Whizbiz

Professional Networking Business Mixer

Who: SLO Professional Networking Group will be hosting…

What: A business mixer open to all SLO County business owners and press

When: October 1^st, 2009 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Where: Mix It Up, SLO's newest cooking and event studio, 710 Fiero Lane Ste. 23 in San Luis Obispo, CA

Why: A chance to meet other business owners, network and experience San Luis Obispo's hottest new spot for learning, food and fun.

Details: Enjoy culinary creations by Liz Eggen, Mix It Ups head chef and director, and Claiborne and Churchill Alsace inspired wine. Event is free. For more information, contact Cary Conrady (cary@whizbangideas.com) at 805-594-1880

 

After 30 Years, Local Solar Company Expands

A solar business that started on the Central Coast over 30 years ago, Solarponics,  has hired Todd Burnett, a well-known Santa Ynez local of  30 years, to offer solar electric installation and servicing to the entire Santa Ynez Valley.

“My work at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency led me to open my own solar company on the Central Coast back in 1975,” said Mike Emrich. “The opening of a new home office in Santa Ynez marks a big milestone for me and we are so happy to have Todd.”

“Todd is a great addition because he is from the Santa Ynez valley and he knows the area. Also he has experience in a variety of areas from his past work,” said Mike’s son, Kristian Emrich, of Solarponics.

Todd Burnett had been working in the electrical industry for 10 years when he took over a printing company in Santa Ynez. After 10 years, Todd sold the printing company and found himself looking for his next career.

“I knew I wanted to work in an industry with unlimited growth potential and that was doing something to help the environment. So Solarponics seemed like the perfect company to me. It was also important to me that they are a family owned and operated local company.”

The new Solarponics office in Santa Ynez will be able to service and install solar energy systems in the areas of Santa Ynez Valley, Lompoc, Los Alamos, Buellton, Santa Maria and Orcutt.

“Based on the number of days of sunshine in the Santa Ynez Valley, solar is a very attractive option. So it’s been going really well so far and I’m very excited,” said Todd.

 

Solarponics is the Central Coast’s alternative energy pioneer, helping residences achieve energy independence for over 30 years. The longest continuously owned and operated solar company in California, Solarponics has been family owned and operated since 1975. They install and service solar electric systems, solar hot water, wind energy systems, solar pool heating and radiant heating systems. For more information, visit solarponics.com.

Vandalizing at Vandenberg Air Force Base Creates Opportunity

“One night someone broke light bulbs in the pool, so we had to drain the whole pool to repair it.” said Brad King, the Energy Manager at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

While the pool was drained, the Vandenberg Air Force Base decided it would be the perfect time to upgrade the pool, which was built for base residents in 1948 and was in need of repair.

“The pool had a leak in the drain and was dropping 4 to 6 inches every day,” said Raymond Castillo of Brahman Engineering. “They were having to constantly refill and re-heat water being replaced, so it was a never ending cycle. We replaced the old drain and re-coated the pool with fiberglass liner. … and had Solarponics install the solar on roof.”

“We were talking about putting a thermal energy system on the roof to reduce pool heating costs, so while the pool was drained it was the right time to do it,” said King.

The Vandenberg Air Force Base was heating the base swimming pool with a natural gas steam broiler, which cost approximately $70,000 to $100,000 per year to heat. The new solar pool heating system is expected to cut the cost of heating the pool by more than half.

“In 2-3 years, the system should pay for itself,” said Kristian Emrich, Project Manager at Solarponics, whose team installed the solar pool system at the Vandenberg Air Force Base. “And will cut the costs to heat the pool during the swimming season for approximately 9 months a year.”

The solar pool heating system is one of many ways that the Vandenberg Air Force Base has been cutting back on their energy usage for the past 3 years. Laws were passed in 2005, requiring all federal agencies to decrease their electrical and water usage by 3% each year, in an effort by the government to take strides towards energy conservation.

“We are currently doing lighting retrofitting on base and we put in LED street lights. We are now 90% done retrofitting 108 office buildings on the base,” said King. 

“We’ve tracked a 9% reduction in consumption per year,”  said King of Vandenberg Air Force Base’s successful energy conservation program. “This (solar pool system) is the first big step to cutting back on natural gas usage on the base.” 

Solarponics is the Central Coast’s alternative energy pioneer, helping residences achieve energy independence for over 30 years. The longest continuously owned and operated solar company in California, Solarponics has been family owned and operated since 1975. For more information, visit solarponics.com.

