Curves Health Tip
April 22, 2011 by admin
Filed under Member News
Are you making your allergies worse?
It’s easier to breathe (and therefore exercise, socialize, and otherwise enjoy your day) if your allergiesa re kept in check. Here are three things that can make allergies worse and what to do instead.
Stress and anxiety can trigger an increase in your body’s levels of the blood proteins that cause allergic reactions. When you’re experiencing stress, make sure you get enough sleep. Being poorly rested can worsen both stress and allergies.
Drinking alcohol can raise the risk of regular nasal-allergy symptoms. (For every extra alcoholic beverage you down each week, your risk for “personal allergic rhinitis” rises 3%). Alcohol beverages actually produce histamines—the chemical that cause allergy symptoms. Bottom line: avoid alcohol when your symptoms are acting up.
Taking meds after allergy symptoms start won’t give you optimum relief. Experts say that it’s better to start seasonal-allergy medications a few weeks before you usually have problems. The same is true if you need only an occasional dose of antihistamine: Take your medicine about 30 minutes before you’re going to be exposed to grass, dogs, ragweed, or whatever it is that triggers symptoms for you.
PrintWorks- 25 Years of Attention to Detail
April 21, 2011 by admin
Filed under Spotlight Business
PrintWorks- 25 Years of Attention to Detail
Tom and Sarah Fullen are the proud owners of PrintWorks. This innovative husband and wife team has seen many changes in the printing industry over 39 years. They are continually adapting their business, equipment, and products to the demands of the times. A constant through the years has been their unfailing teamwork and responsiveness to their clients’ needs.
Tom began in the printing arena in 1972 in Worcester, MA and later moved to Leominster where he worked for a local downtown print shop for 9 years. Tom was a hard worker and found himself devoting many hours to his job. While working in Leominster, he met Sarah, a local school teacher. Sarah’s job required frequent visits to the copy machine where Tom worked as a pressman. Tom and Sarah soon realized they were destined to a life together.
While on vacation at the age of 28, Tom approached Sarah with the idea of starting their own business. He was confident with his knowledge and ability in the printing industry and his craftsmanship. He was not afraid of hard work and long hours. He was prepared to take on a challenge. The printing industry was booming at the time, and Tom felt very little risk, after all, he was very marketable. And so PrintWorks began in 1986.
Staying in Leominster, Tom set up shop on Mechanic Street at the old Leominster Pools location. Sarah continued working as a teacher. In 1987 as the business grew, it was evident that PrintWorks needed another worker or two to help with the workload. They weighed their options and decided that Sarah would take one-year leave from teaching and join the PrintWorks team.
The couple’s different talents were a perfect complement for the printing business. Sarah was an English teacher for 10 years and had a Master’s degree. Her knowledge of language is very helpful to many clients. As Sarah points out, “It is very difficult to proofread your own material.” Many clients send in text to be printed and miss the small typos or grammatical errors that might make the work seem less professional. Sarah is the quality control that a do-it-yourselfer might not receive. She is the last one to see the finished product and performs a double check to ensure that the customers receive the best product they possibly can.
Sarah is a valuable asset when planning bridal stationery. Many brides do not know the traditions and etiquette involved in the wording or setup of their invitations. Do you put the zip code on the invitation? Who is listed first? How many invitations do I need? Sarah will help clients design their package to fit their needs while offering expert advice.
In 1988 their landlord, Peter Zichelle, approached Tom and Sarah with the offer of a new location. Peter was about to build the Crossroads Office Park, and the new space would be on Viscoloid Avenue. The building was new and could be customized to the Fullens’ dream plans.
About that same time they hired Tina Manring Dixson. Tina began working for PrintWorks as a Leominster Center for Technical Education co-op student while in high school. She stayed with them for 20 years becoming their shop foreman and an invaluable asset to PrintWorks. Tina learned to operate every machine; she understood the mechanics and maintenance of all equipment thus making Tom’s life a little easier and allowing him to concentrate on other business obligations and occasionally take a little time off.
Adam Studham is the current Production Manager and pressman. Adam is also an alumnus of the Leominster Center for Technical Education. Adam helps the Fullens’ with all aspects of the business.
In the 1980s, printing was complicated, and orders could take weeks to complete. One company would typeset, maybe another would print, another bind, perforate, emboss. Along with proofreading, one of Sarah’s early duties was to drive to the typesetter in Boxboro to pick up the copy. If, upon another round of proofreading any errors were found, Sarah would be back on the road picking up the corrected version. As technology developed, the production time line decreased. The fax machine streamlined much of that process saving time as well as wear and tear on the vehicles.
