OFBPA

By David Foertsch,
davidfoertsch@stingraysocial.com
http://www.stingraysocial.com

March 31 (that’s right, the day before April Fools Day) was World Backup Day. To honor World Backup Day, I thought online backup services deserved some examination. Three business people I know have experienced significant computer outages/damage just recently. None had current backups on which to rely. That spurred me to write about the dangers of storing your business data in such a way where a single point of failure can cripple your business.

For sole business owners or small businesses without a formal IT department, the hazards of not securing backups are even more risky. Imagine that your PC contracts a nasty virus, or the PC hard drive stops running – could you continue to operate your business?

Small businesses can take advantage of two trends affecting the tech world – faster broadband connections (both wired & wireless) and the availability of dirt-cheap computer storage. Combined, these trends make continuous online backup products affordable for the smallest of businesses. As well, the products currently available require little to no technical abilities – if you can click a few buttons on a website, you can be protected.

Here are some different options for online storage – I don’t rate or recommend any particular services. In most cases you can try the services free on a trial basis.

· Carbonite
· Crashplan
· Backblaze
· Mozy
· Norton Online Backup

To see a recent, thorough comparison of these and more you should read PC Magazine’s recent article Disaster-Proof Your Data with Online Backup.

Extra Tip:
Consider storing business files on a cloud-based file sharing system. Dropbox, Google Docs, Box.net, Office 365 are just a few among many ways to store files away from your PC, tablet or smartphone. This is especially important for rapidly changing files – the more you update a file, the more vulnerable you are to crashes/viruses if the file is only stored on your PC.

Disclaimer for company employees – Check your company’s IT security policies first before doing anything. Independent business owners obviously can make a determination based on their own judgment.

Does anyone have any stories about online backup?

Link: #www.pbcu.com

Greetings from Point Breeze Credit Union!

We are very happy to be part of OFBPA and are excited about the opportunity to network with new businesses. Point Breeze Credit Union serves members, and businesses, located within 20 miles of our branches. If you work, worship or volunteer within 20 miles of Hunt Valley, Golden Ring or Bel Air, you are eligible to join!

At PBCU, we offer corporate partnership opportunities for businesses in our 20 mile radius and welcome you to partner with us to offer membership as part of your benefits for employees. Financial wellness is just as important as physical wellness and we have many ways to assist you staff in reaching financial wellness goals. We currently serve large and small companies like Ball Steel Tin, McCormick & Company, Proctor & Gamble, Squires Restaurant, Gray & Sons and many more. Please visit our website for a full listing of business partners.

As a business partner, you can take advantage of seminars on topics like budgeting, understanding credit and IRA's: what are they and what kind is right for me? PBCU will also come to you for employee information sessions where we can open accounts, accept loan payments, answer questions and more. A quarterly newsletter is also sent that can be printed and posted or emailed to staff. It highlights special promotions, scholarship information, events and more.

Whether your company is large or small, there is much to gain from partnering with a credit union. If you would like more information or to set up a meeting to discuss the opportunity, please contact Holly Klarman at 410-771-3850 x247 or via email at hklarman@pointbreezecu.com. I look forward to meeting at an upcoming meeting!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
February 25, 2012 - Overlea Fullerton Business and Professional Association will be hosting a Business to Business Expo in nearby White Marsh on April 18, 2012 from 9AM until 2PM. The expo will take place at the Hilton Garden White Marsh Inn, 5015 Campbell Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21236.

Exhibitors are welcome, there are a maximum of fifty exhibitor tables available. To register, simply visit http://expo21236.eventbrite.com/ and follow the registration process. Exhibitor registration runs through March 31, and the cost is $150.

Included in the Exhibitor fee are the following:

Free listing on the OFBPA website, free vendor list available the day of the event, attendee contact information, 6’ banquet table covered with black linen and two chairs, Free Continental Breakfast during set up time (8am -9am), Free Wi-fi available, Free gift bag for all vendors, Vendors-only door prize drawing.

Exhibitors will also benefit from promotion of the event via local publications including I95 Business Magazine, East County Times, patch.com, Pennysaver and others. Additionally, email and social media marketing will reach thousands of potential area attendees.

The expo is free for attendees, all are welcome. Attendee registration is available by visiting http://expo21236.eventbrite.com/ and completing the attendee registration. All readers are encouraged to share the event with area businesses and co-workers.

