Is Free Advertising Really Free?

Inc Magazine posted an article last week outlining the plans several social media outlets have to offer free advertising to small businesses.

Facebook (who IMHO has peaked as an advertising venue due to its sheer size and other terms of service in advertising that I blogged about a while back) is offering free advertising starting in January.

LinkedIn is offering coupons for limited amounts of free ads, as is Google.  I just got a coupon from Google myself over the weekend.

Each site/company has its own standards and limitations on the offerings.

So, is free advertising from any social media outlet worth it?
It's vital to remember that "free" always means "free of financial charge".   Advertising always requires time and effort.  The venue may be free but there is still an investment of time, planning, updating - or an investment of cash to pay someone else to make the investment.

Social media works in advertising because it's the online equivalent of in-person networking.  All business relationships are based on personal ones to some degree.  But it's more vital for entrepreneurs and small businesses to personally get the word out since their budgets are so tight.

So if you're going to venture into social networking....
1)  Make sure you know where your audience is.  Believe it or not, not everyone looking for your goods or services is on Facebook.  Research your online outlets, talk with your current customers, find out where they are, then put your actions in that direction.
2)  Count the cost in terms of time.  How much time and effort can you put into social media?  If you're not willing to use the service personally, then you want to rethink your ad plan.  Keep your content interesting or all of the free advertising in the world won't be worth a dime.
3)  Remember that social media is about driving traffic.  Driving it where?  To your website of course.  Social media is the draw, your website is the destination.  Make sure it's worth your visitors' time once they get there.

Dunwoody Music Festival Coming October 22

Not many of my recent projects have had a need for video.  The Dunwoody Music Festival is an exception.
Oktober Productions created a 30-second spot that is airing on CBS Atlanta during their news broadcasts.  I happened to catch it on Tuesday when it started running.

Stay for the end of the video.  I'm happy to say my corporate logo made it onto the final slide!

So now that video has joined the project, there naturally has to be a YouTube channel for SDOC.  Don't know how much I"ll be adding to it or when, but subscribe and check it out once in a while.

See you on October 22!  I'm bringing my kids to play on the rides!

Dunwoody Elections 2011 - Rick Callihan

Next up, Mr. Rick Callihan, also running for District 1 at-large.  His campaign website is at http://www.rickcallihan.com/

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1)    What one qualification do you have for elected office that exceeds those of your opponents?

I started my own business, from scratch, and then grew that business to become an industry leader.  The skills used to start and grow a business are similar to the skills needed to make decisions for a city: proper planning, disciplined spending, excellent service, and a great product.

2)    The City’s Economic Development Department’s stated purpose is “The City of Dunwoody Economic Development Director is responsible for leading efforts to retain, expand and attract businesses that support a broad array of employment opportunities; strategically grow its knowledge-based economy; and expand the City’s tax base.”  What should be this department’s next priority task to accomplish this purpose?

The city should create a new overlay district for the Perimeter area, allowing the PCID to have its own sign ordinance.  And of course, the city should not be buying property zoned O & I.  Our Economic Development Director needs all the tools he can get.  It does not make sense to convert prime real estate to green space. 

3)    What was the City’s best business decision to date?  (Any level or department, since operations started.)

Instead of directly hiring employees, I am glad the city opted to follow, to a degree, the Sandy Springs model of contracting with different companies to provide city services. 

4)    What was one business decision made by the City (at any level, since operations started) that should not have been made?  If you were given the chance, what would you have recommended be done differently?

The city should not have taken over the stormwater system from DeKalb.  In years to come this has the potential to be as expensive as our police department on an annual basis.  The taxpayers in Dunwoody will see the stormwater fee on their tax bill rise steadily year after year.  I would have kept the stormwater system in the hands of DeKalb, and made sure they kept up with repairs as needed. 

5)    As a member of City Council, you will be able to appoint or recommend members of various commissions.  Besides an interest in the subject, and a desire to serve, what qualifications do you want to see in a potential commission member?

I want to see people dedicated to the success of our city, and I will seek out people with real-world experience they can bring to committees.  I also feel all committee members should be residents of Dunwoody or owner/manager of a business in Dunwoody. 

6)    Which City department or commission (besides the Police) is the most critically important in developing the future of Dunwoody?

Zoning Board of Appeals 

7)    Which City department or commission do you feel is underserved and needs more attention in terms of funding and other resources (including personnel)?

