Sunday, January 29, 2012

My Life: The Sequel Is Highly Recommended by Terry Minion


I've read a serious number of self-help, success, business related books over the years and I have to say that this book by Wendy VanHatten and Mary Guinane McNamara, My Life: The Sequel, A Girlfriend's Guide To Personal Success is very well done and in a nice concise and inexpensive package. You can get it on Amazon.com for only $15 plus shipping. A true bargain!

It is obviously designed for women who would like something more and offers a great many small helps in thinking of how to create a business while managing a home. At the same time, we guys could sneak a peak and learn that many of those same things can just as easily apply to us and our busy lives.

I recommend this on the value of the content and the succinct and effective way it is presented. Check it out for yourself.

Here's an excerpt from My Life: The Sequel, A Girlfriend's Guide To Personal Success by Wendy VanHatten and Mary Guinane McNamara:

"I’m not sure I really want to know how many trips to the grocery store I’ve made over the years. It’s one of my least favorite tasks for many reasons, but in large part because no matter how good I get at it, I never win the battle.

Seriously, I’ve tried to win at the grocery store game.

I did all the shopping to host a party for over 100 people where I did all the cooking myself and I only made two trips to the store. I compiled the necessary ingredients into two computerized, alphabetized lists. (And, I admit, in a very anal moment I organized them by aisles, too.) In one trip a week ahead, I bought all the non-perishables and two days before the party I bought the rest. I cooked for two days and didn’t have to make a single trip back to the store for a forgotten item. I was so proud. And, still no one gave me a “Queen of Organization” award for my grocery shopping prowess.

And the very next week I had to go back and start all over!

Perhaps it’s my dislike of the grocery store that motivated me to start looking at it differently. If I couldn’t love it, at least I could hate it less by looking at the good parts. So, I started checking out sections I’d previously ignored, stopping to look at products I’d never bought, and I realized I was missing out on some pretty interesting stuff.

As my life has changed, I realize my grocery shopping habits have, too. I find myself gravitating quickly to the things I know my family likes and will eat. Simply to avoid the hassles involved in trying something new, I shopped as a creature of habit instead of bothering to think about what I really wanted. Looking back, I realized I ignored different parts of the store ten years ago than the aisles I tend to skip now.

But, the true problem lies in making choices without thought, whether for groceries or for life."

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Magazine Ads vs Online Videos


Go to http://go.askthebuilder.com/magadsvsvideo to read an in-depth analysis of this fascinating topic.

http://www.AsktheBuilder.com founder Tim Carter proves it's BETTER to invest in online videos that last forever instead of a magazine ad that's in a recycle bin in 30 days

[some good thoughts to consider!]

Friday, January 27, 2012

Upward Trend Welcomes MacKenzie Aircraft Parts As Latest Trend Setter Package Client


MacKenzie Aircraft Parts, Inc has just become Upward Trend's latest Trend Setter Package client. We will be building a new website, adding a blog, and email monthly newsletter. We will also be adding and managing their social media including Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in. The package also includes video and a YouTube channel, along with SEO optimization and consulting as needed.

MacKenzie Aircraft Parts is located near San Diego in Vista, CA. Their current website is www.macairparts.com. Look for more from MacKenzie Aircraft Parts very soon.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Upward Trend Welcomes My Timeshare Insider As Latest Trend Setter Package Client

My Timeshare Insider of Las Vegas, Nevada has become Upward Trend's latest Trend Setter Package client. Their current website is www.mytimeshareinsider.com and though we normally build a new website, we will not be building a new website, but leaving it as it is.

We will be creating a brand new blog, adding and managing their social media including Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in and YouTube. We will be doing SEO optimization, a monthly newsletter and video are also included with a YouTube channel. All these services ongoing and constantly expanding for a low monthly investment.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Choosing Domain Names

Choosing a domain name is important. Here are some things that I've learned and used about domain names myself and with our clients.

Some of our clients and others that we have talked to spend much time and energy thinking about domain name choices and trying to strategize using the perfect domain name.

People also are enamored with .com as the holy grail of domain name extensions, when .org, .net. and others will operate perfectly well.

