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Slides and audio available: Flying with BigTent webinar

BigTent — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:47:08 +0000

BigTent’s webinar, “Flying with BigTent,” was lots of fun this week! It was great getting to share some tips with FlyBabies on how to get the most out of BigTent.

In case you missed the session, a copy of the slides and the webinar recording are now available.

Please let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you at a future webinar.

-The BigTent Team

BigTent introduces topics-only forums digest

BigTent — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:26:32 +0000

To provide your members with more control over how they receive emails from your group’s forum, we’ve introduced a new email option: a topics-only daily digest!

This new digest is ideal for groups who have a high volume of forum messages and have members who only want a few emails a day from the group. Here is a quick summary of details:

- You can choose to receive the topics-only daily digest by going to settings > email options. Then find the forum setting you want to change and set it to “Email daily message digest (topics only).”

- The topics-only daily digest will be sent after 25 new topics have been posted to the group, or at the end of the day, whichever comes first.

-Similar to the topics & comments digest, there are links to view the full discussion thread on BigTent, send a group-wide response to the topic, or contact the topic author directly.

- The topics & comments daily digest is still an option. This option is still the default for new members joining your group.

We hope your members find this new email option helpful. If you have any question please contact us by clicking “help” on any BigTent page and choosing “Submit a support case.”

Happy New Year!

Best,
Mary Ann & the BigTent Team

Join BigTent for a FREE Webinar: How to Organize Your School Online

BigTent — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:43:40 +0000

Hello school community leaders!

2009 is drawing to a close, but it’s never too late to start thinking of ways to use Web 2.0 technology to improve communications for your school.

On December 3, please join me and BigTent for a special webinar, “How to Organize Your School Online.” This free session is geared towards PTAs, PTOs, preschool groups, and all other school communities.

Here are the details:

How to Organize Your School Online
Thursday, December 3 @ 9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern
Register for FREE at bigtent.webex.com

During this webinar, I’ll share 10 tips and tricks on how to combine online and in-person activities to strengthen your school community. Tips include:

-How to improve communications

-How to delegate responsibilities

-How to get more parents involved

I have used these tips in my own school community. I am an active volunteer for Leo R. Croce Elementary PTA (www.crocepta.com), and I’m proud to say that we have enrolled over 200 members in our BigTent group.

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information. I hope you can attend!

Best,

Monica

PTA Volunteer & BigTent Expert

Doha Expat Mums and Kids: Growing Very, Very Quickly on BigTent

BigTent — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:44:04 +0000

Say hello to Doha Expat Mums & Kids (DEMK)! This group unites moms from over 64 countries – Bangladesh, Ghana, Croatia, Iran, and more. Priding itself on its positive, friendly atmosphere, DEMK requires prospective members to attend one event before joining the group.

“We find that this encourages the idea of DEMK being a true local community, since it’s not something random people can join just by going online,” says Roxanne Davis, founder of the group.

DEMK has only been around for a year. How does it already have 500 members?

Roxanne tells us more.

Q: So, how did it all start?

A: When I moved to Doha, Qatar, in October 2008, there were individual playgroups here and there throughout the city, but no groups to connect the moms and help them all thrive in this challenging locale. Having been part of a fantastic moms group in Houston (Heights Kids), I decided to start one here.

Though there were many people who were interested in the group, I was also met with a surprising amount of resistance. I was told that no one would show up to the group’s events, no one would help out, etc. These comments really took me aback, and they motivated me to ensure the group was successful.

Q: What do you do to ensure success?

A: We’re extremely busy! Here in Doha, we’ve had to make our own fun. We have an average of three events per day, ranging from coffee mornings to playgroups to walks along the sea. Our group is volunteer-based, so members dive in and organize activities with the attitude of “build it and they will come.”

Our members have organized and/or given tours of the local organic farm, the wholesale market, the abaya souk, the fabric souk and the zoo.

Q: How does BigTent help your group?

Heights Kids transitioned to BigTent in early 2008 and never looked back. When it came time to start Doha Expat Mums & Kids, I didn’t even consider using other platforms — BigTent is positively the best one out there.

