Another Problem Bites the Dust – Update Oct 30 2020 Development Last week we got broadsided by a technical problem. A client reported gaps and slowness with the reading app. We hoped that it was just a client with slow Internet, an old computer or someone living in a remote area. It turned out to be more than that. A quick survey indicated a wider problem. Andrew was away this week, so the Nesda team jumped in to determine the extent of the problem and the means to eliminate it. Nesda created a little toggle switch – clients can choose low-quality videos for better performance, or high-quality videos for better video picture. The “Low” setting is great for laptops and tablets with wi-fi connections. the “High” setting is great for larger monitors or group presentations with dedicated net connectivity. There is still work to be done by Andrew on his return, but for now the system is stable and secure. Thanks again to the Nesda team. Marketing Mark Bishop completed the advertising and marketing effort for October and has begun the campaigns that will run in November. We sent more than 120,000 emails to prospects this month. We will begin to report the results in November. We do appreciate that it is likely to take several touches to turn a prospect into a lead and then into a client. Special Project – The NOLA Charter School Program This project has been hampered by 6 Hurricanes and a COVID -19 pandemic. This week Hurricane Zeta ravaged New Orleans leaving several hundred families without power, water or both. We decided to step back once again to allow them to recover. That might happen next week depending on the information we can gather. We have selected 5 schools that will receive discounted programs gifted to them by a New Orleans or other Rotary club. Webinars I am continuing to conduct webinars on our new app and on the technologies from which it is derived. A set of three webinars hosted by Behavior Development Solutions has consistently registered a couple of hundred registrants. These webinars are free and are an excellent way for us to assist practitioners and provide them with the first 5 lessons of our app to determine if it is suitable for their clients. The next webinar is on Thursday, November 5th at 1:00 pm. You can join the webinar by contacting Behavior Development Solutions at www.behaviordevelopmentsolutions.com. Rotary Presentation On Monday evening, November 2, I will be the guest speaker at the Trenton Rotary Club’s Zoom Meeting. The club has been supportive of our efforts in the program to help parents and teachers with free downloads of our literacy lessons during the spring and summer months. Finances This has been an expensive month in which we have overspent our budget. Hopefully sales in November will be strong enough to compensate for the deficit. Perks Now that we have solved the problem with the speed of the software, we can begin to deliver the copies requested as perks by our donors. Donors who supported us without asking for a perk will have a copy of the app provided to Amarok Society to assist their literacy project in the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh. We thank those donors for helping thousands of slum children to learn to read. Stay safe Michael
