Showing posts with label BUSINESS NEWS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BUSINESS NEWS. Show all posts

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Bring on the Bling and Increase the Cha-Ching!! :Introducing fitz.bloomnet.net, the new Fitz design website designed exclusive for BloomNet Florists!

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) announces the release of the Social Media Guide for Floral Retailers and Wholesalers

 
 
The American Floral Endowment (AFE) announces the release of the Social Media Guide for Floral Retailers and Wholesalers.
 
This free guide is your one-stop destination for all things social media! Whether you want to brush up on your social media knowledge or you are brand new to social media and don't know where to begin – this information is a must-have! From written guidelines to videos, your social media presence will benefit from these resources!

The guide features content on:
• Social media marketing best practices
• Channels, tools and techniques
• Optimizing for mobile
• Real Industry Case Studies
• Literature Analyses


This project was coordinated by AFE and funded by The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) and the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO).

Visit www.floralmarketingresearchfund.org and register to browse all of the documents and videos. Don’t wait – get your business on the right path to social media success today!
 

Monday, August 20, 2012

Start Up Atlanta: City's Kiss to Entrepreneurs

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2012/08/start-up-atlanta-citys-wet-kiss-to.html?page=all
Atlanta Business Chronicle by Urvaksh Karkaria, Staff Writer

Kasim Reed loves startups. And he wants you to know it.
Invest Atlanta, the city's economic development agency, is launching Start Up Atlanta, a program aimed at boosting entrepreneurship. The initiative will host a web-based platform that visually maps out entrepreneur resources, such as incubators, accelerators, service providers.

The City of Atlanta is open to business, Atlanta's Mayor Reed declared to a room full of entrepreneurs, economic development officials and tech industry types on Tuesday.

"You are going to have an open door to me," Reed said, "...so that when you decide that you want to share your dream with us, bring your business to the city of Atlanta, that you have a city that wants to work out problems."
Start Up Atlanta's goal is to "introduce, connect, support and expand the entrepreneurial, investment and talent ecosystem within all industries of Atlanta, and the surrounding region."

The initiative, its boosters say, will pair entrepreneurs with talent and potential funding, and hopefully create jobs and grow Atlanta’s economy.
Backing startups make sense since two-thirds of all jobs are created by small businesses. Growing businesses organically is also a lot less expensive than luring out-of-state companies with multi-million dollar economic incentive packages.

While well-intentioned, Start Up Atlanta seems a bit of "more of the same."
Atlanta has no shortage of groups and initiatives aimed at nurturing the tech startup eco system — Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center, Technology Association of Georgia, The CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber, Startup Chicks Venture Atlanta, which until now has been a two-day conference connecting Atlanta tech companies with capital, is reincarnating itself as something more.

The Venture Atlanta Coalition — a partnership between TAG, the CEO Council and the Metro Atlanta Chamber — seeks to be a year-round initiative aimed at startup education, fundraising, and general cheerleading.
All that sounds an awful lot like what Start Up Atlanta aims to be.
Start Up Atlanta's backers are quick to point out that the initiative extends beyond the tech infustry.

Fair enough. Time will tell how many landscaping, marketing and home health care startups this latest initiative blooms.

Small Business Saturday: Spotlight on Women Business Owners






Monday, July 30, 2012

Models present bouquets designed with mobile-phones...

Wedding season marketing: Models present bouquets designed with mobile-phones and other electronic gadgets at the Techno Mart in Seoul Tuesday. With fall traditionally a strong wedding season in Korea, consumer electronics stores have been upping their marketing efforts for newlyweds.

koreatimes.co.kr

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Georgia World Congress Center Green Roof/Plaza: 1 of The 10 Largest Green Roofs

The 10 Largest Green Roofs

Green roofs are gaining acceptance in dozens of countries, joining other forms of green infrastructure that are being used to mitigate environmental problems of urban centers.

For example, vegetated roofs “are very good at managing stormwater. Most extensively planted green roofs will hold the first inch of rainfall and slow any additional rainfall, thus reducing peak flows and lowering the stress on combined sewer overflows,” says Steven Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (CRHC).

The group is a professional association with both corporate and individual members, ranging from large manufacturers to contractors, nurseries, landscape architects, structural engineers, roofing consultants and horticulturalists. "Stormwater management has been a driver [of green roof construction] in the U.S.," adds Peck.

"The Environmental Protection Agency is working on rulemaking for municipal separate stormwater sewer systems (MS4s). It's very clear there is going to be a very significant green infrastructure component (green roofs and green streets)," says Nancy Somerville, executive vice president of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Many cities throughout the U.S. and Europe have green-roof mandates or incentives in place. Stuttgart, Germany, requires green roofs on all new flat-roofed industrial buildings. In 2007, Pittsburgh enacted an law establishing stormwater volume reduction standards for properties greater than 10,000 sq ft, including on-site retention of the first inch of rainfall through any combination of infiltration, evapotranspiration and rainwater harvesting. Portland, Ore., requires new city-owned buildings and existing buildings in need of a roof replacement to install a green roof on at least 70% of the roof area.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' annual survey of its corporate members found that the green roof industry in the U.S. and Canada increased 115% between 2010 and 2011. The annual growth rate is derived by averaging the square footage of green roofs installed by a representative sample of corporate members.

"Increasing numbers of building owners in the public and private sectors are recognizing they can design, build and maintain green roofs profitably with a good return on investment," says Peck.

"Green roofs have a higher cost up front, but the payback over time is significant, not just in energy savings. It's protecting your roof membrane—you can skip one or two or three roof replacement cycles," says Somerville.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Social Madness: Meet your Atlanta winners

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/
                                                                                                                                                                                           
Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2012, 4:39pm EDT
 
The final local bracket round of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Social Madness competition closed July 16 and three local companies in each size category have been crowned winners.
The final local bracket round of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Social Madness competition closed July 16 and three local companies in each size category have been crowned winners.
Atlanta, meet your champions:
But the competition isn’t over just yet. Each of the three winners will move forward to compete against companies of similar size from around the country. In addition to the winners, 21 companies with highest points in each bracket size, that did not win their market will also move to the national phase.

