Where The Goodwill Goes?

The income from Goodwill Store sales funds our programs and services, helping ten of thousands of New Yorkers get job training and job placement services. The sales also fund our veterans programs, our Summer Camp, our rehabilitation programs, and more. For the full scoop on our programs and services, come visit our Programs/Services blog, “Where the Goodwill Goes” – http://nynjgoodwill.wordpress.com/ In 2012, Goodwill served 81,672 individuals in New York and Northern New Jersey. ■ Goodwill Industries’ mission is to empower individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment to gain independence through the power of work. ■ Every 6 minutes of every day people access Goodwill opportunities to build careers and strong families. ■ Goodwill provides an array of programs and services to meet the needs of our diverse clientele, including job readiness and work skills development. ■ Goodwill creates training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities in our business operations, including our Retail division and GoodTemps, our temporary staffing division. ■ Nationally, Goodwill is one of the largest employers of people with disabilities.

I joined Goodwill as the Bellmore store manager in March 2010. After nearly a year, I held the same position at the Centereach and Patchogue stores. I returned to my original store in Bellmore n December 2011, where I continue to develop strong community ties. I come to work knowing that every day will be different and exciting and hoping that today may be the day I can help Change someone’s life. I believe that people with disabilities, one of the largest and most diverse minorities in the country, are a major untapped source of qualified candidates. I would like to change that. They work hard and deserve the chance. Hiring people with disabilities is a valuable way to reach out to an important sector of the population. I strive to let our customers know what we are all about and that Goodwill is more than a retail store

Are you Googleable?

Have you Googled your name or Buisness Lately? In the age of Google, being special increasingly requires standing out from the crowd online.

Many people aspire for themselves to command prominent placement in the top few links on search engines or social networking sites' member lookup functions. But, as more people flood the Web, that's becoming an especially tall order for those with common names,like "John Smith" or maybe "JR Productions".

Before you name any new business,Google your name ideas and see how many busines' come up with the same name. It will become more evident if the name of your business will come up-or not at all.-The simple fact is,if you see how many people have the same business name as yours-then your on line presence may be less effective. So any time you can distinguish yourself with a distinctive name or a distinctive characteristic that sticks out in people's minds,then that's going to be your best solution.

For people prone to vanity searching,punching their own names into search engines -- absence from the first pages of search results can bring disappointment. On top of that, some of the "un-Googleables" say being crowded out of search results actually carries a professional and financial price.

Some people have taken measures to boost their visibility online, including creating listings in professional directories and paying companies to help them appear more prominently in search results.

I recently heard a story on FOX5 New York of a women who gave $100,000.00 to a man via a dating service claiming to be a top government official-including being a top advisor for President Bush. Though I feel sorry for the woman who was scamed,if she
would have just done her due dillegence,maybe it could have been avoidable.

Truth be told,someone of that stature would have had some on line presence documentation to help support his claim.-Because in 2008 The New York times indicated -"You're Nobody Unless Your Name Googles Well".

Why is building your Brand so Important?

Branding is more than just a marketing buzzword. In the last few years it has become the standard of selling in the new economy. If the old marketing mantra was," Nothing happens until somebody sells something," the new philosophy could be" Nothing happens until somebody brands something."

A brand is a name attached to a product or service. A brand represents many more intangible aspects of a product or service.It creates in the mind of customers and prospects the perception that there is no product or service on the market that is quite like yours. A brand offers the customer a guarantee and then delivers on it.

When you build a powerful brand, you will be able to create a powerful marketing program. However, if you can't convince customers that your product is worthy of purchasing, no amount of advertising dollars or public relations will help you achieve your sales goals. Therefore, successful branding programs begin with superior products and services, backed by excellent customer service that permeates an entire organization.

How do you Promote your Brand to others?

Once you have discovered your personal brand you must reveal it to as many people as possible. A great way to promote your brand is by sharing your knowledge and expertise. This will define you as an expert in your field and encourage others to contact you when they need help or advice in matters pertaining to your area(s) of expertise

Consider writing articles, publishing books, doing public speaking and leading seminars. Also use technology to your advantage and make sure that you have a strong online presence that reflects your personal brand. You can increase your online visibility by joining social and professional networking communities, developing a personal website, starting a blog and commenting and contributing to blogs that others in your industry have created.


Most importantly, build a database of contacts who you can share news and announcements with. Keep them abreast of new achievements and endeavors, articles, press releases and publications that you have been featured in, seminars you are conducting and conferences you are attending or speaking at. This will help to generate valuable word-of-mouth publicity for you.