Seva Call has officially arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, we think. We’re just not sure exactly where in Atlanta we are, but we’re pretty sure we’re here. Fortunately, transplants and natives alike are being pretty sympathetic to the disoriented Seva Man as he wanders through the streets, all of which appear to be called Peachtree something. If navigating the city is this challenging, than sifting through the city’s 432,427 movers and shakers to find a service provider must be exhausting- especially if you’re new to what is one of the fastest growing major cities in America.

Seva Call in A-Town

Seva Call can help businesses- both new and locally established- connect to consumers who need their services during the times when they need the business. Consumers, in turn, always discover what service professionals are qualified and available even if they’re not the Atlanta Business Chronicle classifieds section. “Atlanta represents what we’re about- helping people get more done with less effort- leaving them the time and energy to do and accomplish even more”, says founding president, Manpreet Singh.

So, if you want access to highly rated service professionals, and don’t have time to make like a CNN investigative reporter just to find one, go to www.talklocal.com and get connected to real professionals in real time! Seva Man just used Seva Call to find a taxi service on his time- not on that of whichever one he would happen to call.

Written by Dallea Caldwell

If you’re over 21, not the designated driver, and plan to enjoy a spirited beverage or two in celebration of Ireland’s rich cultural heritage, perhaps- when skimming off the froth, you should pour out a few drops for our Saintly departed Saint Patrick. It’s his day, after all.  Besides, archaeologists have recently discovered ancient scrolls dating back to the 5th century indicating that the patron Saint of Ireland literally prayed for rain to disrupt the St Patrick’s Day parade and probably needs help loosening up.

Historians offer 10 speculative reasons:

1. It’s the anniversary of his death, so he wouldn’t really be in a celebratory mood.

2. He was probably all holier-than-thou when it came to drunks, likely because he would have been the designated charioteer every time.

3. He preferred the original holiday’s color, which was blue.

4. He probably often forgot to wear green and got pinched a lot; and, that’s just cruel!

5. He was probably too humble to enjoy all the honorary hoopla and would feel like a false idol  in a way.

6. Nobody says, “Kiss me. I’m not actually Irish but rather British-Roman.”

7. Clovers gave him allergies so he’d never put one in his hat.

8. Beef and cabbage gave him belly aches mixed together like that.

9. Everyone acts so silly and he’s all serious and stuff.

.            ..and…

10. No one remembers his birthday.

Don’t believe us? It is written:

“I’m not some ‘ole stick-in-the-mud Buzz O’Killington.  Of course I want you to have fun celebrating Irish heritage. I’m a saint for Pete’s sake! I would just prefer that you choose safer, more wholesome, less decadent activities like [blah, blah, blah]” – St. Patrick

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the TalkLocal Team!

Written by Dallea Caldwell

No matter how serious or adult you actually  are, everyone seems to treat you like a rosy-cheeked squirrel juggling acorns in a Disney movie as soon as you succumb to a bout with hiccups. The irritating phenomenon is the result of spasms that contract your diaphragm, sparking a reflexive intake of breath that’s disrupted by the closure of your vocal chords. The lurching halt and accompanying hiccup sound can happen for many reasons, like if you…

No matter how they start, everyone and their mama (especially their mama) know how to cure hiccups. Here are 3 especially fun ones to try on your own! Let us know what works!

1) Exhale all the air in your lungs, keep pushing until you feel empty as possible. 2)Hold.. hold… hold… HOLD your breath as long as you can before taking another breath. Seva Man went 5 seconds without passing out. 3) Inhale slowly, deeply.

2) Take a moderate gulp of water, but don’t swallow. 2) Pull each earlobe down. 3) Tilt your head back. 4) NOW swallow.

3) Put a big spoonful of peanut butter in your mouth 2) Hold it for 5 seconds. 3) Swallow without chewing. (Actually don’t. It seems like a choking hazard. Who’s mom is responsible for this idea?)

Or…try this instead.

1) Stick out your tongue as far as you can.

2) Hold it in place using your thumb and forefinger if necessary

3) Keep your tongue stuck out for 3-5 minutes.

Now, if you haven’t been cured of the hiccups- you can be sure no one is smirking because you look like a curious bunny adorably sniffing their shoes- they will now be smirking because you look like a full grown adult curiously sniffing their shoes. Also known as weird. But, it’ll be fun!

For Actual Hiccup Problems

Warning: If you have persistent, severe hiccups, you should contact your doctor. It may be symptomatic of a number of conditions including problems with the central or peripheral nervous system (cancer, stroke, injury), the body’s chemical metabolic processes (kidney failure, hyperventilation), or your psychological health.

