Your Financial Watchdog - Financial Planning Services & Tools

Flyte recently launched Your Financial Watchdog, a Web site for personal financial planning services and advice. We also designed and developed YFW's accompanying personal finance blog.

From the home page visitors can find help that's tailored to their needs. Some of the most popular concerns are illustrated by people and questions running down the left hand column:

• I need help planning for retirement.
• I need help saving for my child's education.
• I want to invest but I don't know how to start.
• I don't even know where to begin. I just know I need help.

You can sign up to receive the free report, "Seven Simple Secrets to Securing Your Future". Or, check out YFW's products like "Future Made Clear Planner" or the "Self Assessment Financial Evaluation Toolkit."

The Your Financial Watchdog Blog, focuses on college planning, financial planning basics, investing, and retirement. Recent posts have included:

• College Planning Mistakes to Avoid
• Retirement Planning; You Can't Build A Retirement Plan on A Faulty Foundation! and
• Free Financial Planning Services?

If you've been searching for personal financial help, be sure to check out Your Financial Watchdog for sound financial advice.

Berman & Simmons - Maine Trial Lawyers

Last week flyte launched a new Web site for Berman & Simmons, trial attorneys in Portland, Maine.

The site features the firm's practice areas, including medical malpractice, civil rights and complex litigation & class action among others.

Visitors to the site can also learn more about the trial lawyers, recent verdicts, and can peruse a wide variety of law articles written by the firm's attorneys.

With offices in Portland, Lewiston & Bangor, Berman & Simmons is a law firm that serves all Mainers.

Rich Brooks
Maine Web Designer

Alaska Fly Fishing Goods: Joomla E-Commerce Site

Alaska Fly Fishing Goods is one of my favorite Web sites we've ever launched.

First off, it's beautiful. The front page features gorgeous images of the Alaskan wilderness, giant fresh water fish, and shots of people fishing. Just looking at the imagery and Ryan's color choices makes me want to book a trip right now.

Secondly, it's chock full of great information, sliced a dozen different ways, each targeted for a different type of user or need. You can learn about Alaskan fly fishing by region, fish or season.

You can get tips on fly fishing for king salmon or fly fishing for sockeye salmon. You can download the Alaskan Fly Fishing Guide's Secret Handbook. You can check out the run timing charts.

Thirdly, it's well written. Just reading the Alaskan Fly Fishing F.A.Q. brought a smile to my face. (Good job, Brad!)

And you can shop. Lord, can you shop. Flies, rods, reels, waders & boots, vests, packs, luggage, and for those who don't know what to buy your fly fishing lover, the gift certificate. What's great is how site owner Brad Elfers ties the products to information. The e-commerce is completely integrated with the content. Whether you're learning about rainbow trout or grayling, Brad offers up the perfect rods, reels, lines & flies.

The site was built on Joomla, an open-source content management system (CMS) we've been using lately. As with other recent Joomla projects we partnered with OGO Sense. I can't say enough about what a pleasure it is to work with these guys. We can be pretty particular about our designs and these guys just get it done.

Joomla allows the site owner to add, edit and delete content throughout the site without knowing any HTML. It's a very robust platform, and we've got another Joomla site that should launch in the next week or two, and a few more in the pipeline.

I also want to thank Cybele and Lindsay, who did a great job project managing this from beginning to end. Great job.

If you're preparing for the fly fishing experience of a lifetime, check out Alaska Fly Fishing Goods. If you're looking for a beautiful, custom designed Joomla Web site, let us know.

Rich Brooks
Joomla Web Design

Children's IBD Center at Mount Sinai: A WordPress Web Site

Last week flyte launched a Web site for The Children's Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center at Mount Sinai in New York.

The Children's IBD Center at Mount Sinai provides innovative care to pediatric patients w/Chron's and Colitis. The site provides lots of IBD resources for patients and their families. There's also children's art and poems from real patients.

