Northeast Ohio News

AKRON, OHIO (April 21, 2010) –– Chris Brown, president of Marketing Resources & Results, spoke to 25 area business owners and entrepreneurs during a two hour Public Relations workshop today.

“Business owners need a cost effective way to reach their target audience to tell their story,” explained Chris Brown. “Public relations and specifically a strong press release program, can very effectively help build awareness, increase search engine ranking, and communicate your product or service’s benefits to your public.”

The workshop, called “PR: How To Use Press Releases to Promote your Product, Service or Business”, covered the ins and outs of how to use PR to build their business. Participants discovered how to write a press release that will help them to promote their business, product or service. They learned how to re-purpose a press release in 5 ways to get more mileage out of the press release that they have written.

Each entrepreneur brainstormed different topics to write a press release about and created a mini-media list with 10 places to send their press release.

Brown also explained the difference between advertising and PR and when to use which technique to achieve the company’s goals.

Her presentation was held in Akron at the Akron Urban League at the Partnership for the Minority Business Accelerator.

About Marketing Resources & Results

Marketing Resources & Results helps Northeast Ohio companies build strong marketing programs that help companies attract new customers. Founded in 1998, the marketing firm develops and executes strategic marketing plans for small and medium-sized businesses and other organizations, including website development, SEO, graphic design and public relations. Brown also offers custom marketing workshops and seminars for business organizations and companies.

For more information, call 330-656-9793, or visit www.resources-results.com.

New Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure Rule for Pipeline Stress Requires Additional Operation and Maintenance Requirements in OQ Program to be in Compliance

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 21, 2010) – Veriforce, the leader in providing regulatory compliance and qualification verification for Pipeline Operators, is helping Operators by tracking and verifying compliance information to meet the higher alternative MAOP Rule set forth by the PHMSA. The rule allows certain gas transmission pipelines to operate at higher pressures and pipeline stress levels than regulations previously allowed which lets Operators achieve greater efficiencies and gas product throughput.

“Veriforce is helping Operators implement the MAOP rule for construction tasks by including these tasks in our system so that Operators can have the ability to track compliance and verify the qualification.” explained Louie Werderich, president of Veriforce. “Operator compliance with the final alternative MAOP rule, regardless of when the task was performed, can be easily tracked using our system, saving the Operators time, effort and money.”

An Operator must develop an Operator Qualification (OQ) Program for construction tasks that can affect pipeline integrity. The program must comply with 49 CFR 192.801 and be followed throughout the construction process for the qualification of individuals performing tasks on an alternative MAOP special permit pipeline. Operators seeking to take advantage of the MAOP rule by operating at the higher allowable operating stress levels must treat construction tasks as if they were covered by subpart N Qualification of Pipeline Personnel construction activities. Construction activities are OQ covered tasks regardless of whether or not they meet the four-part test in 49 CFR 192.801(b).

Veriforce’s OQ system now includes the additional construction, operating and maintenance requirements that supplement the previous requirements in Part 192. Veriforce can help Operators identify and establish requirements for covered tasks that impact personnel working on higher operating pressure pipelines, qualify individuals to perform those tasks and manage the qualifications of those individuals.

Improvements in pipeline technology and risk controls over the past 25 years have allowed new regulations for higher pressure and pipeline stress levels, provided that certain conditions are met that ensure an adequate margin of safety. Operators seeking guidance on the Operator Qualification compliance requirements to operate at a higher alternative MAOP should contact Veriforce at 1-800-426-1604 to learn how Veriforce helps Operators to meet the necessary requirements.

ABOUT VERIFORCE
Veriforce is the nation’s leader in regulatory compliance and qualification verification for Operator Qualification (OQ), Drug & Alcohol and safety monitoring. They work with pipeline operators around the country, including Northeast Ohio. They are the only OQ service provider that verifies, audits, and has complete documentation for all the necessary compliance records. For more information, contact the company at 1-800-426-1604.

Social Media Marketing Specialist Chris Brown Offers Workshop to Chamber to Help Business Owners Understand How to Use Social Networking

WILLOUGHBY HILLS, OHIO (April 2, 2010) –  Join the Willoughby Chamber of Commerce for our “Understanding Social Networking and How it Can Help Your Business” session to be held on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at the Willoughby Hills Community Center.

This program will help you make sense out of these three social networking sites and provide insight on how you can wisely use them to promote your products and services.

We’ll take a closer look at Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook so that you can:

• Develop a better understanding of how they work
• Learn what NOT to do when using these tools
• Pick up tips and insight to put into practice immediately
• Understand the growing impact that social networking is having on small businesses today
• Gain insights into what social networking plan of action makes sense for you

During this session, we’ll also hear from some chamber members that are actively using these sites to promote their businesses right now. You will learn first-hand some of the successes (and surprises) these members have had. 

Networking and Continental Breakfast: 8am. Presentation: 8:30am – 10:30am. Cost: Members – $20. Non-members: $30. Pre-registration is required.  Sign up today by using this event link http://bbb510.eventbrite.com.

 The keynote speaker, Christine Brown, is president of Marketing Resources & Results, a full service, outsourced marketing firm that helps companies profitably build their brands, launch new products and services to increase their sales revenues.  Her full service marketing firm is located in Hudson, Ohio. 

For additional information, visit the company web site at www.resources-results.com, or the blog at www.BrandandMarket.com.

Business Consultants Learn How to Use Social Media Marketing

CLEVELAND, OHIO (March 18, 2010) – In the past few years many business professionals have been left in the dust because of the changes in marketing techniques.  To help educate business professionals in Northeast Ohio, Chris Brown, president of Marketing Resources & Results, Inc. will help present “What’s New in Marketing” to the Business Advisors of Cleveland organization. 

