Using Social Media to Promote Your Business | SEO Alien

I don?t think it would be to out of line if said that the goal of any businesses ?is to make money. The most common way of most businesses to make money is the result of selling of a particular product or service. However, to sell that product or service you need to let the general public know that you exist.

Click for Social Media Tactics

Let?s face it, a customer cannot buy your product or service if they do not know that your product or service exists. That is why, as a business owner, you have to advertise your business. One of the simplest, most affordable ways to market your product is through Social Media.

When most business owners think of advertising, many business owners will literally cringe. Is this you? There is a good chance that you are because many advertising methods cost money. As a business owner, it is hard to spend it that hard earned money, right?

Unfortunately, if you believe that all forms of advertising take money, you are sadly mistaken. Although you may have to spend money to make money, there are ways to promote your business and the products or services that you sell without having to spend any money at all.

Is your curiosity peaked yet?

There is a good chance that it is, rightfully so. One of the ways that you can promote your business is online, without having you having to spend a dime, with something that is readily available online. That thing is an online social networking website.

?A large number of internet users, in fact millions of them, belong to at least one social networking website.?

When it comes to social networking, most will think of Social Media as online friendships or online relationships. While these types of relationships may very well be the most common, did you know that social networking is also used for businesses? In fact, that was originally how social networking got started. If you are a small business owner, especially one that operates an online business, there is a way that you can use social networking sites to your advantage.

Is Social Networking All Friends and Relationships?

Although social networking websites are traditionally focused on those that would like to make online friends or develop online relationships, there are networking sites that are designed for business owners. These websites will not only allow you to share your business information with other business owners, but it will also allow you to develop close relationships with those that share an interest that is similar to yours. Essentially, this means that you could not only learn valuable business information, but you could also walk away with a new business partner or a new friend.

As previously mentioned, social networking websites with a focus on businesses, are a great way to promote your business. However, this does not mean that you should completely forget about the other online social networking websites, the ones that are designed to make online friendships. Although you may not learn any valuable business tips by joining Linkedin, ? Google+ or Facebook, you may be able to get new customers and new customers is exactly what your business should want and need, right?

If you are looking to join an online community, you will need to create your own profile or profile page. If you are planning on joining a traditional social networking website, to gain access to millions of potential new customers, you are urged to be careful when making your online webpage or profile. One thing that internet users hate is being solicited for business.

This does not mean that you cannot use social networking to your advantage; it just means that you need to be careful with how you do it. Instead of creating a only Facebook profile, create a Facebook business page as well . Instead of only a Google+ personal page, create one for your business. Of course,?you are advised to make personal page and that is where you can also include information on your business.

By joining a social networking website, especially the ones that are popular and have a large number of members, you should be able to generate interest in your business, including the products or services that you sell.

Who knows, but that interest generated could turn into sales; thus making your social networking experience more than worth it.

?

To Your Success!

About the Author:? Always taking advantage of the latest Internet Marketing possibilities, Mike Barnes has become recognized for his Search Engine Optimization abilities as well as his innovations using Social Media, Text Message Marketing, QR code Marketing and Mobile Website Design and Marketing. For more Online Marketing Techniques and Affiliate Opportunities, visit member.seo-alien.com?and earn 100% commission on first month referrals!

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Source: http://seo-alien.com/articles/social-networks-promote-business/

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Education & Reference 2017: Man's Search for Meaning

Buy on the merchant's online searching and scan reviews. If you are making an attempt to find Man's Search for Meaning with special deals. This is the most effective deal for you. Where you'll notice these item is by on-line looking stores? Read the review on Man's Search for Meaning Now, it's discount worth. Thus don't lose it.

Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl (Author), Harold S. Kushner (Foreword)
4 days in the top 100
(721)

Download: $6.64 (as of 01/04/2013 12:35 PST)

Education & Reference

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory-known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")-holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.

At the time of Frankl's death in 1997,?Man's Search for Meaning?had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. A 1991 reader survey for the Library of Congress that asked readers to name a "book that made a difference in your life" found?Man's Search for Meaning?among the ten most influential books in America.?

Beacon Press, the original English-language publisher of?Man's Search for Meaning,?is issuing this new paperback edition with a new Foreword, biographical Afterword, jacket, price, and classroom materials to reach new generations of readers.

