Director Jeff Reyes of Echosworld and Producer Rachel Denis of Menace Productions have teamed up and are pleased to announce the inception of their new short film “Invasion.” The film unfolds as the main character, Richard (Frankie Rodriguez of “CSI,” “The Shield”), leaves the office to see his wife and daughter and ends up in the midst of an invasion of the United States. The US Military is fighting back, and he meets Sgt. Buck (Tim Abell of “Battle Los Angeles”), a tough, no holds barred type of guy. They both are captured and taken into interrogation by hostile, enemy soldiers, and Richard must now seek out the help of Sgt. Buck to help him find his way home to his family. Notable names attached to the project are Executive Producer and Weapons Specialist Bill Davis (“SAW,” “Boston Legal”), Co-Executive Producers Mickey and Bobby Blowitz, Supervising Producer Jacov Bresler (“La Linea”) and Visual EFX guru Nick Acosta.

A public screening is taking place on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at the Panavision Theater Hall in Woodland Hills, CA. Ticket information is available at http://invasionfilm-estw.eventbrite.com.

Echosworld is a Los Angeles based production company owned by Jeff Reyes specializing in films, music videos and photography. More information is available at http://www.echosworld.com.

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With Robin Leach, former host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous as its spokesperson, GoldMax USA, the largest chain of stores specializing in buying gold and precious metals from consumers in the U.S., expects to pump more than $ 100 million into the local economy this year by offering consumers the opportunity to cash in on the escalating prices of gold and silver. Last year, the company opened more than 70 stores across the country and spent in excess of $ 75 million buying consumers’ gold and jewelry. With more than 200 stores in operation and additional stores being added nearly every week, GoldMax offers cash for unwanted jewelry, coins, sterling silver flatware, tea sets, and candlesticks in an upscale environment.

In Southern California, GoldMax recently celebrated the grand opening of new stores in Buena Park at 8901 Valley View, Suite B; in Rancho Cucamonga at 6371 Haven Avenue, Suite 3; and in Oceanside Vista Way at 2174 Vista Way, Suite 1A. With 33 stores in operation in Southern California, GoldMax plans to open stores in Escondido, Chino Hills, Santa Ana, Santa Marcos, and Rancho Bernardo within the next 30 to 90 days.

“There are lots of new cash for gold stores popping up, but the GoldMax brand is different,” said GoldMax co-founder Jordan Sadoff. “GoldMax store interiors are outfitted with a comfortable waiting area with one or two flat-screen televisions, jewelry showcases, and desks to meet privately with each customer. The stores, which range from 700 to 4,000 square feet, resemble a cross between an upscale jewelry store and a business office.”

“We want our customers to feel comfortable and enjoy their experience at GoldMax,” said GoldMax co-founder Scott Garber. “Our operation certainly has shattered any comparisons to a pawn shop or any other gold buying company. Customers can come in for a free, no obligation quote, within a comfortable, high class setting ? and, if they?re ready to sell, they can do so right on the spot.”

GoldMax has changed the ?cash for gold? game, and based on the company’s success with more than 200 stores and over 1 million satisfied customers, it?s apparent that the public loves GoldMax. “People of all ages and economic backgrounds are rummaging through their jewelry boxes, closets and drawers, attics or basements and garages looking for unwanted items to sell,” said Sadoff.

“Our customers remark how much fun they have searching for jewelry, precious metals and various collectibles that they can bring in for a quote. They are often very surprised when they learn how much money they can get, even just for a few items. We often hear descriptions like ‘I went on a treasure hunt in my home’ or ‘I went shopping in my closet or garage.’ We love to hear all of the great stories that are told by GoldMax customers. Many say how addicting this can be, too,” Garber added.

“Last week, a customer came in with a small jewelry box stuffed with some broken gold and she received over $ 2,200. She was just ecstatic,” Sadoff said.

GoldMax will purchase gold (any karat), silver, platinum, necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, charms, watches, broken jewelry, coins, sterling silver flatware, tea sets, and candlesticks. GoldMax has built a solid reputation for paying fair market value for gold, jewelry and other collectibles. “GoldMax offers a 110 percent best price guarantee,” said Garber. “If a seller receives a higher quote anywhere else, we?ll beat the price. It?s that simple.”

