Vote for Mary Ann McQueen Butcher for Nevada Small Business Person of the Year!

Below is the form required for a nomination, I would appreciate your vote for Nevada Small Business Person of the Year (The Top Left Box). If you could fill this out and send back to my office either at info@lvredcarpet.com or 702-943-3185 I will make sure it gets to NCET.

All votes need be into the office by 11/25 in order to be counted. Thank you again and I look forward to working with you all next year!

SBA/NCET Nomination Form

VOTE FOR MARY ANN MCQUEEN BUTCHER FOR NV SMALL BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR

Please click/circle the very first square on the top left to vote for me.  Thanks in advance.  I look forward to serving you and your company in the now and in the coming year.

SBA 2011 Awards Nomination Initial Contact Form

Please fill out the information below for any individual you desire to nominate.  Please submit all nominations to the Nevada SBA District Offices via fax to 702-388-6469 no later than Friday, November 26, 2010.  We will contact the nominee to begin the process.

Please check the category you are submitting this nomination for (check ONLY one):

X Nevada Small Business Person of the Year            □ Nevada Small Business Exporter of the Year

□ Nevada Young Entrepreneur of the Year            □ Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Bus. of the Year

□ Nevada Entrepreneurial Success Award                        □ Financial Services Champion of the Year

□ Home-based Business Champion of the Year            □ Minority Small Business Champion of the Year

□ Women In Business Champion of the Year            □ Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year

□ Microenterprise Business Person of the Year            □ Michael Graham Entrepreneurial Spirit Award

        (Nevada only)                                                                     (Nevada only)

Today’s Date: _______________________

Nominee Name:__________________________________            Phone:_______________________________

Nominee E-Mail (if available): ___________________________________________________________

Nominee  Business or Organization:_______________________________________________________

Your Name:_____________________________________            Phone:_______________________________

Your E-Mail:__________________________________________________________________________

Your Organization:_____________________________________________________________________

May we use your name when we inform the person they are being nominated? ____Yes   ____No

Will you provide the Nominee with a letter of support on your letterhead for their nomination package? _____Yes    _____No

We will contact you within one week to provide an update on this nomination, and the person’s feedback.

FAX TO:  702 943-3185 -- DUE BY THURSDAY, 11/25, 9 PM PACIFIC TIME

For the record, I have no ties, business or any connection with Reece Manley, Queerbook, his books, etc. I have never met the man.

http://ping.fm/aVPEa

LV Tech Company Anexeon Comes to the Rescue of Unemployed & Underemployed -- http://ping.fm/iudjU

Anexeon Launches Web-Based Learning Tools for the Unemployed & Underemployed http://tinyurl.com/2acmwe6

Thrilled to Announce that Mike Doria (formerly of FOX5 News in LV is now Director of Business Development for Red Carpet Marketing & PR!

I LOVE HootSuite. It has made my life and that of my clients A LOT easier to update. Two thumbs up!! http://hootsuite.com

Great Fast Company Viral Program...Think I've influenced you? Say so: http://fcinf.com/v/axad

DSA is the oldest non-profit tourist assoc (34 yrs) in NV. DSA members range from shows, tours, ticket brokers, museums, restaurants, weddings, services, chapels, publications, transportation & hotels. Enjoy our Monthly luncheons / occasional breakfasts www.dsa-lasvegas.com.

DSA is the oldest non-profit tourist assoc (34 yrs) in NV. Our DSA members range from shows, tours, ticket brokers, museums, restaurants, weddings, services, chapels, publications, transportation & hotels. Enjoy our Monthly luncheons / occasional breakfasts www.dsa-lasvegas.com.

DSA is the oldest non-profit tourist assoc (34 yrs) in NV. Our DSA members range from shows, tours, ticket brokers, museums, restaurants, weddings, services, chapels, publications, transportation & hotels. Enjoy our Monthly luncheons or occasional breakfasts www.dsa-lasvegas.com.

DSA is the oldest non-profit tourist assoc (34 yrs) in NV. Our DSA members range from shows, tours, ticket brokers, museums, restaurants, weddings, services, chapels, publications, transportation & hotels. Enjoy our Monthly luncheons or occasional breakfasts www.dsa-lasvegas.com.

