text:
- About Us
- Corporate Photography
- Event Photography
- Wedding Photography
- Commercial Photo
- Gallery
- Contact Us
Wedding Photography Articles for brides and grooms
For brides and grooms watching their costs, planning a wedding usually involves making a few well-considered tradeoffs in selecting the venue, the number of guests, the food, the type of entertainment and, of course, the photography. But ultimately, the measurement of that special day is not tied to the luxury of the setting or the culinary achievement of the chef, but to the precious memories that are engendered and preserved. And for many people, skillful wedding photojournalism is a way to assure that the touching and profound moments of any wedding are duly captured, regardless of where the event is held, or how much money is spent on accoutrements. This is a critical consideration for anyone planning a wedding on a budget. Photo by Annaliese Moyer "Every individual has different priorities. Some brides dream their whole life about a wedding dress, so they'll put a high priority on that," notes wedding photographer Annaliese Moyer. "For others it's photography, because that's what lasts. It's your own personal memories, but it's also sharing with others…even other generations." WPJA award winner Christopher Record agrees. "Many of those costly trappings of the day food, flowers, decorations are going to be gone once the date has passed. Certainly, you want to enjoy the experience and have a nice party for people, but the photos are going to be there forever." LASTING BEAUTY DOESN'T REQUIRE OPULENCE There's no question that a spectacular setting and great food can add to the special quality of the wedding day. Still, you can avoid some expenses and enhance the lasting memories by focusing on theme and understated elegance, rather than on opulence. Photo by Christopher Record Record worked at a wedding in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina in which the bride had incorporated flowers into the entire event a decision that provided an elegant, unifying theme that ultimately translated to a memorable photo. "The guys wore flip-flops and khakis, and the altar was under the tree, but the whole thing was very nicely done," he remembers. "It was outside, with real pretty light a beautiful day, and the flowers were a big part of the whole thing." Favorable photography conditions will almost always trump sheer luxury or scenic drama when it comes to capturing those memories. Moyer notes that, like most wedding photojournalists, she's worked a number of weddings where the conditions weren't ideal. "I've also gone to gorgeous locations where the lighting was bad, the crowd was thick, and the time was non-existent, so those factors are just as important as the environment or scenery itself," she states. "I have shot weddings in barns, castles and reception halls; on beaches, island fields and boats; and, of course, in churches," notes WPJA gold medallion winner Carl D. Walsh. "The ideal venue as I see it has several characteristics: open space, accessibility, uncluttered backgrounds, good light in a word, simplicity. Definitely 'less is more.'" THE SKILL OF CAPTURING MEMORIES Make sure that whatever money you do allocate to photography is money well spent. The most experienced wedding photojournalists are the true experts at preserving those poignant moments, even when the setting or venue may not be anything close to ideal. Photo by Carl D. Walsh "Weddings are an ideal photojournalistic event laden with all of the elements of compelling photographs: beauty, love, spontaneity, emotion and action," says Walsh, whose non-wedding assignments have included those for National Geographic Traveler, Business Week, and Time. Walsh put his training to work in beautifully capturing a traditional Armenian dance at one of his weddings. The photo was shot with a wide lens no more than six feet from the subjects as Walsh rapidly kept stride with them on the dance floor. "Years of newspaper experience gave me this ability," he states. Moyers was recently challenged by a shoot in a church with no natural light, followed by a reception at a rather dark meeting hall. Although she reports being "terrified" of the conditions, she dealt with them, powering up her flash and working with the aperture open. The result, thankfully, were prints that she describes as "incredibly beautiful." "My client is definitely getting her value, despite my earlier trepidation," she says. "Earlier in my career I wouldn't have gotten such good shots, but now my experience has paid off." "Often times we're faced with less than ideal lighting conditions in a wedding," says Record. "And that's the advantage of having the photojournalism background. We've worked in nearly every kind of situation many far less than ideal from a photography perspective - figuring out how to make it work and take advantage of what was there, and to make the most of it." FOCUSING ON THE ESSENCE "Sometimes people become so consumed with all of the trappings of the wedding, they sometimes may lose track of the essence of the event, which is their love for this other person," Record notes. "It's about the interaction and sharing that time together about the intimacy of the relationship." "The location is a background element used only to frame and accentuate the main subjects," says Walsh. "The simpler it is, the better I can focus the attention on my human subjects and the compelling moments happening within." Moyer's award-winning photo is not one of a spectacular setting in ideal conditions, but rather one that sprung from her own creativity and experienced eye -- a unique angle, literally, on the people who were making the memories that wedding day. "I was experimenting with different angles, and getting away from the crowd," she recalls, "trying to 'see the forest through the trees.' I went up and down the stairs about 20 times that day…and I got the crowd in a heart shape. I wouldn't have seen that standing on the ground." "Every time I go into a room I consider several things," she says. "Can I get up? Is there a window I can shoot through? Is there any window light? Is there any clean background?" Those are the types of skills that an experienced photojournalist can bring to the table, ensuring that what's really important on the wedding day can be preserved despite other factors. FOLLOWING THROUGH ON PRIORITIES When juggling wedding costs, it's all about considering what's really important and staying true to your priorities. Says Moyers, "The location of the deck dancing photo was actually a fairly fancy place, but I believe the bride created the decorations, the stationery and the invitations herself and made her own dress. The wedding couple had a buffet rather than a served dinner, and decorated their cake themselves. They decided to spend most of their money on the lodge and the album package. They had their priorities and they followed through." And those priorities are ultimately about the value of memories. Walsh relates the story of a bride who spent more than 45% of her wedding budget on photography, and later wrote a letter of reference to one of his prospective clients. In the letter she said: "Looking back, that money was the best and wisest investment we made at our wedding. The flowers are dead, the cake is eaten, the dress is in storage but thanks to those pictures, those moments will last forever." - by Michael Roney for The Wedding Photojournalist Association


