The Restaurant and Food Industry

It's been awhile. Probably because over the last few months I have been extremely busy working for my clients in the food and restaurant business. I have come to find this industry very exciting and tiring giving me a new found respect for all professionals involved in making delicious food and creating a relaxing atmosphere so we can enjoy a meal.

This week Landon's Corners in New Albany officially opened! This week Bellisari's Catering and The Culinary Table finalized their new summer menu, which I helped create. Before you know it the summer season and all its celebrations will be here. This catering menu is a tasty option to include in your graduation, milestone celebration, corporate or family event.

Parting Ways To Better Help Nonprofit Organizations

As of today I parted ways with Shoestring Creative Group. Being an affiliate office for six months I thought I was offering local nonprofits the best marketing and PR option available. However, I quickly realized that I am better able to serve Ohio nonprofits locally.

I am very happy to announce that once again I am able to offer my discounted nonprofit services directly to nonprofit organizations without a middle man!

If you are a nonprofit organization looking for marketing, PR or social media assistance I'm happy to help. Contact me at michele@columbusimpressions.com.

columbus imPRessions Turns Two!

My business, columbus imPRessions, turns two years old on April 1st! No, it's not an April Fool's joke. In fact these last two years haven't been a joke at all. More like a blessing!

After my first birthday I had no idea what would happen in my second year of business (see last year's post - A year in retrospect, Happy Birthday columbus imPRessions). The reality was, after the first few months into year two I felt like I was suffering from a bad case of sophomore slump!

While new opportunities presented themselves through speaking engagements, social media trainings and feature writing assignments I found that both my current and potential clients weren't looking for assistance. Not that they didn't need it, but with the change in the economy everyone was tightening their belts and unfortunately marketing and PR were the first things to be cut. So, after finishing up a couple small projects late spring I decided to enjoy my summer and re-evaluate in the fall. I was half expecting to start looking for a job.

But thankfully fall arrived with new possibility! Fall has always been my favorite time of year! Things quickly started to pickup with an offer to open an affiliate office of Shoestring Creative Group, a HUGE year-long contract with 10TV Commit To Be Fit, a job handling the marketing and PR for a grand opening of a new restaurant and banquet facility, and a handful of small PR projects. And of course I continue my passion through the complimentary site I created, In-Kind Connection. I thoroughly enjoy helping nonprofits with that service!

A year that started out full of questions and had the potential to fall prey to the sophomore slump turned out really great! Even when things looked bleak I never let it get me down. I just took the attitude to continue believing in my dreams, that things happen for a reason and everything will work out no matter the outcome. Through it all I learned that columbus imPRessions can make it and because of that I enter year three with strength, confidence and excitement.

Being my birthday it's only appropriate to make a wish. But my wish actually goes out to you. "Never give up on your dreams and whenever you feel you are falling into a slump, stand tall and don't give up."

Life is full of possibility!

TiXiT Marks Another Columbus Start-Up

Columbus, Ohio is a great place for entrepreneurs! After all it was recently ranked #13 for one of the greatest entrepreneur cities and #7 for best places to operate a business. Start-up business are always coming to life in Columbus!

Columbus' Newest Start-up is TiXiT. I had an opportunity to interview TiXiT CEO, Mike Figliuolo and learn more about what TiXiT has to offer.

You can read my interview on The Greatest City of All.

columbus imPRessions Partners With Shoestring Creative Group To Better Serve the Non-Profit Community

columbus imPRessions is joining efforts with Shoestring Creative Group and is proud to be offering comprehensive marketing and public relations expertise to central Ohio and Midwest nonprofit organizations.

Having similar visions for the non-profit industry, Michele Savoldi could not be happier with the partnership. "Merging our skills and expertise, this partnership will be able to provide services in a knowledgeable, timely and efficient manner to successfully fulfill everyone of our client’s needs."

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Non-profit organizations can contact Michele Savoldi, Senior Project Director for Shoestring Creative Group at 888.835.6236 or email micheles@shoestringgroup.com.

Currently under construction Michele will soon have a Shoestring Creative web page at www.shoestringgroup.com/michelesavoldi

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Shoestring Creative Group is an award-winning, full-service marketing communications agency that exclusively serves nonprofits. As national leaders in nonprofit communications, our group is committed to providing creative, affordable solutions specifically created to meet the needs and challenges of nonprofits. We are one of only a few firms in the country that specializes in serving this unique niche.

columbus imPRessions will continue to serve small businesses providing quality marketing, public relations and social media services.

Power of Partnership

Oldie But Goodie #5 - September 7, 2008

Who you partner your business with not only says a lot about your company, but also helps your company.

We suggest exploring the idea of partnering with a non-profit organization, especially small businesses. By partnering with a non-profit everyone wins - the organization, the beneficiaries of the organization and your company. Run your business with a giving heart.

Some of the benefits you could see might include:

• Exposure to a new group of potential clients you might have never reached before
  
• Potential media attention
  
• Increased brand awareness
  
• More unique visitors to your web site

Not sure how to partner with a non-profit . . .

