In addition to the new issue being available, we also have a new feature on the website called BIN Extras.  It’s a collection of extra info, photos, and other media that we really enjoyed learning about during our research for the articles, but just didn’t have the room to include in the printed magazine.  Consider it the “Special Features” of the magazine (like on a DVD). It will be updated every time the new issue comes out.

This time around we have recipes from Cafe Borgia, Indiana Society of Chicago sponsors and honorees, and extra info about blogging–what services to use to create your blog, as well as a survey on the habits of bloggers. Check out Being Productive, the article on business blogging, and if it peaks your interest, the Extras on blogging will be great additional info for starting a blog.

As a quick reference, here are again some free blogging services:

• Blogger
• Wordpress
• Typepad

Blogging search engines:

• Technorati
• Ice Rocket

Remember to use these search engines to see what’s being said about you and your company.

That’s all for now…I hope you enjoy the new issue and new Extras!

Hot off the presses–literally–the July/August issue is now available. I’m really excited about this issue–we are now an 80 page publication, up from 65 pages last issue.  That’s a huge jump!

In this issue, we have a new “Marketing” section, featuring an article about branding and company identity.  We’ve also got lots of great stuff on Franciscan Point and the new Centier corporate headquarters, construction litigation, ethics, blogging, organic foods, and more, all based on northern Indiana’s important influence on economics and community growth.

But in addition to the written content, take a look at the graphics as well–seeing it online isn’t quite as cool as having it in your hands, but the graphics look amazing on the high-gloss paper.  There was excitement around the office yesterday when we received our first copies, and I think it’s safe to say that everyone is very proud of this issue.

If you have a few minutes, take a look at the new issue and tell us what you think.  We want to hear it!

And aside from that, enjoy.

The Building Indiana News team is pleased to welcome two new members.

Jacqueline Von Ogden has come on board as our Editorial Manager and Director of Special Projects.

Tanya Badea has taken on many duties regarding orders and event planning.

We are excited to have Jackie and Tanya on the team, and it’s safe to say you can look forward to more great stuff in our upcoming issues.

Building Indiana News was mentioned in a Northwest Indiana Times article today. The article is in “Business Briefs,” and it’s about the APEX Award. (More info about the APEX Award can be found on the Building Indiana News Website.)

Once again, we’re proud to have received this recognition. The next issue of BIN comes out in just a few days (August 1st), and we’re already hard at work on the next issue. We’ve got some fascinating topics coming up, so don’t forget to watch your mailbox/check the website!

First off, I just want to say thanks again to Steve Dalton for the comments and linkage.

Aside from that, I hope everyone’s 4th of July was fun and relaxing.  Everyone in the office split off to be with friends and family for the holiday, but I think we all had a good time.  I personally went up to Redamak’s in New Buffalo, Michigan for dinner, and then returned to northwest Indiana to try to calm my dogs as the fireworks were going off.

But enough small talk–I have news!

Building Indiana News has won a 2008 APEX Award! We won in the category of “Most Improved Magazines & Journals.”  Previously we won an APEX Award in 2006, so this is a great testament to how the magazine has grown over the past two years.  We work hard to keep pushing our limits and constantly improve the magazine, so we’re very proud to win this award.

If you’re interested, you can learn more about the APEX Awards by visiting the Building Indiana News awards page.  Thanks again to all who support Building Indiana News!

It’s almost Friday already.  Have a great weekend!

Internet Explorer is still the browser used by the vast majority of website visitors, and if you’re a company with your own website, you should always make sure it displays okay in IE. But more and more people are learning about Firefox, and I’d like to talk a little about it.

I admit, I am very biased–I love Firefox. It’s more secure than IE, it’s often faster, and there’s a ton of useful add-ons that make my life easier. There are add-on tools to help with building websites, as well as my personal favorite, Forecastfox, which displays the current weather and tomorrow’s weather in your status bar without slowing down your browser. Foxmarks is another good one–it lets you access your bookmarks on any computer. You just sign in.

In any case, usage of Firefox is quickly growing. If you host a website, it would definitely be worth your while to check your website in Firefox and make sure it displays correctly. You might even find you like it better than IE.

Also, Firefox just released version 3. You can download it here.

That’s all for now. Have a great Friday, and a great weekend!

One of the blogs I enjoy reading is Taming the Beast, maintained by Michael Bloch. It has lots of great e-commerce and online marketing-related info.

Being a member of a print magazine staff, one post in particular that he wrote on using print and web marketing to work together really struck me as important and as applicable to our readers:

It’s true that much of today’s advertising is done online, but much is also done in the world of print. In my opinion, advertising works best when both of these mediums can work together to provide a combined effect. Especially considering how many people go online to check out businesses before they buy, and to get pricing information.

That being said, I’d like to go ahead with a shameless plug and re-encourage businesses around the area to consider advertising in Building Indiana News. Having your website address on your ad can make a huge difference in the number of people visiting your website and learning about your company.

And while writing a story about one single business is not something we focus on, if you think you have a story idea that involves your company, drop an email to editor@buildingindiananews.com. It can’t hurt, and that extra bit of PR has the potential to make a big difference in your online and offline traffic.

And that’s the end of the shameless plug. Any thoughts on print advertising vs. online, or on the combined effect? Share ‘em with me, I’d love to hear ‘em!

Hello all,

We’re proud to say that the photos and video from the 2007-2008 CAF/NWIBRT Awards are now online at the Building Indiana News website–click to visit!

You can also order the full video or parts of the video to display on your company’s website, which is a great way to appeal to new and returning customers. Answer me this–how many times have you gone online to a company’s website to check them out before you buy? All the time. I do it every single time I shop for something major, no matter what I’m shopping for. Adding the video and emphasizing your award will help increase the trust and assurance customers have in the quality of your work, which is, of course, always a positive reaction!

To order the video (or the portion that features your company), call Andrea at 219.226.0300 or send an email to andrea@3dms.com.

Hello all,

We recently implemented a new feature on the Building Indiana News website–the ability to subscribe online using credit or debit cards through PayPal. Previously, the only ways to subscribe were to print out the subscription form and fax it, or fill out a form online and get billed later. The subscription form is still available to print, for those who would rather not use credit/debit cards online, but we’re excited to be able to do this process electronically. PayPal is a good choice, since subscribers can pay with credit cards, debit cards, e-checks, or PayPal funds, and the financial information is secure–we don’t even see that information on our end.

So, if you get a minute, check it out. If you use it, let us know what you think!

–Maureen

This issue’s Being Productive article is about office germs. Researching and interviewing for the article was really interesting, though I do have to admit I became a little bit paranoid. I had never considered a lot of places that germs can hide–like the bathroom door handle, my purse, my wallet. The thought of germs in the candy bowl really made me cringe. We’d like to believe that food is safe from germs, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Especially when a bowl of candy is shared among a whole group of employees!

The article references some statistics on office germs, and they are truly startling. That there are noticeable gender differences between the statistics is interesting too. I had NOT expected to find that women, on the whole, had germier offices than men. But considering how many millions of germs can hide in an office, no matter what your gender, you’re still at risk.

If nothing else, consider this: the germier your desk is, the more likely you are to get sick. Allergies are bad enough during the summer–you don’t need anything else!

For the statistics and good tips to keep the germs away, check out this month’s issue of Building Indiana News. And here’s a great link to the CDC that has printable posters that can be hung around the office to remind employees to fight germs.

–Maureen