Press Release Template

A press release format typically includes the following elements: 

• Header: A business logo, release instructions, and contact information 
• Headline: A compelling headline
• Subheadline: An italicized subheadline that adds context 
• Lead paragraph: An informative paragraph that summarizes the most important points in two or three sentences 
• Body: Supporting information and context in paragraphs 
• Background information: Underlying background information 
• Call to action: A clear call to action 
• Boilerplate: A boilerplate that summarizes the "who" and "what" 
• Dateline: A piece of text that describes where and when the release was written or the event happened 
• Media contact details: Contact information for media 

More from The Ohio State University here.

How to Solve a Problem

Ah, a day without a problem would be ... well, a day without a problem!  Ever have one of those?  Lucky you if you have.

More likely, we'll have a nice set of problems today. Some readily solved, as we've solved them before (what's for lunch?).  Others will be new, unheard of, unexpected. Some easy, some not quite so. 

Here's a little guidance checklist to help us with the problem solving process ...

1. Define the problem.
2. Explore potential causes of the problem.
3. Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the problem.
4. Select the best approach to resolve the problem.
5. Plan the implementation of this approach.
6. Implement the plan.
7. Monitor the results.
8. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not. If not, back to #1.

BTW, this is the core process for developing a new business venture.

--Jim