Computers entered the printing business in the 1990s. Tom realized that this was the future. He stayed up until the wee hours of the morning “playing on his computer” as Sarah called it. Tom felt it was important to learn to use the latest technology, and he devoted many hours to learning as many programs as possible.
Tom prophesized the day would come when people would not be coming through the door to place orders. The customers would be sitting at their desks and ordering from their home or office computers. He wanted PrintWorks to be ready and available with an online presence.
In 2001 PrintWorks purchased a Heidelberg offset press. Tom feels it is the best in the industry and is very proud to have one. This machine takes an average of 3 hours to set up which is why it is used for larger jobs. The quality of this machine makes it invaluable for high-profile business material. The cast iron machine uses only 4 ink colors but can produce a rainbow of colors with precision and repetition.
As desktop publishing became more common, PrintWorks continued to adapt to the needs of their clients by purchasing a digital printer. Clients were becoming more self-sufficient, printing some things themselves. But they were missing the professionalism that only a true craftsman can provide. And there were still many projects that the desktop could not do. PrintWorks provides printing services for those that produce their own art, or they can assist with the design and setup. Their modern equipment and ability to produce diverse products help many local and regional business owners.
Many of the clients use quality photos in their publications. Sometimes the photos were an afterthought. Sometimes Tom or Sarah would suggest adding a picture to the project. As a convenience to their clients, PrintWorks added a photography studio upstairs and on-location photography. This has proved to be a great asset for PrintWorks and the clients as well. Many professionals have their photo on their business card or literature. Now PrintWorks can coordinate the photo session with the project giving the design greater consistency.
Web design is another segment of the business that developed out of practicality. A lot of business is now conducted on the internet. Most of the stronger businesses have a web presence. Tom realized that as a printer he already had much of his clients’ information, logos, collateral, and knowledge of their business philosophy. It was a natural step to put it all on a web page. Clients can now rely on PrintWorks for their web design and hosting as well as printing needs.
Today PrintWorks provides “Print-on-Demand.” This is a service that allows clients to print items as they sell. Historically, clients would order in bulk. The client would have to pay in advance for the quantity ordered. This often resulted in excess books being printed, stored, and unsold. With “Print-on-Demand,” an author has PrintWorks hold the print files. As an order comes in over the web, PrintWorks is notified. They print, bind, and ship the book(s) order usually that day. This allows PrintWorks to provide printing services for the entrepreneur as well as the established business.
“Web-to-Print” is a feature that many people will appreciate. From the PrintWorks website, clients can design their own brochure, business card, etc. using their own design 
or from one of the available templates on the website. Clients can then store their projects in their own secure private portal for future ordering or editing. By placing an order, the clients actually put their projects into production. The order can be shipped or picked up right here in Leominster. This is a great option for “Do it Yourselfers” and graphic designers, saving them the cost of the precious software.
Do-it-yourself is not for everyone nor for every project. “Online print may be fast, but it misses the trained eye and objectivity that a true craftsman has,” Tom notes. “Professionals do their best to look out for their customers’ interest.”
A brief tour of the print shop shows the variety of products that PrintWorks can produce: business cards, stationery, pocket folders, brochures, post cards, greeting cards, calendars, posters, books, line cards, door hangers, bumper stickers, and many other products and services such as mailing, and fulfillment.
Talk to Tom, Sarah, or Adam for some creative ways to get your message across. Their experience and creativity might be the best value you have found this year.
PrintWorks is located at 225 Viscoloid Ave, Leominster MA. 978-534-5255. www.PrintWorksnet.com
PrintWorks is a member of the Leominster Small Business Association. www.shoplocalleominster.com.
Fax: 978-534-3167
sales@printworksnet.com
www.printworksnet.com
Services for the Earth
April 20, 2011 by admin
Filed under Member News
Services for the Earth
For each service listed below, RITUALS will make a donation to our earth Month Partner, Clean Ocean Action, to help protect our water supply. Now thru April 30, 2011 we will offer these services to help raise funds and awareness. Thank you in Advance for your support!
Chakra Manicure – Our Natural manicure, a Chakra mist and reflexology hand treat.$25
Chakra Facial-Our customized facial plus a mini reflexology treat $75
Chakra Massage- our Chakra massage incorporates deep tissue, energy work and reflexology. $70
Chakra Stress Relief Neck and Shoulder, $10 when added to any hair service.
