FOR YOUR HEALTH: Three Summer Tips To Get You Fitter Now

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Good news, there are lots of summer gym deals to help you get fit.

(NAPSI)—Summer is here, and Floridians seeking the best deals to help them get beach-ready and fit for swimming, surfing, biking, or family travel adventures have a variety of options to get active and fit. Here are three ways to take your fitness to a new level while saving some dough:

1.Take advantage of summer gym savings.

Many gyms are offering summer discounts to help you start a new fitness program or maintain your current one at a more affordable rate. You can search for individual deals at your favorite gym or fitness studio. Or, if you’re thinking about switching gyms but aren’t sure which gym is best for your needs, visit an “online market” or gym aggregator site that offers thousands of gym choices for one price, with no long-term contracts. For example, the Active&Fit Now™ program offers a fitness membership that lets you choose from more than 7,900 gyms for $29/month. Programs like this allow you to try multiple gyms and cancel at any time to find the one that suits your fitness goals without long-term contracts or any hidden fees.

2.Explore boutique fitness studios.

(NAPSI)—Summer is here, and Floridians seeking the best deals to help them get beach-ready and fit for swimming, surfing, biking, or family travel adventures have a variety of options to get active and fit. Here are three ways to take your fitness to a new level while saving some dough:

1.Take advantage of summer gym savings.

Many gyms are offering summer discounts to help you start a new fitness program or maintain your current one at a more affordable rate. You can search for individual deals at your favorite gym or fitness studio. Or, if you’re thinking about switching gyms but aren’t sure which gym is best for your needs, visit an “online market” or gym aggregator site that offers thousands of gym choices for one price, with no long-term contracts. For example, the Active&Fit Now™ program offers a fitness membership that lets you choose from more than 7,900 gyms for $29/month. Programs like this allow you to try multiple gyms and cancel at any time to find the one that suits your fitness goals without long-term contracts or any hidden fees.

2.Explore boutique fitness studios.

If you’re more motivated by the idea of joining a smaller, more specialized, and personal gym, a boutique studio may be the perfect option. Boutique studios tend to offer a more tailored fitness experience with like-minded people who want a focused approach. These studios are surging in popularity and offer specialties like Pilates, or yoga, or even spinning. Others focus on dance, barre, or strength training. The point is, a boutique studio can help you find your fitness vibe and maybe even your workout “tribe.”

If you think you can’t afford a boutique studio, shop around for summer discounts. Or check whether fitness membership programs include studios, too. If you shop around, you’ll likely find a program that offers the right boutique option for you with discounted rates ranging from 20%-70% off. Be sure to look for no long-term contracts, or initiation or cancellation fees. You’ll want the flexibility to find the focused fitness activity that meets your needs.

3.Train in the cool comfort of home with online classes.

Sometimes you just don’t have time to make it to the gym, but you don’t want to skimp on your workout routine—so, let technology be your workout buddy. Many fitness programs allow you to train in the comfort of your home with on demand workout videos you can tailor to your needs. Some programs even offer free workout classes on streaming platforms like YouTube. Simply go to YouTube and put in your gym or program’s name to see if they offer a workout playlist. The Active&Fit® family of programs, for example, offers hundreds of free YouTube classes, including dance, cardio, strength training, and yoga. By joining one of the Active&Fit programs, like Active&Fit Now, you can gain access to more than 5,500 videos from top video workout producers like Les Mills, Shift, and Cycling Fusion.

It’s not too late to get active and fit for summer fun. Take the first step today by exploring the many gym and fitness program offerings and summer deals in your area.

Always remember to consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine and to discuss what types of exercises are safest for you. Persons depicted are not Active&Fit program members.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: So many uses

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by Debbie Walker

There are so many uses for simple, everyday products, why do we need the “newest, high-priced chemicals”? Would you have dreamed of the other uses of vinegar? Wait, unless you are from the older generation that used these products before the chemical ones came out! Confusing?

Apple cider vinegar: Sore throat, tenderizing meat, dog’s coat, freshen feet, revive yellow plants, what do these all have in common? Vinegar fixes them.

Sore throat: Mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with /14 cup of water for 15 seconds. Repeat every hour.

Tenderize meat: Blend 2 cups of the vinegar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh garlic. Marinate in the liquid for three hours before cooking.

