Surefire Sign of Freshness #Davie #Miramar #Signage

Jack's Sub Shack: it's fresh, it's new, and thanks to Davie SIGNARAMA, it's irresistible.

Many entrepreneurs jumpstart new restaurants, and few find the success that Jack’s Sub Shack has enjoyed. Opened in the summer of 2011, Jack’s Sub Shack is jam packed from open to close every day. But Jack’s instant popularity didn’t come accidentally. It came courtesy of careful planning, a desire to give customers what they want, and having all the right signs.

“When I decided to open a restaurant, I wanted it to be a place where I could tend to the customer,” says Samuel Simpkin, owner/operator of Jack’s Sub Shack. “I’m old-fashioned and believe the customer is always right—even if he’s wrong.”

Building the Shack 

With this mindset, Samuel began brainstorming his ideal restaurant. Ultimately, he came up with Jack’s Sub Shack, a sub shop that makes the freshest, meatiest subs in the galaxy. But Samuel’s meaty subs aren’t the only thing that sets his business apart. He came into the sub shop determined to do something different, and it started with signage that made his brand bigger than life.

“Image is everything, and when people think something is big, they assume it’s great,” Samuel admits. “I wanted people to walk in and assume the Shack is a franchise.”

To impress this upon customers, Samuel needed the right company to create his signage. Hence why he called on Gina Leggiere, owner of Davie SIGNARAMA. Having worked with Gina to create signs for two All-State franchises he owned previously, Samuel knew what to expect from Davie SIGNARAMA.

“The signs I had in mind were going to be challenging because of the colors in my logo and the uniqueness of each sign, but with Gina’s knowledge and expertise, I knew she’d deliver,” Samuel says. “And she did.”

Special Delivery

A quick visit to Jack’s Sub Shack makes it clear what Gina delivered: high-quality, gorgeous signage that fits Jack’s perfectly. From the giant LED channel letter sign on the exterior to the custom menu board to the fun, funky logo sign designed on 1.5”-thick carved foam made to look like vertical wooden planks, the signage at Jack’s Sub Shack don’t just tell you where you are. These signs draw customers in, and they do it with style.

Once through the doors, customers are consistently wowed with Jack’s fantastic subs, $2.99 kids meal, and their customer-first mindset. Would Jack’s Sub Shack have been such an instant hit without help from Davie SIGNARAMA? Samuel wasn’t willing to find out.

Want to make sure your business’s image is in good hands? Look no further than Davie SIGNARAMA for high-quality signs that will be an obvious sign of quality for your business. Contact Davie SIGNARAMA at (954) 476-4923 or sar@daviesignarama.com. You can also learn more about Davie SIGNARMA at www.daviesignarama.com or visit Gina Leggiere and the Davie SIGNARAMA team at 1906 South University Drive, Davie, Florida 33324.

Hungry for the freshest, meatiest sub you’ll ever put in your mouth? Head to Jack’s Sub Shack, located at 12136 Miramar Parkway, Miramar, Florida 33025. You can also learn more about Jack’s at www.jackssubshack.com.

Written exclusively for The Club (part of the Amplification, Inc. social media network) by Daniel Brantley, a sign-loving, sub-eating writer and editor. Contact him via e-mail, learn more about him online, or follow him at www.twitter.com/danielkbrantley.

Deli, Cops, Coffee, Kudos, LBM & GreenDesign, Oh My!

Please welcome Michael's Restaurant and Wine Bar to the Amplification, Inc. social media family by clicking here to like their fan page! In March, Michael and Jerry Lochiatto took over operations in the lobby restaurant at the Ft. Lauderdale Resort and Hotel, near the Parrot Lounge and McSorley's Beach Pub. They sure do deli well! Can't wait to try the rest of the menu. Thanks to Ed at McSorley’s for spreading the word about how Amplification, Inc. helps Ft. Lauderdale’s coolest rooftop hot spot!


