Made Moon Blog

If you have an older car it may have R12 refrigerant in the air conditioner system. You can still buy R12, but it is very expensive. If you are ready to convert your system to R134, here is a brief explanation of the procedure with a few insider tips to help you. To begin you will need a conversion kit with all the necessary materials. It will include: 2 new adapter fittings, 2 -3 cans of R-134, and a hose with adapter. Once you have all the materials, you can begin the process. The first thing you have to do is have the R12 recovered with a refrigerant recovery machine. (It is illegal to just open the valve and let it out in the air.) Now that the air conditioning system has no pressure, it is time to install the new valve kit. At this point some people freeze up (no pun intended) because they are afraid of mixing up the adapters on the high and low pressure ends. Don’t worry, they are different sizes. The bigger one goes on the low pressure side of the system and the refrigerant hose will only connect to the low side valve. It is pretty hard to mess this up.

Now that the adapter valves are connected, it is time to start the car and put the air conditioner on high. Turn the blower fan to its highest setting as well and open the windows. Grab a can of R134 and hook up the hose and T valve that came with your kit. With the hose hooked up to the can begin to twist the T valve until it punctures the can. Then open the valve to let some freon out and purge the air in the line. Turn the can upside down and hook it up to the low side adapter valve. Now slowly open the valve and let the Freon flow into the system. At this point the compressor will begin to cycle on and off. Don’t panic, this is normal. Keep adding Freon until the system begins to cool. You can feel the low pressure line begin to get cool and condensation will accumulate on it. (Do not grab the high pressure line. It can burn you.) You probably will not need all 3 cans and be careful not to overfill the system. If the air conditioner is still not cooling after the second can, something is wrong. You may have a leak in the system or some other difficulty.

Do not be tempted to keep pumping Freon in the lines. If the low side line is cold and dripping with moisture you are done. If you have a air conditioning manifold gauge set, the low side should have a pressure of 40 – 50 psi.

Good luck and stay cool!

Jason is the webmaster for Red Hill Supply – Online Automotive Air Tools.

Refrigerant Leak Detector, Air Conditioning Manifold Gauge Set and More

So you’re getting a Rottweiler puppy? Here are some general tips to help you choose a healthy, happy Rottweiler puppy.

Note: These are only general tips to help you choose – especially for first-time owners. (There are always exceptions to the rule and I believe every Rottweiler should be given a chance to show that he/she can be a well-adjusted, happy dog.)

#1) Choose one that approaches you or doesn’t shy away when you approach.

Don’t choose one that seems overly fearful or aggressive. Don’t choose one that shrinks back when you come near it or nips your hand. Choose one that seems friendly, lets you hold him/her and handle him/her.

When we went to choose our first Rottweiler puppy, I was convinced that I wanted a female Rotti. When we got to the breeder’s home there were 3 females and 1 male puppy available.

All of the females however, shrank back when I put my hand near them. The male puppy walked right up to my hand and began to happily chew on my diamond engagement ring. I fell in love on the spot and have never since regretted choosing my male Rotti.

#2) Insist on meeting the parents if possible.

Meet the parents first and observe their behavior before getting attached to a puppy. Do they seem friendly, well behaved, easy to touch and get along with?

If the parents are well adjusted chances are high that the puppies will turn out the same way with proper training.

#3) Ask the breeder how many times the mother has had puppies.

The general rule seems to be that a female rottweiler should have at most only 3 litters in her lifetime for optimal breeding results. And, as our breeder told us, it’s also best that she is given adequate time to recover after having a litter, before she is bred again.

If she is being overbred, you might run into some problems, health wise and behavior wise with your Rottweiler.

#4) Examine the back legs.

Rottweilers – and large dogs in general – can have problems with their back hips (hip dysplasia). Hip problems can be extremely costly to fix and heart-breaking, both to the dog and to you.

