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Free Employee Engagement Tool Designed for Remote Teams

Engagement Multiplier

Engagement Multiplier ( www.engagementmultiplier.com ) a leading SaaS provider of employee engagement surveys and tools for small-to-medium enterprises, is offering business leaders free access to a survey designed to assess the engagement of their remote teams. Titled “Working From Home & Winning,” the survey assesses how remote teams stand, captures their feedback and helps leaders understand what’s working - and where adjustments may be needed. “Working from home is new to many companies, and it presents different challenges for leaders who have had to quickly adjust to managing their teams remotely.” says Stefan Wissenbach, founder and CEO of Engagement Multiplier. “At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, we created the Working From Home & Winning survey to arm leaders with the information they needed to help them navigate the sea change we all experienced. As the pandemic wears on, maintaining the engagement of remote teams is important, and this survey is designed to give leaders the insights they need to keep their teams connected and productive.” The free offer also includes the accompanying success guide offering a variety of tips and tools for improving the engagement of remote teams, in addition to guidance on interpreting and responding to survey results. Companies that utilize the Working From Home & Winning survey are also provided access to Engagement Multiplier’s comprehensive Benchmark Assessment survey, to gauge employee engagement as they prepare for the new normal. For additional details or to take advantage of the free offer, please visit https://signup.engagementmultiplier.com/workfromhome . About Engagement Multiplier Engagement Multiplier helps businesses achieve greater profitability, productivity and success by enabling leaders to quickly assess, understand and improve employee engagement and harnessing the power of the company’s Engaged Purpose (™). Using the intuitive Engagement Multiplier dashboard, business leaders can easily survey employees using a Benchmark Assessment, or gather feedback from defined teams with a customized On-Demand Survey. The company’s mission is to transform businesses and help 100 million employees become measurably more engaged. Founded in 2014, Engagement Multiplier today serves businesses and partners around the world. Contact Details Sarah Skerik +1 872-240-1918 sarah@engagementmultiplier.com Company Website http://www.engagementmultiplier.com

July 16, 2020 11:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cloud Conventions Unveils Connected Event Networks for Virtual Conferences & Trade Shows

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions today unveiled new event management technology that connects multiple virtual conferences or trade shows from a centralized hub allowing events with unique identities to share a common set of exhibitors, sessions or content. This Industry-first solution allows trade associations, companies and large event operators to produce several related events from a single administrative portal that maintains and updates content or session catalogs and exhibitor booths and selectively updates portals in the network. Cloud Conventions is a full featured virtual event SaaS technology from Convey Services . “Convey’s proprietary Hub & Spoke technology has powered industry networks in telecommunications and insurance for years, connecting multiple suppliers and vendors with an indirect salesforce,” said Carolyn Bradfield , founder of Convey. “Using Hub & Spoke, multiple virtual event portals can receive content and marketing assets from a centralized hub site. The event operator can deliver more value to exhibitors and sponsors and it makes it easier for exhibitors to manage their booths when they participate in more than one event. It is designed for groups planning multiple virtual events or having regional events, pop-up shows, or conferences throughout the year.” An event hub site is set up to allow exhibitors to access, setup and manage their virtual booths, changing out content and sessions easily for each networked show. The reporting engine consolidates activity reports from all the event portals for one consolidated view. “Hub & Spoke event networks create efficiency and reduce the cost of putting on monthly, quarterly or regional events,” added Bradfield. “This will be a huge help to associations that hold conferences that share the same sponsors or exhibitors. A small staff can use Hub & Spoke to manage a dozen events and maximize ROI for exhibitors and sponsors.” Cloud Conventions portals come complete with templates to set up the homepage, deliver email messaging, create attendee dashboards, set up virtual booths, customize CRM systems and databases to track attendees and exhibitors and access a full set of analytics and reporting. About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity.  Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting  cloudconventions.com  or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382.  Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

July 15, 2020 02:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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End Boring Meetings Forever