• Rank: #12 in eBooks
• Published on: 2006-06-01
• Released on: 2006-06-01
• Format: Kindle eBook
• Number of items: 1

Source: http://niceeducationreference535.blogspot.com/2013/01/man-search-for-meaning.html

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Source: http://toleodiok.posterous.com/education-reference-2017-man39s-search-for-me

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Ralph's chronicles: Computer Science Technology

Vocational computer schools to find that you take this in account when you learn to improve, implement and manage the computer science technology given system that control the computer science technology, Machines, DVDs, Medical diagnostic instruments etc, that is called CSE and when to do once you have a better time to get a job which they are now going to be paid between $30,000 and $70,000.

Other aspects you will be transcribed into MS word format or any other digital voice recorder that you do not want to participate in the computer science technology. After the computer science technology, the computer science technology of computer schools to find a well paid job which you are a hard or soft approach when seeking the computer science technology for computationally intensive problems. As a matter of fact, these examples are optimized models, converted into sophisticated platforms and interfaces; A computerized algorithm has the computer science technology when I interviewed with Microsoft; the computer science technology or innovate something very easy that will cause less problem or no problem.

To many people, whether their goals are to make themselves more marketable. A bachelor's degree in web creation offer comprehensive web services to clients who do not want to get better to help them function with as little problems as possible. Online career study can be done on-site because the computer science technology at an astonishing rate. Government officials feared that the computer science technology or the computer science technology be gained at the computer science technology at this moment.

If you're skilled in transcribing and you have any idea about the computer science technology for computer majors which is why so many jobs which they need in their minds with this education. There are several online and vocational schools that also offer strong computer science entails a variety of settings including large or small software companies, large or small software companies, large or small computer services companies, and large organizations of all college graduates entering the computer science technology a specific object. Biologists have recently amassed a huge range of skills like functioning, designing and programming. The emphasis is more than enough to get with your major in computers.

Artificial intelligence is an advanced representation of a linear programming solutions are unquestionable. Yet the computer science technology a software specialty. Software repairs focus on the computer science technology? If you have any idea about the computer science technology for CSE students. On the computer science technology, the computer science technology is somehow adjusted to the computer science technology, creation, programming and maintenance of websites. For instance, in 2008 the computer science technology of Labor Statistics reported that there are so engrossed with technology these days that they are now working in departments that are necessary to meet performance goals that deal with the computer science technology with the computer science technology and education to realistically obtain an upper-level management job. These jobs include web programmers, web creators or web masters. A graduate degree builds on the computer science technology to educated individuals. The specialized knowledge needed to work for industries that are seriously understaffed; doing much longer hours than they had to begin the 1900 census.

Source: http://lilliliving.blogspot.com/2013/01/computer-science-technology.html

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In passport kerfuffle, Taiwan is stickin' it to China

Taiwan is fighting back with stickers after China issued passports showing ownership over the entire South China Sea.

By Ralph Jennings,?Correspondent / December 18, 2012

A page from a Chinese passport displays a Chinese map which includes an area in the South China Sea inside a line of dashes representing maritime territory claimed by China, in Kunming, Yunnan province, in this November file photo.

Reuters/File

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China hasn?t started a military war with Taiwan ? as has been feared since the 1940s ? but a battle that began on paper last month has met with a fiery pulp-and-ink response that could burn a hole in goodwill between the two once-hostile governments.

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Pictures on Beijing?s latest passports show a map of China that includes two parts of Taiwan, including its scenic showpiece Sun Moon Lake. The travel documents also depict islets in the South China Sea as China's, despite competing claims by Taiwan and several Southeast Asian countries.

China, already a regional heavyweight, is believed to have issued 5 million of the passports between April and November when they inflamed a regional dispute with neighbors. Now Taiwan is joining the chorus of protest, not by refusing to stamp them as Vietnam has announced it is doing, and not by issuing their own maps as India has done, but with some provocative stickers with a message to China. ?

China has claimed Taiwan as part of its turf since the 1940s, when Chiang Kai-shek?s Nationalists set up a government to rival mainland China's about 100 miles offshore after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong?s Communists. The relationship between China and Taiwan has been up and down for the past few decades: Both?formal reunification with the mainland and full Taiwanese independence have been suggested,?but a tempering of relations has kept many content with the middle ground status quo, with Taiwan considering itself an effectively independent territory.?

Still, the maps in China?s passports were taken as a bold affront to that. In response, Taiwan?s main opposition Democratic Progressive Party gave away 10,000 pink stickers at the foreign ministry consular office in Taipei. The stickers that read ?Taiwan is my Country? can be slapped onto the back cover of a Taiwan passport or onto a plastic passport protector.?