To find a dog that is less likely to have these problems, examine their back legs. The legs should not be grossly turned out (or in) but for the most part, face forward. (Again, this is a general rule)

Also, ask the breeder about the parents. Do either of them have a history of hip dysplasia? Since experts say hip dysplasia is hereditary this will give you a good idea of whether the puppy you are looking at will run into these types of problems later on in life.

#5 Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Most reputable breeders will be helpful, eager to answer your questions and know many of the above facts already (without you telling them). They will allow you to ask questions and (if possible) meet the parents to assess their traits.

They will not be pushy (if any breeder is pushing you to buy their dogs, ALWAYS be suspicious) and may even be a bit cautious about allowing YOU to take one of their precious puppies!

Ask the breeder about any health problems in general in the parents or in the breeding line, not just in regards to hip dysplasia. Heart problems? Cancer? Temperament problems? Don’t be afraid to ask.

#6 Keep An Open Mind

When we went to purchase our rottweiler puppy, the breeder was – to the human eye – slightly eccentric. He was more of a dog-person than a people person and we were a little thrown off by his appearance and the state of his home in general.

But he loved his dogs.

And it was plain that he knew more about rottweiler breeding and training than most rotti owners put together. Once we got over our initial reaction and saw the way he treated his Rottweilers and the puppies, we knew that we wouldn’t have any problem with our chosen sweetie.

Make sure you keep an open mind when choosing a puppy. You might walk into something you don’t expect but you also might find the best companion you’ll ever have!

Those are 6 tips to keep in mind when choosing a Rottweiler puppy. Good luck and remember – although they are cute now, Rottweilers grow up to be VERY large dogs. You absolutely MUST start a good training program with them while they are small (and controllable).

It will save you a lot of time, trouble and stress. For more training tips and information, check out our website at: Rottweiler Training

Good luck and have fun!

Kathryn O’Neill is a Rottweiler lover, owner and chief editor for Rottweiler Training . For more tips and information about training your Rottweiler, check out:

http://www.RottweilerTraining.homestead.com

Metal detectors are often used in treasure hunting and in finding relics. It is a handy apparatus especially for hunters and adventurers. There are many models and forms of metal detectors and they all differ in features, quality, and reliability. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Many people do not know what type of metal detector they should purchase. White Spectrum XLT can be found in local and national dealers all over the world and has endured and surpassed the test of time. It can be easily used and is user-friendly.

Even beginners could use it. The manual is available and is easily understood. This model is used most often at the beach in Jewelry or Beach mode. It can also be used in Relic mode. When it is in relic mode, the depth is enhanced and the results can be amusing. However, using it on the beach in the relic mode is not that favorable. Because of the thick, black sand and stones, it reveals too many false targets so it is recommended that you use the metal detector in Beach mode rather than Relic Mode. Using the product is the best way to learn its features. And later on you can easily read the signals. Another plus point is that it is very easy and convenient to carry.

Another model is the White’s Pro XL 6000. Most people buy it because of its fascinating look. Unlike the White Spectrum which has more buttons to use and to look over, there are less buttons to scroll through when adjusting or changing the settings. However, familiarizing yourself and getting used to it may require a little time. But once you know and become familiar with it, it will be very useful. Compared to the White Spectrum, White Pro XL 6000 has a little more depth and intensity.

It does, however, have its own downsides. Some say that the knobs of the Pro XL are quite loose and when adjusting it, you have to be careful not to hit it with your arms. It is quite sensitive and bumping it may require you to start or reset the adjustments. Some users put a rubber band around the knobs to keep them from moving or becoming loose.

You should buy a metal detector that is light weight. This is important when you are detecting things on a riverbank or body of water. Of course, it is good to know how to choose and adjust the frequencies of the metal detector especially when you are using it on the beach. It is also important that you use it at a strategic place or location. When using it on the beach, the modes should be adjusted so that the depth and intensity will be specified and clear. Lastly, familiarize yourself with the metal detector you are using to obtain the best results.

