Sorry for the protracted absence; we've been busy with work, home stuff and travel and haven't had the time or energy we should to devote to the blog. Funny how these things work though, no matter how long you leave the blog, people still find you. Yes, they find stagnant, boring stuff that's been sitting around for too long, but they find it. That's called "the Long Tail" effect, and it's made possible by the Web in all its glory.
The Long Tail is an economic theory devised by Chris Andersen, editor of Wired magazine. The Long Tail says that there are infinitely more people interested in niche information than people interested in what might be the most "popular" subjects at any given time. This creates interesting opportunities for companies. Because of the Web's reach, the Long Tail says it's possible to sell more niche products (or services) to a wider audience via the Web than it is to sell the most popular products/services to a narrow market in a traditional "brick and mortar" establishment. Graphic from Chris' Long Tail blog:
So the Web creates opportunities down the Tail, which means even though we've been neglecting the blog and not doing much to promote the business of selling ID scanners here, people have still been finding us through Web search engines. Search engines love sites like this one, which is actually a blog.
But we digress. This is a site about ID scanners, checking IDs, how to spot fake IDs, compliance, underage drinking and anything else which has to do with the sale of restricted products to minors. We sell nationally, but are based in Boston so a lot of the content you see here is local market news. Don't let that fool you though, Boston is notorious for its compliance enforcement and tough underage drinking laws. Some of the toughest in the nation.
Just a few days ago the Boston Police Department issued a press release (which we can't find ANYWHERE on the Web) but was written about in the Boston University Newspaper The Daily Free Press, detailing the BPD's plans for more vigorous spot or, "Minimum Age Purchase Law compliance" checks [their language] going forward. No start or end date was given, although if the department issued a press release about it then the good money says the initiative has already started.
As always, we invite anyone (not just Boston-area) establishments selling liquor, beer, wine, etc. or tobacco to contact us at 617-312-5942 to learn more about the most effective and inexpensive ID scanners available. Don't let the thought of saving a couple of bucks (and it's really minimal, folks) keep you from protecting your livelihood. How much would it cost you to be shut down for two or three days over a weekend? That's a first-offense scenario. The cost of our scanners is comparable to about an hour's worth of sales on a Thursday night.
Last point: the BPD has a cool blog! According to their archives, the BDPNews.com site has been up since late 2005. Embarrassingly we've just discovered it, which reads kind of like a cool, text-based episode of "COPS." Check it out if you've got a penchant for voyeurism.





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