The Story of Malgorzata Baclawaska

The Story of Malgorzata Baclawska

Malgorzata Baclawska, known simply as Margo, always dreamed of bigger things than herself with a life of helping others, while growing up in Biskupec, a quiet little village in northeast Poland.  Today her ubiquitous presence in European fashion circles has brought her to a level of success she had only dreamed possible. She is repeatedly and frequently featured on the cover of dozens of magazines. Armed with beautiful long legs and a great deal of confidence, Margo has decided to use her celebrity to give young girls all over the world, hope and, to make them feel good about themselves.  “I was the tallest female in my class,” said Margo.  Further elaborating, “but I stood tall and regal and, I knew that I would someday help those young ladies who didn’t feel that way.”

Coming to America has opened many doors for Margo. She has been interviewed on numerous red carpets, never forgetting to mention her proud Polish roots and to let people know that every culture brings beauty and creativity to this world.   In fact, she has come on board with an organization that will help to bring about positive messages of hope all over the world.   “After all”, she comments, “two of my favorite designers are from different countries (referring to Alexander McQueen and Rick Owen).”  This year, she is the recipient of the Millionaires and Entrepreneurs “With A Cause Goodwill Ambassador Award”. This honor is bestowed upon those who inspire others to use their voice to bring awareness to the plight of others.

Even though Margo’s calendar is quite full, she still has time to keep her health and beauty regimen.    Which is: running every morning, 6 days a week, taking vitamins and most important, drinking lots of water to keep her skin hydrated.    She shares her beauty tip of removing her make-up with coconut oil and emphasizing the importance of maintaining a proper sleep routine.

  

When Margo walks into a room, heads turn.  Immediately afterwards, you are drawn to her infectious smile and beauty from within.

Margo is grace and beauty personified.  Changing lives, one country at a time!

 

 

 

Confidence

Confidence

By Joe Sutton

Is it just a word that has little to no significance beyond corporate America?  Ha, I think not. It’s funny you see people all the time who lack the ability to be comfortable in their own skin and better yet in their appearance.

From my observations, people simply wake up in the morning and pick out their clothes during that time and barely give a damn about the presentation. Appearance is everything!  You should always care about how you present yourself to the world around you.  From hair, to teeth, to smell, duh clothes and shoes. It’s unfortunate that so many people have great potential to be the honey that attracts the bees.

But there are some people who just don’t care and can’t be saved.  I’m not mean…just keeping it 100. Confidence to me is being able to walk the street and own it and don’t give a rats tutu what people may say about your style –that’s right your style.

It takes confidence to be an individual and it takes nothing to be a follower.

I enjoy being able to go through all my closets daily and spend at least for me little time in picking out my attire, but that’s because I have the eye.  Now if you don’t have that ability – IT’S OK.  Start to look through your wardrobe and throw things on the bed and floor – then mix and match.  Create your stylish brand.  Sure this may sound OH SO BORING…But seriously, learn to appreciate not only YOU but the possibilities that exists when it comes to style.  Often times, when I tell my friends to explore this avenue, they are reluctant – but eventually, they start to come into their own (with assistance from yours truly).

Never try mimicking others style, it’s not meant for you.  Fashion is meant for ALL.

It’s like the dating game, if you can’t look a person in the eye and strike a conversation then, you will be left sitting at the bar or table all alone.  Your clothes are meant to be an asset and for me it provokes conversation.  Usually, it starts out as “Oh I like your look.”  Then take it and run…

So don’t let your lack of confidence in your style continue any longer.  Get your butt up and make a difference RIGHT NOW.

I dressed the way I do for ME and no one else.  I don’t do anything in an attempt to get attention, BUT it just so happens that I do, because I exude confidence in my style.

So take the challenge.

Joe Sutton

My client Joe Sutton, he wrote this piece and I loved it so much, I wanted to share with all of you.

 

 

JOBS Act Crowdfunding now allows everyone to make Shark Tank type investments

JOBS Act Crowdfunding now allows everyone to make Shark Tank type investments

Milwaukee, WI. June 29, 2016 – Until now only millionaires, like the panel on Shark Tank, and venture capital firms could invest in exciting new private companies. That all changed last month when Regulation Crowdfunding of the JOBS Act legislation took effect. “It’s about time a small investor can have a chance to invest in private companies and small businesses “stated John West, the Founder and CEO of BomBoard LLC.

