Boobs versus Brains when it comes to a media buyer's or business owner's decisions.

So this is a subject which is not typically spoken about because some decision makers are fallible to
to the vice of sex appeal when it comes to making poor business decisions. When I refer to "Sex Appeal" this term by itself  very subjective in nature. Some will admit that they have purchased media because the sales person who was selling them the goods was attractive and charming. Was the decision a smart one? As in maximizing their dollar to reach their target customer in the most effective way? HELL NO! I've been in sales for over 20 years and have worked with countless business owners and buyers. Let's clarify. Business owners are not always buyers and vice versa.

When I refer to buyers I am not necessarily referring to those who "Buy" media at an agency level but rather the individual in a company who is "In Charge" of buying media.  We would hope that agency media buyers would not be subject to anything more than metrics, value, demo, grp's, cpp, cpm's etc. when making decisions on behalf of the agency's clients.

There are the sales people or media planners who put their whole heart and soul, expertise, wisdom and knowledge into a brilliant media plan. It would be a media plan which would make all the difference for a client and take them to the next level of business activity and success only to be trumped by the fact that they were not valued as much as the bimbo trollop who came in and showed her cleavage.

When one comes across a scenario such as this there are a couple roads to take....the high road  which is to subtly, gently, then directly shake up the clients senses to demonstrate in a non-insulting way that their penis has over powered business logic. The low road is to agree with the client's decision and then walk away.....this is the cowards way out and you are not doing yourself or the client justice by letting go and shaking your head.  Your job as a media sales consultant is to use logic combined with metrics, exceptional creative along with a  hyper targeting media buying strategy targeting their demos and to show them the light!!

Many years ago I was in competition with another media rep who possessed  different physical assets than myself and because of this was favoured by the male client.  In a nutshell I won the sale, but what was frustrating was the mere fact that I had to work 4 times as hard to win the sale even though I delivered an amazing presentation with robust value and the audience which I could deliver was more in line than my competitions. Please note I referred to this experience as frustrating and nothing more.

I use to wonder how some really stupid media people survived...the fact was that they were not stupid.....they knew how to use their personal appeal which over powered a client's pure logic without any media planning sense . Please note I did not say "Sex" appeal here...as some of these gals and guys were not in the least bit sexy but rather demonstrated whoreish and slut like qualities in nature. They were good people with naturally skewed intentions. Ok, so now that I made somewhat of a point I hope I have inspired the above average media planners and sales people to rise above the "others".  Take control of the sale and do an exceptional job super serving your clients with all the God given knowledge you've built up from your years of experience.  Work with the clients who value your business and show a receptiveness and potential to grow their business...the other business owners or buyers  who possess a less finicky and flaky business acumen can be fired, by you at any time.

The Landlord Tenant Act - Public Health - Bed Bugs - Rent Collection From Individuals On Government Assistance

As a Landlord I would first like to defend the rights of the tenant.  A tenant has the right to live in a safe, warm environment which delivers the basic amenities for living day to day from hot water, heat, functioning plumbing and electrical.

The Landlord needs to be able to deliver these needs. That's the basis to exchange money for a place to live.

Here is the problem. There is too much onus on Landlords to cover the costs of delinquent low income tenants. The other unfortunate dilemma is the low income tenant who lives well below the poverty line. Whether the individual is on disability, Ontario Works etc.. .the ones suffering by design are the low income tenants and landlords. Of course not all low income tenants fall into the category of unaccountable, unreliable individuals who have a disregard for the unit they are renting. I'm not by any means demeaning or demoralizing individuals who genuinely need assistance. Fortunately there is a system, there is a process, albeit it may be far from perfect.

Bed Bugs, Cock Roaches etc.
Here lies another big issue. The onus is on the Landlord to exterminate bed bugs and cockroaches.
This is a huge problem especially considering that Landlords do not breed these pests. These pests are transient and breed harmoniously from the living environment of the people who dwell there, from previous tenants, visitors or items brought in to the unit.

The eradication of these pest should be on the onus of the government because it is a public issue. It is an epidemic not unlike a flu, rat infestation, TB any communicable disease from typhoid to cholera, west nile etc.... A Landlord must abide by the laws of the Landlord Tenant Act, Public Health, to that end the municipal and provincial government should cover the costs of extermination as pests are a variable not stemming from the Landlord but rather are stemming from society and the living condition, articles belonging to a tenant or used items they purchase....bedbugs travel easily and jump onto subjects or belongings without prejudice.They can be found in the most affluent hotels, apartments, theatres, community housing, hostels...etc.

