Ryan Parton's Blog

‘An Amazing Evolution’ – Atlas Café Turns 15

2010-04-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Popular restaurant to mark occasion by giving away Puerto Vallarta vacation.

Atlas Café turns 15 this month, and its owners are marking the occasion by sending two lucky guests on a Mexican vacation.

Until the end of April, anyone who dines at Atlas Café for breakfast, lunch or dinner can enter to win a trip for two to Puerto Vallarta, including travel and accommodation, for up to five nights. Additional prizes to be won include Atlas gift certificates and other promotional items.

“Being a part of this community has been an amazing experience,” says Sandra Viney, who opened Atlas Café 15 years ago with her husband, chef Trent McIntyre. “We wanted to give back to the good people of the Comox Valley, so we decided to utilize the Valley’s great WestJet connection with Puerto Vallarta.”

Over the last decade and a half, Atlas Café has become woven into the fabric of the Comox Valley and has earned a warm spot in the hearts and minds of Valley residents. But, like most homegrown success stories, downtown Courtenay’s favourite eatery evolved from modest beginnings.

In the early ’90s, Viney and McIntyre were two world travellers who had decided it was finally time to settle down. Though neither had roots in B.C. (McIntyre is from Saskatoon and Viney grew up near Byron Bay, Australia), they each shared a passion for snowboarding and great food, and so their dream was to open a restaurant in a small B.C. community at the base of a mountain. After criss-crossing the province, they eventually decided on Courtenay.

“The Comox Valley just won our hearts,” says Viney. “We fell in love with the character of the community, and the beautiful energy that this place has. At the time, there weren’t many healthy dinner choices in downtown Courtenay, so there was an opportunity for us to create something new.”

With a modest investment and as much “recycled” equipment as they could find, Viney and McIntyre opened Atlas Café on April 24, 1995 in a former surf shop on Sixth Street. In just a few years, its eclectic menu and welcoming ambiance had established Atlas’s reputation as one of the Comox Valley’s social hubs and culinary hotspots.

Although Atlas Café has grown over the years, its core values have remained the same. Viney and McIntyre remain committed to providing healthful and flavourful dishes while honouring the friendly, community-minded spirit that first attracted them to the Comox Valley.

“It’s been an amazing evolution,” says Viney. “The people who have shared our space over the years and the people who have worked here have touched our hearts. We’ve seen many a date turn into marriage and we’ve seen former employees launch successful businesses of their own. We’ve even started hiring the children of former employees; we’re all one big extended family.”

The winner of Atlas Café’s Puerto Vallarta vacation will be announced in early May. To participate, simply ask your Atlas server for an entry form.

Atlas Café is located at 250 Sixth Street in Courtenay. For more information, call 250-338-9838 or visit www.atlascafe.ca.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Everybody Wing Chun Tonight!

2010-04-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Valley’s First Kung Fu Academy Offers Fitness, Combat and Self-Defence

Sifu Corny Martens could probably beat you up.

As a certified Kung Fu instructor, he’s quite confident in his fighting abilities. But unless you’re attacking him in a dark alley, all he’s interested in smashing are your expectations.

Martens has just opened Comox Valley Kung Fu Academy, the first of its kind in the Comox Valley. As such, one of his primary goals is to educate people about the Wing Chun style of kung fu that he teaches, which combines striking and grappling techniques designed for close-range combat and self-defence.

“This isn’t what most people expect from martial arts,” says Martens. “Its heritage ensures that Wing Chun offers more than just tough-guy aggression. The movements are accessible to all ages, and the culture is welcoming to everyone.”

Comox Valley Kung Fu Academy offers a broad range of options, including women’s self-defence classes, programs for children and teens and hardcore training for people who are serious about learning combat techniques.

“I was attracted to Wing Chun because of the options it offers,” says Martens. “Even someone who isn’t committed to learning the whole art can still benefit from learning some basic skills.”

Women in particular, he says, will love the Kick Classes, a cardio program done to music that he’s launching this spring. “You learn a few martial art skills,” he explains, “but it’s mostly a workout. You could call it a bag-slamming, aggression-releasing, self-defence workout for those bored with the spa scene.”

Wing Chun kung fu was developed in 17th century China by an 80-year-old Shaolin nun named Ng Mui. Certainly not your average grandma, Ng Mui was a grand master of two different fighting styles who collaborated with four other grand masters to create the Wing Chun style.

Anyone who has ever watched a Bruce Lee film knows that Wing Chun is an extremely effective fighting discipline. But more important, says Martens, is its teachings on avoiding violence.

“The art is 99 per cent self-defence,” he says. “We learn how to deal with confrontation and how to make a physical stand in order to stop further violence.”

Martens, who recently moved to the Comox Valley from Vancouver, has been a kung fu practitioner for 15 years, including four years under the tutelage of Canada’s leading Wing Chun grand master. He’s also a certified yoga instructor and has studied intensively with personal trainers.

In his 12 years of teaching Wing Chung, Martens has seen kung fu transform his students from flabby to fit, from hesitant to confident and from apathetic to passionate. He’s also heard stories about how kung fu has supported women through childbirth, helped ordinary people foil robbery attempts and, perhaps most remarkably, gotten teens to do their chores.

Comox Valley Kung Fu Academy is located at 3-1492 McPhee Avenue (across from Courtenay Elementary). For more information, contact Corny Martens at 250-702-3780 or cvkungfuacademy@gmail.com.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Experiential Marketing: How to Market Your Company in the 21st Century

2010-04-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

I recently posted an message on my Facebook page about experiential marketing. The original post was a bit vague, I admit, which prompted one follower to ask for more info. I've posted below a transcript of the post and my ensuing explanation, for anyone who's interested in learning how to market successfully in the 21st century.

My original post:

Here's an idea: Make your marketing as beneficial to your target customer as the product or service you're marketing. Experiential marketing - if you don't know what it is then you're likely wasting a lot of money.