BomBoard LLC is among the first companies to offer securities to the general public

utilizing Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding Rules and as part of VENTURE.co’s ‘Lead VENTURE Network.’ “We chose companies where potential investors can easily understand the business and that we feel have potential for broad market appeal” said Kyle Clark, Managing Director of VENTURE.co.

BomBoard spotted a market opportunity to provide water sports enthusiasts with a new way to enjoy high-speed thrills on the water. Existing powerboats and personal watercraft carry heavy burdens of cost, ease and time to use and places to use, especially for the millennial generation living in urban areas. The company designed a compact watercraft that is ultra-light, fast and extremely maneuverable in a stand-up position made popular by other sports like surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding and wake-boarding — each have grown into billion dollar industries.

Priced at $3,995 the BomBoard is the world’s lowest cost performance watercraft. The BomBoard is also the world’s only modular performance watercraft that quickly separates into six modules, so it can be easily transported in the back of a car and stored anywhere. The company is also utilizing a technology enabled platform to sell direct to consumers making it far easier to see, try, buy and service the product compared to the traditional dealer channel used throughout the marine industry.

The complete BomBoard story and investment details are available at: https://www.venture.co/bomboard-llc/portable-action-watercraft

MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Anders Stubkjaer

COO/CFO

BomBoard LLC

847.496.4385

AStubkjaer@BomBoard.com

This press release is not an offer or solicitation to sell securities. Such offering can only be made by means of a qualified investor receiving the full offering documentation, which can be obtained from the placement agent. All private placements of securities, including those of BomBoard LLC, are conducted by VENTURE.co Brokerage Services, LLC member FINRA/SIPC.

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The Importance of Branding

The Importance of Branding

By

Shawn Sturges

Infinity Property Ventures, LLC

One area that a company should focus on is branding or “the image” of the company.  The brand is the promise to customers along with being what separates a company from its competitors.  The brand should be established from day one which will immediately begin to build brand recognition with potential customers. The brand of a company is important no matter what industry business is conducted or if the product or services is for the end user or another business.

One way to begin to develop your company brand is by identifying the customers that will ultimately purchase products or services from your company.  Since we focus on real estate we can first examine if our target market is residential or commercial which in part is determined by the mission statement.  This will then allow us to understand how we need to establish the brand to not only separate us from the competition, but build awareness in the mind of future clients.  The brand should also be uniform across all advertising, social media platforms, the way our employees speak with clients and conduct themselves throughout work functions, etc. because this uniformity will convey the same message no matter when or where your company meets the client.

The foundation of any brand is the logo since this is often the first interaction that a client will have with the company.  The company logo will appear on the website, social media platforms, packaging, marketing materials, uniforms, and any other applicable applications that the logo may be part of while creating the company image.  Colors are very important since various colors invoke different emotions which can affect the way that a client can view the company.  This means perform research on the meanings of colors and understand how they might be perceived by others.

A great brand strategy is created when the how, what, where, when, and to whom you plan on communicating with your brand’s message.  In real estate this can be:

• How will we reach our target market/ clients to showcase properties?
• What can we do to separate ourselves from the competition and build awareness in potential client’s minds?
• Where should we advertise and market in order to reach our desired clientele?
• To whom is our message intended for so our brand will have an increased ability to attract our target market?

These are just a few questions that can be asked in order to help develop a brand strategy that will effectively communicate to the clientele that we want to conduct business.

The ability to be consistent and provide added value through your company brand can do wonders in providing leverage over the competition.  These two factors will not only keep clients from being confused about who you are, but eventually could allow your company to position itself to capture a large chunk of the market.  This could also lead to attracting investors that wish to enter the real estate business to invest in the growth of your company.  Also, those clients that are in the process of looking for help with the selling of their property could partner with your company since a positive brand image of your company could mean a quicker sale with higher dollar amount received by the sale of the property.

Finally, spend the necessary time researching the market and customers of the sector that your company plans to enter.  This is where it is important to know what the client needs or wants and not what you think they need or want.  As a company you cannot be everything to everyone which is why it is important to research the sector in which you will conduct business in order to know what best practices to gain market share.  The other important research that should be done is on the competitors in the market.  Spend time understanding what makes the great companies successful along with what makes the not so successful companies less successful. Then find a way to disrupt the market through branding which will help you successfully enter the market along with gaining a great starting percentage of the market.