“They can come into our stores with broken and unwanted jewelry and leave with money to spend on other luxury items,” Sadoff said. “We see lots of broken chains, outdated jewelry, single earrings, gold charm collections, coins, grandma’s tea set, and anything else our customers can find in their closets or jewelry drawers. With their new found cash, GoldMax customers tell us that they will spend it on a weekend get-away, new jewelry, clothes or accessories, or money to pay the bills.”

According to Sadoff, GoldMax wants to have 100 stores in operation in Southern California by the end of 2012, and add 100 new stores from coast to coast in 2012, including several stores in the Dallas, Ft. Worth market in Texas, a new market for GoldMax. ?GoldMax is creating new jobs and more opportunities for people to trade in their gold and precious metals for cash across the U.S.,” said Sadoff. “We are committed to aggressively growing our brand to ensure that GoldMax remains heads above the rest.”

About GoldMax

With approximately 200 stores located from Los Angeles to Tampa Bay, GoldMax operates the largest chain of stores specializing in buying gold and precious metals from consumers. Last year, GoldMax pumped more than $ 75 million into the local economy and opened more than 70 stores across the U.S. GoldMax plans to open 100 new stores in 2012, including stores in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market, a new market for GoldMax. GoldMax recently appointed Robin Leach, former host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, to serve as the company spokesperson. Leach doesn’t accept payment for his endorsement of GoldMax, a rare event in the business of high-profile celebrity endorsements. GoldMax donates generously to his favorite charity, ?Keep Memory Alive? (http://www.keepmemoryalive.org), which is committed to the education and research of a cure for Alzheimer?s, Parkinson?s, Huntington?s and ALS. Leach has been instrumental in the success of the GoldMax campaign, “Turn your jewelry box into your own personal ATM at GoldMax,” which is currently running in major markets across the country, on YouTube and the company’s website http://www.goldmaxusa.com.

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A new study from the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that customers rated Costco the best in terms of shopping experience. Customers were consistently pleased with the quality of products and the prices they were paying, both in stores and online, MSNBC reported. While small businesses may not be able to match the size of the wholesale giant, Costco, they can learn a thing or two about customer satisfaction from them. In the recent blog post ?What Your Business and Costco Can Have in Common,? The Business Finance Store offers advice to small businesses on how to improve their customers? shopping experiences based on Costco?s high customer shopping rating.

A small business doesn?t have to have Costco?s inventory or profit to make customers happy. Rather they can take cues from the top rated store and find ways to implement their strategies to ensure success in their own business. Read more about what small businesses can learn from Costco and how to ensure customer satisfaction at The Business Finance Store Blog.

The Business Finance Store is a business financing and consulting firm that offers customized Business Financial Solutions. Seasoned professionals offer assistance in a variety of financial solutions to help small businesses succeed such as: Business Financial Solutions, Legal Solutions, and Accounting Solutions.

The staff at The Business Finance Store understands that starting and growing a business is an exciting time. They keep it exciting by taking care of some of the most difficult aspects, by providing legal advice, helping with vital responsibilities like accounting & bookkeeping, and by obtaining business finance. They can quickly and easily guide entrepreneurs through many different complicated processes and put them on the path to success.

For 10 years The Business Finance Store has been helping startups and other small businesses legally structure their companies, find the right franchises, get the funding they need, and achieve the American Dream of owning their own successful business. Since expanding nationwide in 2007, they have helped thousands of companies and have funded over $ 60 Million in business credit lines, not including SBA loans. The Business Finance Store sees limitless potential in the current climate, and looks forward to many strong years of growth to come. Take some time to review their services, and give them a call.

For more information, or a free, no-obligation analysis of your business needs, visit The Business Finance Store website: http://www.businessfinancestore.com. A member of their professional staff will contact you to discuss your business’ short and long-term goals. Whatever you need, The Business Finance Store is there.

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Clopton Capital, a commercial mortgage firm based in Chicago, IL is exploring and brainstorming new ideas to market their various commercial loan services.

Freemium web-based services are on idea the firm has explored to market their commercial mortgages and other commercial loan products. The firm feels this idea has the greatest potential for growth but also the most significant degree of barrier to entry. Although they feel confident they will one day provide numerous free web services they feel it will be years before they pursue this. ?There are a lot of excellent ways we could market ourself but the weakness with all of these ideas is that they take a long time and lot of work to pay off. Regardless we will have to pursue at least a few of them eventually,? said Jake Clopton, the founder of Clopton Capital.