The comment received:

please explain...

And so, ever happy to oblige, I responded:

Experiential marketing is all about actually involving your customers in your marketing, and making the marketing itself of value to them. It's a great way to break through the clutter of advertising and reach a more savvy market.

For example, one hand lotion company sent crews of ladies out to bus shelters across a city and gave free hand massages to people as they waited. They used the lotion of course, but didn't actively push it, except to give a free sample. If someone asked, then they'd explain all the benefits and virtues.

Another company (The name escapes me, but I think it was a baby-supply maker, like Johnson & Johnson or something) gave out free ultrasounds to pregnant women in malls in Argentina. For many women, it was the first time they'd seen an in-utero picture of their baby, and it was an experience they won't soon forget. As a result, they came away with a great perception of the company, and likely told all their friends about it.

Experiential marketing is a great way to tap into the potential of "brand evangelists," those who will essentially do your marketing for you by extolling your virtues to their network.

Of course, it can also be simpler, smaller things, like simply taking the time to offer free and genuine advice to potential clients. For example, I've had people come to me for a media release and, after discussing their budget, objectives, etc, I told them that their dollar might be better spent elsewhere (i.e. on a service they'd get from someone else). Sure I "lost the sale," but that person will remember that I gave them honest advice and that I'm someone they can trust. The simple fact that what I did was unexpected (and beneficial) ensures that they're going to remember me and return to take advantage of my services when the time is right.

Hope that helps.

Then I decided to post a couple of resources for more info:

A couple of resources: The first is great book called Experience the Message, by Max Lenderman. It is all about experiential marketing and its virtues. Another is one I just stumbled upon right now: The Experiential Marketing Forum.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

How to add a Facebook Badge to your Web Site or Blog

2010-03-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

You've seen the links on everyone's pages: "Follow me on Facebook" they say. But how do you put one of those fancy badges on YOUR site? How can you attract fans to YOUR Facebook fan page?

Here's how:

1. Log in to your Facebook account. Once you're logged in, you'll be on your Facebook home page

2. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. You'll see a list of links in the bottom right. Click on Advertising

3. Click on Pages, near the top of the page (it has a flag next to it.

4. Toward the right hand side you'll see a button that says "Create a page." Click on "Manage your existing pages," right below that button.

5. Now, you'll either see a list of the pages you manage or, if you only have one page, you'll be taken directly to it. If you see a list of pages, click on the page for which you want to create a badge.

6. At the bottom of the column that's to the left of the Facebook ads, click on "Get your badge."

7. Edit your badge to customize its appearance. You can choose to display any combination of your name, picture, fans and recent updates. You can also change its layout and orientation - horizontal or vertical. Save your changes.

8. It will ask you where you want to place your badge. If it's for your blog, simply follow the instructions to insert it on your blog. If you want it for your web site, select other, and then copy and paste the HTML code that it gives you. You can then insert this code directly into your web site's code, or hand it off to your web developer who will do it for you.

Happy badging!

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Go Green For less $$$ with Eco-Friendly Window Film

2010-03-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here, which means it’s home improvement time once again in the Comox Valley.

Against a backdrop of growing environmental awareness and a looming HST that could increase the average family’s energy bill by as much as $200 a year, it’s not surprising that this year’s hot trend in home improvement is eco-friendly upgrades that won’t break the bank.

While heat pumps, Energy Star appliances and even solar panels tend to steal the “green” spotlight, more and more people are discovering another option that’s much more affordable and can reduce their energy consumption by as much as a quarter: window film.

Window film, at its most basic level, consists of a polyester substrate that’s applied to the inside or outside of a home’s windows or skylights. Residential window film has improved dramatically since it was introduced in the 1950s, and today’s consumer can choose from a wide variety of films, each with its own unique properties and benefits.

There are solar films that greatly increase the insulating effect of glass, one-way visibility films that protect your family from nosy neighbours and security films that strengthen glass by 300 per cent while making it completely shatterproof. Most window films today also block 99 per cent of the sun’s UV radiation, which virtually eliminates the fading of flooring and furniture.

The film that’s getting the most attention this year, however, is one that does it all.

“I call it Super Solar Window Film, and it’s the one that everyone’s asking for this year,” says Dave Barlow, who owns Safe & Sound Window Film in Comox. “In the summer, it blocks up to 83 per cent of the heat that enters your home. In the winter, it increases the insulating effect of glass by as much as 35 per cent.”

Customers who have had the film installed, says Barlow, have reported energy savings of as much as 20 to 25 per cent. Given that the film costs as little as six dollars per square foot fully installed and is guaranteed for as long as the customer owns their home, the film generally pays for itself in just a few years.

“Since the home renovation tax credit, a lot of folks have beautiful new hardwood and laminate flooring,” says Barlow. “The flooring experts all agree, the only way to ensure that your flooring won’t fade, bleach or discolour is with window film. So you’re protecting your investment, you’re lowering your energy bill and you’re reducing your environmental footprint. It’s not just a win-win – it’s a win-win-win!”

Dave Barlow will be on hand at the Safe & Sound Window Film booth at this weekend’s Comox Valley Spring Home Expo, in the Comox Valley Sports Centre. For more information, call 250-339-7003 or visit www.SafeAndSoundWindowFilm.com.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Why Every Canadian B2B Business Should Register for GST (or HST)

2010-03-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

I just had a conversation with a fellow business-to-business (B2B) professional in the Comox Valley and I was shocked that he was not registered for GST. As he didn't earn more than $30,000 each year through his business, he didn't have to register. I had to explain why he should register voluntarily - not next month, not next week, but TODAY!

The advantage of not registering, as he saw it, was that he didn't have to charge his clients GST (or HST, as will soon be the case here in BC). I explained that since all of his clients are businesses, the vast majority of which are GST registered, they don't care if they pay GST or not, since they get back any GST paid for business expenses.