The national round will begin July 24 and run for seven weeks to September 10. Here’s a break down of the competition schedule:
  • Round 1 – July 24-30 – bracket of 64
  • Round 2 – July 31-Aug.6 – bracket of 32
  • Round 3 – Aug.7-13 – bracket of 16
  • Round 4 – Aug. 14-20– bracket of 8
  • Round 5 – Aug.21-27 – bracket of 4
  • Final Round – Aug. 28-Sept.10 – 2 companies
  • National winners will be announced Sept. 11
Just like the local competition, the companies will compete in size categories of small, medium and large companies and will go head-to-head against each other.

Google+ trumps Facebook in customer satisfaction


By John D. Sutter, CNN
 -- Facebook may be more populous, but Google+ is better-liked.
That's the message from a new set of data released Tuesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Google+, the 1-year-old social network that pundits declared dead last year, ties Wikipedia at the top of the list of social media sites, with a score of 78 out of 100.

Facebook is the least-liked social network on the list, with a score of 61 on the group's ranking of e-businesses.

That's down nearly 8% from Facebook's previous ranking, indicating a drop in popularity of the social network that is by far the world's most populous, with more than 900 million active users. By contrast, Google+ has about 150 million monthly active users.

"If Facebook doesn't feel the pressure to improve customer satisfaction now, that may soon change," ForeSee's CEO, Larry Freed, said in a news release. ForeSee is an analytics firm that partnered with ACSI to create the report.
This was the first year Google+ was included in the ranking, which is based on interviews with consumers. ACSI, which releases monthly reports in a variety of business categories, says it interviews 70,000 people a year.
With a rating of 63, LinkedIn, another popular network, barely scored higher than Facebook in terms of customer satisfaction in Tuesday's report.

YouTube, which is owned by Google, received a 73; Pinterest a 73; and Twitter a 64. (MySpace, in case you're wondering, isn't part of the list anymore).

Some people who use Google+ weren't surprised by the ranking.
"Makes sense," one user wrote in response to a CNN question about the news. "I'm sure a lot of people use Facebook because they genuinely love it, but a huge number are also using it because they feel forced to -- because everyone else they know is using it, or they think they need to have a business presence there. So there are many people using Facebook on a regular basis who don't actually like it and have plenty to complain about. Whereas the majority of people using Google+ regularly only bother to do so because they really prefer it over other sites like Facebook."

ACSI says Google+ is strong in areas where Facebook is weak.
"According to the report, Google+'s strong showing is a result of an absence of traditional advertising and what is seen as a superior mobile product," the group says in its news release.

"Google+'s strengths may be Facebook's weaknesses, as users complain about ads and privacy concerns. However, the most frequent complaints about Facebook are changes to its user interface, most recently the introduction of the Timeline feature."

The index was founded at the University of Michigan and gets support from ForeSee for its e-commerce and e-business rankings.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Small Business Saturday

Picture your favorite small business. Now picture your favorite small business getting a Big Break and winning $25,000! Feels good, right? Spread the word to all the small businesses you love! Enter at:
 
http://ow.ly/bSVUo

Official Rules apply. Enter by July 13, 2012.

(Note: If you’re on your mobile device, come back from your PC to enter!)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

New Facebook Features Help Businesses Better Manage Their Pages


http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/223714?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-sales-_-June%2012,%202012-_-New%20Facebook%20Features%20Help%20Businesses%20Better%20Manage%20Their%20Pages

BY

If you manage a business or brand page on Facebook, you'll be happy to know there's a slew of new features that can help make your job easier. Here's a rundown:


New Facebook Features Help Businesses Better Manage Their PagesAdministrative roles: You can now assign administrative roles to the people who help manage your page. There are five different roles: manager, content creator, moderator, advertiser and insights analyst. To assign roles to your Facebook page's admins, login to your Facebook account, visit the Page you manage, click Edit Page above the Admin Panel, and click Admin Roles in the left column.


Scheduled posts: You can schedule your updates to post at a future date and time using the Facebook sharing tool (that's the box you use to create and post a Status Update). Until now, the only way to schedule a post in the future was through a third-party app. But now, simply by clicking the symbol resembling a clock in the bottom row of the sharing tool and selecting a time and date that you'd like it to go live, you can post a Status Update, photo or video up to six months in advance.


Promoted posts: You can pay a fee to promote a post so it will be shown in the news feeds of more of the people who like your Page than you would reach normally. Friends of Facebook members who have interacted with a promoted post will be more likely to see the information in their news feeds. Promoted posts cost $5 or more.


Only pages with 400 or more likes are eligible to promote posts, and similar to scheduling a post to publish on a particular date, promoted posts are initiated from within the sharing tool. To promote a new post, click Promote on the bottom row of the sharing tool, where you'll be asked to set your budget and confirm a method of payment. To promote a post you've already published and is less than three days old, click the Promote dropdown menu in the lower right corner of the post from your Page's Timeline.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

It's Time to Enter the Gala Awards!

specialevents.com
It's that time--the 2012 Gala Awards competition opened on Friday. The award, handed out by Special Events magazine since 1986, recognizes the finest work in special events worldwide.

This year's competition is open to events that have taken place between Sept. 1, 2011, and Aug. 31, 2012. Events that place after Aug. 31 may be entered in next year's competition.
For last year's awards Gala Awards, the magazine received nearly 340 entries in 35 categories from Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Russia, Spain and the United States.
Entries are $99 each if received by 4 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, Sept. 14. (The "late-bird" entry deadline is Sept. 21 at a fee of $125 each.)
The Gala Awards will be handed out at The Special Event 2013 on Jan. 18 in Chicago.
For entry forms, click here.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

Do you want insider secrets on winning a Gala Award? You will find them here:

Can an event company from anywhere in the world enter the Gala Awards?
 

