Copybob on the Job Hunt

They say as one door closes, another door opens. Perhaps so, but sometimes there is a delay in the opening of that next door. Accordingly, I am actively pursuing my next job opportunity.

I’m a mid-level copywriter with 24 years experience in a variety of positions and work environments with a proven track record of helping companies succeed.

I just ended a remote partnership with a small software client after five years of a successful collaborative rebranding that expanded their reach and resulted in expanded sales. I also rebuilt their website, built up their library of customer success stories, and established their LinkedIn and Facebook social media, and collaborated with their COO to draft their first-ever business plan.

My subject expertise includes software as a service (SaaS), laboratory equipment, health insurance, economic business development, technology marketing, profiles and success stories, and much more. I bring years of experience in retail catalog copy, direct mail, B2C and B2B communications, and am proficient at both short and long form copy.

You can view a general introduction to my next potential employer here.

I have a preference for a remote collaborative freelance to full time permanent position but will consider a hybrid arrangement for the right local opportunity.

I won’t undervalue myself and I will be well worth the investment to get me to the next level. You can rest assured your content will arrive on spec, by deadline, and will accomplish what it needs to. I play very well in a collaborative marketing team. I earned the nickname Copybob honestly while working at Galyan’s (do you remember Galyan’s? Sure you do.) and now use it as my DBA. If interested, click the tab to my portfolio and email me at copybobmc@gmail.com

See me on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/copybob/

Click to see my portfolio: https://copybob.com/samplesportfolio/

Click the tab above or this text to read Testimonials for Copybob.

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POSM Blogs Seen Here

POSM_Office_Software_IconA couple of weeks ago, I marked 2018 as my most successful year DBA CopyBob Business Writing Services. This is in very large part to reconnecting with one-time Galyan’s co-worker Cliff Katter. Cliff and his brother, chief programmer and Company President Bob Katter, run POSM Software. POSM is a robust computer interface that captures and organizes video data from water and sewage pipeline inspections so the technicians in charge of construction and repair can do their very important job with the greatest speed and accuracy.

28378095_1675340399199696_11356782182716666_nHard to believe it’s been over a year since he contacted me in July 2017 and asked if I wanted to team up, his graphic arts skills paired with my way with words to give their website a major facelift and create a social media presence for the company.

We’ve come a long way.

I’ve fit into my role as part-time contracted team member pretty smoothly. I’ve learned a lot, helped a lot, and have created a lot of work I’m proud of, for a team that appreciates it. What more can one ask for? (“To get paid well and on time,” you reply. To which I say, “Ha-ha, they do THAT, too!”) Continue reading

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POSM Blog: Sync Restore Box Enhances Video and Overlay Text Quality

Here’s another POSM blog that went live this week. This one is about a nifty piece of hardware that helps significantly clear up video feed. Check it out:

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POSM Sync-Restore Box

In an ideal world, all pipe crawlers would have hi-def digital cameras that offer a crystal clear picture and a sharp, easy-to-read text overlay in the live feed of each inspection. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world, and even more unfortunately, many users don’t even know that the cameras on most crawlers are…let’s say “insufficient”… when it comes to providing a clear, optimal output image. Worst, most owners simply put up with the distortion, thinking the blurry, grainy low-res image is the best that their equipment offers.

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Cupid System before and after video sync-restore.

Fortunately, there’s a simple fix that will improve your crawler’s live feed dramatically, and POSM Software offers it to all its interested customers.

The solution comes in the form of an old piece of hardware, originally created in the days of early video tape, designed to sharpen and clarify the image and make it usable with modern production studio equipment. The hardware is called a time base corrector (TBC) and the process of clarifying the video signal is called a sync restore. Put simply, the device corrects the low-res analog image coming from the camera and syncs the pulse to the digital monitor, boosting the signal and clarifying the image for dramatic results that must be seen to be believed.

Click here to read the full article on the POSM site.

 

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POSM Blog: Crossbore Tools

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Among other products, POSM Software creates a program that runs pipeline exploring robots like this one.

Since coming on board with POSM Software, it’s been a series of baby steps getting the company’s website and social media efforts like their new Facebook business page into place.

Earlier this week, POSM Software added a blog feature to their News tab, which means that much of the material sitting in waiting for several months can now get rolled out. And that means I can also share it here.

So one of the first blogs we posted has to do with a scenario called a Crossbore, in which one utility pipeline makes contact with and / or punches through another utility pipeline. When one of those utilities is a gas line, the need for extreme accuracy is vitally important. POSM Software makes a pretty nifty tool to handle that. Check out the full article.

POSM Cross Bore Tools Emphasize Safety, Accuracy, and Accountability

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Crossbores are the point at which an existing underground utility or underground structure intersects with a second utility, resulting in direct contact between the pipes in such a way that compromises the integrity of either.

When one of those compromised utility pipes is a gas line, the result is potentially dangerous, and requires handling by the local specialists (usually the local gas utility) to ensure that nothing serious happens. Organizations such as the Cross Bore Safety Association have created best practices for preventing crossbores, and for mapping and repairing crossbores in as safe a manner as possible.

