§ May 17th, 2012 § Filed under Abcnews Comments Off
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 16, 2012
What is the true impact of Facebook?s IPO and their latest upgrades in their platform on small brick & mortar businesses? Social Club Rewards feels that “the impact is dismal and having a negative financial impact on these businesses. In their latest upgrade, Facebook has taken away the fan gate and the ability to control where someone lands on the page. With these changes, small business owners are forced to spend more time doing status updates or spend more money on advertising to get the same results. Then, if a business owner needs support with advertising, Facebook will only assign them a rep if they spend $ 10,000 or more. Are they making all of these changes purely for the benefit of large corporations and to enhance their own IPO? This may cause some to wonder.?
Brick & mortar businesses have been some of the hardest hit during the latest economic crunch, making creative marketing a must in today?s world. Facebook has developed a strong platform but it is proving to be a costly venture for small business.
Yet when you look at large corporations? results with Facebook marketing, the results are certainly impressive.
The average media site integrated with Facebook has seen a 300% increase in referral traffic.
ABCNews.com and the Washington Post both are said to have more than doubled their referral traffic from Facebook by adding social plug-ins.
Levi?s saw a 40 times increase in referral traffic from Facebook.
American Eagle found Facebook referred visitors spend on average 57% more than non- referred visitors.
Social Club Rewards has found that the large companies can afford to put the staff behind social media management and their Facebook pages. If brick & mortar business could just experience a fraction of the results, the impact on their business and the overall economy would be significant.
Social Club Rewards believes local brick & mortar businesses deserve the same competitive advantage as large corporations. They developed their patent-pending solution to provide business owners with the ability to cost-effectively integrate text messaging, Facebook and email into one simple, easy to use, done-for-you solution.
?Facebook has created a great platform for solution providers such as Social Club Rewards. They bring everyone together and it allows companies like ours to bridge the gap and become the missing link between brick & mortar business, new customers and Facebook. Our platform actually connects business owners with an automated referral generator that allows Facebook and text messaging to do all the work for them. Our solution acts as a virtual sales force and businesses are seeing results instantly, from the moment they hang their banners,? said Greg Pitstick, Co-Founder and CEO of Social Club Rewards.
It is a fact that 56% of Facebook fan pages have less than 256 fans and of those 85% of the fans are from outside the business? local area (considered ?out of towners?). It?s no wonder business owners are not motivated to do twice the work, spend more time and money just to reach an additional 28 people, which could account for why 92% of all Facebook pages are ignored.
?It is great that there is finally a company like Social Club Rewards that provides the benefits of Facebook and integrated marketing for small business owners. The platform they have created is designed specifically to help a struggling brick & mortar businesses grow. In tough economic times, every customer counts and to be able to convert more sales and increase referrals instantly, while a customer is standing in a business, is ideal. Finally, a company has taken Zuckerberg?s big business approach and made it affordable, practical and a revenue generator for small business,? said Ron Ipach, President of CinRon Marketing Group, the leading provider of marketing solutions for the Auto Repair Industry.
Social Club Rewards has experienced over 1,000 percent growth in the past 12-months. They have turned Facebook?s inability to focus on small business owners into a distinct revenue generator for brick & mortar businesses. They are certainly a company to watch as they now serve brick & mortar business owners in eight countries and are in over 450 cities throughout the world since their inception in early 2011.
About
Social Club Rewards helps brick & mortar businesses grow through a PATENT-PENDING referral based rewards platform. They are headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in Cincinnati and Toronto. They have strategically integrated social marketing via Facebook, email marketing and text message marketing (SMS) into a single platform for marketing to a business’s customer base. The platform enables traditional brick & mortar businesses to create customizable membership clubs that rewards customers for becoming members and referring the business to others they know, turning a business?s customers into a dedicated sales force resulting in repeat customers, new customers and increased sales. This solution is ideal for the typically non-technical SMALL business owner and is cloud based so it requires no software expenditure for a business. It instantly allows customers to be part of a community and easily tell their friends about the business. For more information, visit Social Club Rewards at http://www.SocialClubRewards.com or contact Sheila Stewart at 303-378-2022.