The Campaign begins for Steph MacKenzie in the Live with Regis & Kelly Competition for Regis' Special Guest Co-Host!

You know her as one half of 97.1 The Point's morning team "Foxx & MacKenzie" and as the Current Mrs. Las Vegas. Now you can help make Steph MacKenzie become Regis Philbin's co-host for a day!


Go to: http://tiny.cc/rm9sz
OR
https://register.go.com/regisandkelly/login?appRedirect=https://register.go.com/regisandkelly/special/cohostsearch10/index and sign up or log in to vote.


Need some reasons to vote for Steph MacKenzie?


Not just "the girl next door" with her positive attitude and radiant smile,
she is also the consummate professional regularly working on red carpets, and attending "A-List "parties and all those hard to get into hotspots.


Steph began her career in Denver, but this 17-year radio veteran is All Vegas All the Time now. A short list of her celebrity interviews include:


• Elton John
• Snoop Dogg
• Kevin James
• Pamela Anderson
• Pat Sajak
• and hundreds more Hollywood and rock stars.


But Steph is so much more than a DJ, beauty queen and red carpet regular. She spends an enormous amount of her time working with Vegas non-profits and charities like:


• New Vista Community
• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
• Speedway Children's Charities
• The Ronald McDonald House
• and more.




You can also catch Steph as the face of the CW Las Vegas channel 6/cable33 and this fall on the sidelines of high school football on Thursday night LIVE on MYLV TV.


Steph is currently Mrs. Las Vegas 2010 and hopes to take the crown for Mrs. Nevada in July.


Experience the vibrant, beautiful, talented Steph MacKenzie here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdNfS_KYLgo. Judge for yourself. And then judge for Steph at: http://tiny.cc/rm9sz OR https://register.go.com/regisandkelly/login?appRedirect=https://register.go.com/regisandkelly/special/cohostsearch10/index


For more info, contact:
Mary Ann McQueen Butcher, Red Carpet Marketing & PR: 702 533-8803 / MaryAnnButcher@LVRedCarpet.com

Red Carpet Marketing & PR has worked w/ OV, Shade Tree & Miracle Flights as our pro bono clients. We are proud to have grown into larger offices & employing more Las Vegans in '10. We deliver extraordinary service at reasonable prices. Vote for us.http://ping.fm/8JxhI

Red Carpet Marketing: Extraordinary Service at Ordinary Prices

Red Carpet Marketing & Public Relations -- So proud to have worked with Opportunity Village, Shade Tree and now Miracle Flights as our pro bono clients...We are proud to have grown into another larger still office in 2010. We are growing and delivering world class service at reasonable prices. Vote for us....Extraordinary work at ordinary prices!

http://www.lvchamber.com/biz-e/nominate

Red Carpet Marketing & Public Relations -- under 5 employees category Vote for the LV economy....Vote for jobs...Vote today.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Mary Ann McQueen Butcher
www.RedCarpetMarketing.com
info@LVRedCarpet.com

Got a Droid? Here's are some "Must Have" Alternative Apps for You!

Got a Droid? Here's are some "Must Have" Alternative Apps for You!

Michael McGhee is a one of the principals of Anexeon. He is a technology visionary -- always ahead of the tech curve. Following is a "cheat sheet" Michael authored regarding Droids and how to get the most out of them with great apps.

Smart phones based on the Google Android operating system continue to gain in popularity. All major carriers offer Android based phones and a number of new phones are in the pipeline (http://www.androphones.com/). One of the major benefits of the Android platform is the evolving marketplace for applications. Similar to Apple's app store, marketplace is teeming with applications, with one distinct difference - Google doesn't have to approve apps before they can run on your phone. This means that a plethora of alternative applications and enhancements to the basic functions of Android are available. Don't like the web browser or email client that comes with Android? No problem, there's a replacement available. Want a different media player or an application to enhance the core calling features of the phone? No problem.

Because the platform is more open, it is also fractured, meaning that not all apps run on all phones and since all phones don't support every version of Android, you need to make sure the application will support your version of the Android OS and phone before you download and/or purchase. A quick way to do this is to thoroughly read the comments for the application in the Marketplace before downloading.

Below is a list of applications that I have installed as enhancements to my phone, the Motorola Droid, categorized by the type of program they replace.


