Local Business Shout Out: MusicMan DJing

The first significant snowstorm of the season brought over ten inches of snow in some areas of Worcester county. While this meant closed roads, power loss, and downed trees in some areas, this was no match for Music Man DJing risking some good tunes at their client’s 30^th birthday party.

While the inches of snow were quickly accumulating outside, DJ Tom and his assistant, and love of his life, Allie, were rocking the house inside at the Knights of Colombus in Whitinsville, MA. Despite the severity of the snow, Music Man DJing was on time, set up, and ready to rock right at the party’s scheduled start time of 7pm.

Prior to agreeing to DJ the party, DJ Tom spent hours meeting and speaking with his client, discussing music preferences, style, and other details to make sure the event exceeds his customer’s expectations…and more. He spent hours prior to the vent putting together and analyzing playlists and testing the equipment.

MusicMan DJing has been up and professionally running since 2005, but their experience doesn’t stop there. DJ Tom has over sixteen years of music experience, including and not limited to playing in various music groups and DJing for family functions. DJ Tom quotes:

“I remember DJing a family birthday party when I was about 13, using my home stereo with a CD walkman plugged into the audio jack, so I would play a song on one, and program the next song on a CD in the other. Talk about feeling old! Then in my senior year of college (2006) we did a school Valentine's Day dance, "Frost Fest," that I organized for the Marketing Association…those two events made me realize how much I could do with it!”

In addition to demonstrate extreme excellence and professionalism in DJing birthday parties, weddings, and other formal and casual events, they come equipped with professional equipment complete with state of the art technology, lights, costumes, and their one of a kind, friendly personalities.

While the party turn out was a little on the light side due to the weather, that didn’t stop the party attendants from drinking, mingling, dancing, and having a good time. DJ Tom and Allie played some oldies, some classic rock, some of today’s hottest hits, some dance, and even some 90s grunge and hip hop, and met all of the client’s music preferences and requests.

And while the client was disappointed with the party turn out, they still were very pleased and happy with Music Man DJing’s performance. They awarded DJ Tom and Allie with smiles, hugs, and thank you’s upon leaving for the evening. All in all, despite the weather, the party was still a success, thanks to Music Man DJing.

So if you are looking for some tunes to accompany and help you celebrate your event, contact MusicMan DJing today. Tom or Allie Smith would be happy to provide you a free, no obligation quote, or even talk to you about options or even give you some guidance as to what music would best suit your event. All in all, you can count on Music Man DJing being there and providing your event with all your favorite tunes, rain or shine.






 © Photos taken and courtesy of J.H. Language Solutions.

 © 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Content written and owned by J.H. Language Solutions. Usage by written permission only. Posted and written by third party permission.

Putting the Strategy in SEO

Why is SEO important for businesses today? 

So what is the deal with all this talk of SEO today? In order to ensure survival, businesses must establish a strong online and virtual presence. Gone are the days when prospective clients and customers flipped through the yellow pages to find and hire a company. Today it’s all about who pops up in a search engine first, who has the most Facebook “likes”, and who has the most prominent online presence.

What Goes Into SEO?

Most businesses, particularly those that are new to the world of online marketing and SEO, think that all they need is a well designed website that will speak for itself. While it may seem simple to design and promote a website, there’s actually a science behind it. In fact, SEO comes with its own vocabulary and technical knowledge that one can easily learn.

What’s the First Step in Developing a SEO Strategy?

Another important aspect to utilizing and understanding SEO is staying ahead of the competition. One of the essential tasks to promoting a website is to research and study a competitor’s website and see what works and what doesn’t. What is generating traffic? What kind of content appears? What is the overall look and feel of the site? By answering these questions, a company can use this data in creating and promoting their website that is unique and creative and that will draw attention, a dedicated audience, and drive traffic.

Is the Print Advertising Medium Really Dead?

In addition to creating and promoting a website, a blog, and other virtual content, using social media, researching competitors’ sites, or whichever method works best for a particular business, one medium that most businesses forget to take advantage of these days is print advertising. With the wave of technology and with everything going electronic, it’s easy to forget about the simple brochures or business cards where businesses can promote their websites and fan pages. Printing up brochures, business cards, and flyers with a website, phone number, and other contact information is proven to still be just as effective as it was a decade ago.

