Monday, February 1, 2010

Happy Anniversary to Nancy DeStefano Glines! She celebrates 11 years with The Clark Company today.

GetListed.org is coming to the Northern Quest Resort and Casino, Thursday, February 4th to put on their Search Engine University providing Spokane business owners with a crash course in Internet marketing with some of the best in the business. Attendees have a choice of sessions from 8 am to noon or 1 to 5pm. They will be teaching Search Engine Optimization tips and techniques that will lead to sustained, long-term search engine rankings, new customers and business growth. GetListed.org has selected Spokane as the city to kick off their Internet marketing training workshops and have chosen local internet marketing guru, Ed Reese, owner of Sixth Man Marketing, to be a speaker. The two identical half-day sessions will have presentations from some of the best local search experts around the country, including Google’s Local Business Center Product Managers Ryan Hayward and Ari Bezman. Google has also supported the event by providing a grant for this and future training workshops. They will also provide each attendee with a $50 Google Adword credit. A representative from Bing will also be there. Other presenters include David Mihm, Matt McGee, Mike Blumenthal, Mary Bowling and Reese. Cost is $79 (with a "launchpad2010" discount code), regular price is $129. You can get more information and register online at www.getlisted.org/spokane. Ed Reese’s website is www.sixthmanmarketing.com.

More than 6,000 people are expected to attend Ag Expo 2010 this coming Tuesday through Thursday at the Spokane Convention Center and Doubletree Hotel. Wind and solar power for homes and small acreage producers, agricultural land value trends, direct marketing for small farm products and buying and selling water rights are just a few of the conference topics set for Ag Expo 2010. The Agricultural Bureau has been active in the Inland Northwest since 1887 expanding the horizons of the farming industry. Besides all of the relevant seminars, the impressive farming equipment on display is always worth seeing. For more information go to the website www.greaterspokane.org/ag-expo.html.

You can get a sneak preview of Walking with Dinosaurs, this Tuesday February 2, at 6 pm, in the River Park Square Atrium. Baby T is going to be there...Baby T, is a young T-Rex, one of the dinosaurs in the popular show; it’s 8 feet tall and 16 feet long, and you can meet it up close and personal. The spectacular Walking with Dinosaurs event is back by popular demand in eight performances at the Spokane Arena April 7-11. For more information go to SpokaneArena.com. For tickets go to www.ticketswest.com.

The windows on the west side of the front of the Fernwell Building at 505 West Riverside are papered up as abstract artist Edward W. Gilmore designs and prepares his permanent gallery in downtown Spokane. Gilmore Fine Arts had occupied the space on a temporary basis since First Friday of December. The paper will come down as the new gallery opens in time for First Friday of February, this week on the 5th. That night Gilmore will also be showing his art at Barrister Winery and Urbanna Spa. For more information and a look at Gilmore’s art, go to the website, www.isitagilmore.com.

Photographer Diane Maehl has begun offering a fun and different birthday party package for parties up to six girls that includes hair styling and makeup at Urbanna Spa and a fashion photo shoot at her photography studio. The birthday girl gets a commemorative birthday collage of her and her friends and each guest receives portrait party favors. Drinks, cups, napkins, plates and candles are provided; you bring the goodies and the cake. For more information go to the website www.dianemaehl.com and click on Events. Diane Maehl Photography is located at 168 South Division (2nd and Division next to Starbucks) in the same building as Urbanna Spa and Salon. The phone number is 509-459-0766.

Financial planner, Greer Bacon has moved to a 2,400 square foot space in the US Bank building more than doubling the size of her offices. The website is www.assetplanning.com.

The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce honored the 2009 winners of the Awards of Excellence program as well as the Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year at a Gala event on Saturday evening. A crowd of 200 guests gathered in the Great Room of the CenterPlace Regional Event Center to hear the awards presentations and to enjoy the evening’s festivities which included a silent auction, dinner and dance. Winners of the Awards of Excellence were as follows:
Small Business of the Year – MOJO Reprographics
Medium Size Business of the Year – Monique’s Salon
Large Business of the Year – Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center
Nonprofit Organization of the Year – Inland Northwest Blood Center
Community Caring Award – Barbara Olson, BNI
Chamber Volunteer of the Year – Chuck Stocker
Ambassador of the Year – Vivian Shammel, Shammel Business Solutions

The highlight of the evening was the presentation honoring the 2009 Harry E. Nelson "Citizen of the Year." Peggy Doering was honored for her many years of service to create Valleyfest as the signature festival in the Spokane Valley community. Congratulations to all the winners.

