I’ve read statistics published by the Small Business Administration that say seven of 10 new employer establishments make it to the two-year mark, while 51 percent survive at least five years. While it’s awesome that slightly more than half of businesses make it, it’s also sobering to realize that almost half do not.

When I think about being in business for five years, I’m reminded of that saying about the turtle on the fence post. If you see a turtle on a fence post, you can be sure he didn’t get their on his own. I certainly didn’t get here on my own.

I couldn’t have done it without my husband’s support. To be supportive of me quitting my “regular” job with a guaranteed income to do my own thing took an amazing amount of faith in me. I didn’t want to let him down.

Vonya Griffin, a brilliant writer and excellent researcher, helped me in the early days when I had too much on my plate and needed another writer to ensure everything got done.

Typically when you hire an employee, you’re taking a chance on that person. But when Lanette Strong came to work for me, she took a chance on me. She has been an invaluable resource in this office.

And then there are the clients. Without them, this business would fail to exist. Through the years, many of them have become more than clients; they’ve become friends. We represent them because we believe in their work, and we love spreading their good news.

Five years has seen a change in scenery in terms of office space. I started out in the spare bedroom of my home and held client meetings at local coffee shops. It worked then and I’m convinced it’s still a good business model today. But in 2011, I felt the urge to move out. I wanted this business to be a part of Downtown Lakeland. I jumped at the chance to have space at Tennessee Carriage Lofts. Moving out really took this business to the next level, and in five months it became apparent that more space was needed. Thankfully, a bigger space was available in the same building, so we moved next door in July 2011.

Operating your own business isn’t easy. It causes sleepless nights, seven-day work weeks and 16-hour days at times. It’s stressful and frustrating. It sometimes can make you want to throw in the towel.

But it’s also so very rewarding. Thank you to everyone who has helped us be successful.

In addition to these crazy-cool bragging rights, VCC also was awarded $600,000 in prize money.

Why does a public relations firm in Lakeland care about this prestigious honor? Because our very own PR maven Lanette Strong is a Valencia graduate who went on to graduate from the University of Central Florida. Clearly, the school turns out some talent, and we’re reaping the benefits of that.

So thanks, Valencia! Keep up the great work.

Lanette is a 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations and a minor in marketing. Although she has acquired work experience in marketing and advertising, it was the writing that brought her back to public relations.

“I knew going into PR that it wasn’t anything like Samantha Jones on Sex and the City,” Lanette says. “I knew it was a lot of writing and few celebrities, but the results I get for my clients outweigh the hours I spend typing away at my computer.”

I am incredibly happy to have Lanette on staff. Her personality is just a perfect fit for our company and she brings so much to our office. Many clients have already mentioned how much they like her writing style. Having her around is a joy and a tremendous help.

Lanette views public relations as an ever-evolving industry that has totally captivated her. She feels as though her diverse background gives her a unique perspective on the industry because she can pull from everything she’s learned. I agree. That is one of many things I liked about her when she interviewed for the position.

As the daughter of Watson Clinic anesthesiologist Dr. John Lafferty, Lanette has lived in Lakeland her whole life. She found her passion for writing while taking part in the theater program at The Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. While there, she honed her writing skills by writing and editing plays. This made her realize she could express herself best through writing.

Lanette’s love of words seeps into her daily activities. She keeps up with the world by reading Ad Age at least twice a week, and the Ledger every day. Of course, as a PR whiz and a lover of words and information, Lanette also checks social media sites for news daily.

She understands that social media sites are a great way to learn about what is going on outside our office.

When she has time to relax, Lanette loves spending time with her husband of a year and a half, Cody. Together they like to go running, scuba diving in the Keys and also like to hangout with their three pets. She also enjoys reading anything and everything. Lately Lanette’s favorite books are those of mystery writer Harlan Coben.

Polk County residents are encouraged to attend the annual Hurricane Expo on June 4, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Winter Haven Orange Dome. Speak to area experts and vendors about hurricane readiness. The event features children’s activities, hotdog/hamburger sales, and a chance to visit with Sparky the Fire Pup, Fire Clowns Ember and H2O, and other safety representatives.