Yes! We are honored to receive entries from Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, etc.


I am entering the category “Best Achievement in Logistics.” Do I need to include a budget?
 

No! Only categories with a dollar figure in the title need to include a budget. So, if you are entering "Best Floral Design," you do not need to include a budget. But if you enter "Best Wedding: Budget Under $1,000 Per Guest," you do need to include a budget.


If you do need to include a budget, be sure the use the Gala Budget Template so that you include all the line items the judges are looking for. The judges realize that not all entries will require each line in the template, but try to follow the template as closely as you can.


As a Gala Award entrant, should I make sure to keep my company’s name out of the descriptions in the entry?
 

Yes! In years past, the Gala Awards did not require anonymous entries, but the judges have decided this is important to preserve the integrity of the competition. Be sure to double-check any DVD labels, production schedules, etc., for your name.


But what about my client's name—is it OK to have that name in the entry? (My client's name appears in decor, on signage, on the invitation, etc.)

Yes, it is OK if your client's name appears in the entry—this is vital in branding events.


But I am an in-house event professional--I created the event for my own company. Is it OK that my company's name appears in the binder?
 

Yes, that's fine—the purpose of many special events is to emphasize a brand. And the judges don't know if the in-house event professional or an outsider creates the event. Just remember to avoid referring to yourself as an employee of the "client" company.

The entry form asks for entries to be supplied in three-ring binders, but my part of the world uses four-ring binders. Is that all right?
 

Yes.


Can I get my Gala entry returned to me?
 

No. All Gala entries become property of Special Events.



 

Chase and Living Social /Mission: Small Business




https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/

Chase and LivingSocial want to help fuel that drive by awarding up to 12 individual grants of $250,000 to 12 small businesses.
Submit your Mission: Small Business℠ application today! Program ends June 30, 2012

Demonstrating their ongoing commitment to small businesses, Chase and LivingSocial are sponsoring "Mission: Small Business℠" a grant program awarding up to $3 million to small business owners nationwide.
The Program, which will provide up to 12 individual grants of $250,000 was developed to provide small businesses with resources needed to make a positive impact on their business.


Mission: Small Business℠ invites small business owners who have been in business for at least two years and have less than 100 employees to apply for a Grant for their business. Small business owners will be required to tell us why their business is unique, outline a proposed plan for utilizing the Grant to grow their business and describe how the business is involved with its community.


Consumers are encouraged to get involved by clicking the "Support" button at missionsmallbusiness.com and voting for their favorite registered small businesses. Each time a consumer clicks to support small business, Chase will add five dollars to the Grant Pool, up to a maximum of $3 million. Each registered small business must receive at least 250 votes to be considered for a Grant. The voting period is open from May 7, 2012 through June 30, 2012.
At the end of the Voting Period, small business applicants that have received 250 votes will have their applications evaluated and Grant Recipients will be chosen. Grant Recipients will be announced on or before September 15, 2012.

Program Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; INTERNET ACCESS REQUIRED


What is Mission:Small Business℠?


Mission: Small Business℠ ("Program") is an effort by the Program Sponsors, Chase Bank USA, National Association ("Chase") and LivingSocial, Inc. ("LivingSocial") (individually or together "Sponsor" or "Sponsors") to increase awareness of the important role small businesses play in local communities and to help small businesses grow. As evidence of the commitment to small businesses nationwide, Chase will provide grants to eligible small businesses. These Program Rules govern the Program and set forth the terms and conditions between you, Chase and LivingSocial. Details about the Program are available at www.missionsmallbusiness.com (the "Program Website"). Please see the Program Website Terms of Use at www.missionsmallbusiness.com/termsofuse and the Program Website Privacy Policy at www.missionsmallbusiness.com/privacypolicy.

What is the Grant? What is the Grant Pool?


Chase has designated a minimum of $1 million and a maximum of $3 million ("Grant Pool"), with funds to be awarded to at least four (4) and up to twelve (12) small business owners ("Grant Recipient(s)"), each Grant Recipient to receive $250,000 ("Grant"), selected in accordance with these Program Rules. The Grant Pool will be at least $1 million ($250,000 to each of four (4) Grant Recipients), and may be increased by an additional $2 million - up to a maximum of $3 million (each additional $250,000 increasing by one (1) the number of potential Grant Recipients) based on consumer participation in the Program. To be considered as a potential Grant Recipient, small businesses must submit the Application, be deemed eligible and receive at least 250 Votes, all as described below. The purpose of the Grant is to enable a small business to execute a business plan that will result in expansion and growth of the small business, including for example, a new location, equipment, product or distribution channel. In addition to the Grant, LivingSocial shall offer Grant Recipients the opportunity to meet with its social media and sales executives, and will work with each Grant Recipient to design a LivingSocial promotion for the Grant Recipient's business. LivingSocial will waive its standard commission for such promotion services, and any such promotion will be subject to LivingSocial's merchant policies, timing and limitations determined in LivingSocial's discretion, as well as Grant Recipient executing LivingSocial's then current standard merchant marketing agreement. For all general inquiries about the Program email Sponsor at needhelp@missionsmallbusiness.com.

Who may apply for the Grant?