Written by Dallea Caldwell

If you don’t know what that is- ask any heavy-hitter in the tech industry- and several others to boot. Or, just ask Seva Call’s own founder Manpreet Singh. He was in Austin representing Seva Call at the annual South by South West Conference- a gathering of today’s biggest emerging indie film-makers, musicians, and techies for a weekend-long storming of the brains. We pressed him for the deets, but his lips were largely mum- mumbling about ‘attending’ ‘events’ hosted by media and marketing companies like Path.com, Retargeter, and Gannet. Oh, we “didn’t miss anything” he said. “All work-work-work”, he said. But, we know the truth. MP stunk of creativity and cheap solutions and was completely high on renewed energy and focus; oh, yeah…and barbeque! Luckily we inserted a GPS location chip in each of his turbans so that we could track their whereabouts at all times.

Sure, most of his turbans were being responsible: staying in, getting to bed early, meditating, and even attending an informative presentation by Microsoft. But there was always one tell-tale turban hobnobbing at live music shows and epic open-bar bashes- somewhere beneath that turban, there may even have been dancing. Also, at some point I think Manpreet figured us out and ditched the chip on some winged migrating creature as he appears to be located both in Potomac and halfway across the Atlantic, obviously preoccupied with taking nosedives over good fishing waters.

Making Connections…and Eating Bacon!

But , hold the bacon (like a new born child), media and marketing company Gannet was behind the thick stench of barbeque, by the way. The friendly blonde wasn’t watching Manpreet because she thought he was cute. She was working for us! Check out her inside scoop for yourself.

And now the customary shout-out to our lawyers, Cooley & Greycroft, who hosted a lovely Hora Feliz.  Our intell was pre-emptively deemed non-admissable in court; so, all we can say is that those guys put it down like a gavel in plausibly deniable fashion. As always, what happens at SXSW, stays at SXSW.

Where does Seva Call find these people? Members of #TeamSeva are routinely spotted in a bright, orange-footed onesie, blue speedo, goggles, and a cape — months after Halloween. They  strut through the black suited masses in mix-matching nail polish and neon blue leggings. Even COO/Co-founder Manpreet Singh stays colored-up… down to the signature orange turban… like a BOSS!

We stay true to the orange and blue! Our unshakable bond and Seva pride was forged in the fiery trenches of deadlines, brainstorming, candy binges, bowling matches, and a weekly beyond-epic ping pong Battle Royale to the death! We band of brothers, we team of tech titans, we bleed tech-savvy service solutions and sing the praises of our Seva as we march onward and upward to revolutionize the search for local businesses with our Gadget Guru Gurpreet, Amazing Aman, and Manpreet the Majestic as our guide! Our hearts soar as high as this rhetoric- no exaggeration!

“We’re definitely an interesting bunch”, Gurpreet added laughingly.

The Seva Call team can be silly at times but one thing we’re serious about is quality service. Go to www.talklocal.com for your service needs. And, to keep up with our antics, friends us on FaceBook or follow us Twitter.

Now that Seva Man is serving the people good people of Durham, North Carolina- he thought it important to get everyone acquainted. Durham, North Carolina, meet Seva Call- an innovative way to get connected to highly rated service professionals in your area without research or calling around. Seva Call, meet Durham, a city in North Carolina which is also known as the Bull City, and is populated by 232,000 people called Durhamites, the standard greeting for whom is “Go Duke!”.

Now that everyone is formally acquainted, let’s all go to www.talklocal.com and get trash removal services, a vet for man’s best friend, a math tutor for your high-schooler, and so many more of the professionals you need but struggle to find. Seva Call finds the most highly rated local professionals available in the time you need and contacts them in real time- including those you won’t stumble upon based on any super sophisticated marketing strategy. “We’re all about neighbors helping neighbors- made easy. So, Durham is a perfect city to serve”, says Gurpreet Singh, founder and CEO of Seva Call.

Yes, Durhamites certainly love supporting their home team and their hometown heroes. With Seva Call, working with small business professionals has never been more convenient, so go ahead and use www.talklocal.com to meet handy neighbors ready to service you!

Written by Dallea Caldwell

St. Patrick’s day is Sunday March 17th. That means the kids will be home from school and if they’re still cool enough to dork around with mom and dad all day, you can have a day full of fun- celebrating Irish culture! If you’ve got more enthusiasm than you do ideas, here’s an itinerary that will make this holiday one you won’t forget!

St. Patrick’s Day Planner

Breakfast- Irish Soda Farls
Served fresh with butter and jam, in 20 minutes you can turn all-purpose flour, butter milk, table salt, and baking soda into a delicious authentic Irish breakfast. Here’s the recipe!

Craft- Have fun trying to lure your own leprechaun to the house. Take a page from this craft mom for the kiddies and maybe even come up with a “booby trap”- no need for anything too sophisticated, ropes and baskets should be fine. Then, get away from the house so as not to scare the lucky little guy off!

On the road- Ask the kids to spot as many different types of green colored objects as they can and reward them with a green M&M for each once you get home (not all in one sitting of course).

Explore- Hopefully the sun is still as high and as warm as it’ll get all day. So head over to the park and search for clovers, or maybe just play tag.

Lunch- If you have a hankering for classic corned beef and cabbage, you’re in luck. Go ahead and whip up this delish sandwich.

Now, let’s get moving!

