Let Me Out

As previously posted, I do not enjoy it when people at networking events "vulture" upon my business card right away, without having asked in-depth about my business.  I usually suspect they want my card for spam purposes, and sure enough I am currently getting haunted by a business owner I met at an event last month.  I have been added to her mass email list, and am constantly getting updates about her networking events.  Her last email was a plea for people to inform her if there were any opportunities for her to get hired for her services.  I guess work is slow for her.  Unfortunately, in the email there was no option to get out of her email list.  Most good business owners supply that option, so for her to not do so is bad email etiquette, in my opinion.

Above the Rest

Looks like a major coffee chain is trying to save lost business: http://twitpic.com/1vhi2q

We have so many coffee shops in this city.  How can each store make theirs stand out from the vast ocean of cafes?  I know that other types of businesses are trying to link their store to a current cause.  For example, I passed one beauty salon that had posters asking people to come in and sign their anti-HST petition.  It honestly almost made me stop and turn around to sign (I was hungry and just continued to steam home).  Another hair salon was featured in their local newspaper, because they are sending hair trimmings to the States to help clean up the oil spill.  Even though that salon is out of my way, I seriously considered going there for a trim the next time I was in that area.

Which poses the question: how can a coffee shop make itself newsworthy, and stand out from the rest?