A small business that meets the following requirements ("You, Your, you, your or small business") may apply for the Grant through its owner or representative.
To be eligible a small business must:
  • be a for-profit only organization organized and resident in the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia;
  • have been actively engaged in its current business activity for at least two (2) consecutive years immediately preceding the start of the Program;
  • be owned by natural persons who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia, and who are at least eighteen (18) years old (or as required by the laws in your state of residence)(Note: A sole-proprietor shall be deemed a business and not a consumer for purposes of the Program);
  • have a valid employer identification number or taxpayer identification number;
  • employ less than one hundred (100) employees for the duration of the Program;
  • not be owned by an employee of Sponsors or a company wholly owned by a Sponsor or Sponsor's parent company (an "affiliate"); and
  • produce evidence of the foregoing upon request.
A small business will not be eligible if, among other things, it or any of its owners, management or affiliated organizations:
  • are, or have been, under any investigation for fraud, misconduct (financial or otherwise) or other criminal activity;
  • promote or suggest, directly or indirectly, the illegal use of firearms/weapons, money remittance, check cashing services, use or sale of any illegal drugs (state or federal), prostitution or pornography, violence, or the underage use of alcohol;
  • suggest or encourage, directly or indirectly, the taking up of arms against any person, government or entity or otherwise challenge or seek to overthrow any government;
  • disparage or denigrate (in writing or otherwise) any race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, political orientation, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, marital status, veteran status or mental or physical disability or condition or otherwise discriminates (in an exclusionary way) against any of those groups based solely on being classified as fitting into those groups;
  • disparage, denigrate (in writing or otherwise), or act by means of adversarial or confrontational tactics to impact a product, service, person, industry, or organization including, but not limited to, the Sponsor or any Program participant;
  • participate in the Program, or otherwise conduct itself, in an unsportsmanlike or inappropriate manner;
  • post Prohibited Content (see below); or
  • violate these Program Rules.

How does a small business apply for a Grant?


If you believe your small business is eligible and wish to apply for a Grant, you must do the following:
  • visit the Program Registration site at www.missionsmallbusiness.com/registration and provide your business name and information, business address, industry type as well as contact name, title and email address, which will be posted on the Program Website;
  • read and agree to these Program Rules with the intent to be bound by its terms even if you are later found to be ineligible;
  • complete the Application and submit your Application;
  • obtain at least 250 Votes; and
  • be deemed eligible by the Sponsors.
When you begin your Application your email address will become your User ID and a Password must be created so that you may create your Application until the end of the Application Period. Once you have submitted the Application you can no longer edit it. You are responsible for the safekeeping and appropriate use of the User ID and Password and you may be required to provide information sufficient to show that a user is your authorized representative.

What does the Application require?


In the Application, you will be asked to provide, at a minimum, the following information:
  • business owner name;
  • business email and phone number;
  • business entity type (e.g., sole proprietor, partnership, corporation)and state of domicile;
  • years in business;
  • purpose of business;
  • number of employees ;
  • an Essay answering the questions described below detailing why you are applying for and how you would use the Grant; and
  • such other information requested by Sponsor to verify eligibility in accordance with the Program Rules.

Essay Requirements


Your Essay, consisting of your response to the statements and questions below, (answered in 500 words or less for each question), will be used to determine whether you should be awarded a Grant. You may include any information you deem relevant. Your Essay may not contain Prohibited Content (see below).Here are the essay questions you should answer:
  1. Tell us about your business; how successful is it and why is it unique?
  2. How is your business involved with the community you serve?
  3. What would the Grant mean to your business plan and how would you utilize the funds to ensure long-term growth and stability?
  4. What types of challenges can you identify with your business plan and how will you overcome them?
  5. Describe the talent on your team and how they make your business successful?

Important Notice Concerning Application Content


The following information may be posted on the Program Website:
  • business name
  • icon (based on industry)
  • business address
  • tag-line, of up to 150 characters, a key message for Consumers, which may be based on your Essay responses or other information you submit as part of your Application.
All Application information including your Essay and any additional information you provide will be used by the Panel to determine Grant Recipients and may also be disclosed to the public (including by posting on the Program Website) in connection with the Program and will not be held in confidence. Do not include any confidential, proprietary, competitive or trade secret information you wish to keep confidential. Content will not be kept confidential even if you designate it as confidential in your Application. While you may not edit your Application once you have clicked Submit, you have an affirmative obligation to notify Sponsors if any of the content has changed or is untrue. You must email the Sponsor at needhelp@missionsmallbusiness.com.
Sponsors in their sole discretion retain the right to determine eligibility of the Grant Recipients and reserve the right to disqualify an Application at any time for any reason. All content that has been posted on the Program Website referencing or related to a small business that is later deemed ineligible, may be promptly removed from the Program Website without prior notice. All decisions by Sponsors are final, binding and conclusive.

Consumer Participation: Support and Vote


Tell your customers, friends and neighbors about the Program and direct them to the Program Website to Support Small Business. You are encouraged to share information you think relevant through links to your website, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter pages or accounts. The Panel may review these sites if you include them in your Application or Essay. You are responsible for complying with all applicable terms of each third-party platform, and all applicable laws, in connection with sharing information about your business.

At the Program Website, Consumers will be asked to register their Support for the Program and then will be eligible to Vote for individual small businesses. Consumers must have an active Facebook account to verify their identity using Facebook Connect and may Support Small Business by clicking the SUPPORT box on the Program Website. A Consumer may click SUPPORT only one time. For each SUPPORT click Chase will add a minimum of Five Dollars to the Grant Pool until the Grant Pool reaches the maximum $3 million. The daily dollar value of each SUPPORT click may from time-to-time be higher than $5.00 as posted on the Program Website.
Consumers who Support Small Business will be given access to the list of eligible small businesses who have Registered for the Program. Consumers may Vote for an eligible small business by clicking the VOTE box on the Program Website; Consumers may vote an unlimited number of times but only once for each small business. You must receive at least 250 eligible Votes on www.missionsmallbusiness.com from Consumers to be considered for a Grant.

Voting Rules


You may not entice Consumers to Vote by offering any type of consideration, gift, award, or inducement, including merchandise, cash, online currency, discounts, vote trading or anything deemed to have value in exchange for Votes.

The count of eligible Votes by Sponsors shall be deemed final. Each Sponsor reserves the right to eliminate or disregard any or all votes cast by Consumers in excess of stated limits or otherwise not in accordance with the Program Rules or any instructions on the Program Website, including any voting instructions.