To continue, go to the full article posted here.

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POSM Gets WETT

This past week, I had an opportunity to spend time with my biggest client of recent years face to face and learn many facets of their industry. Water and sewer infrastructure companies from all over the world converged on my hometown of Indianapolis February 22-24 for the WWETT Show (Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport). The staff from my client company POSM Software (Pipeline Observation System Management) arrived Wednesday night to set up their booth and prepare for a weekend of forging relationships, learning about the latest products, and educating others about their products.

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POSM Software, in a nutshell, is one of a handful of software innovators with a program interface that helps operators use “crawler” robots and / or push cameras, the devices sent down into sewers and water lines to find cracks, weaknesses, blockages, and any other concerning issues that might need addressing. POSM has a pretty competitive product, and where I come in is that I help them tell others about their offerings through their website, brochures, newsletters, and (coming soon) social media and blogs, and why we feel ours is the best.

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The awesome POSM crew and me to the far right.

Of course, in order for me to do that, I have to understand the industry as best as I can, so my visiting the WWETT Show accomplished more than simply meeting my clients face-to-face. I went out onto the floor, introduced myself to the companies POSM partners with, brought some leads their way about companies they may not have known about….and I may have had some fun visiting the competition and playing dumb.

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WWETT Show Booth Babe

But mostly, I listened and I learned. I collected magazines full of industry success stories, and I even had a short conversation with marketers who specialize in the industry, a connection which should help me do my job better.

POSM Co-founder Bob Katter was away from the booth most of the time, visiting with other company reps and making deals. Those who stayed at the booth had great conversations with visitors, whether strangers or old friends. It was a couple days of positive synergy that hopefully will lead to many good things down the line, and which I hope to bring back into my role as POSM’s contracted copywriter to better do my job.

But first, I came home and slept for about four days, because it was also an exhausting time, and the cold I had been fighting had its way with me after. Then again, if you go to a convention called The WWETT show, you should expect to catch a cold afterwards.

Check out my event photo album.

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POSM February Newsletter

POSM orangeSo in the months I’ve been part of the POSM team, I’ve helped re-do their website content, I’ve drafted a few blogs (on stand-by waiting for a big blog launch coming soon) and also created several drafts of their newsletter relaunch.

As it turned out, we launched it during the month of a major software upgrade, several new products, major software tweaks, and right before securing a booth at the biggest industry show of the year.  Also, FREE t-shirts.

To say it’s a bit crammed full of information is putting it mildly, but I was up to the challenge. Check it out here to see how I did.

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NEW CLIENT: POSM Software

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RAUSCH 133I’m excited to announce a new ongoing marketing partnership between CopyBob Business Writing Services and a niche technology software company out of Columbus, OH. POSM Software (Pipeline Observation System Management) enhances the efficiency of pipe-inspection robots as they travel water and sewer lines looking for leaks, weaknesses, and other deficiencies in integrity. POSM offers an array of software for various models and specializations, and if it sounds as if I’m still figuring out terminology, you’d be correct.

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Cliff Katter and I worked together *koff-koff* years ago at Galyan’s Sporting Goods. Now, he and his brother Robert co-own POSM. Cliff, Robert and his team have created a strong national client base of utility and infrastructure clients in need of the POSM software that helps their robots run more efficiently.

RAUSCH 223On a personal note, shortly after my six-month assignment with an international lab equipment company ended, Cliff reached out to me with POSM’s need for enhanced marketing. We’d hardly spoken in over a decade beyond the occasional social media exchange. You can’t plan for this sort of thing, but the timing worked out particularly well for both of us this time.

I’ve joined the team as a part-time remote contractor to assist POSM with their newsletter, website, social media, and many other aspects of their marketing efforts (Keeping me open to continue serving my other clients, and with room to grow). So check out their website now and keep an eye on this space to see more as we proceed with the marketing facelift to come.

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CopyBob recent blogs with links

Gray's-Business-Cards.jpgSo it’s been a little while since I’ve checked in (nine months!). Much of that time I was called away to work onsite for a client on a long-term project that required a lot of my attention since last December (hopefully, I can say more about that soon). It also meant that, even when there was time to update my social media, I was mentally and creatively drained.

That’s not to say I haven’t kept busy. Requests for new blog content have continued to come my way, and now that I’ve hit a pause in my activity, it’s time to catch you all up.

Mooresville-based Gray’s Carpet Cleaning Service continues to be a terrific, steady client for me. I introduced Sharilee Gray in my previous blog, and here in a succinct list are the last several informational blogs I’ve composed on the company’s behalf.

Here is their Seven Steps to a Great Carpet Cleaning
Advice on tough spills
A success story on getting out a tough candle wax spill
Treating wedding and graduation day mishaps
And most recently, back-to-school carpet cleanings

SERVPROlogo-IndyWestAn even more recent client has been SERVPRO of Indianapolis West, who asked me to create blogging content on storm damage just a few weeks ago.

