Photo courtesy of razzledazzlerose.

Nearly every business (the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker) should be engaging current and potential customers via social media. Businesses like Southwest Airlines and Best Buy have jumped onto Facebook and Twitter and used it to fully engage customers. But not everyone is convinced of the merits of social media.

Perhaps your business is still standing on the sidelines – like a social media wallflower – awaiting concrete proof that social media is worth the time and investment. I’ll make this simple… it is, when done right. Approach Facebook like a rank amateur with no plan and no clear purpose in mind and it will become a huge time suck and a waste of valuable resources. Work with a social media expert to create a well-defined plan to engage your customer and you’ve got yourself an interactive portal into the wants and needs of your customer. (An important step if you hope to get them to open their wallets to you).

Read Has Social Media Helped Your Business? on WebsiteMagazine.com for powerful enticement to put a toe in the waters of social media. Then request your free social media consultation to discover how we can help you implement a social media plan for your business.

In the words of prolific hip-hop lyricist, Drake, “The bandwagon’s full but you can try and run behind it.” Just don’t wait too long or your customers may be on your competitor’s bandwagon.

I love exploring new restaurants – personally and with my women’s social/travel group. So going to a restaurant I’d been to before was out of the question. I wanted something new with the right ambience and where the boys could eat well but I – a vegetarian – wouldn’t starve.

Fortunately a quick visit to OpenTable.com solved my problem. Chef’s Palette Restaurant and Bar in Cary, NC is an unexpected neighborhood gem. The restaurant is beautifully designed. Art by local artists fills the walls and is for sale. The decor is gorgeous and conducive to a relaxing meal with friends and family. Our server, Jo, was phenomenal. She was proactive and attentive. She made excellent recommendations.

This gorgeous little neighborhood restaurant offers an amazing menu. Here’s a small sampling of what the menu (backlit to add to the charm and ambiance) had to offer…

Click here to read the rest of the review on Skirt!

I was born in the UK, fell into journalism when I left University, and decided to write a book when I was 27, after a friend wrote one and signed a publishing deal.

You’ve published twelve novels. Give readers a quick rundown of a few of your favorites.

I love the ensemble novels: Bookends, The Beach House, Second Chance. I got to know my characters so well, and felt that all of them were friends.

Your first published novel, Jemima J., was about a woman who is addicted to food and allows the people in her life to trample over her. Yet, we quickly identify with her struggles and we want to see her come out victorious. What led you to write the story of Jemima Jones?

Mostly my fascination with women’s relationship with food, and in particular, my own relationship with food, and how it has, at times, been the sole focus of my life. Jemima herself was inspired by a friend of mine, although she was larger and beautifully confident, not to mention beautiful. Jemima became her own person, entirely different from my friend, within the first couple of pages.

Click here to continue reading on All Things Girl.

Wardroble stylist, Kristen Kaleal

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. That’s great advice. But, the truth is: during a job interview or networking opportunity we do often judge a book by its cover. So, while it is important to say all of the right things during your job interview and networking opportunities; your actions and body language often speak much louder. Rather than bemoaning this simple truth of human nature, learn to use it to your advantage.

The First Seven Seconds

How you present yourself – from grooming and dress to body language and level of confidence – plays a major role in how others will evaluate you during an initial meeting.

“You have approximately seven seconds in which to make a good first impression,” says wardrobe stylist, Kristen Kaleal. “That’s the amount of time it takes to shake somebody’s hand and then take a seat. That’s before we’ve had a chance to thell them how great we are or how qualified we are. It’s before we’ve had a chance to become ourselves.”

The initial impression made in that first seven seconds will often lay the foundation for the remainder of your interview or first meeting. If the impression made is less than favorable, you’ll spend the next seven minutes trying to overcome the poor impression made during those first seven seconds. The good news? You have a say when it comes to how others think of you.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Fashion a favorable first impression – Raleigh job search | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/job-search-in-raleigh/fashion-a-favorable-first-impression#ixzz1GoRl5AcE