The entire site was built on WordPress, a content management/blogging platform that allows the IBD Center to update their own site, like when they "run" their marathon fundraiser as part of the NYC Marathon each November.

Rich Brooks
WordPress Design & Development

Turnaround Mindset: A Blog to Fix Underperforming Companies

Recently flyte designed and launched a blog called Turnaround Mindset for Ed Schaffer. Turnaround Mindset focuses on the approaches and techniques needed to turnaround underperforming companies.

The blog posts so far have been well-researched, and show an understanding of what it takes to turn a company around. As the current administration finally seems willing to admit that we're in a recession, the ideas discussed at the Turnaround Mindset have become very timely.

Recent posts include:

• Combating Ignorance and Complacency in the Workforce
• Sequoia's "Elements of Sustainable Companies" and
• Fortunoff Bankruptcy...Really Poor Form

Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company or a small firm, there's lots of great business ideas in here that can turnaround a company, or even help it before it falls.

By the way, unlike a lot of the other blogs we've developed, this is a standalone blog. This was an original design by our own Andy Woznica. Like Title Success, another standalone blog (designed by Andy), this shows you can run a business with just a blog or a blog/Web site hybrid.

Rich Brooks
Business Blog Design

Harbor Fish Market - Fresh Seafood in Portland, Maine

Harbor Fish Market is a real fish market and a Portland, Maine landmark. From its iconic red storefront (and logo) to its authentic seafood market, it's a piece of Portland history. Heck, we feature Harbor Fish's chalkboard on flyte's own Web site.

So it was with great pleasure that we launched a new Web site for Harbor Fish Market last week.

You can learn more about the different varieties of fish, lobster and other seafood that Harbor Fish has to offer. And, if you're looking for delicious seafood recipes so you know how to best prepare your flounder, haddock or lobster, Harbor Fish has you covered there, too.

Visitors to Portland, Maine, often come to Harbor Fish Market because it is a destination. Although there are plenty of places to buy lobster in Portland, Harbor Fish Market is where the locals go to buy fresh seafood and lobster. You can get a sneak preview of their seafood market at the site as well.

What Powers the Site?

Behind the scenes there's a lot of cool programming going on that flyte developed specifically for Harbor Fish Market. We created an admin system where Harbor Fish can add, edit and delete products, as well as assign them to specific categories, such as fresh north atlantic ground fish or fresh large fish or steak fish.

Through the admin HFM can also create recipes and link them to the primary and secondary seafood ingredients.

When running a fresh seafood market, products come in and out of stock due to the season and the weather. Because of that, HFM needed a tool to quickly publish whether hundreds of products were in or out of stock. That tool was added to the mix as well to help inform site visitors.

Since Weekend Specials were a popular feature from the old site, we added a tool so that HFM could quickly add items to the specials from their products database, and add pricing and details to each item. Images are automatically pulled over from the database as well.

If you're coming to Portland, Maine this summer (or any other time,) be sure to put Harbor Fish Market on your list of places to visit. If you can't make it here, be sure to check out the Web site and put in an order for fresh Maine seafood delivered right to your door.

Rich Brooks
Maine Web Design

Penmor Lithographers: New England's Premier Offset Printer

Today flyte launched a Web site for Penmor Lithographers, New England's premier offset sheet-fed printer. Penmor prints publications, collateral, posters, cards, catalogs and annual reports for education, fine art, financial and commercial clients.

The site was designed by Woodworth Associates, a graphic design and communications firm located in Brunswick, Maine. We worked with Brad Woodworth to convert his beautiful InDesign files into a working, breathing Web site for Penmor.

We also coordinated a little Flash movie on the home page to replicate the spinning cycles of the CMYK printer.

Visitors to the site can see Penmor's portfolio of featured Education, Fine Art, Corporate and Retail printing examples.

Some of their clients include:

• Bates College
• Bowdoin College
• Idexx
• L.L. Bean
• T.D. Banknorth and
• Tom's of Maine.

If you need quality printing be sure to check out Penmor Lithographers.