The brand is the visual representation of the company and is what helps to set one company apart from another.  All suggestions mentioned here are quite important but are by no means encompassing everything that should be done in order to establish a brand.  The building of a brand is not an overnight venture, but rather takes years to establish.  Take some of these suggestions and implement them into your branding strategy and the company will be off to a great start with the beginnings of a strong foundation.

 

 

 

The Customer Experience in Real Estate

The Customer Experience in Real Estate

By

Shawn Sturges

Infinity Property Ventures, LLC

We all know that the life blood of most companies is the customers that conduct business with us.  One of the most important aspects therefore should be in the customer experience during all points of contact throughout the dealings with that particular customer.  Each company has their own ways in creating the customer experience. Real estate companies are not much different in that mindset when compared to retail establishments.  The customer experience should always be conducted in a similar manner no matter if the client is a onetime buyer, or returns due to superior customer experience.

According to Fast Company there are six parts that tend to make up the customer experience which are: strategy, customer understanding, design, measurement, governance, and culture.  If these six areas are observed along with the company being able to satisfy the wants and needs of the client then loyalty by the client should ensue.

Strategy

Strategy is important because this will help define how the customer experience will eventually be established.  If a strategy is not clearly stated then we will be unclear of how to go about creating an experience that will in turn lead to customer loyalty.  In real estate the end goal is to connect our client with a property that they absolutely love, so one strategy could be to help develop a vision of the property’s potential that the client could envision then provide opportunities that will help them make that a reality.  Although simplistic, this strategy provides a clear cut method to help move properties to those looking for investments.  Since real estate tends to be a combination of service and offering products, creating a strategy the blends these two areas can help create a great customer experience from the first interaction with the client.

Customer Understanding

The ability to understand the potential customer base for the particular properties within the company portfolio is also quite crucial.  We all know from personal experience that attempting to meet all needs of all clients could lead to disaster.  Start by determining what client base you wish to serve, and take the necessary time to understand their wants and needs for particular property investments.  For example, if the mission of your company is to connect the baby boomer generation with their perfect retirement home then perhaps showing them two story extravagant homes might not be ideal for their needs.  If time is taken to truly understand the client then this will further strengthen the customer experience since property showings will be in the realm of satisfaction.

Design

Design can help increase customer experience if done in tandem with the strategy and customer understanding.  Let’s take our two prior examples of baby boomers as our client and the strategy of creating a vision of what the home could become.  A small to moderate sized property that may have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, living room, porch/patio, and yard could be the perfect retirement home for the client.  The strategy of helping them envision the potential property could be done by an initial walkthrough of the property, and then stage the property to meet their needs.  Take some time first to speak with the client and learn more about their personality, hobbies, likes/ dislikes, etc. then stage the property to reflect their characteristics.  This type of approach will help us to create a design that takes into account the first two areas of the customer experience.

 Measurement

Metrics to a company is like a friend that gives it to you straight.  In order for a company to understand how the customer experience is, they must develop a way of measuring the experience.  These measurements will help determine what areas need to be adjusted in order to improve future customer experiences.  One way of obtaining measurements is to never lose contact with past clients.  The past clients can help provide the necessary data that will be needed, and sometimes data collected over years can provide a much clearer picture.  Real estate properties are often large investments and initial post purchase data might not always provide enough information for improvement; whereas collecting data from clients from five years ago will be more helpful.  If those past clients are still happy with their dream property and continue to thank your company for all of your tremendous help then the customer experience was met.  Measurements can also help to determine what is not working in order for the problem to be identified then worked on to improve the lackluster areas.

Governance

Governance is important in order for what actions and processes will need to be taken in order to create a great customer experience.  One great company action that is almost always performed is training. Training helps employees better understand the culture, operations, and goals of the company.  This simple yet necessary action is needed to align all employees within a company on how to create the experience for the client.  The process that the company utilizes each time should be on a similar track, but allow the flexibility to tailor to the needs of the client when necessary.  These actions should directly reflect the strategy since that is one way that any actions along with process can be developed.

Culture

Every company has a corporate culture which helps define what they are all about.  An example of a corporate culture for a real estate company could be to create a superior customer experience since their main lifeblood is clients purchasing properties from their portfolio.  This would help all employees understand what the culture is along with helping them meet the needs and wants of their clients.  The strategy should also align with the culture so that employees believe in their goal to create the experience that will establish a lifelong loyalty by the client.