Simon Oliver has an interest in Metal Detecting. To access more articles on Metal Detecting or for additional information and resources visit this Metal Detectors related website

There are many reasons why you may want something investigating. Whether it is business, relationships, family matters, or trouble in your neighborhood. The main reason in today’s society is normally to find out if a partner is cheating on you.

There can be a hundred and one different reasons why you have your suspicions. Maybe you are a little paranoid, but there is normally enough evidence for you to believe something is going on, as sometimes it is just to blatantly obvious. Your see changes in your partner such as major dieting, which is completely out of the blue and totally out of character of them. If your partner has been out of condition, over weight, and suddenly joins a gym, spends half of there day there, receiving more texts and calls than usual, or you find names on their phone you have never heard of, then eight out of ten times, something is going on. Maybe its time you joined the gym with them first and did some of your own private investigating.

Mood changes, such as over the moon to be going out, and smelling like a bed of fresh roses, with all new clothes, just to go and see a friend – pull the other one. They come back with a different smell glowing and gleaming, and then as soon as they set eyes on you or come into the same room, their attitude changes completely. Arguments start, picking at the silliest things, there is certainly a sign of some change.

Hiring a private investigator can be one of the only avenues to go down. If you have tried yourself to get to the bottom of it, spoken to your friends and tried your best to get as much as possible out of their friends, then if all is still unsuccessful and you want to get to the bottom of all these strange times and changes, then you will have to take on a private investigator.

They can cost anything from $60 per hour upwards and as much as several thousand per week, depending on the time involved to locate the problem. All in all it is money well spent if you get to the bottom of it all, sort out the issues, and move on with both lives, as there is nothing pleasurable about cheating partners or corrupt workers, and it all at some stage has to stop.

More information on Private Investigators can be found at the author’s website at http://www.247-privateinvestigators.info

For the debtor who is already at the end of his rope and trying to figure out how to get out of debt, the last thing he needs to worry about is whether the debt counselor he has chosen to help him is going to make his problems worse. He needs to be assured that he is not making a mistake by choosing debt counseling over bankruptcy or working out a settlement with the creditors.

The first thing one should do to gain some certainty that the debt counselor they are planning to choose is reputable is to check with the Better Business Bureau. Of course, this isn’t a guarantee since they only have on file information from people who have filed complaints, so if it’s a new company or one who has had no complaints filed against it, you really aren’t going to know. Nonetheless, this is the best tool you have, and you should utilize it to the greatest degree possible.

Another way to find out the reputation of a debt counseling service is through word of mouth. If the company is reputable, they will not mind providing you with information about other clients. Of course you want to be sure that they are not giving out false or unsolicited information. If they are really reputable, they will likely have something on their application allowing them to release information to other potential clients.

If it’s a local company, perhaps you even know people who have utilized their services. If they are not willing to give you references you can check, then you’re much better off to move forward to someone who is willing to cooperate with you. In most, though not all, cases, refusal to provide references means there is something they are trying to hide, and this is not the kind of person with whom you want to do business.

The Internet is a wonderful place to search for information on various subjects, and if there is a company of questionable reputation, there is more than likely a forum that has been set up to complain about this company. Strange as it may seem, people on the Internet actually set up websites, forums, and groups on Yahoo and MSN to do nothing more than complain about companies they feel have treated them unfairly.

Utilize all the tools that are at your disposal, and if it’s a local company, be sure you check with all of the local agencies including the Attorney General’s Office who would know of any illegal activity that has been reported. If you have come this far, you do not have the funds to be taken for a ride, so you want to be very careful to whom you give your money. It’s not going to help your situation if the person you choose doesn’t do the job they promise to do, and you can’t even collect damages in court if they ultimately close down their operation.

Choose a company who has been in business long enough to have a record of clientele, and choose one you feel is looking out for your best interests and not just wanting to take your money. Choose a debt counselor as carefully as you would choose a babysitter for your newborn baby.