Rich Brooks
Maine Web Development

The Bar Harbor Inn and Spa is Blogging!

Flyte recently designed and developed a blog for the Bar Harbor Inn & Spa in Bar Harbor, Maine. The blog is currently being updated by Joanne Parkinson, a third-generation employee at the Bar Harbor Inn! (Man, talk about loyalty!)

There's a nice photo of the Inn on the blog with a couple of kayakers paddling by. Looking out my window--despite the sunshine--it feels like we're still a few months away from that.

Readers and subscribers to the blog can get updates on Bar Harbor Events and Visitor Attractions, among other things.

If you're planning a trip to the Maine coast this summer be sure to check out the Bar Harbor Inn & Spa.

Rich Brooks
Business Blog Consultant

Gorgeous Flash Work for Boston University Summer Term

For the second year in a row, flyte was tapped to create an interactive Flash movie for Boston University Summer Term. BU's Summer Term program is one of the premier programs of its type, attracting high school and college students from across the US and around the world.

The Flash movie includes lots of audio and video clips of students and Boston University to give prospective students a better idea of what awaits them in The Hub this summer...besides another World Series run.

To get the most out of the experience I recommend clicking on "Listen to Our Students" within the Flash movie and exploring the sections on Visiting, International, BU and High School Students. You can also listen to the sounds of Boston by choosing that link.

We also did additional Flash work that can be found in the High School programs section; be sure to "Listen to Our Students" there as well.

The Flash was designed by Ryan Goan and developed by Andy Woznica, although I believe there may have been some cross-pollination going on.

Rich Brooks
Hot Town, Summer in the City

MD+A to Z: A Full Service Marketing Agency's Blog

This week we launched a blog for McCabe, Duval + Associates, a full service marketing agency located here in Portland.

The blog will explore ideas on marketing, strategy, branding and anything else that gets their creative minds all wound up. Recent posts include reviews of The Art of Possibility, musings on milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate, and whether online mentoring is a viable option.

I'm surprised that more agencies don't have blogs...it's the perfect tool to establish their new media credentials, and deflect growing concern that agencies only know mass media. MDA is certainly taking a step in the right direction with their new blog.

Although the blog is fairly new, I've added the RSS feed to my newsreader.

Rich Brooks
Business Blog Guru

St. Andrews Village Retirement Community is Blogging!

Last year we launched a Web site for St. Andrews Village at Boothbay Harbor, New England's Premier Retirement Community.

This year we worked with St. Andrews to increase their community outreach and continue to improve communications and marketing with a new blog.

The blog keeps family members up-to-date with the daily going's on at the Village, as well as providing good, quality content for people who may be considering a retirement community, for themselves or a loved one.

Recent topics include:

• Keeping Active is Key to Healthy Senior Living
• The Bucket List and Improving Care for Seniors, and
• St. Andrews Village to Host Community Benefit Luncheon for Local Fuel Assistance Fund

If you'd like to retire on the Maine coast, be sure to check out the St. Andrews Village Retirement Community Blog!

Rich Brooks
Small Business Blog Guru

Childcare in Scarborough, Maine

I don't regularly blog about our ProSites, our affordable Web sites for small businesses, but they don't regularly feature photos of my children. (With parental permission...'natch.)

Do the math: Photos of blogger's children = free promotion.

Actually, this job meant a little more to me than usual, because Children's Time Child Care, a child care center in Scarborough, Maine, is where both of our daughters, Maya & Sophie, went for preschool.

I still remember the first day I dropped Maya off. We had Maya in another day care where I would often drop her off and they would drop her in the living room where the TV was on. My first day with Children's Time when I brought Maya in, there was all this activity with giant building blocks. I turned to an older girl who was there and asked her what was going on.

"We're building a boat...and an island!" she said, and went back to work.

I knew I was in the right place.

Marcie and Joe Welch, the owners, run a great center. The offer infant and toddler care as well as preschool care. In fact, Maya, who's now in Kindergarten, still spends Tuesday afternoons and snow days there.

