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May 2013 BITS and BYTES How to become a zero TV home or office. The home Improvement Contractors of Staten Island hosted their second annual Home Show. Builders are facing Onerous regulations and pricey fees for removing city-owned trees.
May 2013 BITS and BYTES How to become a zero TV home or office. The home Improvement Contractors of Staten Island hosted their second annual Home Show. Builders are facing Onerous regulations and pricey fees for removing city-owned trees.
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May 2013 BITS and BYTES How to become a zero TV home or office. The home Improvement Contractors of Staten Island hosted their second annual Home Show. Builders are facing Onerous regulations and pricey fees for removing city-owned trees.
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Unduh sebagai PDF, TXT atau baca online dari Scribd
How to become a zero TV home or office. PAGE 6 COACHS CORNER Lessons from a Girl Scout. PAGE 2 HEALTH-CARE TRENDS Cant stand the heat; get in the office. PAGE 4 www.sibiztrends.com STEVE WHITE/Business Trends The Home Improvement Contractors of Staten Island hosted their second annual Home Show in Center Court at the Staten Island Mall. Pictured during a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to open the show are, from left, Cliff Siegel, Nina Shea, Congressman Michael Grimm, Lana Ruggiero-Seidman, Dave Mangan and Peter Monzi. HICs annual Home Show Around the Island Check out photos from recent events around Staten Island. PAGE 13 By TIM RONALDSON Business Trends Trees are becoming a pain in the bark for Staten Island builders. Onerous regulations and pricey fees for re- moving city-owned trees have made a builders job difficult, at best, and impossible, at worst, according to Michael Schaeffer, a principal of Island Engineering Associates and a board member for the Building Indus- try Association of New York. But perhaps the biggest challenge builders are facing is the fact that they often have no please see TREES, page 20 Builders have an arboreal problem By HENRYK J. BEHNKE The Staten Island Museum Having recently attended a Bloomberg Philanthropies-hosted two-day social media workshop by Vayner Media for small- to medium-sized not-for-profit or- ganizations, I had time to reflect on the topic that is on every mar- keting professionals mind these days: What is the return of our investment in social media - in my case for a general interest mu- seum? To answer this question, we need to think of the goals of our social media strategy, which for many organizations is to increase attendance, participation and fi- nancial support. These goals de- termine how we use social media. All too often, we broadcast our programs and fundraising ap- peals in the traditional push ap- proach, perhaps even using the same text as in our print materi- als. The result is that the recipi- ents will not like us and will not follow us. At the Staten Island Museum, the primary goal in social media is to raise awareness and engage new audiences. This is in line with what the team of Vayner Media pointed out: To succeed in social media, you want to engage with your Facebook friends and Twitter community, share inter- The dilemma of social media please see SOCIAL, page 17 2 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013 DOORS ACTING UP? WE CAN HELP! (718) 447-7338 Doors Repaired Door Closers Repaired/Replaced Locks Installed Home or Business Licensed, bonded, fully insured Frank-Key Services 97 Quintard Street Staten Island, NY 10305 Ask about our high security lock options F R E E $ 1 0 G A S C A R D w it h s e r v ic e & t h e m e n t io n o f t h is a d By BILLY SPARKLE I recently watched as a client was distributing Girl Scout cook- ies to members of his office who had recently ordered them from his daughter. It reminded me of a story I once heard while working for Tony Robbins about a girl who had set the world record for sell- ing the most Girl Scout Cookies. I wanted to share this story with my client as accurately as I could, so I went to the Internet to see if I could find the details. While I couldnt locate that particular story, I did stumble across a fasci- nating article on the Little Brownie Bakers website (www.lit- tlebrowniebakers.com/girls/how- to-sell-more). This article con- tained the Top Ten Cookie Cus- tomer Facts and proposed that when you know more, you can sell more. In other words, a girl scout who knew these facts could increase her capacity to sell more cookies. I wondered if, by reading this article, my clients and I could similarly increase our capacity to increase our businesses. And while I wont be setting forth all the facts from this article, I will touch on a couple to see if they have an impact. Fact 1: The number one reason people dont buy Girl Scout cook- ies is that they were never asked! How often have we found our- selves talking to a potential client about our products or services and never actually got around to asking them to take an action? It was almost as if we were waiting for them to cut us off in the mid- dle of our conversation and say, Ill tell you what; give me twenty of those widgets, or Lets start working together right now. Here are some specific actions you may want to practice asking people to take action: scheduling a meeting with you so they can learn more about what it is you have to offer; making a commit- ment and actually buying some of your product or hiring you or your companys services; intro- ducing you to somebody that they know whom they believe could benefit from the kind of work you provide. So remember, the next time youre in front of a potential client: Ask them to take an action. The number one reason people didnt is that they simply were never asked. Fact 2: Customers buy cookies because they love the taste. Give your potential clients a taste. Give away your best ideas for free. Thats what one of my Lessons from a Girl Scout COACHS CORNER please see COACH, page 16 By DR. THEODORE STRANGE Summertime is here, but its not all fun in the sun for most of us! And just because youre going to work, not the beach, doesnt mean you get the day off from the sun. Before your commute, plan ahead. Check the weather whats the temperature and the air quality? Wear loose / light- weight clothing, preferably cotton that is lightly colored. Loosen the tie and roll up your sleeves on the way to work. Choosing your wardrobe accordingly is the key to staying cool and comfortable. Keeping hydrated is a must; you should consume water every 15 minutes during extremely hot days. Pack a water bottle before you head out. Dehydration oc- curs when your body loses too much fluid and can cause headache, muscle cramps, and nausea and can make you feel faint. It can come on very quickly, especially while youre waiting for the bus or train. If you work outdoors or in indoor areas that register high temperatures, make sure to consume plenty of fluids and have them available. Stay away from drinking too many caf- feinated beverages, as they can accelerate dehydration. Sun block is not just for the beach! Studies show that a persons risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or more sun- burns at any point in life. So make sure to wear sun block and lip-balm rated at 15-30 spf to pro- tect your skin. You should apply sun block if youre going to be in direct sun for more than 15 min- utes. Skin cancer is the most com- mon form of cancer in the United States, so pay attention to any ab- normal marks or lesions on your skin. Remember, even walking down the street youre exposed to harmful ultraviolet rays. For those who work outdoors or take mass transit, wear a hat; it will help keep the sun off your face and head. If youre taking any medica- tions for blood pressure or infec- tion, you need to be aware of the side effects from extreme heat and the sun. Certain blood pres- sure medications can make you susceptible to overheating. An- tibiotics can make you extremely sensitive to sunburn. Do not stop taking your medications unless you speak with your physician first! Employers: make sure the air conditioning is operating proper- ly in your facilities and make sure cold water is readily avail- able. Establish cooling centers for employees who work outdoors and make sure theyre taking proper break time. Keeping your employees cool and hydrated will keep them productive and happy! Theodore Strange is Staten Island University Hospital associate chair- man of medicine and vice president of medical operations/South Site. He may be reached at (718) 356-6500. 