Can’t make it to the expo site? Participate online! Simply log onto our site the day of the expo and watch the presentations, submit questions and comments, engage in online polls, and share personal hurricane stories. The webcast sites will open on Friday, June 3, with readiness information, poll questions, and a speaker itinerary.

Live presentations include: opening remarks at 9 a.m.; Dan Noah, National Weather Service Ruskin, 10 a.m.; Paul Dellegatto, Fox 13 Chief Meteorologist, 11 a.m.; Josh Linker, Bay News 9 Meteorologist 12 p.m.; and Chris Suchan, STSP 10 News Meteorologist, 1 p.m.

In between these main presentations, exhibiting vendors will provide live information about hurricane readiness services, products and tips. Online participants can use this opportunity to ask questions about product safety, sandbagging, window shuttering, volunteering, and more.
Those without internet access can watch the live presentations on PGTV, Bright House 622, Comcast 5 and Verizon 20.

For more information on the Hurricane Expo and or to see the day’s schedule, visit www.polk-county.net/hurricaneexpo. For the list of webcast host sites, log onto www.polk-county.net/pgtv.aspx.
This year’s Hurricane Expo is sponsored by Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling, Magnify Credit Union, Lowes Home Improvement, Home Depot, A-C-T Environmental & Infrastructure, Regal Automotive Group, and Service Master of Polk County.

We’re actually but a small part of the open house- the event kicks off with a ribbon cutting ceremony for Tennessee Carriage Lofts, followed by the open house to showcase the building’s renovation, as well as the offices, retail space and residential live/work lofts located in the building. Many of the businesses located in the building are participating in the event, including Lorrie Walker Communications.

We also will have artwork on display from local artist Meredith Spresser. There are big plans for this building in terms of supporting the local arts community, so stay tuned for more information on that later.

A street view of Tennessee Carriage Lofts. Three studio apartments are located on the second floor.

The foyer, which provides access to all three sections of office space.

The lobby/waiting area inside 231 N. Tennessee Ave. We need to get some artwork on these walls!

Hallway.

My office. I’m working on getting things hung on the walls.

I’m am happy to announce that after nearly four years in business, I made the decision a couple of weeks ago to move my office out of my home and into a space in Downtown Lakeland.

Do you ever just get the feeling that you KNOW what you’re doing is the right decision? That has been the case with this move. Within two weeks, I found a great location. As I type, I am sitting in my office that I just moved into about three hours ago. When it’s right, things just seem to fall into place.

So let me share what all of this means for this little Lakeland public relations firm. This move makes it possible for clients to come to my office to meet with me in a quiet setting- in my office or in a nearby conference room- as opposed to me always meeting them at Black & Brew. Wait…maybe that’s not such a plus. )

It also means that I can hire an additional writer/PR professional to help with the growing list of clients I’ve been blessed to accumulate. I’ll write more on this person soon. More help means a broader range of services that we can offer to clients, and a quicker turnaround time.

Clients no longer will hear the yapping of my dogs in the background if someone happens to knock on the door, or the dogs hear a door bell on TV while I’m on the phone.

This move makes it possible for me to hire an intern, and to give them space to work alongside me, instead of making them work as a telecommuter. I believe this will make the internship much more valuable.

I hope you’ll check back often to stay up to date on what’s going on around here. In the mean time, feel free to stop by the office the next time you’re Downtown. We are in the Tennessee Carriage Lofts building at 231 N. Tennessee Ave., Suite 100. Our phone number will remain the same: (863) 614-0555.

The 2011 event, held Feb. 19 at Bunch Ranch in Highland City, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Lorrie Walker, president, will chair the Public Relations subcommittee and will be in charge of publicity for the event.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Walker said. “This is a great event that raises funds for cancer research and other ACS activities, and I’m happy to help make sure we get the word out and draw a good crowd.”

“Small business owners frequently hear about that two-year milestone, and how many businesses never make it to that point,” said the Tampa press release writer. “I’m grateful to have made it this far and, even in this tough economy, I see opportunities for growth.”

One way Walker is celebrating the PR agency’s success is by creating an internship in her office. It is open to college students who are juniors and seniors majoring in journalism, public relations or marketing.

Walker sees it as a way of giving back to the profession by providing an avenue for a student to see how what they’ve learned to date is applied in the field.