Contact: Cary Conrady, Public Relations Dept.
Whizbang, cary@whizbangideas.com 805-594-1880

5c6bewdfsu

                       

Foodservice Conference & Exposition July 24-26

PMA Foodservice Conference & Exposition
July 24-26, 2009
Monterey, CA

The PMA Foodservice Conference & Exposition is the only event focused exclusively on fresh produce in foodservice and is widely rated by attendees as one of the industry's best values for learning and networking. For more information, go to www.PMA.com/events



Local Marketing Firm Acquires 2 Point Media

April 1, 2009 - SAN LUIS OBISPO, California - Whizbang, a marketing agency based in San Luis Obispo announced the acquisition of 2 Point Media as of April 1st, 2009.

“We are so excited about expanding our agency’s services for our clients - from advertising, design and web to full service branding including vital marketing tools such as social media and public relations. We’ve been talking to the owner of 2 Point Media, Starr Hall, for close to a year now about forming a partnership or alliance of some sort, since we are both local companies who work on a national level.  With Starr leaving on her worldwide promotional tour, the time was right for us to acquire 2 Point Media,” said Ellen Curtis, owner of Whizbang. “We are excited to have Starr Hall as our new public relations and social networking consultant and to bring in her processes, which have led to her great success. She is a local entrepreneur that leveraged herself to a worldwide platform through her own public relations efforts.”

Hall started 2 Point Media in 2005 and by the following year, the agency had close to 70 clients worldwide.  Her ongoing success and connections led her to a career in public speaking and training, as well as a national columnist for several magazines including CCM, a radio show and television show set to air in 2010.  Hall will be spending the majority of 2009 traveling, training businesses on ePR and social networking and promoting her latest book release from Entrepreneur Press - Get Connected: The Social Networking Toolkit for Business.

“I wanted to make sure that my clients at 2 Point Media will still have superb public relations and branding services. I knew that Whizbang was the agency to make this happen,” said Hall. “Whizbang has the expertise, proven strategies and big pictured thinking that 2 Point Media clients need and expect. I love the energy of the team and commitment they bring to their clients.”

Acquiring 2 Point Media is one of many changes made by Whizbang due to the ever changing business marketing climate. “We saw a huge shift in advertising from offline to online media and we wanted to be at the forefront of that movement. So three years ago we changed our name from “Advertise Here” to “Whizbang” and started offering website and e-advertising to our clients. Acquiring 2 Point Media fits right in with this shift,” said Curtis.

Whizbang owners Frank Scotti and Ellen Curtis both come from large international advertising agencies and have experience launching successful campaigns for the most recognized brands in the world, including McDonalds, Coca Cola, Morgan Stanley and Delta Air Lines. They moved back to San Luis Obispo and started Whizbang, to be closer to family when they began having children. They have been in business for over six years in San Luis Obispo and have clients on both a local and national level.

For more information, contact: Cary Conrady, Public Relations Dept.
Whizbang, cary@whizbangideas.com 805-594-1880

“We are so excited about expanding our agency’s services for our clients - from advertising, design and web to full service branding including vital marketing tools such as social media and public relations. We’ve been talking to the owner of 2 Point Media, Starr Hall, for close to a year now about forming a partnership or alliance of some sort, since we are both local companies who work on a national level.  With Starr leaving on her worldwide promotional tour, the time was right for us to acquire 2 Point Media,” said Ellen Curtis, owner of Whizbang. “We are excited to have Starr Hall as our new public relations and social networking consultant and to bring in her processes, which have led to her great success. She is a local entrepreneur that leveraged herself to a worldwide platform through her own public relations efforts.”

Hall started 2 Point Media in 2005 and by the following year, the agency had close to 70 clients worldwide.  Her ongoing success and connections led her to a career in public speaking and training, as well as a national columnist for several magazines including CCM, a radio show and television show set to air in 2010.  Hall will be spending the majority of 2009 traveling, training businesses on ePR and social networking and promoting her latest book release from Entrepreneur Press - Get Connected: The Social Networking Toolkit for Business.

“I wanted to make sure that my clients at 2 Point Media will still have superb public relations and branding services. I knew that Whizbang was the agency to make this happen,” said Hall. “Whizbang has the expertise, proven strategies and big pictured thinking that 2 Point Media clients need and expect. I love the energy of the team and commitment they bring to their clients.”

