Mediaboss Marketing

May 10: The next business gathering of Conozcamonos (Lets get to know each other) is planned for noon to 1 p.m. at Elite Nutrition, 585 Los Robles Ave. in Hamilton City, sponsored by the Spanish newspaper Sabias Que. The goal of the gatherings is to learn more about the Spanish businesses and services in the area. RSVP to Roxana Nunez for Spanish, 828-5687 or Andrea Mejia 321-9677 for English.

May 16: Pitch Perfect will be sponsored by Chicostart, a nonprofit incubator in downtown Chico. Entrepreneurs and business start-ups who want to improve their pitches to investors, banks and others are encouraged to come to Chicostarts Tech Talk. Details: 12-1:30 p.m. at Chicostart, 411 Main St. Ste 101. Info. 924-5100 or wendy@chicostart.com Two Chicostart members will be practicing their pitches to local mentors. A Chicostart meetup hang is planned from 5 to 7 p.m. at Two Twenty Bar, 220 W. Fourth St.

May 17: Grow Your Company Strategically will be presented by the Great Chico Area SCORE, a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses. Details: 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Cozy Diner, 1695 Mangrove Ave. Cost: free. For information, http://www.greaterchicoarea.score.org, scorechico@sbcglobal.net or call the Chico Chamber, 891-5556. Making the transition from a start-up or mom and pop operation to an enduring great company is difficult. This session will discuss leadership styles and effectiveness, components of effective strategic plans, methods to translate a strategic plan into specific tactics and budgeting to make it happen. (This has been rescheduled from May 16)

May 23: Introduction to Search Engine Optimization will be offered by the Small Business Development Center at Butte College. Details: 9 to 11 a.m. at Butte College Glenn County office, 604 E. Walker St. Rm. 101. Cost: $30 in advance, $40 at the door. Reservations: 895-9017 or http://www.buttecollegesbdc.com SEO is the process of getting a website seen by search engines. Topics will include site maps, Google Developer tools, Google Analytics, content writing, coding and more. This is for individuals who manage or update their websites.

May 24: SCORE representative Peter Fong will host a free meeting in Chico. Fong is the district director of Central California SCORE, and will be talking about resources that small businesses can use. Details: 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Butte Creek Country Club, 175 Estates Drive. Cost: free. Reservations: Chico chamber 891-5556. Fong, who developed six companies over 26 years, will discuss access to alternative lending, working with banks, doing business with state agencies, assistance for business plans and financial statements, small business opportunities, and the U.S. Small Business Administrations role for small business.

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May 31: Understanding Payroll Payroll Taxes, Records and Functions in QuickBooks will be offered 8:30 to noon at the Small Business Development Center at Butte College, 2480 Notre Dame Blvd. Chico. Cost: $50 prepaid or $60 at the door. Reservations: 895-9017 or http://www.buttecollegesbdc.com Topics include state and federal laws regarding business payroll function and record keeping to comply. Examples of processing payroll functions using QuickBooks will be provided, including discussion of e-filing payroll taxes and forms out of QuickBooks. A QuickBooks payroll manual and handout are included. The trainer is a CPA and QuickBooks ProAdvisor with payroll expertise.

June 1: Chico Chamber of Commerces Summer Bash to honor Bird in Hand and Made in Chico, two local retailers. Details: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Patrick Ranch in Durham. Tickets $35 adults, $12 child. Reservations: http://www.chicochamber.com or 891-5556. The local band The Kelly Twins Dueling Pianos will perform throughout the evening, and a Hawaiian style dinner will be catered by New Hock Farm Catered Events.

June 29: ServeSafe Food Safety Training and Certification will be offered by the Small Business Development Center at Butte College. Details: from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the center, 2480 Notre Dame Blvd., Chico. Cost: $120 prepaid or $130 at the door includes textbook. $80 prepaid and $90 at the door without the books. Reservations: 895-9017 or http://www.buttecollegesbdc.com State law requires retesting and recertification every five years. The course includes the National Restaurant Associations ServSafe exam, essentials, manual, test sheets and certificate.

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Business Calendar - Oroville Mercury Register

Manta's survey of 4,700 small businesses in the U.S. (fewer than 10 employees) found that only 49% had a Facebook Page. The main objectives for having a Facebook presence were cited as being awareness, attract new customers (by phone or by website traffic), and customer retention.

However, half of those SMBs with a Facebook Page were seeing a positive ROI, found Mantra. This might be explained by other findings of the survey such as 58% spending less than an hour a week on Facebook marketing and only 9% posting daily (the majority (58%) posting "a few times a month").

