I shared on a simple and effective approach to using social media to build connections and grow relationships.  I then followed up with some info on trends and technology to keep an eye on.

Below is the screen presentation I built using prezi.com.  yes, it’s impressive.

For those who attended the event, you’ll know the gist and outline of the presentation – the rest of you can guess what I said, have me speak at your corporate event or just steal the links in the presentation.

I get the feeling that the Sunshine Coast economy is picking up and businesses are making the most of the “New Beginnings” that a fresh calendar year brings. A lot of my clients are bringing fresh ideas and concepts to me. It’s great!

As my web design and graphics business “Brainspace” comes into the new year, we have already started branching out into some new areas.  What I am most excited about is creating iPhone Apps.

I’ve just completed one for Pastor Steve Penny who is using the iPhone App to allow people a ‘single click’ into his life and ministry as he travels the globe speaking to churches and leaders.

From his App you can:
Read his Blog
Read his Twitter
Listen to sermons
Watch video sermons
View his Bio, Photos, Links and more

The App has been so popular that it overloaded the server that hosted the media files yesterday! (All good now)

Feel free to check it out via the link below or search for ‘Steve Penny’ on your iphone App store. Let us know if YOU or someone you know would like an App or website built as well!

‘Back to knitting’ simply refers to getting back to doing what you know and do best.  I’ve spent the last 14 months building an exciting, cutting edge Digital Signage company which is going well and ticking along nicely – but given the economic climate, I’ve gone back to knitting.  For me, it’s building websites.

This week, instead of giving handy info, links and ideas away, I wonder if you can help me?

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love building websites and do darn good job. People tell me I’m a nice and approachable guy – I’m sure that counts for something in the world of coders and geeks .   I have a keen sense of business savvy and understand that progress and practicality always rank over perfection and nit-picking. Websites shouldn’t take months to make and shouldn’t be so complicated that clients can’t change and update content themselves.

My approach is practical and very user friendly.  All my clients are given access to the back-end of their websites and customised training videos on how to change and update their sites.  With the web changing rapidly every day,  I make sure my clients are ahead of the curve and their bottom line is positively effected by integrating smart tools, social media enhancements and a whole lot more.

So, if you know of anyone on the Sunshine Coast (or beyond) looking for a website, please give them my details – I’d highly appreciate it.

David Tensen
m: 0437 235 011

(See my portfolio of work here)

I promised to give him a plug on my blog – and well deserved too. The RED DAY program gets lots of great wraps and I’m welcoming any of my readers to attend his next FREE one day introduction and workshop with me at The Landmark Hotel, Mooloolaba 2nd July.

Here’s the plug…

As a business owner, I have some very exciting news for you…

There is a MUST attend event coming up on Thursday 2nd July 2009 on the Sunshine Coast as well as Wednesday 8th July in Springwood, Brisbane…

There is a $550 entry price to attend this special event BUT over the past 2 weeks I’ve been  working on a special rate for you…

This is a professional business development event, specifically aimed at helping you achieve more growth, more control and more time out of your business…

This event is touted to be the single most powerful one day event for business owners this year!

It’s called ‘Business Right - how to attract better

customers,
higher profits and work with far less stress’…

You will be working closely with Wayne Hutcheson, an international small business development specialist and George Bakrnchev, a leading small business psychology specialist… their charge out rate is up to $550 for 45minutes and people say they’re dirt cheap at that!

Together, they will be sharing with you their unique and trademarked strategies to help you have more profitable growth, more control over your business and more free time out of your business with less stress and more fun…

This whole day event is $550 per person, but I have struck a deal for you…

I have been able to reduce your entry fee from $550 to $ Zero…Zilch…Zippo…

So what’s the catch then?

Well, there are 2 (if you can call it a catch)…

1/ I can only offer this to 8 of you for free in each location, after that it’s back to $550 per person to attend…which is still great value and…

2/ You will have to make your own way for all meals and drinks on the day…but all work materials are included as well as some pretty useful bonuses (see below)…the venue is The Landmark Hotel, Mooloolaba OR Springwood Apartment Towers Hotel, Springwood…so you will be surrounded by great food and drinks…

One important thing though: please don’t register and not turn up as this will only make all of the others upset at missing out…

Seating is very limited and I expect all 8 free tickets to be taken up in less than 48 hours, so register now by clicking here and make sure you enter your Access Code: BLOG to get those free tickets…

If you’d like to bring another business owner along, simply click the link again and register them separately…

BONUS NEWS: The sponsors of this event Big Blue Office (www.bigblueoffice.com.au ) will also gift every business that opens a free account with them a $100 gift certificate … no strings attached!

You will also receive a free eBook titled “How to improve the profitability of your business” – valued at $195.00…

As well as a free download of The Big Lie® Business DVD, valued at $49.95…

So looking at this in another way, because of your association with us you’ll be receiving around $900 worth of value just for being there…but again this is for 8 people only from our network…

P.S. If you’d like to know more about Wayne and George, here is a short summary:

Wayne Hutcheson is the ‘external business partner’ to leading Australian and New Zealand businesses…he is one of the top Red Day® Specialists in Australasia.

Communication is an integral part of “Life & Business” and this is where Wayne shines…Wayne and his team operate in both Australia and New Zealand and he is equally able to inspire a CEO  of a major company as his can a team of mechanics on the ground floor.

Wayne worked personally with George Bakrnchev, the Founder of Red Day Systems for four years and transformed a “One Man Removal Business” into a thriving “Multi Truck” organisation. “George taught me that business was just a game…so we played the game quarter by quarter and kept kicking goals”

Wayne now takes his Corporate and Small Business experience and helps Business Owners and their Teams to achieve not only a bigger bank balance, but a bigger balance in all areas of life.