No Sponsor is responsible for, nor is either Sponsor required to count, in its sole and absolute discretion, late, lost, misdirected, unlawful or illicit votes, votes cast for an applicant later determined to be ineligible, votes cast in exchange for consideration, a chance to receive a gift, or award, including merchandise, cash, online currency, or anything deemed to have value, votes achieved through automated means, by registering more than one user profile, using another person's Facebook account and name, as well as votes that are achieved through other fraudulent means, unsportsmanlike conduct or in a manner otherwise inconsistent with these Program Rules. No Sponsor is responsible for any costs incurred by you or your small business in connection with the Program.

Content Guidelines and Prohibited Content

 

All content must be appropriate for all ages. You represent and warrant that you will not submit any content that contains (a) content not in English; (b) confidential information that violates any obligation of confidentiality; (c) any viruses, spyware, malware, or other malicious components that are designed to harm the functionality of a computer in any way; (d) content referencing, facilitating, containing or using, Prohibited Content; or (e) content that infringes on the intellectual property rights of a third party. Prohibited Content may be removed from the Program Website immediately and without notice. "Prohibited Content" includes, but is not limited to, content that, a Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion, determines violates the Program Rules or any applicable law, as well as content that promotes, suggests or encourages:
  • gambling, including without limitation, any content related to online casinos, sports books, bingo or poker;
  • the use of firearms/weapons/ammunition, any illegal drugs, prostitution, pornography, nudity, profanity or other adult content, violence, or the use of alcohol or tobacco products;
  • the taking up of arms against any person, government or entity or otherwise challenge or seek to overthrow any government;
Or otherwise contains or reflects:
  • obscene, indecent, defamatory, libelous, slanderous and/or unlawful content;
  • content that infringes upon, or otherwise violates, the rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other personal or proprietary rights;
  • information that is false, misleading, deceptive or fraudulent;
  • hate speech, or other discriminatory, disparaging or denigrating content, whether directed at an individual or a group, and whether based upon race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, political orientation, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, marital status, veteran status or mental or physical disability or condition;
  • content that disparages, denigrates, or uses adversarial or confrontational tactics to impact a product, service, person, industry, or organization including, but not limited to, Sponsors or participants in the Program;
  • content that is primarily intended to advance a religious denomination, expand membership or encourage conversion;
  • content advancing a particular political party or candidate or supporting lobbying for any particular party or candidate, or expanding or encouraging a membership or a particular political party, candidate or lobbying effort;
  • content inconsistent with the Program Rules; or
  • unsportsmanlike conduct.

Program Timing


The Program Website time stamp controls shall be determinative and final in all submissions.
Registration and Application Submission Period Begins: The Registration and Application submission period for the Program begins on May 7, 2012 at 12:01:00 a.m. ET.
Application Period Ends: The Application submission and editing period ends at 11:59:00 p.m. on June 30, 2012 ET.
Support and Voting Period: The Support and Voting Period for the Program begins on May 7, 2012 at 12:01:00 a.m. ET and ends at 11:59:00 p.m. on June 30, 2012 ET.

Choosing the Grant Recipients


At the end of the Application Period, if you have submitted an Application and you receive at least 250 valid Votes during the Voting Period, your Application will be reviewed by Sponsors or their representatives based on the criteria listed below. Finalist Applications will be reviewed using the same criteria by a panel which may include senior executives of Sponsors and other notable business executives ("Panel").
Criteria:
  • Solid business & management team/owner;
  • Well thought-out and feasible growth plan;
  • Likelihood to succeed within a two-year time frame;
  • Positive impact on local/relevant community (e.g. job creation, meeting an unfulfilled need, etc.) and demonstrated local support; and
  • Energy, enthusiasm, creativity and passion for your business.

How the Grants will be Awarded; Conditions


Potential Grant Recipients will be notified by letter, email or phone in advance of any public announcement. A Grant Agreement, which will contain affidavits of eligibility and compliance with these Program Rules, among other things (as described below in Grant Agreement Terms), will be delivered and must be agreed to and signed by the potential Grant Recipient and returned to Sponsors (or their designee) within five (5) business days as a condition to receiving the Grant. Sponsors reserve the right to require additional documentation from the potential Grant Recipient to confirm eligibility to receive a Grant or to conduct additional research or investigation regarding any information submitted in connection with an Application or the Program.
By accepting a Grant, each Grant Recipient will be required to affirm that it shall use the Grant in furtherance of the activities stated in the Application, that it shall at all times comply with the Program Rules, and shall not, in any event, use the Grant for any purpose inconsistent with such Grant Recipient's Application or these Program Rules. Upon awarding of the Grant and depending upon the location of the Grant Recipient, Chase will in its sole discretion, either deposit the Grant into a JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. business checking account, subject to all of its required account opening rules and procedures, in the name of the Grant Recipient and designate a Chase Business Banker to assist the Grant Recipient, or issue a check to the Grant Recipient.

Tax Liability

 

Payment of Federal, State and Local taxes and fees due, if any, are the sole responsibility of the Grant Recipient. Chase will issue a 1099-MISC tax form to Grant Recipient.

Grant Agreement Terms


Each potential Grant Recipient may be required to substantiate that it meets the eligibility and other requirements of the Program Rules. Grant Recipients will receive Grants only after Sponsor determines that eligibility requirements have been met.
Potential Grant Recipients will be required to sign and properly execute Program documents and return them to Sponsors or its designees within five (5) business days of receipt. These documents include, for example: (1) an Agreement and Release; (2) Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release and Declaration of Compliance; where legal, a Publicity Release (collectively the "Affidavit"); (3) a Background Check Authorization Form; (4) a Grant Agreement; and (5) affirmation of your employer identification number or taxpayer identification number for tax reporting purposes to the Internal Revenue Service, as required by law. Failure to timely return any documents requested, return of Grant notification as undeliverable, or noncompliance with these Program Rules may result in disqualification. Sponsors shall have no further obligation to that potential Grant Recipient, and an alternate Grant Recipient may be selected.
A Grant Recipient will be required to:
  • permit Sponsors to use the Grant Recipient's name and likeness in any and all media, press materials, websites, photos, videos and any collateral materials developed for the Program for two (2) years after execution of the Grant Agreement (except where prohibited by law);
  • permit Sponsors to verify eligibility by completing a full background check and credit check;
  • participate in media training, opportunistic media interviews, photo and video opportunities and social media platforms to promote the Program.

