Craigs List Challenge!

Craig’s List is the ultimate in FREE advertising.    Craig’s List has online boards all over the US, in Canada, and world wide!

The challenge?

Post your studio, a link to your website, and an invitation to try a class.   Agree to post on Tuesday, 2/17 and again on Tuesday, 3/8.   Hold yourself accountable to the challenge by posting here that you will and then again when you have posted.   Imagine, if we all agree to post, on the same days, how much influence we will spread online with just that one small action!

Below find sample text and directions for how to use Craig’s List.

Sample Text:

Your studio name and website.   Now accepting enrollment for Spring 2009. Kindermusik is the world’s leader in developmentally appropriate music and movement classes.  We are so much more than music!   Classes available for newborns through age 7.   Call your name at xxx-xxx-xxxx or email to set up a time for a free preview of a class.

Keep it short and sweet so that you get potential leads but are not really “advertising”.   The point is to get our name out in front of people on the boards.

How to use Craig’s List

• Google Craig’s List. This will take you to your local board.   There are several in Georgia.  Mine is http://www.atlanta.craigslist.org.  Once you’re there, you can then sort by areas. It gets pretty specific.

• Select post to classifieds

• Select create posting

• Events (says will expire in 30 days but classes are allowed a two week window)

• Choose category – Classes. There are many options but this is the most basic. No subscription required.

• Choose area nearest you

• Fill in posting title – “Kindermusik Classes!”  Or  “Kindermusik!”

• Description.   Use the sample text above or use your own.

• Type in email twice

• Check off how to reply to event.   I chose middle selection so that email stays anonymous on Craigslist to ward off spammers.   Interested parties can email you easily.

• Your posting sample will appear.

• Hit continue.

• Accept terms.

• Finalize post by typing words that appear in security box and click continue.

• You will receive notice that you will receive an email to publish.

• Open email and click on link to activate and publish your free listing. Save the email to publish, edit, or delete your free post.

There is no need to set up an account, although there is that option for small biz ads. There are some guidelines and rules and regulations for this that I didn’t want to get into at this time. These instructions are for the basic, free, classified listing.

So, are you up for the challenge?

I am.   My name is down there at the bottom on the list!

This Week in Professional Development – Dec. 15 – 18

Take advantage of upcoming webinars offered by Kindermusik International to build up those points you’ll need next April for license renewal.

Using Loyalty Survey Results to Create Raving Fans

Monday, December 15th 10:00am EST

Join Julee Kowallis and Adrian Miller for this webinar where you will learn to interpret parent feedback and discover its true value. Working with actual parent comments, you will become skilled at maximizing the contagious impact of promoters, turning those passives into promoters, and addressing the most candid detractors. By the end of the session, you’ll not only LOVE feedback, you’ll CRAVE it!

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Economic Toolkit

Monday, December 15 3:00pm EST
Wednesday, December 17 11:00am EST

This Economic time provides us the opportunity to out perform our competition and over deliver on our brand promises. Learn how this tool kit can help you achieve that. This webinar is led by the Educator Development Team

 

Knocking Their Socks Off!

Monday, December 15 9:00pm EST
Wednesday, December 17 12:00pm EST

Ever wonder how to keep your families coming back for more semester after semester and with each additional child all the way through Young Child and tell all their friends about it? Discover ways you can become a leader (aka Diva, as in successful female personality) in your classroom where learning flourishes and fun is always at hand. Learn the power of body language and non-verbal cuing. Learn how to make FOLs pop! Investigate rituals, pacing and manipulatives and how they can create value and interaction. Create communities not just classrooms. Be the magic that makes their week sparkle.

 

Using “Green” to Cure the Enrollment Blues

Tuesday, December 16 11:00am EST

Using “Green” to Cure the Enrollment Blues
(Insights into the Marketing Value of KI’s Sustainability Initiatives)

Join KiDesign’s Molly Dumbleton for a meaningful discussion on how focusing on Kindermusik International’s Sustainability can help you drive enrollments for your next classes!

 

Getting to YES!