Dog’s coat: Dull looking. 1/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to his water bowl daily, gradually building up to 1 teaspoon of vinegar for every 15 pounds of body weight.

Freshen feet: Soak feet in a mix of 1/3 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup of warm water for 30 minutes. Daily.

Revive yellow plants: hydrate plants with 2 tablespoons vinegar to 1 quart of water. Repeat once weekly for three weeks.

How about we try something different. Bubble Wrap. It can be used for things other than packaging. Snow proofing, hanger bumps, and winter proof windows.

Snow proofing your windshield: Use bubble wrap on windshield and back window to cover. In the morning pull it off. Much easier than scrapping.

Hanger bumps: Roll bubble wrap around hanger. It won’t leave bumps in your hanging clothing.

Winter proof windows: Spray the inside of each window with water then press the bubble side of the wrap against the frame. Keeps warmth inside and cold outside.

Back to food uses such as oatmeal: clean cast iron, Perk up houseplants and soothe aches and pains.

Clean cast iron: If cookware is looking shabby toss in 2 tablespoons oatmeal, rub with a dish rag. It absorbs grease and scrub away small food particles without ruining the cookware’s seasoning.

Perk up houseplants: Instead of commercial plant food try oatmeal. Mix 2 tablespoons dry oatmeal into the soil. Do this once a month.

Soothe aches and pains: Fill a tube sock with 1 cup oatmeal, tie closed and heat in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. (Microwave in 30 second intervals so sock doesn’t overheat.)

Time for a chat? I got a new book the other day. It’s The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present. I have only begun reading it but it has me interested. I remember a lot of the situations. Such as the beginning of it being okay for woman to wear pants in certain situations.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: William Henry Harrison

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William H. Harrison

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

William Henry Harrison

Former President #9, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) achieved renown as an army captain in command at Fort Washington, Ohio, when he was in his 20s; as a governor in the Indiana Territory during the early 1800s; and being promoted to Major General after defeating the Indians in a battle at Tippecanoe which was a Wabash River settlement in Indiana (Hence his nickname: 1840 presidential campaign slogan with vice-presidential running mate John Tyler – “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too.”) – and his success in a number of other War of 1812 battles, including the defeat of the formidable Indian Chief Tecumseh.

After resigning from the military in 1814, Harrison served in the Ohio state senate, as Congressional representative from the Buckeye state and finally U.S. Senator.

Anna Harrison

Harrison’s wife Anna Symmes Harrison (1775-1864) was born in New Jersey; her father was then serving in the American army. When her mother died, her father returned home, disguised himself as a Brtish officer and took his year-old daughter through enemy lines to live with her maternal grandparents on Long Island for the duration of the Revolutionary War.

After the war ended, her father had become a judge on the New Jersey Supreme Court, and then moved to Ohio where he accumulated 100,000 acres of land while Anna attended private schools on Long Island and in New York City.

Judge Symmes came east to remarry and took Anna, her stepmother and other settlers back to Ohio to live on his acreage. Shortly after arriving, Anna met her future husband who in­stantly fell in love with her but Papa considered Captain Harrison a poor prospect due to his low salary and refused his consent.

Anna was undeterred and, when her father was away, the couple married on November 22, 1795, exactly 168 years before tragedy struck a later president, in Dallas, Texas. By 1804, the couple was living in the Indiana Territory in a spacious log house which she and her husband built themselves, not long after he became governor.

The couple gave hospitality to many passing through, especially preachers, and spearheaded the building of schools, churches and libraries throughout the Territory.

When her husband won the White House, other family members traveled east with him but she was too ill at that point. D.C. was quite chilly while the inaugural festivities were going on, the president participating fully and throwing all caution aside. His March 4 inauguration speech clocked in at 75 minutes as he delivered it without any winter coat and hat.

The following day, already developing a cold, the president went shopping for groceries at an outdoor market and the cold worsened into pneumonia within a couple of days. He died a month later at the age of 68 and, on his deathbed, reciting one of the Psalms from memory.

Meanwhile Anna had recovered from her own illness back home in Ohio and had finished packing for the move when she received word of her husband’s death.

Congress gave her a $25,000 pension, which was the equivalent of the presidential annual salary and which would be granted to future presidential widows for several years.

She outlived her husband by 23 years, and nine of their ten children. Three of her grandsons, including the 22nd president Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901, who served from 1889 to 1893), fought on the Union side during the Civil War, a commitment she took much pride in even though she abhorred war as a general principle.