What it comes down to in my experience is that the real value of a domain name is predominately related to marketing. In other words, what name do you want to promote on your business cards, advertising, websites, etc.

From a marketing point of view, the only reason .com may have more marketing push is because it has been the one that millions of people have focused on and so it is easy to remember, but that is more of a minor point than many make it out to be.

Many people try to use creative phrases, such as IFixMRight, MyPonieTail, and such and these are not helpful generally. There are several reasons. One is that these spellings are hard to remember. Would someone type Ifixthemright, I fixemright, or something else? MyPonieTail is a problem because it is an uncommon spelling of the word Pony. In addition, adding the word 'my' isn't helpful. Many times the reason these choices are what they are is because the common spellings have been taken.

Some might think these domain names are cute and help say what they do. Let's take MyPonieTail for example. Maybe it is a hair place. It could be a wig shop. It could be a lot of things. But, for the moment, let's say it is a wig shop and the owner is Carol. In my opinion, it would be far better to go with CarolsWigs than anything like MyPonieTail. The same would apply with a beauty shop.

Another issue is choosing something that is common. Sometimes people choose a name because of the human value it represents, such as, service, trust, trustworthy, value, integrity, hope, and so on. These words are so common that it means that you have to create so many pages on the web in order to even be found because there are so many businesses across the country with names that include those words. You're creating an almost insurmountable problem in coming up on page one of the search engines because of the volume of similar names out there. Far better to choose a unique name and show up immediately.

I will use our business Upward Trend as an example. Our business name is Upward Trend Management Services, LLC. We go by Upward Trend because that is the way most people remember our name. Upward Trend is a very common phrase and is an uphill battle to try to come up in the search engines. Fortunately, because we have a volume of clients, we have hundreds of pages on the web and after a year or so, we then showed up on page one when typing Upward Trend. If we were just a regular business, we might never show up on page one with a name like this.

We own http://www.upwardtrendmanagementservices.com/, but we never use it. It goes to our website, but we never would give a name like this out for marketing because it is way too long. So we bought http://www.upwardtrend.org/ to use for marketing. Why .org? Because to get .com would have cost in excess of $5,000 from a speculator, and .net was already used, so we chose .org. Now, .org is normally used by organizations like non-profits and the like, but since it is widely used, we went for it anyway. Upward Trend is easy enough to remember and spell, but .org is not as memorable. No problem, all we do is accentuate the last part when we speak it. It has worked just fine.

With most of our clients, unless they insist otherwise, we choose at least one domain for them and often lightly encourage them to use that in marketing. For example, we have a client whose business name is West Coast Truck Equipment Inc. and they own the domain, http://www.westcoasttruckequipment.com/. Simple. It's just their name. But it is not simple to type and remember and having two t's together in the name makes it look wrong even after you've typed it. So, we suggested using something shorter and easier and they took us up on it. The one they now market with is http://www.wcteinc.com/. The value of this is the shortness of it. Wcte.com was already taken, so we added the inc which is really easy and now it works way better for them. It fits better on their stickers and cards and such and it is easier for clients to deal with as well. Of course the other domain is still functioning. You can have as many domain names pointing to a site you would like, it is just that each one has an annual cost.

Some feel the need to have what they do and/or how they do it somehow in the domain name--sort of like a slogan domain name. WeFixItRightEverytime.com, YourWishIsOurCommand.com, WeAreAllAboutService.com, SatisfactionRUs.com are some examples of this idea. These are not helpful really. It is also generally not helpful to include numbers and letters, such as www.go4it.net, www.weloveyou2.com, or double meaning creative names like, www.ImStumped.com for a tree service, and such. It is best to choose a domain that is easy to say, read, type and spell and use that in your promotion, and I recommend one that is unique if possible.

In summary, what is most important on the web for search engines is current, relevant content, and not domain names. So filling in your website with all the information you can will be most helpful. One the websites we build, you could have hundreds of pages of content, and much of it doesn't need to be in the navigation, but the more content that is on the site, the more content is searchable. Tell the world anything and everything that they could possibly ever want to know and then throw in a bunch just for the heck of it.

