforce what our business is about, but it also connects to our customers in a very direct way that makes it easy for them to consider doing business with us and we then back it up with very open, customer-oriented interactions.”

2)                  Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say – “Mark Twain once said, ‘The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between the lighting and the lightning bug.’ All the research into choosing the colors, hiring a graphic designer, building a website, maintaining a presence on social media networks and all the other tools of building a brand won’t matter at all if you don’t deliver for your customers. Everything you say or do in print, on-line and on the phone has to be backed up 100% in the field.  We call it branding, but back in my father’s day it was called your reputation”.

3)                  A Constant State of Promotion – “Businesses need to organize their efforts so that everything they do, every touch, every interaction with clients, with potential clients, with the pubic, reinforces their brand. A logo isn’t enough – that’s part of it, but that alone won’t build your brand.  We use strong visuals to get people’s attention, but it is everything we do once we have their attention that drives our success. Your brand is a 24/7 goodwill ambassador. Back up everything with stellar service and you’ll have achieved what I call “A Constant State of Promotion.”

As for the last step, Step 3.5, Child says, “This can be the hardest of them all. Once you’ve seen your business from your customer’s eyes, once you’ve nailed down your deliverables, once you’ve put yourself in a constant state of promotion, there’s one more thing to do – don’t be obnoxious about it. If you’re at a networking event, a chamber mixer or a convention, don’t shove your business card in everyone’s hand or shout over everyone about you and your brand. Listen. Listen to what people say to you about their brand. If you’ve done your work, they’ll notice you, they’ll pay attention and they’ll come to you with questions. It’s how it worked out for us with Entrepreneur.com, and it is how we go about our business every day.”

For further proof of how well this approach works, Child points out he is launching YELLOW DAWG LINE STRIPING and BLUE DAWG POWER WASH this year and has already pre-sold four of these franchises.

For more information about BLACK DAWG and to see pictures of Olive, the “Boss”, visit www.BlackDawgFranchise.com , or call 1-800-998-DAWG (3294). Look for Jack’s upcoming e-book – A Constant State of Promotion – online this summer.

New Hampshire-based company recognized for branding verve and shares the secret.Read More

ActionCOACH’s “Business is Booming” tour comes to Richmond on May 6.

ActionCOACH Chairman and Founder Brad Sugars

ActionCOACH Founder and CEO Brad Sugars offers free lecture for business owners on surviving economic “fall” and “winter” to succeed in economic “spring” and “summer”

RICHMOND, VA; …

Double-digit unemployment rates. Corporate bailouts. Foreclosures and slumping residential and commercial real estate markets.

So how can anyone truly say, “business is booming”?

Brad Sugars, founder and Chairman of ActionCOACH, the world’s number business coaching firm, says exactly that, and tells both why and how when his North American “Business is Booming” tour comes to the Greater Richmond Convention Center on May 6.

“History tells us that more money is made during economic downturns than during booms and that for every 10-month downturn is a 50-month boom,” said Sheri Winesett, ActionCOACH franchise owner in Richmond, Virginia. “Brad’s message is that the companies can prepare for the next boom by cutting costs, developing good lead generation strategies and implementing effective marketing programs that deliver A- and B-level customers that will thrive in any economy.”

In addition to an explanation of why business is indeed booming, Sugars will also discuss 28 proven strategies to massively grow any type of business during his three-hour presentation.

Widely acclaimed as the world’s number one Business Coach, Sugars founded ActionCOACH in 1993 after successfully owning and or running more than 30 businesses in his native Australia. Today, ActionCOACH is ranked as the world’s leading international business coaching firm, with more than 1,000 offices in 26 countries.

A best-selling author of 14 highly acclaimed business books – including four international best-sellers – Sugars has taught nearly a half-million people worldwide how to create business, real estate and financial success.

“Brad Sugars is to business coaching what Tony Robbins has been to the personal development industry,” continued Winesett. “With his ‘Business is Booming’ tour, he’s literally giving away his years of successful business knowledge and expertise. It’s a message every small business owner in the greater Richmond should want to hear.”

To register for the May 6 event at the Greater Richmond Convention center (located at 403 North 3rd Street in Richimond), simply visit http://businessisbooming.com.

