Some of the best ideas are often the simplest....

http://worldwildlife.org/pages/earth-hour-city-challenge

Want to disappear from the web?

Has it gotten to the point in your life where you've decided that being EVERYWHERE on the web just isn't worth it anymore?  This website will help you delete your account on some social media sites...and let you know which ones are impossible to delete!!  JustDeleteMe.com

To me, this just brings up the question of whether or not it really is important to be on the web?  It certainly hasn't helped me get a job or any of my friends.  It consumes hours of one's time that might be better spent enjoying the company of family or friends.  Maybe it would even help the job search?

Maybe I should try and experiment and not go online for a week--even to check e-mails.  We'll see what I get accomplished--especially regarding the job search.

Anyone else in?

Eviction.... even the word is ugly!

Just went through the process of evicting a tenant from one of my company's properties.  It was a nightmare!

Best advice I can give regarding evictions?  Avoid them in the first place.

If you own and rent property, make sure you vet your tenant first. There's a free database available through the city of Philadelphia that can tell you if a person has been a defendant in municipal court in a landlord/tenant dispute.  Here's the link:

http://fjdclaims.phila.gov/phmuni/login.do;jsessionid=75EB55F17B8CA84809BED396074C9AA6?desiredURL=%2Fphmuni%2Fcms%2Fsearch.do

Do a credit check.  Talk to past landlords and employers.  Listen to your gut!

If you're already stuck with a tenant who won't pay rent and you need to evict the person, here's a brief article on the steps involved.  Contact HAPCO (Homeowner Association of Philadelphia) at 215-684-1684 for referrals.   Hire a lawyer with actual experience in evictions...vet them too!

http://www.clsphila.org/Content.aspx?id=637

A long, draw-out eviction process costs you money in lost rental income in addition to the out-of-pocket costs of the eviction itself.  As a landlord, you must be prepared to take steps to protect your investment.  Protecting against and being ready for an eviction is one of them!

Could anyone have saved this young man?

I did not know who Aaron Swartz was.  Only after reading about his suicide did I learn a little bit about him from a few online articles.  I often read about these amazing young people and feel a twinge of jealousy, but still,  I admire and respect them and the gifts that God has bestowed upon them.

Aaron Swartz was clearly a complicated person, but still, he was only 26.  26.  That's still young.
Does being young and brilliant mean you couldn't benefit from the advice, counsel and comfort of someone with 50 years of life experience?   This competition and distrust among the ages is stupid and counter productive.

I have also read that this young man may have been depressed and that complicates things.  The discussion about mental illness following the Newtown massacre and our lack of sufficient programs and policies to help these people and our general lack of concern for people with mental illness continues and frankly, is appalling.   Clearly, Swartz and the killer at the Newtown schools took different routes but the end result was the same, the tragic loss of young life.  What a waste.

Here's a link to one story about Aaron Swartz.

Internet Prodigy Dies

Social Media Use in the Office

It's really important for every business to have a social media usage policy in place for its employees.  Mis-use of social media can do harm to your business's reputation....and you may not even be aware it's happening!   There is an upcoming seminar about just this subject in Philadelphia.  I've attached the link for your convenience!

http://www.greaterphilachamber.com/event/3185/workshop-office-chatter---the-impact-of-social-media-in-the-workplace

Better late than never! Small Business "Sandy" Preparation Checklist

Hurricane Sandy Checklist | Your Questions About Business Incorporation | Winter Weather Webinar

Do you know what a "5 & 10" is?

It's a magical place where you can buy things for as little as five cents. Well, you can't buy too many things for five cents anymore but it's fun to reminisce about penny candies and one's first trip to the store alone. So, congratulations to a Quakertown landmark on your 100th anniversary. Thanks for the memories. http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-sines-5and10-quakertown-20120811,0,3783856.story?track=rss

Life goes on....

I'm settled into my new digs and now I can get back to the business of business. Upheaval and uncertainty are not good for anyone looking to accomplish anything in life--especially looking for a new job or starting a business. It's so easy to start spiraling downhill when the basics of having a roof over one's head and food to eat are daily pressing concerns. No one in American should have to live like that. Instead of welfare, give businesses tax breaks for offering free car repair to the unemployed; or allow discounted inspection stickers or free inspections...so people can legally look for work. Allow companies like WaWa to donate excess food to food pantries without fear of liability so people can have food to eat everyday. We need practical solutions to real problems in order to get this country back on its feet.

Blogging Template

Think you should be blogging about your small business? Here is an article that includes a blogging template from Hubspot.com. If you don't want to write the blog yourself, I would be certainly able and willing to help you with that. I have over 30 years of advertising and marketing experience and want to help your small business succeed in the world of inbound marketing...this is the first step! Cut and paste this link into your browser.... http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33295/The-Foolproof-Formula-for-Writing-a-Solid-Blog-Post-Template.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HubSpot+%28HubSpot%29

May Procession

Today is May 1, 2012. I have begun my Operations Analysis course work for my MBA at Holy Family University. For the first time Amazon has disappointed and I still have not recieved the book I ordered for class. Plan.* Monitor.** Adapt.*** I've learned my first operations lesson. It was a costly one too! As we proceed into springtime, I'm learning lessons at every turn. Take time to spell the flowers, listen to the rain, and learn something new. *Realistically. I ordered the book three weeks ago. **I tried to track delivery and contact the seller. ***I ordered a new book...deadline for first assignment was looming

