It’s Your Business Survey Launches Today to Capture New Insight into the Dana Point Business Community

DANA POINT, Calif. – On the heels of its nationally recognized program, Hide It, Lock It or Lose It, the City of Dana Point, in conjunction with the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce and Dana Point Police Services, is pleased to launch It’s Your Business, an initiative created by the newly formed Dana Point Business Services Team. It’s Your Business aims to identify the needs of the local business community, address those needs in a timely and professional manner, take action to best serve businesses, and prepare for the future through proactive and ongoing dialogue.

It’s Your Business kicks off today with an initial survey asking local businesses for feedback. The survey will shed light on what businesses feel is going well, and in what areas there are opportunities for enhanced services. The team is committed to responding and taking action on the survey responses to make the Dana Point the best it can be for businesses.

“We recognize that Dana Point businesses have a voice and we want to hear from you,” said Mark Levy, Chief of Police Services, City of Dana Point. “This initiative started with a focus on business safety, and quickly grew into a comprehensive program designed to meet the needs of our local business community. The responses to the survey are just the first step in the process of fostering an ideal working environment.”

From networking or noise levels to code enforcement or business safety, no concern or compliment is too big or too small. The deadline for the It’s Your Business survey is Wednesday, November 9, 2011, but businesses are encouraged to submit their responses as soon as possible so the team can get to work on taking action. All businesses that participate will receive a response.

More information and the full It’s Your Business survey is available at www.itsyourdpbusiness.com. The Dana Point Business Services Team will also be making personal connections with the local business community over the next few months at networking events, office visits and through email communication. Businesses interested in learning more about It’s Your Business and obtaining a hard copy survey may contact Christy Teague at the City of Dana Point – (949) 248-3519; Cassie Levine at Dana Point Police Services – (949) 248-3581; or Laura Ouimet at the Chamber of Commerce – (949) 496-1555. Businesses can join in on the conversation on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itsyourdpbiz and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Its-Your-Business-Dana-Point/232728180098505?sk=wall.

About the Dana Point Business Services Team:

The Dana Point Business Services Team is an alliance comprised of the City of Dana Point, the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce and Dana Point Police Services. The team is launching It’s Your Business, a program to evaluate the needs of local businesses in order to better serve them and foster their success. For more information, visit www.itsyourdpbusiness.com.

For a snapshot of all of Orange County’s cities, please visit OrangeCountyResource Guide.com

Orange County Advertising involves more than just getting our own company’s name out there for the consumer’s consideration.  We also need to look for causes to support and opportunities to give back to the community.  Today we present to you a worthy cause and invite you to engage in a number of ways.

Join us in supporting this year’s “Survive and Thrive Run Walk Health & Safety Expo”.

This year’s event will be on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at the Orange County Sheriff Regional Training Academy in Tustin, Ca. The purpose of this event is to bring awareness, prevention and survival to all surrounding communities while offering resources and services to victims of crime so they may walk away empowered with the tools to survive and thrive.

There are opportunities available for sponsorships, vendor booths, form a team or show your support and participate as an individual participant or volunteer for the cause.

Sponsorship Opportunities http://www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org/sponsorship-opportunities.htm

Vendor Booth Form http://www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org/vendors.htm

Registration Flyer – Pre – Registration guarantees you a shirt, goody bag, medal, chance for cash prizes, vendor booths- free samples, entertainment and much more. REGISTER TODAY!http://www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org/registration.htm

Charity Teams  http://www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org/teams.htm

Team Form  http://www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org/team-sponsor.pdf

Volunteer Information  http://www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org/volunteer.htm

For more information:
Crime Survivors, Inc, at (949) 872-7895

crimesurvivors@aol.com

http://www.crimesurvivors.com/

For a quick snapshot of the Welcome Express Family of Products: http://www.facebook.com/WelcomeExpress

Orange County Advertiser is excited to welcome back guest blogger Kari Adler, owner and founder of Have a Tiki Day with more timely business advice.

Is it really 2011? Yes! And the ONLY way we should think of this New Year is how lucky we are to experience it. Each day is truly a treasure and we need to remind ourselves everyday! Don’t allow yourself to be drained by what you don’t have, or can’t do, or criticism by others. This babble will only hinder your ability to live each moment of your life with appreciation for what you DO have.

I remind you of this because of my own latest experience with negative comments directed toward me. I was recently featured in an article for the Orange County Register titled No jobs? Graduate, 23, creates something bigger . I received several positive comments, many thanks to all of you, and several negative ones. Some were downright nasty. One individual even attacked my family. I couldn’t understand why someone would write such negative things without knowing me. I felt horrible.