CATEGORY
Email / Communications

Application & Notes:
• TOUCHDOWN -- A much-improved fully functional Outlook Client that surpasses BlackBerry for outlook integration
• VISUAL VOICEMAIL -- Verizon App, Visual Voicemail
• GOOGLE TALK -- Google’s chat app for Gmail
• GOOGLE VOICE -- Droid front end and integration for Google Voice app

• Browsing / Documents
DOLPHIN BROWSER -- Replaces standard Android browser, much more capable, pinch & zoom capability.
• ASTRO -- File Manager
• ANDROZIP -- Zip file support
• DOCUMENTS TO GO -- Word/Excel/PDF

Media / Commerce
• AMAZON MP3 / AMAZON Front End for Amazon’s music store, regular store
• DOUBLETWIST -- Load on PC, synchs music from iTunes library and others to Droid. Must upgrade to iTunes+ first (eliminate copyright protection)
• BEYONDPOD -- Outstanding RSS reader, front ends Goggle Reader as well.
• PANDORA -- Streaming Music
• DROIDLIVE -- Front end for Shout cast (radio)
• PAYPAL -- Manage Paypal account

Social Networking / Information

• DROIDIN -- Front End client for LinkedIn
• TWIDROID PRO -- Twitter
• FACEBOOK -- Built in FaceBook app
• WEATHER CHANNEL -- Interface to Weather Channel
• FLIXSTER -- Outstanding Movie / Showtime app
• NEWSPAPERS FULL -- Great front end for major newspapers
• AP Online Associated Press app. Great interface. Loads the RJ automatically.
• PLACES DIRECTORY -- Great directory by major categories (banks, medical, etc.)

Other

• WIFI TOGGLE -- One touch toggles Wi-Fi off/on
• ADVANCED TASK MANAGER -- Manages processes on the droid, keeps battery usage low
• SPEED TEST -- Bandwidth Tester
• REMOTE RDP -- Take over Screen/Kbd/Mouse
• POWER MANAGER -- Excellent Power Manager, uses profiles


http://www.Anexeon.com
http://www.RedCarpetMarketing.com

Red Carpet Markting Past & Present Client List

Even I have to say "Wow!"

7-Eleven
Adventuredome at Circus Circus
Albertson's
Anexeon
Basha's
Bob Massi, Attorney
Brendan Theaters
Cadillac Ranch All American Bar & Grill
Cisco Systems
Daphne's Greek Cafe
David Saxe Productions / V Theater
Fashion Show Mall
Galleria at Sunset Mall
Harrah's
Intel
King Ranch Market
Las Vegas 51s
Linksys
McDonald's
MEET Las Vegas
Mountain West Conference
Paris Las Vegas
Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino
The Producers (at Paris Las Vegas)
PepsiCo
Radiant Smiles
Ralph's
Seiji Limousine
Silverton Casino Hotel Lodge
Smith's Food & Drug Stores
Stomp Out Loud
Terrible's Hotel & Casino
Tony n' Tina's Wedding
Ventano's Italian Corner & Oyster Bar
Walt Disney Company
Westfield Shoppingtowns
Please let me know what else I can

The kind of email that makes my Monday!

Hi Mary Ann,

Wanted to let you know what a pleasure it was to meet you at CTAM West’s event. You made my round table experience a memorable one, next time I won’t text when you have the floor J I learned my lesson. I must say you were the highlight of the day. There was something about you, a calming presence that made me feel at home.. You left such an impression I read your bio, it’s the minister dealio!!!

Mary Ann, you are awesome!!! It was that genuine heart thing I picked up on. That is the ultimate went it comes to PR, you’re marketing for the “big guy”, that takes a special person. Thank you for your time Mary Ann and Thank you for making my first CTAM event fun and informative, you do affect people positively. . Great success in all your endeavors and I wish you the very best always.

Take care, Jeff

http://ping.fm/CmSgv

In Less than Three Years...

It's amazing what can happen in three years....the launch of a marketing and PR company in the worst economy since the great depression...in one of the hardest hit cities in the country -- Las Vegas.

Two web sites....7 new employees....15 accounts in the last year from entertainment (Tony n' Tina's Wedding) to technology (Anexeon) to restaurants (Cadillac Ranch and Ventano's)....Three offices in less than 12 months due to unprecedented growth....new professional affiliations like the Q Business Alliance and the Social Register of Las Vegas...

