Erich Stauffer

Author: Erich Stauffer

  • Action Management

    Erich Stauffer believes in managing actions for better results.

    Managing actions involves actively managing your business and its employees. Erich Stauffer specializes in business process management (BPM), business continuity planning (BCP), and staffing models. Erich Stauffer can also offer business-class web design and development for the Indianapolis area. Erich Stauffer wants to help make your business better.  Here are a few of their management services:

    Process Auditing – Find out your company’s risk level by analyzing who knows which tasks and whether or not each task has a written procedure.

    Staffing Models – Create utilization models that your supervisors can use to plan for – and report on – daily staff productivity.

    Business Continuity Planning – Be prepared for various disasters by creating a plan for how your business will go on in midst of environmental and social variables.

    Management Consulting – From business process modeling to staff utilization models, we can help your business setup and diagram the functions that keep your business growing daily. Better manage your current employees using data, not gut instincts. We can provide custom tools that allow supervisors to anticipate staffing needs and run scenarios of changes in work loads before they happen.

    Business Process Management – Whether your business is brand new or well established, if your company is growing, then there is a need to get organized. Documenting what each task within the company does, who knows how to do it, and if anyone is cross-trained on the subject can be an arduous task, but it is what we specialize in. We can help your company get organized.

    Business Continuity Planning – Its wise to plan for various environmental or social events that could seriously impact the ability of your business to continue on afterward. Is your data backed up? Have the backups been restored to test? Would you be able to function if 30% of your staff became ill? How long could you remain in business without electricity? These are the things we can help you find out.

  • Email Expectations

    Customer: I need a website for my business so I do a web search for a web design company to make it and I look at the work that they have done before I ever consider price. I judge what their prices might be based on the site and their work. I might put a feeler email out there or call for information, but I don’t want to commit in any way. I want information without commitment.

    Us: Emailing or calling us amounts to an information request only. Any commitment comes with a contract, which only occurs after you’re comfortable and ready to get started. We won’t be sending out a newsletter or cold calling you, nor will we be sharing your information with anyone else. We value your privacy and the privacy of your project. However, all of our customers receive a monthly email detailing any software updates and/or testing we have done that month in addition to a detailed report about your website’s traffic.

  • Indianapolis Dentist Hires Pre-Med Teen as Summer Intern

    Indianapolis dentist, Dr. Ted Reese, DDS, MAGD, has hired a local high school graduate, Kishan, to intern this summer before entering the Pre-Med program at Duke University thus fall. Kishan graduated at the top of his class, but hopes to learn from one the best dentists in town. Dr. Reese allows Kishan to shadow him during patient visits in between Kishan’s other roles of assisting the office manager, Karen, and doing a summer email marketing newsletter for the Indianapolis Center for Implant and Sedation Dentistry where he is working.

    Erich Stauffer has been assisting Dr. Reese with his marketing campaign and recently with Kishan as he learns how to use Constant Contact, our preferred email marketing software. Kishan is a whiz on the computer and a fast learner. We’re sure he’ll do well at Duke and we wish him well this summer in Indianapolis.

  • Introduction to Groupons

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    Groupons is a company and a website with a unique business model that is mutually beneficial to vendors, customers, and Groupons itself. Vendors like retail outlets contact Groupons about goods or services they would like to package and promote. Groupon reps work with the vendor to create an ad that runs in a daily email newsletter. Each coupon has a quota and if enough people purchase a package, all packages sell at once. Groupons takes a small percentage of the sale and mails the vendor a check the next day. Customers get the coupon immediately for use.

    Because Groupons only makes money when you, the vendor, makes money you can be sure that the ad reps will help paint your company and products in a good light. There is very little risk and a lot of potential exposure. Even if not enough coupons are sold, your brand will still go out to thousands of potential new clients who may use your business in the future.

    If you want to learn more about how Groupon works, check out their guide site. At Erich Stauffer, we can also assist with helping your company apply to Groupon or setup an email marketing campaign of your own. We prefer Constant Contact, but we are also familiar with Delivra. We recommend email marketing be a core part of your overall marketing strategy and advertising budget.

  • Al Gore, Time Traveler

    On June 15 DARPA sent Al Gore back in time and after successfully inventing the internet and global warming he struggled to find a way back to the future. Eventually he discovered that he only had to travel near the speed of light in order for Earth time to pass much more quickly than his relative time. All he had to do was build a ship capable of these speeds. Luckily he was able to tweak a plasma jet to run on hot air, easily providing plenty of energy for the 22 minute flight.

    Al Gore Leaves the Lime Light to Open ‘Big Al’s Flower Shop’ in East New Jersey

    Al Gore, faced with impending financial scrutiny from the new financial bill exits Palo Alto’s Capricorn Investment Group LLC and London-based Generation Investment Management to start a flower delivery shop in New Jersey, “Just to see people’s faces,” when he delivers them flowers.

