The Website Chef

The Blarney Business Awards, organized by the Blarney & District Chamber of Commerce, recognize local businesses in six categories. I am delighted to have been nominated in several categories, including the Digital Award. This award is sponsored by Guilty Hair and Beauty and is a category closest to my heart. Not only do I build websites but I also edit the Blarney & District Chamber of Commerce quarterly e-zine and create most of their social media too. Voting closes on 31st March. I would appreciate your vote in this category if you feel so inclined. You can vote at https://blarneychamber.com/blarney-business-award-nominations-2024/ Thank you!

I'm honoured to be nominated in the Digital Award category of the Blarney Business Awards. I appreciate the nomination and votes.

The nominees, so far, for the Digital Media Award in the Blarney Business Awards, kindly sponsored by Guilty Hair & Beauty.

Digital Media Award - Any form of media that uses electronic devices for distribution, to include videos, articles, advertisements, music, podcasts, audiobooks, virtual reality, digital art, social media, websites, etc.

Blarney Photography Club
John Foley Crimestoppers
Brand Blarney
The Website Chef
SBG Cork
Elke
Jen Bowler, Vibe bar
Mma cork
Brackens bakery
TaxAssist Accountants Blarney
IFix It
Vision Fitness 360
Bethaven. Betty Fitzgerald
Perry street dripsey
Blarney Blog

If you would like to nominate a business for this award or place a vote you may do so at https://blarneychamber.com/blarney-business-award-nominations-2024/

The Blarney Business Awards is an opportunity to show your love for your favourite businesses in the Blarney district. There are six categories, each sponsored by a local business. Please nominate your favourite business.

Do You Know a Deserving Hero? Nominate Them for the Special Recognition Award!

In our community, there are unsung heroes whose dedication, hard work, and positive impact often go unnoticed. It's time to shine a spotlight on these remarkable individuals!

We're calling on YOU to help us find our next recipient of the Special Recognition Award. This award celebrates someone who:

Has made a significant impact in our community or within their field.
Demonstrates exceptional dedication, resilience, and commitment.
Acts as a beacon of inspiration and support to those around them.

Let’s come together to honor those who make our world a better place, one act of kindness at a time. Your nomination could be the perfect way to say "thank you" and "we see you" to someone truly special.

Anyone you believe has gone above and beyond, making a real difference in the lives of others. It could be a teammate, coach, mentor, community volunteer, or even a friend or family member whose efforts deserve to be celebrated.

Vote at https://blarneychamber.com/blarney-business-award-nominations-2024/

This is sure to be a fun way to end the week! Speed Networking is a great way to meet lots of people in a short time. Looking forward to this. If any of my contacts in the Cork area are free tomorrow you are welcome to join me there.

Looking forward to our networking meeting tomorrow morning at 9am at Blarney Castle Hotel. For a change of pace, this meeting will be a Speed Networking event! Each of us will have 2 minutes to chat one-on-one with each person attending. It's a fantastic chance to share, connect, and learn more about each other in a fun and efficient way. Be sure to bring your business cards and maybe a thought on what someone can do to help you this week. All welcome! See you there! Visitors are welcome to attend two meetings with no obligation. There is a 5 Euro charge for breakfast.

One of the benefits of being a member of the Blarney & District Chamber of Commerce is having full page ads like this in the Chamber’s quarterly e-zine.

Meet our members: Sue Pamment is The Website Chef, creating websites for start-ups, small businesses, solopreneurs, and medium-sized businesses. Not only does Sue work with you to create your website but she is there to provide ongoing maintenance post site launch, saving you time to concentrate on your business while she takes care of your website and keeps it running smoothly. If you want to improve your profits and online presence, contact Sue for a free consultation.

I’m honoured to be part of the BiaBiz team and to share this award with them.

We are delighted to win the LUXlife Magazine Food & Drink Award for Best Food Supply Chain Training Platform 2023 – ROI https://www.lux-review.com/winners/biabiz-ltd/

Relaunching Suzanne Newman's website with a facelift and a structural makeover is very fitting since Suzanne is an image stylist/consultant! I would describe her as a magician and can personally attest to how magical it is to have her support and guidance in all things style related! Take a browse through her site and pick up tips on the latest trends. And if you want her to work magic on your style please contact her. I cannot recommend her highly enough. She works in person and via Zoom. https://findfashionhappiness.com/

SEO Tip: Asking for reviews on your Google Profile

Assuming you have set up a Google profile that shows in search results on Google Search and Google Maps, reviews from customers show up there and help you to show up in more and more search results.

