WFIM Blog: Posts Tagged ‘san luis obispo county’

by Blaire Kilbey

We all know it’s been tough economically for all sectors of the population.   But what is it like for a teenager, many who have never had a job to spice up a résumé or the opportunity collect glowing letters of recommendation?

Help and plenty of advice is out there. In April 2010, Cuesta College, EDD and the Business and Career One-Stop centers in San Luis Obispo County are hosting three Youth Job and Resource Fairs in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Grover Beach.  The target age is 16-24.

Local employers will be on hand to offer advise on what they expect, how to fill out an application, what is appropriate interviewing attire and behavior (what do you do with that vibrating cell phone?). Other topics useful to youth, and available jobs and careers can also be researched.  Employers will answer questions to inspire, encourage, and build confidence during these competitive and sometimes daunting times.

The first Youth Job and Resource Fair is Wednesday, April 21, 2010 from 5-7 pm at the SLO Business and Career One-Stop on 880 Industrial Way, off of Broad across from the Graduate. (805.903.1434)

The next two are both on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 from 5-7 pm. In South County, the Grover Beach Business and Career One -Stop is at 1800 E. Grand (805.270.3100). In North County, the Paso Robles Business and Career One-Stop is at Cuesta College North Campus, 2800 Buena Vista (805.237.3014).

Youth are invited to learn about the wonderful resources for job seekers at the Business and Career One-Stop centers, get that confidence needed to grab that interview and enjoy light refreshments!  Please call the above numbers for further information and visit Career One-Stop at SLO-ONESTOP.NET.

New display of Octagon Barn art shingles on display at local business

San Luis Obispo, CA – A unique exhibit of painted redwood shingles salvaged from the restoration of the Octagon Barn are now on display at Star Automotive, 750 Francis Street in San Luis Obispo. Thanks to an ongoing collaboration between the El Camino Art Association and The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, these 100-year-old shingles are being sold to benefit both non-profit organizations.

At least 30 South County artists have donated their time and skills to paint original, limited-edition depictions of the Octagon Barn on the roof shingles to raise funds for the Art Association’s scholarship fund as well as the ongoing restoration of the barn. About 300 of the 600 shingles saved when volunteers replaced the barn’s deteriorating roof have been painted with a variety of media including oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor and ink.

“We are pleased to offer the public an opportunity to share in this unique project,” says Brian Wampler, owner of Star Automotive and an ace Mercedes-Benz technician. “We believe in being a part of the community and supporting local causes. This exhibit adds interest to our reception area and a chance to appreciate one of our historical landmarks.”

Full shingles are approximately 6” by 36” and sell for a $35. Half shingles sell for only $20 and measure 6” by 18”. All of the shingles have been signed by the artists and include a certificate of authenticity from the El Camino Art Association and The Land Conservancy. Custom artwork is also available for $50.

“Last year we were able to give scholarships of $500 each to five aspiring young artists”, says Joan Goodall, the Art Association member who spearheads the project

Wampler and wife Jami opened Star Automotive, a Mercedes-Benz service and repair facility in 2006. They quickly established a reputation to match a Mercedes-Benz in quality and customer satisfaction. The exhibit can be viewed at Star Automotive Monday – Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Land Conservancy was founded in 1984 with a mission to protect and restore local landscapes.  Literally thousands of volunteer hours have been contributed to save the Octagon Barn. The vision for the future is full restoration and the creation of the Octagon Barn Center, a multi-use community resource for public and private events scheduled to open in 2011. The Center will highlight the importance of agriculture in our county with historic displays for locals, tourists and school groups to enjoy.

The El Camino Art Association has approximately 100 SLO County artist members. “Our mission since we were founded in 1961 is to promote art and encourage support of artists in our local communities,” Goodall says. “The Association is especially interested in encouraging upcoming young artists.”

In addition to Star Automotive, the Octagon Barn painted shingles can be viewed and purchased at Gulliver’s Travel in San Luis Obispo, the Hula Hut in Avila Beach, and Central Coast Tax and Bookkeeping in Nipomo as well as at the Arroyo Grande Farmer’s Market on Saturdays and the Avila Plaza on Sundays.

Does your business sell food or is it a restaurant? Are you a “bookkeeper” or do you provide “bookkeeping services”? To you provide “training” or “learning”?

These questions are fundamental to achieving a clear message for your website that will resonate with your audience and search engines. That is like getting chocolate chips in your chocolate cookie, double the reward. Understanding what words your prospective (and current) clients use when thinking about your product or service enable you to meet them where they are.

Do you like Cookies? What kind? Give me a glass of milk and a chocolate chocolate–chip cookie (or ten) and you have me. The lower the chocolate level gets the less interested I am. Does that make me right? Of course not, it’s just how I think about cookies.

I had an experience where my preconceived ideas of what and how people from out of the San Luis Obispo area would search for things in SLO. While doing research for a website project I found that people from outside our county look for things in “San Luis Obispo” and “San Luis Obispo County” not “SLO”. This is a perfect example of making sure we don’t guess when crafting a message or targeting keywords. The locals here call it SLO Town or County but the target(s) for this project were not locals. The light went on; do not assume, research and act on the facts.

Recipe Testing
How do good cookie recipes become good? Testing and refining, simple and necessary. How do targeted messages become targeted? See above.

Knowing the right terms for your website make a difference not just in your search campaigns but also determine how to describe them in the content. More fundamentally they can (and should) determine your website’s and other media’s information architecture.

Heat Up The Oven and Start Cooking up a Targeted Message
Take the time and invest the money to get it right. Mistakes will happen, assumptions will be wrong but with diligence and experimentation the right message recipe will emerge.

Please pass the milk.