TCLBIZSolutions

March 9 and 11 Social Media Course at TCL

2010-02-23T11:13:00.001-08:00

http://www.tcl.edu/Continuing_Education/socialmedia_000.asp

7 Reasons Every Business Needs to be on Twitter

2010-02-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that Twitter has more than 32 million users, has received massive publicity from both celebrities and government, and produced remarkable results for companies like Dell and Zappos, many business executives still don’t “get” Twitter. Granted, there is an awful lot of noise (“Just got back from the gym…eating pizza again for lunch…watch a Seinfeld rerun”), self-promotion and spam-like content on the world’s most popular microblogging service—and to newbies it can seem like a bizarre online cocktail party where everyone is shouting and no one is listening—but for those who understand and learn to use it effectively, Twitter can be a powerful business tool.

Here are seven reasons every business needs to be on Twitter.

To Interact with Customers

For most business, it’s far easier and more profitable to generate continued or new business from existing customers than it is to acquire new ones. Growing existing customer business requires ongoing communication. Staying in touch with customers on Twitter is not only more real-time than many other techniques, it’s also far more cost-effective than direct mail, attending trade shows, picking up the phone, or even maintaining a customer newsletter. It’s not that Twitter can replace other touchpoints completely of course, but it can reduce the required cost and frequency of high-touch interactions.

To Interact with Prospects

Just as many of your customers are probably on Twitter, so are your prospects. They care far less about your advertising than about what your customers are saying about you, and how you respond. An active Twitter presence enables you to demonstrate strong customer service, rather than just claiming you offer it (after all, who advertises poor customer service?).

To Influence the Influencers

Industry analysts, journalists, bloggers and other influencers from most sectors of the economy are well-represented on Twitter. Tweeting content of your own that will interest them (i.e. not just your marketing materials), retweeting content they post, and engaging in dialog is a great way to get these people talking, and writing, about your company. It’s less formal, more “social” and usually more effective than “cold” outreach.

To Gain Market Intelligence

The fact that customers, prospects and industry thought leaders are all using Twitter make it a valuable tool for monitoring the topics and concerns being discussed. This is a great potential source of new product/service enhancement ideas as well as topics for blog posts, white papers or other content.

To Become a Resource

Prospects don’t care about your products or services—they care about solving their problems. Demonstrating your knowledge of their industry and their challenges, for example by tweeting your thought-leadership blog posts and white papers, makes you a resource they can go to for helpful information. That gives you the opportunity to explain how your products or services can help them, in a consultative fashion.

To Give the Business a Personality

Business websites are, necessarily, one-to-many communication. No matter how compellingly your site presents your value proposition, it’s still formal and impersonal. Twitter is a much more casual and conversational. Again using the example of Zappos, CEO Tony Hsieh has been successful on Twitter by sharing his personality. Unlike a company website, Twitter is immediate, informal and personal.

To Be Part of the Conversation

As noted above, your customers, prospects and key influencers are already having conversations about your industry, your competition—and quite possibly your company—on Twitter. If you aren’t participating in that conversion, you’re missing valuable intelligence, business opportunities, and possibly even the opportunity to prevent damage to your firm’s reputation.

Twitter is far more than a 140-character soapbox for celebrities, spammy “Internet marketers” and the incorrigibly obnoxious. Savvy business tweeters can filter out the cacophony and create valuable dialogs with key participants in their marketplace.

This piece was originally published in the Web Market Central blog.

Proactive Leadership Course- TCL CE.

2010-02-08T08:14:00.001-08:00

TCL's CE Proactive Leadership- March 15-19- Beaufort Campus. More info? www.tcl.edu/cewd. Call me if you need help! 843-470-8405...

Why Generation X has the Leaders We Need Now...

2010-02-08T06:35:00.001-08:00

http://blogs.hbr.org/erickson/2009/07/why_generation_x_has_the_leade.html

Social Media I

2010-02-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

The way we share information and gather business leads has changed exponentially over the past 5 years. Venues such as Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin have made it possible for people to seek out and receive business and product referrals in a matter of seconds. Are you keeping up with what it takes to be successful in this information age? Social Media 1 will provide an overview of the most important aspects of Web 2.0 and show you how to start your own social media accounts and enhance them to attract maximum viewership.

Members of the Social Media 1 class will be expected to establish their own social media accounts and interact through several Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter groups established for the class.

Session 1:

Web 2.0:

•What is Web 2.0?