E.g. A tenant brings a bed bug infested bed from one residence to the next. The new residence which never had an issue with bed bugs is now is infested. The treatment needs to be  funded in the same way as any other epidemic..

The financial onus on the landlord is huge and unjust.....the cost for bedbug extermination is approx $400-$600 per one bedroom unit...this is only one of the reasons why we have slums and a deteriorated society because of the level of financial burden on landlords. Public Health is governed to issue an order against the Landlord for treating the unit. There is no legal onus on the tenant to ensure they following guidelines to prevent bedbugs from entering their unit. A realistic process would be if there is a pest issue, the tenant apprises the Landlord with a pest infestation form...let's call it a P1. The P1 goes to the Landlord and the landlord sends it to public health or the department which executes the extermination. This department reaches the tenant and educates them on the prevention and eradication of the pest and apprises them on what they need to do to prepare for fumigation.. They then send out their own exterminator. Leave the Landlord out of it.


There are so many considerations and rulings in the landlord and tenant act which favor the rights of the tenant and discount the value of the Landlord.

Rent Collection - Government Assisted, Delinquent Tenants - Non Payment of Rent

There needs to be more government accountability to the Landlord when it comes to ensuring a government assisted individual pays their rent on time. If a major portion of welfare, disability,  cpp cheques etc is allocated to rent then the individual tenant needs to be excluded from the payment process and the rent needs to go direct to the Landlord from the agency. If a tenant decides to move, then they must fill out a rental move payment  notice form 60 days prior to the move where one copy goes to the Landlord and the other to their agency worker. The receipt of this notice is acknowledged and confirmed between government agency and landlord.

This eliminates the potential of payment delinquency from the tenant and countless Landlord Tenant Tribunal Hearings.

Property damage caused by tenant. In the event a tenant damages the property they are renting and are on limited income they need to fill out a Landlord Damage Compensation Form....let's call it an LDC1. Form gets sent to the agency and to the landlord. The agency requests 3 quotes for repair from the Landlord and the lowest quote is awarded the repair.

When a tenant doesn't pay rent the Landlord delivers an N4 form to the tenant for non-payment of rent. It takes about 6-8 weeks to get a hearing with the board to evict the tenant. Once there is a hearing a ruling for a standard order of eviction another month has passed. If the tenant has still not moved out and has continued to not pay rent then the Landlord can go to the sheriff's office at the court house to request a physical eviction. The timeline for the sheriff to appear on site can be anywhere from 1 - 3 weeks. Once the Sheriff appears on site and evicts the tenant then there is the issue of the tenants belongings. They have 72 hours to remove their belongings. After the 72 hours the Landlord can then dispose of the units contents. Then there is the issue of cleaning up and fixing up the unit to get it in suitable condition to rent out again....when you add up the dollars for the 3-4 months of lost rent, hearing costs, sheriff summons, clean up and repairs the landlord is into thousands of lost dollars.....

For Government Assisted individuals there is required to be more efficient collaboration between Government Agencies and Landlords. This will  eliminate the lengthy and costly process for a Landlord Tenant Tribunal Hearing and the sustaining costs of eviction, clean up and repair.

The Landlord will most likely never recoup the months of lost rent from the drawn out Landlord Tenant Tribunal Process.  

As a society we really need to move toward these types of changes...it will save tax payers dollars, increase property values, and improve the quality of living for government assisted individuals.

There is always a solution, anything is possible. 

Building LEGO's Branding Block and Fueling Shell's "Protecting Biodiversity Platfform"

This video is helping LEGO build it's "Branding" BLOCK and giving SHELL the platform to reposition and fuel its future message of how much it works to protect the environment.

Greenpeace is the conduit. WHAT? That's crazy...yes it certainly sounds contradictory as to who is fueling the mandate and could be a calculated risk for Greenpeace.. However, keep in mind the brands in this campaign are Shell and Lego AND Greenpeace. 

I checked out the Greenpeace site and they have invested in this message with great web creative and video. The home page looks like a feature page for Shell and Lego.

 With millions video adviews to start the conflict it's a great way to start the awareness flow. At times to marketers it's not good or bad publicity, it's just plain publicity to create awareness.and stir emotion. 