Photo added April 22, 2010.

“New marketing methods like social media offers businesses effective marketing tools that help build awareness with no additional cost,” explained Brown. “The participants will become more informed about social media marketing options available to them and will learn how to use it to build their businesses and to strengthen their professional networks.”

The participants will learn how to use new marketing tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media sites for promoting their businesses.  They will discover how they can transform their interactions in free social media sites to help develop valuable contacts and promotional platforms for their products.  The presentation will focus on the specifics of LinkedIn and how entrepreneurs can market their business with measureable results.

Brown publishes a Branding & Marketing blog to 5000 subscribers, is linked to 7 million business professionals on LinkedIn, is followed by over 1000 people on Twitter, and uses social media platforms to build brand name recognition for her clients as well as her own business.  She will present “What’s New in Marketing” in conjunction with Nikki Evans of Spotlight Writing.

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 9 am at the Cleveland Skating Club on Kemper Road in Cleveland, Ohio.  The program is closed to the Business Advisors of Cleveland only.

About Marketing Resources & Results
Marketing Resources & Results helps companies build a strong brand name, find new customers, and profitably promote their products and services.  Marketing Resources & Results develops and executes strategic marketing plans for small and medium-sized businesses and other organizations.   Chris Brown also offers custom marketing workshops and seminars for business organizations and companies.  For more information, call 330-656-9793, or visit www.resources-results.com.

AKRON (March 15, 2010) — Women’s Network, Inc., a regional networking organization comprised of women throughout Northeast Ohio, will be hosting the twelfth annual Women of Achievement awards lunch on June 17, 2010 at Portage Country Club in Akron. The Women of Achievement Awards were established in 1999 by the YWCA of Summit County and in 2005 Women’s Network, Inc. became the host for these prestigious community awards. This event is held each year to increase community awareness, understanding and appreciation of women and the doors they open for future generations.

Women’s Network will be accepting nominations until April 10, 2010 for the Women of Achievement Award, the Dorothy O. Jackson Award and the Women’s Network Founder’s Award, the only award in which you must be a Women’s Network member. Criteria and nomination forms are available at www.womensnetworkneohio.com. A Women’s Network committee will choose the winners based on specific criteria, which will be announced by the end of April 2010.

“The Women of Achievement Awards is an annual event that should not be missed!” says Stacey Zahoranski, long time member of Women’s Network. “Each year, I leave the event refreshed, energized and inspired by the award recipients and feel empowered to become a better leader in our community because of these women. I am thankful to Women’s Network, which brings this event to the forefront of our community, so that remarkable women have the honor of being presented such a prestigious award. I encourage every woman in our community to attend!”

Women’s Network will also announce the 2010 recipient of the Judith A. Resnik Scholarship Award at the lunch. This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a young woman graduating from a public or private high school in the greater Akron area. The Resnik Scholarship is designated for a student accepted into a baccalaureate degree program in the physical sciences, engineering or mathematics at an accredited college or university. The $1,000 scholarship is renewable annually for a maximum of three years, or for a total scholarship of $4,000. For more information on the Judith A. Resnik Scholarship Award program through Women’s Network, Inc., visit the website at www.womensnetworkneohio.com.

Women of Professional Excellence Recognition sponsorships provide a unique opportunity for corporations or organizations to recognize contributions of the exceptional women on their staff. The recipients will be named in the program, recognized during the lunch, and have preferred seating.

To register for the Women of Achievement event, call 330-256-1122 or visit the Women’s Network website at www.womensnetworkneohio.com. The event has limited seating so please plan to register early.

CCS Business Solutions, Inc. a Winner in “Driving Small Business Success”

(Canton, Ohio) March 16, 2010 — Microsoft recently announced its winners of the national “Driving Small Business Success” contest and CCS Business Solutions, Inc. (CCS) of Canton, Ohio took 1st place.

“We are thrilled with the recognition,” said Jim Rutledge, Sr. President of CCS. “Being selected out of over 160,000 Microsoft Partners for our innovative use of their products to help our customers be more successful is a tremendous honor.”

Each of the participating Microsoft partners “submitted case studies of successes they had helping small businesses through technology and Microsoft solutions, then the best of the best were sorted out and the winners were chosen,” according to the Microsoft press release.

“The case study we submitted involved a Barberton customer,” explained Jim Rutledge, Jr. Executive Vice President. “Through the use of Microsoft solutions we helped them reduce inventory carrying costs, increase sales and allowed them to produce more orders without having to increase staff. CCS also implemented a state-of-the-art data backup and disaster recovery solution which reduces any possible server down time to less than one hour.”

The CCS Business Solutions, Inc. team won a Mercedes-Benz engineered Smart Fortwo car and team jackets for their employees. There were seven other US companies placing in the competition.
What was the secret behind their success? “We don’t sell products,” said Rutledge, Jr. “We sell solutions to help our customers grow their businesses.”

CCS Business Solutions, Inc. is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner as well as a Small Business Specialist. Gold Certified partners represent the highest level of competence and expertise with Microsoft technologies. Their Microsoft Small Business Specialist certification designates that CCS meets the needs of small and medium size business customers with high quality solutions built on Microsoft technologies.

ABOUT CCS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, Inc.
CCS Business Solutions, Inc. (formerly Canton Computer Services, Inc.) has been providing cost-effective technology solutions since 1974. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, CCS supports more than 150 clients in 10 states, with the largest concentration in Northeast Ohio.

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More Information:
Jim Rutledge, Jr. Executive Vice President
CCS Business Solutions, Inc.
4140 Holiday Street, NW, Canton, OH 44718
330-493-5600, ext. 112
www.ccsnet.net