Rituals Salon & Spa
646 Central St
Leominster, MA 01453
978-537-9394
www.ritualsspa.com
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
April 19, 2011 by admin
Filed under Real Estate
Company Name:Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Street Address:
4 Monument Square
Leominster, MA 01453
Company Website:www.MarciaCasacca.com
Company Phone:978-870-7663
Company Fax:978-602-9121
Primary Contact:Marcia Casacca,Realtor, Notary Public
Company Email:MCasacca1@comcast.net
Hours of operation:
9 am – 9 pm Sunday through Saturday
About:
I have beenn Real Estate since 1999 and have been recognized by the local Real estate Board for top Producer every year. I have continuously educated myself to keep on top of strategies, negotiating and buyer and seller representation. I also represent several investors who are continually looking to enhance their portfolios. I look forward to working with you. I am available nights and weekends when you are available! Call me anytime for any of your real estate needs.
Curves-Weekly Health Tip
April 18, 2011 by admin
Filed under Member News
Get Up and Get Moving
Investigators from the American Cancer Society (ACS) spent 14 years tracking nearly 70,000 women and 54,000 men who were generally health (they were also already enrolled in the ACS’s Cancer Prevention II study). In that time, women who spent six or more hours a day sitting had a 37% increased risk of dying when compared with women who sat for three hours or less. The added risk was independent of other health factors, although once overall activity was factored in, the most inactive participants who also sat the least. Scientists believe prolonged relaxation of our largest muscles is a culprit. When we contract our muscles, the enzyme that metabolizes triglycerides and makes HDL (good cholesterol) is stimulated. When we sit, however, our HDL levels drop while our glucose and triglycerides rise. The amount of activity required to offset sitting’s negative effects is unknown, so our best bet is to look for ways to move every hour.
Regards
Donna DiMarzio
Curves Leominster
Social Media and Commerce
April 13, 2011 by admin
Filed under Member News
It’s a dawning of a new age when it comes to the internet. No longer are we in a one-way communication environment, instead we are in whats being called a “Social Web”.
This Social Web is entirely dependent upon interaction. Interaction amongst friends, interaction between businesses and consumers, and it ALL has a huge bearing on all of us!
We can all pretty much agree that traditional advertising is dying a slow and painful death. Those who are slow to adopt the new social medium as the new way of doing business are going to die along with print advertising. Of course there is still a place for print advertising, but if you are going to spend the money…you better utilize it to it’s max potential. Heck, even TV commercials aren’t getting the premium fees they used to because stations are having to bend to keep advertisers on board.
It says a lot when this during this years Super Bowl, Pepsi, a staple of Super Bowl commercials, opted to NOT spend their ad dollars on TV, but instead on Social Media!
Being immersed in the social media field, I am constantly seeing great examples of businesses and musicians that use social media to its fullest potential. Artists like Nikki Sixx(of Motley Crue fame) do an astounding job of integrating Twitter,Facebook, and their websites into tools to connect with fans…which translates into more and more people into their sales funnel.
Seattle’s Best Coffee is another pioneer in the social media market. Their most current promotion is a HUGE undertaking, one that incorporates fan feedback into a live 24hour streaming video that uses fan feedback to generate the video’s content.
But one does not have to be a major rock star or huge corporation to reap the rewards. Whats so great about the internet of today is the level playing field in which we all get to play on. One does not need large advertising dollars to generate the same results as a Best Buy or Zappo’s. All you need is the right social marketing plan, a consistent message, and interaction with your fans.
So where does commerce come in? Everywhere. Yes, it is of course the driving factor behind what we do as business owners and artists, but in needs to not be front and center in today’s new electronic environment. Actually, it is literally the opposite. In the past it was always a good model to have your brand or product, then drive people to it. Today, we need to focus on the individual consumer, then build our system around THEM.
A strong social media marketing plan first takes in to account WHO their clients are. What are their likes, dislikes, where do they shop, what do they like to do for activities? All these and many more questions could be asked, and need to be asked in order to cater your marketing to your clients. No one wants to be sold to anymore, especially where they hang out. Places like Facebook and Twitter are place people go to hang out, catch up on the latest news from their friends and interests, not to be pitched products to. Imagine having a party at your house with 20 friends, and one guy is walking around trying to sell you insurance. Not cool in my book, and chances are he will either be ignored or punched in the head(depending on the party). So why would you do it on Facebook or Twitter? You wouldn’t.
