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Hello Alaska,
Why should every Alaskan company have a free business profile on the Buy Alaska website? Fun fact of the day, after Anchorage, the city with the second most visitors to the site is..........Seattle (just in case that market interests you), with Soldotna and Wasilla being distant 3rd and 4th! ------------------------------------------------------- A follow-up to our recent survey............... Klaus, I'd been receiving BuyAlaska newsletter emails weekly, and until you published the last survey, I hadn't realized that there were bid opportunities in the publication. I noticed this, when the survey indicated that no company had ever won a bid via a BuyAlaska notification. So, you can probably see where this is heading; Austerman Davis Associates, LLC won the Sitka Airstation fire alarm system testing contract, and we first learned of that project from your BuyAlaska newsletter email. The ice is now broken, and I'm sure there is plenty more success opportunities headed our way. Keep up the good work at BuyAlaska, and lets keep Alaska business growing! Sincerely, Walter Davis Austerman Davis Associates, LLC PO Box 8766, Kodiak, AK 99615 907.654.7955 We are a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Congratulations to you and your staff Walter, and thank you for the feedback! For the record, we didn't have a contract documented in 2010, but had over $100,000 reported for 2009. ------------------------------------------------------- You were very kind in your comment section of the survey. In addition to some lovely feedback on how well we're doing, you made a few suggestions on what may be lacking, or what you would like to see. Here are a few of your remarks and my responses - Buy Alaska comment feedback - - I'd like to see more information for different regions. (Southeast, for example). Also, perhaps there is a better way to organize the weekly email? Some thought into hierarchy of information...
My newsletter primarily includes items that are sent to me by members. We have a few hundred in Southeast, so please spill the info and I'll add it. The current hierarchy is sorted according to how important I think things areJ. We hope to change the format into a permanent blog soon, which will change the structure and make it easier to navigate. - We would like to see more DBE firms getting awards thru Buy Alaska Program. It should be mandatory for DBE firms to get certain percentage of the awards.
You need to take that up with the Feds and the DOT, but I do believe that there are DBE mandates in place now for many FAA and DOT contracts. - Showcase industries/businesses across all platforms i.e. This week we're highlighting Alaskan businesses related to pet care. All of those businesses then get a spot of their own (if they want it).
We currently have almost 3400 members. If I highlighted a member a day, everyone would get a turn every 9 years. - You are doing great. Can't think of anything else. Except maybe some networking parties.
We receive requests and struggle with this all the time. In the end we decide that Chambers of Commerce already do an excellent job offering a variety of networking opportunities and we support their efforts. - The program is great. We did respond to bid opportunities that appeared in the newsletter (questions 7-9), but we first find those in other daily RFP/ITB sources - I then also see those same RFPs/ITBs later in the newsletter.
Its true, we scrounge off our pals from PTAC. To get your business matched up with government bid opportunities, simply call on their expertise. Visit www.ptacalaska.org - Make it easier to post specials. I've tried twice, submitted, looked successful but never appeared on the main page.
This is news to us. Please contact Winnie, or I if you have a similar problem in the future, because the system is designed to make posting very easy. We offer monthly training sessions in Anchorage and Wasilla, but will try to do better by providing online training opportunities. - I am not sure how to use your site. I have products to sell but do not know what to do.
Buy Alaska offers a free online profile to every business with a brick and mortar location in the state. We are proponents of shopping locally and have created a registry of like-minded Alaskans. The program is not designed to be any company's primary marketing vehicle, but simply augment your ongoing strategy. - Do we have a phone app for BuyAlaska yet?
Dude, I wish! We lost the ability to offer this service for every site on the server, but hope to include Google Analytics as part of a moderately priced upgrade package. - I am new and obviously didn't do enough exploring when I joined. I didn't even know there was a place I could post specials! Maybe a welcome email to new members giving them ideas about how to use your site would help. Thanks!
I though you got one of those automatically. I will research and get back to you! - Have a clear document/section showing "Why you should sign up."
Holy heck so simple, but brilliant (I guess I thought everyone new)! We'll work on it! - Do you put flyers or any kind of info for the tourist at the hotels? Some way for the visitors to find the page, to find us?
We do not. Our efforts are restricted to the website and social media such as Facebook and Twitter. - What do you meanin #6 by 'our social media"? I love BuyAlaska - is there something else I am over looking?