“I’ve always enjoyed the mentoring process,” she said. “I look forward to giving someone an opportunity to apply what they’ve learned, and I also would like to learn a bit about what is being taught regarding social media in journalism and public relations.”

Walker is a proponent of social media’s many uses in the PR field.
A champion of local environmental efforts, Walker also celebrated the anniversary milestone this year by going green in her office. She replaced old carpeting with carpet made from recycled plastic drink bottles. Not only is the carpet made from recycled content, it also is recyclable, should it need replacement in the future.

Walker also repainted her office walls with no-VOC paint. Volatile Organic Compounds create strong chemical odors and tend to be more concentrated in buildings than outside.
Walker also plans to incorporate more plants into her office décor this month.

“I’ve done what I could to keep the air clean by repainting with low-VOC paint, but I’ve been reading up on how beneficial plants can be to office air quality, so I’m going to add some plants, too,” she said. “I believe that creating a comfortable environment is more conducive to work. I want to be as productive as possible, so I’m willing to try even the little things that will make my office a more pleasant environment.”
Energy-efficient lighting replaced incandescent light bulbs last year in Walker’s office.

Learn More
If you would like to learn more about writing services in Tampa provided by Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc. or you would like more information on the internship opportunity that is available, please visit the agency’s Web site: www.lorriewalker.com or call (863) 614-0555.

About Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc.
Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc. is a public relations agency based in Lakeland, FL that provides services throughout the central Florida area. We offer quality writing and editing services and provides customized public relations packages for small businesses.

Our clients turn to us to cut through the clutter of “fluff” writing and jargon to write compelling copy that accurately conveys their message. They rely on us to provide creative avenues for getting their message out to their market demographic in a fashion that sets them apart from their competition.

We specialize in bringing attention to your business by helping you get your name out there and keeping it in front of the minds of consumers.

If you don’t see your specific needs listed in our services section, talk to us. We may be able to accommodate you. If you request a service we don’t provide, we are happy to recommend a professional who does.
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© 2009 Sinai Internet SEO Marketing and Lorrie Walker. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this article is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

In addition to providing information on the services offered by the public relations agency in Tampa, the new Web site, which launched March 1, features a blog that will provide information on various public relations and journalism topics, as well as updates on the company’s accomplishments.

“As we approach our second anniversary, I felt it was time to do a slight redesign to make our blog dominant on the site,” said President Lorrie Delk Walker. “Our blog is where we will share industry information and keep potential and current clients apprised of what we’re doing.”
Chuck Welch, a Lakeland-based blogging and Web design expert, spearheaded the redesign, which includes a Twitter feed and the ability to subscribe to the blog through an RSS feed or via email.

“In a sense, it seems early to embark on a redesign when the company is just approaching two years in business,” Walker said. “But what started out as a freelance writing business for me has quickly grown into a boutique public relations firm that assists small businesses in promoting themselves.”
For that reason, Walker felt it was time to create a site that more accurately reflected the services offered by the PR firm, she said.

Over the course of the next several months, small businesses will find helpful information on promoting their businesses and insight into other successful small business public relations campaigns.

Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc. provides Tampa editing and writing services to companies in need of articles, press releases, newsletters, brochures and Web content. The company’s writers have a wide range of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as local, regional, state and national magazines.
LWC also assists businesses in promoting themselves through various public relations efforts.

“We specialize in bringing attention to your business by helping you get your name out there and keeping it in front of the minds of consumers,” Walker said.

Learn More
If you are seeking help in the area of public relations in Tampa, FL, please contact Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc., (863) 614-0555, or visit their Web site: www.lorriewalker.com.

About Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc.
Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc. is a public relations agency based in Lakeland, FL that provides services throughout the central Florida area. We offer quality writing and editing services and provides customized public relations packages for small businesses.

Our clients turn to us to cut through the clutter of “fluff” writing and jargon to write compelling copy that accurately conveys their message. They rely on us to provide creative avenues for getting their message out to their market demographic in a fashion that sets them apart from their competition.

We specialize in bringing attention to your business by helping you get your name out there and keeping it in front of the minds of consumers.

If you don’t see your specific needs listed in our services section, talk to us. We may be able to accommodate you. If you request a service we don’t provide, we are happy to recommend a professional who does.

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© 2009 Sinai Marketing and Lorrie Walker. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this article is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.