This whole mess with the economy continues to add woe after woe to those you can’t or won’t follow good rules. Now if you can’t afford it then the City has to do something (remember when they cut the ranks of sanitation workers), don’t get me wrong if money is tight you have to cut things. Can’t cut Police or the Fire Departments, or the water department – well you get the picture.
Hey, you talkin to me?
I want to thank Tosha for picking up some fantastic books that we can give as give-a-ways at our pest control/post office. They are a great read for ages 9+ and I think they help to spread the word about bugs in general.
Scurrying Cockroaches by Jon Eben Field
Feasting Bedbugs, Mites & Ticks by Carrie Gleason
Bloodsucking Lice & Fleas by Carrie Gleason
Infesting Rodents by Rachel Eagen
Published by Dalmatian Press, LLC http://www.funpup.com
What causes the Mexican Jumping Bean to jump?
The bean moth lays an egg within the seed pod, the egg hatches which produces a larva or caterpillar. When the bean is heated by sunlight or the heat from your hand the larva shifts it’s weight causing the jumping action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQKMkBtRGB8]Thanks to W.P. Armstrong for this great picture of the jumping bean. http://waynesword.palomar.edu/mrwolfia.htm
Face the Facts – technology is speeding ahead!
“Scorpion Venom Heals Dru-Resistant bacteria Infection”
“The advancement of the arts, from year to year, taxes our credulity and seems to presage the arrival of that period when human improvement must end.” many people may believe that Henry J. Ellsworth Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office who is sometimes quoted as having said: “Mankind,” he declared, “has already achieved all of which it is capable. There would be no more inventions requiring patents.” There is also debate that you might be thinking about a quote attributed to Charles H. Duell, US Patent Commissioner who, in 1899 said, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”
I’m constantly impressed that we continue to forge ahead with advancements in science, from autism and now to the role of scorpion venom to fight bacteria.
Knowledge is Power!
A friend of mine Bryan Stevens, yes I do have a few – is a real Entomologist at the Extension Community/Urban IPM AZ Pest Management Center 4341 East Broadway Road Phoenix, AZ 85040-8807 and his phone number is (602)827-8200 x321. He has a degree and he is working toward his PhD but anyway back to the story we frequently try to one up the other in the war of identifying the bug in question. He got me on this spider –
Now with all the knowledge I have and with all the bugs out there how can I really know it all? Well here is the answer, I may not know it all but I do know who to call. After I received the text message with the bug I went searching and I couldn’t find this little spider anywhere. So I sent a message to a website called http://www.spiderzrule.com, so first off a BIG shout out to them especially Glenda Crew. It was identified as a Woodlouse Spider
We can’t know it all but the important part is to know who to call when you need a hand. So please check out http://www.spiderzrule.com and http://azipm.home sealspot.com/ or http://cals.arizona.edu/apmc/
QR Codes – ProBest Pest Management and others…
A few weeks ago Zacc Cooley (Six Chip Consulting) 480-225-3040 did a presentation at our little ANTS (A Network of Top Strategist) networking meeting on QR Codes. They are becoming quite the trend in getting your message out, they have them for vcards, email addresses, websites etc. Basically a QR Code is a bar-code on steroids. Here are a few made by a local company, they made the one for ProBest Pest Management as well!
BBB Systems is a local company right here in Phoenix, AZ and since they were so kind to create our QR Code I thought we would show off some of their other work.
So I thought we would have a Question and Answer about BBB Systems. We are going to be running a few get to know home seals about Local Businesses as well as some great information from a good friend of mine Mary Contreras on shopping local.
> Names of the owners? A: Ben Laurienti & Bryan Laurienti (brothers)
> Why did you get into this type of work? A: We saw that there were a lot of small businesses whose websites were in need of serious improvement. Ben happened to be a programmer and I (Bryan Laurienti) am a designer, so it was a logical move to make something out of it.
> What challenges do you face daily? A: We never lose sight of the bigger picture, which is to provide each unique client an equally unique product that gets them results. It’s a competitive business and that just motivates us to do the best we can and help our clients be successful. To do that, we have to constantly keep up with the latest technologies and industry standards and focus on producing a high-quality product.
> What makes your day? A: When a client calls to tell us they just received their first order from their new website. We’ve had clients cater in food to our office, give us tickets to events, and just a few weeks ago, one client gave us a plaque with “Vendor of the Year” engraved on it. When you think about the whole process of winning a client, developing their website, and ultimately launching the site, there’s a lot at stake for the client. Most of our clients are not tech-savvy, many of them have been burned in the past, and all of that makes them a little bit reluctant to get mixed up with yet another web development company. It’s a big leap of faith. But once they see their website in action and performing the way they’d always envisioned, they are very happy to tell us that they made a great decision. That always makes our day.
> What part of your work do you enjoy the most? A: On a serious note, designing, writing, and programming websites gives you insight you would never otherwise have into the inner workings a variety of industries. We’ve programmed shipping calculators for oil companies, dealt with data feeds from major MLS systems, and written content for every type of service company imaginable. You learn a lot building websites because you absolutely have to.
On a lighter note, when you sit in front of a computer screen most of the day, of course you can find entertainment online. But it’s always great to get away from your desk and have some fun with the rest of the team. Sometimes that involves the occasional Nerf gun battle, which is medically recommended for all of us to stay sane.
Social media hi-lights…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SuNx0UrnEo]I really found this interesting at a meeting last week on Social Media and they mentioned this Youtube video, watch and see what you think. Any Comments?
Marketing ideas, advertising and directories! Pt 5 Pest Control Ideas
Advertising Wrap-up
My opinions on advertising and what worked for ProBest!
If you need some help, I don’t profess to know it all but maybe we can come up with some new ideas together! Send an email to [email protected]
Marketing ideas, advertising and directories! Pt 4 Pest Control Ideas…
Social Media
Everyday another new ideas takes place on the web and who knows what will take hold and what may go by the wayside? What social media idea is better? I guess know one knows exactly until it happens. Each media is trying to get one up on the competition. From my point of view I think it’s important to just stay connected, look at each media form and decide if it fits you and your company.
One of the cool features I use is Tweetdeck, I can make one entry and it carries across all of my media (Blog, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare and MySpace). Also in my opinion its all about consistently – just post once a day or what works for you. You don’t have to go crazy and Tweet every hour, just be consistent in your endeavor.
Marketing ideas, advertising and directories! Pt 1 Pest Control Ideas…What exactly is advertising?
and
Advertising is a form of communication used to encourage or persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to continue or take some new action. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common. The purpose of advertising may also be to reassure employees or shareholders that a company is viable or successful. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various traditional media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail; or new media such as websites and text messages.
Commercial advertisers often seek to generate increased consumption of their products or services through “Branding,” which involves the repetition of an image or product name in an effort to associate certain qualities with the brand in the minds of consumers. Non-commercial advertisers who spend money to advertise items other than a consumer product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and governmental agencies. Nonprofit organizations may rely on free modes of persuasion, such as a public service announcement (PSA). according to Wikipedia