Manta interviewed social media experts to come up with answers to common questions asked by business owners about Facebook. Regarding the topic of post frequency, Allison Baker, social media and marketing coordinator for H2O Media Inc., recommended one to three times per day.

"You don't want to bombard your followers, but you don't want them to forget about you either," advised Baker. "Having a consistent, daily presence is extremely important on social media. Even if you're only posting something like an inspirational quote, your followers will still see your business name and logo, and this will keep you top of mind."

Earlier this year a survey of small businesses by B2B ratings and review firm, Clutch, found that many small business owners are not using social media, instead harking back to marketing headlines from several years ago that expressed doubt in the value of Likes or Tweets.

"They are missing out because of their own viewpoint on the topic, [made] from believing five- to six-year-old headlines and not recapturing the maturation of the space," said Joshua Dirks, CEO of Project Bionic, a Seattle-based creative marketing agency.

Tags: marketing, research, small business, social media

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51% of U.S. SMBs have no Facebook Page - Social Marketing ... - BizReport

May 13, 2017 at 8:06 pm | Print View

Having a sense of humor can help your brand standout exponentially. Nothing delivers connection and meaning faster than making someone laugh.

As comedian Louis CK notes, The goal of comedy is to just laugh, which is a really high-hearted thing, (about) visceral connection and reaction.

In addition to comedy, C.K. knows a thing or two about branding and marketing. Advertising Age ranked him at the top of their Digital A-List in 2012 for rethinking how artists interact with their fans. A recent Nielsen study found that 47 percent of global respondents said that humorous ads resonated the most.

Why Humor Helps

For scrappy businesses, Humor can help you stand out in a crowded world, says Tim Washer, creative director at Cisco. In this role, Washer produces hilarious videos for the B2B software brand including a popular ad introducing a new server as the ideal Valentines Day gift. (Nothing says I love you like six times the mobile backhaul capacity.)

In rolling out their new mail-order service, Dollar Shave Club needed to cut through the clutter of the billion-dollar razor industry. They did so with a hilarious 90-second video that offers a mix of on-target product benefits conveyed in a distinct brand voice.

Forty-eight hours after the videos debut on YouTube, Dollar Shave Club was laughing all the way to the bank with 12,000 people signed up for their service.

Theres no limit to who can use humor. You arent bound by size, industry, budget or any other constraint. So how do you get started?

Start with the Right People

BarkBox has a lot of fun with their marketing. For an example, check out their posts on #HumpDay which takes on new meaning when your business is dog products. So how do they do it?

I dont find myself to be the funniest person in the room. But because of that, Ive only hired people on my team who are genuinely funny, says Stacie Grissom, Bark & Cos editor-in-chief. Humor is something that needs to come naturally. And if it doesnt come naturally to you find someone to help you out.

Create a role like Cisco did or simply hire for humor. Bottom line surround yourself with the right people.

How to Tell Funny (Brand) Stories

Most comedy tells stories. As such, many of those same story elements are critical in telling a funny story for your brand.

l Plot Kurt Vonnegut famously called them story shapes but ultimately there are only a few different common plots out there. What kind of story are you trying to tell?

l Character Your main character shouldnt be your brand it should be about your audience.

l Conflict Most comedy comes from pain. In many cases your customers are in pain and you can help them. Humor allows you to explore this by casting pain in a comedic light.

We werent laughing at the Wheres the beef? lady in the Wendys ads. We were laughing with her at the sad state of the fast-food hamburger.

l Voice Humor has to fit your brand voice. For years, Charmin embraced a family friendly voice in talking about bathroom business. Thats why they regularly use scatological puns and the hashtag #tweetfromtheseat to weigh in on current events and pop culture but still in a G-rated context.

I dont think theres any brand that shouldnt be funny, says Eric Munn of Onion Labs, the content services division of the venerable comedy brand, The Onion, which works with brands such as Audi, Bacardi, and Overstock to create engaging and humorous content on their platforms.

Surround yourself with funny people and use the tools of storytelling archetypes, characters, conflict and voice to find a way of embracing humor that fits for your brand. Go forth and be funny!

l Nick Westergaard is founder of Brand Driven Digital; nick@westergaard.com; @NickWestergaard

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Social Media: How to use humor in your marketing - The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines

Special to the Daily Mail

The week four session of the Nevada Police Departments Citizens Police Academy on April 26 featured guest speakers Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Lynn Ewing and Nevadas Animal Control Officer Ben Douglas.