Tuesday, December 16 4:00pm EST

Join Terry Kilgo, Manager of Kindermusik International’s Recruiting team, for an eye-opening discussion about how to reframe and address objections your prospective parents may have and how to turn them into ENROLLMENTS!

 

ABC, Music, + Me!

Tuesday, December 16 9:00pm EST

Join Kindermusik Educator and Employee-Owner, Cindy Bousman for an informative discussion about why adding ABC, Music & Me is an important decision for your program

Loyalty Survey Help

Wednesday, December 17 3:00pm EST

You’ve raised your hand to say “YES!” to Loyalty. Now take the next steps! Join Carol Penney as we focus on the fundamentals of the Loyalty Survey. Learn how to enter your parent data, and more!

 

Sharing the Vision

Thursday, December 18 9:00am EST

What can we do today to make our business viable for tomorrow? See research showing the buying trends and consumer expectations of today’s and tomorrow’s mom.

See how Kindermusik is working to better equip you to serve the consumer shift to online shopping and enrollment as well as the developing expectations of today’s mom once in your program.

 

Demo Days

Thursday, December 18 9:00pm EST

This Demo Days Discussion will focus on how to promote, locate and network to create your most successful demonstration to date!

Please join Kindermusik International’s Cindy Bousman for this webinar.

PKE Meeting Update

Due to many conflicts and cyberspace mailing failures, the Atlanta Area PKE meeting scheduled for Friday, September 5th has been cancelled. 

Be sure to watch your inbox for a survey from the Georgia PKE, requesting your  input about a day and time in the week following Christmas that would work for you for educators to get together and preview the following semester. 

Please add kindermerri at yahoo dot com to your email address book to avoid PKE mailings being sent to your spam file in the future.

Summer Curricula Update

For those of you still mulling over your summer class schedules, here is the latest update from Carol Penney of Kindermusik International and Helen Peterson of the PKE Board about usage of ABC Music & Me for summer class offerings:

PKE/KI Response to ABC use as Family Class for summer:

Dear Kindermusik Educators,  

ABC Music & Me has been officially offered to the licensed Kindermusik educator community to add flexibility to your studio offerings. Here are some things to consider when making adaptations to ABC for your summer families:

• Summer offerings are a vehicle for fall enrollment. Set yourself for success and ease your families into the core fall curricula by pricing this class carefully. If you charge $15.00 for home materials for a whole family in summer and then $60.00 in the fall, you are going to surprise your customers.

• Recommendation: Materials fee for a “family style” ABC camp matches the fee for a published camp by adding family friendly instruments, or books. (i.e. purchase SPLASH curriculum for families ($13.00) and add a mini sea sound drum ($9.00). That nets out at $23.00 – with shipping, handling, tax and markup you can fairly charge $30.00 – which is in line with summer programs. For a family of 2 or more children this is still an amazing bargain.

• Adapting ABC for families needs to include the following considerations:

Engaging Grown-ups
ABC Music & Me was written for a learning environment for children without their caregivers. They key to success in a Family class is engaging the adults. Study your Family Time Teacher Guide to be prepared to present the activities to both the adults and the children. Insert FOLs throughout the class.

Multiple Ages

Give thought to “So Many Ways” – how to make the activity fit for each age group, and “All Together Now” moments to ensure smooth transitions from one activity to the next. (Refer the Teacher’s Guide for any unit of Family Time)

Flow of the Lesson

The contour of Family Time is crescendo-decrescendo. Reconfigure the existing lesson activities to begin with low energy activities and build towards movement. Consolidate all large motor activities in the center of the lesson. Decrescendo begins with the FAMILY JAM and the activities become increasingly calm to the end of the lesson.

Hosted CD

Consider using the music tracks, skipping over the hosted introductions and transitions, to more closely represent a studio class. Or, use the Home CD for the music you will play in class.

We have come up with this outline to help you succeed in your goal of introducing new families to an outstanding Kindermusik experience through the summer and to encourage participation for continuing families – leading to fall enrollment.

Best of luck in carefully creating this new summer offering for families.

