Creative Leisure News is offering a new service to
subscribers. If your website has a place for press releases,
whenever you send out a press release, in the next issue of CLN I'll
link to it so interested readers can read it in full.
If your site doesn't have a place for press releases, it should.
It costs you nothing and would take your webmaster less than an hour
to add a "Press Releases" button to your site. It would
provide your current and potential customers the chance to read what
you write, rather than merely the compressed version that CLN and
the trade magazines will publish.
By all means, keep sending me press releases. When you do, if you
have a section on your site where the complete press release is
posted, send me the URL, too, so I can direct readers to it.
[ top ]
Jo-Ann's sent a letter to vendors detailing how well the
company is doing (record profits, the turnaround plans are a year
ahead of schedule, etc.). The letter also announced a big
celebration meeting/party in Cleveland June 12th. Finally, the
letter asked vendors to kick in 1% of last year's sales.
CLN asked Jo-Ann execs for comments, but they had not responded
by our deadline.
Vendors are not happy. One wrote, "The Jo-Ann's situation is
frustrating. Many manufacturers put a huge investment in Jo-Ann's
recovery plan a few years ago. They have done well. But, like in our
case, once JAS got on their feet, they went out to our competitors
to bid for lower prices on our goods. Not a great way to show
appreciation.
"We're taking our time before we respond," the vendor
added, "but I think there will plenty of vendors squawking
about this, particularly after JAS made their huge earnings
announcements, and many manufacturers can only dream about those
kinds of bottom line increases."
It was not known if all vendors received the letter. If they did,
the cumulative result of the request could top $6 million, according
to another vendor who studied Jo-Ann's sales figures. One
manufacturer said he was told the money would be used to increase
the number of ad flyers and households to whom they were sent.
When contacted by CLN, most vendors were angry or shocked (see
below), but had not yet made up their minds about sending the money
(or were hesitant to tell CLN). "Ultimately it will come down
to the face-to-face meeting with the buyers," one vendor said.
[ top ]
(Note: CLN has received numerous phone calls and emails
from vendors regarding Jo-Ann's letter [see above]. This email seems
to represent the feelings of the vendor community.)
It seems in really poor taste and cheap for a $1.5 billion
company to celebrate their turnaround, but ask the vendor community
to pay for it. Many think it is just retailer arrogance.
If they are having a "Gala" meeting and dinner at the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, on top of everything else the vendors
will have to pay the travel expenses.
The real crux to me is that Jo-Ann's asked their vendors for the
lowest net costs and said they would not be back for other
allowances. I assume that is why the letter said this was a one-time
thing. One vendor said to me, "Yeah, until the next one-time
thing."
The market is changing. Go look at the scrapbooking departments
in Staples and Office Depot. Things like this just get vendors
interested in selling to other chains. -- Name Withheld
[ top ]
CLN often reports on the sales of the industry's chains
because most are publicly held and have to announce their sales and
earnings. Independents do not. So to provide readers with an overall
summary of the first third of 2003, CLN conducted an informal survey
of independents.
The year has been, well, flat, and retailers gave CLN mixed
predictions for the remainder of the year. One retailer said,
"Things have been tight all year so far. The first quarter was
essentially a dead wash in sales. We were up about 6% in January but
gave it back in February, and March and April were breakeven."
Strong categories: Yarn continues to post big increases over last
year, despite big increases then, too. Beading/jewelry continues to
grow; and increased interest in cardmaking is pushing stamping to
new heights. Altered books is small but growing. Scrapbooking
remains very strong, but one retailer said, "Unfortunately, the
only thing that produces sales is new, new, new, and so we are
having to be very quick about pulling the plug on any slowing
lines."
Weaker categories mentioned by one or more independents included
stencils, rub-ons, paint, painting surfaces, plastic canvas, and
home dec fabric. Consumers are making smaller floral arrangements,
so floral sales are suffering.
Retailers listed needlework as down, too, but Jim Hedgepath (Pegasus
Originals) reports that the needlework shops who are his
clients in his Needlework Showcase web portal are doing very well.
He just put three new e-commerce sites online last month. So many
needlework consumers may be shopping in needlework specialty stores
or shopping online.
The chains are no greater or worse competition than ever,
independents say. One said, "If the chains knew what impact
they could have with some ideas and models/madeups in their stores,
as well as a person with a brain working in them who provided even
minimal levels of service, they would be dangerous as hell and could
put us all out of business in a heartbeat. Thankfully they have not
figured that out yet."