Herbs have been around since time immemorial. Ever since, herbs have served different kinds of purposes. Herbs have been used to treat illness and also in cooking. They were even believed to have magical charms. So if you do you want to have your own herb garden, here are
a few ideas on how to create one effectively.

Plan The Layout Of Your Garden

Consider the herbs you want to plant. Think carefully about their types. Would you like annuals, biennials or perennials for example.

How much space will they occupy in your garden? If you want, you can purchase a book that can give you the right information on what specific plants you are planning to grow.

List or draw your garden on paper first. Separate the annuals
from the perennials so when the time comes that you have to pull out the annuals, you won’t be disturbing the perennials.
Perennials can be planted on the edge of your garden so when it is
time to till your garden, you won’t have a hard time.

Another thing to remember is that you have to plant the tall ones
at the back and the shorter ones in front. Also, do make sure that
you provide your plants with enough space to grow properly.
Proper positioning will help you in this area.

Some Design Ideas

You could consider having a square herb bed. You could have your square bed divided into four by making two paths cross at mid point, each measuring 3 feet. You could border it with stone or brick.
A wooden ladder may also do the trick.
You could lay it down on your garden and plant your herbs between its rungs. You could also choose to have a wagon wheel bed.
Planting here is like planting with the wooden ladders. Plant your herbs in between the wagon wheel’s wedges.

Get Your Plants Growing

Of course, different plants have different needs. This is the reason why you have to determine the herbs you want to plant in the planning stage. This can more or less help you find out how you should care
for your plants.
With starting seeds, remember its germination and soil temperature rules. If you see the seedlings sprouting, check the plants’ air circulation, humidity, and sunlight.
When you start to see some leaves appear, allow proper spacing.

Herbs are actually one of the easiest plants to grow. You only need
to provide them with an effective drainage, sunlight, enough humidity or moisture, and fertile soil.
Even by just meeting these minimal requirements, you will succeed in producing a good harvest.

So as well as the immense satisfaction in cultivating your own choice of herbs, imagine the pleasure knowing that you are using your own fresh produce in your cooking.

Marie K Fisher is an avid gardening enthusiast with a passion for exotic flowers and wondeful colors.
She is a regular contributor to Garden Center Showplace a leading online Garden Center.
For more details of the superb range of products offered, and also
more Featured Articles And Tips on Gardening visit http://www.gardencentershowplace.com

You’ve seen the ads. By using either strips soaked in a special solution or by brushing your teeth with a special formula, you can whiten your teeth. Many consumers are opting for these less expensive forms of teeth whitening. Others may choose to have their teeth bleached by a dentist, while still some go for a full veneer set of teeth whitening in true “extreme makeover” fashion. But how do these teeth whitening products work? And do over the counter teeth whitening products really remove more than coffee and tea stains to the enamel? This article will take a look what substances can cause discoloration of the teeth as well as the various methods used to whiten the teeth.

Discoloration of the Teeth: Causes

I’ve already mentioned some of the substances that contribute to staining or dulling of enamel, such as coffee and tea. There are more contributors to this problem. Some other factors that cause staining to the teeth include, tobacco use, caffeinated sodas, injury to the tooth, discoloration related to the antibiotic Tetracycline and aging.

Teeth Whitening Toothpastes

Teeth whitening toothpastes are recommended for minimal stains such as coffee and tea. They are however very beneficial for people who have already undergone a professional teeth whitening or bleaching session and would like to keep their results. These toothpastes consist of a mixture of a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.

Teeth Whitening and Home Bleaching Kits

You can purchase home bleaching kits at any drugstore. These consist of a mouth tray and gel solution. You soak your teeth in the solution for at least 10 minutes. Though these have had successful reports, they aren’t fully recommended by the American Dental Association. If you decide to use a home bleaching kit, be sure to follow the instructions carefully, and not to use more than is recommended. Another form of these mouth tray/gel teeth whitening systems is the prescription kind. Yes, your dentist can prescribe an at home teeth whitening system. This is more advantageous than the over the counter brand, because the dentist can follow up with you and make sure that none of your previous dental work is being effected by the kit.