4 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013 Parisi Rampulla & Lenza, P.C. 78 Martin Avenue | Staten Island, NY, 10314 (718) 761-3333 Short Sales, Mortgage Modification, Foreclosure Defense If you cant stand the heat, get in the office HEALTH-CARE TRENDS SI CHAMBER: 118TH ANNUAL GALA FRIDAY, MAY 3 Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: Richmond County Coun- try Club For information, call 718-727-1900 NORTHFIELD BK. FOUNDATION: GOLF & TENNIS CLASSIC MONDAY, MAY 6 Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Richmond County Coun- try Club For information, call 732-499-7200 x2512 NYS WOMEN, INC. (RICHMOND CNTY.) WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Bella Vita Caf, 1919 Hylan Blvd. For information, call 718-816-5991 HOME IMPROVE. CONTRACTORS MONTHLY MTG. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: LiGrecis Staaten, 697 Forest Ave. For information, call 718-356-2323 RICHMOND CNTY. BANKERS ASSOC. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 Location: Mikes Place, 4677 Hylan Blvd. For information, call 718-370-7037 SI CHAMBER: CRIME PREVENTION SEMINAR THURSDAY, MAY 9 Time: 8:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Location: St. Johns Univ., 300 Howard Ave. For information, call 718-727-1900 MUSEUM OF TIBETAN ART FUNDRAISER THURSDAY, MAY 9 Time: 6:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Location: The Vanderbilt, 300 Father Capodanno Blvd. For information, call 718-987-3500 INDEPENDENT ASSOC. OF ACCOUNTANTS THURSDAY, MAY 9 Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: Bocelli, 1250 Hylan Boule- vard For information, call 718-948-0810 POWERFUL YOU! THURSDAY, MAY 9 Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: Richmond Diner, 3954 Richmond Ave. For information, call 718-948-0074 SCORE WORKSHOP: MARKETING YOUR BUS. FRIDAY, MAY 10 Time: 8:30 a.m. Location: Bridge Financial, 2 Tele- port Dr. For information, call 718-727-1900 MAY 2013 BUSINESS TRENDS 5 Business Calendar please see EVENTS, page 18 FOUNDATION FINANCIAL ADVI5OR5 RNALD I. CITRNL A!tiscr Circc 1983 718-727-5100 Want to be listed? Email: news@sibiztrends.com in our opinion Candidates: Dont take us lightly 6 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013 W ith just about six months to go before Election Day 2013 in New York City, and with- out an incumbent mayor on the ballot, potential candidates for that position are popping up all over on Staten Is- land, jockeying for position. Thats fine with us. By all means, include Staten Island in your list of primary campaign stops. We know we deserve your attention. All we ask is that this boroughs major concerns not be taken lightly. There are some serious situations in place on Staten Island that are wreak- ing havoc on the local economy and that require more than platitudes. And now is the time for these candi- dates to study those situations and speak with clarity and specificity on the ways they will address them. Most recently, a bevy of mayoral candidates sat on a panel at the annual Business Conference hosted by the Staten Island Economic Development Corp. Pardon our skepticism, but we were prepared to be underwhelmed. Generally speaking, those running for office are notorious for saying what they think the crowd wants to hear, without making any firm commit- ments or detailing any plans. And for the most part, thats what happened. However, to our surprise, a few statements were made that caused us to perk up. For example, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn stated, flat out, that a large portion, if not all, of a major city agency needs to be located on Staten Island. And Joe Lhota said that the full force of mayoral power should be exerted toward wresting control of the New York City bridges under its control away from the Metro- politan Transportation Authority and putting it in the hands of the city it- self. These are interesting and con- crete ideas that could have enormous positive impact on our local economy. Lets not get drawn in by party poli- tics, or blinded by empty rhetoric. As the Staten Island business community, we can be a powerful voting bloc. Lets make sure all candidates know that we will be holding their feet to the fire on the issues that matter to this commu- nity. Lets make sure they know that we expect nothing less than detailed answers BEFORE Election Day on how they plan to address them. 66 Willow Avenue Staten Island, NY 10305 347-682-4867 JANET WARREN DUGO Publisher TIM RONALDSON Executive Editor STEVE COPPOLA Director RICHARD GRADO Director ROBERT CUTRONA Director LAWRENCE RAMPULLA Director DAN McDONOUGH, JR. Chairman Business Trends is mailed each month to the business and community leaders of Staten Island. To be added to the mailing list, e- mail janet@sibiztrends.com. To submit a news release, email news@sibiztrends.com. For advertising info, call 347-682-4867 or email janet@sibiztrends.com. By BILL DUBOVSKY Did you know? Zero TV is a term coined by the Nielsen Co. to classify a growing segment of the population who watch TV shows and movies on the Internet via mobile devices and computers instead of broadcast, cable or satellite. These homes and offices fall outside the definition of the traditional TV watcher and this trend worries providers and advertisers as the number of people signing up for traditional TV service has recently slowed dramatically in the U.S. Here is a brief overview. What is it? Internet TV/Online TV can either stream or download video and audio to your home/office Internet device. It can provide live programming (like Aereo, broadcast TV, or radio) or Video on De- mand (VoD like NetFlix or Hulu) but is not the same as WebTV (like YouTube) where the video is made specifically for the Web. Content providers are international al- though some restrict their content to cer- tain geographies. How it works Since many of these sites are free, some show advertising a few commercials or banner advertisements before the program starts, or some 30-second commercials dur- ing the program. You can access this content through your computer by googling the appropriate website and bookmarking it on your browser or by purchasing a USB that al- ready contains bookmarks of many of these websites with a simplified interface for program access such as Rabbit TV or Ideaworks Internet TV (about $10 each) on Amazon. Check out each product on YouTube or Amazon for reviews and demonstrations. Both products can allow easier access to hundreds of TV and radio programs. What you need A mobile or WiFi enabled device with a fast connection to the Internet, enough