“I have worked with Wayne as my Red Day Coach for nearly two years. The utilization of the Red Day strategies has allowed me to get my business in order and to effectively create a number of additional businesses in the process. Wayne has become an integral part in my business and all the businesses that I come in contact with.  There has been nothing more influential and successful that I have been exposed to in all of my working life.   I am always happy to discuss my experiences with any prospective Business Developers.”

- Graham Donnelly  – CEO, Financial Intelligence Specialist HLM Solutions , Brisbane

George Bakrnchev, BBSc, FCM, is the founder and Chairman of Red Day® Coaching World Wide. He is also an author, film maker, book publisher, property developer, business developer, business psychology specialist and dedicated father of 3 teenagers. What he has to share with you will surely change the way you do business and life forever.

George Bakrnchev is also featured in Dale Beaumont’s book :
‘The Secrets of Small Business Owners Exposed’

I’m building some other exciting websites through New Media Mentors here on the Sunshine Coast too.

= = = = =Here’s the page info = = = = =

I build websites.

Site’s that engage, interact, brand, inspire, educate and are use-driven.

I build on the WordPress platform. It’s quick, flexible, interactive and web 2.0 driven.  Easy to use. Hard to beat.

Here are some of  the site’s I’ve built over the last 12 months

www.davidtensen.com (this site)

www.thebusinessadvicepanel.com

www.holditsister.com

www.stevepenny.net

www.motherhoodstudy.net

www.fixyourownbusiness.com

www.newmediamentors.com

www.dhwrealty.com

www.investorproperty.com.au

www.thecockyman.com.au

www.kingswib.com

www.loex.com.au

www.reggtv.com

www.nickschallenge.com

+ others of course

www.gigisicecream.com.au (under user construction)

www.modscaff.com.au (under user construction)

While in Japan I built and pioneered:

www.jesuslifehouse.tv

www.jesuslifehouse.com

www.japancan.com

I have over 50 twitter followers.

I have around 200 facebook friends

Out of all those people I reach online, I’d say maybe 10% care, read, follow listen to what I have to say about business and new media marketing.

Good numbers, but limited.  Here’s a great way to increase your exposure and influence to people who care, listen and follow OTHER business experts.

Aaron Parkes from www.fixyourownbusiness.com and I just launched a great initiative that leverages the collective influence from a group of respected experts from different fields.

The Business Advice Panel is a collection of 7 like minded complimenting business experts on the Sunshine Coast who are offering free business advice to those who write in.

I’ll be honest with you, it’s a great idea. Less than a week old and it’s already gaining search enging ranking – and more importantly, it’s leveraging influence from the contributors and building great credibility for everyone involved.

It’s great business practice, great networking and generous.

Dave’s Links:

The future of the Internet - Ever wonder where it is headed. Get some sobre insight her

What sort of entreprenuer are you? Be sure to read the three pages of the document and then, if you are up to it, take a 10 minute test here to see where you fit . TEST

On twitter using twitter and other SNS’s for marketing – something I wrote earlier this week might be of help to those interersted in internet based marketing through twitter, facebook and more.

Staff Schedules and Notifications – got a lot of staff to manage.  Here’s a new and afforable approach using emails, SMS and more.

Restaurants can now convert fat into electricity and hot water - What a great and green idea.  This from the US.

Who’s converting web traffic into sales? – The top 10 online retailers by conversion rate

**Spotlight on Sunshine Coast Businesses**
At the moment this newsletter goes out to around 85 people per week.  I’d love to help promote your business and product.  Everyweek I’ll have a spot open here for one or two Sunshine Coast businesses to say a little about themselves in 25 words or less.  Email me with your 25 words and link to your businesses website.

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SPONSOR: This newsletter is made possible by sponsor LOEX – Your local media and promotion company.  www.loex.com.au
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Help needed – Sunshine Coast readers:
1.  A reader has asked me to put feelers out for anyone who knows of 100sq m of office space that they can lease in the Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Kawana area?
2.  A reader has asked if anyone knows of someone looking for work cleaning carpets?
3.  A reader has a friend looking for work after he was made redundant at a local screen printers. He has plenty of experience in the print industry and comes with great recommendations for any manager’s position.

If you can help any of these people, please contact me and I’ll pass on the details.

Dave’s Links:

You’re Boring! – One of my favourite authors on marketing, Seth Godin, lays it out in plain English.

11 Insights from Steve Jobs – Apple CEO – A good little read from one of today’s finest designers and leaders.

Ask Dumb Questions – Tom Peters shares on ‘asking’. I wholeheartedly agree.

Business Women aren’t apologising – Jessica Smith calls out to Ambitious Women Entrepreneurs.

Lucky in Business? – It’s not the Lotto you know!

Great way to send and store large files for free. Drop.io has this great, fast, free and flexible way to store files for others to download – with or without a password.  I tested it  http://drop.io/daveytee

Smart way to find a manager – Tourism Queensland caused plenty of web-traffic when looking for an Island Caretaker of Hamilton Island.

**Spotlight on Sunshine Coast Businesses**
At the moment this newsletter goes out to around 85 people per week.  I’d love to help promote your business and product.  Everyweek I’ll have a spot open here for one or two Sunshine Coast businesses to say a little about themselves in 25 words or less.  Email me with your 25 words and link to your businesses website.

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SPONSOR: This newsletter is made possible by sponsor LOEX – The digital television network that promotes your business through local supermarkets.  www.loex.com.au
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