The advantage of voluntarily registering for GST is that, once he registers (which I'm sure he now will), he can be reimbursed for any GST paid on HIS business expenses. Money for nothing, as Dire Straits would say.

So to recap: if you're a B2B business, chances are very good that your clients don't care if they're charged GST or not, since they get it all back anyway. If you register, you get back all the money you spend on GST on business expenses. If you don't register, you lose that money (or, more accurately, you give it oh so generously to the government - ain't you swell!

So if you're a B2B business, go and register. Don't be dissuaded by folks that tell you you don't have to if you make less than $30,000. You always have the right to voluntarily register no matter how much income you earn.

To register online now, click the following link:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tpcs/bn-ne/bro-ide/menu-eng.html

Local Copywriter to Represent B.C. Writers

2010-03-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

One of Canada’s most prestigious writing organizations has selected a local copywriter to represent British Columbia on its national board of directors.

Ryan Parton, who writes marketing copy for local businesses and operates Ryan Parton Writing Solutions, was named B.C.’s Regional Director of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) in February.

“It really was a surprise and an honour to be chosen,” said Parton, who just returned from his first PWAC board meeting in Montreal last week. “I received some really positive feedback from the ideas I brought forward in Montreal. My next step is to introduce myself to PWAC’s B.C. members and to find out how I can best represent them at the national level.”

The Professional Writers Association of Canada is comprised of more than 600 of the nation’s top writers, including 110 in B.C. and three in the Comox Valley. Members of PWAC represent a diverse cross section of Canadian writers, including journalists, novelists and poets, but Parton is one of only a handful that specializes exclusively in writing marketing copy.

“Copywriting is unlike any other kind of writing,” said Parton. “You need to capture and hold the reader’s attention, and of course you have to convince him to hand over his hard-earned money.

“A lot of business owners will just put up a web site, print a brochure or run an ad without giving any real thought to the writing,” he added. “But it’s the writing that’s going to largely determine whether your marketing earns you money or costs you money.”

In light of Parton’s marketing expertise, his fellow PWAC board members were quick to name him co-chair of the organization’s Communications Committee. This committee is responsible for the maintenance of a members’ blog, as well as the production of PWAC marketing collateral.

Next up on Parton’s PWAC agenda will be the organization’s annual general meeting and national conference, which is being held in Toronto this summer.

To find out more about Ryan Parton Writing Solutions, visit www.ryanparton.ca or call 250-702-1103 for a free consultation. To learn more about PWAC, go to www.pwac.ca.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

How to Unlink Your Twitter and Facebook Accounts

2010-02-11T18:59:00.001-08:00

Have any of you grown annoyed by having your Facebook account linked to your Twitter account? I sure did. It's annoying clicking on a link on Twitter, only to be redirected to the person's Facebook page whee you then had to click on another link to actually get somewhere of interest. (note: if you're trying to get your tweets to stop appearing on your Facebook profile, click here.

I hated myself for subjecting my followers to that, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to unlink my Facebook and Twitter accounts. I later found out that lots of my friends were having the same problem.

So here's the solution:

First of all, log into your Twitter account (at twitter.com), NOT your Facebook account. Next, click on Settings, then Connections. Where you see the Facebook icon, simply click on "revoke access."

Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

My apologies to all my followers on Twitter for months of annoying Facebook tweets!

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

There's still time to find love this weekend in the Comox Valley!

2010-02-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Valentine’s Day will soon be here, and lovers everywhere are tingling with anticipation. But what if you haven’t yet met that special someone? Or the romance has vanished from your relationship amidst the chaos of daily life?

Local hypnotherapist and life coach Jeannie Spencer, founder of Invision Your Life, has the answer, and she’ll share her insights at two special “Invision Your Love” workshops this weekend. But there are only a few spots remaining!

The first, a full-day couples hypnotherapy workshop this Saturday, is designed to help busy couples, especially those with children, rediscover their lost passion, release and built-up resentment and embark upon a new, loving path.

Then, on Sunday, a special Valentine’s Day workshop for singles will help 10 participants discover what they truly want in a partner, build their confidence and attract their ideal mate in another half-day workshop.

“The mind is an incredibly powerful tool,” says Spencer. “It contains everything you need to achieve your potential and start living your ideal life – whether that means falling in love or falling back in love.”

To register, or for more information, call 1-888-556-8411 or click on either of these links:

Couples Workshop

Singles Workshop

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Use your mind to... Lose Weight, Rekindle Your Relationship, Find Love & Birth With Ease

2010-02-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

For many of us, February is the time that we finally give up on our well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions. But for those who promised to lose weight, find new love or rekindle lost romance, this month could be different.

Local hypnotherapist and coach Jeannie Spencer, founder of Invision Your Life, has chosen the month of February to kick off a comprehensive series of personal development workshops in the Comox Valley.

The series begins with Spencer’s hypnosis weight loss program, which promises to help participants lose weight using the power of their minds.

"Anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight knows that it takes more than diet and exercise,” says Spencer. “People dealing with weight problems generally have emotional triggers that set unhealthy habits into motion. Once these triggers are identified and dealt with, weight loss and maintenance become easier.”
The 12-week program, beginning February 16 (she swears it’s a coincidence that the workshop begins on “Fat Tuesday”), is preceded by a private two-hour hypnotherapy session and continues with 11 weekly group classes.

The series continues on February 13 with a full-day couples' hypnosis workshop limited to only five couples. Entitled “Invision Your Love,” the workshop is designed to help busy couples – especially those with children – rediscover their lost passion, release resentment and embark upon a new loving path.

“Couples continually tell me there’s just no time or energy left in the day for each other,” says Spencer. “When they finally do find the time, all the pressure of romance takes hold and they end up disappointed. This workshop is about elevating your love life and reigniting the passion you’d all but forgotten.”