Q: Aw, thanks. We’re blushing now. Tell us about you. What else are you up to besides this group?

A: I am the mother of two kids, a 4-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. Our family is on our third expatriate posting; previously we lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Melbourne, Australia. My husband works for a large oil company, which keeps us on the go every couple of years or so.

Also, I used to work as a mover and long-haul truck driver for Mayflower and United Van Lines. As such, I can drive a split shift transmission, am fully fluent in trucker lingo, and know the best truckstops for Mexican food.

Q: Now we’re hungry. What are your future goals for the group?

A: DEMK is growing very, very quickly, and it has turned into a full-time job for me and several friends. A new website which will support our own advertising is in the works.

We’re also planning to offer a discount card for sale to members, which will get them better rates at hotels, salons, restaurants, specific events, etc. It’s very exciting to see the labor of my love expand to include income opportunities!

BigTent launches Coach Corner

BigTent — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:10:15 +0000

Great news for everyone starting groups on BigTent! We just launched our Coach Corner, which is designed to help you learn the ropes for managing your group on our site.

The Coach Corner contains live, recorded, and printed resources to train both your leadership team and your members. Sign up for a web training session with expert Community Coach, Jaine, check out a series of videos to make sure you’ve done everything necessary to set up your group, or download helpful guides for transitioning to BigTent.

We plan on making frequent Coach Corner updates to keep pace with new features and site growth, so be sure to check back frequently for new content. We look forward to seeing more of your groups on BigTent!

Best,

Rufus and the BigTent team

Join BigTent for Twins Club: Extreme Makeover

BigTent — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:21:37 +0000

Are you a twins club leader looking for ways to save time and boost participation in your group? Join us next week for a fun, free webinar, hosted by BigTent and led by fellow expert twin mom, Natalie Diaz.

Twins Club: Extreme Makeover
Thursday, November 12 @ 9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern
Click here to register for free

In this session, Natalie will share 10 tips to help you cut down on management burdens and spruce up your twins club. Tips include:

-How to manage member information online
-How to delegate volunteer responsibilities
-How to plan awesome events

Natalie is Director of Manhattan Twins Club, a group on BigTent that boasts over 900 members. Natalie is also founder of Twiniversity.com and a contributing writer for New York Family Magazine — she is guaranteed to commiserate with you and make you laugh!

Hope to see you next week at the webinar. Let us know if you have any questions.

Best,

The BigTent Team

Access Colorado staff and volunteers connect on BigTent

BigTent — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:41:11 +0000

Access Colorado is a non-profit organization that was formed to support AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers and their supervisors in their collective efforts to fight poverty and improve student access to post-secondary education.

Here’s a little Q&A with our fearless leader, Melanie:

Q. How does BigTent improve the day-to-day functions of your group?

A. BigTent offers seamless integration of a calendar, forum, news items — plus widgets to link the group to our website. On a typical day, you’ll see a variety of professional development opportunities, trainings, deadline reminders, and other resources posted to our group.

Q. What are your future goals for the group?

A. Our online group is still fairly new, so I’d like to see us up the rate of participation.

Q. Aside from your role with Access Colorado, what keeps you busy?

A. I practice yoga daily, spend time with friends and family, and teach computing skills to adults reentering the workforce.

How to Shop for Free featured on Good Morning America

BigTent — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:23:30 +0000

Congratulations to Kathy Spencer and the How to Shop for Free team! Today, Good Morning America aired a segment where Kathy put her coupon expertise to the test, completing trips to Shaw’s and CVS for mere pennies on the dollar. The Massachusetts mother of four even set a personal best shopping record at Shaw’s.

If you watch closely around the :30 second mark (4:00 minutes remaining), you’ll see a cameo appearance from How to Shop for Free on Kathy’s laptop. Kathy moved her group to BigTent in 2008, and a year later the active online community has grown to nearly 9,000 members and sends hundreds of messages daily.

The Good Morning America clip highlights four of Kathy’s tips for stretching your dollar at the register. To join ongoing discussions about the latest store deals and get advice from an experienced coupon community, be sure to sign up for How to Shop for Free. Also, leave a comment below to give kudos to Kathy!