Another idea the firm has explored is starting their own trade publication about the commercial mortgage industry. The firm believes there aren’t enough informative and intelligent publications revolving around the commercial loan industry and that launching an online one would be advantageous as a form of inbound marketing.

An idea which the firm is most likely to utilize is the use of free merchandise such as pens, calendars, mouse pads and similar items to brand with their logo as a means to promote commercial loans and commercial mortgages. This is an idea the firm feels is most likely to succeed as they feel it has worked very well for so many other firms.

Any businesses or commercial real estate owners who are seeking business loans are urged to contact Clopton Capital at 866.647.1650 or via their website CloptonCapital.com.

For more information about Clopton Capital?s business loan services visit their website dedicated to them at CloptonCapital.com. To join their financial link exchange visit CloptonCapital.com/link.

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CreditSesame.com (http://www.creditsesame.com), the fast-growing personal finance and credit education resource site, announced findings today that reveal consumers are still missing out on credit card savings despite numerous services available to help them. Because choosing the right credit card can be complicated but shouldn?t be, Credit Sesame also announced the launch of its credit card matching service that will help consumers find the card that?s best for their financial situation. Credit Sesame takes the guesswork out of finding the right credit card by analyzing the consumer?s existing financial profile, goals and credit score to provide credit card recommendations best fit for their individual needs.

The study analyzed over 1.6 million existing credit card accounts and found two distinct groups of cardholders?those interested in saving money through the best rates and those interested in the best rewards program offers:

The Benikea hotel is a hotel chain of low and medium cost hotels, managed by the Korea Tourism Organization (headed by Lee Cham). Hotel guests will be given free vouchers if they have stayed there and upload their comments on the hotel?s booking site by February 19.

This ‘Hotel Experience & Review’ event is held under the theme of ‘Benikea?s Never-ending Story’, and is being run in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. Any foreign or Korean tourists are welcome to participate in the event. During the event period, guests can leave their comments or photos after their experiences at a hotel or in surrounding tour sites on a bulletin board (on the hotel booking site).

Among the participants of the event by Feb. 19, 80 winners are offered hotel vouchers (worth 40,000 won each). The vouchers are available for use at 44 affiliated hotels nationwide by June.

Kim Dae Ho, a business team leader, said that “We hope that more of our guests will get the chance to learn about our reasonable rates and good service during the event and dream of their future travels with their family or friends.”

About Benikea

The Benikea Hotel was born as a joint project with the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization. It is a hotel chain of low and medium cost hotels, a first in Korea, and the hotel name is an acronym of ‘Best Night in Korea’, which means that guests can relax and enjoy the best in service levels.

The Korean Tourism Organization created the hotel chain in order to provide local and foreign tourists with high quality services at reasonable prices and activate the business of underrated hotels to improve the domestic tourism industry. Currently, the hotel chain is affiliated with 44 local tourist hotels in Seoul, Busan, Gangwon and Jeju, along with other areas. Tourists can reserve their stays on the Benikea web pages in Korean, Japanese, Chinese and English.

Korea’s indigenous hotel chain, Benikea’s advantages

? Reliable hotel as recommended by peer review

A prospective Benikea hotel undergoes a peer review and screening procedures specified by the Korea Tourism Organization. A certified consulting agency makes an objective review of the facilities and services of the candidate hotels. Customers can then trust the standards of any Benikea Hotel they book.

? Reasonable prices, comfortable service

Benikea-affiliated tourist hotels have reasonable room rates per night of less than 100 dollars, on weekdays and in low season, targeted to budget travelers. For more comfortable services and price benefits, all Benikea hotels devote themselves to QC, which is carried out through employee education & training, guest questionnaire surveys and mystery shopping.

? Differentiated amusement

Benikea-affiliated hotels feature different facilities that are within easier access to city tours, airports, seaside scenery, spas, or ski resorts. Prospective customers can freely enjoy a wide array of amusement services.

In September 2011, Benikea developed a brand standard to manage and operate hotel facilities and employees. The facility standards are referred to for maximized guest convenience and employee working radius, particularly for comfortable guest rooms. The operating standards include managing organizations and guest rooms, housekeeping, food & catering services, business and sales & marking strategies. As such, Benikea developed a competitive advantage as a global brand. This is evidenced by the reservation status of guest rooms, up 73% from earlier years.