Then there is the downside....employees who the company had to let go due to inappropriate behavior -- giving away company information....sharing contacts and outright lying to the company and its customers. Totally unacceptable so while their service was appreciated, they had to go.

Another interesting phenomenon is the amount of malice people can have toward another company just because of the new company's success. Maybe if you would concentrate more on your business and less on ours, we not be kicking your butt.

Then there's the "pimping"....Oh how I highly dislike that. Phony potential clients call and ask for a meeting in the hopes of getting free information. A consultation is always free but a plan, tactics, contacts, etc.....not on your life.

This also a good time to mention barter....Do yourself a favor and don't use IMS or ITEX. Instead, barter with a reputable company that has services you want and vice versa.

And events? The ones we produce do not invite the "shrimp munchers" who just come for free food and alcohol.

But for every negative point, RCM & PR is grateful for what it is TODAY: an organization with a filled pipeline, a sharp, honest and customer-service focused staff, great contacts...our friends at David Saxe Productions and our new office on Dean Martin Drive.

Lest I forget, RCM & PR has a new area of practice: marketing to seniors. If you think, this is a small market....please do your research.... Our expertise can help you tap into the boomers, seniors and elderly who have more disposable income than any other group and who spend more time on the web than 18-34 year olds.

Please...Don't Be the Best Kept Secret....Contact us today: 24/7: 702 260-8282

Growth in a Challenging Economy -- You CAN do It!

HOW TO GET A CLIENT MEETING THAT RESULTS IN $$$ -- It Starts with a Cold Call


We all know how tough it's been in the last two years. Many small businesses just couldn't make it and lots of large, established companies had to shut down as well. That said, there ARE ways for you and your company to grow right now in this economic climate. This will be first in a series of actual "how to" articles for both new and established businesses.


Let's talk about cold calling. No one really likes it but it's a reality. For many, it's downright uncomfortable. But if you are prepared you can find those new clients who want whatever it is you are selling.


Here's how to prepare: First, research the kind of companies you would like to work with. Research them thoroughly so you can speak knowledgably once you get them on the phone. Next, write down bullet points of what you'll say: your name, your company, why you are calling. Always ask for the department you think would include the final decision maker. That can be your biggest challenge as many of the "gatekeepers" will try and hang up quickly because you are a "sales call". Do NOT let that deter you.


When making calls, sound upbeat, happy and downright enthusiastic. It's much more likely that the person on the other end of the phone will be helpful by either providing a name, phone number or email address of the right person. When you get that info, act on it immediately! Either leave a voicemail stating you will call back or write an email introducing yourself. Now that's where many people stop. If you want to truly be successful and grow, get back on the phone the next day and use the art of persuasion to get yourself into your future client's office! Be brief but sound like the expert you are. No one knows what you are selling better than you, so give that elevator pitch and ask when you can come in for an appointment.

OK, (and some of this may be quite obvious to you), dress like a pro: No open toe shoes, micro-mini skirts or "casual Friday" clothes. I always tell my team to be better dressed than the client even if he or she is in jeans and a t-shirt. Have samples of whatever you are selling and if possible is very helpful since concepts are obtuse to potential buyers. If at all possible, bring a custom item just for that client. Plan to take not more than 30 minutes for your first meeting. When you are done, leave behind some material that reiterates the points of your meeting and a professional looking business card (nothing neon or printed off your computer). Be sure to get your potential client's card as well.


Before the end of that business day, write a thank you note to the person you met with. The subject line should read: "Thank You,
Follow Up -- then write the name of your company". A short, well-written note will suffice. It should include an action item that states you will be in touch the following week or in whatever timeframe you may have discussed. This is a MUST. One of the compliments I get often is "your follow up is great". What you do AFTER your meeting is as important as how you prepped. If you do not stay on top of new contacts -- even those you meet at networking mixers or online -- by picking up the phone, your chances of success are limited. Email and voicemail are great but nothing takes the place of one-on-one interaction. Build a good relationship and you will gain a loyal customer.


Regardless of how many "no" answers you get, keep a positive attitude and you WILL get new customers to buy from you.


Mary Ann McQueen Butcher
www.RedCarpetMarketing.com