text:
The London Screenwriters' Festival features around 100 professional speakers from all aspects of the film and television business. Many have also agreed to intimate Script Chat sessions after their respective events so that you can get face time with them. New speakers are added periodically with the vast majority being confirmed late spring / early summer 2020. Get updates by signing up below.
This course is teaching me skills and mindsets that no other screenwriting course ever has, even though they are as critical to success as writing talent
KT Parker
Ed Neumeier – Screenwriter & Producer
Credits include: Robocop & Starship Troopers
Jonathan Lynn – Screenwriter, Director & Playwright
Credits include: Yes Minister, Clue
Julian Fellowes – Screenwriter & Director
Credits include: Downton Abbey, Gosford Park
Lynne Ramsay – Screenwriter, Director & Producer
Credits include: We Need To Talk About Kevin, You Were Never Really Here
Scott Myers – Screenwriter, Producer and Educator
Screenwriter of 'K-9' with Jim Belushi and 'Trojan War' with Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Timothy Harris – Screenwriter
Credits include: Trading Places, Twins
The Pitchfest resulted in 9 requests for our script which is really exciting.
Jo Fox, Screenwriter
Awards Host
Aidan Goatley – Comedian
Betty Denville – Actor
Credits include: Endeavour, M.I.High, Seed of Chucky
The kick up the arse in terms of inspiration and the new network I am a part of is invaluable. Just stop reading and invest in your skillset right now.
David Sobell, Screenwriter
Dan Mazer – Screenwriter & Director
Credits include: Borat, Bruno, The Dictator, Dirty Grandpa
Barrie Keeffe – Screenwriter and playwright
Credits include: The Long Good Friday, Sus
Adrian Hodges – Screenwriter
Stuart Hazeldine – Screenwriter
Roland Moore – Screenwriter
Credits include: Land Girls, Rastamouse, Smack the Pony
Justin Young – Screenwriter & Producer
Credits include: Holby City, Eastenders, Casualty
Tony Jordan – Writer and producer
Credits include: Hustle, Life On Mars, Holby Blue
Aschlin Ditta – Screenwriter
Credits include: The Catherine Tate Show, Little Heart
Ben Ward – Screenwriter
Credits include: Horrible Histories, Danger Mouse
David Nicholls – Screenwriter & Novelist
Credits include: Starter for Ten, Patrick Melrose
Debbie Moon – Screenwriter
Credits include: Wolfblood, Hinterland
Deborah Haywood – Screenwriter & Director
Credits include: Pin Cushion, Lady Margaret
Deborah Moggach – Novelist & Screenwriter
Credits include: Pride & Prejudice, Tulip Fever
Dirk Maggs – Writer & Director
Credits include: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Dominic Minghella – Screenwriter & Producer
Credits include: Doc Martin, Hamish Macbeth
Emmanuel Oberg – Screenwriter & Consultant
Credits include: Double Game
Hania Elkington – Screenwriter
Credits include: The Innocents
Hans Rosenfeldt – Screenwriter & Author
Credits include: The Bridge, The Tunnel, Marcella
Hugh Stoddart – Screenwriter
Credits include: We Think the World of You, Remembrance
Jack Bernhardt – Screenwriter
Credits include: The Lentil Sorters
Janet van Eeden – Screenwriter & Educator
John Dorney – Writer
Credits include: Doctor Who, The Avengers, Survivors
Jon Gilbert – Screenwriter & Script Consultant
Credits include: The Zigzag Kid
Jonathan Ruffle – Writer & Producer
Credits include: Tommies, Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Joseph Lidster – Screenwriter
Credits include: Torchwood, Wizards Vs. Aliens
Lisa McMullin – Screenwriter
Credits include: Doctors
Lucinda Whiteley – Screenwriter & Producer
Credits include: Horrid Henry, Fimbles, Maisy
Lucy van Smit – Novelist & Screenwriter
Credits include: The Hurting
Marcy Kahan – Screenwriter & Playwright
Credits include: War and Peace, The Wizard of Oz, Antonia & Jane
Matt Fitton – Writer & Script Editor
Credits include: Doctor Who, Terry Nation's Survivors
Michael Clarkson – Writer & Director
Credits include: His Dark Materials, The Feed
Ming Ho – Screenwriter
Credits include: The Things We Never Said, Eastenders, Casualty
Nat Saunders & James Serafinowicz – Screenwriters
Credits include: Misery Bear, Big Train
Ol Parker – Screenwriter & Director
Credits include: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,
Rachel Paterson – Screenwriter
Credits include: Casualty
Rhianna Pratchett – Games Writer & Developer
Credits include: Heavenly Sword, Tomb Raider
Richard Kurti – Screenwriter
Credits include: Wolfblood, Primeval
Robert Shearman – Screenwriter
Credits include: Doctor Who, The Chain Gang
Sam Leifer – Screenwriter & Director
Credits include: Plebs, How Not To Live Your Life
Simon Duric – Screenwriter, Director & Producer
Credits include: The Innocents, Later
Stephen Volk – Screenwriter & Playwright
Credits: Ghostwatch, Afterlife
Tim Stimpson – Screenwriter
Credits include: The Archers, Eastenders, Doctors
Tim Telling – Writer
Credits include: The Mash Report
Tom Basden – Screenwriter & Actor
Credits include: Plebs, Peep Show, Gap year
A great three days! Absolutely invaluable networking and pitching opportunities!
Jon Ryan, Writer
People who get stuff made
Julian Friedmann – Film, TV and literary agent
Agent and great supporter of emerging talent.
Gub Neal – Producer
Credits include: Prime Suspect, Cracker, Queer As Folk
David Nicholas Wilkinson – Producer
Credits Include: The First Film, How To Change The World
Andromeda Godfrey & Diana Juhr DeBenedetti – Actress & Screenwriter
Credits include: 2:Hrs, Dream Date
Caroline Percy – Investment Manager | The Ingenious Group
Credits include: Marcella, Wind River
Catherine Williams – Series Co-creator & Head Writer
Credits include: Pet Squad, Teletubbies
Chris Stott – Executive Producer
Credits include: The Mash Report
Christian Vesper – EVP Creative Director Global Drama | FremantleMedia
Gary Phillips – MD & Founder | Moviehouse Entertainment
Gavin Humphries – Producer
Credits include: Pin Cushion
Jeff Norton – Writer-Producer & Author
Credits include: MetaWars, Trucktown, Princess Ponies
John Yorke – MD Angel Station
Credits include: Wolf Hall, Shameless, Life On Mars
Julia McKenzie – Head of BBC Radio Comedy
Credits include: The Jason Byrne Show, French & Saunders
Louise Pedersen – CEO | all3media international
Lucy Clarke – Screenwriter & Producer
Credits include: Horrible Histories, Fabulous
Martin Alltimes – CEO/Founder | The Imaginati Studio
Natalie Brenner – Founder Partner | Metro International Entertainment
Credits include: Journey's End, Dorian Gray
Nik Powell – Producer and Director of National Film and Television School
Credits include: The Crying Game, Mona Lisa
Rhona Foulis – Executive Assistant
Credits include: Salmon, The Man in the High Castle
Robyn Slovo – Producer
Credits include: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Simon Harper – Executive Producer of Casualty & Holby City
Credits include: Casualty, Holby City
Talent Campus has been not much short of a life changing experience. Openly sharing my biggest fears and biggest hopes has made a massive difference to me personally as well as my career as a scriptwriter
Kristina Day
Eran Creevy – Director and Screenwriter
Credits include: Shifty, Welcome To The Punch, Collide
MJ Bassett – Screenwriter & Director
Credits include: Strike Back, Ash vs Evil Dead
Simon Rumley – Director
Credits include: Fashionista
I went away with so much helpful and insightful notes that I was immediately able to apply to my scripts
Lou Panteli, Writer
Angela Dixon – Actress
Credits include: Never Let Go, Offensive
Ingrid Oliver – Actor, Screenwriter & Director
Credits include: Doctor Who, Peep Show
Katy Manning – Actor
Credits include: Doctor Who, Iris Wildthyme, Casualty
Lisa Bowerman – Audio Director & Actress
Credits include: Doctor Who, Casualty, Bernice Summerfield
Mark Arnold – Actor
Credits include: Teen Wolf, Blade Runner 2049
Pearl Mackie – Actor
Credits include: Doctor Who
The LSF and PitchFest is a great opportunity for an agent to find new voices and writers
Sam Greenwood, Agent , Curtis Brown
People who know stuff
Lucy V Hay – Script editor | Bang2write
Bionic blogger, script editor and the voice of new writers!
Chris Jones – Filmmaker and author
Credits include: Oscars shortlisted Gone Fishing, the Guerilla Handbooks and a bunch of feature films
Alejandro Seri – Marketing & Communications Director | Final Draft
Credits include: Placebo Effect, Final Girl
Amanda Farley – Assistant Script Editor | BBC Writersroom
Caroline Marchal – Game Designer
Credits include: Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls
Dave Clarke – EVP Content | DRG and Atrium TV
David Baboulene Ph.D – Author, Scriptwriter, Narrative Theorist & Story Consultant
Credits include: Story Theory
Emma Pullar – Novelist
Credits include: Curly from Shirley, Skeletal
Farah Abushwesha – Producer & Founder of Rocliffe
Credits include: Irreplaceable You
Georgina Sherrington – Development Producer
Henri Ward – Researcher
Credits include: Horrible Histories
Jack Attridge – Co-Founder | Flavourworks
Credits include: ERICA
Joey Tuccio – Roadmap Writers | CEO
John Rhodes – Co-Founder of ScreenCraft
Jon Sen – Screenwriter & Director
Credits include: Casualty, Holby City
Karol Griffiths – Script Editor & Supervisor
Credits include: How I Met Your Mother, Friends
Kira-Anne Pelican, PhD – Script Consultant and Researcher
Leonardo Rizzi – Writer, Script Editor & Educator
Lord Robin Butler – Baron Butler of Brockwell
Loretta Preece – Producer, Story Producer & Script Editor
Manuel Puro – Casting Director
Credits include: Moon, The Machine, Scar Tissue
Matthew Kalil – Screenwriter, Director and Script Editor
Credits include: The Three Wells of Screenwriting
May Gibson – Producer & Script Development Executive
Credits include: The Musketeers, Wolfblood
Nasreen Ahmed – Script Editor
Credits include: Doctors, Coronation Street
Nic Ransome – Script Editor & Screenwriter
Paul Testar – Script Editor
Credits include: Tripped, Endeavour
Philip Hughes – Screenwriter & Educator
Credits include: Thunderpants, I Want Candy
Rossa McPhillips MBE – Screenwriter
Credits include: An MBE (for services he can't tell you about)
Simon Nelson – Development Executive
Ted Wilkes – Screenwriter & Educator
Toby Earle – TV & Film Critic
Una McCormack – Writer & Lecturer
Credits include: Star Trek, Doctor Who, Blake's 7
Victoria Morris – Development Assistant - Artists Studio
Zak Abby – Development Team Assistant | Bandit Television
How nice to be able to ask questions and have a conversation in a non-stressful environment.
Carolyn Cameron, Screenwriter
Bob Schultz – Writer, Producer, Professor, Instructor
Credits include: Fringe Bootcamp, Below Zero, Hitlersaurus!
Guy Rowland – Screenwriter
Credits include: Sam Jackson's Secret Video Diary
Alison Clapham – Freelance Screenwriter
Credits include: And Then There Were Two
Anna Smith – Film Critic & Broadcaster
Cera Rose Pickering – Screenwriter, Playwright & Actor
Credits include: Downton Abbey, Endeavour
Henry Fitzherbert – Screenwriter
Credits include: Slaughterhouse Rulez, Born a King
Maureen Hascoet – Agent & Director
Credits include: 50 Kisses ('Enough' segment)
I have sold my zombie comedy script Euston We Have a Problem! to Hammer as a result of pitching at the festival