Terry Minion, tminion@upwardtrend.org

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Upward Trend Diversity Of Clients

Upward Trend has a very wide variety of clients that we serve or have served. We have continued to appreciate each as a unique addition and have risen to every challenge and opportunity. Below is a list of most of our client types in the last four years. We also have many clients in certain fields.

We hope that we can serve your needs soon with our Trend Setter Package of services! Give Ryan a call at 707-480-0959.

Alzheimer & Dementia Care Green Energy Contractors
Archery Shop Hair Salon
Author Heating & AC Contractor
Auto Body Shop Home & Business Security
Auto Dealer Home & Garden Show
Auto Repair Facility Independent Insurance Agency
Auto Salesperson Independent Scentsy Business
Bicycle Shop Janitorial
Boat Racing, Design & Repairs Karate Dojo
Bookkeeping and Payroll Landscape Supply
Business District Group Landscaping Contractor
Business Networking Group Lawyer
Car & Truck Accessories Lending Services Consultant
Carpet Cleaning Mailing List Broker
Chiropractor Massage Therapy
College Student Mobile Truck Repair
Commercial Truck Consulting Mortgage Broker
Commercial Truck Dealer Musical Artist
Concrete Grinding Paralegal Document Service
Consignment Shop Patient Advocacy Consultants
Construction Contractor Physical Therapy Specialist
Country Retreat & Spa Plumbing Contractor
Cupcake & Dessert Bakery Pool Service
Deceased Rememberance Site Publisher
Dentist Real Estate Salesperson
Developmentally Disabled Non-Profit Restaurant (Bar & Grill)
Drywall Tool Rentals Restaurant (Fast Food)
Electrical Search Engine Restaurant (Italian)
Electrician & Electrical Services Roofing Company
Elevator Repair and Service Tax & Accounting Services
Emergency Restoration Services Towing Service
Energy Consultant Tree Service
Event Marketing Truck Body Manufacturer
Event Rentals Truck Body Upfitter
Eye Doctor and Surgeon Truck Club
Fitness Center Truck Rack Manufacturer
Flooring Center Truck Repair & Parts
Florist & Gifts Truck Transportation Center
Furniture Store T-Shirt & Apparel Design Co
Gift Shop & Tabocconist Vehicle Transporter
Glass Company Wine & Liquor Store
Writing, Editing, Author Services

Friday, January 20, 2012

Upward Trend Welcomes Busonjuku USA Karate of Rocklin

Busonjuku USA has become Upward Trend's latest Trend Setter Package client, and we are very pleased to have been chosen to represent her new business on the Internet.

Forence Bigsby, 3rd degree black belt in Japan Karate-do Federation (JKF) became the 2009 and 2010 Musashimurayama tournament champion and has won several gold, silver and bronze medals at other tournaments. She is one of the very few foreigners to be allowed to take the required exam to obtain a Japan Karate-do Federation rank.

As part of the Trend Setter Package, we will be building a brand new website, blog, beginning and managing social media including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube. The package also includes video, a YouTube channel, SEO optimization, consulting, and a monthly email newsletter. Look for much more in the coming weeks about Busonjuku USA.

As an extension of her valuable experience in Japan, Forence will continue her own training with her dojo in Japan and is beginning her own dojo in Rocklin, Busonjuku USA where she will provide an international experience other dojos do not offer here. Look for more on this subject in the coming weeks. She can be reached at 916-698-2780 for more information.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

A Tide In The Affairs Of Business

In our business I hear a number of potential clients procrastinate getting going because times are tough, sales are down, the market is down, the recession, or fill in the blank. I understand how people can feel that way, and I might swim upstream with them a stroke or two, but I am also cognizant that this strategy rarely pays off, so I let it go and move on.

I also hear people say that as soon as sales come back, we will go with you. I've also learned to believe this is not a truth, but a justification.

Fortunately, there are plenty who are ready to get going.

What I really want to say to the procrastinators is my favorite quote of all time by William Shakespeare. It is this: "There is a tide in the affairs of men, when taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."

This wonderful quote tells me many things. Among them are:

Preparation and Building Can't Wait, So Get Going. One cannot take advantage of the flood if you are not ready for it. This means to prepare by getting started and building. The longer one waits, the less preparation or building can be done in order to take advantage of the business flood when it is flooding.