Acquiring 2 Point Media is one of many changes made by Whizbang due to the ever changing business marketing climate. “We saw a huge shift in advertising from offline to online media and we wanted to be at the forefront of that movement. So three years ago we changed our name from “Advertise Here” to “Whizbang” and started offering website and e-advertising to our clients. Acquiring 2 Point Media fits right in with this shift,” said Curtis.

Whizbang owners Frank Scotti and Ellen Curtis both come from large international advertising agencies and have experience launching successful campaigns for the most recognized brands in the world, including McDonalds, Coca Cola, Morgan Stanley and Delta Air Lines. They moved back to San Luis Obispo and started Whizbang, to be closer to family when they began having children. They have been in business for over six years in San Luis Obispo and have clients on both a local and national level.

For more information, contact: Cary Conrady, Public Relations Dept.
Whizbang, cary@whizbangideas.com 805-594-1880

"Wine and Whine" Event at Whizbang Headquarters

As wine label designers, marketers and genuine wine lovers, the Whizbang crew has been wine tasting every Wednesday and posting their findings on their wine blog. Whizbang decided to open up wine Wednesday to the public and had their first "Wine and Whine" event on March 11th, 2009 at their headquarters in San Luis Obispo. "We decided with the economy as it is, there is plenty for us to whine about... over some wine," said Ellen Curtis, co-owner of Whizbang.

Guests at Whizbang's first "Wine and Whine" event tasted  Estancia 2006 Merlot from Paso Robles and posted their wine reviews live. Their comments can be found on Whizbang's wine blog. 

"We have a lot of fun every Wednesday wine tasting and posting on our blog. We figured why not open it up to the public and make it a live-blogging mixer event," said Whizbang's public relations specialist Cary Conrady. "We got really good feedback from the event so we decided to make Wine and Whine a monthly event at Whizbang headquarters."

 

Mysterious Blue Man Seen Downtown SLO and Cal Poly

SAN LUIS OBISPO – A mysterious figure has been seen in several locations in downtown San Luis Obispo and on Cal Poly’s campus that has many wondering who he is.  This 6 foot tall, blue colored, standing silhouette made of wood had no signs on it. No advertisement. No explanation. Leaving many San Luis Obispo residence wondering why there is a blue guy in bubble gum alley, in secret locations downtown, and six different locations on Cal Poly’s campus.

Anonymous videos have been circulating on Youtube.com featuring the “blue guy”. The videos feature San Luis Obispo residents reactions to the mysterious figure and guesses as to who he may be. Some thought the blue guy was a campaign by Cal Poly, telling students not to text on their cell phones while walking near busy bike lanes on campus. Most had no idea what the point of the blue guy was. And the Youtube.com videos offered no answers.

It turns out the “blue guy” has a name… Chris. The “Chris” silhouette figure is the logo for a new company launching right here in the Central Coast called imwithchris.com, which was started by local Chris Henderson.

Imwithchris.com is a mobile marketing business that offers Central Coast locals deals and free giveaways by sending a “deal code” directly to their cell phone as a text message. All the customer has to do is show the text on their cell phone to the cashier at the store to get a deal. And with the state of the economy, there is no better time for a brand new technology that makes it easier for customers to get savings and deals. And this new mobile technology is launching here in the Central Coast.

Imwithchris.com has over 80 businesses signed up in Santa Maria that are offering exclusive deals and Henderson is now bringing the technology to residents and businesses in San Luis Obispo. Splash Café is one business in San Luis Obispo that has already signed on to try imwithchris.com.

Splash has display signs on all their tables featuring “Chris” the blue guy, instructing diners to simply text “splashslo” to 31578 to receive a free cookie “from Chris” when they order a meal. “Basically Chris is that friend you have who hooks you up,” explained creator Chris Henderson. “Splash in San Luis Obispo has already had tons of people send the exclusive deal code to their cell phones,” said Henderson.

Henderson sees imwithchris.com as the end of coupon cutting and the new way for businesses to advertise their deals and specials from now on. Henderson hopes that soon everyone will be friends with “Chris” and soon the mysterious blue guy all over town will no longer be a thing of mystery to San Luis Obispo residents.

Local Entrepreneur Holding Fashion Shoot in SLO

Rosies and Deborah Denker Photography are holding an open casting call February 5-18th for a professional photo shoot. Deborah Denker, a well-known photographer based in San Luis Obispo, is looking for local women to be featured on Rosies website and marketing materials.