Finally, many businesses, particularly the ones that have been around for some time, believe that they are well established enough not to require a good website or do not have to participate in social media. While this may be true, implementing the proper SEO strategies can only lead to a more established online presence, enhance branding, stand out from competitions, and even broaden audiences and target markets. Don't underestimate the power of SEO.

Written content: © 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions

*This topic was written by J.H. Language Solutions for a third party. This article has been altered to fit this blog accordingly.  J.H. Language Solutions in no way assumes ownership of the content above.

Staying Social in a World of Social Media

Social media is all the rave today. Who ever thought it would get as big as it is? It has even altered how we communicate with one another, how we look up information, and even the way we do business and our daily routines. But has it totally overcome our lives?

Are you addicted to social media?

 It is safe to say that many would agree that social media is addicting. When you are bored at work - how many times a day do you check your Facebook? When you are out running errands - how many times do you "check in" at certain locations? Whenever you run into someone you hadn't seen in awhile or maybe even someone you just met - how many times have you said "I'll Facebook you"? It was recorded just this month that Twitter has amounted to over 500 billion users and sees approximately 340 million tweets per day.

I think we've all been there at one point or another...or maybe even on a daily basis. But how much actual physical social interaction do we engage in now...or do we just rely on Facebook to keep up with all our engagements and correspondence? Some of you may be thinking "I interact with others every day!" That could be true, but I'm not just talking about our jobs or with our families...I'm talking about actual social interactions that involve physically talking face to face and/or engaging in outside activities with another person. These activities also don't involve having a cell phone taped to your ear or your hand. When was the last time you were able to do this? Remember, 22% of users spend their time online on social media.

• It's addicting. The fact is too much social media isn't exactly good for us. Studies have shown that spending too much online or on social media has some serious health risks. In addition to the fact that is extremely addicting and perhaps it's not the best way to be spending our time. I understand that many companies and businesses rely heavily on social media to promote their business or to keep up with competitors, clients, and partners and colleagues. In fact, I'm one of them. However, just like anything, when does it become too much? 

• It can cause depression. There are some people out there who will lock themselves in their rooms or in their homes for an entire weekend or night and just play online. This is most likely more common in younger adults or children, but this isolation is a sure sign of the beginning stages of depression. 

• It leads to decreased physical activity. In a society where obesity is such an epidemic, again, especially in children, the last thing we should be doing is sitting in front of the computer. 

So in a society where everyone and their brother are pushing you to jump on social media, what do you do about it? You can utilize social media in order to plan events that involve engaging in other human beings. This automatically reduces the feeling of isolation, depression, and decreased physical activity. Getting out into the world and doing something fun with a friend, significant other, or family member or child is definitely a more fulfilling activity than just sitting and chatting. In fact, it's not secret that human beings require social interaction with another human being. This could be interacting with another person's emotions, personality, or even just their touch or smile. Humans are social beings that require the interaction with another in order to thrive and develop healthy, social relationships.

Okay, so it's not all bad.

Social media has also helped us in many ways, especially in conjunction with technology. Social media helps you connect with people you already know or maybe haven't seen in awhile, such as distant family members, high school or college friends, international contacts, people with similar interests, etc. It is extremely convenient and easy to keep in touch with people, which is always a great thing.

Then there is the whole business world. Anyone who owns a business has probably reaped the benefits of social media in some way. Utilizing social media as a part of your networking or marketing strategy is not only easy to do, but it's extremely cost effective. You can purchase and run ads through Facebook for as little as $1 per day...and still reach potential clients and business contacts. Facebook does all the work for you. In addition, posting your blog, business site, press releases, or any other published content to your Facebook page or Twitter account is bound to get your name out there and boost your branding faster than print advertising ever could.

Getting out (and not in the social media sense).

All in all, there should really be a limit to how much social media we consume in a day...just for the sheer purpose of getting out there and getting away from the computer. For those who have jobs that involve sitting at a desk in front of a computer screen all day, do you really want to go home and do the same thing? For those who are looking for a change a pace, try getting out and doing something fun with someone else at least once per week (and again, without your cell phone attached to your ear or your hand the entire time).