Overlea Fullerton Business and Professional Association (OFBPA) supports business interests in Overlea, Fullerton and surrounding neighborhoods. OFBPA aims to provide networking opportunities for all interested area businesses.

For more information about OFBPA, please visit http://www.ofbpa.com. Press contact - David Foertsch (410) 513-9311 or davidfoertsch@stingraysocial.com. Registration questions should be directed to Donna Bethke (410) 665-6551 or ptavon@comcast.net.

Business association will begin promotion of shelter & donations efforts.

Overlea, MD — February 16, 2012 — Overlea Fullerton Business & Professional Association announced a partnership with Baltimore County’s Eastside Family Emergency Shelter.

“I met with shelter manager, Charmaine Short-Caldwell last week and I know we can help,” said Donna Bethke, OFBPA President. “The need is ongoing and if everyone can just help by donating one item each month it will be greatly appreciated.”

Local Business Leaders Collect Donated Items
OFBPA will define a monthly theme and collect select items at participating area businesses. As well, collections will be made at OFBPA’s monthly general meetings. To make a donation, visit one of the following locations:
· Eastern Savings Bank, 7927 Belair Rd. Baltimore, MD 21236
· Fullerton Self Storage, 7989 Rossville Blvd. Baltimore, MD 21236
· White Springs Townhomes, 7935 Belridge Road, Baltimore, MD 21236
· CCBC Catonsville, 800 South Rolling Road, Baltimore, MD 21228-5317
· CCBC Essex Eastside Occupational Training Center, 439 Eastern Av, Essex, MD 21221
· Amica Insurance, 6711 Columbia gateway Drive, Suite 410, Columbia, MD 21046

Largest Emergency Shelter in Baltimore County
The Eastside Family Emergency Center is located at 9100 Franklin Square Drive
Baltimore, MD 21237, just a short walk from Medstar Franklin Square Hospital & CCBC Essex. The shelter accommodates 150 people, and accepts single women, women with children, and intact families. Community Assistance Network, Inc. (CAN) is a Baltimore-based shelter operator, which also runs Baltimore County’s other shelters, the Hannah More Emergency Shelter, and the Men’s Westside Emergency Shelter.

Ways to Help the Eastside Emergency Shelter
OFBPA themes for February & March are listed below:

February 2012 – “Fill a Tote” Month
· 30 gallon tote –any color
· 18 gallon totes- any color
· Bath towel
· Wash cloth
· Shampoo and conditioner (regular size bottle)
· Soap – bar or liquid
· Deodorant for male or female (any brand name);
· Razors for male or female
· Toothpaste
· Toothbrush (child and adult)

Immediate Needs also include:
· Latex gloves – large
· Medium size trash bags
· Adult depends
· Always maxi pads
· Baby wipes

March 2012- “Baby” Month
· Diapers- newborn to Size 5 –NEED SIZES 3, 4 & 5 mostly
· Baby Wipes
· Pull Ups
· Children’s Tylenol- liquid
· Baby Snacks
· Crib Sheets –new or lightly used
· Bibs
· Sippy Cups
· Baby Powder, lotions, oil, diaper rash cream
· Baby towels and wash cloths
· Bay socks and shoes
· Baby Toys- new

Immediate Needs also include:
· Gift Cards from Sam’s Club are welcome.
· Cash for perishables. Checks payable to CAN
· Milk, Juice, Eggs, frozen food, bread, fresh meat- always in demand

Businesses interested in hosting collections at their office/store are asked to contact OFBPA directly.

Overlea Fullerton Business & Professional Association (“OFBPA”) is an organization dedicated to furthering economic development of the U.S. 1 corridor of Belair Road and its environs, and to promote and assist the growth and development of business concerns, including small business concerns, in that area.
For more information:
David Foertsch, (410) 513-9311, davidfoertsch@stingraysocial.com

For more information on Overlea Fullerton Business & Professional Association:
http://www.ofbpa.com/

The OFBPA Board of Directors & Donna Bethke, President 410-665-6551 ptavon@comcast.net

Link: http://www.stingraysocial.com/1/post/2011/10/google-offers-launched-in-baltimore-lets-deconstruct.html

This may be big news for business folks who use daily deal/coupon sites here in the Baltimore area. According to citybizlist Baltimore, Google has launched their Google Offers product in Baltimore as of 10/25/11. Baltimore has numerous entrants in the daily deals space, with established competitors such as Groupon & Living Social battling it out on a daily basis inside of Baltimorean’s inboxes.