There’s no charge to register, admission is free. The event will begin promptly at 6 p.m. with a 30-minute networking period prior to Sugars’ presentation.  

To find out additional dates and venues for the “Business is Booming” North American tour, please go to http://businessisbooming.com.

About ActionCOACH

ActionCOACH is the world’s #1 business coaching firm and executive coaching firm. Operating in 26 countries, the franchise has more than 1,000 offices around the world. That includes locations in the six states (and Washington DC) that make up the Gulf Atlantic region: Alabama (Pelham); Delaware; Florida (Coral Gables, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, North Miama, Palm Harbor, Pensacola Beach and Tallahassee); Louisiana (Baton Route, Loranger, Mandeville, New Orleans and Shreveport); Maryland (Baltimore, Freeland, Fallston, Manchester, Rockland, Silver Spring); and Mississippi (Madison).

Founded in 1993, the ActionCOACH has received numerous awards including Fastest Growing Franchise, Franchisee Satisfaction, Best Overall Company and has been named the number one business coaching franchise for more than five years running.

To learn more about ActionCOACH, contact Karen Boyd, www.karenboyd.actioncoach.comwww.karenboyd.actioncoach.com, (410) 374-3536.

ActionCOACH’s “Business is Booming” tour comes to Richmond on May 6.Read More

Your new travel guide…Mike Antonio opens Resort Maps franchise for lower Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula of Virginia.

KILMARNOCK, VIRGINIA AND WAITSFIELD, VERMONT…

Resort Maps, creator of more than 95 customized travel maps across the United States, England, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, recently announced Kilmarnock resident Mike Antonio as the new owner of the new map to be published for Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.

Resort Maps are colorful, hand-drawn maps of towns and cities, distributed free to area visitors at rest and travel information areas as well by advertisers. The Best of the Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula Map will highlight local attractions, restaurants, accommodations, retail shops, marinas, real estate and other services on the two peninsulas. Each advertiser on the map will be represented with a display ad surrounding the perimeter of the map, including a color-coded grid locator and their actual building drawn, highlighted and labeled, making it easy to locate.

“Other than a regular old highway map, there are no maps for this area that give tourists and visitors an idea of all that this area has to offer,” said Antonio. “Our new map, which we anticipate issuing over the summer, will really be the best resource for visitors to our area.”

A graphic designer by trade, Antonio has owned and operated Mike Antonio Graphics for the past five years. He sees the two businesses as complementary.

“Obviously having knowledge of graphic design is a real advantage in creating a map,” said Antonio. “The real advantage for me is I have been part of the local business community over the last several years and know the landscape of the area.”

A graduate of Mary Washington College, Antonio holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in art. Married, he and his wife Kelly live in Kilmarnock with their three sons.

The Best of the Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula map will offer a treasure trove of things to do for people vacationing in the area or just down for a day or two. Resort Maps free ‘souvenir style’ maps will be on display at local advertisers’ shops but also at many non-advertiser locations throughout the Bay and “Rivah” region.

The Northern Neck map will also be available on-line at www.resortmaps.com, along with interactive maps to all 95+ resort areas that Resort Maps covers. These interactive maps allow the viewer to read a description of each business as they scroll over each building and to connect to the website of the business for further information. 

For information on how to advertise on the initial Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula map, you can e-mail Mike Antonio at mikea@resortmaps.com.

About Resort Maps

Headquartered in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Resort Maps has been creating and publishing advertising maps in the northeastern U.S. since 1986. In 1993, Resort Maps expanded its reach by creating a franchise model for distribution of its colorful, hand-drawn maps of resort towns and cities. Today, that network of franchises has grown to over 95 Resort Maps in publication in the US and the UK, with several more in the process of being published. More than 20 million Resort Maps will be printed and distributed in 2009.

For more information on Resort Maps and/or the franchise opportunity, visit www.resortmaps.com or call 802-496-6277.

