| X-CUBE 092501 v.2.i.8
X-CUBE is a free E-zine, produced by Out of the Box Marketing Strategies,
Inc., to provide small, minority and women-owned firms in the A/E/C industry
with helpful marketing and business information.
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We at Out of the Box Marketing Strategies, Inc. are still in
mourning…for our fellow citizens, for a way of life as we knew it, for a
set back in humanity and civility. But our clients have told us to get on
with life (however altered it may be) and to keep working. Plus, we have
been bolstered by the myriad heroic efforts and kindness of strangers we
have seen all over NYC since September 11th. Since we were based downtown we
have been without internet access until today. Hence, this issue of X-CUBE
is pretty bare. But we hope you’ll find something that is interesting or
helpful to you just the same.—X—VISIONING!!! The «Come Share Your
Vision Event» at Aaron Davis Hall on September 21st was a big success!
We are honored to have been involved in the effort to rethink the public
spaces at the 135th Street entrance to City College.—X— READ ON!!! Read
on for more of the crazy intersection between Marketing, Design, Technology,
Business and the belovedly quirky New York City scene!
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This issue includes:
* Marketing Know How: Go Straight To It!
* Out and About – What’s Buzzing with A/E/C
* Diversity News
* Cyber scene – Events and Factoids for the Digitally Inclined
* X-Squared – Technology Know How for Small Biz Folk
* Industry Events
* Marketing Article: follow the web link(s)
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Marketing Know How: Go Straight To It!
—X—
Last year I had lunch with a business development pro from a successful
interiors construction firm. She was dressed like Joan Crawford and was
toting a fur coat. As the Vice President of Business Development for her
firm, she is responsible for making new contacts, staying in touch with
existing and old clients and — of course — bringing in new business. Her
approach would make a genteel architect blanche. «I don’t fool
around,» she said, «I call up and ask for the top guy and I tell ‘em
what we do and I ask for an appointment.» And she usually gets the
appointment. (If she doesn’t she calls back once a month until she does.)
When she walks in, the first thing she says is «Do you have any
business for me?» It’s true, she plays golf and makes the networking
rounds but it is her straight forward approach that clients find refreshing.
«I just go straight to it!,» she says with the accent of a NY Real
Estate mogul. And I had the opportunity of seeing her in action. She invited
me to her company’s holiday party, held in a charming Italian gentleman’s
club in the Village (complete with a riffle range and cigar-cutting
bartenders). When I walked in the party was in full swing and the clients
were impressive! There in the middle of everything, was our BD heroine,
speaking to each of her incoming client guests. She would stare into their
eyes as if they were the only person in the room. I overheard her: «How
are we doing? Have we been performing well? That’s great! What projects are
coming down the pipes? When can we send in our bid? What is our next
project?» As I watched the clients leaving the party at the end of the
evening, I noticed they were all smiling, having enjoyed a wonderful
evening. Lessons learned: let your clients know you appreciate them. Get
straight to the point. Go straight to It!
Sans kinks,
Elizabeth Geary-Archer
President
Out of the Box Marketing Strategies, Inc.
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Out and About – What’s Buzzing with A/E/C …and New Media!
—X—
LERA, the engineering firm that designed the WTC’s structural system,
recently sent out an email with a statement about the tragedy. If you are
curious, there is a «frequently asked questions» about the towers
on the Civil Engineers web site at: www.asce.org.
—X—
The Competitive Edge VIII – The Eighth Annual Conference for
Minority/Women/Disadvantaged Business Enterprises was very interesting! The
diversity royalty of NY were out in full color, giving interesting seminars
on E-Marketing and «The Pros & Cons of Joint Ventures». The
emarketing seminar covered the bare basics. Our notes for you include some
useful government websites: NYS Office of General Services –
www.ogs.state.ny.us ; NYS Web Site – www.stateny.us ; Small Business
Association – www.sba.gov ; the NYS Contract Reporter www.nyscr.com ;
www.wbenc.org and the Minority Business Development Agency (Bush’s best bud
is overseeing this so maybe it’ll have some bite?) www.mbda.gov.
xx
NY City Transit was there and we were told that there are several subway
rehabilitation projects coming down the pipes, so start putting together
your transit teams.
xx
The joint venture seminar was very informative. In terms of joint
venturing, MBE firms really have to roll up their sleeves and build some
solid relationships. Government can’t afford to divvy up projects into
little packages for small businesses any more — it is just not cost
effective. To form an uber-mbe firm strong enough to take on a big project,
find a reputable MBE firm with good staff, create a separate joint venture
with them, certify the JV as an m/wbe firm with NYS and go after a bunch of
projects together. Oh, and remember to draw up a really good JV agreement
using an attorney who knows the industry, like Pacheco & Lugo. This is
the way to go folks.