From a marketer’s perspective, I’m going to examine Baltimore’s first Google Offer, a $30 for $15 deal at Conkling Street’s Blue Hill Tavern. First, let’s flashback to Google’s failed bid to purchase Groupon. Google was rebuffed in their attempt to purchase Groupon in late 2010, which made the rumors of a Google Offers launch much more interesting. Google Offers launched in January 2011, and has been opening up new cities in a controlled manner since...
click here to read the remainder of the blog entry.

Link: http://www.acepc.com

Sign up for website & hosting for a year and get $20.00 off.
Hosting is less then a $1.00 a day.
If you don't have a website - I bet your competition does.

Call me for more information.
443-291-9327 - Ask for Marty.

Last month’s entry of Web Tools For The Rest of Us highlighted a nifty cloud-based application for PCs, Smartphones & Tablets named Evernote. We’ll continue exploring cloud based applications this month, with a focus on Google Apps.

Google is primarily known for their market-leading search engine product, simply named Google. It’s so popular now, it has become synonymous with the industry it leads. It is the 21st century Kleenex.

What many people, including business owners, don’t realize is that Google provides a powerful application suite named Google Apps. The basic Apps product is free, and combines many of Google’s most popular standalone productivity apps into an tightly-integrated, easy to manage suite that is useful for businesses of many different sizes.

Here’s a link to the Free Google Apps portal, where you can explore the features in greater detail.
http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html

Here’s a quick listing of the apps included in the free version:

· Gmail
· Google Calendar
· Google Docs (similar in function to Microsoft Office)
· Google Sites (website creation)
· Google Reader
· Blogger
· Picasa Web Albums
· AdWords

For those businesses requiring a souped-up version of Google Apps, there is a $5 per month/per user upgrade that opens a larger suite of products & features. It operates under the name Google Apps for Business. Here is a comparison chart: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/index.html

I’ve been using the free Google Apps platform now for nearly one year. It serves most of my needs very well, and considering Google’s penchant for innovation & their ability to acquire & integrate new technologies quickly, I see Google Apps as a winner both now and into the future.

Are any of our other readers operating either in part of in full on the Google Apps platform? Would love to hear your impressions. We’ll continue the discussion on OFBPA’s blog, which is also fed to our Facebook fan page.

OFBPA Blog
http://ofbpa.com/b2evolution/blog1.php

OFBPA Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/ofbpa

Dave Foertsch
OFBPA Board
Social Media/PR Chair
davidfoertsch@stingraysocial.com
http://www.stingraysocial.com

Web Tools for The Rest of Us
By David Foertsch,
davidfoertsch@stingraysocial.com

Anyone who uses the web knows there are new applications & tools being invented daily (maybe even hourly) for the sole purpose of making our lives more connected and efficient. While this is a noble pursuit, it can be overwhelming to most folks, not knowing where to turn for advice.

Every tech magazine, blog & video program is jam-packed with lists such as –

· “The 50 iPhone apps you need now”
· “32 new social media resources you might have missed this week”
· “10 amazing tech tools to use in your business”

To help you weed out the noise and focus on the most useful tools of the recent past, we’ll highlight one each month. Here is one I’ve been using for two years, and it keeps getting better.

This month’s highlighted tool is Evernote. My advice is, if you don’t already use it, stop reading and go sign up now at http://www.evernote.com/. A basic account is free, which allows you to upload 60Mb per month.

Evernote is a “cloud-based” service that allows you to save & store nearly anything in a digital notebook. Additionally, you can share your notebooks with others with no more than a couple clicks on your PC, tablet or smartphone. Their motto is “Save everything.” See the intro video here: http://www.evernote.com/about/video/#zHom6bgqg9Y|1|1

For anyone who is already an Evernote user, and looking for new ways to make it more functional, check out the Evernote Trunk http://www.evernote.com/about/trunk/. Evernote has evolved into a platform or “eco-system” that many other businesses can use to develop add-ons or complementary products that extend Evernote’s functionality.

That’s it! If you take the leap and begin using Evernote, share your experiences with the group. I'm interested to see the creative ways you use the service. Enjoy!

Make new friends – find a date – It’s free.

http://www.meetonlineclub.com

OFBPA's blog can now be viewed in Facebook. New posts on the blog will populate to OFBPA's Notes tab in Facebook. Please keep in mind the blog posts will not appear in Facebook immediately. Facebook will periodically reach out to the blog page in order to scan for new content. Hoepfully this enhances the use of both tools.