Conclusion

The customer experience is an important part of the company to retain clients.  The experience should continue to occur throughout the entire interaction between company and client.  The ability to create a superior customer experience could be what separates your company from the others, and if done in such a way could actually disrupt the market which could really help you surpass the competition.  Real estate companies should understand each potential client’s wants and needs in order to create a strategy that will enthrall the customer. This will not only solidify their experience, but which could turn into referrals by that satisfied client.  The customer experience should become a core competency of the company and if taken into the company’s vision for success could lead to a sustained client base far into the future.

 

 

Retirees in the Market for Real Estate

Retirees in the Market for Real Estate

By Shawn Sturges

Infinity Property Ventures, LLC

The “Golden Years” are a time that most people look forward to as a time to relax and enjoy retirement.  Retirement usually occurs at age 65, but we now see the retirement age being pushed back and even retirees returning to the job market.  Real estate companies can capitalize on this market segment especially since most fall into the baby boomer generation and many have the means to purchase property.

One area that can be capitalized on is the fact that most retirees look to downsize from their current homes.  Their kids no longer live with them and may only have their grandchildren for short periods of time throughout the year. Therefore, the need for large amounts of space is no longer required.  Real Estate companies can be the solution in order to help these buyers find the perfect home in which to enjoy their “Golden Years”.  This could provide the perfect opportunity for smaller properties to be added to the company portfolio so when retirees make the approach a listing of attractive properties can be showcased.

Another aspect that should be considered is the fact that as we get older more areas of life can become increasingly difficult.  An example of this is the classic beautiful two story house in the suburbs that was purchased in order to raise a family.  After the children have grown up and moved out the size of the house does not diminish and that second level may become a pesky area of the home.  The human body tends to decline in health for a majority of the population as age increases, so this can make traversing large amounts of space or going up and down stairs an overwhelmingly difficult task.  This means that properties with only one level would inherently become much more desirable to the retiree population.

We understand that this segment is an attractive addition to the growth of the real estate company, but how can we effectively target the segment?  Social media should not be ruled out completely.  Although some social platforms may not be appropriate to gain the attention from this population Facebook is probably the one social platform that should be utilized.  Over the years Facebook has broadened its reach which eventually attracted many different groups of people.  Moms and dads have profiles so do grandparents mainly to keep in touch with old friends from school along with family members that may live in various parts of the country or world.  This means with the day no longer taken up by hours spent at work that leaves more time for retirees to spend on Facebook.  Now, they will not spend all day everyday on this social tool, but this means that the investment into FB ads could be used to target this segment while they are signed into their account.  As this population also becomes interested in learning how to use other social tools then it may be possible to target them on those platforms as well.

Real Estate companies could also establish small informational presentations to share their expertise with this segment.  One presentation could be on the highlights of several properties within the portfolio that shows the reasons why downsizing may be beneficial.  Another presentation could then be on wise real estate investments of a portion of their nest egg in similar properties which could in turn grow their nest egg.  This is where companies can be creative in targeting a segment that would provide options that would help them enjoy their “Golden Years” instead of having to reenter the job market due to financial needs.

In short, use the growing number of retirees as a competitive advantage and capitalize on the opportunity.  A Real Estate company that is considering the inclusion of this market segment into their long-term growth should spend time analyzing the needs along with wants of this segment.  The real estate company may be looking to disrupt the market with their utilization of social platforms and techniques to set them apart, but do not overlook an area that can generate revenue while helping a large amount of the population enjoy their “Golden Years”.

 

 

Relationships, The Consumer Buying Process, and Real Estate!

Relationships, The Consumer Buying Process, and Real Estate!

By Shawn Sturges Infinity Property Ventures, LLC

The process to purchase real estate whether for personal or as investments for the future can be an important decision.  In order to ease the purchase decision real estate companies should build a relationship throughout the process as well as the post purchase.  Real estate is not usually an impulse buy therefore a relationship development between company and client is a crucial part of the sale of any property within the portfolio of the company.

Problem or Opportunity Recognition

The first step in the consumer purchase decision is problem or opportunity recognition, and is where the development of a relationship can be forged.  Homebuyers realize that they have a need to enter the market for any number of potential properties to add to their lives.  One reason for their entry into the market is the attractiveness of the real estate environment which in turn allows real estate companies to meet the needs of these consumers.  The realization by the consumer for a property places the real estate companies in the driver’s seat to help the consumer find the most appropriate property that meets their needs.  The relationships that these companies have developed with past clients can become the key ingredient to capture the attention of the new consumers that enter the market.

