What is the purpose of this site?

This site exists to build the local holistic community, including local holistic practitioners. We should not always be competing in a global marketplace. We should be collaborating in a local marketplace, especially in our types of businesses. Keep reading. You'll get the idea.

This site represents a collaboration effort allowing all holistic businesses in the Hudson Valley to join together and create a directory resource that is a force to be reckoned with. At the same time, we will be able to list and advertise local holistic events in one place and hold events of our own. It's a win-win.

How was this all inspired?

I (Criss Ittermann) am a former web-designer and I had this website, logo, etc. all sitting around waiting for me to create an online directory service for local holistic businesses. After attending Green Drinks networking events, I wanted to have a similar experience for holistic practitioners, so I dug this website up, made a few tweaks and started networking. That's all.

Why holistic consumers and practitioners?

I exist to make a difference in the world. How much more of a difference if I can make a difference in MANY lives whom all make a difference in the world. You are the teachers, and I'm trying to help you reach out and teach people how to make a better world. Why should I just do counseling for 10 people a week if I can help 10 teachers to give counsel to 10 people a week? The more clients I am able to bring to your door by supplying you with an excellent advertising vehicle, the more of a difference I will be making in the world as a whole.

My other business is Liberated Life Coaching which is life and small business coaching for holistic practitioners, and is based on exactly the same model. If I help you heal and service more people by helping you set goals, stay in business, market your business, etc. then I am helping heal more people by extension.

Do I have to have a website to list in the directory?

Absolutely not. If you submit an article to our website, we will grant you a full profile page of your own. We will include your web-ready logo or a photo of you [jpeg format is perfect], and your contact information, give you a password for your page, and you can edit it from there. Information on how to edit your page is at http://websitevideohelp.net. As long as you keep it clean and relevant to your listed business, anything goes. It's like having a one-page website of your own. You can have your directory listing point to your website instead. That's up to you. If you want a section on HolisticHV as your website, please consult with us directly. We can give you additional pages at a one-time fee. This allows you to have a separate price list, an article, news, events, or bio page, etc. You can point print ads to your little corner of the web, and even get a domain name that redirects to your HolisticHV directory pages, but your pages will still be part of the larger directory website and benefit from the search engine ranking of the whole site.

What other types of (paid?) advertising are available for this site?

At this time, there are no other types of ads on this site. If banner ads are allowed, at first as a pilot they will be made available to area residents with listings. Only if ABSOLUTELY necessary will they may be made available to non-residential businesses with listings on the site. Here is what I can promise: As long as Eclectic Tech, LLC owns and operates the site, there will be no flashy, bouncy, annoying ads to distract from the relevant site content. The banner ads won't track clicks, they won't install spyware on your computer -- etc. They will be simple picture ads that point to another page on the site. There will never be google click-through ads as long as I control the site -- I won't pay my bills that way. You will not compete for the attention of our visitors from people far away who have a lot more money than you. That really annoys me.

That's a long time for networking? is that right?

So far I've left the decision on the meeting length up to the venue sponsors. When I network in smaller more intimate groups, on a relaxed schedule, people arrive when they can -- usually late -- and we end up staying even after it's supposed to be "done" because the conversation is just not finished yet.

Whenever there's an "agenda" event, I have a tendency to stay after -- "the best networking is after the event". Because this event is not about agendas, presenters, announcements, having a chance to stand up and spend 60 seconds pitching your business etc. it's a little more like a party. It's about relationship building. You can't build relationships with an agenda. The only agenda at the meetings is about a 10 minute break for announcements & prizes in the middle. So if you're going to arrive "late" or leave "early", please be present "in the middle" for the announcement of the next event and the prize drawings, as well as a few moments of courtesy for our supporting organizations.

For a laid back relationship-building experience rather than a run-around-handing-out-cards experience, yes 3-4 hours is not too much. Even with incentives to RSVP, I'm not ever really sure how many people will show up, and I'm looking for low-stress, and chit chat amongst "my people" rather than an "all-business all the time" event -- those are so exhausting.