14 Members attended the May Network Meeting last evening.

I delivered a presentation entitled “Nurture your Customers“.

Snipet: People buy when they are ready to buy NOT when you are ready to sell. This presentation will give you an overview on how to automatically keep in regular contact with your customers via email.

The next meeting will take place on June 7th – further details will be announced shortly.

Here is a copy of the slides.

Book your dentist, doctor or physiotherapist online, that’s the promise from my latest client, SwiftQueue.com. Healthcare practitioners across Ireland are signing up which then allows you the patient to view the clinics diary and book an appointment. Over 1,000 appointments have already been made through the website.
A text and email is sent to you and the practitioner to confirm your appointment. A reminder is also sent in advance. You will also be automatically notified of any appoint change.

You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Here is my recent interview with SwiftQueue CEO Brendan Casey

Over the past few months I, together with some great people, have been working on this new business, The Digital Business Institute.

We will be offering a number of services in the digital business space including

• DBI Online Engagment Index Reports
• Brand Monitoring/Social Media Mentions Reports
• Digital Creative Workshop Reports
• Digital Media ROI Reports
• Online Consumer Insight Reports
• Digital Media Sector Reports
• Bespoke Internet Research Reports

We are also on Twitter @TheDBI and on Facebook

More on this soon.

Irish Greeting Card Company (and client) P & G Cards are currently using Facebook to carry out an interesting survey. Titled “Which do you prefer to receive on your birthday?“, P & G Cards would like to know if people would rather receive a birthday card and so far the answer is yes.

You can vote using the Facebook App here, we would love to know which you prefer?

Check out a great week of events for business owners and those considering starting a business in Leitrim

Leitrim County Enterprise Board are hosting a Breakfast Workshop on Friday August 19th

Topic: Social Media for Business Owners – Have your questions answered.

Facilitator: Johnny Beirne

Date: Friday 19th August.

Time: 8am to 10am.

Location: The Landmark Hotel, Carrick on Shannon.

Cost: €10 payable on the morning. Light breakfast included.

Number of places available: 35 (these workshops have booked out in the past).

To book your place please click here. Your ticket will be emailed to you when you register.

Topics will include but not limited to:

1. Facebook

2. Twitter

3. LinkedIn

4. Blogging

5. YouTube and online video platforms

To make the most of this event you should consider your questions in advance.

Facebook for Business - How it works

Facebook have just launched an excellent resource to help businesses get more from their social network.

Click here for Facebook for Business – How it works

One of the great things about what I do (and there are many) is meeting interesting companies with innovative ideas.

TellTales.ie is one such company.

I met Colm Muldowney of Tell Tales during a series of clinics I was delivering with the Innovation Centre in GMIT.

Here is what Pat told me

I have set up a unique new service called Tell Tales, which documents and preserves Life Stories.  Through a series of interviews we transcribe, edit, document and publish a Hardcopy Book.

The aim of Tell Tales is to invest in our own families and treasure their life experiences and journey whilst providing a roadmap for those that are coming in the next generation.  The family book is ultimately the Gift of our Loved one’s Lifetime.  I am in a privileged position of capturing the most interesting stories in what people perceive to be an ordinary life.  As it turns out everyone has a story, and mostly these are quite extraordinary.

As people discovered what I did, they were very excited about the business and eager to discuss their own family story and uncover how extraordinary their family members lives or journeys have been.

About Colm & Tell Tales

I am from Portarlington.  Having emigrated for a number of years to England and Australia, I moved West to Westport and finally put roots down in Headford, Co Galway.  As a mature student I returned to education in NUIG where I completed a Degree in History & Economics, followed by a Higher Diploma in Education at UCC.

As part of my studies, I had to complete an Oral History assignment which encouraged me to start gathering tales from my own family.  The outcome, stories and feedback was magical and it pointed me towards overcoming this economic and job crisis whilst doing something I love.  Stories such as how the Barrow once boiled with the May Fly hatch and how it was destroyed by peat; the disappearance of the partridge due to use of silage; how many a courtships began from meeting while working on the bog; how the coming of the Beet Factories and the income it provided allowed many small farmers to remain at home and avoid emigration. Everyone’s family has these stories and if we know from where we came, it will inform us where we are going.  Encouraged by people’s feedback I decided to channel my passion for oral history into a business – Tell Tales was born.