If you have a child in Scarborough, South Portland, or the surrounding area, and you're looking for child care, give Marcie a call today: 207.883.1202.

BTW, Sophie's the one in the pink-striped sweater in the 2nd photo, and Maya's got the face paint on in the bottom photo.

Rich Brooks
Happy Pappy

Baker Newman Noyes | CPA for Maine & New Hampshire

Today flyte relaunched an updated look and feel for Baker Newman Noyes, a CPA firm with offices in Maine and New Hampshire.

BNN offers a wide variety of services, everything from help with state and local taxes to IT services to Healthcare Management consulting.

The Our People section also got a face lift, by applying a consistent approach to information architecture throughout the bios section. There was a lot of work done by BNN to manage the photography and personal information on this section and throughout the site...Perry St. Louis was our contact at BNN and did a terrific job of corralling all of that data.

The biggest design overhaul was done in the BNN Career Center, with a fresh new palette of colors. One of the biggest goals of the site is recruitment out of college.

The new career center has a big section on college recruiting, as well as an area that gives a voice to current employees who talk about what it's like to work for BNN. Future plans may include videos of employees that will further engage college students who are interested in accounting careers, but want the quality of life that Maine and New Hampshire offer.

Rich Brooks
Web Design for CPA Firms

Fore Solutions - LEED Consultants for High Performance Green Buildings

Recently flyte launched a Web site for Fore Solutions, LEED consultants for high performance green buildings. Fore Solutions works with architects, contractors and owners who are incorporating sustainable design and construction practices into their building projects.

Their projects include Educational Buildings such as Arizona State University Life Sciences Building and the Harvard Allston Science Complex, as well as commercial, civic & cultural projects, and LEED for homes.

This was the first of several Web sites we're developing on the WordPress platform. Although WordPress is most popularly known as a blogging platform, it's also a easy-to-use Content Management System (CMS).

By employing WP, we were able to create a Web site that could be updated by the client without knowing any HTML. Fore Solutions can edit content on the page, including text and images, as well as add new pages to their portfolio section. Since WP is also a blogging platform, it wouldn't take much work to activate the blog when they're ready to add that functionality.

But enough about the geeky, under-the-hood stuff! If you're looking to make your next building a green building, contact Fore Solutions today.

Rich Brooks
Sustainable Web Design

Company Logo for ADD Classes

The other day we designed a new logo for ADDClasses, a distance learning education source for people with Attention Deficit Disorder. They offer live TeleSeminars, a convenient ADD Audio Library, and ADD Coaching Program.

I really like the way this one came out. It's clean, and the apple with a path gives me a feel of education and progress...an attainable goal. Plus the treatment of the URL makes it easy to read and remember.

If you're looking for a logo or a logo revision, check out our company and corporate logo page, or contact us directly today.

Rich Brooks
Logos for Entrepreneurs and Small Business

The One-Armed Cook: Easy Recipes for Moms (and Dads!)

It was great a few months back when I got a call from Cynthia Graubart who wrote The One-Armed Cook along with co-author Catherine Fliegel. See, we already had a copy of the book in our own kitchen, and I knew that I wanted to help them build their business.

Cynthia and Catherine already had a Web site for The One-Armed Cook, their cookbook dedicated to helping new (and not-so-new) parents prepare easy, healthy meals. However, it wasn't performing as well as they wished. (The site...the book rocks!)

They wanted to sell more books, add recipes, and make it easier for the press to contact them. They also wanted to engage their audience more. The previous site wasn't scalable, and wasn't especially search engine friendly.

Basing the new look on their previous site, we rebuilt the site to be more scalable, more search engine friendly, and added incentives for site visitors to subscribe to their email newsletter. We also made the site easier to use, grouping audio, video, recipes and other resources in more management, scan-able formats.

Through the revitalized, search engine friendly Web site and email newsletter we hope to extend their brand, sell more books, and help more parents feed their kids healthy, delicious meals! (Next step: I'm going to nag them into blogging!)