Have you thought about asking for Google reviews? One easy way is to add a link to your Google Review section and embed it in invoices, receipts, follow-up emails, etc. If you add the link to your template for these you won't have to think about it. My blog post shows you how to get this link that is unique to your business. https://the-website-chef.com/seo-tip-asking-customers-for-google-reviews/

Announcing the launch of a new WordPress website for Science Direct Ltd. with the added new feature of being able to order your drinking water test kit online! This is the second site I've created for Science Direct and I enjoyed being able to add new features and a faster site for them. Science Direct Ltd. is a water testing lab focusing on drinking water testing, particularly useful for those with private wells. You can order your test kit from anywhere in the country and send it back with your water sample. Thank you, Tim and Tom, for your continued business. https://sciencedirect.ie

If there was a theme to this week it was updating WordPress themes for clients. This is more of a structural change than front-end changes but has resulted in a faster-loading site for my client, the lovely Marnie Dawson of Dawson Relocation Services. For any of my Chicago contacts, Marnie and her team offer top-notch moving services for seniors. They expertly move people who are downsizing or staying at home with modifications or helping family members with estate services. They put heart into a difficult situation. Thank you, Marnie, for your long-time business. I so enjoy being a part of your team. https://dawsonrelocation.com

I'm very pleased to announce the launch of a new WordPress website for Heat Pump Services Ireland. It's such a pleasure working with Derek O'Sullivan and I wish him all the best as his business expands. If you are interested in energy-efficient heat pumps for your home, need a full-service plumber or heating contractor or are in the market for commercial maintenance for your mechanical systems, Derek is the person to call. Between Derek and his team the business offers over 50 years of experience in this field. Derek is based in Blarney and provides services all over the Cork area. https://heatpumpservices.ie/

A super networking meeting this morning at the North Cork Business Alliance. It was a very welcoming group of people who understand the value of networking not just for business referrals but also for the business support available from their fellow members.

Tip: Upgrade your PHP.

I'm seeing some sites crashing because of an error with the version of PHP (the software that runs WordPress). Some hosting companies have not upgraded their version of the PHP software. The error claims you need to be running at least PHP 8.1.0. This is a setting on your hosting account and not your WordPress website.

WordPress released an update to their software to version 6.4 overnight. This is a major release and I recommend you hold off on updating until theme and plugin developers have worked out any bugs and WordPress releases a 6.4.1 or higher update.

Of course, if you have a maintenance contract with me you don't need to even think about this. I will update your site when the time is right.

We launched this site last year but have added an enhanced member area so this is a mini-launch for The Volunteer Center in Chicago. The Volunteer Center is a portal for non-profits to connect with volunteers and has over 160 non-profits registered on their platform. They had some very specific requests for their member area so there was a lot of customization to get it to where it is today.

Becoming a member of the Blarney & District Chamber of Commerce eleven years ago helped my business transition from the U.S. to Cork in so many ways. My first website design during that transition period was a fellow member of the Chamber. More have followed since then. I am so grateful.

Meet our members: Sue Pamment is The Website Chef - baking success into your website. Sue works mostly with small businesses and solopreneurs to create websites that are authentic and showcase your business' offerings, strengths and personality. Sue also provides ongoing maintenance, freeing your time to concentrate on your business.

Such a treat to get back to in-person networking this morning at a presentation on how to manage costs & increase productivity in a sustainable manner sponsored by AIB and SFA. The bonus was meeting up with Lucy O'Donoghue, Miriam O'Connell and Andrew Walker and Mike McGrath, one of the speakers.

What a message to see first thing this morning! Roger Overall of Show & Tell Communications sent me the most glowing, kindest, heartwarming testimonial. How do I spell gratitude?

Roger was amazing to work with - organized, conscious of the flow of a project, communicated clearly about deliverables and responded quickly to queries. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him and hope we can collaborate on more projects.

Who wants to join me for some super networking this Wednesday? Looking forward to making new connections.

Only two days left to get your ticket to this event so book now to secure your place at this exciting Opportunity!

Join us for a Night of Speed Networking at Northpoint Business Park with the Blarney and District Chamber! 🌟

Are you ready to supercharge your networking game? We're thrilled to invite you to a unique evening of Speed Networking, where connections meet community impact! 🤝✨
🗓️ Date: Wednesday September 27th
⏰ Time: 6.45pm
📍 Location: Office Master, Unit 42 Northpoint Business Park New Mallow Rd T23 C9T0
🌐 Hosted by the Blarney and District Chamber, this event promises to be a fantastic opportunity for you to expand your professional network while making a meaningful difference. 💼💬

🤝 Connect: Engage in a series of brief, focused conversations that will help you forge valuable connections with fellow entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals from diverse industries. This is your chance to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore potential collaborations. 🤝

🎗️ Give Back: Not only will you be enhancing your network, but you'll also be contributing to a great cause. All proceeds from this event will go to Cork Cancer Care, supporting their incredible work in providing care and assistance to those in need. 🎗️❤️

Don't miss out on this opportunity to make new friends, explore business possibilities, and support a worthy cause – all in one dynamic evening. Come prepared with your business cards, elevator pitch, and a positive attitude! 🚀

🎉 Spread the word, invite your colleagues, and let's make this night of Speed Networking an unforgettable success that leaves a lasting impact. Together, we can create connections that matter. 💪
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/700149936307?aff=oddtdtcreator

Who wants to go to a fun networking event? I’m looking forward to this Speed Networking on the 27th. It’s always fun to connect with new people.