For those still searching for a significant other, a special Valentine’s Day workshop for singles may help guide Cupid’s arrow. On February 14, Spencer will help 10 participants discover what they truly want in a partner, build their confidence and attract their ideal mate in this half-day workshop.

Rounding out February’s line-up is Spencer’s highly acclaimed “Invision Your Birth” workshop on February 25. This unique, three-hour workshop adds a new spin to Spencer’s previous teachings as a Hypnobirthing practitioner and is open to expectant mothers and their birthing partners.

Invision Your Birth will show participants how to use hypnotherapy to reduce anxiety and achieve relaxation and control during the birthing process. Participants of the workshop, which has been endorsed by Comox Valley Midwifery, will also receive a CD of their personalized birthing script to help them achieve a natural and relaxed childbirth.

“The mind is an incredibly powerful tool,” says Spencer. “It contains everything you need to achieve clarity and realize your true potential; all that’s missing is the instruction booklet. These workshops will help you unlock the power of your mind and start living your ideal life.”

To register for any Invision Your Life workshop, or for more information, call 1-888-556-8411 or visit www.InvisionYourLife.com.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

It's official: I'm BC's new Regional Director of PWAC

2010-02-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

To all of you who have been anxiously awaiting the verdict on my quest to become regional director for British Columbia of the Professional Writers' Association of Canada (PWAC), wait no longer - It's official.

I'm now undertaking the task of bringing myself up to speed with an organization of which I've been a member but not necessarily an active one for two years. My first real task will be to attend a weekend-long board meeting in Montreal later this month, after which I hope to have a better grasp on what's going on and what my role will be.

As an aside, I've also fallen into the role of communications co-chair, which comes ith its own set of requirements that I'll have to wade through at some point.

So yes, I am the PWAC's BC RD (for all you acronym fans) and will be so at least until the AGM in June (one more acronym for you!).

So thank you to the Academy, to God and to all my supporters. And in case none of you actually exist, then thank-you Mom!

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

4 Tips for Money-Making Direct Mail

2010-01-29T08:12:00.000-08:00

Writing for direct mail isn’t the same as blogging, or writing the great Canadian novel. Direct mail has a specific purpose – usually convincing the reader to hand over his or her hard-earned cash for your product or service – and there are proven techniques for making it work.

It would be impossible to explain all the intricacies of writing a winning direct mail piece, but here are a few tips to help steer you in the right direction:

1. Begin your writing on the envelope. A brief “teaser” on the envelope can go a long way toward persuading the reader to open it. Because remember, zero per cent of all mailings that don’t get opened result in sales.

2. Write about the reader, not about your company or product. Sure, you do have to mention what it is you’re selling at some point, but do it in a way that emphasizes benefits rather than features. For example, you’re not selling a shoe with an air-cushion sole; you’re selling relief from aching feet.

3. Offer something for free. “Order now and get my free report!” “Let’s meet for coffee – on us!” “Call now for a free trial!”

4. Include a postscript (P.S.) where you re-state your offer. Studies have shown that when people read letters, they read the salutation first and the postscript second. So state your main benefit, your call to action and, if possible, some sort of guarantee.

To learn more about how you can use direct mail to turbo-charge your marketing, or if you'd like help with any of your marketing materials, please call 250.702.1103 for a free consultation.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

How to Boost Your Profits With Direct Mail

2010-01-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

January to March is the most profitable time of the year to launch a direct mail marketing campaign, according to Jay Conrad Levinson, best-selling author of Guerilla Marketing. So what are you waiting for?

Here's why direct mail is one of the most valuable tools at your disposal:

1. It's easy to track, meaning that you can see very clearly the response rate to a particular campaign.
2. You can target any specific market and personalize your message like crazy.
3. It's cheap as borscht, costing as little as 13 cents per prospect.
4. Done properly, you can achieve some of the highest response rates of any form of marketing.

To help you get started, I've compiled five tips to creating a successful direct mail campaign and 3 valuable tools to get you started.

5 tips for making the most of your direct mail campaign:

1. Ensure that you’re targeting the right audience. If you don’t know your target market, it’s time to give it some serious thought. Remember, if you try to speak to everyone you usually end up speaking to no one.

2. Send a letter along with your rack card or promo piece. Mailings with letters are more personal, and they almost always outpull mailings without letters.

3. Make your envelope (or subject line on an email) interesting. Zero per cent of mailings that don’t get opened result in sales.

4. Success in direct mail comes with the cumulative effect of repeat mailings. Make each mailing distinct, but always drive home your key message or branding.

5. Always, always ALWAYS tell the recipient what to do next. “Call now,” “Visit our Web Site” or “Download our free guide” are examples of what’s known as the “call to action.” It seems obvious, but too many advertisers forget this crucial ingredient.

And now a few tools to get you started:

1. CanadaPost.com – Your friends at Canada Post will help you hone in on your target market, make your mailing stand out from the rest, and give you detailed pricing information.

2. Me! I’m a professional marketing copywriter, and I can help you craft your marketing letter or direct mail pieces so that they speak directly to your target market in language that will compel them to buy, Buy, BUY! Call me at 250.702.1103 for a free 30-minute consultation.

3. If you decide to do it yourself, check out "4 Tips for Writing Money-Making Direct Mail."

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

I'd Like to be BC's Regional Director of the Professional Writers' Association of Canada (PWAC)

2010-01-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

The BC Regional Director position with the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) has become vacant, and I've decided to throw my hat in the ring.

Why? Because I think I can help provide a fresh perspective on the issues surrounding PWAC.

I'm always following the discussions that go back and forth on the PWAC business listserve, and the thing that keeps coming up again and again is the need for writers to gain recognition as respected professionals, and to be treated as such. What's needed in a lot of ways is a change in perspective, as contractors need to recognize the value of professional writing and aspiring writers need to recognize the value of their own talents.