•How are people using the Internet to share information, referrals, reviews?

•How can you use Web 2.0 to advance your businesses goals?

Facebook:

•What is Facebook?

•Setting up an account

•Best Practices

•Establishing a Fan or Group Page (What are the differences?)

•Using Profiles, Fan Pages and Group Pages to promote business

•Effective promotions

•The most important Apps

•Simple FBML to customize your page (Facebook Markup Language)

•Tagging functions

•Facebook on your mobile

Session 2:

Twitter:

•What can you say in 150 characters?

•Gaining followers

•Customizing your profile

•Autofeeds

•Auto Followers

•Pictures, Video

•Short URLs

•Twitter on your mobile

Linkedin:

•Its use

•Making the most of your profile

•Gaining referrals

•Job searches and hiring

•Group functions

Session 3:

Multimedia:

•Flickr

•YouTube

•Vimeo

•PhotoBucket

Blogging:

•Different blogging services

•Starting and customizing your blog

•What to blog about?

•Incorporating video, photo

•RSS

•Connecting your blog to your other social media

•Promoting your blog

•Keywords

Incorporation:

•Tying all aspects of your Web 2.0 campaign together

•How to do more in less time

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meet your Instructor:

Ian Leslie is director of marketing for the Lowcountry Economic Network.

In his role as marketing director Leslie oversees several social media ventures for the Network, including management of the @lenetwork Twitter account and Industry Appreciation, Lowcountry Economic Network and Pecha Kucha Beaufort fan pages.

Through the Network, his own consulting business and volunteer works Leslie manages social media accounts that reach a combined viewership of more than 3,000 people.

Leslie successfully has used social media as a whole and targeted campaigns to create a viral, underground energy for events and attract attention to local businesses and civic organizations.

Leslie received his bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany in 2001. He worked as a journalist in New York and South Carolina before joining the Network in 2008.

Want to know more about Ian Leslie? You can find him at all of these online locations:

http://www.facebook.com/ianrleslie

http://www.twiiter.com/irleslie

http://flavors.me/ileslie

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irleslie

http://www.vimeo.com/irleslie

Office Etiquette Essentials

2010-01-28T11:19:00.001-08:00

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/office-etiquette-essentials-567545/

Top 10 Lines from Obama's State of the Union Address

2010-01-27T19:16:00.001-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/27/top-10-lines-from-obamas_n_439591.html

TCL Green Building/Training

2010-01-25T08:07:00.000-08:00

Eco-friendly. Green-building. LEED Certification. There are lots of buzz words that go along with green living. There are publications, television shows, webpages and even businesses that are dedicated to making the world "greener". Here at TCL, we are also concerned about the environment and our carbon footprints.

February 4th-13th TCL's Continuing Education division will offer Building Performace Institutes Building Analyst Training. This 40-hour class covers various topic in building science. For more information about this class, contact Amanda Hayman at 843-525-8308 and she will take great care of you.

TCL student gets a Golden Ticket on American Idol!

2010-01-13T18:43:00.001-08:00

http://idolbloglive.com/idolblog/?p=3134

Candace Glover- TCL student makes it to Hollywood on American Idol!

Interacting with people...

2010-01-06T11:44:00.001-08:00

How you treat people when you are at the top, is how they will treat you when you fall

Some statements never expire...

2010-01-06T07:46:00.001-08:00

“Whatever advice you give, be brief” – Horace, Roman Poet and Satirist 65-8 BC.

2010-01-04T07:05:00.001-08:00

Technical College of the Lowcountry

Continuing Education & Workforce Development

Instructors Needed
We are seeking energetic, enthusiastic individuals to share their talents, skills and acquired knowledge with others
Date: Wednesday, January 6,2010- Beaufort Campus

Where: Bldg. 6- Room 108 (next door to BMH)

Time: 6-8pm

Have questions? Call or email me today!

Please pass this information along to your contacts and networks

http://www.tcl.edu/
www.tcl.edu/cewd

6 Tips on Keeping Career Resolutions

2010-01-03T20:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/01/01/cb.career.resolutions.to.keep/index.html

TCL signs off on Whale Branch High's early college program

2009-12-15T16:53:00.001-08:00

The commission for the Technical College of the Lowcountry gave final approval Tuesday to a magnet program at Whale Branch High School that would allow students to earn credits toward an associates degree or college certificate while still in high school.