There are still some tickets available to this event so book now to secure your place at this exciting Opportunity! Join us for a Night of Speed Networking at Northpoint Business Park with the Blarney and District Chamber! 🌟
Are you ready to supercharge your networking game? We're thrilled to invite you to a unique evening of Speed Networking, where connections meet community impact! 🤝✨
🗓️ Date: Wednesday September 27th
⏰ Time: 6.45pm
📍 Location: Office Master, Unit 42 Northpoint Business Park New Mallow Rd T23 C9T0
🌐 Hosted by the Blarney and District Chamber, this event promises to be a fantastic opportunity for you to expand your professional network while making a meaningful difference. 💼💬
🤝 Connect: Engage in a series of brief, focused conversations that will help you forge valuable connections with fellow entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals from diverse industries. This is your chance to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore potential collaborations. 🤝
🎗️ Give Back: Not only will you be enhancing your network, but you'll also be contributing to a great cause. All proceeds from this event will go to Cork Cancer Care, supporting their incredible work in providing care and assistance to those in need. 🎗️❤️
Don't miss out on this opportunity to make new friends, explore business possibilities, and support a worthy cause – all in one dynamic evening. Come prepared with your business cards, elevator pitch, and a positive attitude! 🚀
🎉 Spread the word, invite your colleagues, and let's make this night of Speed Networking an unforgettable success that leaves a lasting impact. Together, we can create connections that matter. 💪
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/700149936307?aff=oddtdtcreator

I was honoured to be asked to redesign the Yachting Financial Solutions Ireland DAC website and I'm excited to announce that the site has been launched. I worked alongside Roger Overall from Show & Tell Communications, their content creator, who wrote their content and created beautiful graphics to match their colour palette. Collaborating with Roger made the process very easy and it was a thoroughly enjoyable project. Thank you, Teresa and Clive! Here’s to continued success in reaching more superyacht crew to help plan their futures.

THE WEBSITE CHEF now offers Digital Media Kits for individuals...

Are you an author, public speaker or business owner who frequently appears on podcasts, tv, radio, or wins awards? This is the addition you need to your website or as a stand-alone page. Have all your information in one place for media requests, conference organizers, award presenters, book promoters.

"We Bake Brilliance into your Personal Branding"

Contact me to order your Digital Media Kit!

https://the-website-chef.com/digital-media-kits/

This event promises to be a great evening. Our Mistress of Ceremonies will keep us on our toes and speed networking adds an element of fun while promoting our businesses. Limited tickets so if you're interested tickets are available on Eventbrite. Details below. See you there!

Tickets to this event are limited so book now to secure your place at this exciting Opportunity! Join us for a Night of Speed Networking at Northpoint Business Park with the Blarney and District Chamber! 🌟
Are you ready to supercharge your networking game? We're thrilled to invite you to a unique evening of Speed Networking, where connections meet community impact! 🤝✨
🗓️ Date: Wednesday September 27th
⏰ Time: 6.45pm
📍 Location: Office Master, Unit 42 Northpoint Business Park New Mallow Rd T23 C9T0
🌐 Hosted by the Blarney and District Chamber, this event promises to be a fantastic opportunity for you to expand your professional network while making a meaningful difference. 💼💬
🤝 Connect: Engage in a series of brief, focused conversations that will help you forge valuable connections with fellow entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals from diverse industries. This is your chance to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore potential collaborations. 🤝
🎗️ Give Back: Not only will you be enhancing your network, but you'll also be contributing to a great cause. All proceeds from this event will go to Cork Cancer Care, supporting their incredible work in providing care and assistance to those in need. 🎗️❤️
Don't miss out on this opportunity to make new friends, explore business possibilities, and support a worthy cause – all in one dynamic evening. Come prepared with your business cards, elevator pitch, and a positive attitude! 🚀
🎉 Spread the word, invite your colleagues, and let's make this night of Speed Networking an unforgettable success that leaves a lasting impact. Together, we can create connections that matter. 💪
https://www.facebook.com/events/545781324340414/

I'm proud to serve as a member of the Blarney & District Chamber of Commerce Committee with this wonderful group of entrepreneurs.

Meet our Committee at the Blarney & District Chamber of Commerce. This group of volunteers works hard to arrange weekly networking meetings with inspiring topics, special events and projects to keep us all connected throughout the year. From left: James Davis, Maria O'Donoghue, Marlene Griffin, Sue Pamment, Elke McCarthy, James White and John Foley.

Fancy ending your week with some networking? Join me at the Blarney & District Chamber of Commerce weekly networking meeting this Friday. It’s a no-pressure, friendly, scones-for-breakfast gathering of entrepreneurs.

Our next networking meeting is on Friday, 18th August at 9am at Blarney Castle Hotel. Always a lively meeting to end the week, meeting other business owners, and enjoying tea/coffee and scones while we talk all things business in Blarney and beyond. We will welcome a guest speaker who is going to share some social media tips with us. Come along and join us. Everyone benefits from these exchanges of ideas. Visitors are welcome to attend two meetings with no obligation. There is a 5 Euro charge for breakfast. See you there!