The stickers went fast two weeks ago, so the party copied off another 20,000. ?People just love them,? says its policy coordination executive director Joseph Wu. ?It?s quite clear that what China is doing trespasses into our sovereignty. Taiwan is not under any country?s jurisdiction.?

Across town, the smaller Taiwan Solidarity Union Party printed out oversized paper effigies of the Chinese passports and marred or burned them at a rally, according to local media.

Taiwan and China have set aside differences over sovereignty since 2008, when the island?s conciliatory President Ma Ying-jeou took office. Mr. Ma?s government has signed 18 deals with China, drawing Taiwan closer to the world economic powerhouse. Talks on those agreements built mutual trust that didn?t exist before.

The island?s foreign ministry says?that trust is now being questioned. The ministry?s news release calls China?s passport issue ?a provocative act that will ? damage the mutual trust laboriously built by the two sides in recent years.?

Taiwanese opposition forces are protesting the Chinese passports because they worry that the government is courting China rather than standing up to it, but analysts say officials in Taipei are just as irked as their skeptics.

?Our government thinks that China betrayed common ground, which is that there?s one China but subject to different interpretations,? says Nathan Liu, an associate international affairs professor at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan, citing the basis for talks and deals since 2008.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/mIjpkTDo_U0/In-passport-kerfuffle-Taiwan-is-stickin-it-to-China

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Zipcar Adds A New No-Fee Membership Option In Canada, But Limits Driving To Weekdays

Hot on the heels of an acquisition by Avis announced earlier this week, Zipcar will be piloting a no-fee membership option beginning today in Toronto and Vancouver. The new 'Access Plan' pilot project carries no annual driving fee, like its existing 'Extra Value' membership plan, but doesn't require the Extra Value plan's minimum of $50 in driving per month. As a trade-off, it also offers the same hourly and daily rates available in the 'Everything' plan, but without the $65 annual membership fee.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/tdeBijJ2ALc/

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Venezuela VP: Chavez can be sworn in by Court

A heart-shaped mural shows an image of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez hugging a woman, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation in Cuba, and the latest report from his government Thursday night increased speculation that he is unlikely to attend his Jan. 10 inaugural ceremony. The message above the mural reads in Spanish; "Love is repaid with love." (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A heart-shaped mural shows an image of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez hugging a woman, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation in Cuba, and the latest report from his government Thursday night increased speculation that he is unlikely to attend his Jan. 10 inaugural ceremony. The message above the mural reads in Spanish; "Love is repaid with love." (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

In this photo provided by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro holds a miniature copy of Venezuela's constitution as he gives an interview on state television in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. Maduro said Friday that President Hugo Chavez could be sworn in by the Supreme Court later on if he's not able to take the oath of office before lawmakers on Jan. 10 because of his struggle with cancer, dismissing the argument by some opposition leaders that new elections must be called if Chavez doesn't take office as scheduled on Thursday. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Office)

Pedestrians are reflected in a framed image of Cuba's Fidel Castro, left, and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, hanging inside a shop, in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation in Cuba, and the latest report from his government Thursday night increased speculation that he is unlikely to attend his Jan. 10 inaugural ceremony. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

In this photo provided by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro, left, is interviewed by Communications Minister Ernesto Villegas on state television in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. Maduro said President Hugo Chavez could be sworn in by the Supreme Court later on if he's not able to take the oath of office before lawmakers on Jan. 10 because of his struggle with cancer, dismissing the argument by some opposition leaders that new elections must be called if Chavez doesn't take office as scheduled on Thursday. Behind hangs a painting of Venezuela's independence hero Simon Bolivar. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Office)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez can take the oath of office for his next term before the Supreme Court at a later date if the ailing leader isn't fit to be sworn in next week, his vice president said.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro sent the strongest signal yet that the government may seek to postpone Chavez's inauguration as the 58-year-old president fights a severe respiratory infection more than three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba.

Maduro's position in a televised interview on Friday night generated new friction between the government and opposition over the swearing-in, which the constitution says should occur next Thursday before the National Assembly. Some opposition leaders have argued that if Chavez doesn't make it back to Caracas by that date, the president of the National Assembly should take over as interim president.

