Villa Rinata

Villa Rinata Birthday Celebration

Does your email address make you look like an amateur?

A lot of wedding industry business cards pass through my hands. Many emails descend into my computer. Recently, I started to notice a disturbing trend in email addresses.

An alarming number of email addresses reek of amateur hour. One wouldn’t show up at a networking event in T-shirt, cutoffs and flip flops, would one? Why would a business use an equally lame email address?

Without busting actual addresses or people, let me construct some fictitious email addresses and then explain their various shortcomings.

• janesbakeshop@aol.com: This person shows a website address on her business card as janesbakeshop.com. AOL is something almost all of started; however, it is not a business email. It makes you look like you are operating out of your garage. Event if you are operating out of your garage, one should move on to jane@janesbakeshop.com. One doesn’t have to close the AOL account. In fact, it’s good to use an AOL browser to see how people look at your website. AOL also now includes email forwarding features.
• midnightmama9696@yahoo.com: I’m glad this person has a private social life or nickname; however, it doesn’t look very cool when filling out an industry order form and doesn’t show will on a business card. This kind of email should be strictly private.
• joesdjandweddingofficiant@gmail.com: This person has multiple businesses and is trying to wrap them into one free email address. He should have two websites: joesDJservice.com and weddingofficiantjoe.com – He should maintain them as separate business identities. For that reason, Joe might get a personal domain, such as joesmith.com to use for ALL communication. His standard email might then simply be joe@joesmith.com. I recommend having a Google email account (gmail) as a business backup, but it does not support the name or domain of your website, correctly.
• tennesseeweddingdiva@hotmail.com: Don’t use the word Diva, unless it is part of your business name or domain name. NEVER use a Hotmail account. Hotmail accounts have a high incidence of being used to send spam. Consequently, your email to a prospect or customer has a much higher chance of being directed to a spam folder or blocked, entirely. If this business has the domain tennesseeweddingdiva.com, then the email should be maryclaire@tennesseeweddingdiva.com.
• bayareamuseum@msn.com: Abbreviations are tricky. Is this Green Bay, Tampa Bay, San Francisco Bay, or some other bay? As well, it’s an msn.com account, not a real domain. In the real world, it should be something like events@tampabaymuseum.org
• supercalifragilisticexpialidocius517@theworldsbestdisneydj.com: Annoying long email addresses are counterproductive. Short, sweet, and easy to remember is the way to go.

Your email address should be simple and reinforce your domain name. AndyEbon@WeddingMarketing.net or simplify further by just using your first name. This is about being explicit, memorable and projecting a professional image.

Here’s the deal. If you use a sub-standard email address for your business, change it, today. Then modify your email listings, everywhere, to the new address. Notify your contacts. It’s not that difficult; just takes some time. Tough!

If this is you, these steps should have taken place long ago. NO EXCUSES!! Just get it done! Amateur Hour is over.

And if one of your friends is a guilty party on this matter, please forward this blog post address to them. They will thank you.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

Amerifab

Working with Amerifab on new website photos!

Small Business Seminar

Whether you are a seasoned professional or a new small business owner, this seminar is for you! We cordially invite you to our small business development seminar to learn from Houston's top business builders. We have asked trusted business professionals to share with you their solutions to the challenges of starting a new business or running an existing business more efficiently.

The half day seminar will be on Friday, September 25^th from 10:00am to 2:00pm at The River Oaks Tower, 3730 Kirby Drive, 2^nd Floor Conference Room, Houston, TX 77098. Lunch will be provided. The cost for this event will be $35.00 per person. Please RSVP by Thursday, September 24^th.

At the beginning of the seminar, each professional will introduce their company and the services they have to offer. Following the introduction, you will have the opportunity to meet with the professional(s) of your choice in small groups in order to ask your specific questions.

The Business Professionals that will be in attendance include:

Will Colgin – Becerra & Colgin Law Firm - Contract Law; Corporate Entity Development

Ken Sanders & Diana Zayed – Chase Bank – Small Business Banking Solutions

Allen Shapiro – SCORE (small business administration) - Numerous Resources Available

Michal Johnson & Vince Pinto – GrowthForce - Outsourcing Your Bookkeeping

Jennifer Schafer – BrandITBandits – Marketing, Sales Solutions and PR

Brenda Campbell - Grant Writer - will be in attendance via video conferencing.

This is a seminar you WON'T want to miss!

Being Nice Saves Money in a Down Economy

In an economic downturn, there is little we can do to control how the economy might effect us. I recently discovered one really great way to save money that I could actually control; being nice.

Recently, I had to do a last minute print job over a weekend for a friend. I arrived at Office Depot, where I wasn't sure I could get the quality I was after or that they could turn my job around in a matter of one hour. I waited in line patiently behind a woman, talking on her cell phone, waiting for her shipment and job to be processed by John, the Office Depot team member. John was attentive to me by greeting me (a training thing for OD workers) and I quickly seized an opportunity to ask how much for color copies. He responded .59 cents. Being bad at math (or lazy), I asked how much the total job might be. He excused himself and told me that he would work up the quote after he finished with his current customer (still on her cell phone). I stepped back patiently and waited quietly while he started to check out his current customer. She commenced to unloading her basket (to which John was not aware) and started to take items back that she decided against purchasing. John looks at me and let's me know he will be right with me and apologizes for the delay. I say "no problem, take your time, I am not in any hurry". I do take another opportunity to let him know that my goal was to have my print job in a little under one hour and wanted to make sure that was even possible. He asked a few questions and then asked me to bring in my files for processing.

John has a visual disability. His eyes pointed in different directions and he moved a little more slowly b/c of his eyesight. In order to accommodate me and operate more quickly, he asked for my assistance (without shame or judgment from me). More people arrived behind me and as I was helping him help me, I let him know that it was o.k for him to take care of the others.

After a few more interruptions from other people, we finally got the job done together. Each time I was gracious and step back while their needs were addressed and taken care of.

John was so thankful that I was patient and nice he only charged me for HALF my job. I even had 4 sides cut and trimmed off my job to make it look nice and wasn't charged a penny.

The moral of this story? We can't control the ebb and flow of our economy, but we can control how we act in public. By being nice and patient, even kind to others when they are stressed out, you might save yourself a little money.

NACE-EXPERIENCE 2009

This is a pre-Day 1 to the NACE EXPERIENCE 2009 conference in Charlotte. With a packed schedule, celebrities and great speakers, you won't want to miss out when NACE comes to Austin, TX in 2010.

Highlights from the CPC meeting this morning were the unveiling of NACE-TV.

Check out the website for more details on how being a member of NACE brings you one step closer to realizing your networking and money making potential.

CLICK HERE

To learn more about becoming a member of this organization, please log onto our LOCAL HOUSTON CHAPTER website for details.

The Special Event Conference and Trade Show 2010

Jennifer Schafer of brandITbandits.com in conjunction with Debbie Elias of Elias Events are slated to speak at The Special Event Conference and Trade Show. It will be held in New Orleans, LA at the Ernest J. Morial Convention Center, January 12-15, 2010.

branditbandits.com recently developed Elias Events custom blog and website. The site has been entered into several categories for awards and we are awaiting the results. Meanwhile, Jennifer Schafer and Debbie Elias developed a brand awareness class entitled " "Brand Conscious or Unconscious? Effective solutions to waking the sleeping giant." This class will go over the importance of corporate identity in the current economic climates and how to revive established businesses taking them into the next millennium.

Join us there in 2010!