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My name is Abriella Bredell.
I am 11 years old, and I live in Jeffreys Bay.
I am currently the youngest person to swim the Robben Island Channel in January 2018.
I have done this to raise funds for my favourite charity, The Red Cross Children's Hospital.
There is still time to donate to this amazing cause! By donating, you will not only help children in need, but you will also be a part of sporting history!


text:
At the end of the sleep lightly period, which is generally morning, we wake up. Awakening at this event occurs for 2 reasons. First, the driving force to slumber has degraded across the dark. Second, a biologic timepiece tells the psyche that it's antemeridian. the assemblage of thankful slumber thrust and inside fear group regulates the temporal order of physiological condition cessation, unless you have a physiological condition rowdiness.
Your own unique biorhythm and your brain's inside sleep-wake chronometer positioned in the suprachiasmatinc nuclei (SCN) too find the temporal arrangement of when you drop dormant. The SCN responds to featherweight an shade in the state of affairs and can reset your sleep-wake cycle.
In addition, to the central clock, other cause helps ownership your sleep-week cycle, physiological state. Homeostasis is the oblige that attempts to carry on a be a foil for betwixt physiological condition and physiological condition. When you linger up and about extensive last the spike when your mentality told you it was juncture for bed, you menachem begin location up what is cognize as a nod off indebtedness.Post ads:
computer phone call recording software / tracking device spy gear / know if spyware cell phone / detective cheating / 15 mobile monitor / spy earphone exam
Sleep debt is the gap relating the digit of work time you truly slumber and the numeral of hours you should have slept. Your wits is a terribly exact and thorough comptroller when it comes to catnap and information out a way to brand you pay aft for the take a nap you owe.
Deciding how some catnap is enough
The amount of take a nap society force varies, but many studies advise that for utmost people, a lowest of vii hours of good part have forty winks nighttime is obligatory for optimum eudaimonia. People who snooze this amount run to be the healthiest.Post ads:
video surveillance bugs / sly 3 all gadgets cheat / get over husband having affair / what is a cheater pipe / how to spy cheating wife / phone recorder ubuntu
That magnitude of nod off isn't a suggestion, it is a material prerequisite. To regularly get little hours compromises some your carnal and emotional robustness. All too often, when people are pressed for time, physiological state is the prototypal entry they cut put a bet on on.
They explanation that you can get by with a trivial less, and after a small-scale less, and since long, you may well breakthrough themselves snapping at their spouses or children, devising a bad conclusion at sweat or forgetting an serious meeting, or even worse, falling slumberous at the pedals of your car and awake up (if you wake up) cloaked on all sides a touchtone phone post.
Why do empire go through so lots refusal knock-on effect when they cut put a bet on on their sleep? Because the human brains and unit impose a regular spell of have a break in lay down to:
o Achieve a higher punch level
o Have distinct intellectual function, means to concentrate, and honourable management skills
o Improve memory
o Maintain a constructive moral outlook that helps you succeed stress
o Strengthen your status system to aid living you well
When you're decently rested, you remain physically and spiritually healthier, your neural structure and body recharge, loiter wholesome and work at an optimum even. People who get too miniature physiological state be to have much wellness technical hitches than those who get an so-so amount of slumber.
For example, the Nurses Health Study followed more than 71,000 women for ten old age to observe a cipher of wellness indicators. One unheralded arise was practical confirmation that longitudinal word catnap privation increases the hazard of heart sickness.
Women who mediocre 5 hours of catnap per night had a 39% superior venture of hunch bug than women who slept 7 to 8 work time all period. But you may be shocked to locate that group who sleep 9 or more as well have robustness teething troubles.
Researchers aren't yet confident if grouping next to eudaimonia worries take a nap much as a event of their broke health, or if individuals who sleep lightly more than 8 hours a night have a superior hazard of seasoned condition ill.