Hollywood's favorite Uncle Rich has a great live video feed on his Facebook page. He is promoting the Yellow Bikini Beach Bar at the Hollywood Ramada Inn that sits directly across the street from his world-infamous Harrison Street Wine Gallery. Please follow Rich's exploits on Twitter and Facebook.


Condolences to the Hollywood cops (and other staffers) who were recently laid off. Teachers, police officers, firefighters, first-responders, and other folks who are the bedrock of our society and our beloved American way of life should never be laid off. Economies and empires are built on the backs of these folks who perform their jobs out of passion, and are motivated by a deeper calling than the almighty buck. Their livelihoods should be sacrosanct, and poor governance that results in such decisions does none of us well. I only wish I had the resources to hire every one of those people who were unceremoniously let go. Keep the faith, because better days are ahead.

Networking Pays!


I can't say enough about the event that Kings Cup put on for the Fort Lauderdale Chamber's GBLX networking event (thanks again to Sully at Eco-Friendly Auto Center for bringing us in, and thanks to Drew Miller for making us stay!). Kings Cup really impressed me with the food, bar, and cool vehicle wrap akin to what Davie SIGNARAMA does. But the thought that went into devising their raffle prizes, which showcased their brand and offering, was really well conceived.


Kings Cup started as a coffee delivery service. They have since morphed into so much more! The list of deliverables they can bring to your door now includes sporks (so underappreciated), tuna, Snickers, toilet paper, coffee filters, tea, napkins, paper towels, ice cream, condiments, and well—the list goes on. I learned this because I stalked the door prize winners around the warehouse as they collected their 22 individual inventory-prizes. Kudos to Will and Shawn and staff. You guys did it right and were super creative in your giveaway!


This specific GBLX networking event spurred immediate economic activity. Just ask Marcia Craig of Print Basics (www.printbasics.com) or Michael Haigh of Foxtail Landscape Solutions (www.foxtaillandscapesolutions.com). Marcia is working on an Amplification, Inc. order this very moment, and Michael will soon help the grounds at Club Cabeza transform into a more eco-friendly landscape via Florida-friendly and water-miserly terrain design. Can't wait! Michael, I love the job you did for Sully at Eco-Friendly Auto Center.


Get Social


Do you want more revenue and more consumer traffic at your place of business? Are you taking advantage of Facebook Places and Foursquare? If not, please call or email Marnie or I immediately!! People are "checking-in" and "liking" your business right now on Facebook and Foursquare whether you have set up your profile or not! Leverage that to your benefit via the social circles/networks of your most loyal and outspoken customers. This effort will pay immediate, tangible, and trackable dividends and offer results that will impress anyone.


“This is easy to implement,” says Marnie Goldberg, Social Medium with Amplification, Inc. And as she so often repeats to drive home the point: “You will be so happy after you do this and you will get immediate results!”


Please, please, please subscribe to this blog, like Club Cabeza or Amplification, Inc. on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. Email us if you need to tap into our integrated blog-to-Facebook-to-Twitter-to-LinkedIn network. Social media is fun, so jump onboard with us and let's all help each other generate more business!


Marnie and I love being members of the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce. I still need to get used to the “Davie hug,” but I can't imagine a more welcoming, fun, warm, and sincere group of business people. Thanks to you all! We have been members less than 2 months and have already paid for our membership three times over! Click here and join their fan page and follow them on Twitter.


You Can Help


Gary Hough is taking part in The Make-A-Wish Dream Date Auction on July 29 at Opium nightclub (www.dreamdateauction.net). He is a member of their all-volunteer board and is tasked to find sponsors for this deserving cause. If you are interested and willing to be a sponsor, connect with Gary on Facebook by clicking here. Gary is a firefighter who lives off of MonaVie. He spends all of his off-duty time in the gym and is ready to autograph your copy of him in the forthcoming firefighter calendar.


MonaVie may help you get abs and energy like Gary. Attend a meeting and see if it’s for you. The next one is set for Tuesday, June 28, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel & Resort, 1230 South Pine Island Road, Plantation, Florida 33324. Cost is $5.