There are too many bad contracts (see badwritingcontracts.ca), too many disrespectful editors, too many rights-hungry publishers and too many starving writers wiling to prostitute themselves for a byline.

Although I've spent time as a freelance journalist, I now run a full-time copywriting business. As a marketer, I think I may be able to provide some insight on how PWAC could better promote the respect of professional writers. And hey, if I'm able to contribute in other ways, that would be icing on the cake!

I'm not saying that I could necessarily do a better job than other PWACers who may be considering the posting. I'd just like the opportunity to try. I don't have a lot of board experience, but I have worked with a board of directors as marketing coordinator with Comox Valley Tourism and I did sit in on several Tourism Vancouver Island board meetings. I also started up a nationally incorporated charity several years back.

I'm excited about the opportunity to become more involved with PWAC and I really think this could be a great opportunity to give back.

I'm currently seeking nomination by two PWAC members, and I'll keep you posted on my progress.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

The Most Diverting Direct Mail Letter Ever Written

2009-12-17T10:35:00.001-08:00

Diverting, sure.... But entertaining as heck!

click here to read

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Jackson & Associates Unveils New Web Site!

2009-12-16T10:25:00.001-08:00

Jackson & Associates (Property Appraisers) in Courtenay has just unveiled its slick new web site. Architexture did the design and I wrote the content.

Check it out at www.ComoxValleyAppraisers.com!

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Mad Chef Café Serves Up ‘Insane Food With Attitude!’

2009-12-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

If you’re crazy about great food, then the new Mad Chef Café, which opened November 30 in downtown Courtenay, will make you absolutely insane!

Owner Kevin Munroe, the Mad Chef himself, wants to shake up the Comox Valley’s dining scene, and the Mad Chef Café’s eclectic menu and feisty attitude is already off to a good start.

Munroe’s lunch and dinner menu features original creations like “Tongue Tantalizing Tiny Tuna Tacos,” a hearty soup known as “Sweet Curry Meets Fruit Fury” and a massive meat-lover’s clubwich appropriately named “Animals Taste Good.”

Munroe is especially proud of his selection of 10 different burgers – er, I mean “Crazy Mental Psychotic Insane Mad Chef Burgers” – which include chicken, duck, lamb, seafood and vegetarian varieties. Then there are the seven ciabatta-bread pizzas, including the “Hawaiian Hammer,” the “Double Ducker” and the “Chicken Chicka Wow Wow.” And you can’t leave without trying the Mad Chef’s “kick-ass beer cheese.”

“It’s insane food with attitude,” says Munroe, a red seal chef who’s worked the kitchens of Valley hot spots like Atlas Café, the Kingfisher Resort and the Pier Bistro. “It’s not your ordinary menu. It’s not Italian, it’s not Mexican, it’s just awesome food with no pretension.”

Breakfast offerings include a selection of puff pastry-wrapped “Boom Boom Bennies” and freshly baked treats like espresso cinnamon buns with caramel macchiato icing. The Mad Chef has even prepared a special menu for the young’uns, and every kid gets a special chef’s hat to colour and wear at home.

Even the drink selection goes beyond the ordinary. A full espresso bar serves up hot drinks like Mad Mists and Mad Mochas and, in addition to beers, wines and coolers, the Mad Chef has pioneered the Cotton Candy Martini, which is actually made with real cotton candy. Just rip it, dip it and sip it.

“We believe in fun dining,” says co-owner Shelley Bouchard. “There’s nothing worse than going out to a restaurant where you just don’t feel comfortable, where you have to watch how you sit and which fork you use. This isn’t that kind of place. It’s a place where you can relax, be yourself and just enjoy great food with great friends.”

Other ways the Mad Chef Café is shaking things up is by offering free downtown delivery and pioneering a slightly eccentric “Mad Chef Wear” clothing line.

Chef Munroe’s unique line of “clothing with attitude,” available exclusively at the Mad Chef Café, features such memorable captions as “Tofu Ninjas Kick Ass.” The graphic depicts three SpongeBob-esque tofu nuggets kicking, punching and hurling carrot nunchuks at a defenseless donkey.

Let the insanity begin.

The Mad Chef Café is located at 492 Fitzgerald Avenue, just off Fifth. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 to late on Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 250-871-7622 or visit www.MadChefCafe.net.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Subscribe for FREE to my new Marketing Newsletter!

2009-11-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

I've been busy this week preparing content for my brand new Marketing Newsletter. The first issue is going to be released right after the holidays, and it's going to be great!

The focus of issue #1 will be how to boost your profits using direct mail. Why would I be writing about direct mail in the middle of the wet, cold winter? I have a very good reason....which I'll explain in the newsletter!

Simply click here to sign up for free!

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Executive Coaching Gaining Popularity in Comox Valley

2009-11-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Local professionals are starting to discover what the world’s top executives already know – that they can achieve their goals faster, raise their profits higher and take their careers further through executive coaching.

It wasn’t long ago that hiring a coach to improve business performance was regarded as a sign of failure – if you needed a coach, you must be in some sort of trouble. Today, however, executive coaching is a billion dollar industry, and corporations are increasingly making routine coaching a core component of executive development.

“Large corporations have realized that working with an executive coach is one of the simplest ways to improve productivity from their key personnel and achieve their organizational goals,” says Lori Hurst, a Certified Executive Coach based in the Comox Valley. “IBM had more than 60 coaches on staff as far back as 2005, and they’re not a company known for throwing away their money!”

Here in the Comox Valley and throughout Vancouver Island, says Hurst, more and more professionals are starting to use coaching to find creative solutions to new challenges, more effectively manage their time and increase their profits.

“Coaching is all about overcoming obstacles and achieving your goals while maintaining a healthy life/work balance,” says Hurst. “If you feel like you’ve reached a plateau, or you’re already successful but want to take that success to the next level, then an executive coach can help you get there.”