Valerie Truesdale, superintendent of the county school district, said the program at the Seabrook school, opening next fall, will provide new opportunities for students in a high-poverty area.

"What we're talking about doing is changing the culture for an entire community," Truesdale said. "It's setting the bar high. ... It's saying to those children, 'You can achieve college.' "

TCL president Tom Leitzel said, "The excitement in the community has just grabbed everyone. We're honored to be partnering in this."

Earlier this month, the county Board of Education approved the plan, which allows students to graduate from high school with a college credential from TCL after four years.

The program will serve all students in the designated Whale Branch High attendance area. The attendance area has not yet been established by the school board. Other county students who meet certain benchmarks on TCL's entrance exam will be able to apply.

The school district and TCL will share costs associated with college-level classes. Students will be encouraged to take six hours of college classes -- typically two courses -- each semester so they qualify for S.C. Lottery Tuition Assistance.

TCL hopes to offer at least 10 courses per semester at the Whale Branch campus with 17 students per course. TCL plans to hold evening classes for adults in the area at the school in the fall.

Information about the early college program will be submitted to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in March, said Gina Mounfield, vice president for academic affairs. The association will then schedule a visit to evaluate the program, she said.

Truesdale assured the commission that students in the Whale Branch area and other parts of the county are capable of college-level work. She said the district already has started using a curriculum with an emphasis on science, math, engineering and technology at Whale Branch Middle School to prepare students for the technical programs.

"We can't afford for this thing to fail," said TCL commissioner Bill Bootle.
Commissioner Patricia Green agreed: "For the students, this is their salvation. They need this."

Marchand's legacy: From sleepy Southern port to powerhouse

2009-12-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2009-12-13/marchands-legacy-sleepy-southern-port-powerhouse

Marchand's legacy: From sleepy Southern port to powerhouse

Port chief's 15-year tenure ends with his retirement this month

Posted: December 13, 2009 - 7:18amPhotos

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Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Doug J. Marchand (John Carrington/Savannah Morning News)

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Next Doug Marchand announces during his State of the Ports address in September that he'll step down as executive director of the GPA at the end of the year. (Steve Bisson/Savannah Morning News)

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Next Governor Sonny Perdue thanks Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Doug Marchand, right, for his service to the state for the past 15 years. Marchand announced he was retiring at the State of the Ports address in September. (Steve Bisson/Savannah Morning News)

Advertisement

By Mary Carr Mayle

As executive director of the fourth-largest deepwater container port in the country, Doug Marchand is accustomed to wearing many different hats.

But in the coming year, the 62-year-old Marchand, who will retire at the end of this month, is going to try on a few different ones - golfer, fisherman, gardener.

"I've always wanted to try my hand at gardening but never had the time before," he said. "I'm really a frustrated vegetable farmer at heart."

That being the case, there's one thing you can be sure of, said Georgia Port's board chairman Steve Green.

"If Doug Marchand plants a vegetable garden, you can bet it will be the highest producing, most efficient garden in the neighborhood," Green said, laughing. "It will grow the biggest pumpkins and the juiciest tomatoes, all in perfectly straight rows.

"Doug puts his heart and soul into everything he undertakes. He doesn't do anything halfway."

Indeed, since his arrival in Savannah from the Port of Galveston, Texas, in 1995, Marchand has been widely credited with taking Savannah's deepwater terminal from a sleepy Southern port to an international powerhouse.

"When Doug first got here, we were a relatively small port as far as containers go," said longtime GPA board member Hugh M. Tarbutton of Sandersville. "And coming from Galveston, which is known more for grain and breakbulk, Doug hadn't had a lot of experience with containers, either.

"But Doug Marchand has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to seeing the big picture," Tarbutton said. "He was absolutely the right man at the right time for Georgia Ports.

"What he's done in the last 15 years is truly remarkable. He's made us a world-class player."

Gov. Sonny Perdue agreed.

"Doug Marchand's commitment to innovation has earned Georgia recognition throughout the international shipping industry," Perdue said in September, when Marchand announced his retirement.

If you build it ...

Marchand is credited with developing the beneficial cargo owner or port retail concept in the maritime industry. His strategy increased the number of distribution warehouses in proximity to the port and leveraged the presence of shipping customers to attract such international retail customers as Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Ikea and others.

"Doug had the vision, which he turned into a strategy, which he turned into results," said Rick Winger, president of the Savannah Economic Development Authority. "We've been in lock-step with that vision pretty much from the beginning."