[ top ]
Independent craft retailers have been wondering about
Michaels' new test stores, Village Crafts. There are a handful now
in population areas smaller than regular Michaels stores and
obviously, if the stores are a success, many more VC's will pop up
across the country. So CLN talked to independents who are now
competing against a Michaels-type store for the first time.
So far so good. Independents see an initial drop in store traffic
as consumers check out the new store, but they have been surprised
that VC's prices are not a problem. "We're getting comments
from customers and sales reps that VC's prices are high -- and we've
seen the same thing in some comparisons we've done," said one
independent.
Another independent agrees, and thinks he knows why: "I
understand they are paying about twice the rent I do, so apparently
they need to make up for it with higher prices."
An independent whose store is larger than the local VC said,
"Almost everyone I talk to has shopped Village Crafts once, but
returned to our store for lower prices, more complete product, and
because in a small town there really is loyalty.
"VC operates strictly like a big corporate chain," he
added. "They might do OK in an area where people move in and
out of the community, but in a small demographic like ours, entire
families -- their parents and their aunts and uncles, etc. -- live
here and everyone knows everyone. The staff in the VC are kids, and
top management is from out of town."
Retailers do have trouble isolating the specific effect of the VC
store. "Our sales have been down, but the VC is not the only
factor," a retailer said. "We've had some terrible
economic news locally, plus the general economic uncertainty and the
war.
"We're doing everything we can to be different from VC.
Although we carry much of the same merchandise, we also carry very
fine quilting fabrics and accessories, candles, and Italian charm
bracelets -- products that make us very different.
"They're a factor, but we're holding our own and proud of
the quality of products that we offer our consumers. Time will
tell."
[ top ]
Here's one independent's analysis:
"I have visited two of the Village Craft stores and they are
BORING!!! Both were very well stocked and full of good basics, but
with nothing to draw consumers in to the stores except the usual 40%
coupons. They seem to be fairly strong with scrapping supplies and
basic hard crafts products, but little else had strength in
merchandise dominance.
"It looks to me as if they have reduced the space from an
average of about 20,000 sq. ft. in a Michaels to 12,000 sq. ft. in VCs, but have not eliminated much in merchandise. The aisles are
narrow and dark, and counters are very high.
"Service?, Fuhgetaboutit! They do not know the meaning of
the word. I spotted only three employees in one store, one at the
check out, one in the frame work room, and a guy I assume was the
manager roaming the floor.
"I think the stores will make their sales plan, if the plan
is about $150/sq. ft. My guess is that Michaels can turn a profit on
that with no help in the stores. I also think any decently run craft
independent can make them look bad in their community -- if they
don't panic and give away the business."
[ top ]
The current issue of CNA includes a profile of a group of
independent art materials retailers who formed a co-op group, iAMart.
It's yet another example of how independents of all types of stores
can gain by joining forces. Member Kathy Brennan of Preston Arts
Center wrote to CLN, "We do some joint purchasing and
marketing, but more importantly, we support each other, share ideas,
and network.
"Joining iAMart has been the most important act that we have
done to grow our business," Kathy added. "iAMart is not a
panacea, but a smart independent retailer who works with the group
will notice a difference. Independents need an edge to succeed in
business today; iAMart has given us that edge. We certainly have
saved on deals, but we have saved more on lines we did not buy
because of good advice from our fellow retailers."
For more on iAMart, call Dave Thompson at 206-660-1711 or email
dlthompson@aol.com.
Craft retailers should look into Sierra Pacific Crafts. Call
Heather Corvey at 503-981-6007 or email hcorvey@sierrapacificcrafts.org.
Independent scrapbook stores should consider joining Crafter's
Home.
Call Norm Carlson at 480-391-3901 or email norm@craftershome.biz.
[ top ]
Here are recent developments on two major legal cases
affecting Wal-Mart. The outcomes could result in billions of dollars
flowing into -- or out of -- Wal-Mart's coffers, how the discounter
treats women employees, and how consumers use debit cards.
1. Last Monday lawyers for women suing Wal-Mart for sex
discrimination filed their motion to make the case a class action
lawsuit on behalf of all women who worked for Wal-Mart in the U.S.
since Dec. 26, 1998. The proposed class would be 1.6 million women.
If the judge grants the request, it would be the largest employment
discrimination case in history.