LIFE ON THE PLAINS – The South End Arena: The era’s teen hotspot

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Arthur Gagne, right, and son Carl, standing in the South End Arena location. Note the boards around the area. (contributed photo)

by Roland D. Hallee

This week, we’re going to take a closer look at a teen hotspot during those years, 1950s and 1960s.

The South End Arena was founded by a Waterville police captain, Arthur Gagne. He had a vision to provide a place for local teens to gather in a safe and family-friendly environment.

But, the venue was not just used for winter ice sports. Prior to that, it was the site of many boxing matches held in the city. But, that was before my time.

My first experience at “Art’s”, which is what we called it, was to participate in public skating, usually on the weekends. When you first arrived, you would go into a warming shack to pay the admission fee, usually minimal – I want to say 25-cents, but my memory doesn’t quite cooperate. It was a tar-paper shack with wood shavings on the ground so your skates wouldn’t make contact with the dirt floor. There was a wood-burning stove, and the aroma of that was mesmerizing. You could smell it for blocks.

You would put on your skates, maybe socialized a bit, then go out the door onto the ice surface. The rink was Olympic size, larger than your average ice surface today. So, there was plenty of room for experienced skaters, and beginners.

Beginners would usually gather in a corner, and fall more times than they moved. The more experienced would skate around the rest of the rink. Sometimes, when Arthur wasn’t looking, we would form a human-whip. That was a blast, especially the further out you were on the line. Arthur didn’t care for us doing that because of the risk of injuries. But, we were young, enthusiastic, and maybe a little naïve as to what could happen.

Of course, later at night, after public skating ended, we would organize a pick-up hockey game. Some of Waterville’s finest hockey players came from the “South End,” affectionally known as the “Rink Rats.” We would take on all comers, and would usually prevail against challenging teams from other parts of the city. There were no bleachers around the rink. Spectators had to stand in the snowbanks, with no screens nor glass to protect them from errant pucks. You had to keep your eyes on the action.

Once the hockey was done, it was time to get down to work. In order to get in to public skating for free, you would join the scraping gang. You would grab a scraper, most of which were fabricated from old street/traffic signs with a wooden handle attached. The steel made for very thorough clearing of the snow that had accumulated from the night’s skating. Then, out came the fire hoses and the beginning to lay a fresh layer of ice, sometimes causing it to be at the arena into the early morning hours. Some would nap on the counter, and the benches in the warming shack until it was their turn to take over.

But Arthur wanted to offer more to the local teens. So, later, he constructed a building more like a ski lodge, with a small concession stand, juke box, a pool table, and, of course, a place to put on your skates to hit the ice.

You were also expected to be on your best behavior. Arthur had a zero tolerance for unacceptable conduct. I don’t quite recall what the punishment was, because we all knew what was expected of us. Not many were reprimanded.

As the years went by, and Arthur became unable to continue with what we called the “Youth Center,” until his passing, his son Carl took over. Carl had a history of playing hockey, having been the goaltender for the Waterville High School hockey team in the late 1950s.

But it was now the 1970s and times were changing. The arena soon began to deteriorate, and funding to keep it going was eliminated. Unable to continue with the financial responsibilities, the arena was closed, and passed into history.

Whenever I drive by the site of the old rink, I always think I would like to stop to take a look, to reminisce the days of my youth, but that would mean trespassing on someone’s property. To access the rink back in those days, you actually went up Arthur’s driveway to get to the shack and the rink, which were located behind his home.

For some of us, memories are all we have left of the old South End Arena.

Read more from this series here.

FOR YOUR HEALTH – Maternal Health And Dental Health: How They’re Linked

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(NAPSI)—Every step of the way, women, especially mothers, have a lot to juggle. While trying to conceive, being pregnant, raising children and going through menopause, their to-do lists are long. One important task which may not be the first to come to mind is maintaining good oral health.

“Oral health plays a role in all stages of life and it pops up often for mothers,” said Kyle Dosch, DDS, a licensed dentist who serves as Delta Dental of Washington’s dental director. “Demonstrating and teaching the importance of good oral health habits is critical to the overall health and well-being of you and your family.”

Pre-pregnancy

There is evidence to suggest a correlation between oral health and fertility. Women with periodontal disease took nearly seven months to conceive, whereas women without periodontal disease took only five months, on average.

