We had this idea to have a contest a few months back to award a $5000 bathroom renovation to one lucky local winner.  The contest’s goal was simple: submit a photo and a paragraph about why you deserve a new bathroom.  Get your buddies to look at the photo on Facebook.  Allow them to laugh, cry, and point at your dismal bathroom situation, then vote for you after July 31.  Votes would be tallied after a few weeks, pick a winner, and in short order... someone receives a beautiful new bathroom.  

We envisioned tons of entries flooding in, because... well, frankly, who wouldn’t want to be able to pick out new flooring, counter tops, hardware, re-tile their tub, and a new sink, or toilet... heck, we could even make you a fancy new shower with double shower heads and gorgeous granite or marble tile.  It really is that easy, like finding $5,000 in your wallet.  $5,000 in an average sized bathroom will go pretty far!  We imagined an American Idol-like response, not being able to handle all the entries and staying up for 3 days straight to tally votes and agonize over the winner.  

Since then, we’ve adjusted our expectations a bit, but one problem remains:  WHY haven’t YOU entered?  We’ve gotten some pretty good entries so far, and tons of people have said they WANT to enter... so let’s get on it!  There are only 4 Days Left to Enter.  Time’s a’wasting!  Snap a photo, toss back a shot of whiskey, and bang out a sob story (or any excuse) to go with your entry.  So to help you out…Below you will find 10 great excuses to enter!
        

                             Top Ten Reasons (Excuses) You Should Enter!
10.)     Because its EASY.  Take a picture; write your paragraph,  and click the link to upload and enter. 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

*Then after July 31 you’ll get a link that you can post on Facebook, or email out to   everyone you know (not just local friends) to vote for you!  Ta Da! Do you hear the angels singing in the background yet?

9.)            Your house needs to be updated.  If you’re planning to sell, an ugly bathroom can deter potential buyers.  If you just bought yourself an ugly bathroom, there’s no time like the present to spruce it up for free.  If you’ve been living in the same house with the same bathroom for years... maybe its time for a change anyway!

8.)            Your not a Do-It-Yourselfer.   You’ve tried to do the work yourself and it was a disaster.    Now 3 years later, you’ve kind of just gotten used to the way you trip over the loose floor tiles in front of your tub.
 
7.)            Life just hasn’t been going well lately.  Wouldn’t a peaceful bath or steam shower be just what you need after another long day sharing a cubicle with the guy who insists on listening to his AM radio on the polka station?
 
6.)            You could have a whole new bath or Just the items you want fixed!  Depending on the size of your bathroom, you will have a brand spanking new bathroom created by professionals with years of experience we even have a designer on staff to help with the selections if you get overwhelmed! All in just a few days!
 
5.)            It doesn’t cost you anything.   It doesn’t cost you anything to enter and should not take you more than five minutes to enter.  You can take a picture with your phone or digital camera and upload in 5 minutes!!
 
4.)            You work hard and you deserve it.   You spend your days at work trying to please your boss, or your employees.  Then at night you come home to friends, family or whoever.  You are always the people pleaser and working hard for everyone else.  It’s your turn to shine!   Let us pamper you!
 
3.)            It’s a great excuse to catch up with friends you haven’t talked to in awhile.   You have been so busy lately that you haven’t written or talked to some of your oldest best buddies!  They would love to hear from you and help you win a free bathroom!
 
2.)            ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ENTER AND GET AS MANY PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR YOU AS POSSIBLE.  Yes you read that correctly.  This is a popularity contest, folks.  Your bathroom doesn’t have to be the ugliest, or your sad story the weepiest.  You just have to make sure it gets as many votes as possible.  What are friends for, anyway? 
 
And the final reason to enter this contest…..Drum Roll Please….
 
1.)         BECAUSE YOU COULD WIN!  (Duh.)

 As you can see by my photo, I’m no kid. I am also no old school guy who shuns technology; in fact, I ran to Radio Shack and bought a Tandy – 64 (remember those?) as soon as they came out! I also bought a IBM PC a couple of years later to the tune of $4,500. I have more capability in my wrist watch today than I had in that PC! Point being, I feel as though I’ve tried to stay with the times, and having been in business for myself for many years, it has behooved me to be “in the know” in the latest and greatest so that I continue to grow my product scope and reach out to business beyond my own hometown in Wilmington, NC.  That’s how we arrived at www.seemoretile.com, which we continue to be excited about.  

However, it seems like I’m always one step behind at best. My frustration doesn’t lie with the technology as much as with the amount of applications out there. As a business man I have a full plate most days and we’ve been lucky to have the confidence of our local community who continue to hire Reilly Tile & Stone and www.seemoretile.com for their needs to get us through these trying times in tact.  It won’t be this way forever though, I want to stay ahead of the pack so that when the economy bounces back, I’m prepared.  We want our brand to be synonymous with  high quality, the confidence of experience, and getting it right the first time.  