The plaintiffs claim Wal-Mart systematically discriminates
against female employees, citing the fact that while women comprise
two-thirds of the hourly Wal-Mart employees, only 14% of all store
managers and 7% of district managers are women, according to NBC
News.
Wal-Mart denies the charges, claiming any inadvertent
discrimination was due to individual supervisors and not a company
policy.
According to the plaintiff's lawyer, the motion is supported by
110 sworn statements from women who worked in 184 Wal-Mart stores in
30 states. It also includes testimony and exhibits gleaned from 100+
Wal-Mart managers and execs who were deposed, Wal-Mart's electronic
payroll data, and 1,200,000+ pages of documents from Wal-Mart's
corporate files.
The suit asks the court to order Wal-Mart to reform its
employment policies, and to award the women lost wages and punitive
damages in an amount to be determined at trial. The motion for
class-action status is scheduled to be heard in July, at which time
the court may issue a ruling. To read materials about the case,
visit www.walmartclass.com.
2. Wal-Mart vs. MasterCard/Visa. The credit card giants settled
their debit-card lawsuit brought by Wal-Mart, Sears, and various
other retailers. Just as the trial was about to start, MasterCard
agreed to pay the retailers $1 billion and lower its transaction
fees. Two days later Visa settled, agreeing to pay $2 billion and
lower its fees.
"The world of debit is about to change for the better, for
merchants and for consumers," the retailers' lead attorney,
Lloyd Constantine, said to Retail Merchandiser.
The debit cards require a customer's signature to verify a
transaction. Soon retailers will have the option of using less
expensive, independent networks that clear debit-card transactions
using a personal identification number.
[ top ]
Best selling author, speaker, and renowned business pro
Doug Hall will be the main speaker at the ACCI show in Chicago in
July. He's been named one of the top business invention experts by INC,
CIO magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, CNBC, and Dateline
NBC. Hall also is the founder and CEO of the Eureka! Ranch, a
business invention think tank. His lengthy client list includes
powerhouses like ABC TV, AMEX, Nike, etc.
His "MEANINGFUL Marketing" presentation will be part of
the Retail Summit Seminar on Thurs., July 17. On Friday attendees
can participate in a live broadcast of Hall's Brain Brew Business
Theater, a popular Public Radio Int. program. Saturday he will
conduct a Mega-Seminar, "Jump Start Your Business Brain."
Buyer registration and the class schedule will be available this
Friday at www.accicrafts.org, or fax your request to 740-452-2552,
or email acci.info@offinger.com. Learn more about Hall at
www.EurekaRanch.com and his Brain Brew radio program at
www.brainbrewradio.com.
Other ACCI show news: Exhibitors can advertise their show
specials on the ACCI site. They can enter and edit the material
directly and buyers will be directed to site via emails and faxes.
Free to all exhibitors. Visit www.e-offinger.net/acci/acciedspec.cfm
... The deadline for exhibitors to secure a product-demo time slot
in the Interactive Zone is May 23. This year's Zone should have
increased traffic due to the adjacent House That Crafts Built and
additional seating. Visit www.accicrafts.org/kit_pdf/craftzone_product.pdf
to sign up.
[ top ]
Here's a sign of how spoiled consumers have become: They
now consider a product to be a "bargain" only if it is at
least 37% off the regular price, according to a new study conducted
by Opinion Research Corp. for the Big Lots chain of discount stores.
One fourth off, or even one third just doesn't cut it any more, the
study claims.
The study also revealed that 73% of consumers comparison shop
when they intend to buy name-brand products. However, the study did
not determine if there was a price floor below which consumers do
not comparison shop. In other words, most consumers may shop around
when they need to buy a Maytag washer and dryer, but do they
comparison shop as much when they need a bottle of paint or a skein
of floss? And if a retailer offers the "perfect" papers
for a particular scrapbook, does the scrapper first check other
stores to save a nickel?
A final note: the study revealed that 69% of consumers said they
buy products they hadn't planned to buy because they saw them on
sale in a store.
[ top ]
(Note: The year has been relatively flat for many retailers
and manufacturers, so we asked marketing/product development pro
John Lowenthal of Next Level Marketing for advice.)
It's a fact that a buyer's first question during a sales call or
at a trade show is "What's New?" Retailers are constantly
looking for the newest products to provide market differentiation
and entice the consumer; meanwhile, consumers are drawn by new
ideas.