When it comes to the Internet, the value is in the continuous building layer upon layer upon layer. Wait until the market is back strong and then get started? It won't happen. People get busy, and it never gets done. They see a rise, but they never see the flood, and even if they could, they wouldn't be prepared for it.

We know this and so we began this enterprise and we have patiently continued to layer and are just now achieving substantial results from that four year foundational effort.

Be Flexible And Willing To Change. I started Upward Trend in January 2008, but I had a what I now call a transitional business that began part time in mid-2004. It was an eBay business and I worked it as hard as I could with the time constraints I had. When I began, it seemed to take a long time to get up to 50 feedback score. Any of you who have sold on eBay probably know what I'm talking about. Since 50 seemed far away, 100 was way out and 500 was years away, let alone higher numbers. I just set a goal for 50 and when I made it set a goal for 100, then 250, then 500, then 1,000, then 5,000, then 10,000 and I have over 11,000 feedback score. If I would have waited, I would still have less than 50.

As I built it from one item on eBay to eventually over 12,000 items, there were many, many changes. A lot of them came from eBay, and others in the way I chose to operate the business. Indeed, it seemed like things were constantly changing. But, it was also growing.

This business was released as a business finally in 2010 because I needed to focus on Upward Trend and other enterprises, but the value of what I learned in the process of doing this eBay business is so valuable to what I do today.

We also completely redesigned our Upward Trend business in early 2010 from the beginning in 2008. We went from selling a product to selling services. It was a complete change in the way we did business.


Be Willing To Learn. I own an Internet marketing company where we build websites, blogs and much more. In October 2007 I built my very first website. In early April of 2008, I didn't even know what a blog was. We have now built or are building over 95 websites and currently manage 87 blogs, over 165 facebook pages, 95 twitter pages and much more--and we've only just begun to expand that.

To say that I had to be willing to learn (and learn fast) is an understatement. It is also amazing what you can learn in a short period of time. Without this willingness to learn, I wouldn't even have a business, let alone a successful one.

There are some things I can hire others to do, but as a business owner, I need to know what and how things are done. I no longer build websites and essentially stopped doing that almost three years ago by finding someone who was better at it to do it for us. But I can still do it if I need to. I'm learning something new, often many things every single day.


Consider The Value Of Layers. I call them layers of knowledge or learning or ability or skill. One by one, the add unto each other to create something more than they were alone. Each and every experience with a client, each and every problem that comes up, each and every new change on facebook, our website building program. All of these are layers and there are hundreds of them. Each layer is valuable. It may not seem like it at the time, but they are valuable. Looking back, I can see how valuable they are and I have now learned to appreciate the layers as they come. I have become grateful for each and every layer.

Think of it as the journey without any specific destination. You just know a direction you are going for now and it is appealing, so you layer the experiences of learning, growing, becoming, along the way. Your flexibility will come into play whenever the direction might need to change, but by understanding the value of the layers or the journey and being grateful for each layer makes is all more than worthwhile--it makes it joy.


Tides ebb and flow. An ebb tide is a perfect time to get going. I know it for a fact.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Forget Resolutions: 7 Business Things You DON’T Have to Do in 2012 by Carolyn Higgins

Note: At Upward Trend we recommend that you print this out and read it often. It is wonderful thoughts to contemplate and incorporate into your life and your business. Bravo Carolyn!

Here is Carolyn's article:

Call me a rebel… or a Scrooge… or a Grinch if you must, but I am so happy all this holiday nonsense is finally over. And as I sit here trying to come up with a blog for the new year, the word "resolution" keeps popping into my head and I absolutely REFUSE to give you marketing or business resolutions for the new year. You’re under enough pressure, I’m not going to give you a long list of more things you already know you should do.


So… no resolution talk here, I promise. Instead, for the new year, let’s vow to not make a single resolution; no diets, exercise programs (ok, I’ll admit this one is self-serving – hoping to ward off the "New Year Resolutioners" who invade my gym for a few weeks this time every year), no vows to spend more time with the kids, or call our mother more often, no promising to read, write, or volunteer more or spend less… Forget all that!