bandwidth and the right browser. Some sites only work with Googles Chrome browser and some require you to download their own media player or app. A surpris- ing amount of good content is free, while others offer inexpensive on-demand pro- gramming, or monthly subscriptions. To get the video or audio from the Inter- net to play on your TV (if your TV doesnt have that capability built in) you could choose a gaming console (Xbox 360 or Playstation3), a Blu-ray player, AppleTV, Boxee, RoKu, VuNow, Android devices, Mac or PC, iPad, iPhone, Kindle, and WiFi enabled tablets. A wireless USB device called PLAiR can stream all the video con- tent from your computer to your HDTV so you dont have to deal with cables and set- up each time you want to watch. How to get it Use Google to find and log onto some popular American sites for a broad and in- expensive selection of free, on-demand, or subscription, video and audio program- ming. Some popular sites include: Hulu, Netflix, WWITV.com, VuDu, Amazon on Demand, iTunes (for Apple devices) GoogleTV, Snag Films, TED, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Aereo (live TV), Crackle, Dis- How to become a Zero TV home or office BITS & BYTES please see BITS, page 15 MAY 2013 BUSINESS TRENDS 7 1855 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, NY Room for 2 private offices + 2 staff. 2 blocks from expressway. Walk to most major banks. Includes Receptionist, Phone system, Cleaning, Maintenance, Alarm, Internet, RE Taxes (base year) Shared use of waiting room & 2 conference rooms. 2 assigned off street parking spots. Current tenants include Appraiser as well as Real Estate, Insurance, Financial & Travel Agencies. Contact Jon Salmon at Salmon Real Estate (718) 273-1200 or Jon@SalmonRealEstatecom for more information. Professional Office Suite for Rent If you are looking for professional office space, our location cannot be beat! Situated along the busy financial corridor of Victory Boulevard near Manor Road, this high trafficked location not only provides inclusive office space at an attractive and affordable price, but the synergies that can be gained by as- sociating and locating in a busy professional building. When you take into consideration all that is included, locating your business here becomes the obvious choice. That's what we're all about 718-720-1600 1190 Hylan Boulevard Staten Island, NY 10305-1920 www.heroldinc.com Bernard Herold & Co., Inc. - A Name You Can Trust .....401K Plans....IRAs....TaxDeferred Savings..... MONDAY Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC Small Bus. Counseling MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment only. For info, call 718-816-4775. Kiwanis Club of Richmond Co.: LaFontana Restaurant, 2879 Amboy Rd. 7 p.m. For info, call 718-420- 1966. College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr. Business Counseling: CSI, 2800 Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No charge. For info, call the SBDC at 718-982-2560. TUESDAY Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC Small Bus. Counseling MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment only. For info, call 718-816-4775. Direct120.com, Ultimate Think Tank: Lorenzos, 1100 South Ave. For info, visit www.direct120.com. Kiwanis Club of South Shore: LaFontana, 2879 Amboy Rd. 7:30 p.m. For info, call 718-370-2770. SCORE Business Counseling: S.I. Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9 a.m. to noon. No appointment nec- essary. No charge. For info, call 718- 727-1221. Business Guild I of the S.I. Cham- ber of Commerce: Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 a.m. Mem- bers and invited guests only. For info, call Jim Thomson at 718-442- 0900. Business Network Intl. (BNI) Net- work Alliance Chapter: Z-One Lounge, 1821 Richmond Ave. 7 to 8:30 a.m. For info, call Timothy Houston at 718-981-8600. Rotary Club Staten Island: LiGre- cis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Members and guests wel- come. For info, call 718-370-3140. College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr. Business Counseling: Chamber of Commerce, 130 Bay St. 9 a.m. No charge. For info, call the SBDC at 718-982-2560. College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr. Business Counseling: CSI, 2800 Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No charge. For info, call the SBDC at 718-982-2560. WEDNESDAY Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC Small Bus. Counseling MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment only. For info, call 718-816-4775. Staten Island Business Council: Lorenzos at Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7 a.m. Members and invited guests only. For info, call 347- 855-4488 or send an e-mail to info@sibizcouncil.com. Bucks Business Network: Hamp- ton Inn, 1120 South Ave. 7:45 a.m. For info, call 718-351-2557 or visit www.sibucks.com. Kiwanis Club of Brighton: Jodys Club Forest, 372 Forest Ave. 7:30 p.m. For info, call 718-348-0505. Kiwanis Club of North Central: LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 7:30 p.m. For info, call Len Bosso at 347-592-1937. Rotary Club of Gateway: The Lake Club, 1150 Clove Rd. 7:15 p.m. For info, call 718-447-1509. SCORE Business Counseling: Chamber of Commerce, 130 Bay St. 9 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment neces- sary. No charge. For info, call 718- 727-1221. E.L.I.T.E. (Executive, Leadership, Interactive, Team, Effort) Net- working Group: 1110 South Ave. 8 a.m. New members welcome. For info, call 347-273-1375. College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr. Business Counseling: CSI, 2800 Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For info, call 718-982-2560. THURSDAY Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC Small Bus. Counseling MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment only. For info, call 718-816-4775. Kiwanis Club of Staten Island: LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 7:30 p.m. For info, call 718-967-4345 or kiwanisclubofstatenisland.com. Rotary Club of South Shore: Mari- na Grand, 141 Mansion Ave. 12:15 p.m. For info, call 718-987-2061 or visit southshorerotary.org. Rotary Club Mid-Island: New Dako- ta Diner, 921 Richmond Ave. 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Call 718-981-0700. SCORE Business Counseling: SI Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9 a.m. to noon. No appointment nec- essary. No charge. For info, call 718- 727-1221. Rotary Club of North Shore: LiGre- cis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 7 p.m. WEEKLY MEETINGS please see MEETINGS, page 8 For info, call Chris Williams at 718- 442-9047. Business Network Intl. (BNI) High Achievers Chapter: PKs Restau- rant,1281 Arthur Kill Rd. 7 to 8:30 a.m. For info, call Timothy Houston at 718-981-8600. Business Guild II of the S.I. Cham- ber of Commerce: Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. Members and invited guests only. For info, call Bob Williams at 646-284-7206. Business Guild III of the SI Cham- ber of Commerce: Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:30 a.m. New members welcome. Call Melody Minkoff at 718-370-0040. College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr. Business Counseling: CSI, 2800 Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For info, call 718-982-2560. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): 7 p.m. For info. and locations, call John Tidona at 718- 448-7160 or e-mail portrichcert@yahoo.com. FRIDAY Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC Small Bus. Counseling MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705 Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment only. For info, call 718-816-4775. SATURDAY SCORE Business Counseling: St. George Library, 5 Central Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Appointment neces- sary. No charge. For info, call 718- 442-8560. SCORE Business Counseling: Rich- mondtown Library, 200 Clarke Ave. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment neces- sary. For info, call 718-668-0413. 8 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013