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T3Leads, a leading online lead generation firm, is expanding its payday loan business to Canada. Currently, T3Leads generates leads for payday lenders in the U.S. and the U.K.

Canada is a market where most of the payday loan websites are owned and operated by lenders. This offers a real opportunity for an experienced lead generator to help lenders who don?t have the budgets or know-how to design and maintain their own websites, in this increasingly competitive field.

?We?re always looking for industries and markets where our services can make a positive impact. There are borrowers and lenders who will really benefit from our services and we look forward to building and serving those Canadian markets. Our goal, as it is with any market we enter, is to become number one. And to get there by being the one firm people choose to do business with,? says, David Gasparian, CMO of T3Leads.

T3Leads matches lead generators AKA affiliate marketers with businesses, in this case, payday loan lenders, who are looking to expand their business. It uses sophisticated web design and back-end technology to offer the most productive and customer friendly lead generation system available.

T3Leads utilizes a proprietary platform wherein affiliate marketers customize T3 designed sites, or they may create their own. For those that create their own it is a host and POST system. This combination of websites results in lead traffic of the highest caliber.

T3Leads also generates leads for the consumer and commercial insurance industries.

Initially T3Leads will generate leads for lenders in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia. T3Leads is based in Encino, California.

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In the interactive children?s e-book, Bill the Fish, graphic artist Brett Curzon invites young readers to join him in a delightful journey under the sea, where Bill rides his bike and interacts (virtually!) with a wide range of quirky sea friends. Against a backdrop of beautiful acrylic paintings, the book contains a series of interactive elements and hidden treasures on each page, but with one simple message: Being different is okay.

?Bill the Fish celebrates individuality,? explains Curzon. ?It teaches children through a series of wildly differing aquatic characters that we are all meant to be different. It?s okay to be yourself. Quirks and all.?

Curzon had developed a hard copy of the story in 2007 as part of a homework assignment for a graphic design class. He was to create something that could be sold, so he published Bill and brought 100 copies to a local artisan market. The books sold out within a few hours, and Curzon realized that he would need a larger platform for his creativity.

?I began searching for companies that could create an app for me,? said Curzon. ?It quickly came to my attention that most companies were going to charge me a large sum of money and heavy residuals in order to send my project off to be coded by programmers in a far-away country.?

With more research, Curzon came across InteractBooks, which features the InteractBuilder tool: ?I immediately recognized that there were two distinct advantages to working with InteractBooks. For one, the tool was easy to use and allowed me to retain control over the output; I was able to focus on the creative side without worrying about the technical aspect. And two, the team at InteractBooks made a concerted effort to help me however they could. It?s really more than a company; it?s a community.?

The Background

?My original intent was to write something for my kids,? explains Curzon, whose three children range in age from 10 to 14. ?I wanted to help them become more confident and help them deal with challenges in school. When I developed Bill and his relationship to the other characters, I wanted to make the point that they?re all different. Feeling out of place is part of everyday life.?

Curzon is no stranger to the ?fish out of water? feeling. A native Australian, he was deeply impressed by the blatant discrimination aimed at his grandmother, who was an aboriginal at a time when that wasn?t accepted: ?She was treated quite terribly because of her color.?

After moving away from home at age 16, Curzon went through an important period of discovery during his early adulthood, exploring a number of countries on several continents. Over the course of six years, Curzon found himself in Indonesia, Peru, Bolivia, Fiji, Samoa, Malayisa, Mexico, Canada, and the United States (California). He learned an important lesson along the way.

?I made friends with people who were living in abject poverty, including a close friend who lived with his mother in a cardboard box,? Curzon recalls. ?They are the happiest people you meet. They aren?t concerned with accumulating wealth; they are family-orientated.?

He married his soul mate, Tracy, and moved back to Australia, settling into his role as a construction worker, despite what he describes as ?miserable? circumstances. Curzon was forever changed when he was injured on a construction site where he had been a day laborer for eight years. Once a sponsored surfer, he was devastated that he could no longer surf, and he was forced to make a career change that didn?t involve manual labor.

Curzon was accepted into a graphic design program at The Hunter Institute of Technology with the help of a little white lie: ?Ironically, I was applying to a school of technology, but I had never actually turned on a computer prior to joining the program,? he recalled. Nevertheless, he completed the two-year program successfully, ranking second in a class of 60 students.