 

Sign up for The One-Armed Cook Email Newsletter and receive 3 new recipes--not in the book--free!

 

       

 

Rich Brooks
The One-Armed Web Marketer
 

   

Peapod Jewelry: Handmade Jewelry from Maine

Today flyte launched a new Web site for jewelry artist Ronna Lugosch of Peapod Jewelry.

Ronna creates nature-inspired, hand-crafted jewelry with a whimsical touch. Whether you prefer lobster tail or are looking for the perfect Christmas or Winter Solstice gift, you're sure to find it in her online store.

Not into vegetables? You can also see a wide selection of animal-influenced jewelry Ronna created as well.

Visitors to the site can learn more about Ronna and how she creates her jewelry. You can also see her dressed as a giant peapod...if you wish.

Ronna wanted to manage her own inventory, so flyte developed a custom-built e-commerce solution for her. She can add/edit/delete products and generate PayPal buttons without knowing a lick of code.

She just logs into a password-protected area of her site and can manage her gallery/jewelry store at any time, day or night.

Products can be assigned to multiple categories for easy sorting. She's able to add related items as well, to help customers find just the right gift for them or a loved one.

Looking for a beautiful, unique gift for this holiday season? Check out Peapod Jewelry.

Looking for an e-commerce solution to help grow your business? Check out flyte new media.

Rich Brooks
E-Commerce Web Sites for Small Business

Back Cove Yachts: Maine Built Yachts

Last week flyte launched a site for Back Cove Yachts, a Maine-based boat building company infused with tradition.

Visitors to the site can get learn more about the different models Back Cove offers, review the specs and performance data, download brochures, view images and even take virtual tours.

Owners of Back Cove yachts can submit photos to be included in the Owner's Gallery that appears on the site. Future owners--as I like to call them--can check out Dealer Open Houses or find a dealer near them by entering their zip code into the Dealer Finder.

Flyte built a robust backend for Back Cove so that they could provide updated information to their network of dealers and manage parts of the Web site themselves. Dealers have one set of privileges while Back Cove has higher administrative control.

The site features loads of pictures and multimedia for every boat lover, so check it out!

Rich Brooks
Maine Web Site Design

Wireless Directory Network: Directory Assistance for Cell Phones

Last week flyte launched a new Web site for the Wireless Directory Network. WDN is developing the first global directory assistance database for mobile telephone numbers.

If you've ever needed to get someone's cell phone number, you've been out of luck. The only directory assistance is hoping that you have a mutual friend who has her number.

Privacy is obviously a top concern for cell phone users and for WDN. If someone's number is listed as "privacy protected", then as the caller making the DA request, you will be given the option, for an additional charge, to send the privacy protected subscriber a ComNote®. Like a Facebook or LinkedIn request, it can be responded to or ignored.

Rich Brooks
Web Design & Development

Title Success: Blog Marketing for the Service Professional

Recently we launched Title Success, a new blog for Shane Kane, a title professional, to support his ebook, Successful Marketing Strategies for Today's Title Companies.

A blog is a great way to promote an ebook or other deliverable for a service professional, like Shane. The blog increases his search engine visibility, establishes his expertise and credibility, and generates leads in his industry.

I read his ebook as a matter of course while working on the project...it's a great resource. Although I'm not a title professional, there was a lot of great marketing advice on how to differentiate yourself, how to find the right kind of client, and how to avoid or even fire the wrong type of client! It's exactly the kind of marketing advice I give my clients when working with them to develop their Web marketing campaigns. There was also a ton of industry specific advice for title companies.

We used TypePad to build the blog and to create a specialized landing page to sell the ebook. The landing page works like a direct sales letter...a very effective technique even on the Web. There's no navigation on that page, so there's less chance visitors will click away. This landing page also has an incoming link from the blog, plus Shane could run pay-per-click campaigns (or other ad campaigns) that deliver targeted leads to this page for conversion.