s t a tena r t s Staten Arts Photography www.statenartsphotography.com Steve White 6 Genesee Avenue Staten Island, NY 10308 Phone: 718.317.5025 Cell: 917.446.4029 Email: statenarts@aol.com Weddings Sweet 16s Anniversaries Birthday Parties Much much more! .................................. Weekly Meetings MEETINGS Continued from page 7 Tax breaks in new law By JOHN J. VENTO It seems that we all survived the fiscal cliff legislation that was finalized early in 2013. Small businesses survived especially well, with many of the prior beneficial tax provisions extend- ed into 2013 and beyond. Here are a few of those busi- ness provisions that you should be aware of as a business owner. Asset expensing: This provision allows business- es to fully expense the purchase of many assets (such as equipment, furnishing, technology, etc.) in just one year, rather than being required to depreciate (deduct) their cost over a number of years. Up to $500,000 of these purchas- es can be immediately expensed in the year of purchase. Bonus depreciation: If you hit your expensing limit, you can always fall back on bonus depreciation, which allows you to deduct 50 percent (and sometimes more) of certain types of assets in the first year of purchase. This provision was set to ex- pire at the end of 2012, but has now been extended through 2014. Work opportunity tax credits: These are tax credits (which are much more valuable than tax deductions) available to employ- ers who hire certain individuals. They include military veterans, people receiving government as- sistance, or those living in dis- tressed areas. These credits were set to expire, but have now been extended through 2013. Qualified improvement deprecia- tion: Under these provisions, restau- rant, retail, and other rental prop- erty improvements can qualify for 15-year depreciation, rather than the required 39-year depreci- ation rate. But note that these provisions are set to expire at the end of 2013. Health care tax credit: If you pay medical insurance premiums for your employees, you could be allowed a tax credit for a portion of premiums paid. John J. Vento is a certified public accountant in private practice and president of Comprehensive Wealth Management, Ltd. He may be reached at (718) 980-9000 or via email at john@ventocpa.com. 10 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013 JOHN J. vENTO, OPA, P.O., & OOMPREHENSlvE WEA|TH MANAGEMENT, |TD. Are You On Your Way to Financial Independence? John vento`s New Book W||| He|p You Answer W|th a Oonf|dent Yes. The sooner you take charge of your financial future, the more of a future youll have. Let John Ventos new book, Financial Independence (Getting to Point X): An Advisors Guide to Comprehensive Wealth Management, be your guide. This road map to financial independence is packed with need-to-know facts and proven financial planning, investment, and tax strategies, along with valuable checklists, sample financial plans, financial self evaluation, and other valuable tools. Realize your dream of achieving financial independence by ordering your copy today! FOR A WEA|TH OF lNFORMATlON lNO|DlNG A FREE REPORT TlT|ED 7|E U^C|E 5// 5/v|^G5 ||/^, H|Y 7/`E5 /|E YOU| S|GGE57 E`|E^5E /^D |OH 7O GE7 7|E/ U^DE| CO^7|O|, vlSlT WWW.vENTOOPA.OOM Ava||ab|e at bookstores nat|onw|de, from major on||ne bookse||ers, and d|rect from the pub||sher by ca|||ng 800-225-5945. 718-980-9000 95 NEW DORP |ANE STATEN lS|AND, NY 10306 Do you have any New York Liquor License issues? Then call NEIL M. VISOKY Attorney at Law Retired Lieutenant, NYCPD License Transfers and Applications Summonses and Disciplinary Defense Renewals/Alterations The Corporate Park 1110 South Avenue, Suite 54 Staten Island, NY 10314 Tel 347-273-1356 Fax 347-273-1456 Email nmv66@aol.com Successor of Alexander Weiss, Esq. Former Deputy Commissioner New York State Liquor Authority MUSEUM GUILD The Staten Island Museum The Staten Island Museum wel- comed 18 dedicated women to their History Center in Building H on the Snug Harbor Campus for a kick-off meeting to form a Mu- seum Guild to help the Museum with specific fundraising goals, event support and volunteerism. The Museum Guilds first major project is to help raise funding for The Edith & Alfred Susskind Gallery for Decorative Arts & American Crafts, which will inhabit the hyphen between Buildings A and B on the Snug Harbor Campus, tentatively scheduled to open in late 2014. Led by Connie Lane, the atten- dees included Museum Trustee Nancy Meyers Benbow, Marilyn DeSario, Maureen DiGiglio, Vic- toria Drumbakis, Marylou Has- son, Cecelia Kanelba, Ann Napolitano, Gloria Nixon, Mau- reen OBrien, Marguerite Paulo- Heyer, Fay Schiff, Barbara Shee- han, Stephanie Turner, Veronica Vasquez, Sharon Weinstein, Elaine Wolchok, and Museum Trustee Fran DAtria Romano. CHRISTOPHER KEANE Staten Island Mental Health Society Christopher Keane has been named the executive vice presi- dent and chief operating officer of the Staten Island Mental Health Society. Keanes career spans almost two decades of ad- vancing leadership positions in the fields of behavioral health care and family practice medi- cine. He is responsible for the daily operations of the agencys 21 mental health and related pro- grams that serve more than 5,300 children with special needs and their families at 25 locations throughout the Island. A resident of Woodrow, Keane was most recently employed as the assistant vice president of Be- havioral Health Services at Rich- mond University Medical Center. During the past seven years, he managed 22 programmatic cost centers at RUMC, including those of the New York State Office of Mental Health and the New York State Office of Alcohol and Sub- stance Abuse Services, serving the needs of Islanders in acute hospital and outpatient settings. Earlier, he was the FNP direc- tor of Nursing and then vice pres- ident of Health Services at the In- stitute for Community Living in Manhattan, where he played a significant role in the Child and Family Services Division, which serves persons with developmen- tal disabilities, including housing and medical clinics. He also held administrative and nursing posi- tions with several health care provider agencies in Staten Is- land and Brooklyn. Licensed as a family nurse practitioner and registered pro- fessional nurse, Keane serves on the board of the Staten Island Be- havioral Network. He is also a on the job please see JOB, page 12 Here's a revenue-boosting opportunity that may be flying under the radar of your business or professional networking circle. Decades-old Dome Property Man- agement, one of the largest and most respected companies of its kind in the New York metropoli- tan area, is offering an unprece- dented opportunity for a limited number of vendors and mer- chants to share in their success. The newly introduced Dome Savings Club gives businesses the opportunity to expand their cus- tomer bases for free. Theres absolutely no catch: You simply agree to provide an attractive dis- count to club participants on the Dome Savings Clubs Offer Board. That's