One of my clients is an internet and lead generation company in Australia. Yes…Australia. The founder and owner is Will Swayne and he knows more about local search than anyone I know and his firm helps small businesses get gushing traffic through search.

He’s seriously good in this complex field.

Will is holding a webinar describing the changes. Go here now for details.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you learn more about this massive change.

Through my friend Brandon Uttley, I met his mother, Janice Uttley. Janice proofed just about everything I published…close to 10,000 pages of books, magazines, proposals, and more over more than 15 years. I spoke with her a few weeks ago and she was about to have an operation for cancer; tragically, she passed away last week at age 73.

When I was publishing Ballantyne Magazine, I would write an article and revise it several times. Then I would send the article to an copy editor who would check the magazine for grammatical and typographical errors. I would send the copy to the graphic designer and go through that process. Immediately before the magazine went to the printer, Janice would check it one last time for typographical errors. EVERY SINGLE ISSUE, Janice would find several typographical howlers I had missed over about 10 proofs. She would regularly find typos in ads that national advertising agencies had furnished; occasionally, she would make a suggestion about content or a photo or something…with the goal of making the magazine better.

Periodically, Janice was unable to proof the magazine due to ill health or vacation. Handing the magazine, or any other piece, to another proofreader made me extremely nervous. Remember…just one typo can ruin a 100 page magazine and many times, she found them ON THE COVER!!!!

Janice was always extremely kind and regularly got me out of a time jam by turning copy around extremely quickly, often working through the night or on a weekend. But not on a Sunday. That’s when Janice was at church, probably singing in the choir. For more about Janice from her obituary in The Charlotte Observer, go here.

A magazine is only as good as the many people who contribute. I’ve been fortunate to work with a number of top photographers, graphic designers, printers, and others. Janice was the most reliable, friendliest, most charming, most dependable, most dedicated, most wonderful person I have ever met in the crazy business known as publishing and advertising.

Janice was an extremely proud grandmother and mother.

Last year she visited The Holy Land with her husband, Hal. She loved it–just like all her travels. She has now traveled to a better place.

She never complained (she would never) but I think she was in quite a bit of pain and discomfort recently.

May God bless you, Janice, and may you rest in peace. You really helped me over the years and I thank you. I know you have found a tranquility nobody can even begin to describe. And I know you are extremely proud of your family.

Chris, who has conducted many of the world’s top orchestras, brings a ton of energy and enthusiasm to Charlotte. The Ballantyne area is on the radar and Scott and Chris want residents to see the orchestra downtown and also want to bring the orchestra to the Ballantyne area.

I enjoyed a great lunch today with the new conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Warren-Green

The CSO starts its ‘traditional’ season with an all Elgar concert on September 24-25. They are also having a series of concerts at the Knight Theater where you can watch the symphony and have a beer or drink in a ‘general admission’ setting.

For the orchestra’s website, go here.

We’re fortunate to have Chris involved with the orchestra…he comes to Charlotte from the epicenter of serious classical music.

We all know that.

It’s cooled down significantly.

We all know that.

The question now is ‘what’s next?’

A friend of mine is a commercial real estate appraiser in Wilmington, North Carolina. He has his finger on the pulse of the economy. He says it’s going to take 10 years for the commercial real estate market to come back. I’ll be totally grey by then…we’re seeing some issues with commercial real estate in the Ballantyne area.

I can’t predict the future but I don’t see the national economy roaring back any time soon. A lot of people are upside down in mortgages. A lot of people who had great jobs don’t have them. And the banks are dealing with their commercial property portfolios…we’ll see what happens there. I have a lot of faith in the power of individuals to create and generate activity but that only goes so far…

In the Ballantyne area, the rubber will meet the road when companies go to renew their office leases. Will they renew at the same rates…higher rates…or lower rates? Will they renew at all? Will they take a lot less space? In the next 18 months, we’ll start to find out. For now, it’s a state of stasis. But if there’s a million square feet of office space vacant in the Ballantyne area, that’s not good. It could happen.

For the small business owner, it’s time to market more intelligently and more aggressively. One of my clients is Jim McLean, the golf teacher and owner of the #1 golf schools in America. He’s marketing more, not less…he knows it’s the perfect time to market. He’s expanding while others are struggling.

Today, you can market more while spending less…and get much better results. I’ll go through all this in the marketing boot camps coming up soon…

To learn more about the marketing boot camps, go here now.

For seven red hot marketing techniques, go here now.

The new Urban Active Ballantyne in Toringdon hopes to get 5,000 members

Their goal is to get to 5,000 members; it’s about half way between the Harris Y near SouthPark and the Morrison Family YMCA (aka Ballantyne Y); about 30,000 members between the two. There will be a lot of pressure on smaller fitness facilities…

The battle for fitness members is about to begin.

For my marketing boot camps in mid-September, click here now.

For learn more about the marketing boot camp, go here now.

Looking forward to seeing you, Betsy!

On another note, the ‘official’ web page for the next series of marketing boot camps is up here.

• 18 people attended
• These people are now implementing the techniques and are generating more revenue.

I use the techniques you’ll discover and implement in my marketing boot camps and June was my best month ever.

I’m organizing two more marketing boot camp sessions in September. Two half-day Friday sessions on September 10 and 17. A full day session on Tuesday, September 14. I’m putting together a web page for the seminars but you can sign up now. Friday afternoon sessions here. Tuesday here.

Why should you attend?

• This is NOT sitting down and listening to me speak about what I do to generate business.
• During the seminar, I’m going to perform actual marketing work for the people in the camp…I will pitch a story to a reporter at a newspaper…I will set up a Facebook page…I will write a direct response email or letter for someone in the group…and much more.
• I introduce you to the power of direct response marketing techniques…the techniques I use to generate revenue.
• You can start to benefit right away. The marketing boot camp includes an advertisement in Ballantyne Weekly, my email for the area…over 2,200 people receive it. When you sign up for the marketing boot camp, you get 12 weeks of advertising (a $190 value) AND I will meet with you to go through your current marketing…the boot camp is in September but we get to work right away.
• Really excited to hold the marketing events at Ballantyne Country Club.
• Space is limited to 12 people per marketing boot camp so sign up now…Friday sessions here. Tuesday here.
• September 10 and 17 for the Friday afternoons; September 14 for the full day.
• Two options…attend for $395 and get 12 weeks free in Ballantyne Weekly; attend and get a week-to-week marketing plan PLUS a new search-optimized web site and everything set up on Facebook, Linked in, etc. I will set up the website on wordpress…and help you understand this incredibly powerful tool. And 20 weeks free on Ballantyne Weekly.

More information coming up. Sign up now as space is limited…Friday sessions here. Tuesday here.

Here’s what Ballantyne Center for Dentistry’s Christian Yaste said about my first marketing boot camp.

“I highly recommend Scott’s marketing boot camp to everyone…from those with little to no marketing experience to  those who already consider themselves expert marketers. You won’t be disappointed.”

Sign up now as space is limited…Friday sessions here. Tuesday here.