Help me convince Anja-Isable Hessert, vice president of business development for Dauerflora GreenDesign, to donate some of their ambiance-enriching, eco-friendly and decorative-preserved, artificial hydroculture products to the Club. My heart’s desire is to get the distinctive, wild bamboo pieces arranged in black river rock to jazz up my pad. Please like the Dauerflora Facebook page by clicking here and help me modernize my lair! And check out their website photos if you’re in interior design in the residential, cruise line, yachting, hospital/healthcare, Earth-friendly, or hotel/hospitality industry.


And thank you, Heidi, author of http://themindthatneverstops.blogspot.com/. Your blog is uber-popular, and the Club appreciates the traffic you drive our way. Kudos!


This post was written by Steve Cabeza, Amplification, Inc.'s Idea Man. Daniel K. Brantley is the freelance writing asset that Club Cabeza can't do without. He can help you, too. Check him at www.DanielKBrantley.com or Twitter.com/DanielKBrantley. He researches topics, manages interviews and approvals, communicates progress, navigates corporate politics, conducts research, fact-checks, and delivers a consistently superior experience every time I deal with him. He can do that for you, too. Please email us at Amplification, Inc. when you are ready to increase awareness about your business. We will craft a viral and guerilla messaging campaign to help you leverage social media. We currently reach 23,000 people and counting.

Another Marnie Minute

Welcome back to another week in the life of yours truly. What has been going on with me? Thanks for asking! 


Chamber Love 

Amplification, Inc. (www.AmplificationInc.com) recently joined the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce (http://www.davie-coopercity.org/) and our newly established membership has already paid dividends for us (join their fan page, please, by clicking here and follow along on Twitter, too!). We attended their free Business & Community Expo and loved the seminars provided by BrowardSCORE. Apparently we weren’t the only ones to reap the benefits. 

“The expo was a hit!” says Gina Leggiere, who represented her business, Davie SIGNARAMA (http://www.daviesignarama.com/), at the expo. “I got a solid six contacts that I am confident will lead to new business soon.” Follow Davie SIGNARAMA on Twitter and Facebook.

John with Chase Roofing & Contracting (www.chasefl.com), who was adamant about only getting his picture taken with his business associate by his side, got two sizeable clients from the expo. “It was a homerun for me,” he says. “Great event!”

Really? Two sizable clients from a FREE event? How could you go wrong? Right on, Davie-Cooper City Chamber!

Another fellow Chamber member of note is Kathy Blanton, owner of Ameribiz.net. Check her company out if you need website hosting, design, or promotion thereof. We look forward to freshening up our website after we get our video-sharing division up and running later this month. Yes, this is big news, and yes, you should stay tuned to learn how this will positively impact your bottom dollar!

Security Concerns

I recently learned that approximately 96% of new security system purchasers buy because their house was recently broken into. This nugget came courtesy of fellow Shenandoah Business Group member, Richard Reid with GoToMyControls.com. Seems to make a lot more sense to buy a security system before you get robbed! Please welcome Richard to our area. He is here adding to our economy as a recent transplant from Canada. Email him if you have questions or need info on how you can better secure your home today.

Location, Location, Location

Have a brick-and-mortar place of business? Want to attract and retain new consumer-customers? Then you’ve got to understand and embrace location-based marketing. Why? Because people are constantly using their GPS-enabled smartphones to “check-in” and “like” your place of business via social media platforms like Facebook Places and Foursquare.

“People are interacting with your brand using social media, and if you don’t own your presence and take control of the messaging and leverage it to your benefit with photos, specials, incentives, and other important information, you’re missing a huge opportunity to connect with people who are demonstrated and enthusiastic customers!” my partner Steve Cabeza (Idea Man at Amplification, Inc.) likes to say all the time.

What’s all the fuss about? Consider this:

78% of people trust a peer recommendation (one of your friends checking in on Facebook Places for example), whereas a measly 14% trust traditional advertising methods, such as newspaper ads.