It's also true that the easiest way for a company to increase its
business is to sell more to its current customers. Acquiring new
customers is always more expensive than expanding sales to existing
ones. This is true for manufacturers and retailers alike.
So to maintain that current customer base, the industry needs
positive answers to the "What's New" question.
Manufacturers can answer it in a variety of ways: with truly new
products that fill a unique consumer need, line extensions of proven
winners, enhancements to existing items, a new look for an existing
product, etc. Factors that can impact how a company responds to the
"What's New?" quandary include market position and
components of current product line, speed to market, risk/reward
ratio, resource allocation, and budget.
The unique new product has the highest risk and the greatest
potential reward. Developing line extensions is a more conservative
route that may be best for a tight budget. A "facelift"
for a current line can reopen closed doors and provide a substantial
sales lift. Value-added features, exciting promotions, and simple
product enhancements can help get a leg up on competition,
especially for commodity products. Unique products may need and will
benefit from consumer education and outreach.
Whether it's new products or packaging or the myriad other
marketing disciplines that support them such as advertising,
publicity and promotion, it is during difficult economic times when
answering the "What's New" question is most important.
While your competition is sitting back waiting for things to
improve, you can take action to insure they improve!
Retailers need new reasons to keep drawing consumers into their
stores -- only the products that truly serve a need and jump off the
shelf into the consumer's hands will succeed in tough times. -- John
Lowenthal, Next Level Marketing (Note: Next Level Marketing has
provided product development and marketing services to a variety of
clients in the craft industry. To learn more about NLM, click HERE.)
[ top ]
The latest additions to our Product Preview:
CPE. Glimmer is a new line of colorful felt with a dusting of
sparkling glitter for crafts, scrapbooks, and decorative projects.
Ott-Lite. The Lexington Floor Lamp is the newest addition to the
line of natural-light TrueColor lighting systems.
To read descriptions and see photos of these new lines, click
HERE.
Products listed in the Online Product Preview will remain online
for six months. To learn how new products can be included on this
site, call Mike Hartnett at 309-925-5593 or email mike@clnonline.com.
[ top ]
1. The Jo-Ann's letter to vendors (see above) is a good
example of how the industry has changed. Years ago, when MJDesigns
was at the top of its game, Founder/President Mike Dupey had a huge
party to celebrate the chain's recent successes and to thank vendors
who had helped MJD when Mike had cash-flow problems. So in many ways
it was very similar to the event Jo-Ann's has planned for next
month.
The difference is, Mike Dupey paid for his party.
Yes, a decade later MJD went bankrupt, but it wasn't because of
the party.
2. The FAO/Zany Brainy fiasco (see item, below) is a classic
example of the danger of not having sufficient capital, but buying a
company anyway. Zany Brainy was a chain of great kids stores. Then
it bought a similar chain, Noodle Kidoodle. Pretty soon it was
bankrupt and was sold to Right Start, another kids chain. Then Right
Start bought the legendary toy chain, FAO Schwarz. Then the entire
conglomeration went bankrupt and just recently emerged from it.
[ top ]
SALES. Preliminary returns on the April retail sales are
disappointing. A quick end to the war and a late Easter did not spur
sales as much as many had hoped.
SCRAPPING. Last Saturday QVC had a special scrapbooking show in
front of a live audience of hundreds of scrappers. A sign of the
power of the TV/memory combo: More than 400 mini-bead embellishment
kits were sold -- BEFORE it had even been presented on the show.
KIDS. FAO emerged from bankruptcy, a week after snags in the
reorganization plan made liquidation a strong possibility. But the
potential investors were appeased and FAO's three types of stores --
FAO Schwarz, Zany Brainy, and The Right Start -- remain open.
SARS. The World Health Organization said the worst of the SARS
outbreak appears to be over in Singapore, Hong Kong and Canada,
while Vietnam has become the first country to contain the highly
infectious disease, the Associated Press reported.
HIA. The Hobby Industry Assn. is accepting proposals for
educational programs for the Dallas show Feb. 5-8. There are two new
formats for workshops: QuickShops are 30-minute mini sessions for a
focused, technique-driven message. Midnight Madness Workshops will
run 10-11:30 pm. The deadline for SuperShop proposals is July 7, and
July 25 for workshop reservation forms. Info and guidelines will be
in the workshop program guide included in the Exhibitor Prospectus,
which will be distributed this month.