—X—
So Milo Riverso is moving over to J.A. Jones Construction and Pete Sweeny
is also moving on! The private sector is certainly staffing up! We heard Mr.
Gottlieb of Gottlieb Skanska is stepping in to lead the NYC School
Construction Authority.
—X—
Kudos! To our friend Carole Richards, an architect who has recently
completed a residential development project in Harlem. This marks the
beginning of her role as a Manahattan developer and we wish her continued
success!!!
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Diversity News
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LLM Information Services (http://www.bsmi.com/LLM/index.html ), a New
York based minority owned consulting firm, has developed a directory called
Power to Success «Diversity». The directory lists names,
addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and web sites of Fortune 500
corporations. It provides product and contact information about the top 1000
U.S. corporations that have a diversity program and the contact personnel
responsible for maintaining their programs. It also identifies the locations
and contact points for federal, independent, and authorized agencies that
certify minority and women owned businesses throughout the country. The
directory is available in print or CD ROM format. For price and order
information, please visit LLM Information Services <http://www.bsmi.com/LLM/index.html>
on the Web, <http://www.bsmi.com/LLM/index.html>.
—X—
Factoid Noir: We read on the NOMA listserve via a message from Dennis
Alan Mann that «the number of LICENSED African American AIA members
teeters between 375 and 420 depending on the economy.» Why does that
number seem so low?
—X—
Richard Hernandez sent us an email summarizing a recent article titled
«Bush Backs Minority Program» published in the Washington Post.
The article discusses US Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business
Enterprises (DBE)
programs. Some highlights are:
x
* The Bush administration defended the constitutionality of a federal
program that is designed to encourage the award of contracts to
minority-owned businesses arguing there is «extensive evidence of
public and private discrimination» in the award of highway contracts
that the Department of Transportation program was narrowly designed to
address.
x
* The case began exactly 11 years ago and has already been the subject of
one Supreme Court ruling
x
* The program sets aside 10 percent of annual spending on federal highway
and transit contracts for disadvantaged business enterprises and presumes
that businesses headed by «black Americans, Hispanic Americans,
American Indians, Asian Pacific Americans and other minorities» are
socially and economically disadvantaged.
x
* Adarand Constructors Inc., a Colorado guardrail company owned by a
white family, challenged the program in 1990
x
The article also notes the Clinton administration revised the program in
an attempt to meet the Supreme Court’s standards that eliminating racial
discrimination and its effects «remains one of the nation’s greatest
challenges».
—X—
NOW WHAT, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE????
The Racism conference in South Africa was concluded on Sunday, September
9th, 2001. For an excerpt of the declaration follow this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/09/international/09RACE.html?searchpv=past7days
Was the U.S. justified in pulling out of the Racism conference? Vote at
http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/africa/09/04/racism.main/
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Cyber scene: Events and Factoids for the Digitally Inclined…
—X—
Parks, Greenways, Waterways & More…! Do you want to know what the
powers that be have planned for NYC’s natural resources? Visit
www.treebranch.com for the latest news!
—X—
A Note from the AIA NY Chapter Technology Committee Chair, John Howell:
«The NY Chapter of the AIA has been assisting during this crisis,
coordinating information, manpower, and relief. This includes the
establishment of a vital Action Committee, creation and co-sponsorship of
the WTC Memorial Fund. We have also been reporting news of the health and
well-being of colleagues located in the vicinity of the WTC on a regular
basis. Visit the website for periodic updates at http://www.aiany.org
Also, a special web ‘extra’ edition of OCULUS was published for the first
time. We planned to discuss videoconferencing at our September meeting,
and I
intend to reschedule this for our October 9th meeting. No, this was not
because I saw a photo of George W in front of a big (Tandberg?) video
conferencing setup at Camp David in the Times the other day; it is
because
many companies do not want to be exposed by having staff flying around
when
in many instances a face to face meeting can be achieved in other ways.
We
will want to explore other alternatives such as webconferencing as well.
Here is a recent article on the subject, published in InfoWorld
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/fe/xml/01/09/10/010910fevidconf.xml
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X-Squared – Technology Know How for Small Biz Folk
PDA THE RIGHT WAY by Lena L. West
x
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are all the rage. Everyone is using
them for different reasons. But do you need one? And if you have one, are
you using it correctly?