As Marchand began wooing shippers, Dick Knowlton, Winger's predecessor at SEDA, began looking at the need to acquire large tracts of land to offer those shippers warehousing and distribution center services. And Crossroads Business Park was born.

A dozen years later, the Port of Savannah has grown to become the fourth-largest container port in the nation and is recognized as the fastest growing container port in America, Perdue said.

It's a ranking made all the more impressive considering that only the mega-ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California and the massive, multi-terminal complex that is the New York/New Jersey Port Authority do more container business than Savannah.

No stone unturned

During Marchand's 15-year tenure, the number of containers shipped through the Port of Savannah has quadrupled, from 600,000 in fiscal year 1995 to 2.4 million last year.

But he wasn't simply sitting back, watching the numbers grow.

He also implemented the industry's first customer-focused operation protocol.

"The worst thing we could possibly do is become complacent," Marchand said earlier this week.

Complacency is the last thing port stakeholders have come to expect from Marchand.

"Doug never leaves a stone unturned when it comes to attracting cargo to Georgia," said Robert Morris, GPA's director of external affairs.

"He instilled in us a drive to make Savannah No. 1, and we've come darn close."

Morris said Marchand is able to focus on all aspects of day-to-day operations while never losing sight of the big picture.

And Marchand's big picture is an ambitious one - his 2015 Plan, a major $1 billion capital improvement blueprint begun in 2005, is designed to expand the Port of Savannah's container capacity from 2.5 million to 6 million.

Those who know Marchand well say there's little doubt he will leave the port with the tools necessary to achieve that goal.

A broader reach

Marchand's influence extends beyond Georgia's deepwater ports, Green said.

"Doug's focus and determination to attract cargo to Savannah and his successful implementation of a customer-focused operation have not only helped GPA attract some of the retail industry's largest and most dynamic players, it set new standards for the shipping and maritime industry," Green said.

Case in point: Four years ago, the Port of New York/New Jersey launched the Portfields Initiative, a project to develop a system of distribution warehouses patterned after Savannah's successful operation.

Joe Bonney agreed.

"Doug has an excellent reputation throughout the port and shipping industry," said Bonney, executive editor of the Journal of Commerce, the definitive trade publication of the shipping world.

"He's well-liked and well-respected - I've never heard anyone say a negative word about him - and he's delivered results.

"Doug took over when Savannah had just lost half its cargo base after U.S. Lines went bankrupt. He and his staff were able to replace that business and expand on it. He cultivated good relationships with customers and oversaw the planning of modern facilities and a strong operations and marketing team," Bonney said.

"Savannah is internationally regarded as a successful, soundly managed port, and Doug can claim a lot of the credit."

THE MARCHAND FILE Title: Executive Director, Georgia Ports Authority since 1995. Education: Graduate of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Family: Married to Brenda Marchand and a father of two, son Jack and daughter Kristen. KEY GPA ACCOMPLISHMENTS: -- Grew the Port of Savannah to the nation's fourth-largest container port. -- Quadrupled the number of containers handled by GPA. -- Nearly quadrupled the number of auto and machinery units imported and exported by GPA. -- Under his leadership, the port supported 286,786 jobs, contributed $2.8 billion in state taxes and reported $14.9 billion in income. -- Created the Beneficial Cargo Owner concept, which increased the number of distribution warehouses and leveraged the presence of GPA's ocean carrier customers to attract international retail customers such as Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Ikea and others. -- Implemented an industry-first customer focus operation protocol. -- Led GPA to financial self-sufficiency.

-- Led the charge to deepen the Savannah River channel from 42 feet to 48 feet to accommodate the larger ships that will call on the port once the Panama Canal Expansion is completed in 2014.

Begun more than 10 years ago, GPA's $545 million Savannah Harbor Expansion Project - by far the largest and most open civil works project in the history of the region - is now awaiting a series of final approvals.

Source: Georgia Ports Authority

TCL to consider Whale Branch college magnet plan Tuesday

2009-12-13T06:45:00.001-08:00

Applications for the proposed early college magnet program at Whale Branch High School, opening next fall in Seabrook, will be available in January if the Technical College of the Lowcountry Commission approves the project at its meeting Tuesday.

The Beaufort County Board of Education gave final approval to the project earlier this month after district staff detailed anticipated costs, projected enrollment, courses of study and a timeline for launching the program.