A lifelong painter and visual artist, Curzon found graphic design a manageable trade, more in line with his creative instincts than the construction field. Yet, designing CD covers and returning commissioned art remained a profitable trade and not a source of enjoyment.

With the unflappable support of his family, Curzon discovered that writing children?s books was the best antidote for dealing with the fast-paced nature of the world. ?Kids don?t complicate things. Writing these books reminds me that there?s a beautiful simplicity to life, and it?s just beneath the surface.?

The importance of individuality is equally simple, but not always obvious. ?If a diver were to judge an oyster by its shell on the outside, he might never discover the beautiful pearl inside,? Curzon relates. ?I like to remind my young readers of the importance of this idea, so I sign their books with this message. I say: ?Always look a little deeper.??

About InteractBooks, LLC.

InteractBooks provides tools for non-programmers to create high-quality e-books, and other media in an interactive format that make effective use of touch-screen tablets and smartphone devices. Currently available for the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone devices, the app will soon be running on Android devices including the Amazon Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet. The app is also being ported to run on Windows Phone devices later this year.

The InteractBooks App is available as a free download from the Apple iTunes App Store. Browsing the InteractBooks Store directly from the App, users can download from a growing library of interactive children’s e-books (also known as InteractBooks), there are a couple of free books available for download too.

The InteractBuilder is also a free software download which runs on Macs and Windows PC’s that works in conjunction with the InteractBooks App allowing users to create their own interactive books. With the help of a comprehensive library of video tutorials and a network of technical support, the tool has become the most effective resource for children?s book authors, illustrators and presenters wishing to enter into the wonderful world of interactive media. In addition to featuring books in it’s own interactive book store, InteractBooks also offers the ability to publish interactive books as stand alone apps.

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Elite Meetings International (EMI) brought together representatives from more than 100 top luxury hotels and prequalified meeting professionals from around the country to do deals, learn about the latest developments in corporate social responsibility, and look ahead to an exciting 2012, at the Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA), January 29-31.

Taking place at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, the EMA included close to 1,000 prescheduled one-on-one meetings, continuing education sessions for CMP credit, inside perspectives from leading industry speakers, and a unique focus on corporate social responsibility. Among meeting professionals surveyed at the conference, close to three-quarters projected holding more meetings at luxury hotels in 2012 than in 2011 ? a sign that the year is off to a strong start for planners and hoteliers alike.

Among attendees surveyed at the EMA:

The Bank of America recently reported in a press release that they hired more than 50 small business bankers in the New England area as part of a plan to employ 1,000 more small business bankers by mid-2012. The plan is to make banking information more accessible to small businesses across the country, starting with New England. This increased attention to small business could be beneficial to those in need of funding for their business. In the recent blog post ?Face of Small Business Banking is Changing,? The Business Finance Store discusses the changes in Bank of America?s policy toward small businesses and how entrepreneurs could benefit.

Increased consideration for small businesses from a large lender like Bank of America could have positive benefits for small businesses. Small businesses make up a good portion of the economy, this banking policy change could potentially signal a new approach toward funding and support for small businesses. Read more about Bank of America?s increased number of small business bankers and how small businesses can benefit at the Business Finance Store Blog.

The Business Finance Store is a business financing and consulting firm that offers customized Business Financial Solutions. Seasoned professionals offer assistance in a variety of financial solutions to help small businesses succeed such as: Business Financial Solutions, Legal Solutions, and Accounting Solutions.

The staff at The Business Finance Store understands that starting and growing a business is an exciting time. They keep it exciting by taking care of some of the most difficult aspects, by providing legal advice, helping with vital responsibilities like accounting & bookkeeping, and by obtaining business finance. They can quickly and easily guide entrepreneurs through many different complicated processes and put them on the path to success.

For 10 years The Business Finance Store has been helping startups and other small businesses legally structure their companies, find the right franchises, get the funding they need, and achieve the American Dream of owning their own successful business. Since expanding nationwide in 2007, they have helped thousands of companies and have funded over $ 60 Million in business credit lines, not including SBA loans. The Business Finance Store sees limitless potential in the current climate, and looks forward to many strong years of growth to come. Take some time to review their services, and give them a call.

For more information, or a free, no-obligation analysis of your business needs, visit The Business Finance Store website: http://www.businessfinancestore.com. A member of their professional staff will contact you to discuss your business’ short and long-term goals. Whatever you need, The Business Finance Store is there.

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