It has been a crazy month here at TalkLocal searching for our next Featured Business of the Month. Many were entered and making a decision was tough but due to the support of their customers, Martin’s Cooling and Heating Inc. has become February’s champion!

The owner, Johnny Martin, and his son

Established in Naples, Florida over a decade ago, Martin’s Cooling and Heating is a full service, licensed and insured AC, Heating, (but it’s Florida so mostly cooling), Ventilation, and Refrigeration Contractor. Dealing with Florida’s balmy weather is serious business, so they are available around the clock with 24/7 customer service.

With a logo like “A Company You Can Trust”, the HVAC company sets itself apart with non-commissioned contractors, free estimates, and even free second-opinions. Plus, their website offers a wide variety of information for HVAC noobs, like how to keep your family’s home safe from mold and other toxins by improving your air quality. All this is to ensure that their customers can do business with the utmost trust and confidence.

One customer said, “The guys at Martin’s Cooling are all reliable, and trustworthy! Their prices are definitely competitive!!”

So, if you’re in the Collier and Lee County area and in need of HVAC help, give Martin’s Heating and Cooling a try. Right now, they’re offering 10% off your next preventative and maintenance call.

And, for everyone else across the country, there’s TalkLocal. We aggregate online business information to find a top-rated pro and connect you by phone in about 90 seconds. Martin’s Cooling and Heating is just one of hundreds of thousands of quality service professionals in our network covering 50 service categories. So, visit our website or download the app on Android or iPhone.

Once again, congratulations to Martin’s Cooling and Heating, Inc. and we look forward to another heated competition here at TalkLocal. We can’t wait to name next month’s Featured Business!

We’re great at finding the right pro right away. But, what about finding Mr or Mrs Right? What if TalkLocal had a “Dating” Service Category just in time for Valentine’s Day?

Art by Kayla Winkfie

Brace yourselves, romantically inept masses! its February and that means Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us.  Whether it’s ‘true love” or “complicated”, you will be expected to jump through hoops with chocolate and flowers in hand come February 14th. Never fear though, the team at TalkLocal have compiled a list of tips to keep you in the good graces of your significant other this Valentine’s Day.

1) Roses are a must

It’s a cliché for a reason, gentlemen, but it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. Don’t splurge on a bouquet, simply buy a couple flowers and give them to your loved one at different times of the day. Remember, if it sounds corny, you’re probably doing it right.

2) Spend the day together

Valentine’s Day lands on a Saturday this year so there are no excuses; spend the day with your significant other. Think of things you both enjoy doing and plan a day where you do as much as you can. Be thoughtful with planning your day and your loved one will take notice!

3) Write them a note/letter

Skip the mass produced card this year and write your loved one a note or letter telling them how you really feel. Write about your favorite memory together, what you love about them, whatever you can think of. Give your hand written note to your loved one over dinner or at a romantic point during the day. Trust us; you’ll be glad you skipped out on the card.

4) Romantic evening on the town

What better way to end Valentine’s Day than with a romantic evening out? Start with dinner and then go see a movie or go to a fancy bar or club. It doesn’t matter what you do, just experience the evening together. When planning your night out on the town, be sure to use TalkLocal to book your limo or even call a cab if the night gets crazy.

5) Most importantly, have fun!

We’re honored to be recognized as an innovative startup by MeetAdvisors. But, of course we want to win. And to do that, we’ll need your votes!

If you’ve been following and participating in our monthly Featured Business of the Month get-out-the-vote efforts, then you know how much we love celebrating excellent small businesses in the most democratic way possible.

So, before voting for your favorite local small business, go to the MeetAdvisors’ finalist list and click the thumbs-up next to TalkLocal, your favorite conversation driven local search platform.

We know we’re your favorite one because we’re the only one!

So, go ahead, celebrate innovation! Celebrate democracy! Your vote counts and we count on your vote! So, go vote TalkLocal!

Thanks!

Written by Krystal Moore

You’re one month into the New Year and life is hectic. You may be having trouble keeping your New Year’s Resolution. Even my humble resolution – to drink less soda – has been a struggle. The caffeine withdrawal alone has been enough to drive me batty, let alone the temptation everywhere. But, I’m proud to say that I haven’t drank more than two cans of soda a week all year! Is it just a coincidence, or had I single-handedly driven Pepsi to literally enter the milk business because their sales have been so low? Regardless, here are the five tricks that have worked for me so far. Maybe it can help with your resolutions, too!

Want It: You have to want it and want it hard and not for the people who say it would be good for you but because you feel it would make you a better you in some way. I want to limit soda intake because it’s been giving me too many migraines and migraines stink.

Tell Others: If you keep it all bottled up, no one expects you to keep the goal but you so tell others so they can keep any eye out for you, as well. I told my friends and now they stinkeye me each time I grab a soda. It’s annoying but understandable.

Be Reasonable: Don’t say you want to save billions and then kick yourself if it’s only millions. Start with a goal that’s realistic and then work your way higher after your success. This is why I’m not quitting soda cold turkey: I’d only lose my mind trying. Besides, one less won’t kill me.

Make a Plan: It’s always easier to get through life when you have a plan of what you’re doing and sure, plans can go awry but that doesn’t mean give up. It just means get ready for plan B. For lunch, I will pack a water bottle and those Crystal Light mixes. If I forget, I can go and get one of the Crystal Light mixes from the store and use the water from our water cooler.

Keep Trying: Hey, people are just people. They make mistakes and then they’ll want to quit and forget it but keep going until you reach that goal you want so you can set the bar even higher next time.

As George S. Patton once said, “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” Good luck on your continued effort to reach your goals, and may you feel the exhilaration of victory this and every year.

So, tell us: what were your 2015 resolutions? Post your answers here or on our Facebook page.