Teeth Whitening and Power Bleaching

The power associated with Power Bleaching refers to the level of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide is the active ingredient that causes teeth whitening systems to work. For example, an over the counter teeth whitening toothpaste contains less than one percent Hydrogen Peroxide, while a few newer products do contain up to ten percent Hydrogen Peroxide. Some of the over the counter teeth whitening kits contain between 10 and 16 percent Hydrogen Peroxide, and a Power Bleaching solution contains up to 35 percent Hydrogen Peroxide. This procedure takes place in the dentist’s office and consists of the high concentrated Peroxide solution and the use of bright lights. The results are impressive and last for a few years. If you are interested in Power Bleaching, contact your dentist for recommendations.

Veneers

Veneers are a very popular method of permanent teeth whitening. Veneers are actually made out of porcelain and are attached to the tooth. It can be an expensive process though, costing as much as $900 per tooth.

Whichever method of teeth whitening you prefer, you should always consult with your dentist before choosing any products and use all products according to their instructions.

Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Learn more about tooth whitening and which teeth whitening systems may best serve your needs at Lustrous Teeth.com.

Menstrual migraines are a part of many women’s monthly menstruation cycle that causes pain and suffering. Menstruation is a natural phenomenon of changing hormones and emotions that occur cyclically for women who reach menarche in their youth and ends when women enter their later years with menopause.

60% of women who experience migraines find that they are associated with menstruation. And women are three times more likely to experience migraines than men. The only time women experience a respite from migraines is during pregnancy when there is a temporary cessation of menstruation.

New studies are proving the correlation of hormone release and the increase of migraine headaches. These hormone changes are highlighted in the journal, “Headache”, as the beginning of a research series into the complicated theories behind menstruation, ovarian hormones, and migraines. The article states that migraine attacks can occur before and during menstruation. Migraines come in two forms, with or without auras.

Types of Migraine Headaches

Without auras, both women and men experience headaches that may be localized to a certain area of the head or may be generalized and may last from four hours to three days. Women are more likely to experience longer duration migraines not necessarily associated with menstruation. Migraines with auras are more severe. Many people seek help from a physician when experiencing migraines with uras. The most common auras are visual and can be bright colors surrounding the outer visual field. The headaches with auras are less intense and shorter lasting than headaches without auras.

Hormones and Migraines

In females, the neurological effects of migraines, from aura or non-aura producing, may be caused by the two female ovaries release of the hormones estrogen and progesterone during menstruation. This release is a result of a monthly cycle in response to the brains hormones. Given their far reaching effects, ovarian hormones circulate the female body through the blood stream and can enter the brain through a physical component known as the blood brain barrier. This is where the migraine takes place in the central nervous system and areas surrounding the brain.

In order for the estrogen and progesterone to affect the areas within the head, there must be certain “receptors”, molecules that a hormone will attach to in order for it to cause an action on its area of influence. Like a medication prescribed by our physician, the estrogen has side effects that are unwanted. We can minimize the migraine effects by taking prophylactic medications such as acetaminophen, aspirin, and even caffeine. Many holistic treatments are also available. These include acupuncture, hypnosis, and herbal therapy.

Conclusion

Women have a burden in dealing with their menstruation, PMS, all combined with a migraine. Studies are being conducted to understand the implications of the menstrual cycle and migraines. Migraines are debilitating but with the right medications, we can deal with the symptoms and hopefully in the future we will find ways to fully rid ourselves of the effects of migraines.

Michael V. Gruber, MPH is a contributing author to My Nursing Degree Online, providing articles and resources for nurses looking for continuing education online. Find more information about earning your nursing degree online at: http://nursing.earnmydegree.com

When should you start advertising your copywriting services business?

The best time to start is when you have some money coming in. That is, when you have several clients, and they are sending you work on a regular basis. This means that your business is itself funding your business.