Engagement Multiplier

Are your remote teams still slogging through hours of conference calls each day? Does the appearance of yet another video meeting on the calendar cause a near revolt? “The way we work has changed forever. So should the way we meet,” says Stefan Wissenbach, founder and CEO of Engagement Multiplier ( www.engagementmultiplier.com ) a leading SaaS provider of employee engagement surveys and tools for small-to-medium enterprises. “Teams that attempt to replicate the meeting structure they used in the office, are finding they’re losing productivity and sapping their peoples’ energy.” The connections that exist between people on a team, and between teams and the company, are vital components of employee engagement. Leaders who aren’t changing up their meeting routines could be unwittingly wasting time and diminishing performance. Wissenbach’s advice: put energy and connection front and center in team meetings, and watch how things improve. “When the pandemic drove our teams home, we quickly started to change how we do meetings,” WIssenbach says.”We developed a new routine that we’ve turned into a framework we call the EPIC Meeting (™). Our team loves it - meetings are focused and efficient, but we still have time for fun and building connections between people. We have a tighter culture and more agile team as a result.” EPIC Meetings are easy to run, if you just follow this simple outline: Energy: Start each meeting by asking everyone to share something they’re feeling great about at that moment – whether or not it’s work-related. This simple act takes just a few minutes, gets everyone talking. Purpose: Insist on a clear agenda for each meeting, but take it a step further: in addition to the purpose and objectives, challenge your team to also add what needs to be true at the end of the meeting to the agenda. This focuses the group clearly on getting to that solution. Insight: A good exchange can unleash a torrent of ideas and information. Near the end of the meeting, ask each person to highlight a unique insight or learning they gained from the meeting. This enables you to capture – in the moment – thoughts as they’re crystallizing, and opens everyone to different points of view. Connection: Start running EPIC Meetings, and you’ll see connections build: between your people to each other, and to the business purpose. The result: business captures more value and builds a stronger, more agile culture. For a downloadable EPIC Meeting Guide and additional ideas for improving your meetings, please visit: https://www.engagementmultiplier.com/blog/epic-meetings-new-best-practices-for-virtual-teams/ . About Engagement Multiplier Engagement Multiplier helps businesses achieve greater profitability, productivity and success by enabling leaders to quickly assess, understand and improve employee engagement and harnessing the power of the company’s Engaged Purpose (™). Using the intuitive Engagement Multiplier dashboard, business leaders can easily survey employees using a Benchmark Assessment, or gather feedback from defined teams with a customized On-Demand Survey. The company’s mission is to transform businesses and help 100 million employees become measurably more engaged. Founded in 2014, Engagement Multiplier today serves businesses and partners around the world. Contact Details Sarah Skerik +1 872-240-1918 sarah@engagementmultiplier.com Company Website http://www.engagementmultiplier.com

July 15, 2020 09:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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“George and Willy” Launch A Wide Range Of Designed Focused Products To Transform Workspace

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George Wilkins and Will McCallum, best friends since 2007, founded the design studio of George and Willy in 2013. Focused on creating timeless and functional display products, George and Willy provide design focused products to revamp any workspace or business. George and Willy’s entire collection is available for purchase through their website https://www.georgeandwilly.com . George and Willy constantly design new pieces on the basis that bright ideas usually come to light when there is a necessity for them. From their “ Daily Roller ” to “ Studio Roller ” to “ A-Frame ” to “ The Park Letter Board ” and “ Atelier Letter Board ” – there is an option for every entrepreneur to renovate any space or keep track of daily goals. The George and Willy studio is mostly recognized for their inventive approaches to signage, such as their Letter Display and Baker Menu – interactive design pieces for restaurants, cafes, and yoga studios. Every George and Willy item is designed with functionality and simplicity to elevate any space and with the intention of, “buy once, buy well.” “You’re only as inspired as the spaces you inhabit, and we love making tools for you to use in yours to encourage creativity and productivity” said Co-Founder, Will McCallum. The George and Willy studio bridges the gap between displaying necessities and still having the ability of elevating any space and increasing productivity as they say, “better ways to display.” For more information or to set up an interview with George Wilkins and/or Will McCallum, please contact 3D Communications at info@3d-comm.com. About George and Willy: George and Willy are a design studio founded in 2013 by George Wilkins and Will McCallum. George and Willy offer various minimalistic and functional products that are designed to elevate any space. Through George and Willy’s design focused and interactive products they are able to find “better ways to display.” Contact Details Dawn Ryden +1 512-294-6218 info@3d-comm.com Company Website https://www.georgeandwilly.com