text:
LegCo Paper No. CB(1)62/96-97
(These minutes have been seen by the Administration)
Ref : CB1/BC/38/95/2
Members Present :
Members Absent :
Members Attending :
Public Officers Attending :
Attendance by Invitation :
Clerk in Attendance :
(LegCo Paper No. CB(1)1723/95-96. A list of main issues discussed at the last meeting of the Bills Committee on 27 June 1996 prepared by the Secretariat and a letter from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions were tabled at the meeting and attached at annex.)
Referring to the letter from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (HKFTU) tabled at the meeting which urged the Bills Committee to expedite examination of the Bill to facilitate its early enactment, the Chairman commented that while Members and the community at large was equally concerned about the importance of industrial safety and looked forward to the early passage of legislation to this effect, the Bills Committee had a duty to scrutinise the Bill carefully. Indeed, this was the third meeting held in the past ten days with the Administration and deputations to discuss the Bill. The Committee would endeavour to complete its work as early as possible.
2. Hon Ronald ARCULLI expressed support for the joint proposal from the Hong Kong Construction Association Ltd (HKCA), the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong (REDA), the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and the Hong Kong Institute of Architects to introduce a two-tier approach under which on discovery of a work hazard, the Factory Inspector (FI) would first serve the proprietor with an improvement notice (IN) on the spot requiring rectification while he would proceed to obtain a suspension notice (SN) from the Deputy Chief Factory Inspector (DCFI) in accordance with departmental procedures. If the dangerous work situation was not satisfactorily improved during follow-up visit, a SN would be issued to order the immediate suspension of work. If the hazards had been removed, the SN would not be served. This approach was preferred to the proposed arrangement of verbally advising the proprietor on necessary remedial actions as the former would compel the proprietor to effect rectification promptly in order to comply with the IN.
3. Hon CHAN Yuen-han supported the stance of the HKFTU that the immediate issue of SN was warranted for serious cases where workers were exposed to imminent risk of serious bodily injury and it would defeat the purpose of averting serious accidents if the issue of SN had to be preceded by IN.
4. Responding to the joint proposal, Mr S Y MAK advised that it remained the Administrations view that under hazardous situations with imminent risks, it was undesirable to first serve the proprietor with an IN and await the outcome of remedial action before a SN could be issued. Instead, the FI would give verbal notice to the proprietor on the spot that a SN was being contemplated and advise the latter to stop the hazardous operation in the meantime. To expedite the issue of SN where necessary, for example, in serious cases, the DCFI would be called to the workplace to issue the notice immediately.
5. Some members and representatives of the HKCA and REDA queried the effectiveness of the verbal advice given by FIs on the spot which was not legally binding on the proprietor. In this connection, Mr ARCULLI suggested that on discovery of a dangerous work situation, a written notice should be issued to the proprietor on the spot stating the intention to issue a SN and specifying the circumstances which warranted such SN. The notice should be a statutory form, preferably as a Schedule to the Ordinance.
6. Mr MAK confirmed that there was no objection in principle to incorporate the proposed arrangements in the LDs procedural guidelines but the Administration and the Law Draftsman would need to consider the appropriateness of including the written notice as a prescribed form to the Ordinance. Mr ARCULLI, in response, indicated his intention to move the necessary Committee Stage Amendments (CSAs) to this effect.
7. Regarding a Members suggestion to prescribe in the Ordinance a shorter time-frame for the issue of SN, Mr MAK clarified that it was the LDs internal guidelines that a SN should be issued not later than 48 hours after discovery of the hazard. Nevertheless, the LD would always endeavour to issue it as early as possible. In order to allow some flexibility in enforcement, it was not advisable to stipulate the time-frame in the Ordinance but consideration would be given to stating the time-frame in the performance pledge of the LD.
8. Representatives of the HKCA and REDA reiterated their concern on the need to prepare a technical memorandum (TM) to the Ordinance setting out the criteria and procedures for the issue and enforcement of SN and IN. They pointed out that TMs or Codes of Practice were available in a number of ordinances and this arrangement was preferred to internal operational guidelines which were non-statutory and therefore, not binding.
9. In response, Mr MAK and Mr Herman CHO made the following points :
In this connection, Miss CHAN Yuen-han cautioned that preparation of the TM, which had to be introduced as a piece of subsidiary legislation, might delay the passage of the Bill.
10. Some members maintained the view that a proprietor who had complied with an IN/SN should not be prosecuted for breaches of the safety provisions stated in the notice and suggested that a clause to this effect should be added to the Bill. Mr ARCULLI was also concerned that remedial action taken by the proprietor in compliance with an IN/SN might be construed as self-incrimination and stressed the need to include a clause to put beyond doubt that such compliance would not imply or should not be construed as admission on the part of the proprietor of having committed the offence(s).
11. In response to the concerns, Mr MAK reiterated the Administrations position that under normal circumstances, if an IN had been complied with, prosecution would not be taken out for the breaches stated therein. However, in serious cases involving SN, prosecution might still be contemplated for breaches of the relevant safety provisions. The Administration would nevertheless consider members suggestions in paragraph 10 above.
12. In this connection, ALA1 advised that, in the context of criminal law, remedial action on the part of the proprietor in compliance with an IN/SN was unlikely to be self-incriminating. In the trial of such an offence, the prosecution would still be required to provide other evidence to prove the alleged offence.
13. On members concern about allowing 14 days for the Commissioner for Labour (C for L) to decide on an application for review and their suggestion to include in the proposed section 9C(4) the procedure for the C for L to consult an advisory panel in making the decision, Mr MAK advised that after re-consideration, the Administration had decided to give a choice to the proprietor concerned. If he chose to involve consultation of the Committee on Industrial Safety and Health of the Labour Advisory Board in the review, the review would be completed within 14 days. Otherwise, the review process would be shortened if it was undertaken by the C for L only. The options would be included as administrative procedures and incorporated into LDs guidelines.
14. Members supported the early passage of the Bill and agreed to hold a further meeting on 3 July 1996 at 10:45 a.m. to wrap up the discussion so that the Second and Third Reading of the Bill could be resumed on 10 July 1996. The Chairman also informed members that at its meeting on 28 June 1996, the House Committee had agreed to recommend to the President of the Legislative Council to waive the deadline for proposing CSAs which should expire on 1 July 1996.
15. The Administration undertook to respond to outstanding points and new suggestions made by members and deputations at the next meeting of the Bills Committee.
16. The meeting ended at 4:45 p.m.
LegCo Secretariat
4 October 1996


text:
More Shearables is a small mod, which allows you to shear Chicken, Cows and Pigs.
To get started, you will need a Shaver, which can be crafted with 2 Gold and some Shears.
Now simply rightclick a chicken/cow/pig with your new Shaver and pull off their skin to get some stuff!
Don't worry, if animals are naked they will eat grass to regrow their skin and turn back to normal.
You can change all drops in the config file, but the defaults are:
Chicken – Feather
Cow – Leather
Pig – Pig Skin
All 3 animals will drop 1-3 items of their corresponding drops.
You can also disable shaving of certain mobs in the config file.
As written above, this mod also adds in a new material, called Pig Skin. You can get it by shaving Pigs. Pig Skin can be used to craft Leather (2 Pig Skin in a shapeless recipe). You can also use your Pig Skin to make the amazing, noisy Pig Armor.
How to install:
- Download and install Minecraft Forge.
- Download the mod.
- Go to %appdata%.
- Go to .minecraft/mods folder.
- If the "mods" folder does not exist you can create one.
- Drag and drop the downloaded jar (zip) file into it.
- Enjoy the mod.