If you start earlier, you’ll need to fund your business out of another source of income, like a fulltime or part-time job. This can become a problem, simply because your advertising may not pay off immediately, and so you (or your partner) will start to worry about the lack of an immediate return on your investment.

The opposite scenario is also a problem. If you get flooded with work, which you don’t yet have the experience or sub-contractors to handle, it can be a absolute nightmare.

=> Start with your local paper

The best place to test the advertising waters is with a small ad in the Classifieds section of your local paper. A small, four to six line ad is inexpensive, and it gets people used to seeing your business name. You can often buy a monthly or quarterly package at a discount, with elements like stars, dots, or bold lines to draw people’s attention to your tiny ad.

If you have a Web page, a two or three line ad, just your business name and URL, is a great investment. People will visit your Web page in response to the ad, and you can post details of your copywriting services business on the Web page. Of course, you can also post your portfolio, or your writing samples if you’re just starting out.

=> Local industry publications

All local, state and national associations have newsletters, as do all industries. You can buy advertising in association and industry newsletters cheaply, especially if you offer to help them out with some free content.

Which industries? The ones you write for, or would like to write for.

For example, I write for several heavy construction equipment manufacturers and hiring companies. I’m not looking to take on any more clients, but if I were, I’d advertise in the magazines these people read — magazines for civil engineering, mining, and transportation.

If you wanted to collect more clients in the fields of managed health care, technology, or insurance, the process is the same. Find out what organizations these people belong to, and the names of the newsletters and magazines they read. Then call the publications to find out what their advertising rates are. (Don’t forget that you can often do this kind of research online.)

=> A Yellow Pages listing

When your business starts to roll along, say in its second year, invest in a Yellow Pages listing, if you find that you’re getting a lot of business from local companies.

Why in the second year? Basically because by Year Two, you’ll get some idea of the direction you want to take your business. Therefore, you’ll know in which section of the Yellow Pages you’ll get the most bang for your advertising dollars.

For example, you may find that you enjoy copyediting, and would like to do more of it. This means that you’d write your ad to go into the “Editorial Services” section.

Perhaps you find that you’re doing a lot of marketing communications work, if so, select one of the marketing sections for your listing, or perhaps the Public Relations Agencies section.

=> Online advertising

You can also advertise your services online. Google Adwords is very popular, and the system is easy to use —

https://adwords.google.com/select/

=> How much should you spend on advertising?

Start with a small budget, let’s say ten per cent of your monthly earnings. This will enable you to test the waters.

Good luck with your advertising.

Stuck in your writing career? Get a coach! Angela Booth coaches writers in copywriting (writing for business), nonfiction, and fiction. A veteran writer, published by major publishers worldwide, Angela is also an experienced writing teacher, who knows how to inspire and motivate. You CAN make a success of your writing career. Free daily info for writers at her blog: http://copywriter.typepad.com/ Start your writing coaching today by contacting Angela at her site http://angelabooth.com/ Angela offers personal one-on-one e-courses and mentoring for all forms of writing. Ask for a low-cost initial phone or email consultation.

The sweet taste of success! Blair Candy Company, a third generation family business, has taken their company from Altoona to Fargo- through cyberspace.

Blair Candy came to our attention through Dave Dadurka, a staff writer for Distribution Channels, a publication of the American Wholesale Marketer’s Association.

Dave knew that Blair Candy exemplified exactly what we were looking for: a family-owned brick-and-mortar company that has added an Internet component to grow their business.

Blair Candy is a wholesaler and distributor of candy, tobacco, and paper products in Altoona, PA. Patrick Dandrea, who eventually enlisted the help of his sons Ron and Terry, established it in 1940.

The impetus for getting the company online came from Pam Macharola, who was in charge of PR and did much of the company’s buying. She offered to work with the design firm to oversee the production of the site, and now serves as the site’s webmaster, in addition to the other hats she wears.

For over half a century, the company had been thriving. Why, then, were they interested in expanding on the Internet? What did they want the Internet to do for them and their business.