If you're looking for ways to market your title business, check out TitleSuccess.com. If you're looking to sell an ebook or other digital download, contact flyte today.

Rich Brooks
Web Marketing for Solopreneurs

E-Commerce for Business Blogs

Recently we launched a blog for Be a Girl Today, a t-shirt company celebrating girls playing sports. As a proud father of two girls (that's Sophie with her game face on,) I love their empowering, slightly subversive, message.

The client was very happy with their blog. However, their original Web site that was handling the e-commerce was not very user-friendly, and didn't have the attitude that their slogans offer.

We talked about revamping the Web site, but instead we decided to add e-commerce to their new blog.

We used TypePad's pages feature to develop traditional Web pages which we could populate with a shopping cart solution. For e-commerce we used PayPal, which covered the client's need for a gateway processor, secure server, and security certificate, while making it unnecessary for them to have a merchant account, at least for online purchases.

However, I've never been a fan of PayPal's shopping cart. Luckily, I recently read John T. Unger's post on blogs as stores and discovered e-junkie.

E-junkie is a "fat-free shopping cart" that integrates nicely with PayPal, Google Checkout and Authorize.net. It offers a slick, integrated shopping cart into any Web site or blog. It's also perfect for digital products as well. I plan on revamping our digital products and selling them through the PayPal/e-junkie combination.

To see it in action, you can check out e-junkie's Web site or play around with it by dropping a kid's t-shirt in your cart at Be a Girl Today. Who knows, you may just find that perfect gift and get your Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza shopping done early.

Be a Girl Today offers kids t-shirts, adult t-shirts and bumper stickers for equal opportunists everywhere.

Rich Brooks
Proud Papa

Plastic Surgery Blog: California Skin Laser Center

Flyte recently designed and relaunched a blog for Dr. Gerald Bock of the California Skin Laser Center, with offices in Stockton and Lodi, California.

Dr. Bock's plastic surgery blog is dedicated to helping people understand more about cosmetic surgery and what choices they have. Recent posts include:

• Laser Tattoo Removal
• Liposuction: Permanent Fat Removal
• Laser Hair Removal and
• Cosmetic Surgery Disasters (yikes!)

If you're looking for information and advice on plastic surgery, be sure to check out California Skin Laser Surgery's Blog.

Rich Brooks
Blog Marketing & Consulting

Comparison International - Benchmark Consultants

Does your organization translate learning into performance?

How close are you to the best performers?

What is world class and how does your organization compare?

Those questions welcome and challenge visitors at the new Web site for Comparison International, a benchmark consulting company, recently launched by flyte.

Comparison International works with businesses, change agencies, and organizations (or organisations, if you prefer,) throughout the world in all types of industries. They help these groups compare their performance against world class standards and pinpoint strengths and "priority areas for improvement."

The site includes case studies, testimonials from satisfied organizations, and downloads aimed at helping companies of all sizes become world class based on specific metrics.

Rich Brooks
Maine Web Design for a Global Economy

Skylights & Curtain Wall - Architectural Glazing Technology

Today flyte launched a Web site for Architectural Glazing Technology, a company that can do magic with custom skylight and curtain wall solutions.

AGT has worked with such illustrious architects as Frank Gehry, Moshe Safdie and Rafael Viñoly. Site visitors can see these projects, or view all of the projects in AGT's project portfolio. Projects include everything from the Bellagio in Las Vegas to the San Francisco Main Library to the Portland International Jetport here in Portland.

The portfolio is powered by a custom programming job by flyte using php/MySQL. AGT can add, edit or delete projects, assign them to specific architects, and include multiple photographs that can be viewed as thumbnails or in bigger versions by site visitors. Visitors can also run advanced searches to find projects.

Architects can quickly search for and download skylight and/or curtail wall detail drawings that they can quickly integrate into their own building plans from AGT's robust Technical Binder, again powered by custom programming.