Early Pregnancy

Many expectant mothers experience morning sickness and, as bothersome as it is to go through, it can also have negative effects on a woman’s oral health, particularly her teeth. Stomach acid can weaken tooth enamel, leading to greater risk for cavities. Dentists recommend rinsing your mouth with water after vomiting to help wash away the acid. Choosing healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables, which can help clean bacteria off teeth, as well as plenty of water, are best for when pregnancy cravings kick in.

During Pregnancy: What To Do When You’re Brushing For Two

Up to 75% of pregnant women have gingivitis, an early stage of periodontal disease. Periodontitis has been linked with having a negative effect on pregnancy, inducing premature birth or low birth weight of the baby. Regular dentist check-ups, brushing and flossing can help prevent this.

Postpartum

Mothers with tooth decay can pass cavity-causing bacteria to their babies by doing such things as cleaning pacifiers in their own mouth. Rinsing with clean water is a safer way for mom to keep an eye on a baby’s oral health.

Motherhood

Children of mothers who have high levels of untreated cavities or oral health problems are three times more likely to have cavities. This can be due to poor education on oral health or from sharing drinks and utensils. This can transfer cavity-causing bacteria from a mom’s mouth to a child’s. Taking time to brush and floss each day together can help keep mom and kids on track for their oral health goals.

Perimenopause And Menopause

Teeth and gums are highly susceptible to hormonal changes which take place before and during menopause. Because of these hormonal changes, a woman’s body can have a harder time fighting off minor infections and maintaining a healthy balance between useful and harmful bacteria within the mouth and on the gums. These hormonal changes can also cause increased sensitivity for teeth.

Visiting the dentist regularly will help keep these risks at bay.

Learn More

For further information about your oral health, visit Delta Dental of Washington’s blog at www.deltadentalwa.com/blog.

LIFE ON THE PLAINS: A pictorial look at The Plains

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Water St. looking north. Notice the row of tenement buildings on the right. Those were built on the river bank, and were supported by stilts. They were removed in the 1960s and 1970s. (photo courtesy of E. Roger Hallee)

by Roland D. Hallee

Water St. looking south. Beginning with Poissonnier’s Market in right foreground. The Maine Theater marquis can be seen in the middle of the photo. On the left is a home that is still there today. (photo courtesy of E. Roger Hallee)

The Hose 3 substation of the Waterville Fire Department was located across the street from the Second Baptist Church. The building remains, but is now a residence. (photo courtesy of E. Roger Hallee)

The Grove St. playground in the 1950s. The tenement building in the background, burned several years ago and is no longer there. (photo courtesy of E. Roger Hallee)

Read more from this series here.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Vivid memories of our first TV

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Vivid memories of our first TV

I have vivid 1950s memories of some very engaging shows that were syndicated to the five channels that came in on the television sets in East Vassalboro (I should add that we were the last family in the village to get a TV set – a bulky used Philco which my grandmother Annabelle Ingraham Cates purchased for $30 from our local repairman, Richard Dowe, who was based in South China, and it arrived in early November 1959. For myself, it was the equivalent of the Second Coming, heaven on earth.).

Upon arrival, the usual sibling spat; I wanted us to watch the Three Stooges, then part of the nightly Mighty 90 show, hosted by Maine country and western singer Ken McKenzie, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., on the Portland CBS affiliate WGAN, channel 13 Mondays through Fridays. The others were screaming for Popeye on the Portland NBC affiliate WCSH, channel 6. For some very mysterious reason, I got my way and the other siblings, previously unacquainted with the Three Stooges, were roaring with laughter and forgot all about Popeye.

In addition to the Three Stooges’ 20 minute episodes, the show would feature other 1930s-40s Columbia Screen Gems shorts starring such comedians as Hugh Herbert, Leon Errol, Andy Clyde. etc., each evening, interspersed with Cowboy Ken chatting with the children gathered in the studio.

Around Christmas, Santa Claus would answer letters from kids around the state; I wrote one and heard my name mentioned on the air, which led to feeling on cloud nine for at least a week.

One of the sponsors of the show was our own Farrington’s Clothing Outlet right here in South China and a very busy store during those years.

The last half hour was given over to an action show, one of five such series rotating weekly. They included the following: The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, starring British actor William Russell. The Adventures of Casey Jones, with Alan Hale Jr., later better known as the Skipper on Gilligan’s Island.

