What’s my age again?

My Linkedin profile is connected to my website I’ve got multiple phone numbers, and multiple URL’s, and I’ve got blogs, with widgets, one widget even checks for tweets on twitter, and I ask myself not only What’s my age again?, but…  what language am I speaking? We’ve got Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Flickr, Meetup, Bebo, and Xing, to name a few.  Look up social networking sites on Wikipedia and there will be more than a hundred different names.

Social networking is changing the way people communicate, it’s changing the way we do business. Skittles became the hot topic for a week because they turned their website into a Twitter page, I don’t know what that means, but if the world does a double-take it must mean something.

I grew up as part of the generation that watched the technologically miraculous become commonplace. We played Pong, and Centipede, we knew what B.A.S.I.C. programming was.  We may be the last generation that actually used a phone with a dial on it. We can remember the first portable phone, the first portable computer, and the first portable tv, none of which gave any indication that they would lead to today’s Ipods, Iphones, and Blackberry’s.

St. Patrick’s Day

A double holiday,  of sorts,   St. Patrick’s Day,  and Letip Election Day, of course even with both events falling on the same day we’re still not able to stay home from work.  Great attendance at the meeting  all but two members were present, and  Dr. Thomas H. Miller of Miller Chiropractic Wellness Center in Pleasantville attended as a guest of Jim Griggs.

Sandy reminded us to keep Kathy Brady in our thoughts with warm wishes for a speedy recovery. Chris Jones was our speaker and he educated us about Brian’s proposed Butterfly Garden,  and he said a few things about trees as well. Chris’ speech was followed by the ballot and we elected a full Board of Directors.

President- Chris Jones      VP- Sandy Atkinson    Tipmaster- Brian Ernst   Secretary- Rich Martucci     Treasurer- Chris Mooney   Membership Chair- Roger Mussa

Congratulations and thanks to our newly elected Board of Directors.

Committee Chairs  are appointed by the Board, and Michael Stark has been appointed as our Ethics Chair, and I will be continuing in my role as the Chapter Mentor.

Mentor Minute

Having trouble getting motivated?  Motivate someone else.  The natural tendency is to find someone to commiserate with and share your pain, fight that tendency!  Instead say something encouraging to the people you come in contact with, good words bring good feelings, when you hear them and when you say them. Seeing someone you just encouraged go out and close a deal may be just the motivation you need.

It’s Much better to overDO it than Overthink it.    (a perfect St. Patrick’s Day sentiment)

Letip Blog List

Check out some of the blogs Letip of the Shore members have published. Listed under Blogroll on the right hand side of this page you will find blogs by Roger Mussa, myself, and the newest blog from our vice president Sandy Atkinson. Please check out these links, if you like what you see, post a comment. If you have a blog or website you would like to see promoted please contact me.

The combination of social networking, blogging, and posting comments to discussions and blogs is providing businesses with a unique opportunity for free internet advertising. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity before it goes away or becomes something we need to pay for.  If you are uncertain how to proceed, ask Sandy, Roger, or myself.  Just one more benefit of belonging to a group like Letip is having business associates you can turn to with technical questions.

Chamber of Commerce Mixer

Another terrific networking event by the Greater Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, for those Letip members who attended the mixer Great Job! Letip of the Shore definitely had a strong presence, members in attendance included:

• Michael Stark – TV Atlantic
• Sandy Atkinson – Custom Printing & Marketing
• Roger Mussa – Morgan Stanley
• Brian Ernst – BE Home Improvements
• Jim Griggs – Mercado Lending Corporation
• And myself – David Finch – Sign A Rama

Sandy had a stack of business card magnet schedules and Letip free breakfast cards and was promoting our group and her company at the same time. For anyone who had read an earlier post regarding Constant Promotion, take a lesson from Sandy.

Indulge me for a moment as I share a feeling I experienced at Red Square.

Who can dispute the power of Letip networking?  We worked that mixer like a real team! I was at times an observer and a participant as Letip members introduced each other to new prospects. There was no other group of business owners at the mixer who networked as well as Letip of the Shore.

Thanks go out to the staff of Red Square, the Chamber of Commerce, and to my fellow Letip members. Think about what we do for each other and ask yourself what business would not want to benefit from that type of relationship.

Nominations for Board of Directors

The Nominations for the Letip Board are as follows:

President:  Chris Jones

Vice President:  Sandy Atkinson

Treasurer: Chris Mooney

Secretary: Rich Martucci

Membership:  Jim Griggs   &   Roger Mussa

Tipmaster:  Brian Ernst

Congratulations to all those nominated, we will be voting Tuesday March 17th,  St. Patrick’s Day.  Please make a special effort to attend and show your support for our nominees.

On Another Topic:

We all want more business, otherwise we would stay in bed Tuesday mornings.

I challenge every member of Letip to build their businesses.

Build your business by building your sales force.

Build your business by promoting it in every venue available to you.

• Promote your company website
• Promote the Letip organization
• Promote the Letip website www.LetipOfTheShore.com
• Promote this blog
• Promote your fellow members
• Attend the Chamber of Commerce events (Red Square 3/11, 5-7pm)
• Join Linkedin

If you do these things you will get more business. Become a Constant Promoter, you will get more business.   To become a Constant Promoter you just need to promote constantly.

Hello Atlantic County

Welcome to the Letip of the Shore Blog. Please allow me to introduce myself, David Finch,  owner of  Sign A Rama of Egg Harbor Township, and the Mentor of the Letip of the Shore chapter.  My experience with blogging extends from this single posting on this newly formed blog to perhaps three or four postings on my recently formed company blog SignsEHT.blogspot.com Since the turbo-nerds that know about this stuff say you should start blogging here I am blogging.

If you are reading this now, I’ll assume you are:

1. Already a member of Letip.  (congratulations not only did you join an effective business networking organization, but you’re intelligent enough to find this site.)

2. Considering joining the Letip organization. (congratulations on finding the site, please fill out an application, we need smart people like you.)

3. Totally lost and wondering what Letip is. (just click the icon above, the one that looks like a little house, and go on about your business)

If by any chance you are a number 3, and you didn’t click back to your home page I’ll tell you that LeTip is a professional organization of men and women dedicated to the highest professional standards of competence and service. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips. Members will at all times maintain the highest professional integrity. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed.

More information about our organization and our members is available at <a www.LetipOfTheShore.com