Ewing went over the requirements of our police officers training in criminal procedure and the extent to which they had to comply when making an arrest or obtaining a warrant.

He explained how police officers are like lawyers on the street. Making split second decisions as to what can and cant be done according to criminal law and our Fourth Amendment rights. The Fourth Amendment is the linchpin in making an arrest. He went on to tell us when a warrant is necessary and that they can only be issued by a judge.

We learned that if a report is made by a witness or citizen and too much time passes before a warrant is requested that it is not usable information anymore because many things may have changed since the report was made. So time is of the essence in reporting a crime.

Ewing explained probable cause and the degree of probability.

We were told where and when an officer is allowed by law to search or seize a person or property.

He explained that a stop and frisk is not an arrest, but can escalate into one.

Ewing told us how inspections and regulatory searches could result in evidence being passed on to police for a warrant. If the inspector or person supervising a group of children or persons sees something suspicious or harmful to the group that they can be considered mandatory reporters.

He talked about consent searches and what is allowed in this type of search.

We learned about wiretaps and the exclusionary rule of the Fourth Amendment. This takes a warrant by a federal judge.

He covered the interrogation and confession, when it is allowed and the privilege against self-incrimination as well as a waiver of rights.

We were told the difference between a person working for the police or someone volunteering information in a specific incident, referred to as Color of Law.

He went over the Miranda rights and when it is necessary. First, a person has to be in custody and second, is being questioned by the police. Voluntary information is admissible without the Miranda being read.

City, county, state, and federal officers are all governed by the same Constitutional rights and laws.

We all have a right to due process of the law.

The second speaker was Ben Douglas, the animal control officer for the city of Nevada. He has been Nevadas Animal Control Officer for nine years.

You should know that he doesnt like being called the Dog Catcher.

Officer Douglas qualifications and training are extensive. Animal control association, Certified Humane Investigator/ACO, member of the National Animal Control Association, chemical immobilization certified, collapsible baton certified, euthanasia certified, Taser qualified, OC (pepper spray) certified. He is a member of Missouri Animal ASPCA training in blood sports investigation and cruelty investigation.

The position of Animal Control Officer is a division of the police department. He has a variety of duties:

Handling all animal calls .

Pick up large animals.

Trap nuisance animals.

Issue citations.

Assist vets in euthanizing animals.

Ensure compliance state and federal.

Provide mutual aid to county if requested.

Supervise city animal shelter and employees.

Adoptions.

Reclaims.

Surrenders.

Administer and en-force chapter five of the city code.

License, stray, livestock in town, animal noise.

In addition to his regular duties, Douglas procures supplies for and maintains the animal shelter and oversees the employees and the budget.

The animal shelter is considered a kill shelter. After 15 days it is OK to euthanize an animal. But here they try to keep them healthy if they can and pass them on either to homes or facilities that can care for them.

In the state of Missouri, animals are considered property, therefore, it is difficult to do more than fine offenders. There is a leash law in Nevada and owners are responsible for the animals actions when not on a leash.

Every animal bite (which breaks the skin) has to be reported to the state.

The biggest problems they deal with are neglect, abandonment, and abuse. The second is puppy mills. We found out that you only have to be licensed if there are three breedable females and you are breeding them and selling the babies.

Four hundred forty two animals were brought into the shelter in 2016. The live release rate for that same year was 84 percent.

All animals over six months old are spayed or neutered, treated and given shots and exercise.

In 2016 there were, 945 calls for service, 25 of which were for animal bites.

So far in 2017 there are only 14 bites.

If you are interested in finding out about the animals at the shelter, you can go by and visit or you can go to http://www.petfinder.com or Facebook.

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Citizens Police Academy, week four - Nevada Herald

New York Times

Hackers Hit Dozens of Countries Exploiting Stolen NSA Tool New York Times The attacks on Friday appeared to be the first time a cyberweapon developed by the N.S.A., funded by American taxpayers and stolen by an adversary had been unleashed by cybercriminals against patients, hospitals, businesses, governments and ordinary ... NSA-created cyber tool spawns global attacksPolitico An NSA Cyber Weapon Might Be Behind A Massive Global Ransomware OutbreakForbes Ransomware Cyber Attack Using NSA Tools Hits Russian Government, Global Firms and HospitalsNewsweek TechCrunch -Sacramento Bee -The Providence Journal -NHS Digital all 1,870 news articles »

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Hackers Hit Dozens of Countries Exploiting Stolen NSA Tool - New York Times