Please contact Chris Sizemore for more information.

www.grants.gov to find and apply or www.cfda.gov to search for grant programs

Corporation for National and Community Service http://www.nationalservice.org/

Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/

National Endowment for the Humanities http://www.neh.gov/

United States Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome

United States Department of Commerce http://www.commerce.gov/

United States Department of Fish and Wildlife http://www.fws.gov/

United States Department of Health and Human Services http://www.os.dhhs.gov/

United States Department of Homeland Security http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/index.jsp

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development http://www.hud.gov/

United States Department of the Interior http://www.doi.gov/

United States Department of Transportation http://www.dot.gov/

United States Department of Justice http://www.usdoj.gov/>

For State Grants:

https://apps.fldfs.com/fsaa/catalog.aspx to search for grant programs

http://www.myflorida.com to look for state agencies and get on their listserves for grants

Here is a great book that can be purchased: http://www.floridafunding.com/

Here are some additional state websites:

Florida Department of Department of Agriculture and Consumer http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/

Florida Department of Children & Families http://www.state.fl.us/cf_web/

Florida Department of Community Affairs http://www.state.fl.us/cf_web/

Florida Department of Elder Affairs http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/

Florida Department of Environmental Protection http://www.dep.state.fl.us/

Florida Department of Health http://www.doh.state.fl.us/

Florida Department of Juvenile Justice http://www.djj.state.fl.us/

Florida Department of State http://www.dos.state.fl.us/

Florida Department of Transportation http://www.dot.state.fl.us/

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission http://myfwc.com/

Florida Housing Finance Commission http://www.floridahousing.org/

Office of the Governor http://myflorida.com/b_eog/owa/b_eog_www.html.main_page

For foundation grants: http://foundationcenter.org http://www.grantstation.com/Public/GSInsider_prompt.asp http://west.thomson.com/newsletters/213.aspx

Also, local nonprofits that meet the eligibility criteria can register through our office to participate for free in the eCivis Grants Network subscription by going to http://www.colliergov.net/Index.aspx?page=1600

For anyone who wants to put a value on volunteer hours, here are a few useful websites: http://www.bls.gov http://www.wdol.gov/ http://www.labormarketinfo.com/stats.htm

Your Marketing Budget is an Investment - Not an Expense!

Forgive us, marketing friends, but we’d like a few moments with your CFO. It’s OK, we’ll wait while you go find him or her.

Stuck in a budget meeting? Hmmm, well, maybe you could take a message:

We just want to say that something about staring at numbers all day must affect your vision, because we’re hearing from our marketing brethren about shortsighted attempts to reduce company expenses by cutting the marketing budget.

Far be it from us to explain to those in corner offices that marketing spend is slightly different from the costs associated with the office coffee service, but let’s just say your crew seems hellbent on making a dent in these “outrageous” costs for promoting your company’s products and services.

We can only assume that clinging to this belief will mean you’ll eventually lay off all those “money-grubbing” employees, shut down those “dollar-sucking” retail outlets and then put all those savings into a nice bank CD where it can earn a staggering 5.4 percent ad infinitum.

Or maybe, just maybe, you don’t want to do that. Maybe running a company can generate a return slightly higher than that stellar 5.4 percent and you see the value in keeping the doors open, the offices staffed.

Splendid. Then why, oh why, do you refuse to see that what you spend on marketing is not an expense of doing business, but an investment in your business. Done properly, your marketing has an effective ROI — yes, that’s return on investment — that generates additional (as in more than usual) revenue.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with altering your marketing mix to get the most efficient use of your dollars — that makes perfect sense. And, dear reader, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that when it comes to generating ROI, direct mail is one of the best investments you can make.

Recent numbers show that every dollar spent on direct mail generates $16 in revenue — three times higher than the return for general advertising.

Think about that — cutting your marketing budget may save you $1, but it’s costing you $16, on average, in revenue. So be sure to lower your revenue targets for the coming year.

Or better yet, suck it up and regard this the way you would any business investment — something you need to do for the good of your company. Oh, and while you’re at it, give the members of your marketing team a bonus. They deserve it.

