Have you seen your new website? If you have not, stop reading this email right now and take a look. We are very excited that the launch was successful, and the number of issues for this size of a project have been minimal. We still need you to do a few things, though.

To best serve franchisees and help ensure everyone's sites are running smoothly, CKFI support personnel will continue to focus on addressing critical issues. We ask that you check your sites for the following issues:

• Test zip codes in the location finder to determine if any are missing.
• Test pay-per-click and vanity URLs. Because of the nature of these special URLs, CKFI is unable to know if there are any issues until you notify us.
• Test your site for any broken links.

If you discover any of these issues, submit a critical update request. Again, this submission process is solely for critical issues, not routine updates and changes.

When will CKFI start accepting website content change and update requests?

Beginning the week of April 21, there will be a new submission form for CKWebSupport on the Member's site home page. CKFI will process two content change and update requests per site per month. Keep an eye out for next week's Friday Flash for specific details.

In addition, you still have the opportunity to request a support package from The Shipyard. As you know, The Shipyard is offering three support packages that you can take advantage of to help make your site work better for you. You can view the package options here or contact Jake Wilk at JWilk@TheShipyard.com or (888) 738-9750 with questions or to order services.

When can you begin updating your own sites?

As we have discussed, regular updates to your website will help improve your site's ranking in searches. Franchisees who have attended the training webinars will receive an email on Monday, April 14 from The Shipyard providing your login credentials for your site's content management system (CMS). 

If you do not see that email, first check your spam box to ensure the email is not there. If you cannot find the email, contact The Shipyard support at Support@TheShipyard.com or 

(888) 738-9750. Once you have this information, you may begin to make updates to your site. 

For those that were unable to attend the webinar training sessions, the recorded session is posted on ComfortKeepersDigital.com. This is a secure site; you can find the login information on the home page of the Member's site. Please be sure to review the CMS training webinar recording; we want to ensure you are fully prepared to update your site. Once you have watched the webinar please contact The Shipyard support to obtain your login credentials.

Changes are live, so please use caution.

Remember, since updates you make go live immediately, please use caution when posting new content. The CKFI Digital Marketing team will review site updates daily and either approve the changes or provide feedback to you within two business days. 

Get ready to join the party with your fellow Comfort Keepers^® at the annual Leadership Conference. Start by meeting our seven Comfort Keepers of the Year during the Saturday luncheon in their honor.

Top off the weekend by joining us for the Saturday night awards dinner and ceremony. We will be Celebrating Our Success with presentations of the Hourly, President's Club, Operational Excellence, The Greatest Call of 2013, and our Rookie of the Year awards. There are a few surprises in the mix as well.

End the weekend celebrating with old and new friends and get your photo taken at our Celebration photo booth. Meet us in Denver and let's get this party started!

When: April 24-26, 2014

Where: Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel

To book your room at the negotiated rate of $169 per night, click here, or call (303) 893-3333 and ask for the Comfort Keepers' rate. 

Note: This discounted room rate is only good through today, April 11.

September is National Hunger Action Month, and while that might seem a lifetime away, now is the time to start planning your campaigns. Franchisees around the country have numerous creative, effective tactics to promote the Comfort Keepers^®' Nourish Senior Life™ (NSL) program. Some focus on community service through the Feed Seniors Now (FSN) initiative, others set up relationships with area businesses to promote senior nutrition.

To capture these best practices and provide a forum for franchisees to share ideas, discuss tactics, and support one another, CKFI is establishing a private NSL LinkedIn group. Once the group is fully set up, we will be sending out invitations to franchisees to join.

You can also come visit us during the Leadership Conference Vendor Expo in Booth #4, where you can see the LinkedIn group, get a campaign guide and information, and see some "Golden Apples," i.e. creative, successful NSL campaigns and FSN initiatives that franchisees like you have created. The marketing team and CKFI staff will be on hand to answer your questions throughout the day.

Get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Member's site and find out where all the tools are for the different aspects of your business. Business coaches Ken McCord and Paul Tis of CKFI will be presenting Tools from the Franchisor during the conference breakout session on Friday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Join them as they take you on a tour of all the must-knows and hidden gems located within the Member's website. The resources are plentiful, and we are sure you will walk away from this session with a few new nuggets of wisdom in your pocket. Take advantage of this opportunity, and we will see you at the conference! 

Your favorite clothes fit just right, look perfect, show your unique style, and are fun to wear. Imagine if your scrubs could be just as stylish and comfortable while giving you a professional appearance. With the new Comfort Keepers^®-branded scrub tops, pants, and lab coats, you can have just that.

