Getting to know Wesley House

On January 4, 2015January 18, 2015 By charminfothIn North Knoxville Business3 Comments

This is the first of several interview snippets about Wesley House in Knoxville, Tennessee. The organization helps children and senior citizens in the community. In this interview with Tim Adams, we learn about how Wesley House started.

To learn more about their ministry visit http://www.wesleyhouse.com.

The North Knoxville Business and Professional Association members can now be interviewed and use the video created to bring more awareness to their business.

For more information about becoming a member visit northknoxvillebpa.org or email nkbpa.info@gmail.com.

This video was produced by Charmin Foth and the North Knoxville Business & Professional Association to learn more about this business organization visit http://www.northknoxvillebpa.org

Video interviews come to On a Roll

On January 4, 2015January 18, 2015 By charminfothIn North Knoxville BusinessLeave a comment

Hello readers,

I have been a member of the North Knoxville Business and Professional Association for over 10 years. It is a wonderful business and networking group in Knoxville, TN. I have been a board member for a number of years, but this year I am the communications chairperson. At a recent board meeting, we discussed ways to bring more value to our members. I offered to use some of my talents to promote our members in a unique new way at no charge.

I am creating video interviews with our members and posting them here on my blog, on YouTube and on the NKBPA’s Facebook page and website. Members will also have access to the videos to use on their websites and other social media. I hope you will enjoy this new series.

If you are a member of the North Knoxville Business and Professional Association and would like to schedule and interview please contact me at charminfoth@gmail.com. If you are not a member and would like to learn more visit http://www.northknoxvillebpa.org.

A few things you should know:

The interview process takes about an hour to an hour and a half
It needs to take place in a quiet area with no distractions (so usually after working hours)
Once you set your interview date, you will receive a list of sample questions to think about
No need to be self-conscious, it’s as easy as sitting down and chatting with me
If you have photos to highlight your business, please feel free to send me the jpeg files before we interview.
If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask.
Are you a member of the NKBPA? Join now to take advantage of this great opportunity.

Happy Thanksgiving…

On November 27, 2014January 18, 2015 By charminfothIn encouragementLeave a comment

Berries and a thanksgiving wish — Wishing you a very blessed Thanksgiving

Face Painting for Fun or Fund-raising

On October 31, 2014October 31, 2014 By charminfothIn Face Painting, HalloweenLeave a comment

Facepainting, fundraising, Tiger face, Transformer face — Tigers and Transformers if you can imagine it, you can paint it.

October is the time of year when even adults like to play “dress up.” Of course, kids like to let their imaginations go any time of year, and that’s what makes face painting such a great fund-raising activity. It is a wonderful way for kids to become their favorite comic book hero or sparkle like a Disney princess for the day .

I taught myself the art of face painting during my time as editor of the Knoxville Focus Newspaper. We wanted to do something fun that the kids would enjoy during the Fountain City Easter Egg Hunt. We had tons of children line up, and I painted faces until everyone went home. It was so much fun.

Now I won’t lie, I do have an art background but this isn’t the Sistine Chapel, it’s usually a first grader who wants to look like an action hero or sparkle with glitter. Kids are not critical. They just want to have fun with it. If you mess up, say “oops”, use a baby wipe and start over. At first I did designs that didn’t require much expertise, like smiley faces and bunny noses with whiskers, but as I became accustomed to the materials I began to try new things. I scoured the internet for ideas and came up with some of my own designs as well. Now I can make you look like Spiderman, SpongeBob or a tiger on the prowl.

Many face painters use pancake theatre makeup, which I think requires more skill to “paint” the designs on and is more expensive. I personally enjoy using a combination of theatre makeup, face painting “crayons” and my favorite “Wet and Wild” eyeliner pencils in a wide array of colors. I also paint “tattoos” on arms and legs using a face painting markers that are a little less likely to rub off than the greasepaint.

All of these are non-toxic, but be aware, they can stain clothing, much like any other makeup. If a child wipes his/her face on their shirt after it’s painted the greasepaint may stain, so it is always good to let the parents know upfront. My favorite method of removing greasepaint from clothing is to spritz it with peroxide before throwing it in the washer. It is cheap and effective. Peroxide also makes a great disinfectant to clean your “crayons” and brushes. I use disposable antibacterial wipes and sponges too.

If you need a face painter at your next event give me a shout. You can email me at charminfoth@gmail.com, but if you are feeling adventurous, give it a try. It washes off.

Finding the right social media fit

On October 11, 2014 By charminfothIn encouragement, North Knoxville Business, Social MediaLeave a comment

I recently gave a social media presentation to a group of small business owners. The topic, selecting the right social media for your business.

For those who are not tech savvy, or fans of the latest whizbangs and widgets, social media can be a puzzle. So many mediums to choose from can be overwhelming, to say the least.

The world of social media. So many choices, so little time.

So how do you choose? How do you sift through the swirling vortex of 1s and 0s in cyberspace?

My advice is to start with a plan.

Ask yourself:
What are your goals, what do you expect to gain from social media? Brand awareness? Customer retention? Customer service? Sales funnel?

While social media platforms may be free, your time is valuable. How much time do you want to invest in your social media image?

Look at your business model? Is your product of visual interest or are you selling services? A visual business such as an art gallery might do well on Pinterest or Instagram. While a service such as tax preparation might excel on LinkedIn or Facebook. A restaurant might be able to use both Pinterest, FourSqare, Urban Spoon and Yelp. Knowing how you want to present yourself and your business will be a key factor in selecting the right social media platform to utilize.

However, being comfortable in a platform speaks volumes. You could create a presence on all of the mediums I mentioned above but if you are not comfortable using them, you will not. I suggest creating a personal profile and getting to know the medium before you put your business out there. Get some interaction going, a sense of community and be consistent.

In social media, consistency is key. It is better to have a consistent presence than to have an abandoned profile your potential customers could be viewing. So, knowing how will you maintain your presence is huge.

A few quick tips for posting:
Be nice.
Be pleasant.
Be genuine.
Don’t be “salesy”
Respond promptly.
Pay attention to the details.
When posting events, remember – the 5 “Ws” – who, what, when, where and why.
Post as if your mother were reading every line.

My mama always told me, if you do not have anything nice to say, do not say anything.

As a final note: if you plan on having someone else maintain your image, make sure they know your business inside and out and that you trust them, not only online, but with your reputation. It is your business they represent. That is a whole other can of worms. Maybe that will be a post for another time.

Thanks for reading. If you liked it, please share it.

Charmin