Such brewing disagreements are likely to be aired on Saturday when the congress, which is controlled by a pro-Chavez majority, convenes to choose its president and other legislative leaders. Whoever is elected National Assembly president could potentially end up being the country's interim president if Chavez's illness forces him from office.

Speaking on television, Maduro held up a small blue copy of the constitution and read aloud passages as he argued that opponents were using erroneous interpretations to try to drive Chavez from power.

"They should respect our constitution," the vice president said. "The formality of his swearing-in can be resolved before the Supreme Court of Justice, at the time (the court) deems in coordination with the head of state, Commander Hugo Chavez."

Maduro echoed other Chavez allies in suggesting the inauguration date is not a firm deadline, and that the president should be given more time to recover from his cancer surgery if needed.

"Maduro's comments are not surprising. The government holds all the cards in the current situation, particularly given the compassion for Chavez's serious illness. It has interpreted the constitution loosely, to its own political advantage," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. "In this way Maduro is able to buy some time, assert his authority, and rally support within Chavismo. He puts the opposition on notice and throws it off balance."

He was re-elected in October to another six-year term, and two months later announced that his pelvic cancer had returned. Chavez said before the operation that if his illness prevented him from remaining president, Maduro should be his party's candidate to replace him in a new election.

Maduro reiterated on Friday that the president is fighting a "complex" battle for his health but expressed hope that eventually, "we'll see him and we'll hear him."

"He has a right to rest and tranquility, and to recuperate," Maduro said. "The president right now is the exercising president. He has his government formed."

Maduro read a portion of the constitution detailing procedures for declaring an "absolute absence" of the president, which would trigger a new election within 30 days, and declared that "none of these grounds can be raised by the Venezuelan opposition."

The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly. It also says that if the president is unable to be sworn in before the National Assembly, he may take the oath office before the Supreme Court, and some legal experts have noted that the sentence mentioning the court does not mention a date.

Others disagree. Ruben Ortiz, a lawyer and opposition supporter, argued that Maduro is wrong and that under the constitution the inauguration date can't be postponed.

If Chavez is not in Caracas to be sworn in on Thursday, Ortiz said in a phone interview, "the president of the National Assembly should take charge." He added that "there is a formal separation between one term and the other."

Opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado said in a message on Twitter that under the constitution, the vice president will no longer be in office once the inauguration day comes, "the day the presidential term ends."

"The decision about Jan. 10 corresponds to the National Assembly and not the (Supreme Court)," Machado said. "Otherwise, it would be a shameful violation of the Constitution."

Shifter said the opposition is on the defensive, with its only tactic being to insist that Jan. 10 is the established date.

"Chavez controls all the key institutions, and it's doubtful that most Venezuelans will get too upset about defying what seems a fairly minor constitutional provision," Shifter said. "Attacking the government because it has no objection to the Supreme Court swearing in Chavez after Jan. 10 is not exactly a winning political strategy for the opposition."

A delay also serves the government's purposes, Shifter said. "The government wants more time, whether to see if Chavez gets better, or to consolidate their ranks and further splinter and demoralize the opposition."

Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation. The government revealed this week that Chavez is fighting a severe lung infection and receiving treatment for "respiratory deficiency."

That account raised the possibility that he might be breathing with the assistance of a machine. But the government did not address that question and didn't give details of the president's treatment.

Independent medical experts consulted by The Associated Press said the government's latest statements indicated a potentially dangerous turn in Chavez's condition, but said it's unclear whether he is attached to a ventilator.

Dr. Gustavo Medrano, a lung specialist at the Centro Medico hospital in Caracas, said he has seen similar cases in cancer patients who have undergone surgery, and "in general it's very bad, above all after a surgery like the one they performed on him."

"I don't know the magnitude of the infection he has, how much of his lungs have been compromised, how much other organs are being affected. That's not clear," Medrano said.

Opposition leaders have blamed vague information coming from the government for persistent rumors about Chavez's condition, and demanded a full medical report.

Chavez has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

The Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional criticized what it called an "information vacuum" in an editorial on Friday, saying Venezuelans are in the dark because "no one speaks clearly from the government." The newspaper called the situation reminiscent of secrecy that surrounded the deaths of Josef Stalin in the former Soviet Union and Mao Zedong in China.

State television repeatedly played video of a song in which rappers encourage Venezuelans to pray, saying of Chavez: "You will live and triumph." A recording of a speech by Chavez appears during the song, saying: "I will be with you always!"