• Host a cultivation event in your location
  
• Sell a particular product or have a sales day with a percentage of the proceeds going to the non-profit
  
• Donate an in-kind item like a coupon or auction item (check out In-Kind Connection)
  

The majority of non-profit organizations welcome the partnership and will promote the partnership - to their donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, on their web, etc.

It's for the greater good and a win win for everyone!

Having a Tiny Chat

Last night I was on a conference call for the Greatest City of All Blog. But this wasn't just your average conference call.

Cheryl Harrison, Jason Blanton, me and Kelly Gingery

Instead we used Tinychat. Tinychat is a free audio video chat room. If you have a web cam and mic you're in! It's easy to set up too. Just create a chat room and invite people to join through a link.

Because of Tinychat all of us on the call could see and hear each other like we were in the room together . . . well, we did look a little like the Brady Bunch in our boxes . . . but it worked great. We did have a technical issue with echoing so we did use Skype to conference for our audio.

This new video conferencing would work great for anyone but especially for non-profits and small businesses who may have offices, clients or vendors in other cities. Think of how much money you could save in travel costs.

Easton's Milestone Year

This summer Easton celebrates its 10 year milestone as well as its evolution into one of the top retail destinations in the U.S. Since 1999 more than 156 million visitors have shopped till they dropped in addition to enjoying plenty of entertainment along the way.

Throughout the years, Easton has given back millions of dollars to the community through the Easton Community Foundation. Programs like Cornerstone Events, Change for Charity and Community Foundation Scholarships have provided funds to hundreds of non-profit organizations and graduating students.

Change for Charity

Change for Charity selects six different non-profit organizations each year to receive proceeds from Easton's parking meters. This month's 2009 beneficiary is Buckeye Ranch Foundation.

Cornerstone Events

Since Easton began hosting Cornerstone Events over $8.7 million has been raised. The next Cornerstone Event is the New Albany Classic on Sunday, September 27th.

Community Outreach

Since the inception of the community outreach program, 34 students from Northland, Mifflin, Brookhaven and Gahanna Lincoln have been awarded the $2,500 renewable two-year scholarship.

Happy milestone year Easton! Thanks so much for giving back to Columbus!

Free Ice Cream At Jeni's Dublin Tomorrow!

Found this on Facebook and wanted to spread the news!

Columbus favorite ice cream, as voted by Columbus Alive's Best of 2009, has opened a new store. The shop is located in historic downtown Dublin at 1 Bridge Street - on the corner of W. Bridge and S. High.

To celebrate, tomorrow from 5p - 11p Jeni's in Dublin is giving away a free small scoop of ice cream!!!

Kona Stout is made with Russian Imperial Stout, a dark, rich stout with Stauf's freshly roasted Kona coffee steeped in organic, grassfed cream.  Sounds tasty!

Check out Jeni's blog - salty carmel here.

Enjoy your ice cream!

A Year in Retrospect - Happy Birthday columbus imPRessions!

This week marks the official birthday of columbus imPRessions. Even though the blog imPRessions started in February '08, columbus imPRessions the business wasn't actually born until April 1, 08. 

As birthday #1 approaches I reflect back on why the journey began, occurrences that happened over the year, and the evolution that has emerged.  What an amazing year it has been!  

As if fate was leading me, a year ago the unthinkable happened.  I was working at a job I enjoyed for a mission I loved when unexpectedly I was asked to leave the organization.  Not because of poor work performance but because I had a blog - imPRessions.  imPRessions was a blog a co-worker and I started on our own time to learn more about social media and to express our personal thoughts and opinions about the marketing and PR world.   I'm not sure if my boss at the time did not understand social media, was jealous, or felt threatened, but regardless of her reasoning I was forced to resign my position.  

After the initial shock I decided this was a moment of a life-time.  Instead of wallowing in self pity I decided to turn a bad situation into a great opportunity.  My co-worker and I decided to actually turn our blog imPRessions into a business - columbus imPRessions, a small marketing and communication business primarily serving small businesses, trade associations and non-profit organizations.  

With the help of social networking and the creation of a solid brand, columbus imPRessions became a successful business.  Our client base steadily increased over the months which lead to an extensive number of  brand marketing and PR projects that our client's valued. Things were looking prosperous!  

Then came the fall of the economy and after the first couple months in '09 activities started to slow down.  Because of the instability, my business partner decided it was time to pursue other more secure opportunities and left the business.  Now a year later I am the sole proprietor of columbus imPRessions.

There have been quite a few changes this past year.  But with every change has come adventure, understanding, growth and evolution.  I quickly began to understand that while I may not be able to control each situation, I do have the power to decide how I will handle anything that comes my way. Instead of becoming a victim of circumstance I decided to take some tough situations and turn them into positive occasions. It is through these occasions that I am continually growing both professionally and personally.  Every day is an adventure when you own your own business and I appreciate each thrill.  I have met so many remarkable people over the year and look forward to meeting many more friends, contacts, colleagues and clients.  As I enter my sophomore year, I realize this could be a tough one, especially with the economy, but I am ready for the challenge. 

columbus imPRessions is evolving and while I don't have a crystal ball to tell me where I will be next year at this time, I do know that I am 100% committed to columbus imPRessions, my current clients and my future clients.  I look forward to sharing more experiences, thoughts and opinions as together we create a distinct imPRession.