it. Nothing more. A nominal one-time set-up fee, which includes a place on the clubs online Offer Board, is the only cost. This is a winning situ- ation for everyone involved, said Michael Motelson, president of Dome Property Management. ALL PARTIES BENEFIT Here's why: (1) The businesses in the Dome Savings Club may incorporate marketing incentives that work best for them, such as dollars-off or percentage-savings discounts, free gifts or services, or other strategies that have successfully worked for them in the past. They will enjoy a huge audience com- prised of well over 10,000 potential customers at over 100 Dome-man- aged communities, and are included in the clubs online mar- keting efforts. (2) Homeowners and communities under Domes management bene- fit from the dollars they save on top-quality products and services. (3) Dome Property Management, notably Staten Islands premier property management company, benefits from directly interacting with the business community and providing a greatly appreciated advantage to the many condo com- munities it services. Founded in 1987, Dome Proper- ty Management manages over 100 condominium and homeowners association communities, mostly on Staten Island, and is the biggest such operation in the bor- ough. Dome provides comprehen- sive property management servic- es to many types of properties and complexes, from under 10 to more than 500 units, and includes many building types and individually owned homes. For now, the Dome Savings Club is being marketed solely to its Staten Island condo communities. DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS Time Warner Cable was the first to participate in the club, with an offer to supply participating condo residents a savings of more than $60 per month with bulk-rate pricing. Additional members include national companies, such as Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, and reputable local merchants, such as Jealan Fireplaces. Even Dome itself has joined in by offer- ing preferred pricing and enhanced services to the residents of participating communities. Now that the word is out, it is likely representatives of the auto- motive, banking, medical, finan- cial and restaurant industries will soon come on board. Dome should also expect to hear from numer- ous home-services businesses, such as landscaping, contracting, plumbing, electrical, woodwork- ing, painting, multi-service and product suppliers, and others. Given the assortment of com- munities and properties we man- age, and the many goods and serv- ices they and their residents con- sume, businesses offering a wide array of products and services can benefit from participating, said Enid Motelson, senior vice president of Dome Property Man- agement. SOLID REPUTATION IS A MUST If you are interested in participat- ing in the Dome Savings Club as a merchant or vendor, be aware that not every business will qualify. Only businesses with a stellar reputation for product, customer- service and integrity will be con- sidered, Michael Motelson said. By simply providing a discount to Domes customers in these tough economic times, quality mer- chants, service providers and ven- dors can strengthen the loyalty of their existing customers and attract and build relationships with new prospects. For additional information, Dome Property Management may be reached at 718-605-2500, e-mail at DomeProp@ DomeGroup.com, and visited online at www.DomeGroup.com. The Dome Savings Clubs Offer Board can be found at www.DomeGroup.com/dscOffers. The company is headquartered at 109 Winant Place, Staten Island, NY 10309. Current Participants: Dome Savings Club connects businesses to thousands of potential customers for free Advertisement The Tides at Charleston, the first active-adult community of its kind in metropolitan New York, is one of over 100 condominium and home- owners association communities benefitting from the extensive services provided by Dome Property Management. 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Farrell High School, Birnbach is the founder of Pri- mordium Holdings, LLC, a pri- vate investment firm. He has also been a trading member of the New York Board of Trade and a member of an elite wealth man- agement team at Morgan Stanley. Birnbach co-founded DualStar Technologies Corp., a diversified contracting and telecommunica- tions company, where he sat on the Board of Directors and held various senior positions includ- ing chief financial officer and di- rector of Corporate Develop- ment/Mergers & Acquisitions. Among other roles, he has also served as president/CEO and a board member of real estate de- veloper Starrett Corp. and as a board member of Sensor Tech- nologies, Inc., a mission-critical software and technology services provider to US government, de- fense and commercial enterpris- es. Birnbach holds a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law and is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He received a degree in Economics magna cum laude from Columbia University. He lives in Castleton Corners with his wife Gina and four children. John G. Tapinis was re-elected to a third term as board chair. Also re-elected were Lori Karelas, vice chair; Anthony DeFazio, treasurer; and Liz Palagiano, sec- retary. Nine board members were re-elected to terms of office: Nancy Myers-Benbow, Robert Conti, John Hogan, Nellie Ke- mevor, Karen LaCava, Deeptha Nedunchezian, Gracelyn Santos, Nancy Shanaphy and Melissa Young, who represents the SIMHS Head Start programs on the board. On the Job JOB Continued from page 10 MAY 2013 BUSINESS TRENDS 13 around the island Special to Business Trends Joan Lamberti of Vizza V Events received a proclamation by NYC Comptroller John C. Liu at the Red Carpet Dance Schools Awards and Scholarship Show. The award is for her company mission of En- riching the Connection Between Business and Community. JANET DUGO/Business Trends Chrissy Mazzola (left) of North American DF and Katia Gordon (right) were among those who gathered at Con Edisons Staten Island headquarters to bid a fond farewell to Juliet Lewis, a Con Edison Public Affairs Manager, as she prepared to transfer to a new position with Con Ed in Brooklyn. Special to Business Trends The Castleton Avenue Commercial Corridor initiative, under the auspices of the West Brighton Communi- ty Local Development Corporation, hosted an Open House For Business Opportunities that brought to- gether Real Estate professionals, Property and Business owners, Entrepreneurs, the Con Edison Green Team and Banking Professionals, as well as members of the community. Pictured, from left, are: Michele Sledge, of Northfield Community LDC; Keith Christensen of New York Community Bancorp; Loretta Cauldwell of the West Brighton Community Local Development Corporation; Councilwoman Debi Rose; El- liot Borack of the West Brighton Community Local Development Corporation; and Martha Venditto of Richmond County Savings Bank. STEVE WHITE/Business Trends Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership hosted its second annual awards reception at LiGrecis Staaten. Pictured, from left, are Keith Cummings of Richmond County Kiwanis; Mary Price, Sabina Saragoussi and Jordan Pender of Partnerships for Parks; Delcia Coye and Nneka Nwosu, Youth Ministries volunteers at the Brighton Heights Reform Church; Borough Commissioner of Parks Adena Long; Part- nership President Kamillah Hanks; and NYPD 120 Precinct Commanding Officer John Sprague. JANET DUGO/Business Trends Soroptimist International of Staten Island presented its annual Ruby Award luncheon, honoring out- standing women in the community who work to improve the lives of women and girls. Pictured, from left, are: Soroptimist of SI President Adele McMahon; honorees Rev. Maggie Howard, Claudette Duff, Erin Urban, Linda Baran, Sister Patricia Corley, and Rosemarie Dressler; and luncheon chair Carol Lundrigan. MAY 2013 BUSINESS TRENDS 15 Contact our Commercial Division for more information about: Sales & Leasing Investment Property Multi-dwellings Industrial/Manufacturing Retail Space Raw Land Warehouses 1031 Exchanges Office Buildings Your gateway to better business and better living on Staten Island 285 St. Mark's Place Staten Island, NY 10301 718-273-3800 www.gatewayarmsrealty.com Our Knowledge, Experience, Teamwork + Integrity = Results for You Now Available St. George - 29,730 sq. ft. 5-story commercial office building with 38 off-street parking spaces. Across from new court house. Banks Welcome!! Only Drive-Thru opportunity in St. George. Call Robert for details. Asking $6,475,000 - 7 % Cap Rate. 30,000 SF Warehouse. (Industrial Loop) Approx. 