Sources
http://searchengineland.com/by-the-numbers-how-facebook-says-likes-social-plugins-help-websites-76061
http://searchengineland.com/has-facebook-become-the-master-key-to-unlocking-the-web-75139
http://baruchnewmedia.com/wiki/How_Business_is_Using_Social_Networking
http://socialtimes.com/socials-impact-on-search-its-all-about-content_b87568
(http://blogs.wsj.com/in-charge/2011/08/01/most-facebook-fans-not-local/)
Visit Social Club Rewards at: http://www.facebook.com/SocialClubRewards
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§ May 17th, 2012 § Filed under Abcnews Comments Off
H1N1, Concussions, and Wood Mulch. What have we done to our playgrounds?
Article by Jason Borch
H1N1, Concussions, and Wood Mulch. What have we done to our playgrounds? – Outdoors
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Wood mulch. It’s been used as surfacing on playgrounds for decades, probably as far back as any of us can remember. Perhaps old-time playground owners may be excused for assuming that it was a safe option-and a cheap one. After all, wood mulch comes from era when smoking was considered ‘safe’, too.
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Every day, countless families set out for a pleasurable trip to one of America’s numerous parks. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/SummerSizzle/story?id=3476712 [The wood mulch surface __title__ wood mulch surface] on the playground is not likely to even register in a parent’s consciousness-until it is actually stepped on.
As one’s feet clump across those rock-hard pieces of semi-frozen, compacted wood mulch, the responsible parent is horrified. Aside from the fact that frozen wood mulch is about as soft as granite, visitors are likely to actually be able to feel the crunch under their feet in numerous spots. All one can do is hope and pray that none of the children will fall.
All of which begs the ridiculous question-Isn’t the point of playground surfacing to cushion to ground? To put it bluntly, this is absurd! Is this what park officials and schools are letting kids play on?! Has there ever been a child who didn’t fall at least a couple of times in the course of a good day’s play? How can children be allowed to play on a surface that is as hard as a rock? Has nobody ever heard of broken bones, concussions, spinal injuries?
Upon expressing dismay to the office of the local Park and Recreation Department, the response is generally a patronizing reassurance. After all, this wood mulch, commonly referred to as Engineered Wood Fiber, is a certified product that meets all applicable guidelines, with certifications from the ASTM, CPSC and IPEMA. These are credible entities; and if they aren’t worried, why should parents be concerned?
Obviously, these condescending representatives have never stepped on a playground! Sure, wood mulch is tested. But it’s tested when it’s brand new, leveled to the perfect depth, unfrozen, untouched, and still nice and fluffy, fresh from the tree. It may be safe in the lab-but children play on playgrounds, not in laboratories.
What happens two or three months later, when the mulch has gotten wet and compacted? What happens when that fresh, moist, proven-to-be-fire-resistant wood carpet dries out after a good few weeks in the sun? A couple of months down the line, does anyone bother to check to ensure that it still meets the safety standards? Not the ASTM, or CPSC-that’s for sure. And not the officials in charge of parks and schools either, because they’re smugly relying on a guarantee that’s completely irrelevant in real-life situations.
A bit of research reveals that the mulch that is being marketed as playground surfacing appears to be the very same product used to mulch gardens. Some of these wood fiber surfaces can come from old, shredded-down pallets. Often, wood pallets are made from treated wood which has proven to be toxic-not to mention the nails and staples that could remain mixed into the shredded mulch. Still and all, wood mulch is one of the most widely-used ‘safety’ surfaces in the country.
The websites of the largest http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/SummerSizzle/story?id=3476712 in the US are frighteningly revealing. Of course, the home pages are covered with lovely pictures and descriptions of this so-called safety product. Despite the glorious catch-phrases proudly displayed on the front pages, they can’t entirely hide the truth-they could get sued. Thus we have the long list of disclaimers. Some direct quotes:
“During freezing conditions, all of our playground surfaces will naturally be less resilient, particularly with poor drainage. Restrict use of the area accordingly.”
Another site: “Should there be moisture retention in the wood fiber system, it will freeze when the temperature drops below the freezing mark. Please check your surface frequently in winter weather. When the surface is frozen, the impact attenuation properties of wood fiber are lost and for this reason, the play area should not be used.”