Code enforcement.  We have one guy responsible for inspecting apartments, removing illegal signs, and general code enforcement.  If elected to council, I would suggest adding at least one more full-time person to code enforcement. 

8)    In what ways should the City and Chamber of Commerce (or any other private entity) collaborate and in what ways should they be working separately to grow the City’s economic base?

The Chamber has its own mission, as does the city.  The city’s Economic Development Department needs to focus on bringing jobs to the city.  Once here, the Chamber plays a key role in helping new (and existing) businesses get involved in city events.  The Chamber can play a pivotal role, using current members to help develop leads for the Development director. 

9)    Elected officials are constantly contacted with requests to have specific issues addressed by local citizens.  If elected, how will you prioritize what issues get on the Council agenda, what will get further private discussion, and what will be tabled?

Managing a business, I deal with major industry distributors, and I deal with the end-user of the company’s products.  Both need treated with respect.  Major issues need directed to the appropriate city department.  In these departments we have experts that help council determine the next step.  There are countless situations in regards to contact between residents and council members, and each need handled differently.  There can be no set policy as to what does and does not get brought before council.  As a small city, we can handle individually with all requests. 

10) Open Mike Question:  Make any statement you like on what issue or action will be most important to you as an elected official.

I am opposed to the urbanization of the Perimeter area.  I am also opposed to Transit Oriented Developments that have Federal set-asides for low income housing.  We need a council that will defend the homeowner, yet work with the PCID on job growth. I believe it is in the best long term interest of Dunwoody to maintain the current ratio of jobs to housing units in the PCID. 

Home Occupation Updates from Planning Commission

Last night was the perfect storm from Hell.  Husband gets home late from a meeting and I leave my carefully crafted notes on a table by the door as I rush out to City Hall, arriving half an hour late. 

Then discover that I am the only representative of The Public in attendance.

John's blog outlined the changes that were being made in the Zoning ordinance (which is temporary anyway, more on that later) that would affect home-based businesses and employees.

The bottom line is, most of the changes are being accepted as is - that home occupations may allow customer or employee contact, with some limitations.  The verbage regarding home-based daycare centers is being removed due to the fact that day care centers are going to have several "customers" in the home for several hours a day, with several parents picking up and dropping off in a short spurt each day.  Since I'm not familiar with all of the licensing and regulations and logistics of a home-based day care center, I'm going to hold comment on that one.  If someone out there is familiar with home-based daycare and would like to comment, the floor (comments area) is yours.

However - there still is a hearing process in place for any home-based work/business that will receive customers or employees and there was enormous resistance to any changes at all.  My friend Heather was dragged through FIVE meetings because the City staff had trouble reading their own regulations.  It was only supposed to be three.  After some verbal arm twisting the Commission whittled the number of hearings down to one (in front of Planning Commission) so that "the public can be notified".

In an ideal world, neighbors would talk to each other and bring issues to each other without dragging City Hall into it.  However we do not live in an ideal world and some neighbors would rather whine to the DHA or email nastygram blasts than talk to the person and attempt to resolve whatever questions they have.

There's some pros and cons to the recommendations.

Pro:  the business owner/employee has some protection in that they will get a fair hearing in public and can bring supporters to speak on their behalf.  Their fate is not at the mercy of an individual with an axe to grind, Internet access, and too much time on their hands.

Con:  for those business owners with irregular or occasional customer contact (as described in earlier posts) the process is the same.  There has to be public notification, additional expense, additional time spent, all to casually meet a single person - who may be visiting anyway in a non-business capacity - every few months or so.

Con:  Loophole City.  The zoning code places a greater burden on a homeowner for a "nuisance" allegedly caused by a business enterprise, than a "nuisance" allegedly caused by a social event. 

Is this the outcome that I believe will benefit the City in the long run?  No.  Is it a step in the right direction?  Yes, and I credit the PC with that because redefining the nature of a "residential neighborhood" is a huge question and there is a lot of persuasion involved in convincing some sectors of the public that they will not be harmed by it.  In addition, the Zoning Code as we see it today is not long for this world.  An RFP was recently awarded (but not linked on the City site) to completely revamp Zoning.  As I said at Community Council not long ago, the first step in setting up a comprehensive Zoning code is to clearly define "nuisance" - when do you have a problem that should involve City Hall, when you should talk to your neighbor, and when you should put on your grownup underpants and just deal with it - then use that definition as a uniform standard for any and all activity in a particular zoned area.