The Rough Riders, with Kent Taylor, Jan Merlin and Peter Whitney, itself a very gripping western dealing with three men who rode throughout the post-Civil War West dispensing justice to outlaws. I remember one episode in which Highway Patrol star Broderick Crawford did a guest appearance as a very evil murderer. Ivanhoe, starring Roger Moore, later, of course, 007 (James Bond) after Sean Connery.

The Buccaneers with Robert Shaw, who would later achieve even greater fame during the early ‘70s in the film classics, The Sting and Jaws.

Some more memories in the following weeks.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: The elusive pileated woodpecker, not to be confused with ivory-billed

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pileated woodpecker (left), ivory-billed woodpecker (right)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

You catch a fast-moving, swooping bird navigate through the thick forest of trees. It looks more like a shadow. What was that? It lands on the trunk of a nearby tree, and begins a slow, rolling whacking sound against the bark of that dead tree. You look closer, it’s a pileated woodpecker.

Although very common in the eastern United States, it can sometimes be quite elusive. You don’t generally see them often, because they prefer the protection of dense deciduous or coniferous forests.

The pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus, lives in Canada from British Columbia east to Nova Scotia. It can be found in most areas of the eastern United States, and west from Washington state south to California and east to Idaho and North Dakota.

Their numbers have increased from 1966 to 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding popultion of 1.9 million with 67 percent living in the U.S. and 33 percent in Canada.

The reason for the subject of this bird this week is the numerous photos that readers have been sending to this newspaper.

I have seen several of these birds around camp, and even saw one, once, sitting on an apple tree stump in my backyard, in the middle of Waterville.

The pileated woodpecker is one of the biggest forest birds on the continent. It is close in size to the crow.

They drill distinctive rectangular-shaped holes in rotten wood to get at carpenter ants and other insects. They are loud with whinnying calls. They also drum on dead trees. There flight is undulated (a bounding motion) as opposed to other birds straight flight paths.

Besides carpenter ants, pileated woodpeckers like woodboring beetle larvae, termites and other insects such as flies, spruce budworm, caterpillars, cockroaches and grasshoppers. They will also eat wild fruits and nuts. However, ants comprise 40 percent of their diet. Occasionally, you will find a pileated woodpecker at backyard feeders for seeds or suet.

Building a nest is quite a construction project that can last up to six weeks. The male begins excavating the nest cavity and does most of the work. The entrance hole is oblong rather than the circular shape of most woodpecker holes. For the finishing touches, the bird climbs all the way into the hole and chips away at it from the inside. The female begins to contribute as the nest nears completion. The cavity depth can be from 10 to 24 inches.

Of course, then you have the disagreement on how to pronounce the name. Well, in actuality, it can be pronounced two ways. You can use he soft “i” as in pill-ee-ated, or the hard “i” in pile-ee-ated. So, now we should have no more arguments about that subject.

Many people, though, confuse the pileated woodpecker with the ivory-billed woodpecker. The ivory-billed woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America, other than the imperial woodpecker of Mexico, which is feared to be extinct. The pileated is the second largest. Because of habitat destruction and, to a lesser extent, hunting, the numbers of ivory-billed woodpeckers, Campephilus principalis, have dwindled to the point where it is uncertain whether any remain, though there have been reports that they have been seen again, in Florida and Arkansas, although nothing has been substantiated. According to various sources, including the Cornell University Lab on Ornithology, almost no forests today can maintain an ivory-billed woodpecker population. Ivory-billed woodpeckers were most prominent in the southeastern U.S.

So, if you see that large woodpecker in Maine woods, you are most probably seeing a pileated woodpecker.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which Boston Red Sox player holds the club record for intentional walks, Wade Boggs, Carl Yastrzemski, or David Ortiz?

Answer can be found here.

FINANCIAL FOCUS – 529 plan: underused but valuable

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submitted by Sasha Fitzpatrick

In just a few weeks, students will be heading off to college – and parents will be getting out their checkbooks. Without a college-bound student in your home right now, you might not be thinking much about tuition and other higher education expenses, but if you have young children, these costs may eventually be of concern – so how should you prepare for them?