I am aware of, and participate in most of, all the latest media i.e. Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, etc.  Heck I even know that Google can be either a noun or a verb!  And I recognize the power that social media holds in generating word-of-mouth marketing and expanding our branding with positive customer feedback and engagement.  At first I embraced social media with slightly more enthusiasm than when I hug my mother-in-law, nonetheless I’ve done it at the urging of my younger employees and other savvy local business owners.  Seemoretile.com has its own Facebook Fan Page (we’d love if you became a fan!), and we’ve used the platform to let local consumers know about a great contest we’re putting on for a bathroom renovation, in the hopes that we could grow our following in the local area.

My question:  is any of this paying dividends in “real life” for small local businesses such as mine?  What I have observed is that this social media industry thrives on itself; to navigate it and understand how it works, you have to hire someone, pay for Google AdWords and Facebook Business Page management, digital advertising, etc.  The more numerous and complicated the applications get, the more I pay out just to manage a social media presence and stay competitive.  Maybe it’s just me, but I haven’t seen much difference in overall sales, except for the fact that now I have to write a blog a week, and have hired outside staff to monitor our website, fan page, and so on.  

I would love some feedback from REAL business people who are not selling some type of course in management, digital advertising, or trying to convince me of all the rewards of social intercourse on the World Wide Web.  In a business such as mine where I operate a local business as well as an online catalogue, how is social media impacting sales?  Can anyone out there who has been through it successfully share their story?

There you go blog & rant, all in one.  Now that’s efficient!!!

We have been enjoying the warm weather although a little hot for June; record temperatures and the stifling humidity make for rather uncomfortable working conditions.  Wish we’d had some warmth last winter as a lot of our work was outside, even in the balmy climes of North Carolina, on the coast we get some pretty chilly days.  We have two jobs going now and both have A/C, but my guys won’t take a pay cut for the cushy working conditions!

While we’re on the topic, a little advice about weather extremes as it pertains to tile and stone installation. First and foremost, make sure your workers are comfortable--no one does their best when under stress. The next most important factor is the temperature parameters for the installation. There are always high and low recommended temperature ranges on every type of installation, depending on the materials and location of the work.  There’s nothing like getting started on a job and realizing that you have done something isn’t quite right. Like in the episode from Season 3 of “Friends- The One With Frank, Jr.”, you re-tile your bathroom and in the end realize you REALLY screwed up-- there’s a hole in the middle of your bathroom floor where tile should be.  You could be sleeping on the sofa for a long time after that!

I would be remiss if I didn’t state the obvious: READ THE INFORMATION THAT CAME WITH YOUR MATERIALS!  It’s printed in Spanish as well.  Use your head.  Mortar takes time to set prior to application, often a few days.  Unless you’re planning to set it in your living room, outdoor temperatures DO affect the setting for (what would seem like) obvious reasons.  In case its not obvious-- mortar is mixed with water, water evaporates or freezes with temperature... heat gives you dry mortar, cold causes it to freeze.  You get the idea.

The best way to avoid these kinds of headaches is to hire a professional, even for a small job.  What takes you an entire weekend could be knocked out by us in a matter of half a day, and you’re guaranteed satisfaction and quality workmanship, not to mention, avoiding “pulling a Joey”.

Speaking of which... Seemoretile.com and Reilly’s Tile & Stone is offering a WONDERFUL opportunity for residents in the Wilmington, NC area: a $5,000 BATHROOM RENOVATION.  The details are on our Facebook FanPage (don’t forget to “Like” Seemoretile.com!).  Enter and you could have a sparkling new bathroom in no time!

Last week, we posted photos on our Facebook Fan Page Seemoretile.com of a Logo and in-progress tile mosaic installationfor the Greater Yeshuwa Temple in Wallace, NC.  The church staff contacted us after finding us in a Google search, after two years of searching for someone who could handle an intricate, sophisticated representation of their beloved coat of arms.  The complexity of their mosaic required a master talent.  While we would be able to provide this service locally, Seemoretile.com is committed to bringing its customers the highest quality product at competitive prices, and often times that means partnering with other companies to develop a finished product beyond our customers’ expectations.  For this project, we called on Phoenician Arts to help our clients. The detail is outstanding! The mural is 5 foot by 6 foot and contains over 17,000 pieces of marble in 6 colors.  Years ago, I discovered Phoenician Arts, a company specializing in creating incredible, custom pieces of art at a tenth of the cost of allowing an installer design and create the mosaic, and in a tenth of the production time usually associated with such complex work.  We have done many projects together over the years and I have never been disappointed with their craftsmanship and professionalism.  It is always my pleasure to partner with both local and national industry professionals to provide our customers the best results. If we are involved from the beginning of the design process, I tend to work the job backwards to ensure the smoothness and structural integrity of the work.  Often, clients and designer dream up a gorgeous design, and get excited about a project that is ultimately inappropriate or has mechanical problems that could create future headaches for the client. Allowing an experienced, knowledgeable contractor with access to vast resources and relationships with the best industry craftsmen will bring years of enjoyment of a well-built, beautiful final product.

   YOUR CRACK IS SHOWING....