The Search

The second step in the buying process is the search and the amount of time along with effort that the consumer places upon this very important step.  Consumers begin their search with the identification of all potential companies that can meet their real estate needs.  This is where the relationship development process is perhaps at its peak in terms of attracting clientele.  This does not necessarily mean face-to-face relationship building in the beginning, but can instead be the advertising or social media interaction that the company is involved in as part of their business strategy.  Advertisements can help build brand recognition in the hopes to become part of the clients’ evoked set.  The evoked set is the alternatives that the client can easily recall with minimal research at the beginning of the purchase decision.  The real estate company does not need to spend large amounts of marketing dollars to become part of this evoked set if they have great relationship skills.  Many times clients may turn to friends, family or business partners to help identify some alternatives that they should look into during the process.  This simply means build relationships with all of your clients whether or not they end up purchasing a property from the company portfolio because they might just refer future clients to your company.

Evaluation of Alternatives

The third step of the process is the evaluation of all alternatives that are in the evoked set of the client.  This can truly make or break the real estate company when closing the sale.  If clients are considering a potential company because they have a desired property in their portfolio then they will spend some time with that company.  The relationship skills of the agent on behalf of the real estate company can help the process move to the next step, but if a relationship to ease indecisiveness of such a large decision is not met then the result may be the loss of a sale.  One way to build the relationship and solidify your company as part of the evoked set is develop a genuine interest in the client’s needs and be part of their home buying experience.  People are very perceptive to others emotions, so if the agent only sees them as just another sale this could negatively impact the current as well as future sales. This ability to build a relationship with the current client can lead to the ability to become part of the evoked set of future clients due to the fact that a satisfied client will be more apt to share their experience with others.

 

Purchase Decision

This is the step in the process in which the client will purchase a particular property that they are interested in at that point in time.  The relationship that the agent and company have cultivated with the client can not only close the sale, but help continue the financial health of the company.  Prior to the purchase decision the client would have done their research since they will potentially spend somewhere in the six figure range for most properties, so the ability to develop relationships can truly ease the decision to close the sale.

 

Post Purchase Decision

Although this step varies depending on the product or service that will be purchased this step is still important to real estate companies.  This is the point in time where buyer’s remorse begins to set in especially as a result from high priced items.  In regards to real estate purchases this can be mitigated by follow ups in order to see how the new owners are with their purchase.  Another way to help out with the post purchase is the ability of the real estate company to refer their new client to other companies that can help them with the client’s home such as plumbers, electricians, and landscapers.  These added value options can not only help the client turn their property into greatness, but help with the future referrals by the satisfied client to others that are in the market for a property.

Conclusion

Every client in the market for a property will eventually navigate the consumer buying process whether or not they are aware of the process.  The real estate companies themselves should be aware of this process along with each step in order to better serve their current and future clients.  One great way to nurture these clients’ business is through the development of relationships.  There are various ways to foster these relationships throughout the process and will vary depending on which step a particular client is in at that point in time.  The ability to develop relationships along with the knowledge of the purchase decision process can truly help with the future success of the company through the development of a growing network of clients that will not only share their experience, but return to the company for any future real estate needs.

 

 

 

The Four “E’s” of Social Media & Real Estate

 

The Four “E’s” of Social Media & Real Estate

By:

Shawn Sturges

Infinity Property Ventures, LLC

Today many companies are implementing social media into their business strategy for success in order to gain more customers.  Social media is more than just content added to specific social channels that the company has in operation.  The digital real estate should be utilized to its fullest potential, and they are the four “E’s” to social media that need to be understood to find success.

Entertain

This is a simple concept to follow along with the capability of early implementation into your social strategies.  Create content that adds an entertainment value to fans and followers.  If followers find content entertaining the likelihood of them sharing and coming back for more dramatically increases over time.

Real Estate companies can provide entertainment through visual media by way of Instagram and Periscope.  Instagram through their many filters can spice up photos of various properties that are on the market.  Another great use for Instagram is to provide photos of the properties multiple rooms with a before and after photos which show what transformations are possible.  Periscope is a fascinating new social tool where the users can interact live during a broadcast session.  One great use is to take the property walk-through to a whole new level! No longer do interested parties necessarily need to be present for a first time showing, and furthermore the property shown can gain interest from other parts of the country or world.  Be bubbly, exciting, and be informational to help create entertainment.