Rosies coveralls for women were "invented" by local Sharon Moore when she took a welding class in 2002 and discovered that coveralls were a must, except that no one made them in women's sizes! Now Rosies products are distributed all over the world from San Luis Obispo, California.

Each pair of Rosies coveralls come with a coordinating polka–dot bandana, just like the original “Rosie the Riveter.” Rosies coveralls are sized to be worn over clothing, in full length and Capri styles. Rosies are perfect not only for the "hard" trades, but also for gardeners, painters, decorators, do–it–yourselfers, artists, equestrians, and even busy mothers.

Moore’s only requirements for model applicants is to be a Central Coast local who doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty and enjoys do-it-yourself and handy work, just like Rosie’s faithful customers.  Interested women are asked to call Whizbang to schedule a casting appointment at 805-594-1880.

Paso Robles Waste Facility Gets Earth Friendly

 

The Paso Robles Waste Facility added a 156 panel, solar energy system, which now covers their entire roof. A solar energy system is unique for a waste facility, which are not known for their green image.
    “We burn about 500 gallons of diesel a day to pick up all our customers garbage. There’s nothing we can really do on that end. But we figured our building is one way we could cut our carbon emissions,” said Jed Dawson, son of Paso Robles Waste Facility owner Dale Gomer. 
The Paso Robles waste facility worked with Solarponics for nearly four months to design and install the solar energy system, which will now provide the waste facility with over 90% of it energy needs, using power from the sun.
     “During the summer, the solar energy system will actually generate more power than they will need,” said Natalie Vara of Solarponics, who custom designed the system especially for the waste facility. “The energy surplus is credited to Paso Robles Wastes’ energy account as it is sent back to the grid for the neighbors to use.  So it’s a win-win situation.”
    When asked why Paso Robles Waste Facility chose to go solar, President and owner Dale Gomer said “We want to serve the community of Paso Robles for a long time. You have to invest in your future and this was one major step for us.”
    Vara explains that the Paso Robles Waste Facility financed their system and they are actually paying less per month for their solar energy system than they would pay PG&E.  “Solar just makes sense for people with larger electric bills. And it makes green sense for everyone, “ said Vara.
    Dawson of the Paso Robles Waste Facility says they are glad they made the decision to go solar “I would absolutely recommend solar for everyone. The panels can last 50 years, so that’s going to mean big savings in the long run, as well as a big environmental impact,” said Dawson. “And the installation process was easy. Which is why we went with Solarponics. We knew a local company would be easier to work with and it would be a more personal experience.”

Solarponics is the Central Coast’s alternative energy pioneer, helping residences achieve energy independence for over 30 years. The longest continuously owned and operated solar company in California, Solarponics has been family owned and operated since 1975. Solarponics can design, install and service anything from the sublimely simple to complete off-grid living systems.

Clever Ducks Named Microsoft Certified Partner and Small Business Specialist

    Clever Ducks Computer Network Services has earned the status level of Microsoft Certified Partner, which identifies companies with Microsoft expertise and training to support Microsoft products. They also received additional recognition as Small Business Specialists, which recognizes their expertise in Microsoft solutions for small and medium size businesses with 250 or less employees.
    Microsoft® Certified Partners are independent companies that can provide you with the highest levels of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and hands-on skills. Microsoft Certified Partners encompass a broad range of expertise and vendor affiliations and their real world perspective can help you prioritize and effectively deliver your technology solutions.
    " We are very happy to have Microsoft recognize our team for their past and present efforts in supporting small and medium sized businesses in our county," stated Peter Kardel, CEO."It is one more way to show levels of expertise and experience, and benefit our clients.”  
    Microsoft Small Business Specialists offer technology advice, support, and service specific to small businesses. Every Microsoft Small Business Specialist has gone through training to help them better respond to the special technology needs of small businesses. By focusing on the unique IT needs of smaller companies, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist can assist in making smart technology decisions.
    "Our partnership with Microsoft and our certifications give us the ability to offer businesses of all sizes the same level of high quality services needed to be successful and profitable," said Mr. Kardel. "Technology is always changing and we intend to grow with it and stay at the forefront of the IT revolution by offering our customers, regardless of their size, the most advantage possible for their IT expenditures."

About Clever Ducks:
Clever Ducks - Computer Network Services, provides comprehensive services to integrate business and technology solutions for companies, institutions and the public sector. Their team uses innovative technologies to manage applications, desktops, servers and networks so they run effortlessly and securely for a fixed monthly fee. For more information call 805.543.1930 or visit www.cleverducks.com.