QR is short for Quick Response (they can be read quickly by a cell phone) and the code was developed by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave back in 1994. The fact that the typical barcode can only hold up to 20 digits, whereas the QR code can hold up to 7,089 numeric characters, made it the ideal tool for tracking endless car parts. It wasn’t long before other uses for the code became obvious as it can also contain other information.

Today they are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media and put it in to your cell phone. You may have seen QR codes in a magazine advert, on a billboard, a web page or even on someone’s t-shirt. Once it is in your cell phone, it may give you details about that business (allowing users to search for nearby locations), or details about the person wearing the t-shirt, show you a web page where you can watch a movie trailer, or give you a coupon which you can use at a local store. The possibilities are endless.

ARTS Obispo, the SLO County Arts Council coordinates Art After Dark, a monthly art walk in the heart of Downtown San Luis Obispo. Every first Friday, hundreds of visitors converge in downtown SLO to see new art exhibits and add to their growing collections.
On a typical Art After Dark, over 20 galleries and non-traditional art venues (think restaurants, boutiques, and salons) spotlight the best of established and emerging local artists. They sometimes also feature the works of nationally and internationally acclaimed artists.

MINDBODY, the largest online software provider in the health and wellness industry, has once again been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. This is MINDBODY’s fourth consecutive year on the INC 500/5000 List, ranking 215 among software companies, and 1,184 overall. MINDBODY has experienced 250 percent revenue growth over the last three years.

“We are honored to be recognized once again, and humbled by our accelerating growth, which is related directly to the success of our small business owner subscribers,” said Rick Stollmeyer, MINDBODY’s co-founder and CEO. “Our mission is ‘Leveraging Technology to Improve the Health and Wellness of the World.’ We do this by providing our business subscribers with cutting edge tools that help them grow their businesses and better serve their customers in this tough economy.”

The Community Action Partnership (CAP) of San Luis Obispo County invites members of the Chamber to view our redesigned website.  It is a dynamic site featuring new stories on a recurring basis. We encourage feedback which will be directed to the Development Director. 

The CAP, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has maintained a commitment to San Luis Obispo County to eliminate the causes of poverty, and to empower citizens in achieving economic self-sufficiency and self-determination through a comprehensive array of community-based programs and actions.  For over 46 years, our work is based on the belief that all county residents should have an equal opportunity to support themselves and their families with living wages; safe, affordable housing; excellent early childhood development programs; and quality health care.

Grover Pro, world-renowned manufacturers of professional quality percussion instruments, is now selling online using Shopatron's eCommerce solution designed specifically for branded manufacturers. Shopatron created and hosts Grover Pro's new online store, which highlights the company's entire product line. The store works with Grover Pro's retail partners, allowing the brand's authorized dealers to fulfill the online orders for products they have in-stock.

Grover Pro's instruments are endorsed by many of the world's top percussionists and percussion educators.  Their instruments can be heard on film scores like Harry Potter, Broadway shows like Lion King, and with top artists like Jason Aldean. The company plans to raise brand awareness and increase online and in-store sales through their Shopatron-enabled online store at shop.groverpro.com.

Most business owners are always on the lookout for ways to improve productivity. With today’s companies employing a greater percentage of mobile and remote staff, this ability is critical.

Business owners may be interested to learn about the productivity software called Communications Assistant from Panasonic. Communications Assistant is a PC-based application that allows business users to manage their telephone needs from a desktop or laptop computer.

Different levels of functionality are available for a variety of business situations. 

6 Tips to Protect Your Mobile Gear and Data from Loss or Theft

If your laptop (or other mobile device) were lost today, what's the worst that could happen? That's the question everyone who works remotely should ask, especially before working on the road or using unprotected public networks.

Securing your portable devices — whether they're laptops, netbooks, BlackBerrys, USB memory sticks, etc.  — from loss and cybercrime may be your most important responsibility as a mobile worker.

Most people expect that running a small business means heading to the bank, hat in hand, asking for a five- or six-figure loan just to get started.

A big chunk of start-up and ongoing costs can be your computer and network systems and software.

Thanks to new technological innovations and a changing cost model for buying software, that may no longer be the case. Savvy business owners know that numerous cheap and free tools work just as well as their expensive, brand-name counterparts.