Builder Websites

Found this article which I think my builder friends will find of interest. Thinking about building a new website? Read this first. http://buildertarget.com/blog/home-builder-website-analytics/the-100010100-rule-of-awesome-home-builder-websites/

In my pursuit of more knowledge....especially regarding inbound and online marketing, I attended all 18 webinars at Hubspot's "Inbound Marketing University". Today I got word that I passed with 94% of questions answered correctly. A passing grade is 75%. This program is really good for anyone who wants to learn about inbound marketing which includes social media, PR, SEO, blogging, etc. If you're a small business person trying to learn this stuff on your own, this is a really good resource. Visit http://www.hubspot.com for info.
Certification Achievements

What is Digital Marketing? | Smedio

This is a brief, simple article explaining what "digital marketing" is. If you're a small business and would like to explore the world of "digital marketing" this article might help to make the concept a little clearer and maybe give you ideas on how to use digital marketing to help your business grow.

What is Digital Marketing? | Smedio

Keyword ranking using off-page and on-page SEO

Okay, my homework from IMU (Inbound marketing university) for advanced SEO was to write a blog expelling how to use off-page and on-page SEO to rank for a specific keyword. And then to explain how that would help my inbound marketing efforts.   Let's see if I got this straight...

I suppose the easiest example would be to start with the home page.  If the website was my online resume,  the title tag (off-page) would read:  Deborah Cecatiello Resume.  The lesson recommended that the first two words of you title tag be your two most important keywords.  So, if someone were looking for me, a website entitled "Deborah Cecatiello Resume" would certainly be served by Google.  On the actual home page of my website, I would include my name of course, and the word "resume" in the text somewhere.

Making it easy for a search engine to find your site, crawl your site and find the most relevant keyword to someone's search query makes it more likely that your site will rank high for what is basically a "branded keyword"  and that people searching for me would see it ranked #1-#10  and would click on the link to my site.

Seems a but simplistic...did I miss something?  Let me know!

Inbound Marketing University

I just finished the first course in the "Inbound Marketing University" self-directed study program.  The first lesson was on writing and using effective business blogs.  The first "homework" assignment was to write a blog that highlighted three important ideas from the lesson.   I think the three most important things stressed in the course were....

1.  Make sure you devote the time to creating a maintaining your blog.  There is nothing worse then starting a blog and then not updating it for months.... Yes, I am guilty of that but am trying to change. It's one of my new year's resolutions.

2.  Think about who should write the blog.  You may want to hire a professional at first...but that can get expensive so you should train people in-house to pick up the writing duties at some point or you should do it...but remember ...see #1 before you start writing.

And lastly,

3.  Blog frequently, promote your blog and optimize it to drive traffic to your website (and conversion).

....well, I guess that's more than three things, but they're all important if you want to get the most benefit from blogging!  See the video from the course below if you want more information.




How to Blog Effectively for Business (GF101)

Arena neighborhood development executive hired

Sometimes I like to see development...and this is one of those times. Looking forward to see the Allentown Arena project to get started. I don't live close to the action, but it really should help all of the surrounding counties in terms of jobs. Let's hope we can all last that long.

Arena neighborhood development executive hired

Area colleges competing for adult students

Here's a link to a story that shouldn't surprise anyone over 50 and looking for work. What will be surprising is if all this education will get all of us work....or just more debt.

Loans and grants aren't available for short-term certificate programs that might help us find work more quickly, so if you believe you need new skills, many are opting to take out loans for 2-4 year programs that will definitely add debt but only might help find a recently graduated 55 year old work!

But who reading this thinks we have a choice? Who thinks that the 30 year old interviewer will still think you're overqualified? Ah, it feels like we're 18 again right? What am I going to do with my life? I hope you make the right choice... The wrong one can still ruin your life.

Area colleges competing for adult students

TH Properties bankruptcy: TH Properties bankruptcy Chapter 7 - mcall.com

TH Properties bankruptcy: TH Properties bankruptcy Chapter 7 - mcall.com:

'via Blog this'

New Adventures...

I have just started studying toward my M.B.A.!  While I'm enjoying the challenge, it's really tough!  It's been many years since I graduated with a B.A. in Radio/TV/Film from Temple University, so it's been quite an adjustment.   The majority of the classwork is done on line, but there are  two in-class sessions per course. They are close by....here in Quakertown...so it's very convenient for me.

I hope that getting an M.B.A. will make me more marketable to employers or to help me start my own marketing consulting business.  

Currently job prospects are bleak...for me and lots of folks in the U.S.  And it's especially hard for people in their 40's and 50's to find work.  There is most certainly age discrimination going on... although most companies and recruiters know how to be subtle about it...oh, you're over qualified....oh, you will be bored... or you may get an interview and then they just don't call you back or even consider you for a position because you look older than they are.  

Is there a point where we should say "I give up?"   We're forced to look at the idea of totally changing the direction of the rest of our lives. We have to do it or risk losing everything we've worked our whole lives to achieve.

Caring for Animals in Emergencies

Haven't posted in awhile but this is important information to have, if not for this storm which won't affect our area that hard, but for the future:

Caring for Animals in Emergencies: What would happen to your beloved animal companions if a hurricane, fire, tornado, or other natural or human-made disaster were to strike tomorrow…