I thought I heard Coach Kristina wrong. Did she really say 21 masters swimmers had showed up to Saturday swim practice? Attendance had been down during vacation. We thought everyone was suffering from guilt. Then it happened again on Thanksgiving morning. 26 masters swimmers showed up for a holiday swim. I asked her exactly who …
Read More “Word of Mouth Still Beats All Other Marketing”
The master of professional social networking were on the right track for so long. LinkedIn differentiated itself from Facebook, Instagram, Google +, Twitter, etc. by focusing on professional development, sharing expertise, headhunting, and hiring through a carefully crafted resume-style profile page that allowed media-rich portfolios. Around 2010, LinkedIn release Company Pages for entrepreneurs to highlight …
Read More “LinkedIn Company Pages Available via App–FINALLY!”
I learned about Small Business Saturday 3 years ago when I saw someone walking around with a Shop Small canvas bag. What is Small Business Saturday? The quick history: In 2010, small businesses are hurting from an economic recession. American Express deems the first Saturday after Thanksgiving as “Small Business Saturday” and launches a campaign to …
Read More “A New Approach to Small Business Saturday”
*Note: Pagesculptor Studios is proud to once again sponsor Fairbanks Startup Weekend, a 54-hour focus session where participants generate new ideas, develop them into a viable business model, and present in front of a panel of judges. Coming from a tech background and an even more technologically-based marriage, owner Rachael Kvapil likes to remind people …
Read More “A Successful Startup Requires All Professions”
I don’t spend a lot of time in tourist shops. I visit one whenever I travel assuming all the rest carry a variation of products with the town/city/state/country name. The exception is Skagway, Alaska. For the past decade, I have made an annual trip with my run team for the start of the Klondike Road …
Read More “Do Your Products Reinforce Stereotypes?”
It’s an ugly truth no marketer wants to admit… On paper we have developed the perfect campaign, aimed at the perfect target market, using media and messages they can relate to. We could execute it with high response rates and significant shares, yet for whatever reason, our objectives are never met. This reality hit a …
Read More “You Could Do Everything Right and STILL Have Campaign Issues”
I entered our local grocery store at 5pm on Friday to purchase beer for a post-work celebration. The liquor department had a number of people selecting items, but the lone cashier only had three people in line. Already knowing what I wanted, I grabbed my 4-pack quickly and made my way to the counter. There …
Read More “Don’t Let Ego Ruin Good Customer Service”
What business would you build in 54 hours? Alaska is a big place where people have big ideas. But until you can talk about it, and test drive your idea to learn if customers actually want it, the odds are against it becoming a success. Where do you start? Startup Weekend Fairbanks is a great place to …
Read More “Planning for Startup Weekend Fairbanks Begins!”
The summer issue of The Alaska Contractor is out! Our very own Rachael Kvapil has two articles in this issue: ~ “New arts center to bring benefits to Juneau“ ~A membership profile on DBS Enterprises LLC Check it out!