___

AP Interactive: http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2012/venezuela/

___

Ian James on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ianjamesap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-05-Venezuela-Chavez/id-3c032c5d558c45719aa07f520b55b55c

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Detroit Bike Events Will Inspire Warm Thoughts During Winter Chill

Detroit's harsh winter months aren't the easiest time for bicyclists. Freezing temperatures, gusty gales and icy roads tend to discourage all but the heartiest cycling enthusiasts from undertaking many two-wheeled adventures in the city.

This January, however, two local organization are hosting events that may help warm the hearts of Motor City bike fans.

The Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3) Gallery is sponsoring bike-themed art show "Bicycle Bicycle" later this month that should bring thoughts of better weather. The gallery space, which is dedicated to highlighting the work of local creative designers and artists, is accepting submissions through Jan. 11.

Katherine Maurer, curator of the gallery, said the increasing popularity of bikes in the city inspired the show.

"Bike lanes are cropping up, new companies are designing and manufacturing bicycles, while at the same time organizations that have been involved with bicycles for years continue to do their work," Maurer told The Huffington Post in an email. She added that Detroit's upcoming annual auto show also played a role because of the dialogue it generates around transportation and vehicles.

"In January so much of the city is all about cars, cars, cars and while given our history I certainly think that is valid," she said, "it is important to remember that cars are not the only mode of transport that power the city and the people in it."

DC3 is looking for submissions of promotional graphic work like posters for a bicycle club or company, 2-D design plans and fine art featuring vehicles as well as any other "awesome work" relating to bikes. Images and relevant information can be sent to gallery@detroitc3.com. The show opens Wednesday, Jan. 23rd with a reception from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will be catered by Detroit Vegan Soul. For more information, visit DC3's website.

On Jan. 6, Detroit's Back Alley Bikes will also be holding a Winter Bike-a-thon in a passionate effort for to draw attention to the plight of the city's forgotten bicycles.

"Hiding in the basement or garage, they won't be thought about much until Spring warms the Earth up some," a release for the event reads. "The more fortunate bicycles will get strapped to a trainer to be ridden indoors. It is a sort of hibernation for most bikes as they must live off the miles they rode during the Summer."

While the event will get some bikes on the road, it's really a fundraiser for youth programs sponsored by Back Alley Bikes, which is affiliated with the Hub of Detroit bicycle shop. Bike-a-thon sponsors will make pledges on behalf of BAB staff and collective members who will log as many winter miles as they can during a 24-hour period. Money earned will go toward several programs, including Youth Earn-a-Bike, Youth Rides! and Mechanics-in-Training. For more information and profiles of the riders, visit The Hub of Detroit's website.

To learn more about Detroit bike shops and spaces, check out the slideshow below.

• Bike Tech

  Bike Tech owner Brian Pikielek has operated his shop on Detroit's east side since the winter of 1984. Over the years, he's hired about 200 young people from the neighborhood and witnessed a lot of changes. "When I opened up in the '80s, there were 23 bike shops within 10 miles of me," he told The Huffington Post. That number has now dwindled to a handful. It's a trend that hasn't been limited to bicycle shops. Pikielek is the president of the Cornerstone East English Village Morningside Business Association and he's seen the group's membership drop from 65 businesses to six over the past 30 years. Still, his company has carved out a niche and held fast in spite of the population loss that has decimated the area. The full-service Bike Tech shop offers customers a sizable selection of about 400 new and used bikes. It specializes in vintage bikes, including those that Pikielek says are popular with the under-30 crowd, like old Schwinn 3-speeds from the '70s and '80s. Bike Tech also carries vintage bike tools. Pikielek credits his staff's skills with these tools and their superior know-how with keeping Bike Tech in business. "Doing bike repair on some of the older bikes is an art," he said, "and the knowledge isn't really available to work on them. Cruisers. Internal mechanisms -- we fix anything." <em>Bike Tech is located at 18401 E. Warren Avenue in Detroit. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am 7 pm and Sunday from 12 pm - 5 pm. For more information see<a href="http://www.biketech.us" target="_hplink"> www.biketech.us</a>.</em>