Resort Maps franchises serve cities and towns in California (Carmel, Monterey), Colorado (Boulder, Breckenridge, Cherry Creek, Colorado Springs, Denver, Eagle River, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Summit County), Delaware (Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach), Florida (Clearwater Beach and Gulf Beaches, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, New Smyrna Beach, St. Augustine, Tarpon Springs), Georgia (Savannah/Tybee Island), Maine (Bar Harbor/Acadia, Boothbay region, Camden-Rockland, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Portland, York-Ogunquit), , Maryland (Annapolis, Eastern Shore, Ocean City,  Solomons Island, St. Mary’s County), Massachusetts (Berkshires, Chatham-Orleans, Falmouth, Hyannis-Yarmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, Newburyport, Plymouth, Sturbridge, Worcester), Michigan (Traverse City), New Hampshire (Franconia/Notch Region, Hampton Beach, Hanover/Lebanon , Keene, Lakes Region, Mount Washington Valley, Portsmouth), New Jersey (Barnegat Bay, Cape May, Hoboken/Jersey City, Hunterdon, Lambertville , Long Beach Island, Ocean Grove, Point Pleasant, Princeton, Sandy Hook), New York ( The Hamptons, Lake George , Lake Placid, Saratoga Springs), North Carolina (Asheville, Brunswick County, Hendersonville , Outer Banks, Salisbury and Rowan County, Sandhills, Wilmington,), Pennsylvania (Bucks County, Chestnut Hill, Delaware River Valley, Gettysburg, The Main Line), Rhode Island (Newport, Providence), South Carolina (Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach), Tennessee (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge), Vermont (Addison County/Brandon, Barre/Montpelier, Burlington, Killington/Rutland, Mad River Valley, Manchester, Mount Snow, Okemo, Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe, Waterbury/Richmond, Woodstock/Quechee) and Virginia (Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula) —as well as towns and cities in England (Chicester, Lewes) and Puerto Rico (Vieques, Culebra).

Your new travel guide…Mike Antonio opens Resort Maps franchise for lower Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula of Virginia.Read More

An ‘extreme’ approach to networking…ActionCOACH Angie Segal goes to ‘extremes’ as a partner of an Extreme Office Makeover for local non-profit.

SILVER SPRING, MD AND ROCKVILLE, MD…

As an ActionCOACH business coach, Angie Segal coaches her clients to seek out the proverbial “win-win” situation. As one of the founders of the ORIGINAL Third Tuesday networking group and a partner in the Extreme Office Makeover, she helped find a way to create a win-win-win for the nearly 400 business owners who participated in this month’s event.

The Extreme Office Makeover contest involved a group of local business partners donating goods or services to be awarded to a Montgomery County, non home-based business. Segal donated three months of business coaching. Other services donated from partners in the Extreme Office Makeover group included IT services and software, accounting, printing, water coolers and office supplies to name a few. In total, more than $100,000 in goods and services were donated by Extreme Office Makeover sponsors.

“This really was a win-win-win situation. Obviously, it’s great for the company that wins the Makeover but it also gives the sponsors an opportunity to showcase their business’s offerings and perhaps win a new client,” said Segal, owner of an ActionCOACH franchise in Silver Spring, MD. “Personally, I think it’s a win for everyone involved because we created an opportunity for almost 400 business owners to network and make new acquaintances and who knows what that could lead to.”

The Wellness Community of Greater Washington DC was the proud winner of the Extreme Office Makeover. The Wellness Community is a non-profit which provides cancer support, education and hope for thousands of people in the Greater Washington DC area.

“We are thrilled!” said Paula Rothenberg, president & CEO of The Wellness Community. “As a small nonprofit organization that provides all of our programs free of charge to people affected by cancer, we are dependent upon the support of many individuals, foundations and corporations. To receive this tremendous gift of much needed products and services is overwhelming.”

A first runner up prize was also awarded to the Computer Learning and Resource Center of Silver Spring, Maryland, which received a variety of goods and services from the participating business partners.

In addition to ActionCOACH, contributing sponsors of the Extreme Office Makeover included: Mosaic Technologies, Rockville Printing & Graphics, the Law Offices of Whittaker & Associates, Diverse Office Solutions, RMR & Associates, Reznick Group, Sisarina, Action Coach, RCD & Associates, IMC Water Coolers, iCore Networks, Intelligent Office, CMR Alliance, Shred Station Express, Urban BBQ, Potomac Grill and Comcast Business Class.