Lynne Brown, Chief Operating Officer of the United Way’s Central and Northern Vancouver Island division, hired Hurst last spring to help her through a turbulent transition period, and she’s been working with the Valley-based coach ever since.

“Our agency was in the process of expanding and it was difficult to focus our priorities and figure out where to put our energies,” says Brown. “There was so much coming at us from so many different directions that I was just a little bit frantic! The time with Lori really made me focus and forced me to think about my goals and priorities, and that was incredibly useful.

“Sometimes you need that outside person to hold you accountable,” says Brown. “Personally, I think it’s an excellent process that most people could benefit from. It’s a way of bringing yourself to where you want to be, and it’s worth every penny!”

To learn more about executive coaching and how it may benefit you or your company, call 250-898-5674 or visit www.LoriHurstCoaching.com.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

This Vancouver Island-born product will make our oceans greener!

2009-11-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

I recently had the pleasure of working with Bob Elliott, co-creator of the FORS Bilge Oil Collector. This device is going to keep thousands of gallons of oil out of our oceans. Very cool stuff, and if you're a boat operator, you need to check this out.

By the way, I also wrote the copy for their new web site (designed by Havers Design). Check it out at www.ForsOilRecovery.com.

Island company launches world’s first eco-friendly bilge oil collector

A small Vancouver Island company has pioneered an innovative device that proponents say could prevent millions of litres of oil from entering the world’s oceans.

Fast Oil Recovery Systems (FORS), based in Qualicum Beach, will officially launch sales of its Bilge Oil Collector at this month’s Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle. The unassuming device, which is no larger than a box of mandarin oranges, is being hailed as the first truly eco-friendly solution to one of the world’s most damaging marine pollutants.

“Bilge oil has been killing marine wildlife and polluting our oceans for far too long,” says Bob Elliott, vice-president of FORS and the visionary behind the Bilge Oil Collector. “Our goal is to stop bilge oil pollution entirely by making it more convenient and cost effective for boat operators to protect the environment than to damage it.”

Bilge oil is generally a mixture of heavy fuel and lubricant oil that leaks out of a ship’s inboard engine and collects in the bilge, where it mixes with run-off water that must be somehow decontaminated before being pumped overboard.

Regulations have long been in place to prevent the discharge of oily water into the environment, including strict new U.S. Coast Guard standards for bilge oil/water separators that take effect November 12. Still, illegally dumped bilge oil accounts for four times the pollution of all the world’s oil spills and kills an estimated 300,000 seabirds every year off the eastern coast of Canada alone, according to the World Wildlife Federation.

“If one single drop of bilge oil enters our oceans, that’s too much,” says Elliott, noting that a spill the size of a quarter is enough to kill a bird.

Traditional methods for removing oil from bilge water, including absorbent pads and special filters, can cost boat operators more than $2,000 every year. While these systems do remove oil effectively, says Elliott, they’re expensive, and the oil-soaked pads and filters generally end up in a landfill where they continue to degrade the environment for years.

The FORS Bilge Oil Collector removes 99.9 per cent of the oil in a ship’s bilge and is the first system that actually collects the oil for recycling as a valuable resource. The device, which runs on solar power, can be programmed to automatically remove up to about eight litres of oil a day and requires no maintenance other than periodically emptying the reservoir.

“What’s unbelievable is that no one thought of this sooner,” says Elliott. “The Bilge Oil Collector generally pays for itself in just six months, and each unit is going to keep thousands of litres of oil out of our oceans and landfills over the course of its lifetime.

“The Coast Guard continually upgrades its environmental regulations to reflect advances in technology,” he adds. “I wouldn’t be surprised if, a few years from now, it’s illegal to throw oil-soaked pads into a landfill rather than recycle them.”

To learn more about the FORS Bilge Oil Collector, visit www.ForsOilRecovery.com or call 250-616-7817.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Check Out My Latest Web Sites

2009-11-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

Check out the latest web sites I built, one for Lori Hurst Professional Coaching and the other for Cumberland Veterinary Clinic.

I started offering "SEO Web Design" as a value-added service a couple of months ago and so far it's been going really well. My goal isn't to compete with professional web developers and designers, but to give my clients a more affordable option if they don't have a large budget for a web site and they just need something simple that works.

Basically what I tell them is that if they want a fancy, beautiful web site then I'd be happy to recommend a designer. But if they just need something that looks professional, is user-friendly, speaks directly to their target market and will get good results from the search engines, then I can help them out. By bundling professional writing, Search Engine Optimization and site design, they're able to get a good deal on a web site that works!

Anyways, check out Cumberland Veterinary Clinic and Lori Hurst Professional Coaching.
I wrote all of the copy and designed and built the sites themselves:

www.LoriHurstCoaching.com

www.cumberlandvet.ca

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

This is one enthusiastic copywriter!

2009-11-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

Here's a brief video of a young copywriter from Colorado talking about what you need to be a good writer. You're not going to learn all the ins and outs, or even just the ins, but this guy's entertaining and you might pick something up.

If nothing else, his enthusiasm might help you through your Monday.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Zen Health Haven Offers Healing for Mind, Body & Soul

2009-10-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

Zen Health Haven, Courtenay’s first and only fully integrated holistic wellness centre, celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, introducing Valley residents to a wealth of holistic health practitioners under one roof.

Visitors met the centre’s six holistic healthcare providers, who offer more than 12 different therapies within the 280-square metre centre. They also got the chance to tour the facility, which includes a central meeting and meditation room – The Haven – complete with skylight and ideal for workshops, yoga classes and quiet reflection.

The new owners of Zen Zero Juice Fountain, just next door, offered special discounts and free shots of wheatgrass juice during the event.

“What we’ve created is a welcoming space where people can find a complementary approach to solving health issues or simply maintaining wellness,” explains Peter Morrow, who co-founded the centre this summer with his wife Christine Ringer-Morrow. “What makes us unique is that we’re offering an integrated format, incorporating several different treatment options to better meet the needs of each individual.”