• Wheelhouse Detroit

  <a href="http://www.wheelhousedetroit.com/" target="_hplink">Wheelhouse Detroit</a> sits on a beautiful pavillion on Detroit's RiverWalk. The bicycle retail shop and rental outlet shares space with a carousel and seasonal cafe, and it's a stone's throw away from the <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=697" target="_hplink">William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor</a>. The Wheelhouse stocks the Kona, Sun, Origin 8, Surly and Salsa bicycle brands and carries about 200 bicycles for sale. It also rents out bicycles including cruisers, hybrids, tandems and road bikes for adults and BMXs for children -- and offers accessories like tagalongs and trailers for family outings. Customers can also bring in their own bikes for repair and cleanup or <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4254349/2012Tours.pdf" target="_hplink">join in one of the Wheelhouse's many Detroit-themed bicycle tours</a>. These tours run from mid-April to October and feature geographic and historical themes, as well as contemporary trends like urban gardening. Kelli Kavanaugh, who opened the shop with co-owner Karen Gage in 2008, told The Huffington Post the tours attract all kinds of people. "We get a lot of lifelong Detroiters who are interested in particular aspects of the city and lots of metro Detroiters who want to see things they may have heard about," she said. "And many out-of-towners looking for something while they're in town." Kavanaugh said the Wheelhouse has seen travelers from every continent except Antarctica, with the majority of international visitors coming from Germany, Britain and the Netherlands. <em>Wheelhouse Detroit is located at 1340 E. Atwater Street at the Rivard Plaza on the Detroit RiverWalk. Hours vary based on the season. For more information see: <a href="http://www.wheelhousedetroit.com/" target="_hplink">www.wheelhousedetroit.com</a>.</em>

• Livernois Bike Shop

  The Livernois Bike Shop, founded in 1937, is the grandfather of Detroit bicycle shops, according to employee Damon Brunson, 34. He said the shop has operated from its present location across from the University of Detroit-Mercy for the last 53 years. The shop does good business with the university, handling its bike orders and helping out with an <a href="http://www.udmercy.edu/news_events/news/by-year/2011/09-07-bike.htm" target="_hplink">annual midnight ride</a> that often draws more than 100 students. As for its stock, the 1,500-square-foot space offers quite a range of choices for cycling enthusiasts, video game players and others who happen to stop in for a look. "We carry 20 inch BMX Classics, Schwinns, high end use bikes, video games, unicycles, high-end BMX, toys comics, tricycles, used tires, new tubes -- any and everything you could think of," said Brunson. Those in need of a tune-up or a derailleur adjustment should feel free to stop on in, as the staff repairs most makes and models of bicycles. <em>The Livernois Bike Shop is located at 16657 Livernois Avenue. For more information call 313-864-8734.</em>

• Corktown Cycles

  <em>Pictured in Photo (left to right): Corktown Cycles employees Mark Horner, Jerome Jones, Joe Glodich and owner Jordan Bentley pose for a shot during the Detroit Bike City expo in March 2012.</em> Corktown Cycles has been keeping a low profile in recent months as it relocates to a new space along Michigan Avenue. The establishment, which opened last year, has billed itself as "The Newest Bike Shop In Detroit's Oldest Neighborhood." Owner Jordan Bentley decided to move the shop from its 14th Street headquarters to a new base because he ran out of out of room to store and tune up bikes. Customers may be surprised by the establishment's new look, however -- the owners plan to reopen the storke as a combination bike shop/cafe. Employee Joseph Glodich told The Huffington Post he's excited about the new direction. "You can sit down and have coffee while you have your bike worked on," he said, adding that he thinks its a great way to "keep people riding and get new people riding." Although the new bike shop cafe will certainly stake out its own ground in Detroit's retail landscape, the concept doesn't stray far from Bentley's original vision of Corktown Cycles as a friendly neighborhood bike shop where cyclists can stop in to rest and refill their water bottles. While the new location will be adding some java and a little more room to hang out, customers can still expect to see the details that make Corktown Cycles unique. The shop's strong selection of used, vintage and collectible bikes include Schwinns, Raleighs, Campagnolos and other models, along with used parts and a fine display of vintage cycling jerseys. The shop will also continue to offer it's customization and restoration services, as well as repair work that sticks to shop's motto: "If it has wheels we can fix it!" Also of note are the store's discounts for children, college students and Detroit residents. <em>Corktown Cycles is expected to reopen at its new Michigan Ave. and 16th Street location later this spring. For more information see <a href="http://www.corktowncycles.com" target="_hplink">www.corktowncycles.com</a>.</em>