This brings me to my first Tiki Tip of the New Year and my own personal resolution…

Tiki Tip: Turn a Negative into a Positive

I know, I know, you’ve all heard this before. But do you actually do it? Or do you dwell on negative thoughts that drain the life
out of you. If you’re like me, you are more inclined to believe a negative comment about yourself than a positive one.

As a self-proclaimed Perfectionista, I am already hard on myself. So criticism from others is especially difficult. This is where my brother Kash Adler, writer and actor extraordinaire, stepped in. Not only is he my younger brother, he’s my go-to for calm and positive energy. Basically, my little Buddha.

Kash flat out told me to stop being silly and turn this negative into a positive. I was dwelling and making myself upset. And upset over what? Some words from anonymous bloggers.

Of course I knew these comments were false and typical jealousy, but nevertheless, hurtful. As a small business owner, I’m not used to criticism that harsh. But he said, one day, HAVE A TIKI DAY® will be bigger than you could imagine. And if I think these comments are bad now, just wait until you’re a Fortune 500 company.

I now view these comments as preparation for the future. It pushes me to work harder on my business and reinforces the fact that I’m the one in control of my thought process. We are all faced with negativity on a daily basis, but it’s up to you in how you think about it. Think positive, be positive and you‘ll be productive!

Tiki Tip: Take out the Trash!

Referring to the physical mess around you. A space full of clutter and chaos will only distract you from what you need to focus on. Whether it’s your bedroom, office or kitchen…CLEAN IT UP! I have always found a disorganized space creates disorganized thoughts. Not to mention a waste of your valuable time if you have to sort through a million papers to find what you’re looking for.

I live and work in a clutter-free zone. Shocker, Perfectionista Kari operates in an organized space. But believe me, its works. I have helped other non-perfectionist people organize their spaces and it’s been successful.

In a hurry and can’t find your keys? Or the all important Blackberry? Eliminate this stress by placing your keys & cell in the same dish every day. Organize the little things and relieve the stresses you simply don’t need. Also, don’t forget to toss those items you won’t use again. They’re taking up space that you will eventually run out of. Whether its old books, kitchen gadgets or paperwork, donate what you can and take the rest to the trash!

Tiki Tip: Don’t Predict, ANYTHING

Predicting is the absolute WORST thing you can do. You may have an idea what will happen in the next 5 minutes, hour, or day, but you can never be sure. We like to plan and predict things as we think they should be and are let down when it doesn’t happen. By doing this, you set yourself up for disappointment. STOP this right now!

Always prepare for the unexpected and you’ll be prepared for anything! Life changes in split seconds and one can never know what’s around the corner. Therefore, DON’T PREDICT!

My grandmother always said, “Man Plans and God Laughs”. So very true! Sure I make business plans and keep events in my calendar, but I don’t freak if things change. I expect plans to change. This way of thinking will allow you to handle personal and professional changes much easier. Expect the unexpected and you’ll adapt with ease.

Celebrate the New Year with Kari’s Tiki Tips for your personal and professional life.

Peace, Love &… HAVE A TIKI DAY®

Orange County Advertiser welcomes guest blogger, Kari Adler, founder and owner of Have a Tiki Day in Laguna Beach. She shares her tips as a young entrepreneur in Orange County.

Are you Having A Tiki Day? I am and you can to! I decided to Have A Tiki Day™ in 2009 after graduating from UC Irvine with a Criminology and Law Degree. Like many college graduates, I had no clue what I wanted to do or if I wanted to use my degree at all. And for those who know me personally, you know I’m not one to take orders, from anyone!

My solution, become an entrepreneur and create my own brand! Easy? NOT SO MUCH. I soon realized that having an idea is one thing, but actually creating a business with it was a totally different ballgame.

Many people have innovative ideas, yet don’t follow through out of fear and rejection from others. Learn to THROW THAT AWAY! Fear has no power and will only paralyze you from life. If you don’t try, you’ll never know. If I listened to those haters who said I was wasting my time and college education by creating my own industry, I wouldn’t have clients wearing HAVE A TIKI DAY™ all around the world! My clients have been from Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, Hawaii, and more! Hmmmmmm, who was right? Instead of Having A Tiki Day for the past year, I would still be in Law School wondering what if.

My strength and wisdom has brought HAVE A TIKI DAY™ to life at the Laguna Village Arts & Flowers in Laguna Beach. My following Tiki Tips are helpful tools I have learned as a 24 year-old entrepreneur building an apparel brand in Orange County.