The therapies offered at the Zen Health Haven are wide-ranging, but they all have one thing in common – they take a holistic approach to optimal health and well-being.

Morrow, a health practitioner for more than 10 years, offers both live cell microscopy, where he identifies health issues by analyzing a single drop of blood, as well as an innovative new therapy called psychosomatic energetics (PSE). Pioneered in Austria by medical and naturopathic doctors, PSE finds and treats energy blocks in the autonomic nervous system that cause physical and emotional disharmony. Morrow is one of only 35 practitioners in North America trained in PSE at the certification level.

Christine Ringer-Morrow provides raw lifestyle nutritional consultations under the name Raw Blessings, and Julie Canning offers a number of preventative treatments including colon hydrotherapy, ionizing foot detoxification, pH analysis and iridology (analysis of the iris). Advanced computerized chiropractic technology, unique to Vancouver Island, is available from Dr. Gregory O. Eisert, and Linda Parker’s Good Vibrations fitness and healing studio features whole-body vibration technology, aromatherapy and infrared massage and sauna treatments.

The Centre even features the Comox Valley’s first “holistic financial planner,” Curtis Scoville, who takes his clients’ values and lifestyle goals into account before coming up with a plan to get them there.

“We’re all working toward giving the people of the Comox Valley the tools to obtain and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” says Morrow. “It’s all about balance. We empower people by giving them individualized treatment programs tailored to their specific needs and the current state of their health. What we offer acknowledges the importance of true health, or healing for the body, mind and soul.”

The Zen Health Haven is located at 407 Fifth Street, beside Zen Zero Juice Fountain, in downtown Courtenay. For more information, to book an appointment or to enquire about joining its team of practitioners, call 250-334-9363.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Why does this interest you?

2009-10-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

I need your help everybody: Here's your backgrounder:

Boats have a bilge that collects water that needs to be pumped out (or else the boat sinks). Usually there is wasted oil mixed with this water that needs to be separated before dumping the water. Traditionally, boat operators have used absorbent pads or filters, which are then sent to a landfill where they continue to degrade the environment.

Now, let's say there's a new product (developed on Vancouver Island) that collects the oil and then stores it so that the oil can be recycled instead of tossed in a landfill. It's a bit more expensive upfront but it saves money in about 6 months by eliminating the need for pads and filters.

Now your questions: Especially if you're not a boat operator, does this interest you? If so, what part of the story interests you? If you were to read about it in a newspaper or magazine, what angle would you like to see taken?

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Are You Green?

2009-10-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

If not, here's a link to some useful tips on reducing your environmental footprint. If you're not already doing at least a few of them, give your head a shake.

http://technorati.com/lifestyle/green/article/ten-steps-closer-to-complete-green/

To learn about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

From Farm to Feast – Local Thanksgiving Turkeys Still Available

2009-10-01T10:03:00.001-07:00

Looking for a succulent local touch to your Thanksgiving feast this weekend?

Tannadice Farms, in Courtenay, still has a few Thanksgiving turkeys available for pre-order. The turkeys, ranging in size from 12 to 25 pounds, are to be processed this weekend and will be ready for pick-up on Saturday, October 10.

Tannadice Farms has long been recognized for its ethical, healthful and sustainable farming methods. Its turkeys, like all of its animals, are ethically raised in the Comox Valley and fed the highest quality grains with no growth hormones, antibiotics or animal by-products.

To order your Tannadice Farms Thanksgiving turkey, or to learn more about Tannadice Farms, call Heather or Allen McWilliam at 250-338-8239.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Do You Accept the New Comox Valley Currency? You Should!

2009-09-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

I've recently joined up with a local group called Community Way that has developed a local currency. This is a terrific initiative that I think everybody in the Comox Valley should learn about. Not only does it strengthen the local economy by encouraging consumers to buy locally, but it helps raise real Canadian cash for local non-profits.

If you're a business, I strongly encourage you to sign up. (I should add here that I have no affiliation with Community Way other than as a participating business)

When you sign up, a donation of Community Way dollars is made to a local charity, and then they can take the initiative to get individuals to make Canadian dollar donations in return for Community Way dollars. So the charity ends up with Canadian dollars for their works, the individual gets great value back in return for a donation, and business owners get more business because they participate in the program.

Sooner or later our fossil-fuel lifestyle bubble is going to burst, and when it does we're going to be thankful that we encouraged our local producers and businesses. Driving down to Wal Mart to buy cheap goods shipped from China simply won't be an option.

What do you think of all this?

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at http://www.ryanparton.ca/.

BodyNetix Brings Hot Yoga, Pilates to Comox Valley

2009-09-17T15:29:00.001-07:00

BodyNetix, one of the ComoxValley’s hottest new businesses, is about to get even hotter.

The Valley’s 2008 New Business of the Year is renovating its Courtenay fitness studio to make room for, among other things, a brand new 93-square metre hot yoga studio.

The new addition will be only the second hot yoga studio in the Comox Valley and will be home to a unique new style of hot yoga classes starting in November.

“Our classes are really going to be tailored to men and women who don’t have a lot of time but who still want to get the fat-burning benefits of hot yoga,” says Chris Ketch, founder and co-owner of BodyNetix.

“Every athlete knows that peak performance occurs only once the body is completely warmed up,” he explains. “The temperature in a hot yoga studio is similar to our own body temperature, which accelerates many of the benefits of regular yoga, like fat loss and increased flexibility. With hot yoga, it’s not uncommon to lose centimeters of fat in a very short time.”

Below the new yoga studio, the expanded BodyNetix will also feature a new studio for Pilates, a series of gentle exercises that, like yoga, helps improve flexibility, strength and balance.

