Being a small marketing and design studio has its pros and cons (what doesn’t?). I love being my own boss, having flexible hours, creative freedom, choosing who I want to work with, and choosing the types of projects I enjoy. I’ve been doing it for a long time and really enjoy the diversity of the work and the ability to create a shared time line in conjunction with my clients. I am answerable to myself and my clients, and I work diligently at building those relationships for the long haul. Read more »

Working with hundreds of clients over the years, we have learned some lessons in our marketing and design business. Building and maintaining healthy business relationships is something we value and strive every day to achieve. Many of these lessons can be applied to any industry, and I’d like to share how honesty and communication make everyone’s life easier and create great relationships that can last a long, long, time. Read more »

Yesterday, Twitter announced 2 billion tweets per month. That’s a far cry from just one year ago, when I started tweeting. At first, I wasn’t interested at all in Twitter. I had a business page on Facebook and a lot of valuable relationships. I liked where I got my news, worshipped my iPhone, and really didn’t have time for something else while I was building my business. What I’ve learned is Twitter takes time, but gives me more relevant information from multiple sources that I could ever get through Facebook, ANY other social media, or even several news sources combined. Most importantly, I learn more about my own industry and what’s happening as it happens, something I REALLY had no time for before. I’ll discuss the main areas where I’ve found real value in building my business.

What Twitter IS is a quick, convenient forum to answer the question “What are you doing” in 140 characters or less. I would actually suggest answering “What has your attention” instead. I would also suggest 120 characters so folks can re-tweet what you’ve posted as well. Read more »

There are many good samples of company marketing plans out there, and the formula is the same no matter what industry you’re in (pretty much). That’s the good news (that there is a formula- and there is no bad news). I’m going to show you an abbreviated, yet effective example of a company marketing plan that I normally use. This does not replace a more thorough marketing plan; it merely highlights the critical areas. There will be some marketing-speak, but I’ll try to keep it as straightforward as possible.

A more thorough examination of your business from a marketing standpoint gives you a better picture of setting and achieving your goals. In future posts, I’ll write in more detail about specific aspects of a plan to flush out the details. Read more »

1. Volunteering helps you become a happier person.

I know this is a bold statement, but it’s based on my own personal experience and an article I read on Cnn.com this week. The article was on “What makes people happy?” Deepak Chopra said “…the fastest way to happiness is to make other people happy.” And Harold Kushner said “…happiness results from knowing you made someone else’s life better.” Both of these comments translate the satisfaction of helping others by volunteering. Bringing happiness into different aspects of my life helps me create balance and definitely helps me in growing my business

I have found with my volunteer work has given me tremendous satisfaction over the years. When I’m helping others, I feel better about myself. It’s not about a hand out, but a hand-up. Whether it’s helping to beautify Balboa Park or putting on a fundraiser to help feed people with AIDS or cancer, knowing that my time is spent making a difference positively impacts my life and my business. Read more »