The question for "casual business visitors" is whether to go to the trouble of obeying the law.  Is it more trouble than it's worth to drag your case of one-visitor-every-three-months through public hearings?  Or do you feel safe under a "don't-ask-don't-tell" philosophy?  I'm usually in favor of obeying the law to the letter.  But do I submit the extra money and time into a process, or do I invest in doing the work I'm paid for?  For many entrepreneurs that's going to be a tough call for a while.

Dunwoody Election 2011 - Terry Nall

Mr. Terry Nall was the first to reply to my survey of candidates below.  Terry is running for District 1 at-large (city-wide vote) and his campaign website can be found at http://www.terrynallfordunwoody.com/
Thank you Terry and with no further ado, here are his answers, unedited:

1) What one qualification do you have for elected office that exceeds those of your opponents?


I will be the only active CPA serving on City Council. I bring conservative, comprehensive financial expertise to City Council and a belief that needs must come before wants.”

2) The City’s Economic Development Department’s stated purpose is “The City of Dunwoody Economic Development Director is responsible for leading efforts to retain, expand and attract businesses that support a broad array of employment opportunities; strategically grow its knowledge-based economy; and expand the City’s tax base.” What should be this department’s next priority task to accomplish this purpose?

I recommend the next priority task is to build, train, and grow a volunteer “ambassadors” program to assist with economic development tasks. See question #8 below.
3) What was the City’s best business decision to date? (Any level or department, since operations started.)

This is a tie. On the personnel front, the City’s best business decision to date is the hiring of Sharon Lowery as City Clerk and Chris Pike as Finance Director. Both are extremely experienced and well-qualified for their respective positions.


On the public works front, the City’s best business decision is to evaluate the condition of its roads via laser truck and inventory the condition of the storm sewer drains. Both infrastructures are liabilities that were inherited from DeKalb County and the evaluations provide elected leaders with proper information for establishing funding priorities.

4) What was one business decision made by the City (at any level, since operations started) that should not have been made? If you were given the chance, what would you have recommended be done differently?

The city recently made a significant (in my opinion) mistake in its Request for Proposal process to secure city services vendor contracts for 2012 and beyond. The procedures of the RFP for Publics Works and Parks Departments were openly admitted by the City Manager as not followed properly. The error was publicly known, yet my opponent on the evaluation committee wanted to award the two problem contracts regardless, according to emails obtained. Others on Council prevailed and authorized a rebid of the RFP. However, Council did not replace the evaluation committee members. I would have recommended a change of membership for the evaluation committee for the rebid process. Dunwoody is recognized as a City of Ethics and we must live up to it.

5) As a member of City Council, you will be able to appoint or recommend members of various commissions. Besides an interest in the subject, and a desire to serve, what qualifications do you want to see in a potential commission member?

Beyond the obvious items mentioned in the question, I would like to see a passion for Dunwoody, a demonstrated history of collaboration in working with multiple members of committees or community projects, and a record of good attendance and participation while working on committees or projects.

6) Which City department or commission (besides the Police) is the most critically important in developing the future of Dunwoody?

The Community Development Department and its associated boards of Community Council, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals, is the most critical to developing Dunwoody’s future. The planned total re-write of the Zoning Code, coupled with a future turnaround in the economy, will affect development projects that could set the course of Dunwoody for decades to come.

7) Which City department or commission do you feel is underserved and needs more attention in terms of funding and other resources (including personnel)?

Public Works is underfunded at its current levels. Though some progress has been made on repaving of roads, the progress remains sluggish and other needs, such as redesign of bottleneck intersections and computerized synchronization of all city traffic lights, remain unfunded despite having had three years of annual surpluses.

8) In what ways should the City and Chamber of Commerce (or any other private entity) collaborate and in what ways should they be working separately to grow the City’s economic base?

In a collaborative “joint” fashion, the City and Chamber of Commerce can help retain existing businesses and recruit new businesses to Dunwoody. To be successful in either area, the community needs well-trained “ambassadors” who live and/or work in Dunwoody and would sell and resell businesses on the merits of Dunwoody as a superb location for employees and senior executive families to work and live during “location scouting” visits. The confidential introduction of ambassadors to these businesses could extend to assimilating newly relocated employees to Dunwoody into the fabric of our community. Similar to how volunteer police reserves will supplement a police department, volunteer ambassadors could supplement an economic development department.


