With Valentines Day right around the corner in a few days it's key to get the right present or gift for your significant other.  If you don't then you're going to be in some hot water!   This year and most other years I often buy valentines day flowers for my GF.   She loves them, and now after a few years, expects them :)  It's ok as I know that she enjoys them and has loved receiving them from me.  This year and most years I get my Valentines day flowers in Portland or Lake Oswego down at Artistic Flwoers and Home Decor.  They always have the best solution for valentines day whether that be flowers or some home decor that she'll love.  I've been driving the few minutes to their florist shop in Lake Oswego to hand pick which Valentines Day Flowers I want.  I've also ordered them from their web site many times before with great success.  The flowers were delivered the next day and on time.  They are a great valentines day flower shop in Portland, OR and I highly recommend anyone looking for valentines day flowers to give them a shout. ...read more

How to Love Your Website ByAllFantastic.com Why just having a business website is not enough Your website needs love. Yes, it does. If you are not loving your website - and I don't just mean the way it looks - then you need to pay more attention to it. Websites need to be loved. They need to be loved just like humans, little puppy dogs, terrariums, and chocolate covered upside down cake. Without love your website will whither. No one wants a stale, old website. They smell funny. In terms of marketing, if you have a website that does not change and evolve then someone browsing it is likely to [maybe] stumble over it once and never return. If that is what you are striving for - one visit and out forever - then don't do anything further. By providing the masses of people browsing the world wide intertubes with some fresh content and a few other "tricks of the trade" it can draw increased eyeballs to you/your business. There are numerous ways to focus a marketing beam of love into the soul of your website, but before you do this there is something you need to know. Beyond simply being found online, you need to understand an important thing - and it is really easy: if Google likes something, your website should like it too. The Google search engine (maybe you've heard of it?) currently rules the online sphere. Other search engines are like that person who wants to date you, but you don't really have all that much interest in dating them. While the Bing search engine might be sort of a swell looker, it doesn't hold sway like beloved Google. Without getting into the nutty, technically complex Google search algorithms, just know that trying to have your website and Google fall in love is a good thing. Lets say you have a little website already or maybe you are thinking about making one on your own with one of those free website makers. That is all well and good, but what do you do with it after it is created? Moreover, do you have the time to do what is needed? That is actually a big question: do you have the time to devote to the relationship with your website that will allow for the fruition of love? Remember, you need to love your website. This brings up a quandary: you need to love your website, but you also need to love your business. You can't neglect either, as they are intertwined... especially these modern days. But, you mentally scream; "There are only 24 hours in the day! Please, someone, add a few hours to each day! And, while you're at it, make the weekends longer!" If you have the time, you need to do things such as: blogging, social networking, strategic online partnership linking, etc. [Tip: When blogging and posting on social networks for business, don't talk about yourself/your business too much. Unless you are an Ernest Hemingway clone or maybe the fictional 'Most Interesting Man in the World' from that beer commercial, you will start boring people - and quickly. No one, including Google, wants to hear too much about you - people/businesses want to hear about themselves. So, try and help others by teaching them what you know. Google likes that.] An approach like this will help get you some eyeballs. But, will they be the right eyeballs? The desired eyeballs? And, will there be enough of them? In the ongoing push-pull marketing battle between quality and quantity, you need to find the right mix. How do you do make your website work for you while still loving your business? Well, throwing money at the issue certain helps. But, what if you want to keep costs down and don't want to deal with a learning curve? Try to find a reputable web designer who doesn't charge a lot. (Here comes the full disclosure part: I am the owner&founder; of AllFantastic.com, which is an online consulting conglomerate. Shocking, right? AllFantastic.com will actually make a FREE basic website for your business and also provide you with a customized online marketing plan. If you don't have a big budget we even entertain barter arrangements and/or partnering together for future gain.) If you can't give your website the love it needs and deserves, you can always buy that love. Sometimes, it doesn't even cost a lot... or anything. Regardless of what you do, if you want to help your business, then love your website. Also, try and love puppy dogs. It will come back to you in more then good karma. Love, AllFantastic.com ...read more

Maybe your team misplaced a milestone during a sales surge. Maybe you mixed up two customers’ bills. Maybe the line cook prepared a plate of chicken parmesan instead of chicken cacciatore. Or maybe an already-anxious client was simply on a short fuse from the beginning. Whatever the case, “things happen,” and from these trying moments we have the option to sit idly by or to take control of the situation and use it to enhance our business models. In the latter case, you improve your standing with the individual customer, and, more importantly, you improve your reputation, thereby increasing your ability to close sales and grow as a company. Certainly, it’s no small task to keep clients happy and sustain a positive image, although the necessary investment in time and resources can come back to you in orders of magnitude.  Here are some simple closing ideas for managing your complaints and reputation: Embrace social media. Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Complaints Board, and other platforms are great tools to connect with consumers and broadcast your image. Use search engines like Google to monitor what’s being published online about your business. Make time to address real problems internally, so they don’t happen again. Issue brief surveys to customers, asking questions like “Where are our strengths?” and “Where could we make improvements?” Don’t argue or encourage a scene. Instead, handle complaints as calmly and conscientiously as possible. Give employees who deal directly with clients the power to provide customer service and negotiations, and reward employees for handling complaints positively. Thank you for taking the time to read our four part series and we welcome any and all feedback. Share your experiences with others or feel free to ask any questions. Perfection is a never ending process. ...read more