Founded in August 2009 by Angie Segal of ActionCOACH and Ron Dobransky of Rockville Printing & Graphics, the Original Third Tuesday networking group meets from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. every third Tuesday at Clyde’s at Tower Oaks at 2 Preserve Parkway in Rockville, Maryland.  There’s no membership fee or admission to attend Original Third Tuesday networking group session. All business owners are welcome.

About ActionCOACH

ActionCOACH is the world’s #1 business coaching firm and executive coaching firm. Operating in 26 countries, the franchise has more than 1,000 offices around the world. That includes locations in the five states (and Washington DC) that make up the Gulf Atlantic region: Alabama (Pelham); Delaware; Louisiana (Baton Route, Loranger, Mandeville, New Orleans and Shreveport); Maryland (Baltimore, Freeland, Fallston, Manchester, Rockland, Silver Spring); and Mississippi (Madison).

Founded in 1993, the ActionCOACH has received numerous awards including Fastest Growing Franchise, Franchisee Satisfaction, Best Overall Company and has been named the number one business coaching franchise for more than five years running.

For information on ActionCOACH Founder Brad Sugars’ 2010 “Business is Booming” North American tour, please visit, http://businessisboomingtour.com/. 

To learn more about working with an ActionCOACH or the ActionCOACH franchise opportunity, contact Karen Boyd, www.karenboyd.actioncoach.comwww.karenboyd.actioncoach.com, (410) 374-3536.

An ‘extreme’ approach to networking…ActionCOACH Angie Segal goes to ‘extremes’ as a partner of an Extreme Office Makeover for local non-profit.Read More

eLove named top U.S. matchmaker at Internet Dating & Matchmaking Conference

NORWELL, MA…

As a company in the online dating and matchmaking business, eLove is a bit unique in that it tailors its services around the stage of life its clients are in. It’s a concept that’s taken the matchmaking industry by storm and gained notoriety among matchmaking professionals. Case in point, eLove being named one of the top three U.S. matchmakers at the seventh annual Internet Dating & Matchmaking Conference (iDate) held in Miami, Florida this past January.

iDate is one of the matchmaking industry’s largest events for Online Dating and Social Networking business management. The 2010 iDate Awards were voted on by industry experts and the general public.

“We’re ecstatic to be the only national matchmaking company to be honored,” said eLove’s Chief Operating Officer Terry Fitzpatrick. “Our matchmakers work extremely hard with our members and it’s nice to see them get the recognition they deserve.”

In addition to its awards ceremonies, the iDate Conference provides matchmaking professionals the opportunity to network with other matchmakers and learn more about current industry trends, including: business strategies, mobile technologies, new markets, social networks, mobile marketing, venture capital, software, partnerships, legal issues, background search and payments. iDate conference attendees include:

  • Social networking business executives
  • Software & technology executives
  • Venture Capitalists and Seed Funding Capitalists
  • Mobile Telecommunication executives
  • Marketing executives
  • Media executives
  • Background Search executives
  • Payment processing executives
  • Affiliate managers & Affiliates

“We take tremendous pride in the work we do in helping our clients find that special person and when that happens, that really is reward enough. An honor like this truly is icing on the cake and reinforcement about how well we do what we do,” said Paul A. Falzone, CEO of eLove.

The next iDate conference will be held in Beverly Hills, California in June 2010.

eLove is all you need

eLove, the next evolution in dating, has arrived.  eLove is the first “life stage company” within the dating industry to provide different levels of dating services, from internet to traditional matchmaking, based on how serious singles are about meeting their soul mate.  Never before has a dating service catered so completely to everyone regardless of their age, sex, or relationship goals. With matchmaking offices in 21 states and an online dating network of more than three million singles worldwide, eLove is everything that singles have been wishing for whether they are looking for casual dating or a serious, committed relationship.                                                                                

eLove’s Matchmaking Service offices are located in:  Arkansas (Bentonville, Fort Smith, Little Rock); California (Mountain View, Sacramento, Walnut Creek); Connecticut (Glastonbury, Stamford); Illinois (Chicago, Downers Grove, Normal, Northbrook, Rockford); Indiana (Carmel, Ft. Wayne); Kansas (Overland Park, Wichita); Kentucky (Louisville); Maryland (Columbia, Frederick); Massachusetts (Newton, Norwell, Shrewsbury, Woburn); Michigan (Bingham Farms); Missouri (Springfield, St. Louis); Nebraska (Lincoln, Omaha); New Jersey (Saddle Brook); Nevada (Las Vegas); Ohio (Cincinnati); Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, Tulsa); Pennsylvania (Mechanicsburg); Rhode Island (Warwick); South Carolina (Greenville); Tennessee (Memphis, Franklin); Texas (Austin, San Antonio); Virginia (Falls Church, Richmond); Wisconsin (Appleton, Elm Grove, Madison).