So, spend money on social media (that is what Amplification, Inc. does and we want to help you!) or spend money on advertising? We think that’s one of the easiest choices you could ever have to make!

To see someone who does location-based marketing right, check out McSorley’s Beach Pub’s Facebook presence (http://www.facebook.com/McSorleysFTL ), courtesy of Amplification, Inc., and please “like” their page while you’re there. They are a great and fun bunch! And check out their rooftop and beachfront sundeck if you like tasty cocktails and rooftop beach vistas like I do! Oh, and almost forgot, I love the beautiful scenery, too. Wink, wink.

Boys, Girls, and Labradors

In case you don’t know, the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County knows how to throw an enjoyable happy hour. Their recent event at the Riverside Hotel (love that place) on Las Olas was made even more enjoyable because the usual suspects: Anja (VP of Business Development at Dauerflora USA Inc.), Jonathan (attorney with Rosenberg & Pinsky), and Sharon (#1 Bully with Social Media Bullies) were there to keep things fun and interesting!

I’d also like to give a shout-out to Steve’s friend, Heidi, for giving Club Cabeza some love on her blog page. Thank you, Heidi, we are getting traffic to our blog from your blog! I guess I need to send you a friend request! LOL! Friends, please check out Heidi’s blog (http://themindthatneverstops.blogspot.com/). You may find something interesting there, like the photos of her gorgeous Labrador retriever!

We finished up the week by hitting a GBLX networking event hosted by King’s Cup. They are a coffee (and so much more!!) delivery service, and they really know how to put on a great event. Thanks go to Shawn, and Will, and the entire crew. The food, bar, prizes, networking, and entire event was fabulous. And thanks to Eco-Friendly Auto Center (check out the news coverage) for bringing us into this great group.

Help & Health

Friend of the Club Gary Hough asked us to throw some love his way. I’m here to oblige! Gary is taking part in The Make-A-Wish Dream Date Auction event on July 29 at the Opium nightclub. The website is www.dreamdateauction.net. He is part of the board and is tasked to help find sponsors. It is great exposure for a truly worthwhile cause. If you are interested and willing to be a sponsor, connect with Gary on Facebook by clicking here! Gary is a bo-hunk firefighter (must be all that delicious MonaVie he drinks!) and all-around super guy. If that isn’t enough to convince you to be a sponsor for the event, how about this? Gary spends a lot of time in the gym and will be flexing his abs in the upcoming firefighter calendar. Gotcha now, didn’t I? He also gladly takes part in fundraising date auctions, and is a loyal supporter of Club Cabeza (www.ClubCabeza.com).

If you are interested in MonaVie and the fabulous health benefits purportedly contained in each bottle of the delicious juice and weight loss product, attend a meeting and see if it’s for you. The next one is set for Tuesday, June 28, 2011, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Renaissance Hotel & Resort, 1230 South Pine Island Road, Plantation, Florida 33324. Cost is $5 per distributor, and guests are free. Speakers are Brian & Jackie Thayer.

This blog post was written by Marnie Goldberg, Amplification, Inc.’s Social Medium. Thank you for reading. Please subscribe to this blog, connect with Amplification, Inc. on Facebook or Twitter, and email me if Steve and I can help you AMPLIFY your message and increase your billing. Daniel K. Brantley is the freelance-writer/magician who keeps our grammar in line and makes our posts SHINE! Visit danielkbrantley.com or connect with Daniel on Twitter.

Are you active on Facebook and Twitter and interested in working part-time for Amplification, Inc.? Email me and tell me why I should consider hiring you, and we can take it from there.

Want Your Business to Thrive? #Davie #CooperCity #FL

Give and get at the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce. 

You got your chamber membership and head back to the office to reap the rewards. There is barely time to prop your feet up on your desk when you hear a rumble outside. With a contented smile, you cross your arms behind your head as millions of new customers bust down your doors—just because of your chamber membership.