Are they seriously suggesting that playgrounds be shut down for months on end? When winter and fall start to converge on each other, the nights may be below freezing, but the days often reach the 50 degree mark-a temperature that most schools deem suitable for outdoor play. How much time does it take for frozen wood mulch to defrost? Does anybody know or care? Why are towns and schools not informing parents and children of this? Not that any normal child is going to refrain from using the playground in cold weather because he carefully read the attached disclaimers. But why are parents not questioning this safety option?
Despite the hazards of frozen mulch, one would think that at least in the heat of summer, it would be safe. But no-http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3476932 [wood mulch was found to be hazardous in the dry summer season __title__ wood mulch on fire] as well. The manufacturers state that “during a dry season, it may be necessary to wet the surface of the wood fiber with water in order to ensure sufficient moisture content to resist flammability. Case in point: an article on the web about a school in Arlington, Texas that has a video showing their playground spontaneously combusting due to heat. Apparently, somebody forgot to reapply the ‘sufficient moisture’-which, according to the manufacturers, wood mulch is not supposed to have, since it freezes solid in cold weather.
Of course, the websites reassure the users, one could always choose to apply a fire retardant instead of going with the moisture option. So much for the natural, chemical-free alternative.
Apparently, given the fact that it is so very weather-sensitive, wood mulch is simply not appropriate for outdoor use-by the manufacturers’ own admission. One leading manufacturer states that “Due to weather conditions, poor drainage, too much shade, or a combination thereof, bacteria may rapidly colonize, which may lead to fungus growth on the wood fiber. If the fungus becomes visible, simply scoop out and dispose of the fungus.”
The site fails to mention anything about the bacteria that rapidly colonizes without anyone’s noticing. It would not be surprising if animals were to routinely use these surfaces as ‘litter boxes’-and it’s hard to imagine a better surface for bacterial growth than slightly moist, rotting wood mulch. Many schools have begun to bleach the children’s desks in light of recent H1N1 flu scare. Is anyone bleaching the playground mulch to prevent the spread of “bacteria that may rapidly colonize”? Imagine a whole community of children contracting H1N1-just from playing on the playground!
Obviously, there has to be a better way.
Visits to parks in other areas will bring the visitor in contact with numerous playgrounds surfaced with rubber. What a difference! Whether the solid, poured rubber type of surface, or the loose fill, rubber mulch type, these playgrounds are soft and cushiony-the way that a playground should feel! Even adults often report the sudden urge to jump and bounce on the elastic surface!
Just based on the consistency alone, it would seem pretty clear that rubber is the safest way to go. Sure enough, the research supports this hunch. According to the EPA, http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/cpg/products/playgrnd.htm [rubber surfaces have been proven __title__ rubber playground surface] (yes, even in those laboratory tests) to have the highest shock absorbency level of any surfacing material in the country. And unlike wood mulch, they stand up to this reputation even on the playground.
Rubber surfaces never freeze and harden. They don’t retain dangerous heat levels in the summer. They are heavier than wood mulch, and resist displacement. They never degrade or decompose. They don’t attract bacteria, and they don’t retain slippery moisture. No disclaimers.
A nice benefit is that most often, rubber surfaces are made of 100% recycled rubber, saving hundreds of tons’ worth of rubber from ending up in the landfills. What a pleasure-the safest option for children is also the most environmentally responsible one! Not surprisingly, the Obama family chose a recycled rubber product for the newly installed playground at the White House-a fitting testimonial to the green era in which we live.
The bottom line is patently obvious. To continue to use a product that is so clearly unsafe-not to mention environmentally destructive, as hundreds of thousands of trees are sacrificed on the altar of profitability for wood mulch manufacturers-is more than unfair to children. It is downright reckless! As concerned adults, we owe it to our children to demand that our playgrounds conform to the highest standards of safety.
In years past, playgrounds were often set directly into the concrete, resulting in hundreds of thousands of serious injuries. American society has moved past that, and today, rare is the playground that does not have some sort of safety surfacing. Still, thanks to wood mulch and similarly unsafe surfacing options, even today over 500 kids end up in the emergency room every single day as a result of playground injuries.