Sincerely,

Carol Penney, Director of Education, Kindermusik International

Helen Peterson, PKE Board Advisor for Communication

You don’t want to miss this one!

Shared on the KM Loop by Dee Dee Gibson of Clearwater, Florida:

I wanted to post this extention that is almost sure to get some 
appreciative laughs from your Village moms:
 
I sang the Cock-a-doodle doo exercise song through (remember – the horse lost the shoe and the kittly lost the fiddling stick…), then  asked,

“Have any of you had a morning like that recently? Then you’ll identify with this verse:”
 
“Cock-a-doodle- doo, my baby’s lost her shoe,
 And mommy’s lost her purse and keys, 
Oh what are we to do?”
 
“Cock-a-doodle- doo, What are we going to do?
 Till mommy finds her purse and keys 
I’ll sit and play with you!”

Don’t forget! —- Forget what, you say?!

Calling all Georgia Kindermusik educators -

This Friday, February 15th, we celebrate the kick-off meeting of the greater Atlanta Partnership of Kindermusik Educators.  Bring yourselves and an idea you’d like to share relating to one of this semester’s units – something that your families *really* enjoyed, whether it be an activity, an extension, or a book.  Also, if you’ve got something that you’ve had difficulty with making it work in class, plan on sharing that as well. We are here to come alongside one another and support each other!

We will also have exciting news about a possible state-wide advertising campaign through the Georgia Public Broadcasting System that would be *extremely* affordable for Kindermusik educators throughout the state.  More on that later this week!

Come join us this Friday and enjoy the sizzling energy that fills a room when you get Kindermusik educators together. I can tell you from personal experience from attending a local meeting, PDS, and KM convention – there’s absolutely *NOTHING* like it!

For maps and directions, please visit the blog here. See you there!

New PKE Chapter Forming!

Calling all interested Georgia Kindermusik educators! 

 

The first official meeting of the metro Atlanta PKE chapter will be Friday, February 15th, 2008 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.  We will meet at Dunwoody Baptist Church, location of Jane Hendrix’s program,  near Perimeter Mall, and plan on eating lunch together there in the area. 

Dunwoody Baptist Church

1445 Mount Vernon Road
Atlanta GA 30338
Phone: 770-280-1200

From I-285 East or West:
Exit # 29 Ashford Dunwoody Road Go North on Ashford Dunwoody Road approx. 1.75 miles Past Perimeter Mall DBC will be on your left

From GA 400 South:
Exit #5 Dunwoody/Sandy Springs Make a left onto Abernathy Road go approx. ¼ mile Make a left onto Mount Vernon Road, continue approx. 1.1 miles DBC will be on your right

From GA 400 North:
Exit #5A Dunwoody/Sandy Springs Merge onto Abernathy Road (you can only go in one direction) make your way to the far left hand lane At the 2nd traffic light make a left onto Mount Vernon Road, continue approx. 1.1 miles DBC will be on your right.

Amy VanderLugt has graciously volunteered to be the Metro Atlanta PKE representative.  (Thank you, Amy!)  She would like to compile a roster of greater Atlanta Kindermusik educators with names, all phone numbers, email, website, address, location of Kindermusik classes, names of other teachers you have teaching with you, etc. before the meeting in order to hand them out that day. 

Even if you can’t be there on the 15th, please send your information on to Amy as she is willing to send it to all educators in this area, even those unable to attend.  RSVP and personal information should be sent by February 1st.  Amy may be reached at vanderamy at yahoo.com.  (Please insert the @ sign in the appropriate place.  I have written it this way to avoid automated spammer programs that surf blogsites for email addresses.)

For map and directions to this location, please visit Google Maps here:  View Larger Map

Welcome to the new PKE Board!

 

Your PKE Board (from left, Helen Peterson, Kathy Morrison, Julee Kowalis, Ginger Bennett and Katie Henderson) are already working away on a number of things that will have a positive impact on your business and you!

The PKE Board may be contacted at pkeboard@yahoogroups.com anytime you have a question or concern.  Don’t sit and stew over a problem when these lovely ladies are willing to listen and help!