You need a PDA if:
– You regularly miss appointments or can’t remember all your
commitments;
– You have so many ideas and to do’s that you miss opportunities;
– You can no longer remember your office number and your Mother’s phone
number at the same time.
x
How to use your PDA correctly:
x
Only use wireless modems, if you absolutely HAVE to be in touch. The cost
is still prohibitive and the areas in which you will receive a signal to
dial are still sketchy. My advice: get a wireless modem for emergencies but,
don’t rely on it.
x
If you input information into both your PDA, and your main computer, your
PDA sync settings should be set to synchronize the files. This way, no
information is overwritten or lost during the sync process.
x
Take the time to set up your own graffiti with your PDA; you’ll save
time on entering information into your PDA.
x
Only install applications that you know you’ll use. Don’t clutter up
your PDA with applications that are “cool” or “fun”. It’s OK to
have one game but, Tetris, PacMan, Vindigo and Mirror are overkill.
x
Enable your infrared port (Prefs => General => Beam Receive On) as
soon as you set up your PDA.
There’s nothing like fumbling to enable your infrared port when a
potential client is trying to beam you their contact information.
x
See you next issue, when we will go over high-speed Internet access and
making the best choice.
x
Lena L. West is the President of xynoMedia, a technology consulting firm.
She can be reached at LWest@xynoMedia.com, when she’s not figuring out new
things to do with her Palm Vx.
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Industry Events
—X—
PWC NEW DATE :PUBLIC / PRIVATE DEVELOPERS FORUM – NEW DATE: Tuesday,
October 9, 2001 8:00 am to 10:00 am at The Yale Club, 50 Vanderbilt Avenue,
NYC (at 44th Street) Speakers:
Caren Franzini, Executive Director, NJ EconomicDevelopment Authority
Mitchel Maidman, CEO, Townhouse Management Company
Marianna Koval, Executive Director,Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition
and ElliotSander, Vice President,DMJM+HARRIS and Director, Rudin Center
for Transportation Policy & Management at NYU in light of the WTC
disaster,comments on implication to lower Manhattan transportation &
infrastructure – Moderator: Lois Weiss, Real Estate Journalist, NYPost
$55members $65 non-members ($10 surcharge if no reservation)
RESERVE NOW
PWC 315 East 56th Street, NY, NY10022
t:212-486-7745 f: 212-486-0228 email: pwcusa1@aol.com
—X—
SMPS – WORLD TRADE CENTER RELIEF FUND RAISER – DATE: Thursday, October 4
TIME: 6:00 – 8:00 PM; PLACE: The Frying Pan, Pier 63 at end of W. 23rd
Street at West Side Highway (one pier north of Chelsea Piers, behind
Basketball Center) New York, NY. Join SMPS New York as we work to help the
victims and families affected by the September 11th tragedy at the World
Trade Center. We will be collecting money that will go to help the neediest
of these individuals get back on their feet. Please check back as we firm up
the specific details of this event. The net proceeds of this event will be
contributed to the relief effort. COST: PRE-REGISTERED: $45 for Members/$65
for Non-Members; AT THE DOOR: $55 for Members/$75 for Non-Members; FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER
Call us at 212.867.1948 or email at registration@smpsny.org.
—X—
Venturi/Scott Brown: In Your Face With their guest Rem Koolhaus
Location: CUNY 365 Fifth Avenue between 34th & 35th Street. Sponsored
by: Cosponsored by Metropolis Magazine and AIA NY. Description: When it
comes to artist-provocateurs, no architects can match the fierce
intelligence of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. They think; they
write; they draw, they build and they worry about social issues no longer in
fashion, along with artistic issues ahead of the pack. Design critic Barbara
Flanagan, IYF’s producer, moderates this evening of talk and debate
featuring Venturi, Scott Brown and Koolhaus along with outspoken guests:
David Rockwell, Michael Sorkin, Jean Gardner, Gordon Bearn, and others.
Speakers: Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Barbara Flanagan, David
Rockwell, Michael Sorkin, Jean Gardner, Gordon Bearn. Registration Contact:
CUNY (212) 817-8215, Member Price: $15.00 Nonmember Price: $20.00. CES Lus:
3, CES HSW: N/A
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Marketing Article(s): We couldn’t resist! Here are TWO excellent on-line
marketing articles from Click-Z:
1. The E-Season’s Must-Have Email Marketing Accessories
You’ve been searching for that perfect email marketing technology, and
you’ve finally found it. It’s a beauty, with sophisticated segmentation,
dynamic content assembly, downloadable reporting, and so much more. But is
it complete? – Al DiGuido http://www.clickz.com/em_mkt/opt/article.php/879281
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2. Be Direct ›› Brand Marketing
On the Web, most members of you audience are likely not marching to the
beat of the same drummer. So how come most content on most Web sites is
written the same way on most every page? A brand can have many faces and
still be strong and clear. – Martin Lindstrom
http://www.clickz.com/brand/brand_mkt/article.php/881641
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If you have any comments, suggestions, or if you have an event that you
would like us to include in X-CUBE, please email Elizabeth Geary-Archer at
ega@outoftheboxmarketing.net
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