Emotion in ads effect the right side of the brain (Emotional Laterization). Whether it evokes anger, sadness, joy or the warm and fuzzies it still creates the emotion. This is where it creates the depth of impression. In time most people may not remember the message but there is investment in the brand in everyone's mind. Whether it was orchestrated or not if still gives all parties the public platform to showcase their opinions and make the next move or not. 

There was a copy write issue then it was lifted...what a better way to invoke interest than by first taking it off the internet then to finally to allow it.

Shell protects Biodiversity:
http://www.shell.com/global/future-energy/arctic/protecting-biodiversity.html

How much should I pay for a website?

How Much Should I Pay For A Website? (Small Business)
August 26th, 2014

These are the 7 basic factors which come into play for website design costs:

-Template site or partial template or full custom design 

-Database for content (not all databases are created equally)

-Number of pages

-Number of images: Provided Images, Stock Photography, Professional Photographer Required?

-Content Writing - Important for Search Engines To Crawl Your Site and Index Your Site's Pages in relevance to actual searches

-Hosting, Emails and Maintenance

-Project Management: Time spent on planning and development  

So How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost?

The range in design costs to develop and launch range from $900- $6000. Using the a la carte estimates above you can see how they can add up quickly. Another way to break the budget down is to assume:

• 15% Planning
• 25% Interface design
• 40% Programming
• 20% Project Management 

  See the breakdown of pricing and costs below:

Basic Website Components and Costs

On average, the following figures can be applied to estimating the cost of a small business web site 
If you would like a detailed estimate call Balla Media at (905) 572-7474   Balla Media

• Domain Name – $10/year - $49 per year depending on the extension
• Server Space Hosting  – $10 to $200+ a year (depending on traffic & hosting services)
• Web planning, design and development time – Determined By Scope of Project
• Continued website Maintenance – $500 a year and up (depending on number/type of updates required - some companies may include hosting in this price)
• Marketing your website online – Determined by your budget
• Custom Content Management System - The Ability For You To Make Changes To Your Site Based On Your Sites Requirements
  

Important Factors that Contribute to Website Cost

When trying to budget web design costs there are a number of factors to consider:

• Is this a brand new site or a redesign?
• How prepared are you – do you have a detailed requirements document?
• Do you need a blog or content management functionality (CMS)?
• Do you have graphics already created for the site?
  
• Do you want the site to automatically resize for mobile and tablets?
• Do you need multimedia (Flash, video, etc.) on the site?
• How much content do you have and how much do you need created?
• Do you need other special features like social media channels, SEO, ecommerce, or something else?
• Who is going to maintain the site after it has been launched?

Below we go into greater detail regarding these items and an estimate of how much you should budget for them. The prices listed are based on 16 years of experience. Prices will most probably be higher or lower depending on your specific requirements. Be sure to contact us for an estimate. 

New Sites Often Cost More Than Redesigns

When you’re starting from scratch, so is the web designer. They have nothing to work from, they can’t look at your existing site and get an idea of your online brand or features and functionality requirements.  All new sites really should require a “discovery and documentation” process.  This process will help define the online brand, website structure and functionality. We think this process is critical because it helps set expectations on all sides and reduce potential frustrations. Simple business websites, where the client has a solid idea of what they want, can get by on a minimal amount of discovery and documentation, perhaps one day’s worth of effort.  BUT… more complex websites may require weeks of meetings and the creation of many detailed documents to fully define the project.

Interface Design

Interface design is also referred to as the look-and-feel or visual design. The interface design will incorporate your branding, all your photos and images, even your page layouts. Don’t assume that if you’ve already got a pre-made template you won’t need any images or layouts re-done. Interface design is usually an iterative process, this means that the designer will show you several options and then modify those based on your feedback to arrive at an approved design.  For a small business website, the average budget $900 – $4,000 to get you from concept through to the final design that will be handed off to the developers for programming. Don’t skimp on the interface design or visitors won’t give your website a second glance.

Images and Graphics

Website graphics are tricky because they can range from $10 each for cheap stock images to $100′s of dollars each for custom or high-end stock images. Compelling and appropriate graphics can make a huge huge difference in the effectiveness of your website. On the low-end, budget at least $100 for stock images.  If you have a good designer they can make a cheap image look like a custom one.
But that’s not all. You will probably also need stock icons and buttons to compliment your design.  Budget $50 for them as well.