LEADERSHIP IN TURBULENT TIMES: 10 Key Questions Question #1 – Self-Awareness: How well am I handling the stress and pressure of the current business cycle? Question #2 – Company Survival: Have I made sure that my company has the capacity to take a serious blow and survive? Question #3 – Vision: Do I need to turn on the fog lights for my employees? Question #4 – Communication / Developing Followership: Do my comments communicate optimism and hope or do they breed anxiety and fear? Question #5 – Execution and Monitoring: How well am I implementing my business or strategic plan and inspecting what I am expecting without becoming a micromanager? Question #6 – Results / Talent Management: Do I have the right people on the bus and in the right seats? Question #7 – Team: Are my employees focused, engaged and working well together to achieve common objectives or overcome an external enemy? Question #8 – Economic due diligence: How well am I protecting my business from economic woes? Question #9 – Managing mistakes: How am I reacting to errors and missed opportunities? Question #10 – Competitive Advantage: What is the core type of value that my company brings to its customers?

I recently asked a question on LinkedIn about online recruiting and the best strategies hiring managers and recruiters use to find candidates. Granted, I was asking a captive audience, but every respondent suggested that LinkedIn was an excellent tool for finding candidates, and, a good resource for finding jobs, as well.

The Importance of Your LinkedIn Profile

One of the most important parts of LinkedIn is your profile. That's what you use to connect with people in your network and your profile is how you get found on LinkedIn by potential employers. In addition, your LinkedIn profile can increase your visibility online and help you build your professional brand1. For example, my LinkedIn profile2 is currently #3 on Google when you search for Alison Doyle. That means anyone looking for information about me, will find everything they need to know at a glance - my skills, my employment information, my recommendations, etc.

That's why it's important to make sure that your LinkedIn profile is complete and detailed. In fact, you can consider your LinkedIn profile your online resume. It should have the same information that is on your resume and, if you're looking for a new job, you will want prospective employers to be able to review your credentials for employment, including your qualifications, your experience, and your skills.

How to Use Your LinkedIn Profile as a Job Search Tool

Create a Profile. Create a detailed profile on LinkedIn, including employment (current and past), education, and industry. Review your resume and copy/paste the relevant information into your profile. If you’re currently unemployed list your current position as "Open to opportunities."

Add a Photo. You can add a photo (a headshot is recommended or upload a larger photo and edit it) to your LinkedIn profile. Note that it must be a small photo - no larger than 80x80 pixels.

Professional Summary. The Professional Summary section of your profile is a good way to highlight your experience. Select an Industry, because recruiters often use that field to search. Don't forget the Headline, because that's right at the top of the page when someone views your profile.

Keywords and Skills. Include all the keywords and skills from your resume in your profile. That will make it easier for your profile to be found in search results.

Contact Settings. Your contact settings let your connections (and recruiters) know what you're available for. Options include: career opportunities, consulting offers, new ventures, job inquiries, reference requests. Even if you're not actively seeking a new job, it's beneficial to be flexible about your interests, because you never know when a good opportunity might come along.

Links. The links section of your profile is a good way to provide even more information to potential employers and to your contacts. I have links to my company web site, my blog, and my About.com site.

Public Profile URL. Don't forget to make your profile public - that's how the world can find it. Also, customizing your URL will give you a link that's easy to share. Mine, for example, is http://www.linkedin.com/in/alisondoyle3.

Create a Signature. Create a LinkedIn signature to use in your email. That's another way to increase the visibility of your profile.

Update Your Profile. Don't forget to update your profile when you change positions or companies. Your profile should be current and up-to-date.

Grow Your Network. Connect with other members and build your network. The more connections you have, the more opportunities you have, but don't randomly connect with people you don't know. All that does is annoy them - you won't gain anything by attempting to connect with someone who never heard of you.

Get Recommendations. To a potential employer, a LinkedIn recommendation is a reference in advance.

Use LinkedIn to Job Search4. Use LinkedIn as part of your job search strategy - it will help expedite your job search.

(239) 595-8627 PLM08@FSU.edu

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE 2007 DECA Club Historian 2007 Marketing Student of the year 2008 DECA Club President 2008 Statistics Student of the year 2008 PRACC scholarship winner 2008 Marketing Student of the year 2007-2008 Varsity Basketball Team Captain

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Real Seafood Company, Naples, FL Food Runner March 2008 – June 2008 Responsibilities: Expediting Food Clean up tables

Circuit City, Naples, FL Customer Service/ Product Merchandiser March 2006 – October 2007

Responsibilities: Customer Service Restocking

EDUCATION Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL Sports Management/Marketing Sophomore (Currently)

http://www.slideshare.net/alex_dc/social-media-is-presentation

The section will debut Sept. 9 and appear daily. Content may include articles and columns limited to 750 words and photos for print publication.

Send submissions to community@naplesnews.com. If you have any questions or comments for Jay Schlichter, you may call him at 919-4098.