Grant Recipients


A list of Grant Recipients will be posted on the Program Website on or before September 15, 2012. Sponsors shall have the right to remove such listing at any time in Sponsors' discretion, and if removed, shall identify appropriate contact information for obtaining such list.

Content Ownership and License


You represent that you own all content you submit in connection with your Application or the Program and such content will remain your property and you will have sole responsibility and liability for any claims related to that content. You grant Sponsors and their affiliated companies and designated agents a worldwide, a non-exclusive, transferable, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, unconditional, fully paid right and license: (a) to make, have made, use, copy, reproduce, modify, and create derivative works of any content provided by you through the Program, (b) to publicly perform or display, import, broadcast, transmit, distribute (directly and indirectly ), license, offer to sell and sell, rent, lease, or lend copies of the content (and derivative works thereof), and (c) to sublicense to third parties the foregoing rights, including the right to sublicense to further third parties. Additionally you consent to the use of the name, statements, photographs, videos, voice recordings and likenesses of yourself and any other person appearing in the content for publicity purposes, as well as any other purpose associated with the Program. Your consent is without restriction or compensation or permission of any kind and you represent and warrant that you have not and will not take any action that interferes with the rights granted to Sponsors under these Program Rules, and that you have secured written consents for any third parties who appear in your content for you to submit the content and make grant of rights set forth in these Program Rules.
In addition, if the content contains any material or elements that are not owned by the you, and/or which are the subject to the rights of third parties, then you are responsible for obtaining, prior to submitting the content, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the use and exhibition of the content by the Sponsor, including, without limitation, name, and likeness permissions from any person who appears in or is identifiable in the content and any person who is shown in any video or photographs. The Sponsor reserves the right to request proof of these permissions in a form acceptable to the Sponsor at any time. Failure to provide such proof may, if requested, render the content null and void. By submitting content, you and small business represent and warrant that any person appearing or who is identifiable in the content consents to the content and the use of the content as described in these Program Rules. Sponsor is not responsible for any loss, theft, or damage of any kind to any content submitted to the Sponsor.
No Sponsor is responsible for lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered or garbled entries or email; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer or device hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Program, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Program, the processing of entries, the announcement of the Grant Recipients, or in any Program-related materials. Nor is either Sponsor responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Program. No Sponsor is responsible for injury or damage to participants' or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Program or downloading materials from or use of the Program Website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Sponsors or Program Website or who are in violation of these Program Rules, as solely determined by a Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries and/or referrals will be void. Should any portion of the Program be, in a Sponsor's sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of a Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of entries, each Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to terminate the Program and, if terminated, select the potential Grant Recipient from all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to action taken.

Trademarks


In consideration of Applicant participating in the Program, the Sponsors grant you a limited non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license ("Trademark License") to use only the the Program banners, badges and posters, and the trademarks embedded therein, unaltered and, only as provided in the Media Kit, solely in conjunction with your participatiosn in the Program in accordance with the Program Rules. No individual rights to Chase or LS Marks are granted hereunder. The Trademark License shall terminate immediately upon notice from a Sponsor or upon the termination of your participation in the Program (whether due to voluntary withdrawal, ineligibility, disqualification or otherwise), the removal of your Application or other information from the Program Website, or the end of the Program, whichever occurs first. You shall not incorporate any trademarks of Chase or LivingSocial, any derivative of those trademarks or any mark which is similar to any of them, into your name, and shall not use any Sponsor trademarks or any mark similar to any Sponsor trademarks, in the promotion of any products or services other than in the promotion of your participation in the Program as specifically provided herein. Title and ownership to a Sponsors' marks, including, but not limited to, trademarks, domain names, logos as well as any other branding element of each Sponsor shall remain with such Sponsor. Except as otherwise provided in these Program Rules no right or license is granted to any third party relating to any copyright, patent, or trademark of either Sponsor.

Program Disclaimers


THE PROGRAM MAY CONTAIN TECHNICAL AND OTHER ERRORS AND LIMITATIONS AND IS PROVIDED "AS IS" "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. SPONSORS DISCLAIM ALL REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND (EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT OF PROPRIETARY RIGHTS) AS IT RELATES TO THE PROGRAM. THE ENTIRE RISK AS IT RELATES TO THE PROGRAM IS ASSUMED BY APPLICANT AND VOTER.

Limitation of Liability


Sponsors, each in its sole discretion, reserves the right to suspend, cancel or modify the Program without notice or liability if the integrity of the Program is compromised in any manner as determined by a Sponsor, or if the Program is not capable of being conducted as intended by a Sponsor. No Sponsor assumes any responsibility for any loss or damage to you, any Consumer or to any other person's computer relating to, or resulting from, entering, accessing or downloading any information or software in connection with this Program or otherwise participating in the Program. Neither Sponsors nor any of its respective agents are responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, problems with the platform on which the Program application runs, or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the you for printing or typographical errors in any Program-related materials, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Program, or by any human or other errors that may occur in connection with the Program.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL EITHER SPONSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST OPPORTUNITY OR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROGRAM, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SPONSOR HAS BEEN APPRISED OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCH DAMAGES OCCURRING AND REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.