15,000 SF per floor with mezzanine level for storage. Total usable 45, 000 SF can be subdivided 4 rentals with 20 ceilings. Currently equipped with 3 loading docks, 1 overhead door & off-street parking. Ask for Robert for more details at Ext.17. INVESTM ENT IND U STRIAL COMMERCIAL RETAIL & OFFICE SPACE ST. GEORGE Stuyvesant Place 500-20,000 SF $21-26 RSF ST. GEORGE Bay Street 1,800 SF $15-23 RSF ST. GEORGE Bay Street 1,000 SF $24 RSF WEST BRIGHTON Richmond Terrace 1,000-15,000 SF $15 RSF WEST BRIGHTON Prime Forest Avenue 1,000 SF $21 RSF WEST BRIGHTON Lower level-Forest Ave. 800-4,000 SF $15 RSF MUD LANE Vanduzer Street 2,400 SF $17.50 RSF RETAIL ST. GEORGE/St. Marks Pl. (IDEAL FOR Bank with drive-thru) 2,700 SF $40 RSF ST. GEORGE/St. Marks Pl. (IDEAL FOR Bank or Community Facility) 4,000 SF $25 RSF PORT RICHMOND/Port Richmond Ave. (IDEAL FOR Church, Restaurant/Deli) 3,750 SF $13 RSF WAREHOUSE CHARLESTON Industrial Loop 5,000-8,000 SF $12.00 RSF MARINERS HARBOR Arlington Avenue 800-2,000 SF $8-10.00 RSF For Lease ney, Popcornflix, Pookyfish, Epix, FilmOn, HBOGo, iTVmediaPlay- er, NBCDirect, OVGuide, PBS.com, TTheBlazeTV and many international sites. Google Internet TV for more listings and be aware of family-friendly and adult programming. How hard is it to use? Each site can be different. It takes a bit of effort to find and bookmark, but after that, its about the same as using a cable set controller. Findings The future of communications is the Internet. Conventional tele- phone service and TV broadcast- ing will be completely obsolete in the near future with everything going over the new superfast, high-bandwidth, wireless, Inter- net! Also driving this evolution are advertisers who can more ac- curately quantify and segment their marketing messages on the Internet. Bottom-line Its free give it a try. The only thing you have to lose is your high monthly TV bill which in- cludes all those channels you never watch and dont care about. Low-tech alternatives include free off-the-air broadcast TV as well as free movies and a wide range of programming from pub- lic library DVDs and CDs. Search for Internet TV on www.google.com and www.YouTube.com for more info. Bill Dubovsky - Comtel Information Services, has a proven track record of business success spanning over 30 years in helping hundreds of or- ganizations improve their profitabili- ty. He is the principal technology specialist with Comtel Information Services, a New York based telecom- munications consulting firm, and an adjunct lecturer in business at the College of Staten Island, C.U.N.Y. Contact him at billdubovsky@gmail.com. No TV BITS Continued from page 6 Visit us on the Web at www.sibiztrends.com mentors once taught me. He said, Move the free line. In other words, whatever you typically give people once theyve actually hired you, see if you can give them some of that before they hire you. Now I can already hear some of you asking, Why would I do that? Its simple. If what youre offering really does taste good, guess what? People are going to want more which ultimately means theyre going to make a purchase. If they dont make a purchase, then either they didnt like the way your services tasted (which could be valuable feed- back), or they werent actually qualified in the first place. So, give them a taste. Let them see how delicious your services are. Then, when youve given a taste to someone who actually IS qualified and his mouth begins to water, refer to Fact No. 1 and ask him to make a commitment. Lastly, a lesson that didnt come from the article Im refer- ring to, but was contained in the story I shared with my client about the record-setting Girl Scout. Use the power of contrast. What this girl did was, after a homeowner came to a door that she knocked on, she wouldnt start out by trying to sell them cookies. Instead, she would ask them point blank to make a donation to a charity that she represented in the amount of $200. After they said no to this rather large re- quest, she began to hammer them literally asking them three or four times to Please make a $200 donation! Finally after receiving a series of nos she would take a step back on the homeowners porch, let out an audible sigh of defeat, and then say, Alright well if youre not going to make the do- nation for $200, could you at *least* buy a few boxes of these cookies I have for sale? Theyre *only* two dollars each. Re- lieved to be free of this little girls relentless pursuit of their $200, many of these homeowners hap- pily placed orders for 10 to 20 boxes. Now I dont know where this girl got her sales training, but I believe she is someone from whom we all can take a lesson. Coach Billy works with highly com- mitted men & women to produce un- precedented results in their busi- nesses and their lives. Learn more at www.billysparkle.com or contact Billy directly via e-mail at billy@billysparkle.com. 16 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013 Lessons from a Girl Scout COACH Continued from page 2 esting content, tips and photos with them. If they like it, they will post it and share it with their friends. Now, the beauty of social media is that we can engage with and raise awareness among a population that normally does not come to the Museum, i.e. teens to 30 year olds. We have often seen that people visit the Museum in an elementary school group and return only when they have children of their own or are older. In addition, social media al- lows us to be the resource that we envision to be - the Museum with- out walls. That way, we stay con- nected with former program at- tendees or people that share our enthusiasm - in our case, those in- terested in arts, natural science and local history. So, how do we measure our so- cial media success? Intuitively, one might count the number of posts, or better, the increases in Facebook likes and Twitter followers. Instead, the Vayner Media team recommended a measure of engagement. Just having many people liking your organization or following you does not mean they are en- gaged or have built a relationship with your organization, nor does it guarantee that they will see your posts (an algorithm of past reactions to your posts deter- mines the percentage of your fans that will be exposed to future posts). Fortunately, Facebook provides some engagement numbers (e.g. virality), and with Twitter one could count favorites and retweets. Unlike the time lag be- tween the placement of a tradi- tional advertisement and con- sumer reaction, with social media you can measure the effect almost immediately and learn which posts are effective