PR. The National Craft Month (March) public relations campaign
sponsored by HIA created 46.1 million media impressions and 275+
million website hits. In a post-NCM survey, 72% of retail members
said they had participated, up from 58% a year ago; 65% of the
participants said they had a significant increase in traffic and 80%
said NCM was a success.
CROCHET. The Crochet Guild of America will launch a year-long
10th anniversary celebration at the Chain Link Crochet Conference
July 24 in Chicago. Martingale has published Today's
Crochet, with
fashion garment projects by Guild members. Next March will be
National Crochet Month, too. Visit www.crochet.org. The group has
also published Thirty Ways To Promote Crochet for retailers,
accessible at www.crochet.org/tac/tnna.html.
PAINTING. A limited number of exhibitor spaces are still
available for the Society of Decorative Painters convention/show in
Indianapolis in June. Call Marlene Marcotte at 316-269-9300, ext.
114, or email marlene@decorativepainters.org. To pre-register and
buy tickets for classes/events, call Janelle Johnson at
316-269-9300, ext. 104 or email janelle@decorativepainters.org. SDP
has also launched the SDP Foundation Inc., a publicly supported
foundation which permits the Society to compete for federal grants
and other funding. Visit www.decorativepainters.org.
PAINTING. Priscillasclub.com, the new decorative painting
teaching site led by Priscilla Hauser, does have corporate sponsors
-- Crafts Americana/Artist's Club, Walnut Hollow, and
All American
Crafts Publications. Additional sponsorships are available. For more
info, call Terry Phipps at 918-663-0025 or email sales@priscillasclub.com.
QUILTS. The first Int. Quilt Festival/Chicago drew 17,632
consumers who visited 400+ booths and saw 800+ quilts in special
exhibits. Next year's event will be Mar. 26-28.
MEMORY. Cardinal Brands launched a Retailer Center for scrapbook
retailers. The site, www.generationsnow.com/retailer, provides small
and medium sized independents with easy access to pre-formatted
sales, advertising, and merchandising tools. It's in support of the
Generations brand of albums and storage pieces that organize, store
and transport tools and supplies. The site includes sales flyers,
pre-formatted in Microsoft Word that can be customized with the
retail store name, address, phone number, and prices. The wording on
the store signs (in Microsoft PowerPoint) can be changed as needed.
The site also includes Merchandising Solutions, an electronic flyer
with mini-articles aimed to help retailers direct consumer attention
to bags and organizers sold in their stores. For product info, visit
www.generationsnow.com.
DESIGNERS. The Society of Craft Designers Education Seminar will
be Oct. 8-11 in St. Louis. Titled "Dare to Dream," it will
include the popular features of previous Seminars and include
speakers such as Talane Miedaner, a "life coaching"
speaker; panel discussions by Bill Gardner (Craftrends), Karen
Ancona (CNA), and Mike Hartnett (CLN) on "Working in TV"
and "The Impact of a Good Design in the Creative
Industries"; and noted business speaker Robert Ash speaking on
"Take a Step Forward: Present Yourself with Confidence."
For a detailed schedule, visit www.craftdesigners.org or call
740-452-4541. For background info, click HERE.
TRENDS. A committee from the Society of Craft Designers will
prepare a quarterly "Emerging Trends" report which will be
posted on the ACCI website at www.accicrafts.org. The committee
members are Tracia Williams, Kim Ballor, Carin Heiden-Atkins, Marie
Browning, Phyllis Dobbs, Katie Hacker, Debba Haupert, Chris Malone,
Kirsten McGrath, Jill McKay, Elaine Schmidt, Ed Smith, Nancy
Tribolet, and Billie Worrell. For more information on the SCD, visit
www.craftdesigners.org or call 740-452-4541. For background on SCD,
click HERE.
STOCKS. Merrill Lynch said it expects retail to improve now that
the war is over and recommended Michaels ... Not many "good
things" are happening to Martha Stewart. Her company lost $4.5
million in last quarter, then Morgan Stanley cut its outlook on the
stock to underweight from equal-weight, saying the near-term outlook
is "brutal," Reuters reported.
MOM. A survey by the National Retail Federation showed consumers
will spend an average of $97.37 for Mother's Day, about the same as
last year; 34.3% will buy flowers.
BANKRUPTCY. Kmart is expected to emerge from bankruptcy tomorrow.