Maybe you recently started a new job or moved and you don't know anyone and would like to meet someone. For those cases, there is Meetup.com. This is a great way to find something close in proximity to either work, home, or school; that is relative to your interests or hobbies; and that involves meeting others (whether for the purposes of making new friendships, relationships, or networking).

Finally, it's easy to become addicted to social media today. Everywhere you go and everything you do involves posting to Facebook, visiting an organization's fan page or "tweeting" or "posting" a status update. While we've already looked at the pros and cons to social media, there should really be a balance to social media and life.



Cover image: © Radu Razvan Gheorghe | Dreamstime.com

Written content: © 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions

What's New With J.H. Language Solutions?

So what's new with J.H. Language Solutions? J.H. Language Solutions is getting out there and moving up.

Here are some short and long term goals we have set for the next twelve to twenty-four months:

- Marketing - We are investing a lot of time and money into getting our name out there. We've had some new business cards printed up as well as some marketing decals that we are proud of. We are also investing in some social media advertising, as well as promoting our current website. So if you see our ad come up on Facebook, please "like" us!

We are also in the process of drafting a professional mission statement. We are taking this seriously as our word choice is important to our goals and drive as a business. Check out our site in the coming months to see our new mission statement.

Over the long term, we plan to invest more time and money in building a more permanent website. We are currently playing with different layouts and designs, but have yet to put them into action.

We are also in the process of designing a professional brand and logo. We are also in the process of toying with some ideas of how we want our image to work. We are working with professional artists/designers to make this happen. Once we have our logo completed, we will be utilizing that on all future electronic and print advertising mediums.

- Affiliate Marketing - In addition to the typical marketing mediums, we are also teaming up with some affiliate partners. So far, we've partnered with the Copyright Registration Service to help promote the importance of copyright laws and regulations as well as encouraging others, including the clients we work with, to register their work with the Copyright Registration Service. This something we are proud of and take seriously.

- New Technology - J.H. Language Solutions has invested in purchasing some of the latest technology in the last twelve to eighteen months. This new technology is state of the art, functional, and promotes the ease of communication. Some of these include a top of the line scanner, an iPad 2, as well as one of the latest MacBook Pro models. J.H. Language Solutions invests in Apple products because we feel that Apple products and technology best serve our clients and best fit our needs as a business.

Over the long term, we will be investing in additional robust computer and technical programs, apps, as well as acquiring proper font licensure.

- Intellectual Property - After we complete our professional logo and brand, we will be seeking proper ownership and the J.H. Language Solutions brand and logo will be protected. We are also seeking additional insurance to protect our brand, name, and property.

- Networking - Over the next nine to twelve months, we will be investing some time and money into networking. We are in the process of looking into visiting and hosting trade shows. Most of the trade shows will be local for the time being, but will hopefully expand from there over the long term.

We will also be making an appearance at the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce events in order to promote our name and support local business, as well as at the Bookbuilders of Boston events.

- Education - While J.H. Language Solutions holds the appropriate education, qualifications, and experience to practice and provide services to clients, why not add to it? J.H. Language Solutions is also in the process of investing in itself and its members in expanding education in the fields of project management, creative writing, and additional certifications in translation.

We aren't just freelancers! J.H. Language Solutions' is serious about expanding and our goals are clear cut. We are focused in investing our time and efforts into promoting our brand and services and to reach out to clients and assist them with their business needs.

Three Things You Should Know Before Publishing a Book

Publishing a book. Whether you sign with a professional publishing agent, or publish a book by doing business with an individual self-publisher, or maybe you even format your own eBook and sell it on Amazon. Regardless of which publication method you choose, how do you know if you are really ready for publishing a book or eBook?

If you are reading this thinking, "what's to be ready for?" Hang up the phone, do your research, and come back when you REALLY know what you are in for. Publishing a book or any finished product does not take a few weeks; it doesn't even take a few months. Writing a manuscript, having it edited, rewriting, re-editing, re-structuring, and rewriting again can take years. Seriously, years; especially if it's your first book. The same goes for novels.

What do I know? Well, I've only been in the publishing industry for about five years. In those five years, I've also started my own media, translation, and editorial services business. While working in publishing, I've edited, managed, and developed a number of K-12 products as well as higher ed custom products. Although I don't have a TON of experience compared to some, I have enough experience to know that you can't put together a first draft manuscript and expect it to become on the Bestseller's list in a few months. It just doesn't work that way.