Anyone who has a Facebook page & blog that you want to interconnect, see the following Facebook Help link for instructions. http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=17429&ref_query=blog

If you have any questions, please email Dave @ davidfoertsch@stingraysocial.com.

Visit OFBPA on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ofbpa
Visit OFBPA on the WWW at http://www.ofbpa.com/

Thanks,

Dave Foertsch
davidfoertsch@stingraysocial.com

My name is Sue Taylor and I am working with Jeff Markle, Athletic Director at Parkville High School. We are working towards the goal of replacing the 20+ year old scoreboard in the stadium with a new state of the art and more energy efficient scoreboard. We are calling upon local businesses to ask if you would like to purchase ad space on the board. It’s a unique way to promote your business and of course it is a tremendous help to the school. Give us a call, we would love to speak with you regarding the details of this project.

Sue Taylor
Project Manager, Sports Image®
(P) 410-877-2995
(C) 410-428-0341
(F) 443-927-7222
sue@SportsImageInc.com
www.SportsImageInc.com

Each office independently owned and operated.

My name is Dawn Kahler and I offer bookkeeping and administrative services to small businesses in the Perry Hall, White Marsh, Parkville and Rosedale areas.

Most bookkeeping can be completed by a professional in as little as 2 to 4 hours per week - how many hours a week do you spend on your bookkeeping?

Your time is valuable, outsource your bookkeeping and spend that time generating more income for your business!

Check out my website for a full list of bookkeeping services.
www.sbb-md.com

Contact me at 443 604 9016 or via email at kahler.officepro@gmail.com

We make handcrafted jewelry.
Many are one of a kind.
If you see something you like, buy it now!

Visit us at http://www.123bling.com

There has been a tremendous amount of talk lately about health insurance since President Obama passed healthcare reform. If you live in Maryland and operate a small or large business or you are an individual without health insurance, YOU HAVE OPTIONS!

Individual Health Insurance Coverage:

There are programs to assist individuals in getting affordable healthcare. Individuals can make application for coverage (i.e. individual, husband&wife, parent&child(ren) or family) through various carriers such as Carefirst, United Health Care, Aetna,etc. You can have plans and rates emailed to you for comparison.

In the State of Maryland, if you are declined for health coverage, the Maryland Health Insurance Program guarantees health insurance underwritten by Carefirst. There are different payment options (i.e. lower cost) if you have a low income. Proof of residency and income is required if you are making application for reduced rates. Proof of residency is required as well if you are not making application for reduced rates.

Small/Large Employer Health Insurance Coverage:

Traditional group health insurance is available through various carriers. However, the State of Maryland has earmarked funds for the Maryland Health Insurance Partnership Program to subsidize health insurance costs for small businesss owners with 2-9 employees and have not offered group health insurance within the 12 previous months. Maryland will subsidize up to 50% of health insurance for small businesses that qualify. Along with making application to the Partnership, employers can qualify for tax credits with the IRS if they pay a portion or all of their employees health coverage.

Links:

http://www.marylandhealthinsuranceplan.state.md.us/ - Maryland Health Insurance Program
http://mhcc.maryland.gov/partnership/ - Maryland Health Insurance Partnership
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=223666,00.html - IRS Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Questions can be asked with no obligation for purchase of any health insurance products by individuals or employers. Just give a call, post on this blog or email: jackie@boonerangconsulting.com for more information!

OFBPA is now on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Overlea-MD/OFBPA/133796443321444

Don't miss the next meeting.
It's FREE - just call Donna (410-852-0225) to let her know your coming.
Bring your business cards!

Members of the OFBPA who open a website with ACE - Web Hosting & Design can save $20.00 off the first year of service.

Call me for more information.
443-291-9327 - Ask for Marty

Nice turn out at the January 20, 2010. OFBPA Meeting/Networking Social at The Skipjack's Restaurant & Sports Bar at 7703 Belair Rd. they put out good food and drink for all.

If you missed, the January meeting, try to make the February meeting.
Feb 10, 2010
Fullerton Fireworks Meeting
7pm
Skipjack's (formerly Schooner's)
7703 Belair Rd. 21236
Call Mark at 410-882-5491
All interested parties are welcome

(Q). How can I post in your blog?

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Happy New Year 2010!