The college and district boards gave initial approval in September to a model that will compress the time it takes students to earn a high school diploma and complete the first two years of college. The plan would allow students to graduate from high school with a diploma and an associate's degree or college certificate from TCL after four years.

Anticipated Costs

Courses offered through the early college program will be free to students, said Sean Alford, the district's instructional services chief. The school district and TCL will pay costs associated with college-level classes.

Students will be encouraged to take six hours of college classes each semester so they qualify for S.C. Lottery Tuition Assistance, Alford said. With the lottery assistance, the cost per student for six credit hours -- usually two courses -- is $115.

TCL will cover most administrative costs for college courses taught by a Whale Branch teacher at Whale Branch High. The district will pay to send students to the TCL campus for classes.

Whale Branch High will offer college-level classes on-site if there is a sufficient demand, Alford said. But most students will have to travel to TCL at some point for higher-level classes that are too expensive to duplicate at Whale Branch.

The district listed other costs affiliated with the program in its report to the board:

• $12,096 per year to bus students three times a week to TCL's Beaufort campus.

• About $100 per student per class for college-level textbooks. The books will be reused.

• $40,000 for staff, transportation, supplies and janitorial services during a summer readiness program for an estimated 120 students.

Projected enrollment

The early college program will be open to any county student that exceeds certain benchmarks on TCL's entrance exam, Alford said.

The program will serve all students in the designated Whale Branch High School attendance area, which has not yet been approved by the school board. Public information sessions on high school attendance zones will be scheduled early next year before the board draws the boundaries.

The projected population for the school is 423 students in grades nine through 11 for the 2010-11 school year. Whale Branch High will not serve seniors during its first year.

The school's capacity is 650, and the district expects enrollment to grow to 645 students by 2013.

Alford said he expects a small number of students from the southern part of the county will apply for the early college program, based on responses during parent information sessions in the Bluffton area.

Transportation plans for those students will depend on how many students from the southern Beaufort County apply, he said.

Summer preparation

Alford said the TCL entrance exam will be administered to some eighth-graders this month and next to give the district an idea of how many students will be ready to begin college-level classes next fall.

Students must score at a certain level to be admitted to the early college program, but aren't required to pass the test as an eighth-grader. Students must pass the entrance exam before they can beginning earning college credit, however.

Career counseling and academic coaching services will be offered to help high school students pass the entrance exam and complete college-level work, Alford said.

"The whole focus of the organization is going to be access to post-secondary study," Alford said. "If we can start them off in college now, the odds are they'll continue."

Rising ninth-graders will be required to participate in a readiness class during June and July The program -- from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday -- will include classes in math, writing, reading, technology and college and career readiness, as well as college visits to schools in South Carolina and Georgia.

Students probably will need to take summer classes each year to earn enough credits for a full associate's degree, Alford said.

Holiday Inn Beaufort Grand Re-Opening- Tonight 5-7

2009-12-08T09:04:00.001-08:00

Holiday Inn Beaufort Grand Re-Opening TONIGHT 5-7 p.m. Check out their new look & enjoy complimentary food & drinks. http://bit.ly/91iTJD

Boeing plant could mean boost for SC defense industry

2009-11-24T07:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.islandpacket.com/1482/story/1044829.html

5 Ways to Run a Great Meeting

2009-11-24T07:09:00.001-08:00

http://www.hodu.com/meetings-management.shtml

TCL Cont. Ed Perspective Teacher Open Houses

2009-11-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder: If you have a special skills or talent and want to teach others, attend TCL's Cont. Ed. Teacher Open House Dec 1- New River or Dec 2- Beaufort. 6-9p for both events

10 Green Start-Ups to Watch

2009-11-16T10:29:00.001-08:00

http://www.fastcompany.com/pics/10-green-startups-watch?slide=0

Five Ways You'll Fumble Your Pitch

2009-11-11T13:19:00.001-08:00

http://blogs.forbes.com/boost_your_business/

I Love Local Commercials

2009-11-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

I Love Local Commercials

Continuing Ed course information- 2009-2010

2009-11-10T10:29:00.001-08:00

http://www.tcl.edu/Continuing_Education/documents/dates_for_website.pdf

Tech Gadgets for $299 and under...

2009-11-10T08:09:00.001-08:00

Stay connected, be more productive and the envy of all your friends and co-workers- check it out below...

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/technology/0911/gallery.holiday_gadgets/index.html?cnn=yes