    Attack of the Known Clones

    As soon as Al Gore started blaming his clone for the events two years ago, news agencies began questioning the authenticity of his story, but despite national security concerns, Gore admitted that the government routinely clones high-level officials, “kind of like they do in that movie, The Island,” Gore said. Gore can only imagine that it was this clone that escaped from it’s holding facility and forced that poor girl to do whatever it was he forced her to do. No matter what happens, Gore is going to get to the bottom of this. The government has yet to comment on these revelations, but we expect for Gore to be discredited at their earliest convenience. As a citizen, however, I am pleased that the government takes such back-up precautions, even if they can get quite out of control.

    An Interview with Al Gore

    The SDN caught up with former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore, in his local flower shop to ask him a few questions while he trimmed the petunias.

    SDN: Mr. Vice President, thank you for speaking with us. May I call you Al?

    GORE: Thanks for stopping by, I do enjoy reading The SDN, but no, you can’t call me Al. I prefer to be called sir.

    SDN: Yes, sir, I’d like to start this conversation off by avoiding some of the recent legal issues you are facing and instead focus on something I believe you’re passionate about, and that’s climate change.

    GORE: Yes, your readers know that I am innocent, that it was merely a case of mistaken identity, but I’m positive that I will be vindicated once I can find and bring my clone to justice. By the way, that looks delicious. What are you eating?

    SDN: Oh, it’s an egg and cheese sandwich on raisin bread. My wife made it for me. I have to eat like every two hours or else I get sick.

    GORE: Well I’ll tell you what makes me sick is this oil spill.

    SDN: Yeah, that’s weird, huh?

    GORE: I’ve heard they may have it corralled by this weekend.

    SDN: Yeah, right, we’ll see. You’ve got to be loving this heat wave the east coast has been getting, though, eh?

    GORE: Oh yeah, I sell many more books and DVDs each time the temperature rises above 88 in New York City, it’s kind of like the flux capacitor for me. Plus the flowers there have all been wilting so business is booming.

    SDN: Well your flowers look great. I’m glad to hear your shop is doing well, but I’d like to get back to climate change. You’ve brought up a lot of problems our planet currently faces, but have you put any thought into possible solutions?

    GORE: No, that’s for scientists to figure out. What I do is read magazines, watch television shows, and movies, then let other people know what is going on so that they will pay me to come speak at their school.

    SDN: Are you aware of what some of these scientists you speak of are currently saying about some of these problems and possible solutions?

    GORE: Well I do read the SDN.

    SDN: Okay, so you are aware that methane gas is actually a bigger problem than carbon dioxide when it comes to heating the planet and by simply eliminating all cattle we could cool the earth at least 2 degrees Fahrenheit?

    GORE: Well, I’d rather be hot than live in a world without beef.

    SDN: And you’re aware that by simply replacing every tree that is cut down, we could eliminate more carbon dioxide in the air than by stopping all automobile traffic worldwide?

    GORE: But I don’t make any money planting trees. I make money selling flowers and carbon credits.

    SDN: So is this all about the money, then?

    GORE: If I can get paid for doing what I am passionate about, so be it.

    SDN: But when confronted with facts and data, why turn a blind eye?

    GORE: I’m not turning a blind eye, but I do see a couple of plants in the window that need turned, excuse me.

    Al Gore Announces He’s Running for a 3rd Term in 2012

    We caught up with Al Gore at his flower shop in New Jersey where he spoke to us about his recent decision to run for Vice President again in 2012. “I haven’t decided who my running mate will be, but I’m leaning towards Sarah Palin.” He then puts the back of his hand near his face and whispers to me, “She’s hot, like the globe.”

    “Sarah Palin is Republican. Are you planning on on switching parties?” I ask.

    “Oh, then Nikki Haley,” Gore replied.

    “Nikki Haley is also a Republican.” I respond.

    “Oh, then yes. I am.”

    Al Gore Travels Through Time to Rescue Legacy

    September 11, 2010 was a devastating day for Al Gore. The USA Today proclaimed, “School named after Al Gore was built on toxic soil.” What was to become of his legacy? 2010 was a rough year for Gore. In June DARPA sent him back in time where he had to travel back to the future only to find himself replaced by a clone who had allegedly committed crimes in his place. After fixing the space time continuum and outing his clone, Al returned to his flower shop only to find out that the school named after him had been built on toxic soil. “That was the last straw,” he said, and like a donkey under a heavy load, he fell prostate on the ground, weeping where his tears cooled the earth and saved us from global warming. People around the world (and in Mexico) rejoiced and Al Gores legacy was restored!

  • Why you should get LOST

    As someone who is laughably prone to hyperbole, it may may seem inconsequential that I laud it as the greatest television show of all time.  You may be asking yourself: “What is so great about it?” or “How can a modern show compare to TV classics from other eras?” or “What kind of a weirdo, fanatical, booger eating, sci-fi dork would care so much about a TV show?”