July 14, 2020 03:00 PM Central Daylight Time

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Cloud Conventions Launches 365 Program for Virtual Conferences, Trade Shows and Events

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions today announced Cloud Conventions 365 a new service for virtual conferences, trade shows and events that allows show and event sponsors access to an event portal year-round to manage virtual or hybrid events. Trade show operators, companies and associations that use a Cloud Conventions platform can now keep their portal live and accessible using Cloud Conventions 365 for up to one year. Cloud Conventions is a full featured virtual event SaaS technology solution from Convey Services . “A virtual event is no longer limited by the 2-3 days a physical trade show normally operates; it can be open and evolving all year with Cloud Conventions 365,” said Carolyn Bradfield , founder of Convey. “Once traditional trade shows moved to a virtual format as a result of cancellations in 2020, they realized the benefits from keeping their audience engaged and connected longer. When the pandemic is behind us, we expect all shows will incorporate a virtual solution to accompany a live conference, tradeshow or event in 2021 and beyond. Despite initial pushback, people have realized that virtual events expand their attendee audience, rather than reduce it, give exhibitors a stronger ROI from increased and extended online market presence and offer reduced cost from delivering a virtual event experience.” Once a live Cloud Conventions virtual event has closed, the portal can retain its structure and easily be repurposed for subsequent events throughout the year. Cloud Conventions is designed for the non-technical user and does not require special coding or development to manage it. Virtual booth can remain or be refreshed for the next event or can accommodate new exhibitors, sponsors or speaker sessions. Attendees from prior events can remain in the database as ‘pre-registered’ for new pop-up events or the registration process can begin over. “The Cloud Conventions 365 option is incredibly cost efficient and saves time for the trade show operator that wants to stage virtual or hybrid events all year,” added Bradfield. “The portal can be available for a period of time after their first Cloud Conventions event or the organization can simply enter into a six or twelve month subscription agreement for the use of the technology.” About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity.  Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

July 14, 2020 03:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Minuteman Press Franchise Free COVID-19 Resource Bounce Back USA Gains National and Local Media Attention Supporting Thousands of Local Businesses in Their Communities

Minuteman Press International

Since the launch of Bounce Back USA in April 2020, Minuteman Press International has seen an overwhelming response from businesses and communities. To date, over 12,000 businesses have joined the movement in their communities by submitting free local listings at https://BounceBackUSA.com and Bounce Back websites in Canada , the United Kingdom , Australia , and South Africa . The free Bounce Back USA initiative was created by Minuteman Press to give back to communities during COVID-19 and support local businesses. Businesses submit their logo and text, and their ad is posted for free on BounceBackUSA.com. They also receive a free COVID-19 safety and awareness poster. What is Bounce Back USA? --Bounce Back USA ( https://BounceBackUSA.com ) is a free initiative that provides free business listings & COVID-19 awareness and prevention posters to support local business . --Bounce Back USA was created my Minuteman Press International, the #1 rated marketing and printing franchise by Entrepreneur, to give back to local businesses and help provide a free boost to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. --Bounce Back USA has been featured by FORBES , Entrepreneur Magazine (July 2020 issue), the International Franchise Association , Modern Restaurant Management , and many local publications in communities across America. --There are already over 12,000 participating businesses and the free Bounce Back initiative is now available in 5 countries: Bounce Back USA , Bounce Back Canada , Bounce Back UK , Bounce Back Australia , and Bounce Back South Africa . Why Support Local Businesses? “Supporting local business is more important than ever before, and what we are doing with Bounce Back USA is creating a movement that community members can rally around because people are looking for every reason to shop local,” says Nick Titus, President, Minuteman Press International. People are looking to support local businesses. This is backed by a recent Groupon infographic , which cited the following statistics: --67% of people are more hopeful now than when the pandemic began and 75% plan to support small businesses as much as possible once restrictions on non-essential businesses are lifted in their areas. --The average consumer plans to spend nearly $100 per week at local businesses post-COVID-19, up 16% vs. before the pandemic — in the hopes of boosting their local economy. --86% have supported a locally owned business during quarantine. Join the Movement for Free Join the movement to support local business for free today! Visit BounceBackUSA.com to submit your free listing and receive your free COVID-19 awareness and prevention poster. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com . Contact Details Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