 For more information on eLove, visit www.elove.com.

eLove named top U.S. matchmaker at Internet Dating & Matchmaking ConferenceRead More

DC DirectBuy Clubs Top 5! DirectBuy of Baltimore North and DirectBuy of Southern Maryland celebrate five years in business.

HUNT VALLEY, MARYLAND AND LANHAM, MARYLAND…

For five years, DirectBuy of Baltimore North, located at 9700 MLK Jr. Highway in Hunt Valley, Maryland, and DirectBuy of Southern Maryland, located at 10950 Gilroy Road in Lanham, Maryland, have been offering consumers in the greater Baltimore/Washington DC area a new way to save on home improvement projects, furnishings, and accessories.

The leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices, DirectBuy Clubs offer products ranging from light fixtures to televisions to kitchen cabinets, from more than 700 manufacturers or their authorized suppliers at direct insider prices.

“In only five short years, we’ve been able to grow the business in terms of the number of our members and the number of manufacturers who want to sell their products through DirectBuy,” said Bruce Harvey, owner of DirectBuy of Southern Maryland. “We’ve literally saved our members thousands upon thousands of dollars and that’s something we’re tremendously proud of.”

Since 2005, DirectBuy of Baltimore North and DirectBuy of Southern Maryland have helped consumers enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, flooring and accessories, by providing an avenue to purchase directly from manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. DirectBuy Club also offers design and delivery services to its members, as well as a listing of local contractors who offer installation services many times at a discounted rate.

“Being in the background of our Nation’s Capital, we have constant reminders of the difficulty of today’s economy,” said Tom Aliotta, owner of DirectBuy of Baltimore North. “By helping our members stretch their dollars further, we feel like we’re doing our part to help folks out during some trying economic times.”

About DirectBuy Club

For more than 39 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 approximately 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the US, and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in Canada.

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.directbuycares.com.

DC DirectBuy Clubs Top 5! DirectBuy of Baltimore North and DirectBuy of Southern Maryland celebrate five years in business.Read More

Barrie’s top five… DirectBuy of Barrie celebrates fifth anniversary.

BARRIE, ONTARIO…

For five years, DirectBuy Club has been offering consumers in the greater Barrie area a new way to save on home improvement projects, furnishings and accessories.

“Five seems to be a magic number for us,” said Christine DeMarsh, owner of DirectBuy of Barrie. “We’ve seen a tremendous amount of growth since we opened our doors, both in the number of members and the number of manufacturers who want to sell their products through DirectBuy. That’s got us even more excited about the next five years.”

The leading home improvement and furnishings club with direct insider prices, DirectBuy of Barrie offers products ranging from light fixtures to televisions to kitchen cabinets, from more than 500 manufacturers or their authorized suppliers at direct insider prices. DirectBuy Club also offers design and delivery services to its members, as well as a listing of local contractors who offer installation services, many times at a discounted rate.

“The economy of the past few years has made DirectBuy Club even more important to families looking to save money on their home improvement projects and home furnishings,” said DeMarsh. “We’re thankful for the relationships we’ve established over our first five years and look forward to helping even more families in the years to come.”

Since 2005, DirectBuy of Barrie has helped consumers enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, flooring and accessories, by providing an avenue to purchase directly from manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. Conveniently located at 2500 Williams Parkway, Unit 37 in Brampton, Ontario, DirectBuy Club offers consumers a comfortable setting where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

About DirectBuy Club

For more than 39 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 their authorized suppliers in Canada and more than 700 brand-name manufacturers or their authorized suppliers in the U.S.

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.directbuycares.com.

Barrie’s top five… DirectBuy of Barrie celebrates fifth anniversary.Read More