Here’s the first one, on SERVPRO’s Storm Restoration Services. Watch for more in the near future.

I greatly appreciate the support of these small, locally owned businesses and encourage you to support them and take advantage of the services they provide.

I met both of these clients through a local small business networking group called Networx–but I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Watch for more information about that (and hopefully more regular) updates in the weeks ahead.

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New blog client now public

sharilee tent.jpgI’m pleased to announce that I’m assisting Mooresville small business owner Sharilee Gray with her blogging efforts. Sharilee manages three separate family businesses , including Gray’s Carpet Cleaning Service with her husband Charles; she devotes many hours helping home buyers as a RE/MAX realtor; and she has created her own line of natural soap bars and lotions as Mother Nature’s Bath & Body.

Sharilee is clearly pretty busy, so she and I have partnered so I can help grow her social media presence. You can learn all about Sharilee and see the new space I helped create for her on the web here. While you are looking around, please consider supporting Sharilee’s businesses.

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Hoosier Energy “Gets” Ag Businesses

The following was written for Hoosier Energy and appeared in the July 2016 issue of Business Facilities. Recreated here with permission.

poultry-farmWith more than 14.7 million acres of farmland, Indiana is a leading producer of corn, soybeans, hogs, poultry, popcorn and tomato products. Indiana agriculture contributes roughly $31.2 billion to the Hoosier GDP annually, with approximately 107,500 Hoosier jobs supported by the ag-business sector.

Ted McKinney is the Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Director of Agri-Business Economic Development for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. McKinney noted that ag-business is booming. “For the first time ever, Wal-Mart is investing in their own dairy processing plant, which looks to be one of the largest in the nation, and they’ve chosen Indiana for that plant. Krone Equipment, a producer of heavy farming machinery, will move its North American Headquarters from Memphis, TN to Shelbyville.”

Looking at Southern Indiana and the Hoosier Energy service territory where it is the electric provider for 18 distribution cooperatives (REMCs), McKinney credits the company for how they understand the industry at a fundamental level. “Modern ag production is highly automated. “When you are looking at a lot of machinery to churn commodity products, you need a reasonably priced, reliable energy supply. We can offer that. I can’t state enough how important it is that Hoosier Energy is there early on to answer questions.” McKinney added, “Hoosier Energy just ‘gets’ agri-businesses. They walk the talk and understand the needs of the industry, and that goes a long way.”

Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) is one major company Hoosier Energy and Daviess-Martin County REMC have helped in several ways. GPC is a global distributor of grain ethanol products. GPC plans to invest $70 million to expand facilities at their Washington, IN, campus over the next two years. When completed, they will double production from 17 million pounds per month to 34 million pounds per month. According to Renee Campbell, the Hoosier Energy Key Accounts Manager for the territory, GPC creates grain product through wet-milling, a process that results in high purity. “GPC is the largest producer of Maltodextrin (AKA Maltrin®), used in personal care items, food and ethyl alcohol. They produce a corn oil and corn germ used in pet foods and high gluten nutrition products.”

ledHoosier Energy and their member/owner, Daviess-Martin County REMC, have worked with GPC at several levels since the facility opened in 1997. “GPC owns their own power substation and we advise them on the maintenance and service of that substation. On the expansion, we’ll work to make modern LED lighting an affordable option and also discuss advanced lighting control so they’ll be operating at maximum energy efficiency as soon as they open,” said Campbell. “We know that, with this expansion, they will need a lot more corn supply. So this is a huge opportunity for corn growers in Southern Indiana.”

Mike Owens, another Key Account Manager at Hoosier Energy, believes that nurturing good ag-business doesn’t stop at the large company accounts. “The family farms of today are the large ag-producers of tomorrow,” said Owens. “Rose Acre Farms is one of America’s largest egg producers with 17 facilities in six states. They started as a family farm in Jackson County, Indiana. Any of the family farms can end up being my next major ag-producer.” Owens referenced a “smaller” client, Riverview Farms in Orange County near Orleans, IN, a family farm which currently produces “200,000 chickens, 70,000 hogs and 250,000 tom turkeys every year.” With recent expansions, they’ve added a $4.2 million pullet barn (for raising turkey hatchlings) and a $12M feeder mill. “They’re diversifying and want to pass the business on to the next generation. They may be my next major ag-producer.”

One way Hoosier Energy and their distribution cooperatives helps family farms is by offering incentives to upgrade their lights to modern, energy efficient LEDs. “The typical barn may require as many at 220 light bulbs.” Modern LED lights run on 10 watts, are very durable and can last up to 20 years. Hoosier Energy offers family farms a rebate on LED upgrades that can result in a savings from almost $8 per bulb down to $1.89 per bulb. This can mean an average reduction of 15 percent in their overall power usage.

From the family farm to the global food producers, Hoosier Energy “gets” ag-business. By supporting farms and businesses of all sizes, Hoosier Energy and their member/owners REMCs are nurturing the growth of ag-businesses throughout Southern Indiana.

To read the original article, click here and scroll halfway down the page.

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