Cheers,

The BigTent Team

Join BigTent for a free webinar, How to Grow Your Group

BigTent — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:37:31 +0000

Hello admins and awesome community leaders,

My name is Jaine and I’m one of BigTent’s Community Coaches. I wanted to let you know that our free webinar, How to Grow Your Group, is back by popular demand!

During this webinar, I’ll share 10 tips and tricks on how to grow your group. We’ll also have a portion devoted to sharing our best practices so we can learn from each other. Here are the details:

How to Grow Your Group

Wednesday, October 28 @ 9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern

Register for FREE: bigtent.webex.com – click through the weekly calendar and register for “How to Grow Your Group”

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information. I have grown my own group, Moms and Tots San Diego (www.bigtent.com/groups/mtsd), from zero to 700+ members in just three years. I have also partnered and shared best practices with over 3,000 groups on BigTent.

I hope you can attend!

Best,

Jaine, BigTent Community Coach since 2007

BigTent welcomes FlyLady and FlyBabies!

BigTent — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:40:29 +0000

A big BigTent welcome goes out to the FlyLady community! Starting today, Wednesday, September 16, BigTent will begin hosting the communications that connect over 500,000 FlyBabies around the world.

FlyLady and her team chose BigTent for its ability to send timed newsletters, and the opportunity to strengthen their community through two-way discussions and organized subgroups.

If you currently receive FlyLady emails, you will continue to receive emails without having to make any changes. Your current email delivery options (daily digest or individual emails), will also be preserved with the switch to BigTent.

If you currently receive FlyLady emails and would like to see how FlyLady is set up on the BigTent Web site, please check your email today for a special invitation to join BigTent. The message will come from “no_reply@lists.bigtent.com”, and we recommend you add this address to your email “Safe List” to ensure delivery. To learn how to update your Safe List, please read our help article.

To join FlyLady as a new member, please visit the FlyLady BigTent page and fill out the form provided.

Welcome to BigTent! We are so excited to have you join us.

Best,

The BigTent team

About BigTent

Big Tent Design, Inc. is where trusted groups connect online. The free platform for family-friendly organizations strengthens group involvement and simplifies group management. By combining the best of today’s social networking features with group management tools, Big Tent helps real-world communities share, communicate and organize online and in-person. Founded in 2006, the company is headquartered in San Francisco and currently hosts parents groups, PTAs, preschools, clubs and other community groups nationwide. Learn more: https://www.bigtent.com

About Saving Dinner

Saving Dinner’s goal is to bring families back to the dinner table with healthy menu plans, grocery shopping lists and recipes. Leanne Ely, the founder of Saving Dinner, is considered the expert on family cooking and started Saving Dinner by sharing healthy menus with families. Now, tens of thousands of kitchens across the world are busy creating simple, delicious meals with her weekly Menu-Mailers, freezer dinner kits, and best-selling cookbooks, Saving Dinner: The Menus, Recipes and Shopping Lists to Bring Your Family Back to the Table, Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way, Saving Dinner for the Holidays, Saving Dinner the Vegetarian Way and Saving Dinner Basics: How to Cook Even if You Don’t Know How. Learn more about Saving Dinner from their website: http://www.savingdinner.com

About BigTent

BigTent (Big Tent Design, Inc.) is where trusted groups connect online. The free platform for family-friendly organizations strengthens group involvement and simplifies group management. By combining the best of today’s social networking features with group management tools, Big Tent helps real-world communities share, communicate and organize online and in-person. Founded in 2006, the company is headquartered in San Francisco and currently hosts parents groups, PTAs, preschools, clubs and thousands of other community groups. Learn more at www.bigtent.com.

About FlyLady

Founded in 1999 by Marla Cilley, FlyLady is a mentoring group that uses the “Sidetracked Home Executive” (SHE) system to help members organize their homes and lives. Marla adds humor, spunk, and a dose of common sense to her advice. When members join FlyLady, they receive daily FLYmail with FLYing Lessons around setting up routines, removing clutter, and Finally Loving Yourself. The public is invited to join this group at https://www.bigtent.com/groups/flylady