Release and Indemnity


Release: You release the Sponsors, and each of their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, agents, employees, service providers, and all others associated with the development and execution of the Program, from any and all liability with respect to, or in any way arising from, the Program, including, but not limited to, any suspension, modification or cancellation of the Program, content received or posted, and/or acceptance or use of the Grant, including liability for personal injury, death, damages or loss.
Indemnity: By participating in the Program, you agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Sponsors, and each of their agents, service providers and their respective parents, and its and their subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, licensees, and assigns, and each of their directors, officers, agents, equity holders and employees, from and against any and all claims, losses, costs, damages, liabilities and costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and costs) which arise out of your participation in the Program or any breach of the Program Rules.

Governing Law and Disputes


Except where prohibited, you agree that all issues and questions concerning these Program Rules and the Program shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules.
You and each Sponsor each waive all rights to trial in any action or proceeding instituted in connection with the Program (including any activity related thereto). Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the Program shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis, and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party.
YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENJOIN OR RESTRAIN THE DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION, ADVERTISING, PROMOTION, DISTRIBUTION OR EXPLOITATION OF THE PROGRAM OR THE USE BY THE SPONSORS OF ANY OF THE CONTENT AS PERMITTED HEREUNDER.

Nature of Relationship


Nothing in these Program Rules or any other agreement with you shall be deemed to create an employment or agency relationship with Sponsors. You agree that it shall not look to Sponsors for any compensation or other benefits, except as specifically set forth in the Program Rules. You acknowledge and agrees that the relationship between you and Sponsors and any of their designees is not a confidential, fiduciary, or other special relationship, and that your decision to provide your content to the Sponsors for the purposes of this Program does not place either Sponsor in a position that is any different from the position held by members of the general public with regard to elements of your content.

Agreement to Program Website Privacy Policy and Terms of Use


BY PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM, YOU AGREE TO THE PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF USE, AVAILABLE AT www.missionsmallbusiness.com/privacypolicy and www.missionsmallbusiness/termsofuse, THE PROGRAM WEBSITE, AND THAT YOUR APPLICATION SUBMISSION AND THE PERSONAL INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM YOU IN CONNECTION WITH THIS PROGRAM, INCLUDING APPLICATION INFORMATION, WILL BE SHARED WITH SPONSORS AND/OR OF SPONSORS' DESIGNATED AGENT(S) AND THAT YOU MAY BE CONTACTED BY THE SPONSOR AND/OR ITS DESIGNATED AGENT(S) IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROGRAM. CONTENT MAY BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE INCLUDING TO VALIDATE ELIGIBILITY, ADVERTISING AND FOR MARKETING PURPOSES.


Submission of your Application to participate in the Program constitutes your full and unconditional agreement to the Program Rules as well as Sponsors' decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to this Program. Receipt of the Grant is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

What You Need to Know About the New Google Plus Design

What You Need to Know About Googles New DesignIn case you haven't checked your Google+ account today and noticed, the social network has rolled out a new design that Google says makes it easier to use and nicer to look at.

Perhaps the first thing you'll notice something similar to what you see on Facebook: you can now assign a cover image that displays at the top of your message stream. A larger profile photo displays on the right side of the page.


In terms of navigation, Google+ has swapped out the usual static icons at the top and moved them vertically along the left side of the page. You can even drag the apps up or down to arrange them in the order you desire. If you hover your mouse over an icon, a pop-up window tells you what actions you can take. For instance, hover over Photos and a window pops up allowing you to start adding photos either from your mobile device or an album on Google+.

Other features include larger photos and a chat function -- on the far right of the page -- that allows you to strike up a conversation with people who are in your Circles.
Google+ has also added a dedicated Hangouts page as well as an Explore page that shows what's trending across the network -- much like Twitter's trends function.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Tony Conway Presents A Legendary Location: 3109 Piedmont Estate and Gardens


Tony Conway, CEO and Founder of Atlanta full service special event company A Legendary Event, announces the newest Legendary addition: 3109 Piedmont Estate and Gardens.
 
 
ATLANTA, GA, June 01, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A Legendary Event, Atlanta's foremost catering, decor and floral company announces its newest addition to the award-winning Legendary brand. 3109 Piedmont Estate and Gardens, formerly known as Anthony's, will open in fall 2012 as a breathtaking special events venue under the proprietary vision of Tony Conway. Known for his outstanding leadership in the events industry, Conway turns his attention to renovate, revitalize and preserve one of Atlanta's leading landmarks.

3109 Piedmont Estate and Gardens will provide A Legendary Event's full-service Atlanta catering, decor and floral, along with indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces, plus a spectacular setting for weddings, parties and social and business events. The Estate features a breathtaking ballroom seating 150 guests along with a cocktail-reception space that will accommodate 350 to 400 party goers. This dramatic southern mansion is also a desirable location for the movie industry filming in Atlanta. 3109 Piedmont Estate and Gardens promises the same "Legendary" guarantee and reflects A Legendary Event's exquisitely prepared cuisine, renowned style of excellence and dedicated attention to service and detail.

According to Sam Massell, President of Buckhead Coalition, "This is a premium parcel offering a prime purpose. Tony Conway has the reputation of exuding the level of hospitality expected of Buckhead, and his operation will be a welcome addition to this community."

Sally Silver, Chair of Neighborhood Planning Unit adds, "The entire community is very excited about Tony Conway and A Legendary Event coming to this facility. Their reputation precedes them and we feel very confident that the standards will be exceeded and total faith Tony will do a superb job as he has always done with everything he touches. A Legendary Event has worked beautifully with our community and we feel 3109 Piedmont Estate And Gardens will be a welcomed neighbor. We are beyond thrilled!"

Tony Conway, CEO and Founder of A Legendary Event said, "As we celebrate our 15th anniversary in the Atlanta special events business, we are extremely excited to present 3109 Piedmont Estate and Gardens, which will provide Buckhead with a newly restored and updated magnificent special events venue. With the dramatic charm of the old South, this stunning modernized estate and lush gardens will be a wonderful addition to the prestigious host of venues in Buckhead."