TIKI TIP: Confidence, Confidence, Confidence

I cannot emphasize this enough. Confidence is the key to everything we do in life. If YOU don’t have confidence in yourself, no one else will either. This relates to everything from starting a business, to dating, to how we dress. Always be your genuine self because a copy can be spotted a mile away. Besides, copying is boresville, and no one likes a bore! As any entrepreneur knows, you must have the passion first before anyone else can.

True Story Last Week: My friend walked into my shop with dog hair all over his shirt. As a crazy perfectionist and lover of lint rollers, I literally lint rolled him from head to toe before he could hug me. I know I know a little obsessive. But that’s who I am and as a confident man he didn’t mind at all. Imagine a 47 year old man getting lint rolled by a 90lb. 4’11 woman. It was pretty funny.

My point is, confidence with who you are makes life a lot easier to deal with. It’s draining to worry about what other people are thinking about you, so why bother. Fear of rejection and judgment will only hinder you in life. Entrepreneurs especially MUST overcome fear. I did and I now have a trademarked brand of apparel that is worn by men, women and children all over the world!

TIKI TIP: Say Goodbye to Flappers

Everyone knows a flapper. I’ve known many and many is an understatement. A flapper is someone who flaps their mouth about anything and everything but will never actually help you. People love to make suggestions about what you can do and who you can go to and who they know to help you. Most of this chatter is exactly that, chatter! My tiki tip is to view everyone as a flapper and then see who really comes through for you.

Surround yourself with Doers, not flapper’s! If someone doesn’t return a phone call and email after they said to contact them, they’re a flapper! Don’t take it personally, just move on to the next. You don’t have time to waste mental energy on wishing and wondering why someone doesn’t respond. Who cares why because it won’t make a difference. Once you get the hang of this, it’ll be easy to let the flapper’s just flap away from you!

Stay tuned for my next blog and more Tiki Tips for your personal and professional life. I’ll keep it fun and informative with a dose of Kari’s personal perfectionism!

Grab a Tiki Tee, Tote or Tip and HAVE A TIKI DAY™!

Orange County Advertiser is pleased to offer this selection brought to you by Capstone studios, Inc.

Capstone Studios Inc. is a small marketing and design agency in Irvine, CA. They work hard so you can rest easy; knowing your goals are understood and followed through using data-backed strategies for brilliant, award-winning results.

As kids, we all had some favorite bedtime story. Maybe these stories were told while camping in the backyard, at elementary school during recess, or in our cute child-sized beds. But we all remember one.

Source: ClickZ, 5 Ways to Integrate Stories Into Your Social Media Marketing, Aug 2010

Jo-Anne Redwood, Principal
jar@capstonestudios.com

Capstone Studios, Inc.
1 Technology
One Technology Business Center
Building Letter i, Suite #801
Irvine, CA 92618
www.capstonestudios.com

Orange County Advertiser welcomes guest blogger Rhonda Burgin from Burgin Construction with an informative post on EPA regulations regarding lead paint.

So, what’s the big deal? Why is everyone so up-in-arms and worried about the whole lead paint issue? Why is the EPA creating new regulations and going to such extremes?

In order to answer this question you have to have some basic information on lead poisoning. The most common sources of lead poisoning are:

Deteriorating lead-based paint
Lead contaminated dust
Lead contaminated residential soil
Long-term exposure to lead can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and headaches in children. For adults it can lead to reproductive problems, high blood pressure, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain.

If your home was built before 1978 you may be exposed to this hazard on a daily basis. Due to these serious health concerns the EPA has enacted new regulations which will affect the entire Home Improvement industry. These new rules went into effect for all projects beginning from April 22nd of this year. To meet the requirements, all contractors who work on homes built before 1978 must have completed the course and received their EPA Lead-Safe Certification.

For those in the industry who have not completed the requirements yet, you have less than 28 days remaining to do so. For all homeowners who are, or will be interviewing contractors, make sure you ask them about their certification and request to see a copy of the certificate. If you would like more information visit the EPA’s site at http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm or contact Burgin Construction at 714-558-1094.

Orange County businesses and homeowners can always use clear language regarding EPA regulations. Thank you Burgin Construction!

Going Green in OC offers additional environmentally friendly businesses in Orange County for the savvy consumer.

Mobile Marketing (Original post by The Mobile Marketer)

Orange County advertising firms are constantly researching the most effective campaigns. In today’s economy, it makes financial sense to reach out to the largest amount of consumers in a cost effective manner. As an OC business, have you considered mobile marketing?