and which are not. Social Media experts like Vayn- er Media advocate for as much personalized feedback as possi- ble, and I wonder how to do this cost-effectively, when the Muse- ums social media professional also handles all other marketing and PR plus helps with special events. Even with the right analytics, the critical question remains, how does all this engagement ad- vance our mission and our organ- ization? From a financial standpoint, I MAY 2013 BUSINESS TRENDS 17 Social media dilemma SOCIAL Continued from page 1 please see SOCIAL, page 21 RICHMOND UNIV. HOSP. GOLF & TENNIS OUTING MONDAY, MAY 13 Time: 6:30 a.m. Location: Richmond County Coun- try Club For information, call 718-818-2195 BUSINESS LEADERS TOASTMASTERS WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: 43 Ramona Ave. For information, call Arlene Trunzo at 718-317-0949 NETWORKING PLUS THURSDAY, MAY 16 Time: 8:15 a.m. Location: Golden Dove, 3281 Rich- mond Ave. For information, call 718-966-6289 SI CHAMBER: BUS. BEFORE HOURS THURSDAY, MAY 16 Time: 8:00 a.m. Location: Richmond Cnty. Bank, 1270 Clove Rd. For information, call 718-727-1900 NYS WOMEN, INC. (STATEN ISLAND) TUESDAY, MAY 21 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: LiGrecis Staaten, 697 Forest Ave. For information, call 718-226-6462 SCORE WORKSHOP: FINANCIAL MATTERS FRIDAY, MAY 24 Time: 8:30 a.m. Location: Bridge Financial, 2 Tele- port Dr. For information, call 718-727-1900 24-7 NETWORKING SALES MONDAY, MAY 27 Time: 9:00 a.m. Location: Z-One Restaurant, Rich- mond Ave. For information, call 973-697-8872 WORLD OF WOMEN MONTHLY MEETING MONDAY, MAY 27 Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: Marina Grand, Mansion Ave. For information, call 718-948-8175 PARAMOUNT ORAL SURGERY STUDY CLUB WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: 201 Edward Curry Ave., Ste. 101 For information, call 347-354-2228 NEW DAY TOASTMASTERS THURSDAY, MAY 30 Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: SI Univ. Hosp., Seaview Ave. For information, call 347-265-1161 18 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013 Become a DOME SAVINGS CLUB VENDOR and reach thousands of potential customers! For more information, call (718) 605-2500 www.domegroup.com Dome Property Management - managers of over 100 condo and homeowners association communities - is now accepting vendors and merchants to participate in the Dome Savings Club, an "offer board" of discounted services and products for the communities it serves. Join national companies like Time Warner Cable, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and local businesses like Jealan Fireplaces and The Pool Therapist. To learn more, visit the Offer Board at www.DomeGroup.com/dscOffers. Get certified as a Minority or Women Business Enterprise! Thanks to a local law, New York City agencies are directed to buy more goods and services from City-certified M/WBE`s. If you have ever thought about selling, to government, now is a great time to become a City-certified M/WBE! City-certified M/WBE`s get: Free guidance on selling to the government Free advertising in the Online Directory of Certified Businesses Invitations to exclusive events with City buyers and prime contractors This program was made possible by the New York City Council For more information on SBS M/WBE programs, please visit www.nyc.gov/getcertified The West Brighton Community Local Development Corporation (West Brighton LDC) has been named a member of the New York City Council supported 2012 M/WBE Leadership Association. The West Brighton LDC located at 705 Forest Avenue, 2nd Floor-Rear, has tools, knowledge, and experience to get you started. For more information on getting certified, call us today at 718-816-4775, email nina@westbrightonldc.com or visit www.nyc.gov/getcertified. Business Calendar EVENTS Continued from page 5 Visit us online at www.sibiztrends.com 20 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013 Bttgt//eIuw.It/stuyvesmtBumt Located a short distance from Albany, NY, Stuyvesant Outdoor Adventures offers custom tailored packages and accommodations for serious and casual hunters alike. All of our packages include a full hunting excursion, licensed guide, field dressing, as well as all meals and accommodations at our newly remodeled lodge - Stuyvesant Manor; the former estate of Hollywood Icon Sidney Poitier - which is also licensed as a bed and breakfast. Whether you're looking for a short getaway, a corporate retreat, a camping weekend or even a seminar with guest speakers and instructors, Stuyvesant Outdoor Adventures is a perfect spot. Foz InIoznatIon, to nake a zesezvatIon oz to zeach ouz tzIp-pIannIng concIezge, caII (888} 690-0041 FALL AND 8PRINO Turkey, WhitetaiI Deer (archery, rifIe, muzzIeIoader), Pheaaant (fieId and tower), Coyote, Rabbit and WaterfowI FBOm WHITBTAIL DBBB AND WILD T0BHBY TO PHBASANTS, WATBBFOWL AND mOBB. Visit us online at www.sibiztrends.com idea how to estimate the cost of certain development projects be- cause of the lack of coordination from the citys Department of Parks & Recreation, which is re- sponsible for regulation of city- owned trees, Schaeffer said. Builders often have trouble prop- erly evaluating a piece of proper- ty because of the unclear rules and regulations with the trees on it. Its just a cost of doing busi- ness that you cant possibly antic- ipate, he said. You cant add it. You cant figure it into the cost of your construction. Its become a big blight. City-owned trees have always been regulated, but zoning regu- lations changed starting in 2008, altering what could and could not be done. The new zoning required that a street tree be planted for every 25 lineal feet of street frontage on a zoning lot, Schaef- fer said. Similar regulations had been in place for special zoning districts in the past, but now, the rules applied for every property. The big change came in 2010, though, when the city council and parks department established new fees, means and methods for removing existing city-owned street trees. Now, each street tree was assigned a monetary value, which the builder had to pay for removal. In some cases, larger trees are valued at close to $200,000, not counting labor, Scha- effer said. Further complicating matters, the city handed jurisdiction of street trees to local forestry and horticultural officers, of which Staten Island has two. Schaeffer said there is little-to-no oversight of these officers, though, which causes massive problems when it comes to estimating the cost of tree removal and replacement. The rules and the establish- ment of these fees are not backed up by any nationally-recognized standard, such as the Interna- tional Society of Arborists, he said. Commissioners are basi- cally allowing local foresters to do whatever they please, however they please. Because it has become almost impossible to anticipate the value of each street tree, builders are instead trying to keep each tree intact and work around them. That becomes a frustrating process, though, Schaeffer said, because it means having parks department oversight throughout the entire project. Most times, the department wont inform a builder of whether they are oper- ating according to standards, An arboreal problem TREES Continued from page 1 please see TREES, page 22 MAY 2013 BUSINESS TRENDS 21 We teach your home and business how to act -- whether you're there or not -- by installing a Control4, one-touch automation system. These are just some of the money-saving, convenient, safety-related actions that will happen automatically: LIFE MADE EASY With APB S.E.L.E.C.T. Automation S