Category Archives: Uncategorized

Yosemite Sam and The Copyright

Yes, Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam can lose their original weapons.  If you were wondering about their guns and copyright law, after some circuitous research on the web, aka, The 10th Circle… I have found that the decision was made by Warner Brothers and not some sort of an end-run by HBO.

Also of interest, I found, according to Fandom, “ All cartoons released in 1934 are under copyright, all post-1943 shorts are under copyright, while all cartoons released in 1930 and 1931 are in the public domain.:.[1]  However, just looking at the instance of Yosemite Sam, according to Wikipedia[2], he did not appear until 1944. If both of these statements are true, Sam is under copyright owned by Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies which is owned by Warner Brothers (2). Disney and Warner Brothers are not connected and in fact, have been rival companies in the cartoon space since the 1930s.[3]

It’s an unfortunate turn of events but part and parcel of the re-imagining of American history that has been

[1] https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_cartoons_that_are_currently_in_the_public_domain_in_the_United_States#:~:text=Many%20Warner%20Bros.,are%20in%20the%20public%20domain.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_Sam

[3] https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/disney-vs-warner-bros-a-battle-for-the-ages-3 5034701/#:~:text=The%20rivalry%20between%20Disney%20and%20Warner%20Bros%20dates%20back%20to%201920s.&text=Warner%20Bros%20and%20Disney%20own,Marvel%20has%20taken%20a%20lead.&text=The%20reason%20was%20Looney%20Tunes%20characters.

Customer Service Tips to Remember

Man complaining for the bad food

Man complaining for the bad food

Need a refresher in customer service or some new tools for your toolbox? When dealing with unhappy customers, remember these tips and tricks.

  • Listen to emotion with emotion. Use the inflections and emphasis of the customer. It’s called matching and if you can match the customer’s tone of voice and even gestures, it will put them at ease. It may not help you get the outcome you are hoping for (that they’ll take a credit instead of a refund for example) but it will keep the conversation civil and they will leave happier and be more likely to return.
  • Have specialists. Though customers may not know off the bat what you are accomplishing by having specialists, in the long run it’s a good strategy because then any customer – happy or angry- will not be frustrated by a sales associate that does not know the answer to a specialized question.
  • Follow-up with the customer who you have helped either find what they wanted when they were unsure or you helped them resolve a problem.
  • Customers who complain are likely to continue doing business with your company. When a customer has a problem and you fix it, they’re going to be more satisfied. The customer is not complaining about you- don’t take it personally.
  • 90% of customers who perceive themselves as being wronged never complain.

There are two ways to fix everything: Band Aid and Long term.Take responsibility for screw-ups.

How to write a bankable small business plan

Business Plan Planning Strategy Meeting Conference Seminar Concept

Business Plan Planning Strategy Meeting Conference Seminar Concept

Most of the things that I’ve read about doing a business plan try to focus on making it logical and leaving now stone unturned as far as explaining how you plan to start, grow, and eventually expand your business. Here’s a great article that shows how to write a logical, leaving document that leads to funding. Read the article at:  https://www.newsday.co.zw/2015/07/10/how-to-write-a-bankable-small-business-plan/

Taking a Breather

Dollarphotoclub_43852485As the weather gets better and your clients take vacations, you may be thinking about taking a vacation also. One of the great things about being a virtual assistant though is that if you take stock of all your clients and their typical needs you may find you don’t need to wait until they take a vacation to have a relocation vacation.  Of course when you’re working you can plan local vacations as it were into your days and weeks but don’t forget since your business is, by definition, virtual, you may be able to plan in time away during the regular year.

 

What do you really need to take some time off and be of service to your clients? If your current work entails making reservations, doing research, contacting venues etc., you may be able to do these just as well from a hotel or suite that gets you out of town. It will also let you recharge your batteries before any big events you need to be involved in.

 

If you don’t have school age children at home, take time every month or so to reassess where you really need to be and if you can take a little working vacation on a regular basis.

Launch Your Successful Home Based Business Now!

modern officeIf you have yet to start your business or just started, check out my book, available in spiral bound and ebook editions.

Buy the spiral bound edition here.

Buy the ebook here.

New Blog Name

Action Changes Things from Dollar Photo ClubI have changed this blog’s name because, though Virtual Perfection was catchy, I wanted to make sure that readers know the name of my business is Connected Solutions. I provide virtual services including:

 

Ebook conversion and placement

  • Editing and writing
  • Transcription
  • Photography

I’ll have my new website done by the end of next week but to contact me about your needs, just use the comments section below this post.

3 D Printing Made Easy … Sorta

If you’ve ever thought of making a 3-D item, aka in this article as “thingamabob”, this article makes it sound easy and even points you to companies that will produce your model… abob. If you’re just interested, totally got this 3D thing down or just want to see some way cool pictures, read this article from Quirky’s blog.

 

Imagem 193246

Quirky Helps Inventors Get Products to Market

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I read today about a great new place on the Web called Quirky  and wanted to let you all know about it.  Quirky is an online community of people with ideas for inventions.  The way it works is that you can submit your idea on the website  and the team at Quirky votes on ideas every week.  If they accept your product idea, they may help you with all facets of your invention including getting demos placed in stores. Their staff includes all sorts of people – all talents from a painter to an electrical engineer- to help make chosen products a reality! Go to their site or read more in the February issue of Popular Mechanics.