    These are all fair questions.  I am not sure if I will be able to suitably answer any of them for you (but I don’t eat my boogers, by the way).  It is my hope that this article piques your interest enough to watch the first episode for free online on hulu.com.  If you are not engrossed in the tale of Flight 815 after 8 episodes, then I ask your forgiveness for presuming your interest in the fields philosophy and sociology.  If you find your mind and heart constantly returning to the question of “What is the meaning of life?”, then prepare yourself for a vivid, elaborate, amplified discussion of that very question that IS the show:  LOST.

    What the uninitiated know or (don’t know) about the show varies.  I will presume that you know (or consequentially, inform you of) that

    If something on the show leads you to believe what you are watching is “unrealistic”, take comfort in the fact that you are experiencing a vivid, detailed, highly personal metaphor.  The line between fiction and science fiction is fine, but don’t let crossing it ruin the truth is being illustrated for you within the framework of the show.

  • LOST Recap – Pilot

    The most expensive pilot in television history sets the stage for one of the greatest serialized story lines in any medium.  This article is written with the knowledge of the first five seasons of LOST under my belt.  The mosaic has not been revealed completely, but enough has transpired to produce a sense of nostalgia in me while watching this episode.  Partly because of the production value, and partly because of the timeless locale, the show doesn’t feel five years old.  While some things, like hyper-color t-shirts, don’t age well, it’s a good sign that LOST will.

    One challenge of an ensemble show is to find the balance between individual character development with keeping the audience interested in the fate of the whole group.  With flashback being an integral part of the LOST storytelling process, the pilot episode starts in the middle, with Jack lying in the jungle, seemingly unaware of how he got there.  Soon enough, he emerges from the jungle and sees the wreckage of the plane he was just riding on.  We soon see a flashback with Jack on the plane, having a strong drink just before the turbulence hits.  With his future alcohol struggles, it almost feels like an Easter egg to see Jack drinking just before being brought to the island.

    Charlie is right in the throws of heroin addiction, and it is quickly apparent.  He’s a likable character, but it would be hard to tell if it is his drugs that make him so.  The actor, Dominic Monaghan, was just coming off of a journey through middle earth with the rest of the Hobbits in Return of the King, so there were a fair amount of LOTR fans who tuned in out of a quasi-loyalty to the Trilogy.  Charlie sets up the end title frame perfectly when he asks the group:  “Where are we?”

    LOST

    It’s great to see how quickly Kate and Jack connect with each other based on her finding him in need of a make-shift surgeon.  You wonder if this shared moment is what set the trajectory of their relationship.  What if another attractive female from the plane happened to stumble upon Jack at that time?

  • Waking Up to an EMP

    You wake up in the morning as the sun hits your face.  You check the clock and see that the electricity has gone out and you start to panic, wondering what time it is.  You reach for your cell phone to check the time and call your boss, but it too is off.  Attempts to turn it back on fail so you go to turn on your laptop to check the time there and see what is going on.  When your laptop fails to start you start to wonder what is actually going on so you go outside to your car.  Many of your neighbors are standing outside talking to one another.  That’s odd, you think to yourself, but they’re probably just asking each other about the power outage.  You get in the car to check the time and listen to some news on the radio, but when you turn the key, nothing happens.  That’s when it hits you.  There’s been an EMP and the world has changed overnight.

    Immediately your thoughts switch to survival mode.  The bicycle on your front porch just became one of the most valuable vehicles on the block.  The water in the tower won’t last long once everyone realizes what is going on.  Good thing there are no modes of communication so as long as your mouth shut you can take advantage of other peoples ignorance.  You use your credit card at the gas station to purchase non perishable foods and propane tanks.  Since the electricity is down they have converted to swiping carbon copies.  A lot of good that will do you say to yourself.  Meanwhile you head back and fill your bathtub up with water and wonder how you are going to communicate with your family members to let them know what’s going on.  The very satellites used to detect electromagnetic pulses from the sun or an atomic explosion have been taken out.  All cell phone and land lines are down. The power grid is toast.  Even natural gas has stopped  flowing as electric pumps have failed.

    Welcome to the apocalypse.

  • Turning Problems into Solutions: C02 to Gasoline

    In August, 2007 President Bush created a DARPA for Energy (DARPA stands for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).  One of it’s goals was to turn carbon dioxide into fuel.  By December, 2007 Sandia National Laboratories, where DARPA is located, announced the Sandia’s “Sunshine to Petrol” project which uses a “Counter Rotating RingReceiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5, for short), to break a carbon-oxygen bond in the carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide and oxygen in two distinct steps using concentrated solar power. DARPA eventually proved the technology and coupled with sequestered C02 from coal power plants or even your own car, this could be a real industry of C02 to gasoline. Watch this related video on Youtube.