BodyNetix has recently hired well-known local fitness instructor Glenny Whelan to lead its yoga and Pilates classes, which also include a more traditional Hatha style of yoga. Whelan, who has taught yoga, Pilates and fitness classes for more than 20 years, has also created a combined yoga/Pilates fusion class, believed to be the first of its kind in the Comox Valley.

“The fusion class is going to blend together the best elements of yoga and Pilates,” says Carl Ketch, co-owner and head trainer at BodyNetix. “It will be a great introduction for someone who has never tried either, or maybe has tried one but not the other. It’s also going to be perfect for people looking to increase their core strength, improve their balance or build strong, lean muscles without looking like a weightlifter.”

BodyNetix still has space available in three yoga, Pilates and fusion classes in its current space starting in October. After November 1, BodyNetix expects to offer as many as 12 new classes in addition to its popular FitCamps and personal training options.

To learn more, or to register for classes, visit www.bodynetix.ca, call 250-218-0691 or visit the BodyNetix fitness studio at 2260 Cousins Avenue in Tin Town.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Thunderbird Security First in Canada to Use Silver Trac Technology

2009-09-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Comox Valley, BC – Courtenay-based Thunderbird Security has become the first – and only – company in Canada to use a revolutionary new technology called SilverTrac that could change the way business owners think about commercial security.

The innovative software allows Thunderbird Security to offer its clients what no other security company can – 100 per cent accountability and, if necessary, airtight insurance claims.

“The most common concern that we hear from clients is how can they be sure that security guards actually check their premises when they’re supposed to,” says Liam Stackwood, founder and co-owner of Thunderbird Security. “The traditional ‘proof’ is to show a mountain of paperwork documenting your security patrols. But you can manipulate paperwork to say whatever you want.”

While most security companies themselves are reputable, says Stackwood, human nature dictates that there will be times when individual guards don’t perform the services as promised. With the SilverTrac system, Thunderbird Security can now give its clients irrefutable proof that its guards are actually conducting their required security patrols.

Developed in Orange County and introduced in Canada by Thunderbird Security just this summer, the SilverTrac system is as simple as it is innovative. Using a handheld mobile device, a security guard takes a time-stamped photo of a client’s property or premises. That photo is then automatically transferred to an online database that the client can access at any time.

Because individual guards can’t manipulate the photos or the time stamp in any way, the photos serve as an irrefutable record of surveillance to bolster any insurance claim.

“I’ve had clients come to us from other companies with a big stack of paperwork saying that guards had checked their premises, but their alarm system’s log showed that no one had entered the building,” says Stackwood. “It’s a bit of a disgrace, but it’s much more common than most people think. To insurance companies, it’s one big loophole.”

Thunderbird Security is currently in negotiations to become the exclusive SilverTrac licensing agent in Canada. If successful, the company will have exclusive rights to offer the system to other security companies across the country.

In addition to its security applications, the SilverTrac system could bring a number of benefits for other industries as well. In the U.S., for example, property managers use the SilverTrac software to streamline parking and maintenance issues.

For more information on Thunderbird Security or the SilverTrac system, visit www.thunderbirdsecurity.ca or call 250-339-6878.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Want to Network with Fellow Professionals and Help Fight Homelessness in the Comox Valley?

2009-09-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

After checking out similar networking and referral groups like BNI, I've joined the BBRN group as a means to network with other Comox Valley professionals and give back to the community.

BBRN is an informal group that meets once a month over breakfast to chat about our businesses and discuss how we can use our resources to ease the burden of the homeless in the Comox Valley.

We're looking for more professionals to join the group, so if anyone's interested please send me an email at ryan@ryanparton.ca and I can arrange for you to check out a meeting.

Below is a letter sent out by the group's organizers, Scott and Mia Sutherland, explaining the concept of BBRN:

The Business By Referral Network is a group of likeminded businesses people
spearheaded through Mia Sutherland of Dynamic Body Concepts and Scott Suther-
land of Remax Comox. The mandate of the group is threefold: to create a referral
system between businesses within the group who have proven to provide excellent
service and product; to create new and interesting working relationships with other
service oriented businesses; to raise monies for the Action on Homeless as well as
other facets connected to homelessness within the Valley.

Our BBRN group started in January of 2009 and currently has a membership of 18.
Our goal is to increase the number to 30 by the end of 2009. To date we have donated
over $1300 to the Action on Homelessness, which has gone towards housing
as well as stocking the Medicare Van. The Medicare Van is run through the selfless
donation of time on behalf of one doctor, two nurses and a series of drivers.

Twice per year we use some of the additional monies raised through our monthly
dues, to get together as a group, along with spouses, and relax and enjoy each
other on a more informal basis. In August we had our first social function which was
held at TRIA Culinary Studio at Nature’s Way farm. Kathy Jerritt wined and dined
us with her cooking prowess and Pamela Keld sang and played the guitar. We had
a Bluemoon wine tasting and custom crepes to top things off.

Our monthly dues are $20 and they are payable in 6 month increments half of
which goes to The Action on Homelessness and the other half into our celebration
fund. We meet the first Monday of each month at 7:00am at the Whitespot on
Cliffe Ave.

We hope you will join our creative entrepreneurial group and help us fight homelessness
in the Comox Valley.

Mia and Scott Sutherland on behalf of all the members.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services,
visit www.ryanparton.ca.

Copywriting Success Summit 2009

2009-09-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce that I've been invited to attend the Copywriters Success Summit 2009. The Summit is a series of live, online forums held throughout the month of October and features some of the greats in the industry, including Michael Slaunwhite, Peter Bowerman and Michael Stelzner.

I'm looking forward to sharing with my colleagues and clients the wealth of information I'm sure to learn at the summit.

You can learn all about at www.copywritingsummit.com.

2009-08-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hot off the press, I've finally got my first rack card. This card was desgined by my friend Aaron Heppell at Brand and Bridge and printed by Classic Printers in Courtenay. I think it looks amazing. What do you think?