text:
Secondary schools have signed up to an initiative that helps point students in the right direction for further education, training and employment.
Since the National Careers Service commenced delivery of the Supporting Inspiration initiative 264 schools throughout the north east have been engaged, with 116 schools signing up to access the full range of free services provided.
Three schools North Tyneside and five in Northumberland have signed up.
The goal of the initiative is to assist young people to develop their appreciation of the world of work, understand the local labour market, and to raise their awareness of opportunities and progression pathways.
Carly Hinds, partnership manager in the north east for the National Careers Service, said: "Our mission is to ensure young people across the region are equipped with the knowledge, skills and experience needed for them to have a successful future.
"We are pleased to be leading the way in building relationships with schools to make sure students are able to achieve their career aspirations."
Mike Parker, director of the first and only UK regional network of schools, SCHOOLS NorthEast, said: "Schools are keenly focused on giving their students the best chance of a fulfilling career after they leave education. Engaging with the National Careers Service is an important step in helping young people prepare for the world of work."
The National Careers Service in the North East recently launched its Supporting Inspiration portal, which aims to transform the way employers contribute to making young people in the region work-ready.
The service matches up employers willing to inform students about the world of work, with schools and colleges across the region.
It connects with employers who can offer a range of careers education support such as providing work experience placements, mentoring students face-to-face and online and attending careers fairs.
For more information headteachers and employers should log onto www.supportinginspiration.org.uk/NEor email firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Identity Card
Type: short Alcoholic level: alcoholic Basic liqueur: Calvados Boulard Equipment: shaker Glassware: cocktail glass Garnish: two rose petals and a little apple ball
- 3/4 Calvados Boulard
- 1/4 Vanilzucca
- A dash of rose syrup Boero
How to make itPlace some ice cubes in the shaker and add all the other ingredients. Shake for 6-8 seconds and strain into the glass. Decorate with two rose petals and a little apple ball. The cocktail is ready.
Variations and note
Rate this!


text:
The Bowman Blog: trenchantly goofy musings from an actor, writer and all around pop culture geek.
About Me
- Terence Bowman
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- I am a Montreal-based actor, writer and comedian. When U.S. President John F. Kennedy was shot, I was three days old. I cried all day. My favourite books of all time are Moby Dick by Herman Melville, The Last Temptation by Nikos Kazantzakis and The Ewoks Fun Time Activity Book by Chirpa and Pamploo. I am a member of The Vestibules, On The Spot Improv and The Best Buy Battery Club. Except for the Battery Club, I've been at all this stuff for over 20 years. Enjoy my blog.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Swamp Thing vs Man-Thing
Sorry, gang.
That's not real. Just yet another example of someone out there who owns Photoshop and has a lot of time on their hands.
Which, unfortunately, I do not this week. "He Had on a Hat" will return in its regularly scheduled time slot next Monday. Check it our for my moment by moment commentary on this year's Oscars.
Until then, watch this fun thing:
Posted by Terence Bowman at 10:00 AM
Labels: Man Thing, Swamp Thing
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
One thing leads to another
You know that book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?" That was me earlier this week. I was heading out to a teacher institute and wanted to bring some knitting.
In looking for the needles, I discovered the basket of needles had dumped all over the floor of the closet.
Really, who keeps needles in a basket?
Then decided to make a needle-case.
Gathered them all into a sensible tub.
Facebooked friends for a new pattern.
But then needed yarn for the new project.
Determined not to buy new, I tidied my stash.
Gathered the delightfully organized needles.
Wound the yarn.
Headed off to my program, project in hand, and a very organized craft scene left behind.
Now, if only I could be inspired to do the same in the kitchen...


text:
These are some pictures of my family
This is me
This is my daddy
This is my Mom (left) and my Grandma (right)
This is My sister Amber and her Boyfriend Eric
This is my baby cousin Ben Jr
This is my cousin Alexis
This is me and my handsome and brilliant boyfriend Anthony
This is my boyfriend Anthony, my brother in law Eric,
and my sister Amber at Idewild being goofy!
This is my grandma and pappy Everett
This is one of my bestest friends in the whole wide
world Amber!
Enter supporting content here


text:
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING LEGAL AGREEMENT ("Agreement"). THIS AGREEMENT CONSTITUTES A LEGAL, BINDING AND ENFORCEABLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND Finny Inc. ("Licensor") REGARDING USE OF ANY SOFTWARE OR APPLICATION ("myfinny.com or Myfinny app") PROVIDED BY Finny Inc. BY INSTALLING THE APPLICATION, YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY AND BECOME A PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT WITH Finny Inc. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS IN THIS AGREEMENT, DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE APPLICATION.
You hereby confirm: (a) your User Materials will be not be subject to any obligation, of confidence or otherwise, to you or any other person; (b) your posting of the content on or through the Licensed Application does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights or other rights of any other person; and (c) your posting is in accordance with this Agreement and that we shall not be liable for any use or disclosure of such User Materials. We reserve the right (but do not assume the obligation) in our sole discretion to reject, move, edit or remove any User Materials. You acknowledge that we do not verify, adopt, ratify, or sanction User Materials, and you agree that you must evaluate and bear all risks associated with our use of User Materials or our reliance on the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of User Materials.
You understand that by using any of the Services, you may encounter content that may be deemed offensive, indecent, or objectionable, which content may or may not be identified as having explicit language, and that the results of any search or entering of a particular URL may automatically and unintentionally generate links or references to objectionable material. Nevertheless, you agree to use the Services at your sole risk and that neither the Licensor nor its agents shall have any liability to you for content that may be found to be offensive, indecent, or objectionable.
Certain Services may display, include or make available content, data, information, applications or materials from third parties ("Third Party Materials") or provide links to certain third party web sites. By using the Services, you acknowledge and agree that neither the Licensor nor its agents is responsible for examining or evaluating the content, accuracy, completeness, timeliness, validity, copyright compliance, legality, decency, quality or any other aspect of such Third Party Materials or web sites. Neither the Licensor nor its agents warrant or endorse and does not assume and will not have any liability or responsibility to you or any other person for any third-party services, Third Party Materials or web sites, or for any other materials, products, or services of third parties. Third Party Materials and links to other web sites are provided solely as a convenience to you.
Financial information displayed by any Services is for general informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment or tax advice. Before executing any securities transaction based upon information obtained through the Services, you should consult with a financial or securities professional who is legally qualified to give financial or securities advice in your country or region. Location data provided by any Services is for basic navigational purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon in situations where precise location information is needed or where erroneous, inaccurate, time-delayed or incomplete location data may lead to death, personal injury, property or environmental damage. Neither the Licensor nor its agents, nor any of its content providers, guarantees the availability, accuracy, completeness, reliability, or timeliness of stock information, location data or any other data displayed by any Services.
You agree that the Services contain proprietary content, information and material that is owned by Licensor and/or its agents or licensors, and is protected by applicable intellectual property and other laws, including but not limited to copyright, and that you will not use such proprietary content, information or materials in any way whatsoever except for permitted use of the Services or in any manner that is inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement or that infringes any intellectual property rights of a third party. No portion of the Services may be reproduced in any form or by any means. You agree not to modify, rent, lease, loan, sell, distribute, or create derivative works based on the Services, in any manner, and you shall not exploit the Services in any unauthorized way whatsoever, including but not limited to, using the Services to transmit any computer viruses, worms, trojan horses or other malware, or by trespass or burdening network capacity. You further agree not to use the Services in any manner to harass, abuse, stalk, threaten, defame or otherwise infringe or violate the rights of any other party, and that neither Licensor nor its agents is in any way responsible for any such use by you, nor for any harassing, threatening, defamatory, offensive, infringing or illegal messages or transmissions that you may receive as a result of using any of the Services.
In addition, Services and Third Party Materials that may be accessed from, displayed on or linked to from the Android Devices are not available in all languages or in all countries or regions. Licensor makes no representation that such Services and Materials are appropriate or available for use in any particular location. To the extent you choose to use or access such Services and Materials, you do so at your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with any applicable laws, including but not limited to applicable local laws. Licensor reserves the right to change, suspend, remove, or disable access to any Services at any time without notice. In no event will Licensor be liable for the removal of or disabling of access to any such Services. Licensor may also impose limits on the use of or access to certain Services, in any case and without notice or liability.
Finny Inc.
1335 Cedar St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
E-mail: email@example.com