As a society, we can do better. We have better options. The time has come for us to use them, moving forwards towards a safer play environment and a safer earth.
About the Author
Jason Borch, Playgrounds and kid safety expert.
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Jason Borch, Playgrounds and kid safety expert.
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§ May 14th, 2012 § Filed under Abcnews Comments Off
Melville, New York (PRWEB) May 10, 2012
Attorneys Andres Alonso and David Krangle, founding partners of Alonso Krangle LLP, a national law firm focused on child safety and child product liability injuries, are today calling for the renewal of legislation to increase pediatric clinical trials and require that child safety information be added to the labels of prescription drugs likely to be used to treat children. According to U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) researchers, a study of over 500 medication labels from 2009 revealed that half lacked information regarding their use in children, including instruction on proper pediatric dosage. The study appears in the May issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). [abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/05/08/how-do-docs-prescribe-kids-meds-guess/]
Alonso Krangle LLP is offering free lawsuit consultations to families of children injured by defective drugs, or children injured by unsafe products, dangerous toys, and defective medical devices. To discuss a potential lawsuit with one of the experienced and compassionate child safety lawyers at Alonso Krangle LLP, please contact us at 1-800-403-6191 or visit our website, FightForVictims.com.
The authors of the JAMA study said they conducted their analysis to gauge the effectiveness of legislation passed in the last decade to increase pediatric clinical trials and child safety information on drug labels. The Pediatric Research Equity Act allows the FDA to require drug companies conduct pediatric clinical trials if a drug is likely to be used widely in pediatrics. The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act gives incentives for drug companies to test their products on children. According to the FDA researchers, these laws have resulted in new pediatric labeling for almost 400 drugs as of March 2011. However, the current legislation is set to expire this year.
The JAMA study looked at 560 medications and found that only 231 included information regarding the drug?s safety and effectiveness in children and teens, including age-specific dosage information. Another 29 had dosing information for at least some younger age groups, but not all.
The remainder ? 54 percent ? lacked any useful pediatric information. Even after the research team took 100 medications that weren’t relevant for use in children out of the equation, 44 percent still had no child-relevant labeling. What?s more, over half of drugs with new ingredients approved between 2002 and 2008 lacked specific information for safety and dosing in children.
According to Alonso Krangle, LLP, a lack of clear child safety information, including proper dosage instructions, on prescription drug labels poses a serious public health threat. In April, Harvard researchers reported that four out of every five children hospitalized in the U.S. are treated with drugs that have never been tested in children and are FDA-approved only for adults. For this reason, the firm is calling on the U.S. Congress to reauthorize both the Pediatric Research Equity Act and Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act as soon as possible, preferably before this important legislation expires later this year. [pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/5/e1291.abstract?sid=ee5636cc-a1a6-459e-879c-5b9cca808829]
Alonso Krangle LLP is committed to protecting the legal rights of children who have been injured by unsafe products, especially dangerous drugs and defective medical devices. If your child sustained a serious injury from a medication, medical device or other defective product, your family may be able to file a lawsuit seeking compensation from the manufacturer, supplier and others who brought the dangerous item to market. To discuss a potential lawsuit with one of the experienced and compassionate child safety lawyers at Alonso Krangle LLP, please contact us at 1-800-403-6191 or visit our website, http://www.FightForVictims.com.
About Alonso Krangle LLP
Andres Alonso and David Krangle, attorneys with almost 40 years of collective legal experience, have focused their law practice on the handling of significant product liability cases, defective drug and medical device litigation, construction site accidents, nursing home abuse, medical negligence, qui tam/whistleblower actions and consumer fraud cases. A national law firm representing injured victims throughout the U.S., Alonso Krangle LLP is headquartered in Long Island, New York, with offices in New York City, and plans to open additional locations in New Jersey.
For more information about Alonso Krangle or to join the fight and be a part of our team, please contact us at 1-800-403-6191 or visit our website, http://www.FightForVictims.com.
Contact:
Alonso Krangle LLP
445 Broad Hollow Road
Suite 205
Melville, New York 11747
Toll-FREE 1-800-403-6191
Tel: 516-350-5555
Fax: 516-350-5554
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