Restaurant Trappers

Archive for March, 2009

You laughed at Michael Keaton’s character in Mr. Mom, and felt glad you were not in his shoes. But today, you are looking at your bawling kid and the dirty dishes heaped on the sink and you want out. Unfortunately, The reversal of rules can be stressful for you, but not for your wife.

When Daddy Works at Hom

When you become a stay or work-at-home dad, hunting Home Depot coupon codes is much better than dealing with a cranky kid who wants you to watch TV cartoons all the time. It may be an ordeal, but you’ll be a better house-broken dad for whatever it is worth.

But how much do you know about coupons when you’re still coping with insurmountable tasks like:

* Cleaning the house while the baby keeps howling.

* Changing nappies while the meatloaf is burning to a crisp.

* Inveigling wide-eyed kids to take their afternoon nap so you can snatch a break.

* Punishing your back picking up towels and toys all day.

* Dressing up the baby girl’s hair just like the way mom does it, or else.

* Finding socks that match fast because the school bus is crawling up the road.

Bit by bit, you’ll discover the wonderful world of Home Depot coupon codes and thank your lucky stars you’ve a way to help your wife save money on home items – but make it clear that the priority should be the power tools you’ve long coveted. But you know better. These tools will take you away from baby-sitting on weekends.

You can also hunt for Home Depot coupon codes for electronics, home improvement stuff, and a giant ladder to keep up with the pesky cat.

How Your Wife Did It without Freaking Out

If you wonder how your wife handles the vacuum cleaner with the dexterity of a driller while talking on the phone, or find unexpired Coupon Codes, you’ve missed out on some of the tricks she picked up. Here are her tricks that might help you stay sane:

* Prepare a one-dish meal for the day, and heat it up when she comes home for dinner.

* Clean the living room first in case some snooping neighbor drops in.

* Holler to the kids to pick up the towels and toys and promise them a good story or a treat.

* Or, let the children play in your child-proofed workroom so you can keep an eye on them while you cook up an idea for an article, or browse rock bottom deals and Home Depot coupon codes with expiration dates clearly printed.

* Get updated. Chat on the phone with your friends while doing the laundry.

* Play Action no Talk games to keep noise levels at zero levels while you balance the budget and look for coupon codes for new tools to have a good excuse to get away from inquisitive little kids for awhile.

No wonder she can always regale you with the day’s interesting events, including her scoops on Home Depot coupon codes. Now, it is your turn to play the role, even better. There are playgroups in the locality where you can hook up with other stay-at-home dads, and learn more about the wonderful world of coupons.

Business traveller Shane Baker doesn’t mind staying in serviced apartments in Melbourne, but there is no place like home. That is, until he discovered Corporate Keys apartments.

When Baker spent three months on a project in Melbourne late last year, he chose not to stay in a serviced apartment but to try Melbourne corporate housing provider, Corporate Keys.

“It’s certainly more relaxing than staying in a hotel or a serviced apartment in Melbourne”, he says, “there is room to work from home, to cook, to entertain, to invite friends to watch a movie on Foxtel – it really is like a home away from home”.

Serviced apartments in Melbourne range in quality and price, but for a three month stay expect to pay between A$150 and A$250 per night. Melbourne has one of the world’s busiest events calendars, and serviced apartments in Melbourne are often completely booked out a year in advance at premium rates at these times, meaning that longer term residents may need to move out and find other accommodation.

Corporate Keys Melbourne accommodation uses residential apartments which are around twice the size of the leading serviced apartments, but are available for as little as A$100 per night. Like the top end serviced apartments they are fully furnished, all utilities are included, commercial hotel grade linen and towels are provided and kitchens are equipped with every appliance and utensil found in the typical home.

“I like the fact that I can just move in and everything is there” remarks Baker. “Because I was living there for three months, I wanted to be able to walk around, stretch out, relax and not feel that I was getting ‘cabin fever’. The lap pool and gymnasium were another great feature for me – it’s like living in a house inside a serviced apartment building or hotel.”