That is how it works—right?

“Chamber membership isn’t a magic faucet you turn on to bring in business. To reap the rewards of chamber membership, you’ve got to give back as much as you want to get out,” says Jared Blaut, owner of DRW magazine and current chairperson of the chamber.

How to Serve 

It may sound like a daunting task, but donating time and energy is what has helped many chamber members find success. For Blaut and 300 others, their membership isn’t viewed as an open door to immediate business. Rather, it is treated as an open door to fostering business-growing relationships.

However, this perspective isn’t always present at the get-go. Patrick found this out the hard way. He joined the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce (http://www.davie-coopercity.org/) when he opened the doors to his first UPS Store. From an outsider’s perspective, he was doing everything right. As a newbie, he attended chamber breakfasts to network and pass out business cards. But the business didn’t magically roll in.

“It wasn’t benefiting me,” Eloi admits of his early months as a chamber member. Instead of dropping his membership, he did what any smart businessperson would do. He humbled himself. “I re-evaluated what I was doing, figured out which chamber members were being successful, and talked to them to find out what they were doing that I wasn’t.”

Eloi quickly realized the chamber members who were reaping the rewards of chamber membership were not just attending one function a month. They were on chamber committees, lending a hand to non-profit chamber members, and performing other volunteer work in the community. Since learning this, Eloi began doing the same, and his business picked up so much that he opened a second UPS store.

Exciting as Eloi’s story is, it’s not unique. Business professionals who put their time in reap the rewards, and that’s a truth that Blaut echoes. “If you’re going to sit back and do nothing, you’ll get nothing in return,” he says. “But if you’re willing to come to meetings, give and get referrals, be on committees, and generally be an active part of the chamber community, you should do quite well.”
 

You can learn about DRW magazine by visiting www.drwmag.com and get your packages shipped on time by calling the Davie UPS Store at (954) 680-9904.

Want to work with the chamber to grow your business? Call (954) 581-0790 to become a member of the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce today, and please connect with the chamber on Facebook and Twitter.


This article was written by Daniel Brantley exclusively for The Club, part of the Amplification, Inc. social media network. Please follow along on Twitter and Facebook. Daniel Brantley is a freelance writer, email Daniel, find him online at danielkbrantley.com, or connect via Twitter: twitter.com/danielkbrantley.!

Camaraderie, #Networking, Success #Broward #Davie #FL

An Easy Choice

You’ve thought about joining the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce, but you’ve not taken the step yet. Want a good reason to do it? Try this on for size.

 “Chamber membership provides multiple opportunities and resources for members to make contacts, enhance their business’s exposure, and help community organizations put their missions in front of the public,” says Alice Harrington, President of the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce (click to find them on Facebook and Twitter).

Ready to rethink your decision?

How you can be part of it all

When Gina Leggiere moved to Davie, Florida, to open Davie SIGNARAMA in September 2008, she wasted no time joining the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce. Having been a member of her local chamber while in New Jersey, she had firsthand knowledge of the benefits of being a chamber member.

 “It’s always important for business professionals to be members of their local chamber of commerce,” says Leggiere, who is a member of the chamber’s board of directors. “You’ve got to keep it local—especially in rough economic times, and the best way to do that is by knowing your fellow local business owners.”

For Leggiere, maintaining her franchise’s local identity has been key to her success. Couple that with Leggiere’s insistence on excellence, and it’s no wonder so many chamber members and businesspeople throughout the community turn to Davie SIGNARAMA (find them on Facebook and Twitter) when they’re looking for top-notch signs in a timely fashion.

To become a member of the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce call (954) 581-0790.

For more info on the services provided by Davie SIGNARAMA, contact Gina Leggiere at (954) 476-4923 or sar@daviesignarama.com.

This article was written by Daniel Brantley exclusively for The Club, part of the Amplification, Inc. social media network. Please follow along on Twitter and Facebook. Daniel Brantley is a freelance writer, email Daniel, find him online at danielkbrantley.com, or go to twitter.com/danielkbrantley to follow his adventures.