Resolutions are all about feeling bad for what we didn’t do last year, making more unrealistic goals for ourselves ("I’m going to lose 20 lbs this month") and then feeling like total losers and failures – AGAIN, when we don’t live up to them. I say "No more pressure, we have enough!" So instead of giving you a bunch of Marketing Resolutions and telling you what you should do, I’m going give you a list of things you don’t have to do! There! How’s that for rebellion? Bet you’re thinking I’m not such a Scrooge now are you?

So here is my list of 7 things you don’t have to do in 2012
You don’t have to do everything yourself anymore. That’s right. 2012 is the year you bite the bullet and hire help. Hire an accountant, a bookkeeper, a salesperson, an assistant, or whatever it is you need that will allow you more time to focus on the things you really want to focus on!

You don’t have to work with anybody and everybody with a checkbook. You have a successful business; you’ve made it this far because you provide a valuable product or service. You are too good to work with people who don’t value you and who try to nickel and dime you at every turn. So the next time you are tempted by someone you know is going to be a big ole pain in the butt, politely refer them to your competition, explaining that you feel they’d be a better fit.

You don’t have to be everything to everybody. Your business is special. You provide something unique to a select group of people that no one else can deliver in quite the same way. Your job is to find that niche. And when you find it you will become confident enough to say "no" when asked to do something outside of your scope, capabilities or comfort zone. You do what you do better than anyone else and you don’t need to pretend to be more than what you are. Stay true to your mission.

You don’t have to work every single night and weekend. I realized this sometime in the past couple of months, taking time off is key to my mental well being and sanity – and it makes me more productive. Really, you don’t have to work so many hours. All the work will get done (see #1 again), I promise!

You don’t have to follow the crowd. Just because all your friends are on Facebook, doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. Just because your competitors do things a certain way, doesn’t mean you have to. It’s your business – your baby, your dream. Do it however the hell you want! Dare to be bold. Dare to stand out. Dare to be unique!

You don’t have to make excuses for where you are in your life or your business. As human beings we all grew at different rates, the same is true of your business. Don’t compare yourself to others. If you know you are doing everything in your power and using every tool and resource available to you, there is no need to feel bad about where you are. We grow at different rates and as long as you are on track toward achieving your goals you are just fine.

You don’t have to take advice from anyone you don’t want to! Everybody has advice, have you noticed that? I was in the gym recently and a guy who I’ve never seen lift a single weight was telling me how I should be lifting weights. When advice is given consider the source: is it someone you respect? Is their business the type of business you’d like to emulate? If not, ignore them and look for people you do respect!

So, how does that feel? A whole list of things you DON’T have to do in 2012! What a relief, right? Running a business is hard work, don’t be too hard on yourself, have fun with it and have the best year ever!!!

See more from Carolyn Higgins at www.fortunemarketingcompany.com.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Integrity Auto Body Is Latest Trend Setter Package Client

Integrity Auto Body is finishing up there expanded new facility at 1891 Woolner St, Suite C in Fairfield CA. The company has been renamed and was formally Loose Endz Auto Body and Paint on Illinois St in Fairfield.

Integrity Auto Body has just become Upward Trend's latest Trend Setter Package client. We will be building them a new website, blog, social media, including facebook, twitter, linkedin, YouTube. We will also be doing video, a monthly email newsletter, consulting, SEO optimization and more.

Look for more from this expanding company very soon.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

By The People In Fairfield Is Here To Serve You And Save You Money



BY THE PEOPLE of Fairfield has helped thousands of people in the Solano County Area since 2004. We have assisted people in preparing the paperwork for many different uncontested legal matters, and we can help you, too! We try to make each process is simple and fast as possible, as well as affordable. Our fees are a fraction of the cost that you would pay at an attorney’s office. Please call or stop in for more information. There is no cost or obligation to stop in and have an initial consultation with us. We offer a friendly and relaxed atmosphere at our office, which we think you will find very comfortable

  • Uncontested Divorce

  • Living Trusts

  • Wills

  • Deeds

  • Power of Attorney

  • Incorporation/LLC

  • Probate

  • Name Changes

  • Other Uncontested Legal Matters

  • Many more


  • Call Rene & Tammy Borjorquez at 707-428-9871 today.