I would like to use Facebook pages as an example for this post. When it comes to commerce, selling isn’t as hard as you might think. If you have identified your audience, communicated with them in the proper way, answered their concerns, and overall treated them as friends, not customers, then the ability to sell comes natural. And what better way to sell then to do it where everyone already is?
Each Facebook “fan page” allows you the ability to create custom tabs. These tabs can pretty much do anything you want, but let’s just say you want to use them to display your products, and even sell them. This can be done in multiple ways, but the two most obvious are direct links to your website where you already sell them, or right ON Facebook itself, so they never have to leave.
With custom tabs, you can, with the right systems in place, sell anything and everything. From clothes to digital downloads, to even tickets and seminars.
Above(click for full size) is a campaign I am running for Cathy Savage Fitness. This is just one of many items on the same tab. You will notice that the user can select a size to purchase this one piece of apparel. It is fully integrated and allows the user to purchase right from Facebook! This one item, with the others we are selling, in 5 weeks have produced over $4ooo in gross sales. The products at the moment are ONLY on Facebook, so the cost is easy to figure out. And this is with 1300 fans. Judging by the responses so far, that number is much smaller than what it could be if we put up even more products!
Above are two examples we did where musicians are selling digital downloads of their music right on Facebook. They both use iTunes, their own websites, CDBaby, etc as well, but having them in an environment where people already are takes one less step out of the way. With the short attention span of today’s web browsers, one or two less clicks makes a huge difference!!
Some other examples can be much simpler, or much more complex. It all depends on your needs and plans. However, to just name a few:
- Using discount codes for certain items and ONLY posting the codes on Facebook or Twitter
- Using Facebook or Twitter to reserve seating at a restaurant
- Offering up special deals to Facebook only fans to encourage people to “like” your page
- Setting up a FAQ tab on Facebook based on feedback generated by fans
- Encouraging fans to “like” certain posts you make to unlock special products
The list goes on and on and on. Again, it depends on your business and what you want to achieve. There is direct commerce dollars where it is obvious from sales what is working, then there is indirect commerce dollars which comes from the viral aspect of how you implement your plan. Simple things like adding a “like” button to your blog posts(you have a blog right?) allows people to share your content with their friends.
Studies have shown, with places like American Eagle Outfitters and Levi’s, that over 50% of their sales are now driven from Social media!!
So putting up the tools to allow your fans to share your brand…is actually priceless. The viral aspect of growing your brand through online word-of-mouth cannot be emphasized enough. Give people a reason to “spread the word”. Remember, everything your fans do that relates to you…is seen by their friends…and so on. So make it count!
To conclude, Social Media is not going away. Those in business who want to continue to grow and prosper, are going to have to embrace the technology and use it to its max potential. There is no better way to market right now then through social media, and trust me, if you won’t utilize it…your competition will!
Splash N Go Auto Wash
Company Name:Splash N Go Auto Wash
Street Address:
1163 Central St
Leominster, MA 01453
Company Website:http://www.splashngoautowash.com/
Company Phone:978-537-4002
Primary Contact:John Calisi,Owner
Company Email:cwtwash@comcast.net
Hours of operation:
Monday thru Friday 7:30am – 6:00pm
Saturday 7:30am – 5:00pm
Sunday 8:00am – 5:00pm
About:
Car Wash and Detailing Center
Curves Health tip of the Week – Produce
April 4, 2011 by admin
Filed under Tips and Tricks
Health tip of the Week – Produce
From: Curves of Leominster
Is your produce losing its superpowers? – How you select, prepare and serve produce can seriously affect its nutritional value.
Think small - Plants have a limited amount of nutrients that they can pass on to their fruit, so if the fruit you choose is smaller, then its level of nutrients will be more concentrated.
Keep things fresh – The nutrients in most fruits and vegetable start to diminish as soon as they’re picked. Consume fresh produce within one week of buying it.
Don’t prep too early – When vegetables are sliced, peeled or shredded, and then shipped to stores, their nutrients are significantly reduced. Whenever possible, prep produce just before you’re ready to cook or serve it.
Get steamed up – The nutrients in some vegetable are easier for your body to absorb if you steam the food first. Broccoli and carrots are two examples. Tomatoes also release more of the antioxidant lycopene when they’re lightly sautéed or roasted. Boiling, however, can leach nutrients.
