Dick Larkin

Dick Larkin Featured as ideablob.com Guest Advisor

What:        Dick Larkin, also known as The Small Business Commando, helps small businesses improve their marketing and customer relationships through online marketing. 

                  He will be sharing his expertise as ideablob.com’s featured guest advisor during the week of August 4, 2008. 

Where:      www.ideablob.com

Who:         Larkin publishes the "Small Business Commando News," an electronic newsletter directed toward small business marketing issues.  He is currently the Executive of Strategic Partnerships for Spot Runner, a technology-driven advertising        services company whose mission is to actively revolutionize the way advertising is created, targeted, bought and sold.   

                  Larkin was formerly President and co-founder of Weblistic, an online marketing firm acquired by Spot Runner in 2008. Larkin specialized in local search engine marketing, video creation and saturation, and mobile advertising.

Prior to joining Weblisitic, Larkin was publisher of WorldPages.com, a top Internet Yellow Pages directory that was acquired by Yellow Book in a $1.5 billion buyout.

He was also Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GTE Interactive Media.  

                        Larkin earned his CPA and CFP designations from Deloitte                               and Touche, and has a business degree from the University of                           Notre Dame.
 

      When:         During the week of August 4, Larkin will be available to provide                   expert advice about online marketing.  He has developed and                              managed local online marketing for more than 200,000                                       businesses.  

Why:         Ideablob.com is a vibrant and active community where small business owners and entrepreneurs are sharing business ideas in exchange for feedback, advice and votes from the community.

Advanta, one of the nation’s largest credit card issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) in the small business market, awards a $10,000 monthly prize to the best eligible idea, as determined by the votes of the ideablob community.  

                  This is a unique opportunity for business owners and entrepreneurs to pose serious business questions to a seasoned professional. It’s just one example of the innovative ways that ideablob and Advanta are helping small business owners and entrepreneurs realize their dreams.

Contact:   David Goodman                                      Jennifer Sherlock

                  Vice President, Communications            PR Manager

                  Advanta                                                   Advanta

                  215-444-5073                                         215-444-5592

                  dgoodman@advanta.com                        jsherlock@advanta.com

There is no purchase necessary to enter the ideablob.com contest. Contest began on 9/24/07 at 12:00:00 am CT and ends on 9/30/08 at 11:59:59 pm CT. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C. who are of the legal age of majority in their state of residence at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. Official Rules are available online at www.ideablob.com. Sponsored by Advanta Bank Corp., PO Box 30715, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0715. Ideablob and ideablob.com are registered service marks of Advanta Bank Corp.