    Saturday, January 14, 2012

    A Short Tour of Rack-it Truck Rack's Storage and Shipping Yard


    Gary Kank, Sales Manager for Rack-it Truck Racks gives us a brief tour of Rack-it's storage and shipping yard to give you an idea of the selection of pre-built truck racks that can be shipped immediately. www.rackitinc.com

    Friday, January 13, 2012

    Special Deals, Great Restaurants. Suisun Waterfront's 2nd Annual Restaurant Week Starts Today!


    Restaurant Week Menus

    Experience the wonderful and diverse restaurants on the Suisun Waterfront by attending Suisun Waterfront Restaurant Week, January 13-22, 2012! Here's how it works:

    • Participating restaurants will offer a prix-fixe menu with three-course meals for dinner or a two course meal for breakfast or lunch or a special (unless noted, EXCLUDES tax, beverages, and gratuity)

    • Dine at as many participating restaurants as you like during Restaurant Week - no tickets are required

    • Download menus from participating restaurants (see below) to see what each restaurant if offering

    • All restaurants will offer their regular menus as well. You can order from the restaurant’s regular menu, but to capitalize on Restaurant Week pricing, you must order from the prix-fixe or special menu

    • Reservations may be necessary; please call the restaurants directly

    Athenian Grill Menu Map
    Babs Delta Diner Menu Map
    Cast Iron Grill Menu Map
    Eco Delight Coffee Menu Map
    It's It Menu Map
    Joy of Eating Menu Map
    La Cabana Menu Map
    Pad Thai Menu Map
    Pane e Vino Menu Map
    Puerto Villarta Menu Map
    Subway Menu Map
    Taqueria Tepa Menu Map
    Tasuke Menu Map

    See more at www.suisunwaterfront.com

    Thursday, January 12, 2012

    2011 Numbers Are In. Thank You!

    Upward Trend just got our end of year statements and our Internet business (The Trend Setter Package www.TrendSetterPackage.com) business was up 183% in 2011 over 2010.

    Wow! Thank You to all of our most valued clients and friends for your faith in our services and by allowing us to serve you. It is our pleasure and honor to serve all of you. We look forward to an even stronger 2012!

    Wednesday, January 11, 2012

    Upward Trend Re-Welcomes Vacaville Electric As Our Latest Trend Setter Package Client


    Vacaville Electric has come back to Upward Trend and our Trend Setter Package and we are thrilled to have them again. The Internet exposure from the package of services in the Trend Setter Package is hard, if not impossible to beat for such a low monthly cost. We will begin immediately back on creating blog posts, handling social media including facebook, twitter, linkedin, YouTube and more. Also included in the package is video, a monthly newsletter, SEO optimization, a website, consulting and more.

    Welcome back Tom Jackson and Vacaville Electric! It is a pleasure to continue to serve you!

    See more about Vacaville Electric at http://www.vacavilleelectric.net/.

    Tuesday, January 10, 2012

    Upward Trend Welcomes Martin Pearl Publishing As Latest Trend Setter Package Client

    Martin Pearl Publishing is a small, independent publishing company located in Dixon, CA that focuses on publishing interesting pieces of work for all types of readers in various genres. Martin Pearl Publishing is best defined by its authors. They look for talented and energetic writers with enthusiasm and a cooperative mindset.

    Martin Pearl Publishing has just become Upward Trend's latest Trend Setter Package client. We will be building a new website for them, along with a new blog, managing and setting up social media in Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in and YouTube. In addition, the package includes video, a YouTube channel, a monthly email newsletter, SEO optimization, consulting and more.

    The current website for Martin Pearl Publishing is at www.martinpearl.com. Look for much more about Martin Pearl Publishing very soon.

    Monday, January 9, 2012

    Easton Construction Group, Your Restoration/Reconstruction Specialists

    

    You can only expect a professional staff when working with ECG. We value and expect quality, efficiency, punctuality, cleanliness and courtesy. Our team believes in our commitment and dedication to each clients satisfaction is second to none.
    • Quality work, Integrity, and Commitment
    • Prompt completion and timeline.
    • Detailed estimates upon invitation to bid.
    • Explanation of contract and specification
    ECG has established successful working relationships with qualified and competent professionals, and subcontractors who share our customer oriented philosophy.