Unlike Serviced apartments in Melbourne, Corporate Keys apartments are available only for a minimum stay of 28 nights, and cannot be pre-booked months in advance.

“This is how we keep the price lower than Serviced apartments while keeping the quality higher” says Bruno Torres, Corporate Keys’ Business Development Manager. “By keeping occupancy high we are able to provide great apartments and great service for a very competitive price”

Hotels and the very best serviced apartments in Melbourne do have an edge in certain areas, such as daily maid service, 24 hour room service and valet parking. But Shane Baker doesn’t see any downside to the Corporate Keys service: “you don’t have a maid interrupting every day, you can go out to great Melbourne restaurants nearby or you can cook at home or order a pizza. You can book a weekly clean if you like and there is under cover parking available in the building. Any drawbacks are insignificant compared with the convenience and cost savings.”

Business travellers today are relatively sophisticated in their accommodation choices but not all have discovered Corporate Keys corporate housing as an alternative to serviced apartments in Melbourne.

“The corporate housing industry is still relatively new in Melbourne” says Torres, “having emerged only in the last ten years. But once a business traveller discovers these spacious apartments, they develop a strong preference for them over serviced apartments for stays over 28 days. They are often surprised with the higher quality of furnishing, house-wares and linen over leading brands of serviced apartments. For stays of less than 28 days in Melbourne, serviced apartments and hotels are the way to go, but for longer stays Corporate Keys apartments are fast become the accommodation of choice.”

“‘Being away on a three month assignment can be stressful”, adds Baker, “but with Corporate Keys, it feels like home.”

have YOU been?

Unless you have lived in a cave the last 4 years, you have probably heard of this. It is a rocking hot social networking site that seems to be almost everywhere today. It is on the news. It is on the radio. It is on the minds of millions of folks a day.

It is called “Facebook” and over 175 million people are active on this site.

Ok- I know that you may be asking,” A LAW about facebook?” Yes, 10 of them for marketing and business success in what you do. I am a marketer and have been for 20 years. I built a training and consulting business that does business in over 20 countries, because of social media and the internet. And there are marketing laws that all marketers and business professionals must follow if they are going to have Success in the marketplace online.

It is the same for Facebook.

Lets cover them briefly:

1) The Law of Visibility on Facebook.

You MUST be visible on facebook of you are going to get your message out. You must spend time on facebook and get to know people. You must put yourself together a “facebook blueprint” and work it. How many hours a week are you going to be seen on FB? How many times are you going to befriend someone this week? How many times are you going to upload photos this week? All of these things put you in the ‘Visibility Zone” on facebook, and on the radar as far as people on facebook. Be SEEN and be THERE on a daily basis.

2) The Law of the Powerful Facebook Profile.

Why would people want to get to know you? One of the first things they check out is your facebook profile. What does it say- but better yet- what does it DO? Does it make people curious and want to get to know you? Does it make them think? Does it make them smile? Does it make them see that you have Value for their life and can help change it?

Powerful facebook profiles are NOT based on what is said in your profile- but what it DOES.

Does it direct them to DO something? Does it tell them you are person they MUST know? Or someone that has a nice picture and a nice profile- with no magnetism? Put yourself OUT THERE and tell the world WHY they need you as a friend, and get them to take action towards YOU.

3) The Law of the Facebook WALL.

You MUST use your Wall to market or message. many folks regard their Wall as a communication utility like email. It is not that. You already have a facebook email. The Wall is for you to BUILD- BRICK BY BRICK- MESSAGE BY MESSAGE- NOTE BY NOTE- VIDEO BY VIDEO- your Brand on Facebook. Every time something happens with you- it goes on your Wall. Don’t stare at the wall- CLIMB THE SUCKER and make your message the PEAK of the page- and keep yourself out there with the Wall. And answer the messages on your Wall. Thank people for sharing with you their visit or message. This will show up on THEIR wall. This will set you apart from most on facebook. The Wall is simply a BILLBOARD of what you are doing and your friends are doing on Facebook. Use it often and wisely.

4) The Law of Your Facebook Network.