text:
Barber to Cosmetology Program Overview
Program Length – 2–4 months
Program Duration – 300 hours
This course is for licensed barbers only. With all credit hours going toward cosmetology.
Our Barber to Cosmetology Course Goal
The purpose of this Barber to Cosmetology program is to:
- Cover key fundamentals of all cosmetology procedures, techniques, methods of application, materials, equipment, supplies, and products used in preparation and compliance of the State Board rules and regulations.
- Help students acquire and retain relevant knowledge and information, teach them to think and apply this knowledge, and stimulate them to continue learning in all related areas of the beauty/barbering industry.
- Create a significant learning experience that can provide a positive and lasting influence on the student personally and in the workplace.
Financing is available! You may also qualify for financial aid. Please call us, or schedule a tour so we may specifically discuss financing for your program.
Transfer Credit Hours
Barber and cosmetology program availability with credit for licensure: 1300 credit hours for licensure in cosmetology and/or barbering.


text:
Online Forms
Access Your Pet's Records Online
Complete and Send Forms Online
Downloadable Forms (PDF)
For your convenience, our client, drop-off, boarding drop-off and surgical consent forms are available for instant download in PDF format. Simply by choosing the applicable form, you can fill it out at your leisure, and bring the form with you the next time you drop off your pet:
Forms are available in Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format). In order to access these PDF files, you must have the 3.x or higher version of the Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer.
This software is available free of charge from Adobe Software. Simply click here to download now!
Be sure to bring the applicable form in to your next visit to our veterinary hospital, and we'll do the rest!
Pet owners from across the greater Houston area look to Heights Veterinary Clinic when they need comprehensive and compassionate veterinary care! Whether you're in Houston, Greater Heights, Houston Heights, Woodland Heights, Lazybrook, Timbergrove, Midtown, North Houston, Oak Forest, or another surrounding area, we hope that you'll stop in to our animal clinic soon!


text:
Breakfast Combination A
An assortment of muffins, danishes, croissants, other breakfast pastries, coffee service, water & juice. Price is based on one portion per person.
Assorted muffins, danishes, croissants & other breakfast pastries. Coffee service, water & juice are also included. If you would like tea instead of coffee please let us know how many teas you would like by leaving us a note at your checkout confirmation. Price is based on one portion per person.


text:
Floating between now and then. I'm waiting for news that will determine the next two years of my life. Until I hear about it, I can't make any real concrete plans. I am picking up any work I can get. Short term projects are good because they'll end quickly. But I can't take anything that's long term because I don't know what's going to happen to me through this year.
I applied for a scholarship to study abroad. I made it through the first and second phase. I think I did pretty well on the interview. I honestly thought I screwed it up because I was a rambling idiot and when I apologized and told them I was nervous, they laughed and said I was "doing great." When the interview ended and I switched off my Skype, there was this rush right down to my stomach and I felt good. I felt like I nailed it.
But they are only taking six people in my track, in the course I applied for and so I'm feeling quite lost. I feel like I got in but logic and reason tells me that I don't have much of a chance. And because of those conflicting thoughts, I can't seem to act until I hear from them if I got the scholarship or not.
So I'm just taking whatever work I can get my hands on now and hoping for the best.
I'm lost in transition. I'm okay either way because I've made plans for either outcome. And I'm actually happy and excited with both. This is still a win-win situation for me.
It's just the waiting is killer. It's the waiting that's killing me.


text:
Lockridge Banquet Room
The Lockridge Room is set up for banquets, weddings, reunions, and holiday parties. If you have any questions please contact us?
If you are looking for a banquet hall or a private room to host your next event or party, then check out our fantastic Lockridge Room. Our fun and festive semi-private banquet facility is uniquely decorated, comfortable, and inviting, making the Alburtis Tavern the perfect place for hosting a large banquet or an intimate gathering. Our banquet rooms are great for:
- Holiday Parties
- Birthday Parties
- Bridal and Baby Showers
- Corporate Party
- Business Luncheons
- Wedding Receptions
- Graduation Party
- Anniversary Party
- Retirement Party
- Private Party
- And much more.
The greatest part about having us host your event is the Alburtis Tavern environment. When you book with Alburtis, you are getting the spirit of Alburtis with great food served family-style and portions that are ideal for sharing with family and friends.
View OurBanquet Menus
Saturday - Sunday
Kitchen Hours:
Sun.-Thurs. - 11 am - 10 pm
Fri.-Sat. - 11 am - 11 pm
Reserve a Table
Or make reservations online.Reserve Now!


text: Looking to sell this 13 month-old Roadster even though it's the most fun I've ever had while driving. 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds is fun, but 30 to 90 mph is awesome! Details: 2008 model, 3,000 miles, No. 453, California car pool lane sticker, and Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) parking decal Location: Orange County, California Exterior: Twilight Blue metallic paint Soft-top convertible Interior: Stereo unit with navigation Bluetooth connectivity Sirius satellite radio Premium 7-speaker sound with subwoofer Homelink door opener Premium two-toned leather interior Security features: Vehicle theft-deterrent and immobilizer system Security PIN for starting the vehicle Valet mode to restrict power output Charging Selling with high power home charging station Spare mobile charging connector Asking: $82,500 Send interest or questions via SMS to (949) 510-5847 include phone number or email address for reply.


text:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
9 ways to get survey results that matter
There are consultants and firms that will develop surveys and provide analysis but like all good things in life, they come at a cost. On the other hand there are numerous online alternatives, many of which are very robust and cost effective – and are worth using. But, for your research to be effective, you need to know what you are doing. With that in mind here are a few (nine to be exact) tips on how to create surveys so that you get results that matter.
1. Link questions to decisions. Think about the questions you need to have answered in order to make important decisions for your organization. You may want to start with a list of issues that are currently under discussion. For example, you may want reaction to the new product line, the revised curriculum or updated donation opportunities. Survey questions should also support decision-making on longer term issues like service, quality and pricing because it's not going to be practical or meaningful to survey more than once a year.
2. Make it actionable. Don't ask questions for the sake of asking questions. If you can't or are not prepared to act upon the results related to a particular question, don't ask it. You don't want to ask your customers how they feel about your hours of operation if you do business in a mall where those hours are restricted. Similarly, you don't want to ask for feedback on your organization's mission or philosophy if is there is no mandate from the Board to make changes. In addition to wasting the time of the respondent in answering these questions and your own time in tracking results, you will be setting unattainable expectations. If you ask me whether I would prefer to have expanded donation opportunities, I assume that by answering the question I may influence change. If that change is not possible, you're just leading me toward inevitable disappointment.
3. It's got to be measurable. If you just want to hear what people are saying about your organization, you can monitor social media or stand in the school parking lot. The point of surveying is to arrive at results that you can analyze and compare – year over year or to other similar organizations. Questions have to be framed in a way that allows for measurable results. Have respondents rank or rate statements or choose from a list of potential responses.
4. Make questions precise. You want to zone in on exactly what it is you want to know and make sure the question will provide the response. Instead of asking a respondent to rate their satisfaction with the service provided, ask them about the various aspects of that service. Was it prompt? Were their questions answered? Was it delivered pleasantly? This will not only provide precise information, it will be a more effective guide to changes in customer service you may want to consider.
5. Use clarity. What you are asking the respondent needs to be crystal clear. Test your question by imagining yourself in the shoes of your customer and ask yourself whether you would understand what's being asked. When people take a survey and don't really understand what's being asked, they skip the question or answer indiscriminately.
6. Be polite and conversational. Phrases like "Now we want to ask you some questions about why you support our organization" are effective because they show respect and they may even make the intent of the question clearer. Questions that begin with please – as in "Please rate the following …." value the respondent and by making the experience more pleasant. In that way, you also increase the chances that someone will complete the survey.
7. Open-ends add context. Open-ended questions – those that require a narrative response – are important for two reasons. They add context to the measurable parts of the survey. By reviewing the open-ended responses you will likely begin to understand the reasons for empirical results. In addition, respondents often want the opportunity to express an opinion or tell you their story. The responses can be very rich. Just be prepared for the bad news as well as the good.
8. Be time sensitive. There are probably tons of questions that you would like answered but a survey that is too long compromises the quality of responses in two ways. This research from the people at Survey Monkey proves that the longer the survey, the fewer people will complete it. But the deeper finding is that the longer the survey, the less time respondents spend on each question. While greater respondent affinity (as is the case with schools and religious organizations) buys more time tolerance, your survey should take no more than 10 minutes for maximum effectiveness.
9. Report back. This is the step that is probably most often missed by organizations that conduct research. Close the loop by reporting back to your stakeholders on the results of the survey. You can brag about the positive responses and in addition tell your community what action you are taking as a result of negative responses. It demonstrates accountability, transparency and a commitment to your customers and to continuous improvement. It will also encourage people to participate in future surveys.
Done well, surveying stakeholders will allow you to gauge satisfaction, determine the effectiveness of marketing or operational initiatives and verify the assumptions you are making about customer behaviour. Perhaps most importantly it is the best way to evaluate the success of branding efforts.
What do you think? Do you have any advice for those doing their own research or any experience wit your own research that you think can be helpful?. Please share.
Posted by Chuck English at 8:10 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Branding gaps and 6 ways to bridge them
First, some ground rules. For the purpose of this discussion I am using Seth Godin's definition of a brand: "A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another." So, you can see that a brand is infinitely more than logo, tagline and ad copy.
Now, to define branding gaps we need to accept that organizations effectively have two brands. One is the promised brand – the one that marketing, communication, mission and other efforts have been designed to convey. The other is the delivered brand. This is the one you find out about when you survey stakeholders and ask them to characterize their experience with and perceptions of your school. In organizations that really have their branding act together (think Apple, Whole Foods), the two are aligned. In most organizations, there are going to be differences between the promised brand and the delivered brand and those differences are the branding gaps.
There are many sources of branding gaps. Most of them can and should be considered proactively. Here are some ideas for where those gaps maybe lurking in your school and what to do about them.
Teachers – There is no one more important to delivering your school's brand than teachers. For most families, they are the most common point of communication. It's critical that teachers know and understand the school's brand. Clearly it should be reflected in all their communication with students and parents and that includes classroom websites and email blasts. I would contend that the brand should also be evident in the classroom. I know a Head of School that challenges teachers to consider the changes they would make to classroom content if the mission of the school changed. If mission and curriculum are married, then brand must also be part of the educational product.
Everyday Communication – Parents are recipients of what sometimes seems like an endless stream of communication from the school. While this often deals with day-to-day issues like early closings, lunch programs and upcoming events, there's no reason that it shouldn't reflect the school's brand. The danger is that much of this type of communication is often written hastily by people other than marketing and communications staff. There are a number of solutions. Many of these communications can be anticipated and templates can be prepared in advance. Everyone in the organization should be brand-trained and understand how that affects even the most mundane messaging. Finally, a review system that gives the communications staff the final say could help maintain the brand.
Office staff – We all know the adage about having one chance to make a first impression and office staff are the front line of most interaction with stakeholders – whether in person, by phone or by email. Like everyone else, they need to understand the school's brand promise but more importantly they need to know how to incorporate that into daily activity. Front-line staff in a school that emphasizes inclusivity and diversity should communicate differently than those in an elite IB school.
Board members – Lay people are often represent the greatest brand challenge. Their implicit contract with the school is not employment based and requires more refined management measures. Yet they wield tremendous influence –within the school community and the community at large. Brand training for board members is essential. What's more is that lay people are often not aware of the ways in which they subtly make brand impressions in their everyday conversation.
Mission/Marketing Misalignment – Finally, it's possible that everyone in the organization is delivering the brand experience dictated by its mission or even brand strategy and the real problem is that marketing efforts have missed the mark. What's being promised isn't what's being delivered. Assuming that most people are satisfied with their interaction with the organization, the fix is to re-tool the marketing effort.
The real solution is the 3 M's - You can only fix branding gaps that you are aware of. The key to brand management is to measure, monitor and modify. You have to survey stakeholders on a regular basis to determine if you are delivering your intended brand. Likewise, it's critical to be monitoring social media including the parking lot that, in a school, is often the most potent social media channel. Final, you have to be prepared to act based on what you discover.
Branding gaps can undo the most masterful marketing efforts and create enrolment crises. Knowing how to find them – and bridge them – will undoubtedly improve results.
What do you think? What branding gaps have you uncovered in your organization and what are you doing about them?
Posted by Chuck English at 10:45 AM 9 comments Links to this post
Monday, January 28, 2013
Content marketing can't close the sale
I read an article last week that promoted the use of content marketing in automobile sales. It started by detailing the way the Internet has changed the relationship between salesperson and customer. Salespeople used to have exclusive access to product and industry knowledge. With it came credibility. They were the experts. Now that consumers can use online resources to know just as much as the salesperson, the power balance in the relationship has shifted.
So, how does the salesperson re-gain control? The article suggested that the solution was for salespeople to use various content marketing techniques. A post on the Dealer Communications site makes the point that product information is ubiquitous online and that consumers are actually looking for perspectives to help them parse all the data. That in turn provides opportunities for salespeople to provide consumers with unique insights using blogs, videos and other online content.