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Spokane’s EZ Loader Boat Trailers has diversified their business by adding lines of utility and motorcycle trailers to their offerings. EZ Loader has also recently won approval to sell boat trailers throughout Europe, building to one standard rather than standards for each country. You can learn more about EZ Loader at their website: www.ezloader.com.

Greater Spokane Incorporated (the region's Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council) is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Buy Local program. Buy Local is designed to preserve and create jobs in the Inland Northwest by encouraging business owners and consumers to purchase goods and services locally. The program launched in February, 2009 and has been adopted by the communities of Spokane, Newport, Sandpoint, Liberty Lake and others; it has generated more than $150,000 worth of publicity and advertising value and hundreds of business throughout the region have embraced its message by displaying the Buy Local logo on storefronts, vehicles, websites, invoices and many other places. Finders Keepers owner and Buy Local committee member Deena Moe-Caruso said, "Displaying the Buy Local message and talking about the program has made a difference in my business. My sales are up the past 6 months over the previous year, and I attribute part of that to the positive message I’m reinforcing by supporting The Buy Local campaign." The steering committee is comprised of GSI members committed to generating more business within our local economy. GSI member investors and media are invited to a free celebration lunch at noon Wednesday, Feb. 3rd at GSI, 801 W. Riverside. The committee will also discuss ways to further spread the Buy Local message to encourage greater sales within the Spokane region. Please RSVP to Heidi Whitman (hwhitman@greaterspokane.org) or Maria Vandervert (mvandervert@greaterspokane.org) if you plan to attend.

Tom and Melissa Magnuson, owners of Magnuson Hotels, are planning to move to London in March to establish a new international headquarters for their hotel reservations management company. The office will employ a staff of 20 people and will focus on growing the company’s client hotels throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. They hope to add about 150 hotels in the UK and Ireland by August. Magnuson Hotels currently has about 1,100 affiliate hotels around the US and Canada, and in Scotland, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. The website is www.magnusonhotels.com.

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MAX at Mirabeau in the Spokane Valley is claiming FIRST Wednesdays for their own. This Wednesday, February 3rd is an after-work gathering from 5-7pm, featuring local pours from Northern Lights Brewery and Barrister Winery. While you’re there you can check out the Art of Diane Rowan Garmire. Max is nestled within the Mirabeau Hotel at 1100 North Sullivan in the Spokane Valley. Meet at Max for great food, local drinks and now Art. For more information, call 509-924-9000 or visit www.maxatmirabeau.com.

Former Green Bay Packers all-pro offensive lineman Jerry Kramer will be the special guest - and prizes including cash and a complete home entertainment unit will be up for grabs - when Northern Quest Resort & Casino hosts its annual Big Game Party Feb. 7 in the Pend Oreille Pavilion. Kramer, who will sign autographs during the party, was a standout player for the University of Idaho Vandals when he was the Packers’ fourth-round draft pick in 1958. He anchored the Packers’ offensive line for 11 years and was an All-Pro five times. In addition to playing left guard, he was also the team’s place kicker for three seasons. He helped the Packers win the NFL title game in 1962 and his play led the Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls in 1966-67. Kramer has enjoyed success as an author and sports commentator after his playing career. The event is for guests 21 and older. Doors open at 1 p.m. Tickets are $30 for Camas Club members and $35 for non-members and are available through the Northern Quest box office at 509-481-6700 or through TicketsWest at 800-325-SEAT or ticketswest.com.

Red Lion Hotels Corporation has named Jon Eliassen interim president and chief executive officer. He has been retired as senior vice president and chief financial officer at Avista for several years and had run the Spokane Economic Development Council before it was merged into Greater Spokane Inc. He has been a member of Red Lion’s board of directors.

The business thought of the week is from playwright and producer David Belasco: "If you can't write your idea on the back of a business card, you don't have a clear idea."

As a reader of the How’s Business newsletter, here is something else you may enjoy. For informative daily business news, inspirational quotes, marketing and sales tips, business videos and more, go on Facebook, become a fan of The Clark Company. We’re posting great ideas and useful information for your business every day so check it out.

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