Engage

One major pitfall that most companies face is the lack of engagement with fans and followers of their various social channels.  The main result of this minimal engagement is the   mere fact that the company only uses their channel to sell their services or products.  This quickly turns many people off which can cause slow or even stagnant social growth.

Real Estate companies should be able to easily engage with their followers especially when listing their properties on their social channels.  When potential clients follow these companies one reason is that they are either in the market for a home of their own, or in the market to find future investments.  When these individuals send direct messages be prompt with responses because this can lead to the liquidation of one or more properties in the company portfolio.  Furthermore, engagement leads to the company brand spreading beyond current followers with the potential to reach new consumer bases.  Another effective way of engagement with fans and followers is to comment on their own content.  This can lead to a spike in social traffic to each social channel that is in operation.

Excitement

Build excitement for future events or products and this will keep people returning for updates.  The ability to maintain secrecy is often important in many companies but this does not mean that excitement for new products or services cannot be teased.  A new product for instance can be in the shadows where the outline can only be seen and then tease the product release date with a photo on Instagram which than can be pushed to Facebook along with Twitter.  Periscope can be used to interview celebrities that might be endorsing the product or service in order to increase brand recognition.

Real Estate companies can use these social channels to create a tremendous amount of excitement.  Periscope, as mentioned before, is a live broadcast social tool, so the company can use it to walk through the neighborhood to help create an experience to build excitement.  Twitter can be used to tease several new properties by simply stating the location of the property rather than just simply posting the listing to the channel.  Finally, a meme could be created that goes along with the properties in the portfolio.

Etiquette

Etiquette on social channels is just as important as during face to face meetings.  However, social media etiquette varies a little in the way that it occurs.  On Twitter, for instance, if a follower replies to a comment then reply to that individual to begin a dialogue.  When individuals take their time to mention your company in conversation, especially if they tag you in the post, a reply shows gratitude along with the value that is placed on their comment.  Sometimes in order to vary content it is great to become a content curator which means that others’ content is shared by you on your social channel.  The best practice would be to mention the contents’ creator on your social channel with tags which can lead to more visibility for your brand.

 

Conclusion

These four “E’s” of social media are by no means complete for what the possibilities are for company expression.  Although each company is different, follow these four main aspects to social media and watch the growth of each channel flourish over time.  Millennials tend to have this practice down since they have lived with these social channels throughout most of their life.  The social channels might change over time but these simple yet effective guidelines can provide a return on your investment if implemented.  Take time to research social channels in order to understand what makes them successful or unsuccessful then imitate them until you find your social voice.

 

BomBoard Named New Sponsor of SND Film Festival

BOMBOARD NAMED NEW PRODUCT SPONSOR OF SND FILM FESTIVAL

January 15, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BomBoard, LLC NAMED NEW PRODUCT SPONSOR OF SND FILM FESTIVAL®

Three Days of Screenings and the Conferring of the Humanitarian Awards

    Serve as Pillars of Partnership

SND Festival’s 2nd ANNUAL Event to Take Place October 22-24, 2016

Chicago, IL [January 15, 2016] –The SND Film Festival and BomBoard, LLC today announced a new partnership as Product Sponsor of the festival. The international event — founded by John Sill-up — announced the dates of the 2nd annual festival, October 22-24, 2016, as well as the deadline(s) for submissions, available on http://www.sndla.com. Now in its second year, SND invites global filmmakers – from around the world – and extends its mission to showcase the humanitarian efforts of filmmakers, directors, actors, and other members of the film industry.

“BomBoard, the newest company on the technology horizon, developed one of the newest and innovative water crafts in the sports world. The product is geared towards fun, in addition to a new way to simplify storage, transport and costs. BomBoard’s motto is for innovation, culture and community – the same values that SND Festival expresses.”  As a sponsor, BomBoard provides additional support to raise awareness and money for humanitarian efforts, to enhance the Festival experience for all participants and guests, by way of a live online auction of a BomBoard signed by all film makers, presenters, judges and celebrity guests. The money raised will be donated to the Society of Notre Dame, to improve the lives of children of refugees in North America and Eastern Europe.