    

    Our Guarantee: We warranty all of the work that is done with your project whether we ourselves do the work or our subcontractors do the work.

    Here's why we are confident in our ability to perform.

    Our combined Management Experience is 70 years; Office Operations combined experience is 50 years; combined Lead Production Staff experience is over 60 years. Based on our experience we know our capabilities and our performance reflects it.

    All of us at Easton Construction Group, Inc. certainly hope you give us the opportunity to work with you, and we hope you choose to experience the difference.

    "There are no limits when right people are working together..."

    Serving Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced, Napa, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus counties. For more information, call Easton Construction Group at 925-757-6000, and visit their website at www.EastonConstructionGroup.com

    Saturday, January 7, 2012

    Recipe For Health and Well-Being from FITBODIES I.N.C.

    Ingredients:

    Aerobic/cardio activity
    Stretching/flexibility
    Strength/resistance training
    Nutritional diet
    Must be applied 5 days a week

    Directions: 

    Add: friends & loved ones into the mixture, and you have a healthy support group!

    Add: knowledgeable, friendly trainers into the mixture and you now have a safe, effective and fun program!

    Mix it up, look forward to your activity, make it a lifestyle!

    Makes:

    Improved quality of life
    Healthy heart
    Strong bones and muscles
    Flexible toned body
    Leaner, stronger, younger person
    and sooo much more...

    Enjoy!


    See more about FITBODIES I.N.C. (Individual Needs Customized) on their website at www.studiofitbodies.net.

    Thursday, January 5, 2012

    Upward Trend Highly Recommends Writing Workshop

    Note: Three of us from Upward Trend have attended Wendy's 2-session Writing Seminars and we highly recommend them. If you've given any thought at all to writing a book, this will be a big help. It is well worth the time and small cost.

    Writing Workshops

    January 21st and February 4th 2012 

    9 a.m. to noon; 600 East Main Street Suite 101, Vacaville

    How often have you thought of writing a book, your childhood memoirs, a how to guide, travel tips and articles, a self help manual, or publishing that collection of recipes from Grandma?

    Answer…probably quite often. We all have. Some of us have even started but don’t know what to do next. And we all wonder if our works are good enough to get published.

    Learn the basics of a realistic approach to writing, editing, and publishing your book in Workshop #1. (Jan 21st)
    Did you know that over 150,000 people in this country alone are attempting to write their first novel? That doesn’t include the cookbooks, memoirs, guides, children’s books, or articles. Thousands of manuscripts get sent to agents every year. And only a few hundred get published. Why? There are a variety of reasons and most of them have to do with how that writing is presented.


    Gain insight, self publishing do’s and don’ts, print on demand services, ISBN’s and how to obtain one, copyrights, and more in Workshop #2. (Feb 4th)
    A.J. Greer is a published author who shares secrets she learned from publishing her first book to how and when to start the next book.

    Wendy VanHatten is an internationally published author and magazine editor who gives insider tips on working with editors, how to get started writing, and where do you go from here.
    For more information contact wvanhatten@gmail.com

    $40.00 to attend one workshop…$75.00 to attend both

    To purchase tickets: Tickets

    Sunday, January 1, 2012

    Considering An E-Commerce Website?

    Our company builds websites, blogs and do a lot of social media and other aspects of Internet marketing for a wide variety of clients. Some of our clients are in new businesses and many think they want e-commerce websites with a shopping cart. It is this idea that I want to discuss here.

    Many clients have a fantasy that they will get an e-commerce website and people will find them and buy products because they have a website where it is possible to do that. They don't think about the aspect of a teaspoon out of Lake Tahoe, but that is just about what one website is to the traffic on the Internet. Getting found is a challenge even when you pay for the privilege buy advertising or buying keywords and other search engine enhancements.

    E-commerce websites are all well and good if you have unique items or a unique way your product is presented, and offer your products at a fair and desirable price, have some kind of following already built up and are willing to spend the money to consistently over a long period of time, to effectively promote the site.