In a separate fashion, but with collaboration and cooperation when needed, the City and Chamber of Commerce could provide a number of Leadership Dunwoody and Opportunity Dunwoody programs. “Leadership Dunwoody” would help broaden established community leaders across Dunwoody for the expanded benefit of charities, schools, churches, and government service. “Opportunity Dunwoody” would work with newer arrivals to Dunwoody who were community leaders in their prior communities in an effort to acclimate and integrate them into the many community service opportunities available in Dunwoody.

9) Elected officials are constantly contacted with requests to have specific issues addressed by local citizens. If elected, how will you prioritize what issues get on the Council agenda, what will get further private discussion, and what will be tabled?

I have experience with a number of multi-person governance bodies. The best method of dealing with issues raised is to socialize the presented issues “one-on-one” with other Council members. Issues should not be raised for the first time at a formal meeting without the prior knowledge or involvement of others who would be involved in the decision. This pre-meeting work determines whether there is broader support for the issue from others, what other information is needed about the issue for others to make an informed decision, and helps identify any inadvertent, unintended consequences of the issue. This is called consensus-building and is needed by others on Council.

10) Open Mike Question: Make any statement you like on what issue or action will be most important to you as an elected official.

A key principle during my term will be to “maintain a small, efficient, disciplined government with accountability.” Government serves a limited purpose and we should stick to our priorities of needs first. We also need accountability. We’re no longer a start-up and we have well-paid, experienced staff in place. Certainly no one is perfect, but we need Council members to not be afraid to ask the tough questions when things go wrong. I am that person and that CPA.

Opportunity Knocking - City of Dunwoody is Hiring

... a Community Development Director

Excerpted essential job duties from the official description linked above:

•Supervise the initiation, amendment, and implementation of ordinances and resolutions relevant to community development such as zoning, land division and development, and building;



•Assures that citizen complaints and inquiries relating to departmental activity are researched and resolved in a timely fashion;




•Communicates official plans, programs, policies and procedures to staff and the general public;

•Directs ongoing research into new technologies and trends, and recommends implementation of programs and equipment to help the Department achieve its objectives more efficiently;


•Coordinates, researches and evaluates projects and programs that will enhance and preserve the City’s economic base;
 


•Ability to identify the department’s future direction in response to changing community needs, and to develop, implement, and monitor appropriate plans, schedules, and action steps;


Can you say "Hot Potato"?  I knew you could.  :-)  Who will step up and put their hat in the ring for this one?

Remember in an earlier post (linked here) where I said you can learn a lot about an elected official by who they appoint or hire?  The Council has final say on City hires and policies to be implemented - but it's people in roles like that that tell them what direction to go in, policy-wise.

Let's pay attention to who applies and who gets hired.  That could put an awfully big spin on some referendums coming up, as well as elections.

Speaking of which, I'm still waiting to see if there will be any responses to my one-woman campaign forum.  IMHO, I'll know who's responsive to the average Dunwoody citizen, and who may not be, based on who bothers to answer and who doesn't.  But like everything else, that's just one opinion.  That ends up on this blog.

Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011

Everything we do on a computer today - streaming movies and animation, picking out a font in our email, to animated apps on our phone - is because of Steve Jobs and Apple Computer.  They're the reason I have a job today, and impacts every bit of my design and programming choices.

My family got its first computer - a Mac Plus - when I was 14.  I remember being fascinated by the "mouse" and how I had to sync an audio tape with the "Intro" program to follow the tutorial instructions.

My sophomore year in college, I was the only person on the dorm floor to have a computer - this time a Mac SE.  TWO floppy disk slots and an external hard drive.  I was hot sh*t in a champagne glass and I knew it.  The MacPaint program saved my life in the sterochemistry chapter of Organic Chemistry 204.  With my ImageWriter 2 printer I had the best documents in Warren Towers and the grades to show for it.

Today, whenever I create a website (especially the Dunwoody Chamber and a number of new projects coming up) a key question is "How is this going to look on an iPhone?"  "Do we need to make this mobile?"  The answer to that last one isn't always "yes" but it always has to be considered.

Rest in peace, Steve.  You did it - you changed the world.  I think for the better.

Straight Outta Dunwoody

BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I see wahy this was trending on Twitter after the DHA meeting last night!