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) mobile council has produced a list of the top 10 things it believes markets absolutely have to know about mobile advertising at the moment. It follows research from the IAB and PriceWaterhouseCoopers that mobile advertising is set to become part of the mainstream marketing mix over the next two years.

10. Consumers like Mobile! The Orange Exposure study shows 70% of mobile media users find innovative ad formats appealing. In an ad funded games trial 89% said they liked or were neutral to advertisements appearing on the Orange World portal and 88% said they were happy to be exposed to advertising in exchange for free or discounted content. Alex Kozloff, media research manager, Orange.

Stepping outside of a business viewpoint for a moment and becoming a consumer who receives text messages from businesses advertising their specials, I love receiving the mobile messages. I don’t have to hunt down specials while sitting at my desk. I can be engaging in my daily life. As a busy professional, I have found this to be a personal plus. How about you? Are you using mobile marketing for you business or product. Please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

To combat empty store syndrome, many retailers are thinking outside of the box in order to attract customers. To stay competitive they are realizing that they must appeal to their community and become not just a retail location, but a destination.

Of course, many restaurants have already discovered the value of this concept by offering live music on Fridays and/or Saturdays. But does this concept work for say, jewelry stores or furniture stores? Business owners say yes and no. Not all are seeing a spike in sales, but they do see that they are cementing their place in the community.

Live music is not the only event businesses can add to their repertoire. Clothing stores are adding fashion shows. Fitness clubs are adding juice bars. Gift stores offer cookies and freshly brewed coffee. Events or perks are definitely becoming an integral part of retailers trying to reach out in a recession. And most retailers seem to agree that connecting with the community is key in the longevity of their business.

What ideas do you have in these tough times? Have you added events or special perks? We’d love to hear your comments!

Orange County Advertising involves more than just getting our own company’s name out there for the consumer’s consideration. We also need to look for causes to support and opportunities to give back to the community. Today we present to you a worthy cause and invite you to engage in a number of ways.

Join Sheriff Hutchens in supporting this year’s “Survive and Thrive Run Walk Health & Safety Expo”. This year’s event will be on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at the Orange County Sheriff Regional Training Academy in Tustin, Ca. The purpose of this event is to bring awareness, prevention and survival to all surrounding communities while offering resources and services to victims of crime so they may walk away empowered with the tools to survive and thrive. www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org.

There are opportunities available for sponsorships, vendor booths, form a team or show your support and participate as an individual participant or volunteer for the cause.

Sponsorship Opportunities
http://www.crimesurvivors.com/PDF/2010-Run-Walk-sponsorship-brochure.pdf

Vendor Booth Form
http://www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org/Booth_Registration.pdf

Registration Flyer – Pre – Registration guarantees you a shirt, goody bag, medal, chance for cash prizes, vendor booths – free samples, entertainment and much more. REGISTER TODAY!!!!!

http://www.crimesurvivors.org/PDF/2010-Run-Walk-Health-Safety-Expo-Flyer.pdf

Team Form
http://www.crimesurvivors.com/event/team-sponsor.pdf

Volunteer Information
http://www.surviveandthriverunwalk.org/volunteer.htm

Contact: Crime Survivors, Inc, at (949) 872-7895 or crimesurvivors@aol.com.

Collaboration and Partnerships within our Comminutes to Empower All Victims of Crime to Survive and Thrive!!!!

After declining for 4 straight quarters from early 08 to early 09, economists estimate OC’s economy has been growing since Q2-09.  After 2 years of negative expectations, OC executives are definitely optimistic in their outlook for Q2-10.  A quarterly index of business expectations is at 65.2 for Q2, the 5th straight gain since the low in early 09.  The index, based on a survey of executives, professionals, managers and business owners is designed to be a leading indicator of quarterly economic activity.  An index reading of 50 or more signals a positive outlook for the quarter.  The Q2 65.2 reading is up from 53.3 for Q1.

More specifically, let’s look at housing…

OC Housing:  Although still 45% below their Feb, 2005 peak, OC housing prices have increased 5 to 7% since January 2010. There are 2 primary OC housing markets—those for below $1M (hot) & those above $1M (cold).  At the current pace, it would take buyers 2.5 months to absorb current inventory of below $1M homes.  Above $1M home inventory would take 9.4 months to absorb.

And lastly…

OC’s annual gross metropolitan product—a measure of economic output similar to the nation’s annual gross domestic product—is $165.5 billion.  That is down from a high of $172.6 billion at the start of 2007.

All of these stats are good news for advertising companies in Orange County as well as marketing firms in Southern California. What about small businesses in Orange County? Does this increase your sense of hopefulness for the future? We’d love to hear from you!