ecurity & Cameras & Remote Monitoring E nergy Monitoring & Management L ighting Controls E ntertainment (Home Theaters) Computer Networks T echnology of Tomorrow Visit our showroom (by appointment only) APB Security Systems, Inc. 2047 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, NY 10314 718-698-8244 SECURITY & SAVINGS Upon leaving your home, thermostats are pre-programmed to save heating and air conditioning costs. Lights will alternate at night to simulate occupancy. All lights will go on if an alarm trig- gers and a recorded message is blasted to a burglar. Upon re- turning, selected lights will automatically light your home. CONVENIENCE & SAVINGS One button puts your home in vacation mode (HVAC, Lighting, Power-Consumer Electronic De- vices, etc. are programmed to save money). One button activates all holiday lighting, and you may heat your pool from your phone. ENTERTAINMENT One remote controls all audio and video throughout your home from a few televisions to a complete home theater room. ENERGY MONITORING & MANAGEMENT We let you monitor every circuit in your home or business to help isolate the waste and begin saving on elec- tricity consumption. NYS Dept of State Lic #12000034292 Control4 Authorized Dealer Member NARI-HIC of Staten Island and CEDIA Commercial/Residential Renovations Additions, Extensions, Roof Raisings Custom Carpentry/Artistic Wood-Working Finished Basements Repairs/Handyman Services Rockscapes, Cultured Stone Installs Fire/Flood Restorations Call Bob or David 718-761-8390 Insured. Bonded. References Available. License #1015742 Our Prices Fit Your Budget Project-One Construction Services do not see a great return of in- vestment. Who knows if the kids in their 20s will join the Museum in 30 years, and how can we be sure it was because of an interesting tip on Facebook? Of course, some people might donate and come to an event, but does that justify 50 percent of our marketing per- sons salary? How much should we invest in Facebook and Twitter? Should we add Instagram to the mix? What about Tumblr and Foursquare? Will we be able to keep our follow- ers if social platforms change? Just think of the ghost town that myspace.com is today. In the end, the dilemma is the same as it has been in marketing and advertising for decades. As former U.S. Postmaster General John Wanamaker is attributed to have said: Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I dont know which half. Luckily for many not-for-profit organizations, engaging our audi- ences through social media is part of our mission and therefore not at all a waste of resources. We are social change agents and, taking the Staten Island Mu- seum as an example, we want peo- ple to become familiar with the natural world, share with them classic and contemporary art, and show them how their neigh- borhood changed over time and, most importantly, how they can participate in improving their community. Hopefully, this newly engaged citizenry will then also support the organizations that enlight- ened them. Henryk J. Behnke is vice president for external affairs and advancement at the Staten Island Museum, New York Citys only general interest mu- seum since 1881. He may be reached at (718) 483-7114. Social media dilemma SOCIAL Continued from page 17 Send us your news Email: news@sibiztrends.com waiting instead until a project is completed and issuing a restitu- tion fee if a tree has suffered ir- reparable damage, by their stan- dards. Its become a very sore point with a lot of builders, Schaeffer said. In most cases, its become so expensive that you cant do business with the city on it, so people are backing away from projects with a large number of trees on it. A piece of property on Bryson Avenue is a prime candidate for a development project, but because of the uncertain status of trees on the site, Schaeffer has advised his clients to stay away. And that property is only one example of many throughout the borough. In a nutshell, it has become a nightmare to deal with the Parks Department as far as developing goes. Were just basically throw- ing shots in the dark, he said. The Building Industry Associa- tion has created a committee, with Schaeffer as its chair, to ask the Parks Department to create a set of standards that are translu- cent for builders to implement in the field. The Association has been un- successful in getting a five-bor- ough standard as of yet, Schaeffer said, but his committee has em- ployed the help of two arborists, engineers, an architect and two attorneys to hopefully change that. In recent years, each city agency seems to be running off on its own tangent and not con- sulting with other agencies, he said. Theyre all going in different directions with no consultation between the agencies. In his 15 years in the field, Schaeffer said it used to be possi- ble to get a joint meeting with var- ious city departments to come to a consensus on an issue. Now, its not uncommon for zoning resolu- tions to conflict with building codes, which sometimes conflict with environmental standards. The problem has only become worse in the post-Sandy era, with FEMA and other agencies chang- ing regulations to uphold what they think is best for the environ- ment going forward. These days, you cant get them all in the same room, let alone get them to agree on something, he said. Schaeffer said the Building In- dustry Associations new commit- tee will focus heavily on public outreach during its plight, be- cause a lot of private property owners are being misled. People who think they have a proper means of retirement or in- come may soon find out that they dont have the valuable property they thought they once had be- cause of city-owned street trees. A lot of private homeowners dont realize what the agencies are doing to them, Schaeffer said. In reality, the city as a whole is being hurt in many dif- ferent ways. 22 BUSINESS TRENDS MAY 2013 Better |otes - Better 3erv|oe 71B2265300 www.Mortgoge1eoh.net 4459 ^mboy |ooo, 3u|te 1, 3toten |s|ono, NY 10312 Broker NMLS ID 8162. Registered Mortgage Broker NYS Dept. of Financial Services. All loans arranged through Third Party Providers. Agent Funding & Abstract LLC DBA Mortgage Tech Home Finance. An arboreal problem TREES Continued from page 20 Malliotakis promoting fundraising website Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis is promoting a web- site detailing the fundraising of charitable organizations and how that money is being spent on Hur- ricane Sandy relief efforts. Composed by Attorney Gener- al Eric Schneiderman and his of- fice, www.CharitiesNYS.com of- fers a report of roughly $400 mil- lion raised by 88 charitable groups, helping equip potential donors with the information they need to direct their contributions. We are fortunate to have such a generous community filled with individuals willing to contribute to Sandy relief efforts despite tough economic times. People have the right to know how their donations will be allocated in order to make the direct, positive impact that they seek, Mallio- takis said. MINIMALLY INVASIVE HEART SURGERY SAVED MY LIFE AND MY SUMMER WARDROBE. Facing bypass surgery? Get the lifesaving surgery you need, while avoiding the unmistakable scar associated with traditional bypass operations. At The Heart Institute, most heart surgeries are performed utilizing minimally invasive techniques. In fact, were New Yorks #1 hospital for minimally invasive cardiac surgery. To hear from Doreen Herrara as well as others who have had the technique, visit theheartinstitute.com 1-888-HEART-78
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