CONGRATS. To Neil and Allicia Ferguson who are the proud parents
of triplet girls. Proud grampa Bob Ferguson wanted to name them Bead
Queen, Quilt Girl, and Crafty Kid, but cooler heads prevailed. Bob
and Neil run one of the industry's best independent stores, a Ben
Franklin Crafts, in Redmond, WA.
WEARABLES. Creative Crystal consolidated its websites into
www.creative-crystal.com to provide its products at the wholesale
level. No registration or minimums required. The company
manufactures the BeJeweler electric rhinestone setter and is a
distributor of Swarovski Austrian iron-on crystal rhinestones and
transfers.
PEOPLE. Tom Coughlin was promoted to EVP/Vice Chair of the U.S.
Wal-Mart store division. Mike Duke was promoted to EVP/President/CEO
of the Wal-Mart stores division.
SOLDIERS. TNNA's Something 2 Do campaign has sent 4,000+ games,
needlework kits, etc. to our military in the Middle East. The war
has ended, but the troops remain, so the program continues. To
donate, call 805-527-0616 or email gtreglown@earthlink.com.
[ top ]
Each issue of Creative Leisure News contains one profile of
an industry-related company. The purpose is not to advertise a
product, but to give readers a history of the company, its leaders,
and the types of products/services the company provides. The profile
remains online in the Business Profile Archives for a year and each
time the company is mentioned in subsequent issues, a link to the
profile is included. The companies profiled thus far:
Service Suppliers: Corporate Finance Associates (mergers/acquistions),
TradeWinds (importing), Images (pr/marketing), and Next Level
Marketing (product development/pr/marketing).
Retailers: Wal-Mart.
Manufacturers: Jack Dempsey Needle Art, Walnut Hollow, Krylon,
MagEyes, Armada Art, Plaid, FloraCraft, Ellison Craft & Design,
PSX, Prym-Dritz, BagWorks, and Yaley.
Trade groups: ACCI, Society of Craft Designers, and Art Glass
Assn.
To read these these profiles, click HERE. To learn more about how
your company can be profiled in CLN, call Mike Hartnett at
309-925-5593 or email mike@clnonline.com.
[ top ]
To see a sampling of the current job openings and to
contact The Creative Network, click on the "Jobs" button
in the left hand column.
[ top ]
A. C. Moore (ACMR). Last*: 17.43 ... Change**: +1.18
Hancock Fabrics (HKF). Last*: 15.87 ... Change**: +1.34
Jo-Ann Stores (JAS.A) [a]. Last*: 26.19 ... Change**: +1.90
Michaels (MIK). Last*: 32.45 ... Change**: +6.08
Rag Shops (RAGS). Last*: 3.01 ... Change**: +0.03
Wal-Mart (WMT). Last*: 56.25 ... Change**: +0.74
CLN Retail Index. Last*: 153.43 ... Change**: +7.9%
Dow Jones Index. Last*: 8,582.68 ... Change**: +2.9%
*May 2 ** from April 18 [a] voting share Prices are exclusive of
dividends
[ top ]
(Note: Our industry seems to thrive on gossip. Here's a
parable to consider.)
One day an acquaintance met Socrates and said, "Do you know
what I just heard about your friend?"
"Wait," Socrates replied. "Before telling me
anything, take a moment and consider what you're going to say. Have
you made absolutely sure that it's true?"
"No," the man said, "actually I just heard it
and..."
"So you don't really know if it's true or not,"
Socrates said. "Is what you are about to tell me about my
friend something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me
something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. One last
question: Is what you want to tell me going to be useful to
me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to
tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me
at all?"
[ top ]
1. For more information on how your business can be the
subject of a "Business Profile" or have products/photos
included in the "CLN's Online Product Preview, call Mike
Hartnett at 309-925-5593 or email mike@clnonline.com.
2. Paid
subscribers are invited to have their website evaluated by Lynn
Carlisle of Carlisle Communications. She'll check the site and
provide a confidential assessment and suggestions for improvement.
Just email mike@clnonline.com or
ljc@carlislecommunications.com.
3. If you want a hard-copy of this issue, click on "Printer
Friendly version".
4. If your company is a paid subscriber,
everyone in the main office is welcome to register, free. Just click
on "Current Subscribers Click Here To Register."
5. If you
want to recommend CLN to a friend, use the "Tell Your
Friends" box on the home page.
6. Creative Leisure News is
published on the first and third Mondays of each month. Your next
issue will be Monday, May 19.
[ top ]
xxx