Mobile and Responsive Design Cost - (Should be included in overall price)

Mobile devices are swiftly becoming critical to online success and your design should at least be mobile-friendly. The best designs are “responsive“, designed to automatically adjust their layout to look good on multiple devices: smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Creating a responsive design can cost 20% – 30% more than a site for a desktop web browser (the price of progress). This cost is because the interface designer needs to design how the site will look on the various devices, the programmer will need to program the designs and finally more testing is required before the site is ready to launch. Almost all our projects these days include responsive programming.

Costs for Content Creation and Insertion

The least expensive way to go is to create all the content yourself and insert it into the site yourself.  Most designers have no problem delivering a blank design template that you populate with text and images. But if you want the design firm to add your content and adjust the layout of the text, you should budget $100 – $150 per page.

Programming Special Features (Costs To Consider)

There are a ton of extra features that web developers can integrate that will improve your business but can also up the price. Sometimes these features are “included” in your website framework – but beware, just because they are “included” doesn’t mean that they look or work the way you want. The estimates below reflect the general requirements we have seen, however there are many factors that can push these costs higher. If you don’t see your add-on here just give us a call and we can provide an estimate.

• Custom Content Management Systems- for clients who want to manage their own content we integrate and customize content management systems (CMS). We work with PHP-based open-source CMS solutions like Drupal and WordPress.
  
• Training and documentation – You will probably need some instructions and documentation on how to maintain and edit site content.
• Blog- Many clients want a WordPress or similar blog within their website, customized to their website branding and design.
• E-commerce shopping carts, catalogs, payment processing e depending on requirements.
• Email Marketing Campaigns- Clients that want to gather emails and send out branded email blasts for announcements or newsletters require an Email management tool. We integrate 3rd-party tools (graphicmail, mailchimp, constant contact, etc.) and create an email blast template design, we can even manage your email blasts.
• Branding/Identity Development- Logo design is something we are often asked to do. On the low-end, we start with an 8-hour process that generates about 6 rough logo concepts. If one of these is chosen we go through several rounds of edits to arrive at a final version. 
• Style Guides- An online style guide is important because it establishes brand consistency and provides a guide for all your print collateral and online marketing. .
• Targeted Landing Pages- Landing pages are pages that promote a specific product or service. They are usually part of an email, social media, or banner ad campaign. We can design and create these pages starting at 
• News feeds of both your content (outgoing) and adding content to the site (incoming)
• Contact forms and surveys
• Newsletters
  
• Advertising integration (Google AdWords) 
• Photo gallery
  
• Metrics: Google analytics, custom reports, etc.
• SEO: on-page optimization, off-page optimization submission to search engines, etc.
• Social media: Create and manage social media network profile such as Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn etc.

So How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost?

The range in design costs to develop and launch range from $900- $6000. Using the a la carte estimates above you can see how they can add up quickly. Another way to break the budget down is to assume:

• 15% Planning
• 25% Interface design
• 40% Programming
• 20% Project Management

And Don’t Forget the Maintenance Cost

Websites don’t just maintain themselves, and the best are changing all the time. Maintenance is something that most businesses forget to budget or think that they can do it themselves. But the first time you delete your entire home page by mistake and lose 8 hours of sales trying to get it back up and running, you’ll wish you’d spent the extra money on a maintenance contract. Make sure your web developer offers post-launch maintenance, many don’t because they can’t be bothered by clients calling with small requests.
Maintenance contracts vary greatly depending upon what you expect from the firm. You should budget monthly to have a designer/developer on call if you have a problem that you can’t fix. And if you expect them to do additional work such as creating new images, adding new content, maintaining social media or newsletters, etc. expect the price will go up. 

Final Note

A final note: If this website will be a significant part of your business PLEASE DON’T SKIMP on the design and development. If you’d expect to pay $100,000 for a brick and mortar retail shop (inventory, interior design, furniture, rent, utilities, staff, equipment, insurance, etc) – then don’t balk at paying reasonable rates for the creation of your online business.   Your budget should be based on what your business needs.

Mortgage Broker Vs Bank - The hands down choice

Whether you are in search of a mortgage for an investment property or residence, the need for a mortgage may be eminent. My experience through both types, investment and residences has always lead me to the same path in terms of securing a mortgage. A mortgage broker has the channels and resources available to them to hunt for the best rate for the client whereas a bank mortgage representative is there to provide you with a menu of one item; theirs.

The process of application for a mortgage is also so much more pleasant through a broker. A broker typically is paid a finding fee through the financial institution they secure for you, whereas a salaried employee from the bank is paid regardless, based on their black and white criteria from your application. They are limited in their abilities and decision making. The application process through a bank can appear slightly disorganized and mildly patronizing, when dealing with chuckling inexperienced bobble heads who feel the need to exude a false sense of high power in determining the fate of your outcome.

