Alberta Business Marketing

Telecommuting takes on a whole new meaning, thanks to my Telus Mobile Internet Stick and my iPhone.

What does my Telus Mobile Internet Stick give me – Freedom to work from whereever and whenever.  That is totally cool especially for this digital nomad!

Some of my peers escape to the mountains for hiking, mountain biking, rafting and other outdoor activities.  My perfect escape is chilling in the lounge of my favourite mountain park hotels and coffee shops – and yes it includes my laptop and cell phone.  I get my best work done when on the road travelling and being actually away from the day-to-day office distractions.

Some folks ideas of a mountain getaway includes their RV, Camping equipment or hiking boots. My Mountain escape equipment includes my hotel rewards card, MacBook and iPhone.  Having the freedom and the flexibility to escape the city is something I cherish as a Calgary Social Media Consultant and Search Engine Optimization professional.  Whenever the opportunity presents itself I pack up my MacBook, iPhone, Creative Juices and my mobile Internet and off to the Mountain Parks or Alberta badlands I go.

The mountain air is the perfect seed for creativity.

Having the tools to escape and remain connected provides this opportunity to get out of the city for the day.  I can enjoy time in the Mountains to plan and really strategize about the direction of our business and at the same time, keep in touch with my clients and continue to serve their needs when the need arises without them even knowing where I am.

What does it take to escape from the office on the perfect Canadian summer day?

Be open to an endless flow of ideas – Getting away from the rat race provides the perfect opportunity for you to escape the distractions of office life.  Leaving you completely free to focus on whatever you need to work on.  Need to tighten up your business plan, review last quarter’s sales figures or complete a project…getting away from the office facilitates the flow of great ideas and provides clarity.

Stop every once in while – Just stop and look out the window.  Be observant of everything going on around you.  Listen to the tourists speaking, the music playing in the background or the sounds of kids enjoying their family vacation.  You never know where your next great idea will come from.  Some times you need to get up and find a new spot or even just go for a walk.

Pack your own Telus Mobile Internet and Power – This is a must because you never know where you are going to set up camp.  Without your Internet  and your own power you may struggle to enjoy true freedom of working wherever you decide.  My mobile Internet stick and vehicle AC adapter provides the freedom to work from a picnic table, coffee shop or even the lobby of the hotel.  Whatever fits into your lifestyle. Don’t forget your power adapter and a spare battery as well.

What do I enjoy the most by having the ability to escape and my Telus Mobile Internet – FREEDOM!

Tags: Alberta Provincial Park, Business Success, Calgary, Calgary social media consultant, canada, Hospitality/Recreation, Internet, Internet Service, Internet stick, iphone, Mobile, mobile Internet, mobile Internet stick, mobile web, S&P/TSX 60 Index, search engine, technology, Technology/Internet, telecommuting, Telus, TELUS Corporation
Posted in Alberta Business, Communication | | Comments Off

Some times the best view of Calgary is from the rear view mirror

For those of us who live and work in Calgary, here is the perfect brunch getaway for your Sunday mornings.  Invest some of your well-earned time and hop in your car and drive west about 45 minutes from the city. You are aiming for Exshaw/Seebe.  When you get to this exit, right after the Hey 40 turn off for Kananaskis Country, exit off the highway and head south towards the Rafter Six Ranch.  There you will find the best kept secret in the entire Province of Alberta.

Last Sunday my wife and I decided to just this, we got in our car headed towards the mountain parks for the day.  I have often heard to the awesome brunch at the Rafter Six Ranch and thought this was the perfect way to start the day.  I wasn’t expecting the awesome service and hospitality we received when we arrived and throughout our 3 or 4 hours we spent at the ranch that day.  The service is amazing and these folks truly understand Western hospitality.

Be warned…The Cowboy brunch doesn’t start until 11 AM…really 11:30 but who cares when you are out there, if you are the type to get upset because your schedule is out of whack…then don’t go, it is truly a laid back Western way of life out on the ranch and those who are in a rush, you will go crazy.  Just sit on the patio, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the horses, the dogs and the clouds go by against a wonderful Rocky Mountain backdrop.

This is one of Alberta’s gems nestled in the Canadian Rockies.  Need a stress-free day come and experience the laid back Alberta lifestyle and get out of the city for a little while.

I know where I am going on my think days from now on.  I think I will take one day in August to go out and just think.

After our bunch and our wagon ride around the ranch, we managed to strike off something off of our “100 things to do” list.  In all the time we have lived in Calgary we have never driven the Spray Lakes Trail from Canmore to Hwy 40.  This is worth the 70 km of dusty road as well.  Want to experience the mountains close up and the freshness of the air and the lakes…do this drive.

What is the reason for this post…sometimes we need to take a break from being a social media consultant and enjoy the beauty that is around us.

Tags: Brunch, Calgary, Exshaw Alberta, Hospitality/Recreation, Rafter, Rocky Mountain, Seebe Alberta, social media consultant, Spray Lakes Trail, Stuart's ramblings, Trans Canada Highway
Posted in Alberta Business | | Comments Off

Thanks to my good friend Marcia Johnson for sharing this with me.

Microsoft Tag!

I have been sharing with a number of the small business clients that we work with at Ulistic about the day when tagging comes into play.  Now, it is here with Microsoft Tag.

What do I mean by tagging?  If you check out the Microsoft Tag website you will learn a tonne about what they have to offer.