As I was reading this, I kept thinking about a famous quote from the hugely successful insurance salesman Ben Feldman. "Sales is 98% people knowledge and 2% product knowledge." I began my working life as a headhunter, which is the most challenging sales environment you can imagine. My experience then and throughout my career has proven the wisdom of Feldman's words.
It seems to me that content marketing addresses the product knowledge portion of the quote. But that's only 2% of the sale. What about the other 98%? Sooner or later, the sale must be consummated in a personal meeting. What happens then?
The same Dealer Communications post makes the following assertion. "When customers consume your self-published content prior to sale they have a stronger connection with you." Really?? This assumes that sales connections are built on the knowledge or perspectives of the salesperson as opposed to the salesperson's knowledge of the customer.
In his Sales Lion blog, Marcus Sheridan talks about using content marketing to boost the sales of a company that installs inground pools. The company changed its sales approach from a traditional model to one where a request for a quote is met with an invitation to review the company's vast online resources (blogs, videos, e-books). I found the next two steps in their sales process astounding:
Once a potential customer educates themselves through our content, they tell us the pool and options they want, at which point we send them via email an actual quote.
If the customer reviews the quote and agrees to its terms, we then go out to their home to confirm there are no hidden costs and write up the contract.
It would appear that we've gone one step further and virtually eliminated the salesperson. The first personal contact with the company is to confirm the details of the order. According to e-how.com the average cost of an inground pool is $20-30,000. I'm not sure about you, but there's no way I would make a $20,000 buying decision without seeing someone. And even if I was prepared to do the preliminary work online, my interaction with the company rep would have huge impact on my decision. Content marketing may deliver the salesperson to my doorstep but it's her sales ability that's going to close the deal.
Even companies like Zappos that do all their business online have staked their success on the quality of the personal interaction with the customer. Tony Hsieh's mantra of Delivering Happiness cannot be rendered by content alone and the training and selection of their customer service reps is now legendary.
In talking about great salespeople, Enterprise Rent-A-Car CEO Andy Taylor says, "the people who are the most successful are the ones who listen most closely to the customer." Continuing, he adds, "We follow the two ears, one mouth rule here." Sales success is built on asking tons of questions and listening carefully to the answers. Moreover, sales is always a transfer of emotion. The only way to close a sale is to deliver what the customer has told you she wants in an way that makes her feel good about her decision. Content marketing can't do that.
There's no question that content marketing is valuable to the sales cycle. It can definitely generate leads and it can even help to qualify prospects. But capitalizing on that value and making the sale is going to take that 98% of people knowledge. The bottom line is that to improve sales results your human resources are still more important than online resources.
What do you think?
Posted by Chuck English at 9:44 AM 9 comments Links to this post
Labels: content marketing, marketing, online marketing, sales, sales cycle
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Major gifts fundraising isn't normal
I've been giving a lot of thought to Major Gifts lately. No, my Powerball number hasn't come up but I am co-authoring a book based on interviews with many of Canada's top philanthropists. I've been considering how I can use what I've learned to help fundraising organizations. The yardstick I often use in approaching challenges in nonprofit organizations is what's the equivalent for-profit situation and what would the ideal business response be.
I was trying to think of a business that offers products or services that range in price from $10 to $10 million. I couldn't come up with one. And yet, that's exactly what a hospital or college foundation is doing. They are selling opportunities that range from two digits to those that often exceed seven digits. Even if your organization's definition of major giving is 5 digits, that's still an incredible spread. I suspect that if you proposed a business venture with those parameters to your local bank, you'd be given a lecture about how a $10 sale requires a very different approach than one that is worth tens of thousands or millions.
And yet fundraising organizations have no choice but to do that which would be scoffed upon in the business world – and that's why I say that major gifts fundraising isn't normal. So, what's a fundraising organization to do?
Be honest about the challenge. The for-profit world understands that a large ticket item requires a very different sales approach and so should you. Major gifts fundraising is, in may ways, its own discipline. It requires distinct knowledge and dedicated resources. If you're going to be successful at it, you have to make the investment in time and people.
Resist the temptation. News of a philanthropist's record-setting gift to a local organization is like the lure of a lottery ticket. "If she can give that organization $1 million, then maybe she will give mine $100,000." You likely know nothing about that donor's interests and have no relationship with her, but that doesn't stop many organizations from thinking that they are going to secure that donor's support. The reality is it's not going to happen. So, save yourself the time and the heartache and mine your current donor base. Maybe, the rule of tens (for every ten donors at one level, there is one donor who has the ability to add a zero to their gift) will work for you.
Be true to your organization. I mean this in two ways. First, define a major gift according to your needs and resources. For some, that will be a four digit amount and that's OK – especially if it's within your reach. Second, concentrate on developing a powerhouse case for giving that is authentic and compelling. In the interviews we conducted with major givers, we found that the the most likely determinant of whether and how much a philanthropist would give is the confidence that their gift would make a difference as well as the passion of the cause and its prime mover. There were also many, many instances in which a philanthropist gave more than asked – because the case for giving was so strong. If you worry about building a strong case and even stronger relationships, you may find that major gifts opportunities are less contrived and more organic.
It's not for everyone. Let me completely contradict myself (I do it often) and say there may be organizations that are simply not set up for any kind of major gifts programs. Maybe that's ok – as long as you can build a funding model that works on the volume of smaller gifts.
Normal or not, the challenge of major gifts is extremely demanding. Developing a realistic strategy that makes sense for your organization will help you save your sanity.
Posted by Chuck English at 7:12 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday, January 7, 2013
Branding to the converted
But I had an experience last month that ought to send a shiver down the spine of any independent school advancement professional – or for the keeper of the brand in any organization.
I was speaking with a woman whose oldest child is a grade one student at an independent school to which I consult on marketing and admissions issues. She told me that as a parent she didn't really know how to articulate what distinguishes this school from others. And in a moment of panic, I thought, "Houston, we have a problem."
You see, this is a school that mounts aggressive recruitment campaigns with very healthy budgets. And the marketing is effective. It generates hundreds of inquiries and provides a school of over 1500 students with enough new students to offset attrition and maintain stable enrolment.
The problem seems to be that four years after they signed on, parents clearly can't remember why they chose the school and what makes it different. The reality is that current parents don't see all the fancy advertising. The expensive viewbook they were once given is gathering dust somewhere – assuming it was spared from the recycling bin. They don't look at the admissions section of the website.
And yet current parents are any school's greatest salespeople. If they can't articulate the brand, the return on marketing investment isn't going to be very exciting. So, what to do?
Here are some suggestions for what is not an uncommon challenge.
1. Live the brand. A brand is way more than a logo and a tagline. If the brand is that which truly distinguishes a school, then it is defined by the sum of all experience with the school. Every interaction has an impact on that brand. Based on that, the goal is to have everything that happens at the school – educationally, programmatically, even administratively, reflect the brand. It's possible that although the parent in my story felt that she couldn't distinguish what was different about the school, her description of her family's experience at the school may in fact reveal unique qualities. If she's living the brand, she becomes an effective ambassador.
2. Communicate the brand. Current parents should be just as much a target of communication efforts as are prospective parents. Knowing what's going on in their kid's grade one class isn't enough. They have to know about the notable events and successes throughout the school. More importantly that communication should also reflect the brand. Whether you're using e-newsletters, social media, websites or old-fashioned print, what you say and how you say it has to convey the values, priorities and essential characteristics of the school.
3. Measure the brand. Let's start this one with the basics. You absolutely need to be surveying your parents regularly. Are they satisfied? What areas need improvement? How do they assess the quality of core curriculum components and key aspects of student life? Assuming that those elements are reflective of the brand, those questions are already measuring your success at conveying the intended brand. You can go further. Ask parents about the extent to which they identify with the principles that are at the core of your brand.
An interesting question then arises. What happens if parents don't identify with those principles? Well, you have two choices. One is to redouble your efforts to live and communicate the brand. The second choice is more intriguing. Even though the brand being articulated by your parents is different than what you intended, it's possible that brand is more authentic and equally attractive. Maybe you need to rethink the brand.
Any way you slice it, branding and marketing efforts must be inbound as much as they are outbound. That way, current parents become powerful brand advocates for their school – and you reserve your spine chilling moments for horror movies.
Posted by Chuck English at 7:41 PM 16 comments Links to this post
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)