    Supply and demand is always relevant in business. When demand is low and supply is high, this is not conducive to sales. This is a buyers market. When demand is high and supply is low, sales are great and the only problem is finding enough to meet the demand. This is a sellers market. There are hundreds of points between these two extremes.

    Starting out selling a common product is a challenge because the supply is most likely higher than the demand. The more unique the product, the better the opportunity in the short term.

    Let's look at some examples. Maybe you want to sell t-shirts with some kind of artwork and/or sayings, and you have quality materials. T-shirts are extremely popular and have been for decades and most likely that will continue. Because there is a demand, there are thousands and thousands of companies large and small making and selling t-shirts of this kind. Putting up an e-commerce site won't do much in a short period of time to affect the sales of t-shirts. Even if they are unique, the supply is higher than the demand.

    This doesn't mean it can't be done, but that it will take some long-term strategies. We must build traffic to the site and also the kind of traffic that wants to buy t-shirts.

    Consider the audience you are speaking to via your website. You might only average a few page views a week to begin with and after a year of promoting might only have a small yet growing number. It may take a good deal of time and marketing to get significant traffic to your site.

    Maybe you have a consignment shop and you want to sell on your website. You obviously have unique items, but the demand is nowhere near the supply, for there are tens of thousands of these kind of shops selling similar; albeit, also unique products. This again, will require a well thought out strategy for marketing and a long-term commitment to the process of growing it.

    There are monthly ongoing expenses having a shopping cart and merchant account, along with marketing expenses and other expenses, so funds can drain down quickly. It will likely be a long time before you can get on the right side in profitability.


    Once you publish your website, you are immediately open to the entire world to see your site. But are they looking? New sites take time to get exposed to most of the traffic and building traffic is not something that is short-term.

    Ask yourself some questions to plan your strategy: Why would someone want to buy my product? What would they be willing to pay for it? How might they find my product? What is the market like? How many sell similar items and what do they sell them for? What will set your product apart from others? What will set the buying experience apart from others? Do I need to do discount or sale marketing to encourage sales? What do my current customers say about my product? Are they satisfied, enthusiastic, thrilled? How do they feel about my pricing, service, delivery? What margins do I need to make a profit? What volume do I need to make a profit?


    For many, what might work better than an e-commerce website is to make use of an online store at a place such as eBay.com. By doing this, you have immediate access to millions of buyers that are on this site looking for something they might want or need. You're not on the Internet sea in a rowboat, but have much larger boat to navigate e-commerce with. In addition, you have built in tools and options to help make it effective and profitable.

    I have a lot of experience selling small items ranging from $1 to $1,500 on eBay for a period of many years in a part time venue, and I can speak to the opportunity of this method of doing an e-commerce site. In fact, I think that in the majority of the new business clients, this method would be far more effective in the short and longer term.

    Some of the advantages of this method, in my opinion, would be the fact that you are marketing to millions and have an opportunity to share in that traffic and try to appeal to those seeking your products. Though there is competition, and sometimes significant price competition, don't let seemingly low prices shake you because there are some ways around this by how you display and discuss your items.

    Other advantages are low cost. This store has a very small overhead. Even if you have a brick and mortar store, and just want to expand your sales via the Internet, this is a wonderful way to do it inexpensively.

    You get to take advantage of the marketing that eBay does to drive traffic to its own site. You also get to take advantage of their own long-term commitment in building their business and directing potential buyers to your store. They are also always upgrading and being the best they can be because they are themselves competing in the marketplace for potential buyers of products.

    Now, eBay is only one venue. There are many such sites, such as Amazon.com, and many others, but I have loved using eBay and think it is an excellent choice.

    By doing this you will learn better how to market your products. There are many different ways to market on eBay, so you will have a lot of flexibility and opportunity to learn quickly. As your success increases, you can then add your own e-commerce site should you still want to do that, but you will have grown greatly in the process.


    In many cases, we recommend having a standard website and do e-commerce through other online avenues such as eBay. This is a perfect addition to our very effective Trend Setter Package (www.TrendSetterPackage.com).

    -- Terry Minion