A bank will take much longer to respond to your questions and application as they are not paid based on transaction. A broker is service/results driven and will get back to you much sooner with the results or answers to your questions. Brokers are referral driven. They know that if your experience was a good one you will refer them to family and friends.

To that end, do not waste your time with a mortgage through your bank or any bank directly for that matter. Find a reputable mortgage broker who will go up to bat for you to secure you the best terms and rates. At the same time you should still do your home work on available rates and be aware of what is out there as you may still need to challenge your broker to ensure they have secured you the best rate.

Rob Balla

Kudos to Bell Media for Mental Health Awareness Day

When looking at our society and it's priorities this can be a touchy and subjective subject depending on who you are and what effects you personally.   Government monies whether provincial or federal has many channels to go through to get to each end user. Being a Landlord myself I have bared witness to extremes ways of living. Through default I've had to intervene in situations taking on the role as Ann Landers, fielding issues outside of the realm of typical Landlord accountability. Unfortunately at times I need to attend to issues from individuals who are mentally ill. This is a challenging and complicated undertaking especially when empathizing with the individual.

Mental health issues effect society in the most dramatic ways yet politicians and law makers seem to avoid dealing with this problem head on. Perhaps they choose to turn a blind eye because everyone assumes there are "Systems" in place to manage those individuals with mental health challenges. Yes, there are some weakly structured organizations in place to provide some support and assistance to those individuals but when a problem occurs such a persons living conditions are not kept clean then no one can really help. When I refer to living conditions as not being clean I don't mean that there are a few dirty dishes lying around or dirty laundry hanging on the floor, I'm referring to feces on the floor, bed bugs, mold, filth everywhere, decomposed organic matter on the floor etc.  This type of environment will effect the living conditions of other tenants and harbor disease and malaise.

Society not only ignores those individuals with mental health issues  but lacks to have the foresight of its repercussions and aftereffects. The ripple effect takes on many forms and effects many government agencies(By-Law, Public Health, Social Services), health care providers,businesses, law enforcement agencies and landlords.

I'm hoping I will be proven wrong when I say that society (Lawmakers, Politicians etc) deems mental health concerns as not a priority primarily because there is not enough money to be made and it is not a viable election platform for garnering votes. Mental Illness is our modern day leprosy. This may sound extreme but so many people are effected by it as it can be perceived as a private or embarrassing condition if it effects oneself or family member. It can be more embarrassing than being identified as having an STD.

Whether it's OCD, ADHD, Depression, Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Schizophrenia, PTSD etc. these are issues which need to be super served and not shunned or swept under the bureaucratic carpet.  As a Landlord I have witnessed ALL of these conditions with tenants who have been diagnosed as such.  There is a huge degree of anger, confusion and sadness in the lives of these folk.
On the other hand, when a person has too much pride or is unaware that they may have a mental illness issue and they are unemployable in the short or long term they are supported by welfare (Ontario Works), Instead these individuals should be diagnosed with having a disability and collect ODSP.

Personally I can attest the fact that there is no support system for Landlords in dealing with the conditions of habitat, rent collection, individual tenant support. There are some Landlords who are not fit to be Landlords however there needs to be a government and landlord support network in place to streamline the issues and help those individuals suffering from mental health problems.

So kudos to Bell Media for taking on the initiative of creating awareness of "Mental Health Awareness". Let's hope that it has touched a nerve in those individuals in government to initiate more change to offer more support to those individuals and families who are directly effected....and that would be everyone!

Tired of the same old ad messages from Financial Instituitions and Investment Firms?

It never ceases to amaze me how financial institutions deliver their marketing message  in the same run of the mill, clichéd, hoaky, patronizing fashion. When financial institutions attempt to deliver a "Personal" correspondence through direct mail letters petitioning how they will save you money or have your best interest in mind, the message many time comes through as disingenuous.

Why do most of the images in a financial advisor or mutual fund ad have to  include a cup of coffee with a couple, man or woman either sitting on a sofa smiling in comfort. This visual is so commonplace and trite.  Attention marketing departments or agencies of financial institutions please change up the conventional and uninteresting advertisements to creative, contemplative and meaningful messages.

I won't point out any specific slogans as to not offend your  financial institution of choice however I just want to point out most people are not richer than they think.