Rink

o you have a Facebook page? Do you Tweet often? Do you IM? How many text or email messages have you sent today instead of calling someone? I admit I don't currently use any of the above means to communi- cate; therefore I have suddenly fallen behind the curve on current technology. I am sure that many of you reading this are in the same boat as I am. Communication and relationship building will always be a vital part of business and professional growth, but we are now in a digital age where most communi- cation is done through computers or smart phones. Face-to-face interaction and phone conversations will continue to be impor- tant, but the reality is that, right now, online social networking offers one of the most powerful means of marketing our business- es and communicating with our customers and employees. If we want our businesses to stay competitive, we need to work hard at keeping up with current and future popular technology applications and find ways to use them to gain an edge in our business. Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube are used by millions of people every day for commu- nicating and sharing information. I am sure that a large percentage of your current customers and employees are already using these sites, so why wouldn't you get involved? The obvious advantages to these sites are that they are free and reach an enormous number of people; a disadvantage is that they can become time consuming. Some examples of how businesses are using these sites to their advantage are: job postings, coupon and discount offers, employee shift trades, promotional videos, how-to videos, feedback forums and special event announcements. One important thing to remember is that, if you intend to start using this type of technology in your business, you must have a comprehensive plan for how you will integrate it into your business plan. Someone, whether it is you or another employee, must be responsible for monitoring your accounts and keep- ing them up to date. Just like anything else in your business, if you don't take the time to plan and put in a solid effort to execute that plan, the results will be disappointing. How will you use social networking to benefit your business? — Jeff Theiler, STAR COO Opening address 6 R INK MAGAZ INE november/december 2009 D Greg Anzelc Don Baldwin, William Collins, Jaime Gwinn, Cory Portner, Lexi Rohner, Jerry Stock, Jeff Theiler, Courtney Welch, Dave Wescott Dave Gyger, Don Moffatt, John Monteleone Mike DeArmond Dave Jensen Bryan Nelson www.rinkmagazine.com info@rinkmagazine.com Editor: Contributing Writers: Editorial Board: Design & Production: Sales & Marketing: Advertising: Internet Address: Email: PUBLISHING PARTNER 777 Westchester Avenue, Suite 100 White Plains, NY 10604 Phone: (914) 694-1200, Fax: (914) 694-1002 CEO: Steve Farbman President: James McEwen MINNESOTA OFFICE 505 North Highway 169, Suite 465, Minneapolis, MN 55441 phone: (763) 595-0808, fax: (763) 595-0016, touchpointsports.com | info@touchpointsports.com S T A R www.starrinks.com • www.rinkmagazine.com • www.narce.com Mission of STAR: "To be the premier national organization designed to foster the development, growth and success of ice skating rinks and in-line facilities in the United States." STAR is a program of USA Hockey and US Figure Skating. Volume 12 Number 6 Jeff Theiler Dave Wescott Cory Portner 719-538-1111 719-538-1160 info@starrinks.com Chief Operating Officer: Director, Facility Programs: Director, Member Services: phone: fax: email: RINK Magazine is the definitive business publication for professionals in the ice rink industry and is the leading source for information on facility management, operations and construction. Senior Vice Pres ident: David Jensen Vice President: Greg Anzelc Controller: Linda Allison Production: Mike DeArmond Advertising Sales: Bryan Nelson Production and Sales Coordinator: Gina Krusemark Are You Missing An Opportunity In A Digital Age? Social networking sites offer free adver- tising for your rink.

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