About the SND Festival
Founded by John Sill-up, this is the second annual film festival to the benefit of displaced children of refugees in North America and Eastern Europe. Live T.V, Internet & Broadcasting at the event will bring into focus the entertaining and charitable elements of the film festival. SND is also partnered with National Veterans Foundation and Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

About Bomboard

BomBoard was founded by John West who has had a lifelong passion for all things watersports (especially if it has an engine on it!) With its unique modular design and a total weight of less than 165 pounds total, the BomBoard will fit in the back of most cars. There is no need for a trailer as a single person is all that is needed to launch this clever water-craft into the water! Whether you are standing, sitting or kneeling, this water missile has you covered! All styles of rider comfort ability and ease of use has been tested. With a lower center of gravity, speeds of over 40 MPH and the sharp turns are totally doable… there is nothing like it! www.bomboard.com BomBoard also supports the Wounded Warrior Program, to ensure improvements of each soldier’s life.

 

Press Contact

Beatrice Davis

Sassy B Worldwide Productions

773-525-5744

beatriced@sassybworldwide.com

The Convergence of Current Social Trends

The Convergence of Current Social Trends

By

Shawn Sturges

Infinity Property Ventures, LLC

 

Each year companies look for various trends in order to capitalize upon which will help with their growth.  One area of trends that companies should not forget about is that of social trends which can help them further understand how to obtain as well as satisfy their consumer base.  Social trends progress at various rates, but seemingly they have begun to converge at a much swifter rate over the past several years.

Trend 1:  People desire an increased amount of information

Today there are an increased number of individuals that are becoming more socially conscious which means they want to know where the products they are purchasing come from.  Gone are the days where consumers blindly purchase products from companies.  The consumer of today wants to know where the coffee beans they are buying comes from and if it has been harvested through humane means.  This demand for knowledge reaches across all industries especially as the moral awareness of the consumer continues to grow.  Sweat shops, over use of harmful pesticides, unethical business practices, etc. will no longer be able to be swept under the rug, nor the wool be pulled over the eyes of consumers.

Trend 2:  Consumers desire more dialog with companies

If a customer has a question about a specific product or service they wish to be able to have an answer within a reasonable time.  We can see that as more consumers desire knowledge about their products naturally questions will arise so therefore companies should be ready and willing to answer questions.  Companies need to be willing to answer questions through various means which may include social media, toll free lines, and email.  If the consumer cannot obtain an answer within a reasonable period of time then they will turn to the alternative… “The Competition”.

Trend 3:  The connectivity of social media

Social media has taken the world by storm!  Everyday more and more people are creating a Facebook or Twitter account in order to be connected.  Social media is one of the main ways in which most people, especially millennials, obtain their news and information.  Companies are now becoming more aware of this social trend in particular especially since baby boomers are beginning to step down and millennials are beginning to move into those empty roles.  The engaged consumer is a happy consumer, so companies that disregard social media and the opportunities that they present are lacking in one area for future success

Trend 4:  Traditional advertising is losing its grip in the social media age

Traditional advertising is becoming ineffective since the main approach is to market to a large demographic with one or a few set of messages.  The advent of social media has been the “wild west” for advertising over the last several years.  Companies that have found a method to this madness have seen the true benefits of implementing social media advertising into their campaigns.  What does this mean moving forward? Companies need to engage with their current and future customers in order to obtain their business.  Companies need to research on how their products and services can benefit different niche demographics, and then create target advertising messages to capitalize on that market.

Trend 5:  Consumers searching for authenticity from the brand

Everyone wants the real thing today!  This might be the vacation to a foreign land with the opportunity to meet indigenous people living in their traditional environment, or genuine trinkets made from the area of the world that is stated on the label.  This “truth” helps to create a status within social groups which in turn can further establish a particular brand.  The authenticity of the company and its brand can be a direct relationship on its future success.

Real Estate companies and investors can draw upon these trends to help them with their investments.  This can start with the way in which they interact with their clients throughout the home buying process.  The process can begin with the interaction with potential clients through social media accounts which can establish viable leads, have prepared details on all properties to provide the desired knowledge that each client needs to make an informed decision, stage the properties in different manors that reflect the current environment where the property is located, but what potential the property can afford to the future owner.  The final area that today’s real estate company can capitalize on is social media marketing through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to showcase all current properties.  One hint would be to use the ever more popular Periscope platform to provide a live walk through of staged homes so that not only local clients have the ability to see the home, but those around the world can see them as well.  This just might increase the reach from the local market to the global market.  Stay on top of these social trends and capitalize on these waves of change.