It’s never too soon to start saving and investing. Unfortunately, many people think that they have a lot of “catching up” to do. In fact, nearly half of Americans say they don’t feel like they’re saving enough to cover future education expenses, according to a 2022 survey conducted by financial services firm Edward Jones with Morning Consult, a global research company.

Of course, it’s not always easy to set aside money for college when you’re already dealing with the high cost of living, and, at the same time, trying to save and invest for retirement. Still, even if you can only devote relatively modest amounts for your children’s education, these contributions can add up over time. But where should you put your money?

Personal savings accounts are the top vehicle Americans are using for their education funding strategies, according to the Edward Jones/Morning Consult survey. But there are other options, one of which is a 529 plan, which may offer more attractive features, including the following:

Possible tax benefits – If you invest in a 529 education savings plan, your earnings can grow federally income tax-free, provided the money is used for qualified education expenses. (Withdrawals not used for these expenses will generally incur taxes and penalties on investment earnings.) If you invest in your own state’s 529 plan, you may receive state tax benefits, too, depending on the state.

Flexibility in naming the beneficiary – As the owner of the 529 plan, you can name anyone you want as the beneficiary. You can also change the beneficiary. If your eldest child foregoes college, you can name a younger sibling or another eligible relative.
Support for non-college programs – Even if your children don’t want to go to college, it doesn’t mean they’re uninterested in any type of postsecondary education or training. And a 529 plan can pay for qualified expenses at trade or vocational schools, including apprenticeship programs registered with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Payment of student loans – A 529 plan can help pay off federal or private student loans, within limits.

Keep in mind that state-by-state tax treatment varies for different uses of 529 plans, so you’ll want to consult with your tax professional before putting a plan in place.

Despite these and other benefits, 529 plans are greatly under-utilized. Only about 40% of Americans even recognize the 529 plan as an education savings tool, and only 13 percent are actually using it, again according to the Edward Jones/Morning Consult study.

But as the cost of college and other postsecondary programs continues to rise, it will become even more important for parents to find effective ways to save for their children’s future education expenses. So, consider how a 529 plan can help you and your family. And the sooner you get started, the better.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones, Member SIPC.

Investors should understand the risks involved of owning investments. The value of investments fluctuates and investors can lose some or all of their principal.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Stay in touch with customers

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Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

Sure, you see your customers all the time. You see them when you do their landscaping or when they come into your restaurant for a meal, or when they come in for their monthly spa treatment, or when they call you to set up the annual snow removal arrangements. I know that you see that at those times, but what about the rest of the time?

It is always important to stay in touch with your customers even when you are not actually providing them services or products.

Whether you own a hardware store, or a dry cleaning business, or a restaurant, it is important to stay in front of your customers, even when you are not in front of them.

Now, I am not suggesting anything as obnoxious as calling them up once in a while, nobody wants to make that call or especially, to receive that call.

But there are many other ways to stay in touch with your customers. What we call “soft touches”

First of all, there is always advertising in local newspapers like this one. The rates are very economical; and the readership is local enough so that if you are a local small business, you are advertising to your customer base. Advertising locally is a very good way to stay in front of your customers.

The monthly newsletter is one of the best ways to stay in front of your current customers, but even better, it is a way to reach out to new potential customers. By using inexpensive software like Constant Contact, you can easily compile a list of your customers, as well as some target customers.

Create an attractive template and then send one out once a month. It does not have to be long. In fact, it should not be too long. The newsletter can be made up of a message from you, the owner, some tips about your product or service.

If you are a landscaper you can provide some short seasonal tips on what has to be done to your lawn at this time of the year. If you own a restaurant, you can give out some recipes, or better yet, highlight some new tempting dishes you are offering this month.

The newsletter can also provide some special discount coupons to urge your customers to use your services during that month. You can also provide a little humor: a tasteful anecdote or joke and maybe even a quiz or trivia question. The key is to make the newsletter pleasant and attractive enough that people will look forward to receiving and opening in when it shows up in their email box.

One of the keys to s successful newsletter is to have an ever growing list of current and potential customers. With your current customers ask them to sign up for your newsletters. Offer them incentives like “Valuable Special Discounts” just for signing up. Don’t push, be subtle and friendly about it, make it fun and appealing. Put a sign up email address in your advertising if you advertise, put it on your flyers and your invoices.

The more people who consistently open and read your newsletter the more potential customers your will have. And that’s a perfect way to stay in touch and, yes, to grow your business.