As we near the end of the year and I start preparing to file my taxes, I think back to an epiphany I had when I finished the Profit and Loss statement for the year before. I was so excited because I knew I had done the most business I had ever done in a year to date. When I tallied up everything on my Schedule C, my expenses totalled…
I just finished reading an excellent book Branding for Nonprofits, Developing Identity with Integrity by DK Holland. This book should be a mandatory read for board members of any nonprofit, including those that have been around a while and others that are just starting up. Branding for Nonprofits introduces the importance of developing a strong brand as a vehicle to push a clear message to an audience, both investors and constituents….
Every business recognizes the power of social media to earn more business, but many entrepreneurs don’t understand how social media can turn away business. The five myths below will help you understand how social media can deter potential clients if not properly managed. 1. Social media leads to more business. Biggest myth of all. You can have 100 profiles and not generate one new client. Showing up to class isn’t…
It’s a running joke among design professionals—the client who always asks, “Can you make the logo a little bigger?” Why do we cringe at the request? Because we realize that the client believes by making the logo bigger, people will remember it and their brand recognition value will shoot to the moon…an idea that is more often than not, untrue. Designers are very careful to size and place a logo…
I love WEtv’s My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. In fact, I kinda fell into a marathon of My Fair Wedding reruns. I actually avoided wedding and wedding-related shows altogether—either it was the “Bridezillas” or just the over-the-top gaudiness and tackiness of some weddings that turned me off. However, I found that—after watching several episodes back-to-back—that David Tutera’s job and my job are very similar. I shall explain. First, David…
I’ve read many opinions via blogs and media and had a number of conversations with a few friends about this “unfinished, leaked” commercial and even laughed at the exaggerated use of stereotypes in the Second City parodies of the Burger King ads and finally came to an unkanny! conclusion: This is a very bad commercial from every perspective. From an advertising perspective: What everyone must understand about advertising, especially television,…
There are times when passion takes a definite backseat to financial desperation as a deciding factor in choosing which projects to take on. I’ve been in such a financial bind, I begrudgingly took on projects that were highly underpaid. Sometimes, I modified prices to fit someone else’s budget, or worked for clients who completely disregard my creative process in favor of their own last minute deadline. I’ve done work before…
Have you ever felt like you should be doing something just because everyone else seems to be doing it? I feel like that sometimes. When the web became a household convention, every business decided it was absolutely necessary to have a website. Having a web presence became a much greater priority than having a printed brochure. In fact, some potential clients didn’t even take your business seriously if you didn’t…
One of the greatest benefits of working for the American Physical Society is the opportunity I get to make physics look cool. This isn’t the first time an unkanny design has been spotted on the set, but each time is as sweet as the first!
I love my neighborhood simply because I have everything I need within a three-mile radius. I have all four major grocery chains, an organic market, a movie theater, most fast food restaurants, and a fair selection of retail offerings. When it comes to patronizing Target or Walmart, it has always been a toss up. I believe Walmart has the lowest price, but Target has better presentation. What is the determining factor?