In a nutshell a Microsoft Tag is something similar to a bar code that you see on any product we purchase at the supermarket.  Traditionally bar codes were used for internal inventory or other systems that a store would use.  Now this is all going to change!

Microsoft Tag now takes what was traditionally an internal mechanism and puts power into the hands of the consumer.  Many restaurant owners, small business managers and those who run hotels may be shaking in their boots or jumping up and down in celebration.

What Microsoft Tag offers now is something like this bar code that a web designer can use on a website, a restaurant owner can post on their menu or a hotel owner can share on the front door of the hotel.  Consumers, readers, information gatherers now with their smart phone or mobile phone can use a special Microsoft Tag Reader to scan the image (see near the bottom of my blog for a functional example) and they ar directed to a mobile website that offers additional information or where you can leave a review or share your feedback.

Where I see this playing a major role in business?  The opportunities are endless..really.  Need to solicit reviews from those who come to your restaurant..put a Microsoft Tag on your credit card bill.  Want to keep in touch with those who purchased products and services from you, get a Microsoft Tag and email the tag to your visitors.  Imagine the potential this can have for small business.

Microsoft Tags are where the fax machines were in the early days….remember what happened with fax machines…now everyone has one.

Over the next few weeks I will learn more about practical uses for Microsoft Tag.  This is so new the exact impact on business is still to be determined but I think it will be huge!  Almost as big as video.  Want to chat about Microsoft Tag, give me a shout at 403.775.2205.

Tags: 403.775.2205, bar code, Barcodes, Business/Finance, cellular telephone, Computing, Criticism of Microsoft, High Capacity Color Barcode, Hospitality/Recreation, Marcia Johnson, microsoft, Microsoft Corporation, microsoft office, small business technology, smart phone, Tag, Technology/Internet, web designer
Posted in Alberta Business | | Comments Off

Greetings from Florida everyone.   David and I are in Tampa this week meeting with clients and partners of our Calgary-based Internet Marketing firm, Ulistic.  After washing away the ice and snow from our United Airlines flight in Calgary we were on our way through Denver and eventually Tampa, Florida.  A long day in the air however the flight crews and staff with United Airlines took great care of us and we got here with no major challenges or delays.

When we arrived at our destination on the east end of Tampa we had to go out and check out the local sites.  Plus I have never been over to St. Petersburg or Clearwater especially after working with firms like Tech Data for so many years who has their US headquarters in the Clearwater area.  David and I picked up our rental car and started to explore the wonderful sites of the Gulf coast.  Those bridges across the bay are amazing, the sand was delightful and we didn’t see any oil washing up on the shores of West Florida.

After a drive and walk around the beach we decided to get some dinner and found a wonderful beach front cafe/restaurant.  I have to share with you our awesome experiences at Frenchy’s South Beach Cafe on Gulfview Blvd in Clearwater.  It was great and plenty of food to feed an army or at least enough for my kids to eat.  The service, food and staff are simply amazing and our server Jenny provided us with an overall pleasurable experience.  Frenchy’s is just a stone’s throw from the Gulf of Mexico and the sights and sounds of the sea add to the enjoyment of our night out before a couple of business days in the Bay area.

The food was great and in typical American style, way too much food for this Canadian boy.  I am sure the servings are at least half to double the size of what we are used to in Canadian restaurants.  Not a bad thing but you have to go in hungry.  Also, the Key Lime Pie is great and something you have to experience.

Why are we sharing our feedback with our experiences with this restaurant on the beach in Florida.  We believe in sharing our experiences with local business (they are the glue holding together our economy right now) and also sharing something great when we see it or experience it.  There is way too much negativity in our world today and this slight shot of something positive in our blogs, day-to-day business dealings and wherever or whatever we do helps us feel good about what we do and why we are here to do it.

If you are ever in Clearwater, Florida or even Tampa it is worth the drive, walk, cab ride to check out Frenchy’s South Beach Cafe.

Tags: Calgary, denver, Film, florida, food, Frenchy's South Beach Cafe, Grease, Gulf of Mexico, Hospitality/Recreation, Internet Marketing, Jenny, Small Time Crooks, Stuart's ramblings, tampa, Tampa Florida, UAL Corporation, ulistic
Posted in Alberta Business | | Comments Off

Have you ever gone to Lake Louise?

Lake Louise is home to the famous Chateau Lake Louise nestled on the banks of  the historic Lake Louise.  The Chateau Lake Louise is now a Fairmont Hotel but once was part of the CP Hotel chain which at one was part of Canada’s foundation.

What I truly admire about Lake Louise is the great gems of the Canadian landscape, it is purely beautiful and something everyone must experience.  Lake Louise is about a 2 hour or less drive from my home in Calgary and a great escape to burn off some stress…even if you have to fly here from out-of-town, it is worth the trip.

David and I are out here for a couple of days of sharing search engine optimization, social media consulting and online Internet marketing to a leading Lake Louise hotel.

If you are looking for some great Lake Louise accommodations, check out the fine folks at The Post Hotel.  This is truly one of the gems of Lake Louise, Alberta.  The ownership group truly takes pride in providing “A COMPLETE EXPERIENCE” to all their guests.

Tags: Business/Finance, Hospitality/Recreation, Internet Marketing, Lake Louise, online Internet marketing, search engine, search engine optimization, Social information processing, social media, social media consulting, Stuart's ramblings, Technology/Internet
Posted in Marketing | | Comments Off