Activity- Leprechaun hide and seek!
Everyone else close your eyes or gather in one room! Each of you gets a chance to be the Leprechaun, hide the “Pot of Gold” (created using whatever household materials or dollar store props you like) and tuck away in your secret hiding place. The family has 10 minutes to find you and/or your Pot of Gold. If someone finds your pot of Gold but you haven’t been found, they can steal the gold and return the pot! If they find you, they get three guesses/clues, but if they’re wrong, they let you go find a new hiding space. The goal to the get the most charm points.
Finding the Leprechaun- 3pts
Finding the pot of Gold- 3pt
Finding just the pot- 2pts

Dinner- With such a busy day, it might be a smart idea to save time with a simple one pot solution. How about this crockpot Irish Chicken Stew recipe!

Make St. Patrick’s Day A Family Day

Whatever you do, enjoy this day as another opportunity to make precious memories before the little ones run off chasing their respective pots of gold in life.  And, if you want to (what the hey!) throw a party, TalkLocal can help you find a last minute party planner too!

Seva Man may be standing outside North Carolina’s Salem Moravian Cemetery- also known as God’s Acre- holding a shovel, but not to exhume the dead of Winston-Salem, NC.  Seva Call has officially launched in Winston-Salem and Seva Man is ready to dig out small businesses buried in six feet of Google search results and classifieds listings. “Luckily God owns real-estate here because it would take a miracle to find a last minute landscaper around here,” Seva Man observed, “fortunately, I’m here to help.”

With Seva Call, Seva Man is digging out local businesses now, so prospective customers won’t have to do it later, finding and contacting them for you in minutes- even if they aren’t from some well-known company.  All you need to know is your own needs, location, and availability and we’ll find the top-rated business professional for you. Customers love getting up to three phone calls from area professionals in minutes, and keeping their contact information private. Plus, because service providers hear the description of the problem before deciding to connect, there’s no more wasted breath on dead-end conversations.

“How may I help you?” – let’s cut the small talk. Just go to www.talklocal.com to register your company or get the help you need. Be it dental, automotive, transport, or even a real estate professional for a divine being who wants to diversify his properties- Seva Call can help helpers help in Winston-Salem.

Police nearly blocked off the Elm and February intersection today as a masked man in an orange and blue spandex leotard and cape stood atop the Dixie Building and threatened to jump. It quickly became apparent that the man, later identified as Seva Man, meant only to jump for joy at Seva Call’s much heralded launch in Greensboro, North Carolina. “It’s easy being Greensboro now that Seva Call is here to find highly rated service professionals to handle life’s challenges!”, Seva Man screamed to a gathering of bewildered onlookers below.

Seva Man may be a bit of a fanatic, but he’s certainly right.  Imagine how much time Greensboro residents can save by nixing the Google search, the countless online reviews, and dead end phone calls. In minutes after completing Seva Call’s simple form, they’ll be hearing from up to three local, top-rated professionals who have heard exactly what’s needed and are ready to help. We can find any service you need, from Appliance Repair to Florists to Roofers!

If your in Greensboro and need a pro, but don’t need the run-around then  go to www.talklocal.com and complete a request to hear from a service professional in any of our service areas.  Local business owners too can register for free to connected to customers who need their serviced. And Greensboro, please… jump for joy using proper form and at a safe altitude.

At the Tech Cocktail DC Mixer and Startup Showcase last week, they announced that our innovative, ambitious, tech-savvy peers voted Seva Call as DC’s Hottest Presenting Startup! We had to tether Seva Man’s over-inflated orange head to a table leg to keep it from floating all the way to the ceiling. Any guy comfortable in an orange leotard is bound to have a huge ego; and, the one thing Seva Man loves more than getting attention, (he stuck out like a tangerine in a barrel of suits, ties, Apples, and Blackberries), is earning recognition for Seva Call’s revolutionary service solution.

Check out this interview with our co-founder Manpreet Singh. Regarding why Seva Call was selected over the other amazing and inventive ideas featured at the event, according to Tech Cocktail’s Zach Davis:

“Finding local service providers -like dentists, computer repairmen, and movers- should be easy.   Unfortunately, in many parts of the country it isn’t.  Good news- for those who live in one of the sixteen cities covered by Seva Call (including DC, Boston, and Philadelphia), it is”.

Of course, DC is full of great minds doing incredible things, regardless of whether they presented that night. Like…

Relay Foods, a grocery delivery service that makes buying fresh produce straight from the farm super convenient! Now serving DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

SnobSwap, a high-fashion online clothing exchange that eradicates your retail addiction by helping you swap, sell, and nab gently loved designer finds!

AppTalia, a producer of children’s educational apps where children can learn a language, a life lesson, or  age appropriate science-based answers to questions like “where does rain come from”!

Encore,  a creative new way for organizations to connect with on-the-ground events and the people living them in real time!

And so much more!

We’re super humbled- well, Seva Man isn’t but the rest of us are- to have been recognized for a service based on an idea as simple as it is revolutionary: that you shouldn’t have to scour the whole world wide web to find and talk to local professionals.