Duwnoody Election 2011

And, they're off!
Campaign signs and bumper stickers are popping up like mushrooms and brief campaign bios are showing up in newspapers online.

Yesterday I sent out the following email to all candidates in our city's contested races to see if they would offer some deeper insights into their philosophy of local government and vision for Dunwoody.  As I promised, whatever responses arrive will be posted without editing or editorial comment.

Let's see what happens!

Tonight, I'm headed to the DHA meeting to hear the knock-down-drag-out civilized discussion over the Parks Bonds up for a vote in November.  I'm composing my own epistle on that saga for a future post.  Until then I'm packing a snack, a bottle of wine, stadium seat, and maybe a pillow and toothbrush, depending on how much this gets drawn out.

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Ladies and Gentlemen

I’m writing to you today to invite you to participate in an online Q&A on the Dunwoody Working Girl blog.

At the end of this email, ... I’ve assembled some questions regarding your vision of City government and your ideas of your place in it that are generally not covered by the local media. This invitation is going out to all candidates in contested races for the upcoming Dunwoody city election.

Any answers you choose to give will be posted on the blog, in their own dedicated post, in their entirety, unedited. (I’m not even running a spell-check!) Aside from some formatting, what you choose to say is what gets broadcast to the world.

This isn’t an “official” forum hosted by any group, HOA, the Chamber of Commerce, etc. I write a blog with a perspective on local business – citizens making a living. I am happy to provide a forum to each and every one of you to address questions and concerns from this perspective. I’ll post replies in the order that I receive them, as soon as they arrive. I am also planning a banner on the blog that will link to everyone’s official campaign site (or blog, etc). Feel free to include a mug shot to include with your responses if you wish.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and I look forward to learning more about each of your perspectives both online and in the upcoming candidate forums.

1) What one qualification do you have for elected office that exceeds those of your opponents?


2) The City’s Economic Development Department’s stated purpose is “The City of Dunwoody Economic Development Director is responsible for leading efforts to retain, expand and attract businesses that support a broad array of employment opportunities; strategically grow its knowledge-based economy; and expand the City’s tax base.” What should be this department’s next priority task to accomplish this purpose?

3) What was the City’s best business decision to date? (Any level or department, since operations started.)

4) What was one business decision made by the City (at any level, since operations started) that should not have been made? If you were given the chance, what would you have recommended be done differently?

5) As a member of City Council, you will be able to appoint or recommend members of various commissions. Besides an interest in the subject, and a desire to serve, what qualifications do you want to see in a potential commission member?

6) Which City department or commission (besides the Police) is the most critically important in developing the future of Dunwoody?

7) Which City department or commission do you feel is underserved and needs more attention in terms of funding and other resources (including personnel)?

8) In what ways should the City and Chamber of Commerce (or any other private entity) collaborate and in what ways should they be working separately to grow the City’s economic base?

9) Elected officials are constantly contacted with requests to have specific issues addressed by local citizens. If elected, how will you prioritize what issues get on the Council agenda, what will get further private discussion, and what will be tabled?

10) Open Mike Question: Make any statement you like on what issue or action will be most important to you as an elected official.

Introducing... The YPODs!

www.dunwoodycommerce.org/ypods

I've been working on this project for several months.

The YPODs are the Young Professionals of Dunwoody, a committee of the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce that was designed specifically for the needs of young professionals ages 21 - 35.   The YPOD site is a "subsite" within the main Chamber web complex.

This demographic needed two things:  1)  an image that is slick, hip, and upscale in a sense that appeals to a generation that was born with a cell phone in its hand - that is, radically different from the primary Chamber site and 2) a layout that was easily adaptable to mobile devices.  Everything had to be mobile ready, on any brand of device. 

I decided to create a theme that mimicked the standard iPhone graphic and utilized a grid layout of icons that resembled an app.  There is no menu, just a "Home" link on each page.  But it's still a website, and appears the same whether you're looking at a desktop, laptop, tablet/iPad, or smartphone.  There's no mistaking the YPODs for any other committee or initiative of the Chamber.  A blog is maintained by YPOD committee members.  Prospective members can even join through the online registration form, or contact the leadership with questions.

Most of all, the site is usable by any mobile device.

<---  Try it!