Look for the Medline booth to get a preview of affordable scrub tops, pants, and lab coats in styles that fit the way you work. Medline representative Mike Lee will be there to answer all your questions and give you more information about this exciting offer. He will also present a roundtable discussion on Friday morning to discuss the entire Medline offering. Watch the Friday Flash for details on the site launch and ordering.

For any questions, please contact Judi Collins, RN Manager of Home Care Service-West, at 

(937) 665-1376 or JudiCollins@ComfortKeepers.com.

The April issue of News You Can Use (NYCU) will be available for Constant Contact subscribers next week. Please check your Constant Contact account starting Monday for the template. We have also added the plain Word version of the three articles to Member's > CK Brand > PR > 2014 News You Can Use (NYCU). April's issue still has the old format, but we have updated the look and added features. The new format (pictured) will be released with May's issue.

Want to take advantage of NYCU?

If you do not currently receive the email-ready version of NYCU to send to referral sources, signing up is easy. All you need is an account with Constant Contact. The benefits of having this ready-to-use email are numerous:

• Email is formatted and branded.
• Email already contains articles. All you need to do is add a greeting and personalized content for "About Us."
• The email will be automatically loaded with the contact information you provide under the "My Settings" section of your Constant Contact account.
• You can include relevant links and links to your franchise's social media sites.
• Sending is easy: Just add your distribution list and schedule the email to go out. You can send it immediately or set it on a timer.

Click here for a free 60-day trial with Constant Contact. Please use this link to be associated with Comfort Keepers.  

The cost of an account is dependent on the number of contacts you send to:

• 0-500             $15 a month
• 501- 2500      $30 a month
• 2501-5000     $50 a month

As part of the partnership you are entitled to deeper discounts of 20% if you prepay six months and 25% if you prepay for a year.

You can also find the Constant Contact link on the Member's site. Just scroll down and look for NYCU on the bottom right-hand side of the home page.

Get email campaign savvy at a webinar.

For those of you who want to learn more about Constant Contact, creating successful email campaigns, and integrating emails with social media, join us for a special webinar hosted by Constant Contact on May 8 at 12 p.m. EDT. You can preregister for the webinar here.

Look for us at the Leadership Conference.

We will present the NYCU during the Building Your Local Marketing Plan session on Friday, April 25. We hope to see you there!

If you have any questions on NYCU, please feel free to contact Lisa Marie Hayes at LisaMHayes@ComfortKeepers.com.

CKFI is pleased to announce a relationship with CHCS Services, Inc. (CHCS). CHCS administers comprehensive eldercare solutions for third-party clients such as Anthem Blue Cross, CUNA Mutual, John Hancock, and more (see a full list of clients). Through their network, CHCS has access to more than 700,000 members as well as an additional 500,000 members through their Nurse NavigatorSM eldercare, and their reach is growing.

By joining their network, your franchise will gain exposure to these resources at no charge. Over the next few weeks, you will be contacted by a CHCS representative to discuss this opportunity further. There is no fee to join the network, but you will be asked to provide a 5% discount off your published list price for companionship and personal care services.

For more information on CHCS, read the frequently asked questions or visit their website at www.CHCSServices.com. You can also contact the CHCS Services Provider Network at 

(888) 262-0952 or email them at ProviderNetwork@CHCSservices.com.

CKFI has formed a new relationship with Long Term Solutions (LTS) that opens up the doors to two new opportunities. LTS is a nationally recognized healthcare company that specializes in helping families address the care needs of their loved ones, primarily the elderly. Their services include in-home assessments, care coordination, plan of care development and resource information on local, appropriate care providers. LTS works with long-term care insurance carriers, employers, and directly with families to connect clients with the care they need. In 2013 alone, LTS conducted 45,000 in home assessments. Their commitment to quality, efficient, effective care is their trademark.

LTS, in coordination with CKFI, will be hosting webinars to discuss the two options franchisees have for becoming involved with LTS:

1.    Become a select network provider. 

The cost to participate in the Select Provider Network is $299/year.

2.    Take advantage of the Nursing Assessment program.

LTS places assessment cases with a national network of registered nurse (RN) subcontracting agencies. Through this relationship, agencies send their RNs to meet with policy holders and evaluate and assess their current care needs. LTS provides their RN field assessors with the assessment paperwork needed to complete the visit and the appropriate contact information to schedule appointments with providers. Fees for this service vary, so contact LTS for more information.

If you would like to learn more about LTS and these opportunities, please attend one of the following one-hour webinars: