Please Comment...

I'd like your honest opinion about how well the FAQ page worked for you as a communication tool. Did you find it helpful as you moved through the project? What would have made it an easier or more effective tool? I intend to continue use of a FAQ page and your comments will help me make it even more effective in the future. Please comment directly to this post. Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving. . .

Wishing you each a most bountiful and festive holiday.

Our Logotype

I've been asked if our company has a certain color scheme or company logo. We do not have a logo, but we do use a logotype and whatever color of deep red is handy! The logotype typeface is Truetype THEMIXBOLD with "American" spaced out enough to allow the company name to span our tagline. The best way to illustrate is to show you my business card. Note that the color of the logotype is not dictated by a specific Panatone value. We use whatever match is available to us in MS Word, PowerPoint, and so forth and this is generally matched by the printer. By the way, we are open to suggestions regarding a logo, but since we've been happy enough with the logotype, we've never felt the need to go further.

A Most Timely "MUST READ" Article

BtoB Magazine's annual "Ten Great Websites" issue bestowed honor to the approach of ten business to business websites toward making customer's lives easier, presenting detailed information in an easy-to-navigate format, and embodying the brand essence in an uncluttered design. The complete article includes accolades from the industry's top website usability and online marketing experts such as Kate Everett Thorp, President, Interactive Advertising, AKQA Worldwide and Hoa Loranger, User Experience Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group, a usability consultancy co-founded by industry expert Jakob Nielsen.

As we intend a Business to Business wesite, and this article points directly to examples of great sites with explanations of the characteristics that make them "great", I strongly recommend a thorough read of "Ten Great Websites" including each of the ten linked website reviews.

FAQ Section 7 Added

A number of questions related to the BUAD477 course itself and the project report were added today and warranted the creation of a new section. Please check out Section 7 Course / Project Requirements to remain current to our ongoing conversations.

Job Opening

We have just announced an opening for a security technician. If you know of someone who is qualified and possibly interested, please let them know that we are currently taking applications. This is our ad as it appears in the Wilmington News Journal:
"INSTALLERS: Closed circuit TV security surveillance co. requires a Service Techician. Exp. as an electrical or security tech a MUST. If you have the ability to communicate effectively, the desire to work with the latest camera & computer systems in a rapidly growing industry, & a willingness to pull cable & service systems, please call 302-996-4800 ext. 102."

Great Questions!

I can tell you're heavily into our project by the strength of the questions I'm receiving. They are very thought provoking and are really helping me to better define our business and our business direction. Keep 'em coming.

The question about market growth compelled some additional research and reminded me of the (very expensive, but very telling) CCTV market reports produced by J.P. Freeman Co. You may wish to scan his on-line table of contents for some additional insight, and perhaps introduce yourself to Mr. Freeman as an interested student engaged in a CCTV marketing project and ask him some questions directly.

A wealth of related material is available. Just copy 2005+"video surveillance market" and paste into Google. Enjoy!

Practicing What We Preach - Closure

On Friday, November 4th, the alleged perpetrator of the vehicle break in and theft of our property was apprehended and is now in Gander Hill Prison, innocent until proven guilty. Evidence in custody of the suspect and retrieved by the police included a carrying case containing MY business card! Yet to be seen is how much of the stolen property has been recovered and is being held by the State Police.

What's been learned:
1) surveillance equipment is effective in recovery
2) cameras are NOT all that effective as a deterrent!
3) knocking off a security surveillance outfit is ill advised

Case closed (although we will be working through all the paperwork for some time to come)!

Sidebar update

I've added "HOT News" to the left sidebar to feature articles and images of relevance to our mutual goals. The first, Just Googling It Is Striking Fear Into Companies, reveals some interesting impacts Google is creating within the business world. If this article is even partially correct, we're facing some very dramatic changes in how the internet will influence our personal as well as our business lives. (This and future articles may require a free registration with The New York Times or other media.)

Practicing What We Preach

We experienced an unfortunate event during the early morning hours this past weekend. The locks on two of our company vans were smashed and a quantity of hand and power tools, and test equipment were stolen. The police case is open and an investigation is underway so I'm not in position to discuss details although I will share this: Neighboring businesses also have surveillance in place and have been most cooperative. Suffice it to say that video surveillance evidence, now in the hands of police investigators, has captured identifying details of the vehicle used by the perpetrator, the exact time, date and duration of the incident and the direction of travel into and out of our industrial complex. I'll post more as the case evolves.

A Quick Note

I've made some structural changes to this blog:
1) FAQs: You'll see the FAQ date in the sidebar alternate between red and green. If you're a frequent visitor, this will help alert you to new updates. When you link to the FAQ page you'll find the word NEW! ahead of new indexed entries. If NEW! appears in the same color as the most recent FAQ date, that entry has just been added. If NEW! appears in the alternate color, that entry was added earlier. Entries prior to the last two updates will no longer display the word NEW!

PLEASE view the FAQ pages whenever there is an update since the updates are responses to student questions OR are student responses to my posted questions. Students posting a new question will continue to receive my first response directly to their email, all others will continue to rely on the FAQ page. Confidential responses will continue to be emailed directly to all students.

2) SIDEBAR: The order of data contained in the left sidebar has been reorganized to bring BUAD477 references to the top and Archival links to the bottom. This should enable you to scan the blog more rapidly.

3) GUESTBOOK: I've added a guestbook in the middle of the left sidebar to enable visitors to comment about anything that moves them. I'm particularly interested in suggestions as to how I might make this blog more interesting and informative.

Please continue to read my posts and please respond to the questions I pose as they are highly relevant to the project and help to hone website focus. Many thanks.

Lancaster Business Expo 2005 Award

Andrew Higgins and George Higgins

American SecuriComm

The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce has just posted photographs from the recent business expo. We were very pleased to find this photo among those in their 2005 Business Expo Slideshow.