July 14, 2020 02:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Engagement Multiplier Offers Free Employee Engagement Tools for Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

Engagement Multiplier

Engagement Multiplier ( www.engagementmultiplier.com ) a leading SaaS provider of employee engagement surveys and tools for small-to-medium enterprises, today announced an offer of free employee engagement surveys created specifically to help business leaders address the COVID-19 crisis. The free offer includes full use of Engagement Multiplier’s comprehensive benchmark assessment survey, as well as surveys designed to help leaders assess the engagement of remote teams and prepare their businesses for the return to the new normal. “It’s important for leaders to find out where their teams stand now, as economies start to reopen,” notes Stefan Wissenbach, founder and CEO of Engagement Multiplier. “They have the opportunity to create tighter cultures, capture the learning and innovation the quarantine period forced, and make the adjustments needed for their business to emerge stronger than ever before.” Designed for ease of use by smaller enterprises, Engagement Multiplier provides an online platform that captures written feedback, provides anonymous communications and scores employee engagement on six dimensions. Wissenbach notes that the current circumstances provide unusual challenges and opportunities for business leaders. “The amount of change our businesses and employees have absorbed over the second quarter of the year is truly unprecedented, and leaders have a golden opportunity to unlock the new knowledge acquired by their organization during this period,” Wissenbach states. “That’s why we’ve developed a special question module that can be added to the benchmark survey, to enable leaders to capture the new processes employees have devised, see new opportunities employees have spotted and understand challenges they need additional support in navigating.” For additional details or to register for the free offer, please visit https://signup.engagementmultiplier.com/emerge-stronger . About Engagement Multiplier Engagement Multiplier helps businesses achieve greater profitability, productivity and success by enabling leaders to quickly assess, understand and improve employee engagement and harnessing the power of the company’s Engaged Purpose (™). Using the intuitive Engagement Multiplier dashboard, business leaders can easily survey employees using a Benchmark Assessment, or gather feedback from defined teams with a customized On-Demand Survey. The company’s mission is to transform businesses and help 100 million employees become measurably more engaged. Founded in 2014, Engagement Multiplier today serves businesses and partners around the world. The "Emerge Stronger" employee engagement survey from Engagement Multiplier is designed to help business leaders get the data they need as they prepare their businesses for the New Normal. Easy to deploy and FREE to use, the survey will capture the insights and innovations their teams generated during the lockdown, and enable them to position their businesses to thrive. Contact Details Sarah Skerik +1 872-240-1918 sarah@engagementmultiplier.com

July 14, 2020 10:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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COVID: Patents Being Abandoned At Triple The Normal Rate According to BlueIron Study

BlueIron, LLC

An updated analysis by BlueIron shows that the COVID crisis has dramatically affected business's IP strategy. This lack of confidence in the future has never been seen before and has severe implications. "Patents represent a company's confidence in the future and their ability to innovate. Companies get patents because they believe in their innovations and that they will be successful in the market," says Russ Krajec , CEO of BlueIron, which finances patent portfolios for innovative companies. "COVID has been shaken this confidence in ways we have never seen before." The abandonment rate has shot up since COVID started, especially for Small Entities, which are companies of less than 500 people. As reported in March , the abandonment rate nearly doubled, but in July, the trend has continued with abandonments nearly tripling. For Small Entities, the abandonment rate has gone from 11.7% to 31%. For Large Entities, the abandonment rate has doubled from about 6.5% to 13%. Abandonments are pending patent applications where the applicant has decided to quit prosecution. These data are from when the USPTO examiner has issued a rejection and the applicant has refused to respond, letting the patent go abandoned rather than invest more money in it. The average number of rejections for US patents is about 4.2 per patent. "Patents are 20 year assets and are typically are not affected by short term market swings. A similar study during the 2008 recession showed patent abandonment rate being very steady," says Krajec . "However, the COVID crisis has changed things in ways we have never seen before." "Certainly, companies are taking a very hard look at expenses and IP costs are one way to conserve cash during lean times. But cutting off the future value of your company by abandoning patents shows a completely different type of thinking than we have seen before." About BlueIron: BlueIron provides IP-related financing for companies from startups to publicly traded companies. BlueIron finances the cost of getting a patent and building patent portfolios, provides insurance for enforcement and defense of those patents, and can provide $2-5M loans using patents as collateral. You can read the BlueIron blog here. About Russ Krajec: Russ Krajec is a registered patent attorney who has been practicing for over 20 years, as well as a podcaster, blogger, and author. His book “Investing In Patents” describes the business criteria used to identify good inventions and good patents. Krajec is the host of the Patent Myths podcast, which looks at IP from a business standpoint. Contact Details Russ Krajec +1 970-776-4355 russ.krajec@blueironip.com Company Website https://blueironip.com