We offer the ability to link your Facebook page to your Buy Alaska profile. Every "news & special" that is created by you is displayed on our website, posted to our Facebook page (which gets in excess of 100,000 impressions monthly) and Tweeted on your behalf (to over 1100 followers). You can also post the item to your Facebook page with one click of a button. Neat, huh? - Allow links to web sites and Facebook pages
See above! - Reminder in the weekly newsletter to update / refresh your site on Buy Alaska
Please update / refresh your page on Buy Alaska!! - I am still disappointed that you did away with the featured businesses when a person went to the Buy Alaska site. You might consider rotating businesses every week to keep your site fresh. Otherwise, it's rather boring. People like photos and interesting sites to look at. And, it should be free of charge as there is no favorites:)
The featured business section was designed to provide an incentive to update your pages, while also displaying new members. Some of our regulars discovered that adding, or deleting one letter in their profile would move them to that slot. It ended up that the same businesses were consistently featured on the front page. This did not seem like the best use of that space. We continually look for ways to make the site not boring. Stay tuned........... - Give me 12 more hours each day so I have time to participate.
I hear you, but the cynic would say "you should only make time to use Buy Alaska if you need more clients!" - A more detailed service directory would be helpful when searching. Thanks for all the great work. Love the email newsletter.
Online searches at www.buyalaska.com are keyword driven with information being extracted from your entire page. The better the match, the higher your display position in the results. This model seems to work for Google............... Thank you again for participating!!! ------------------------------------------------------- It's not too late for this Mother's Day Getaway from the Lands End Resort!! * Luxury accommodations in their oceanfront resort * Dinner with wine in our famous Chart Room Restaurant * Unlimited use of our fitness center, oceanfront outdoor hot tub and sauna * In-room coffee and tea service * Continental breakfast 1, 2 or 3 night packages available from May 5 - May 9, 2011. Package prices start at $165 for 2 people in a Bay View Room. Add Mother's Day Brunch Buffet, or a Raven's Nest Spa treatment of her choice. Packages with 2 or more nights include an additional dessert coupon to use in the Chart Room Restaurant. For reservations and information please call 1-800-478-0400 or 907-235-0400, or visit http://www.lands-end-resort.com for resort information! Happy belated Alaska Agricultural Day (May 3)! To celebrate, the South Anchorage Farmer's Market will kick off their season this Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm in front of the Subway Sports Arena. Enjoy everything from hanging strawberry baskets, hanging Tumbling Tomato baskets, strawberry plants, cucumber plants and tomato plants to lettuces, arugula, cilantro pots, dill pots, parsley, miners lettuce, spearmint, dried herbs and essential oils. A great selection of breads from French Oven Bakery along with those tempting whole wheat cinnamon rolls, macaroons, palmiers & bolillos and other baked goods will also be available. For more information about the market, contact Nancy, South Anchorage Farmers' Market, at 907-529.7630, or admin@southanchoragefarmersmarket.com. ------------------------------------------------------ Speaking of.......... Participating at the Anchorage Market & Festival is fun and easy! Rent a table in Alaska Crafts Tent, bring your product and enjoy the market. 2011 Season: - May 14 - September 11 - Market hours: 10 am - 6 pm
What's included: - One 6' long table with adjustable height legs & one chair in a covered tent area.
Rates: - Saturday $95 - $80 per day
- Sunday $85 - $70 per day
- Special weekend rate: $110 - $95 per weekend
For more information call 907-272-5634 or email info@anchoragemarkets.com www.anchoragemarkets.com -------------------------------------------------------- Erin McKenzie, GFC Member and Senior Account Executive at Fed Ex asked us to make sure all members have an invitation to the FedEx Export and Import Compliance Seminar that will take place on May 9th, 2011 in Anchorage. The class will cover such topics as 2010 INCO terms, clearance process into Canada, USCS and FAS export assistance programs, FedEx portfolio of services including FedEx Trade Networks and IP/IPF Fresh program (a program that streamlines the process of shipping perishables like seafood internationally). It will also highlight the tools available for customers such as Electronic Trade Documents and Global Trade Manager, Insight that make international shipping easy. To find out more information, please contact Erin at either erin.mckenzie@fedex.com Or her cell #907 382-5550. To RSVP, e-mail Karen Larsen at karen.larsen@fedex.com, or call 425.637.6822 by Friday, May 6, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------- Today is First Friday in Anchorage and while you're out and about make sure you stop by the Artic Rose Gallery; 420 "L" Street next to Simons & Seafort for "Scene Alaska" a show by Karen Mattson from 6 - 9 p.m. Karen will be featuring new works in oil, acrylic and watercolor of scenes around Alaska. www.karenmattson.com --------------------------------------------------------
Another fishing charter special, this time from Kodiak!
We expanded from a single boat operation where our guests stayed at other lodges to our own lodge with 3 boats! My son and I operate the boats for salmon and halibut charters year round along with deer transports in the fall. This May 16th-20th 2011 we are offering king salmon trolling for $2150 per person, includes lodging, meals, guide, all fishing gear, bait and rain gear. Not included in the special is fuel surcharge 25%, bed tax 5%, fish processing $2 a pound and gratuities.
www.kodiakcombos.com - Providing trips for multiple species for over 20 years! ----------------------------------------------------------------
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