“It was a two-fold thing,” explains Blair’s VP Terry Dandrea. “We wanted to get our name out there. We had an informational section on the site which explained our business, our delivery radius, and we definitely wanted to get that information out to as many people as possible.”

“At the same time, we wanted ordering. We started out small, with a few items that we thought would be unique: some old time candy, candy you don’t see out in stores anymore.”

While their first site did put the company on the map, so to speak, it failed to bring in the new business they had hoped for. Soon, they saw that they would have to take initiative on their own to make the site successful. Even though they were new to the e-commerce world, they found solutions where the web professionals had fallen short.

“The design firm got us up and running, and it was ok,” Says Terry.

“They told us they would put us up where people would find us, because one of our big questions was, hey, we’re a small company, and when you get on the Internet, we’re still a small company because there are so many competitors out there.”

“But we were getting zero hits, no sales at all. We took it upon ourselves to go to Yahoo and get some advertising ourselves, and we had to pay. We had to pay to play on the Internet, but we started getting orders.”

Once the orders started to come in, they decided to take their site to the next level. In addition to extending the capabilities of their e-commerce system, they wanted to make the site easier to change and update. A new company was hired to analyze and redesign the site. They had a number of ideas about how they could rebuild it and bring the technology up-to-date.

“We wanted to get to the next step so we could control our items a bit better, make changes more often. we’ve got that now, but we’ve gone through weeks and weeks of problems to get there.”

Despite their early setbacks, Blair Candy has found its place on the Internet, and their e-commerce goals, to grow sales and increase awareness of the company, have been achieved.

But Blair Candy’s involvement with the Internet doesn’t just end with their web site. They have found that the web is an excellent research tool. They use it frequently to find new (or cheaper) suppliers, to keep tabs on their competitors, and to discover what items are in demand, guaranteeing that their inventory will reflect the items their customers want to buy.

The Internet won’t take the place of actual salesmen and delivery trucks, however. Blair has many customers, particularly retail outlets, in the Altoona area, and they choose to service these clients directly, face to face. What the Internet has done for them is to attract new individual clients, “home shoppers,” who are looking for the hard-to-find novelty candies and paper products that are Blair’s specialty.

Pam explains: “A lot of people are moving out of this area, and they know they can get local specialty items from us, like Mallocups and the original Peanut Butter Meltaways, which are made in Altoona. It has opened our doors to so many people. We have our name out nation wide. We’re on the East coast, but a lot of our orders are coming from the West coast.”

Pat Dandrea, the company’s president, agrees. “we’ve developed a customer base in California, Oregon, North Dakota. It has expanded our business far beyond (geographically) anything that we could have done without it.”

I interviewed over 50 successful long established Main Street companies like Blair Candy, asking many of the same questions that I asked Terry. I was looking for the common denominator, two or three reasons that all of them mentioned for taking their otherwise successful traditional company online.

In addition to having their story published on our web site, where it receives consistent traffic from Web searches every day, they were used as an example of ” best practices” in the book “Doing It Right”, Realizing Your Company’s Potential that we published in 2003 and whose content we recently made available on our web site at no charge.

Now, we are beginning with another batch of business owners who want us to tell their story. We are asking them some of the same questions I asked Terry, to help us tell the stories of Main Street companies developing strategies for continued success in the 21st Century.

The new profiles will also be posted on our web site and some of them will be selected as part of the content in one of the two books we have in process.

Based on our experience doing these interviews we’ve dramatically streamlined the process for this next round. There is a page entitled “Submit a Profile” on every page of our web site. If you or someone you know is interested in knowing more I believe you confined the information you need there.

Wayne Messick wants to interview business owners positioning themselves for success in the 21st Century. To be interviewed visit http://www.ibizresources.com/submit_profile.html And for cutting edge leadership strategies for your business visit http://www.ibizresources.com/doright.htm where you can also read the full story of the Blair Candy Company.