If you are looking to find an agent and sign with a large and well-known publisher, be ready for the long haul and what could be months and months of rejections. This isn't to say that your manuscript isn't worth it or doesn't have quality content, it's just that the publishing industry is very competitive. Think of it like the music industry. It takes a lot for musicians and artists to sign with record labels. It works the same way. You have to keep writing letters and sending copies of your manuscript to agents and publishers the same way musicians have to send copies of the demos, until it falls in the right hands.

So where do you start?

1.) First and foremost, draft a manuscript. It doesn't matter what type of book you are interested in publishing, you aren't going anywhere without at least a draft. You've got to have a starting point.

2.) Find a quality editor. Hire an editor or some time of consultant that will help you through writing your first book. He or she will know the ins and outs of the publishing industry, or should, and can guide you in the areas needed. There are plenty of editors that work on a consulting or independent/freelance basis that would love to and are willing to help out.

3.) Copyright = no joke. It amazes me how people think they can "borrow" images or content and not bother to credit sources. Seriously. Copyright is a huge deal today, especially with electronic content. Just because you can find something online, doesn't make it free. I've already lectured on copyright before, so I won't do it again. I just advise that if you are writing a book, or even something as innocent as a blog, write your own content, use your own images, and source where necessary. Don't call anything your own if it's not your own.

4.) Do your research. You might think you have a great story, and maybe you do. But how do you really know for sure? Do your market research. Start a blog or forum or even post something on your Facebook or Twitter pages about your idea for a book. See what kind of response you get or what your followers say. This is a great way to see what your book's earning potential is as well as what your target audience is. You can even format your current manuscript into a real eBook and sell it on Amazon. You may need to hire a freelance who can format your eBook so that it can be downloaded to a Kindle or iPad. If it sells well, you can present that to a publisher or agent. It will also be impressive to them that you've done a form or your own marketing as well as market research.

Those are the top three informational items one who should know prior to publishing a book. Here are three key mind frames one should focus on:

1.) Be open-minded. It's understandable that after putting a lot of time, effort, and maybe even money into your manuscript that it becomes your baby. However, if you want to see your book beautifully bound and on a bookshelf in a bookstore some day, be open-minded to an agent's or editor's suggestions. Some authors and writers are dead set on a particular story or characters, and it's a great attitude to be so attached to the characters or story you have created, however, an editor will know what areas to improve and what approach is best.

2.) Be patient. It's great to have goals and a timeline set in mind. After all, publishing is all about deadlines. However, if it is your goal to have your book written, edited, and published within a year, it may be realistic to have a back up time frame in mind. Like any great work, it takes time and effort, and sometimes even more time and effort to get it just write. A literary work is no different. Sometimes things need tweaking, or last minute adjustments need to be made in production schedules; it is all possible. Again, while it's great to have goals, be prepared to be delayed or encounter challenges or set backs.

3.) Be positive. While there's been a lot of information that I've thrown out in this blog, and many of it may seem negative, that's not the idea. It's just factual and real information. The publishing industry is no picnic. It's rigorous and it's competitive. Just be prepared. All in all, it's possible that you will receive rejections, setbacks, or even challenges along the way. Don't get discouraged. Any feedback that you receive shouldn't be taken personally. Think of it as areas where you can improve. Areas where you can improve your writing as well as where you can improve creatively and professionally. Writing your first book is definitely a learning experience.

All in all, you've got your word cut out for you. Publishing a book is a lot of work. Consider these points of advice mentioned above prior to seeking out an agent or even a self-publisher. Signing with a publisher or even working with a self-publisher has its pros and cons. Obviously working with a real, well-known publisher will have more of a long term impact on you as a writer, however, writers often lose money due to royalty contracts. Self-publishers are usually quicker as well as more cost effective. It all depends on what works best for you.

© Anna Lurye | Dreamstime.com

Publishing and Copyright: No Joke

The publishing industry can't keep up with today's technological advances, which unfortunately is leading down the path of lost sales and revenue. With today's technology and the World Wide Web, it is extremely easy to find, download, and "share" content without having to pay for it or requesting permissions to duplicate it. But is this right? No. In fact it's downright illegal.