3109 Piedmont Estate and Gardens will open fall 2012 as the premier Atlanta event venue for weddings, parties, and corporate events under the watchful eye of Tony Conway of A Legendary Event. To learn more about this Atlanta event space, please visit http://www.legendaryevents.com or its Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/3109piedmontestate/.

About A Legendary Event:

Formed in 1997, A Legendary Event has grown into a multi-million dollar full-service event enterprise. CEO and Founder Tony Conway is admired by top CEOs, celebrities, politicians and world-class galas for his attention to detail and penchant for providing fresh, trend-setting and uniquely presented fare, always with the client in mind. A Legendary Event is located in Atlanta and can be reached at (404) 869-8858. For more information about 3109 Piedmont Estate And Gardens, please call by appointment only 404-841-6682.

To learn more, visit http://legendaryevents.com

For all media inquiries, please contact:

Robyn Spizman
Vice President of Communications and Business Development
A Legendary Event
http://www.alegendaryevent.com

Florists For Change : FFC May 2012-2 Newsletter v2



We hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend, however you chose to observe it.

Did your shop close for a two or three day weekend, or did you keep your regular business hours? An informal survey on the Florists for Change Facebook pages didn’t lead to a consensus – some shops feel it’s important to stay open on holidays to keep potential customers from purchasing flowers at supermarkets, some are located close to cemeteries and do brisk Memorial Day business, some shops rely on past experience and stay closed because the sales don’t justify the overhead costs and other shops close to get some rest and relaxation for themselves and their staff.
 
One of the benefits of joining Florists For Change is access to the Members-Only Facebook page, where members ask and answer questions and share great tips and information. Here are a few examples of the useful and interesting things you’ll find there when you join:
 
 
Jenifer Swanson of Kaber Floral Company in Indiana recommended PicMonkey, a free user-friendly photo editor and Facebook app created by former Picnik engineers. Jenifer shared a few of her PicMonkey creations including a collage that can be a perfect way to post pictures on your shop’s Facebook page.
 
 
 
Betsy Hall of Hall’s Flower Shop in Georgia and a member of our Board of Directors posted about the significance of Memorial Day. Several members participate in the nationwide Memorial Day Flowers program, handing out roses to visitors at military cemeteries.
 
Dirk Lorenz of Fremont Flowers in California shared a postcard about FTD's new flat-rate credit card program. FTD membership is NOT required for participation. Is this a sign of things to come? Will the wire services try to make up for declining membership fees by offering their goods and services a la carte? Is this a good deal for florists? FTD's income goes, in large part, to advertising FTD.com to consumers - by purchasing these a la carte services, is a florist aiding a competitor for market share? It will be interesting to see if this becomes a trend, and to see what else the wire services choose to offer to non-members.

Philip Pearce of Young Floral in Charleston, West Virginia started a discussion about order gatherers who link to funeral home websites and then send their orders through the wire services. A similar discussion was started on our public Facebook page. The Stewart Enterprises (STEI) and Service Corporation International (SCI and Dignity) chains have arrangements with order gatherers, but many independent funeral homes are purchasing websites with links to order gatherers automatically set up. Funeral directors receive a commission on these sales, but most probably have no idea about the fee structure and how wire service orders work.
 

 Bonnie Bank of Superior Florist in New York emphasized the importance of visiting the websites of the funeral homes your shop services and looking at what their "Send Flowers” option links to. Chances are you won’t get anywhere with the chain funeral homes, but with the privately-owned homes you can educate the funeral director about order gatherers and maybe work out an arrangement to have their website’s link go directly to your website. Does your shop pay commissions to funeral homes? If not, is it worth it to look at the possibility in order to get your funeral homes to change their website link?

Words of Wisdom…

Aut Fuller of Floral Expressions in Maryland shared the following quotes:
"Don’t ever change just to impress and please someone. Change because it makes you a better person and it leads you to a better future.”
"I think the reason our parent’s generation was so successful was because they consistently worked towards common goals. They were all pulling on the same rope. We, on the other hand, each seem to be grasping at our own little threads and thereby unraveling the entire thing.”

Dirk Lorenz of Fremont Flowers in California and a member of our Board of Directors shared this quote from Benjamin Franklin:
"We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
Benjamin Franklin was a very smart man. Strength comes in numbers! To join Florists for Change please download our membership application at www.floristsforchange.com/important-documents.php.
Reminders about meetings and other events:
Several Florists for Change members will be attending the SAF Retail Growth Solutions Conference June 19 - 20 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. If you are attending, please stop by the Retail Tech Showcase and visit the booths of our associate members, Strider, Floristware and Flower Shop Network!
Vans Logo
There will be a regional information meeting June 21 at 5 PM at Vans, Inc. in Chicago, IL. Light dinner and refreshments will be provided. For more information contact Elizabeth Crisp of Apple Creek Flowers in Woodstock, IL.
 
 
The Delaware Vally Florist Association is holding a meeting on June 27 at the Sheraton Hotel Bucks County in Langhorne, PA. The evening will include dinner, a presentation by Tim Huckabee, a centerpiece design contest and a brief introduction to Florists for Change by Bonnie Bank of Superior Florist in New York City. For more information contact Robin Heller of Flowers by David in Langhorne, PA.
 
 
Regional meetings and information sessions are being organized this summer in New York, New Jersey and Ohio. If you are interested in attending or organizing a regional information meeting, please contact Bonnie Bank at superiorflorist@aol.com.

We are still accepting questions and suggestions for the Board of Directors meeting of Florists for Change taking place in Denver this weekend. What are the issues you think we should discuss? What action steps do you think we should consider? Please feel free to post on the Florists for Change Facebook page (www.facebook.com/floristsforchange), or if you would prefer to share privately, please email your thoughts and ideas to Betsy Hall at betsy@hallsflowershop.com.

Thanks for reading!