Update on Bone Marrow Testing Drive for Isaac del Valle

Again, from Holy Redeemer's email list:

Dear Friends and Family of Isaac:
This note is to try to answer as many questions as possible concerning the bone marrow testing event that will be held on Friday, September 30th at Marist High School (located at 3790 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, NE, Atlanta, GA 30319). The purpose of this event is to specifically look for a bone marrow match for Isaac del Valle, a 10th grade student at Marist. Details are as follows:
The bone marrow drive will take place from 12:00-8:00 at Marist and people can come any time during these hours. No appointment is necessary. Testing involves a simple cheek swab and should take about 20 minutes.
Testing will be performed on individuals ages 18 and older. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (and many other children’s hospitals) has policies which prohibit bone marrow transplants from unrelated donors under the age of 18. Because of this policy, the del Valles have decided to limit testing to those ages 18 and older.
We cannot know who might be a match for Isaac. His doctors believe the most likely match will be someone between the ages of 18-60 of a mix of Hispanic and Caucasian background. However, anyone can be a match and are welcome to be tested. We do have a limited number of free tests for those who cannot afford the $115 cost. We do not want to turn away ANYONE willing to be tested and, therefore, are seeking donations to cover the cost of more test kits. If you would like to help us purchase test kits which will be made available to willing participants, you can donate online to www.curechildhoodcancer.org. Click on “donate” and put “Isaac” in the comments section. A special fund has been set up for Isaac at CURE Childhood Cancer for the express purpose of accepting donations to purchase test kits.
We will be selling t-shirts on Friday for $10.00 each in support of Isaac. All proceeds will go towards the test costs.
11Alive has been covering Isaac’s story and will be on site at Marist on Friday during the test drive to continue the coverage of this urgent bone marrow drive. We want to thank everyone for their assistance in helping to find a match for Isaac and in particular to Marist for their support and allowing the bone marrow drive to be held at the school. Thank you to everyone who has already donated money for this bone marrow drive and in advance to those who are considering a donation.
We are urgently looking for volunteers to cover one or two hour shifts from 12-8 pm on Friday. We need at least 15 volunteers per shift. If you can volunteer, please send the time slot you are available to Lynne Bauman at LBauman@syntapharma.com.
The following are some FAQ’s regarding bone marrow testing and bone marrow transplants. If you still have questions, please email them to Lynne Bauman at LBauman@syntapharma.com or Kristin Connor atkristin@curechildhoodcancer.org. Please do not call Kashi Labs. They have been overwhelmed with calls and do not have the resources to handle a large volume of calls.
1. What if I'm already on the registry? Should I be tested again Friday?
No. If you are on the registry, we already know you are not a match for Isaac and there is no need to be re-tested.
2. What if I can't come Friday or am already on the registry? How can I help Isaac?

Because of the cost involved in expedited testing ($115 per person), we are trying to raise money to cover the cost of the kits so cost does not prevent anyone willing from being tested. The more people tested, particularly those fitting the profile of 18-60, Caucasian/Hispanic mix, the greater the chance a match will be found. You can contribute to this effort by visiting www.curechildhoodcancer.org and clicking on "donate". Enter "Isaac" in the comments section.
3. If I contribute to Isaac's fund through CURE, how will the money be used?
100% of all donations to Isaac's fund will be used to cover the cost of bone marrow testing. In the event funds donated are not exhausted by the bone marrow testing, excess funds will be used to cover cancer related costs incurred by the family, or, if the family chooses, they will be donated to CURE to further our mission of curing childhood cancer through research.
4. Are there medical conditions which might make someone ineligible to be a donor?

Yes. There are many factors that may make a person medically ineligible to donate. For guidance, please visit http://www.marrow.org/Join/Medical_Guidelines/Medical_Guidelines_for_Joining_the_Registry.aspx.
5. How is a bone marrow match determined?
Doctors look for a donor who matches their patient's tissue type, specifically their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type. HLAs are proteins — or markers — found on most cells in your body. Your immune system uses these markers to recognize which cells belong in your body and which do not. The closer the match between the patient's HLA markers and yours, the better for the patient.
Source: http://www.marrow.org/
6. What happens if I am identified as a potential match?
More testing will be done to see if you are the best possible match for the patient. Additionally, an information session will be scheduled so you can learn more about the donation process, risks and side effects.
7. If I am tested Friday, will I be added to the National Bone Marrow Registry

No. This testing is being done by a private lab specifically for Isaac. If you wish to join the National Bone Marrow Registry, you will need to contact the Be the Match Foundation, http://www.marrow.org/.