A recent article posted this morning indicated that the International Publishers Association (IPA) is fighting to close some selected file sharing sites due to copyright infringement concerns. One particular site (which will remain nameless in this blog) made over 400,000 eBooks available for free. Just because books are now made in electronic or "e" form, does not mean they are "free" to download, use, share, or what have you. Besides, eBooks are extremely cheap. In fact, there is controversy on what eBooks are being sold for on Amazon, versus what publishers should be selling them for. The price of eBooks do not reflect the work that is put into them. The editorial, production, and manufacturing costs...but that's another story.

Now, some of you may be reading and think, "It's online...who cares?" Well, you couldn't be more wrong. The common misconception is that "if I get it offline, it's free". Believe it or not, the Internet isn't a huge free for all of information, even though we absolutely perceive it that way. This is partly one reason why the government wants to censor the Internet with the new Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). While many users and companies are against it, you really can't blame them. Piracy is the same as stealing.

Most of you know that I am a full time editor and project manager for Pearson, (which for those of you who haven't heard of Pearson or aren't familiar with publishing at all, Pearson is the largest publisher in the world.) I work in Pearson's higher ed custom division. Basically my job is to work with universities and colleges to create custom textbooks that are tailored specifically to students in a particular course. Many times, I will get an order that involves printing something the adopter, or professor, wrote, or claims he or she wrote. In my professional experience, you'd be surprised how many times I've had to explain to one of our adopters that they cannot use a particular image or material that they claim is theirs. "But I got it off the Internet..." so? That doesn't mean you own it.

In another example, I'd also like to refer to my Baby Boomer parents, who are still very technologically behind. I had been working full time in publishing for four years at this point and was about to start my business, and I recall one evening after work my father was working on a training PowerPoint presentation for his staff while my mother was cooking dinner. He was getting frustrated with trying to find an image to use in his presentation through Microsoft Clip Art. Then my mother pipes up, "just find one off the Internet". That's precisely when I stepped in with my two cents. I then jumped in the room and said "no, you CAN'T do that!" Both of them looked up at me in surprise as if to say, "what's the big deal?" I explained that that was copyright infringement and that Dad was about to grab an image off the Internet that not only did he not own, but he was about to use that in a presentation that had his company name on it. Not to mention presenting it in front of how many people. Nowadays with "sharing" files and uploading and downloading, my innocent father's training presentation could easily end up in the wrong hands...which could result in a lawsuit, and the possibility of my father losing his job.

Far-fetched? Not quite. Intellectual property is nothing to screw around with, no matter how easily it may seem to grab content offline. Why do you think these lawyers that specialize in intellectual property make big bucks? Have you heard the story of the Kinkos lawsuit? You can read the article, but basically back in the early 90s, Kinkos used to have small locations on university and college campuses, kind of like how Barnes and Nobles manages various campus bookstores. While it was very convenient for students to make copies of assignments, compositions, etc., Kinkos also offered "course packs", which basically included illegal printed copies of copyrighted material that the students could purchase, for profit. However, once word got out, Kinkos was sued by various publishers, claiming that they were distributing and selling various publishers' and rights holders' copyrighted material. Kinkos came back and claimed that it was for educational purposes. The copyright laws back then were a little leaner, however, Kinkos was still sued, and it was at that point that copyright laws became clearly defined and the punishments became more severe.

So the next time you think, "oh, I'll just grab a picture offline for my website or blog," or something to that effect...think again. Think of what you are using the content, material, or image for, and then think of whether or not it is a good idea. You can absolutely use images, however it is best to grab them from stock image sites. There are some on sites that are available for purchase, but there are also free images that you can download and use at your leisure, however, while this is more morally sound, it is still a good idea to credit the designer where possible. Or to avoid the whole deal, take pictures or videos yourself and upload them. The only thing you should be careful for, is protecting YOUR work. You can always add a disclaimer in your description claiming that you took the photo or video or wrote your own work and that you do not permit the sharing or duplicating of content. Now while you don't have a lawyer on your side with documentation protecting your work, someone would have to be pretty stupid to ignore that and use it anyway.

The moral to this story? Just because it is available online, doesn't mean it's FREE, in every sense of the word. It doesn't mean that it's public domain, free of usage, free of an author, or free of cost. More and more sites will be shut down in the future due to this issue, however, you can do what you can and what you know is morally correct or incorrect.

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