You are part of a local facebook network and you have access to that network to befriend them. I live in Birmingham Michigan, and the network i am a part of is the Detroit network. There are 640,926 people in my network that I could potentially MEET LIVE in a local place and get to know them and connect with them. You have local folks as well. Where do you find your network?

Click on “settings” and then click on “network.” You will find it there. This is a GOLD MINE of people in your local area to CONNECT and Construct new trust bridges that may lead to business down the road.

5) The Law of the Facebook Notifications.

This is an overlooked and rarely talked about utility. Notifications are part of your “facebook email system.” Go to “email” at the top of your Facebook profile page, and then click on “notifications.”This is list of who is thinking about you, talking about you, including you in tags, and generally is pointing to you. This is a GOLD MINE of people that have PROVEN they are behind you and willing to make you a part of their Facebook experience. Pay attention to the facebook notifications. Thank them for their thoughts of you on their Wall and let them know you appreciate it. Include them as well on your tags and other activity on facebook. The notifications are GOLD and is a prospecting Vault of Leads. And make sure you stay CONNECTED to them.

6) The Law of Facebook Link Love.

The Link application on Facebook is a HOT commodity. It allows you to post a link that you like and then sends it out on the news feed that is on your home page. It picks up the image that you want on the link page, and allows it to be a LIVE link. Send out other people’s LINK and givem some LOVE. Do NOT just send out your own links. Let others do that. Find interesting links of others and send them out.

WHY? EXPOSURE for you. You will be given credit for the link. People LOVE link love. If you send out a LOT of other people’s links on facebook, they will start sending out YOUR links. Been there done that.

7) The Law of Facebook Groups.

Join groups. Join a LOT of Groups. Start your OWN groups. The join MORE groups. Why? Here are a few reasons: EXPOSURE. CONNECTION to other Group members. AUTHORITY. Start your own and be a Leader. INCREASE YOUR REACH.Groups extend your reach into Facebook. MULTIPLIED PROSPECTS. There are more people in a group — then on a profile page.

Duh. Build a list in your own group and then you can become an admin and email messages to them. Make them messages of VALUE and interest.

The Law of Facebook Events.

Attend events. Attend more Events. And then attend many MORE events. Why? It allows you to leave a message on the events page wall, and create exposure. I attend at least 2 facebook events every week- to learn- and to network. Events can be found on the new Facebook page in the upper right under “Upcoming”-these are the events that are upcoming. There is one unique twist: You have birthdays under the “upcoming” tag- and you can send presents to folks. THIS will get their attention as it shows up on their wall and the news feed as well. Attend as many events as you can. make them worth your while- learn and grow from them. BUT’always leave a RSVP message about attending or not- with an encouraging message. This will show your professionalism, and caring.

Event UP! This will do you well on facebook. Put the term “events” in the search box, and it will find every event that is going on in your network of friends. It is a GOLD MINE of new possibilties of business. Become a master of events!

9) The Law of Facebook Multimedia- Videos and Photos.

People LOVE photos and videos. They are the most looked at and watched pages on facebook. Make some videos and upload them. Upload some photographs. Not only will the be seen on your wall and the facebook news feed, but also will allow you to “tag” others on these. This means that you can pick out people you have befriended and let them know you are thinking of them. And when you tag someone- it shows up on THEIR wall. Not isn’t THAT cool? It is called EXPOSURE!

10) The Law of the Facebook NEWS FEED.

This is the big kahuna of Exposure on facebook. This gets you out to ALL of your friends and creates a massive exposure vehicle that can keep your brand in front and recognized. You also will be many times on the “featured” part of the new news feed on the right. This gives you HUGE exposure. Whatever you do, like change your status, upload a video, write and publish a note, or just comment on another person’s message on the facebook news feed- it SHOWS UP in the news Feed. Be seen- and be seen often if you are trying to brand yourself on facebook.

Yes, you need to establish relationships, and build community. But if you are going to MARKET on facebook-then you need to at least get a guideline of what and how to do it. The 10 Social Media Laws of Facebook hopefully gave you some idea in your social media marketing.

blessings
…doug firebaugh