Welcome, ladies!  We look forward with great anticipation to the days ahead under your guidance and leadership! 

Airport Shuttle Transportation Info – Convention 2007

It has been the subject of much discussion on the loop and *off* the loop on how to get from the airports of Chicago to the hotel, since the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel doesn’t operate a shuttle itself.   When I called the hotel previously and spoke with someone at the desk, she suggested I take a “local” taxi from the airport, not one of the national ones, because they were cheaper.  When I called back a second time, I spoke with someone different who suggested checking out the airport website for transportation information, which I did do.  Here’s what I found.

Continental Airport Express

Airport Express coaches and vans depart from each terminal for downtown Chicago.  Information/booking counters are located in each terminal’s Arrivals area near baggage claim.  Departures are every 5-10 minutes with first departure around 6am, last about 11.30pm.
• Fare: $32 per one person, $5 for each additional person.   Information may be  found at 800 654-7871 or at the Airport Express web site. (Just click on the name or the image; either one will take you there.)

They also offer “Meet and Greet” as well as Charter services.  And, most importantly, they do list the Renaissance Schaumburg on their list of hotels.  

They also have two free-standing “Do It Yourself” kiosks at O’Hare Airport; ensuring passengers always have immediate access to ground transportation.

The stand-alone and countertop walkup kiosks are located in terminals two and five, and allow passengers to purchase one-way or round-trip ground transportation 24 hours a day. They also reduce dependency on manned stations and shorten waiting time during busy periods.

Wheelchair-equipped vehicles can be pre-booked on 800 654-7871

For a $2.00 discount coupon, please visit this page.

Thanks also to Nanci Schneidinger for her help clarifying fare prices.

 *****

 There are taxi ranks outside each terminal’s Arrivals area. Taxi dispatchers curbside ensure a reasonably smooth operation.

Journey time to downtown Chicago is 30-45 minutes depending on traffic.  I’ve been told that the hotel is approximately 25-30 minutes from the airport, again depending on traffic. 

Fare: around $35-40.

To read more about ground transportation at O’Hare,

visit the Airport Guide for Chicago O’Hare Airport.

*****

By the way, any educators interested in participating in the  GA PKE get-together next Saturday, August 18th, at Dunwoody Baptist Church need to contact me and let me know they’re coming!  Please?! 

Heads up! Check your calendar!

There will be an organizational meeting for a metro Atlanta/North Georgia PKE chapter on Saturday, August 18th, at Dunwoody Baptist Church, 1445 Mt. Vernon Road, Atlanta, Georgia, from 10AM to 12 PM.  This is an organizational-type meeting to put together a local PKE chapter in the metro Atlanta/North Georgia area, but we will also have additional topics of discussion.  Any Kindermusik educator is welcome and invited to attend.

      Topics will include organizing the metro Atlanta/North Georgia chapter, the Demo Days campaign the following week, convention travel information, *and* Jane’s recent trip to South Africa for the Kindermusik/PKE convention held there.  We will also be planning on eating lunch together somewhere near the church.  If you’d like to attend, please email me  (click on the link) and let me know, so we can accurately plan for seating and room space.  If you have any suggestions for additional topics, we need those as well!  Hope to see *TONS* of you there! 

 Dunwoody Baptist Church, 1445 Mt. Vernon Road
Atlanta, Georgia  30338

From I-285 East or West:
Exit # 29 Ashford Dunwoody Road  – Go North on Ashford Dunwoody Road approx. 1.75 miles past Perimeter Mall.  DBC will be on your left.

From GA 400 South:
Exit #5 Dunwoody/Sandy Springs – Make a left onto Abernathy Road, go approx. ¼ mile. Make a left onto Mount Vernon Road,  and continue approx. 1.1 miles.  DBC will be on your right.

From GA 400 North:
Exit #5A Dunwoody/Sandy Springs – Merge onto Abernathy Road (you can only go in one direction).  Make your way to the far left hand lane. At the 2nd traffic light, make a left onto Mount Vernon Road,  and continue approx. 1.1 miles.  DBC will be on your right.

Click here to get directions to Dunwoody Baptist from your home.