July 13, 2020 01:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time

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Mike Tague Rejoins Interfirst Mortgage to Lead Western Division Wholesale Production Channel

Interfirst Mortgage Company

Interfirst Mortgage Company (Interfirst and/or Company), a private equity-backed mortgage originator, announced today that Mike Tague has rejoined the Company as Vice President, Western Division Production for the wholesale channel. In his new role, Mr. Tague will focus on growing Interfirst’s wholesale channel throughout the West by adding top-performing and relationship-driven Account Executives as the Company builds its presence across the U.S. Mr. Tague brings with him 30 years of mortgage industry experience and has spent 25 years building sales teams, expanding branch operations and growing existing markets in the wholesale channel. During his career, Mr. Tague has held the position of Vice President of Wholesale at numerous lenders including The Money Source, Peoples Home Equity, Ethos Lending LLC and Finance of America Mortgage LLC. Mr. Tague first joined Interfirst in 2011, where he was instrumental in growing wholesale production to more than $1 billion per month. “We are thrilled to have Mike back at Interfirst as a key leader in our wholesale business,” said Mark Freedle, Executive Vice President, Production. “Mike has a dynamic, relationship-driven leadership approach and an unmatched track record for building a strong wholesale production team that will help Interfirst expand quickly across the Western region of the U.S.” Mr. Freedle added, “Interfirst fully supports the mortgage brokerage community with a broker-centric approach, and the technology, competitive products/pricing and service to help mortgage brokers build and grow a successful and sustainable business. We have the ability to deliver a cost-efficient process driven by our proprietary technology platform that allows mortgage brokers to better serve customers and close more quality loans quickly at the most competitive price.” “My first experience at Interfirst was one of the best in my career and I am excited to be back working with Dmitry Godin, Mark and the rest of the leadership team,” commented Mr. Tague. “The new Interfirst is focused on transforming the way consumers obtain residential mortgages – and reenters the wholesale channel without any legacy challenges. Our objective is to enable our mortgage broker partners to operate efficiently and friction free through a technology-driven model based on service, speed, competitive offerings and sustainability – and empower them to exceed their own expectations and help their clients.” Seven top-producing Account Executives, most of whom generated more than $30 million in mortgage originations per month in 2019, and previously worked at Interfirst, have already joined Mr. Tague’s team. These Account Executives, who all have over 20 years of mortgage industry experience, include Sarah Daniels in Colorado, Thomas Corvo in Hawaii, Chip Mamiya in California, Conrad Tan and Donna Browne in Northern California, Dee Morelli in Illinois, and Chris Jenkins in Utah. Interfirst is working diligently to expand its loan offering to all 50 states by the end of 2020, which will be an important milestone in the business strategy the Company initiated in January. To learn more, Mr. Tague can be reached at mtague@interfirst.com . About Interfirst Interfirst Mortgage Company is a private equity-backed mortgage originator that is transforming the way consumers obtain residential mortgages. Founded in 2001, and relaunched in 2020, Interfirst is built on a new proprietary loan origination technology platform and an expanded business model featuring a newly integrated retail and wholesale offering. With innovation at its core, Interfirst enables mortgage broker partners and loan originators the ability to operate efficiently and friction free through a technology-driven model based on service, speed, competitive products/pricing and sustainability. Interfirst is currently licensed in 13 states including Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin, with plans in place to be licensed in all 50 states. Visit Interfirst.com or contact 800.520.7087 to learn more. Contact Details Cate Cronin +1 202-738-7302 ccronin@levick.com Company Website https://www.interfirst.com/

July 13, 2020 08:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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