Adventures while Amplifying

If you don’t know yet (where have you been hiding?), this guy (me) is always working. This has been the case since the inception of Amplification, Inc. (find us on Facebook and Twitter), as every event—social or not—is an opportunity to cultivate a larger social circle and perhaps engage a future client or valuable business contact or assist a current friend or client in need.

This past week was a whirlwind. Because of an impending need for office space for our growing social media empire, my business partner Marnie (Marnie Goldberg, Social Medium at Amplification, Inc.) started considering our options, both short- and long-term. And in case no one has told you, thinking many steps ahead all the time can be challenging.

Marnie here! I have to agree with Steve when he defines our week as a “whirlwind.” It has been nonstop, but I’m sitting here with a huge smile on my face, recapping and catching up on this week’s work. Forward thinking is a challenge, but that’s why I’m partners with the “idea man/marketing ninja” of Amplification, Inc. We, as well as our clients, are in great hands! His last name isn’t Cabeza for nothing! (For the non-Spanish speakers, Cabeza means head, and Steve-o uses his quite well.) Okay, back to Steve now.

I recently had the opportunity to reconnect with an old family friend, Marshall Golnick, CEO of the HMG Group. His father, Leon, invented syndicated advertising with the “shared” marketing approach he developed for Ford Motor Company back in the 1960s. Marshall continues to bring Madison Avenue to hometown America, and meeting his newest staffer, Daryll Dobson, was cool. Looking forward to doing big things together.

We also frequented McSorley’s Irish Pub a few times and took advantage of their unique and fabulous rooftop and beachfront sundeck lounge (check them out on Facebook and Twitter). There is nothing like enjoying a cold beer or one of Marnie’s fruity concoctions while you gaze out at the Atlantic. Stop by and check them out. They are just south of Sunrise Boulevard on A.1.A. We guarantee you will be surprised by how nice and classy the joint is—especially upstairs.

It was there that we had the opportunity to meet John D’Elia with Art-Technical and Eric Sherlock with Sherlock Home Renovations. Not sure if they were more excited about Marnie’s social media know-how or her legs, but they were obviously thrilled to be hopping on the Amplification, Inc. train. John and Eric were certainly entertaining, and their work is equally impressive. Eric does some visually impressive design and remodeling work. To get a peak, check out his Facebook page.

In case the whirlwind weeks have your head spinning and you missed out, Club Cabeza’s latest blog post was about Davie SIGNARAMA and some work they’ve recently done for Guy Harvey. It was fun learning about all the positive ways in which Guy Harvey supports the ocean in a responsible manner. Click here to read that article.

We also received news that our friends Kristin Levanovich and Robin Canfield launched their company’s website, www.aikensapproach.com. A huge congratulation to them for diving into the entrepreneurial world with The Aikens Approach for the business professional. The Aikens Approach is an on-the-spot stress management and performance improvement program tailored for business professionals. Check out their story on their website. All the best to you ladies!

The week wrapped up with some chamber fun, as we got to watch Eco-Friendly Auto Center and Sully Dawson win Small Business of the Year from the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. Eco-Friendly is a green, earth-friendly auto center at Commercial and Dixie. Visit them for your next auto-service need, congratulate Sully in person, and be sure to tell ‘em Amplification sent you.

Amplification, Inc. also became the newest member of the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce. We’re looking forward to reconnecting with all the fine folks from there whom I lost touch with when I left Plantation General to go to work at True North.

Thank you for reading! This blog was written by Steve Cabeza, Idea Man and Marketing Ninja at Amplification, Inc. It was augmented, edited, and improved for publication by Daniel K. Brantley, our top-gun, freelance writing ace-in-the-hole! Email Daniel or follow along on Twitter. And of course, it was gently interrupted by none other than Marnie Goldberg, Amplification, Inc.’s one and only Social Medium.