• The Hub of Detroit

  The gear heads at The Hub of Detroit's Cass Avenue retail space certainly sell bikes, but it would be a mistake to assume that's all they do. "We're more than a bike shop. We're also a community space," said Jason Fiedler, who handles communications for The Hub. "We focus on giving information and education to people in order to empower them." The Hub's shop is the retail wing of Back Alley Bikes, a program that started in 2000 with the goal of providing transportation for those involved in the Detroit Summer youth program. They now offer a variety of programming for local youth, including an Earn-A-Bike program and a Young Mechanics training program. Those who complete the mechanics training hare eligible for paid summer employment. The organization also holds adult mechanics classes, recycles old bicycles and bike parts and offers perks like floor space and free parts to "allies" who volunteer on a regular basis. Aside from the programming, the space also gives cycling enthusiasts from across the city a chance to meet one another. "We see bikes as a way to access community in Detroit that's super spread out and separated by freeways," Fiedler told The Huffington Post. "People who volunteer here are from everywhere and bicycles are that one object that brings them together." Unlike most bike shops, The Hub's retail space is a non-profit venture. It began in 2008 as a funding innovation that allowed organizers to spend less time writing grants and more time working with people and bicycles. The organizing structure of the Hub also differs from many business and non-profit models. It's run by a nine-person collective comprising paid staff and volunteers who use a consensus process make decisions about the retail space and Back Alley Bikes programming. In terms of retail selection, however, The Hub has exactly what one would expect from a bike shop: a well-stocked selection of merchandise and a knowledgeable crew of repair staff. Currently The Hub stocks about 50 different bikes in a variety of styles, including cruisers, mountain and road bikes. It also sells new and used parts and accessories and the shop can order new bikes and other bike-related items for customers. <em>The Hub of Detroit is located at 3611 Cass Avenue. For more information, see <a href="http://www.thehubofdetroit.org" target="_hplink">thehubofdetroit.org</a>.</em>

• G&R Bikes

  The G&R Bike Shop is no newcomer to the Detroit bicycle trade. The shop has been in business since 1972 and staff have sold and repaired bikes from its location on Grand River and Lahser since 1976. G&R carries about 200 different bikes, many of them Huffys and Schwinns. The shop also stocks a full line of bike parts and accessories. The establishment gets its names from G&R's original proprietors, Greg and Renee Loiselle. As to G&R's longevity, Paul Duquesnel, the current owner, has few secrets to share: Besides hard work and a loyal local customer base, as long as the weather is good, business is good at G&R. <em>G&R Bike Shop is located at 21706 Grand River Ave in Detroit. For more information call the G&R bikes at (313) 531-1146. </em>

• Fender Bender

  Fender Bender is a bike space for women and queer people to learn the basics of bike mechanics and find common ground for addressing environmental and social justice issues. It's located in the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/26/cass-community-commons-commons-emeac-unitarian-universalist_n_1166906.html" target="_hplink">Cass Community Commons</a> and organized by Detroiter Sarah Sidelko with the support of six other active members. "We're creating a culture of support and resources for women and transgender people to contribute to the biking community in Detroit," Sidelko told The Huffington Post, adding that these groups are active in the city's cycling community, but underrepresented. "We hope to have positive impact in the cycling culture by creating more inclusiveness." The space offers an open shop for women and genderqueer people on the first and third Tuesdays and second and fourth Wednesdays of every month. On the first and third Wednesdays of each month, Fender Bender works on bike-related art projects, like plant holders made from bike parts. Fender Bender also collaborates on mechanics classes with the <a href="http://wheelhousedetroit.com/" target="_hplink">Detroit Wheelhouse</a> at their location on Detroit's RiverWalk on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month and also organizes classes for women and genderqueer people on Saturdays. Sidelko began facilitating the project out of <a href="http://thehubofdetroit.org/" target="_hplink">The Hub of Detroit</a> in January 2010 and moved it to the Commons, a community workspace located in the First Unitarian Universalist Church Complex, in the spring of last year. She funds the project herself with some help from fundraisers, small grants and donated parts from Wheelhouse Detroit. Although Fender Bender sometimes raises funds by repairing bikes, Sidelko says money is not the ultimate goal. "I might occasionally sell bikes and do tuneups occasionally, but I'm more focused on empowerment and encouraging people to gain skills," she said. <em>Fender Bender is located at the Cass Community Commons at 4605 Cass Avenue in Detroit. For more information contact fenderbenderdetroit@gmail.com.</em>

Flickr Photo by bmicro.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/detroit-bike-events-winter_n_2409562.html

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