If you're an architect looking for a custom glass solution that seems impossible, you owe it to yourself to talk to Architectural Glazing Technology.

Rich Brooks
Glass Half Full

Plastic Surgery Web Site for Dr. Michael Pickart

Yesterday we launched a new Web site for Dr. Michael Pickart, a plastic surgeon from Ventura County, California. Dr. Pickart is the author of The Cosmetic Surgery Patient: The Aesthetician's Role, available in November of 2007.

The site features an email newsletter, cosmetic surgery information en español, and details on the different procedures that Pickart Plastic Surgery offers...everything from tummy tucks to facelifts. Visitors to the site can also learn more about Dr. Pickart, a board certified plastic surgeon.

We included some subtle Flash on the landing pages as well, enough to give a little movement to the pages without distracting visitors from reading more.

Rich Brooks
Plastic Surgery Web Sites

Chapter11Library.com: Bankruptcy Documents and Chapter 11 Filing Information

If you need instant access to corporate bankruptcy documents or chapter 11 filing information then you'll want to check out Chapter 11 Library; it's the nation's premium online database of Chapter 11 bankruptcy documents.

Law firms and individuals can quickly access the documents they need through a case search interface built into the Web site. New cases are being added daily.

Flyte again partnered with Hurley Solutions, a top-notch, soup-to-nuts ecommerce and technology provider to bring this project to completion. I love working with Josh and his company; if he says it can be done, it can, and it will.

Hurley Solutions designed and implemented the ecommerce backend application. Flyte designed the user interface, created the logo, and built the Chapter 11 Library blog that powers the new filings section on the home page and throughout the site.

Chapter 11 Library is a service of Maine-based Nationwide Research & Consulting. Despite the seemingly dry topic (at least to me--sorry!), Ken Troubh and his team were some of the most enjoyable clients I've ever worked with. They really seemed to dig the whole process and made the whole project, dare I say, fun? The project succeeded as well as it did because of their great attitude.

Rich Brooks
Maine Web Design

SCORE Maine: Business Counseling and Workshops for Entrepreneurs

Since this is the blog for Web marketing strategies for small business, and since we're located in Portland, Maine, it's with great pride that we launched the brand new site for the southern Maine chapter of SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business.

SCORE offers free counseling and workshops for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Visitors to the site can register and pay for the workshops online. Upcoming workshops include Starting Your Own Business, Sales & Marketing, and Writing a Business Plan.

The site also features a number of success stories of local businesses, everything from The Front Room (yum!) to Elm Street Assisted Living.

Flyte built back-end programming so that SCORE volunteers could update sections of the site without any HTML knowledge. The admin controls the Success Stories, Workshops, Events and the Resource Library. We also helped SCORE setup their email newsletter.

If you run a small business, or interested in starting one, I strongly recommend using the resources that SCORE offers, whether the Southern Maine SCORE or the one in your neck of the woods.

Rich Brooks
Maine Small Business Owner

O Olive Oil: Olive Oil and Artisan Vingegars

Ever since the good folks over at O Olive Oil sent us a care package of their organic citrus-crushed olive oils and artisan vinegars, we've been smitten with their products.

So it was with great enthusiasm that we launched their e-commerce site today, with flavors as varied as jalapeño lime olive oil to pomegranate champagne vinegar. You can check all of their olive oils and vinegars in their products section.

If you want to learn more about how their oils and vinegars are made--tender loving care doesn't being to describe it--you owe it to yourself to check out their crush section. It's filled with beautiful, mouth-watering photography. Who knew learning could be this much fun?

The online store we build for OOO is all custom built, offering them incredibly flexibility in adding, updating and removing product from the store and other sections throughout the site.

If you're a foodie, or know one, you owe it to yourself to check out O Olive Oil's new site. And, if you've been wondering what to get that favorite Web development team, I'm guessing you can't go wrong with this.

This site was originally designed by Karyn Nelson with later pages created by Jennifer Beales. I had been doing work with Karyn almost since I started flyte, b