Evolving Business Plan for my Studio

I like to try to be available to listened to the Kitchen Table Talk show on the Pulse Network on Tuesday afternoons with Joe Sorge and Chris Brogan and if I miss it, take some time to listen to it at a later time in the Pulse Network archives… Over the last few weeks they have been talking about business start-ups and yesterday they interviewed Tim Berry, who spoke about Business Plans in the real world and the need to make them changeable… There was/is some great info to hear and think about shared on the show, which you can check out here: http://thepulsenetwork.com/technology/kitchen-table-talks/

Over the last year, I’ve been working on my reopening my studio, ArtWorks of Candor and have been using what I call an “Evolving Business Plan”… Now most people do a business plan to obtain funding or a loan, but I do a smaller one- 3-6 month practical plan and a year goal oriented plan…

Business plans are just estimated number projections with a overview of the “plan”, without many of the details and so much can change in just a few months, let alone three years… From new taxes, gas prices to the basic cost of business with adding in new products and services you might use, create and offer…

So a 3-6 month business plan filled in with working capital is what I and many of my friends use in Business… An Evolving Business Plan is one that can grow and be able to handle the unforeseen bumps or change in directions in the road of business better for me… It also allows for smaller, more affordable steps and allows for change for the future…

To help support this concept in an unforeseen way was Chris Brogan, at the end of the show announcing he was writing a new book with a 6-week deadline on “How to use Google”… Now Chris Brogan is a busy fellow and the Google + Project has only been out for barely 2 months now… He also did a seminar on how to use Google Plus 2-3 weeks ago, which must have taken him lots of time just learning this new Social service, let alone create a presentation to help others with using it effectively… There is no way you can tell me Chris had this in his business plan 6 months ago…

And by the way, Yes, I will be buying one of Chris’s books about Google when it comes out…

How does this relate to my reopening my studio with an evolving business plan? I was gearing up to teach some Social Media Workshops and I’ve chosen to wait while the Google+ Project grows a little more- after they have opened it up fully to the general public and have added Business Pages… I’ve lesson plans outlined already for the Facebook & Twitter workshops, still needing to tie them together a bit with images, visuals and create a hand out booklet… I now want to be able to add Using Google+ to the class… I know this will be truly valuable in this area that seems so challenged in adding and using Social Media effectively for their online presents… I am also enlarging the idea, to teach it in VA near where my Mom is, so as to be able to spend some time down there…

Having the “Evolving Business Plan” also allowed me to instead of just adding the Giclee Fine Art Printer to sell my own limited edition prints to creating a 2nd business to offer Giclee Fine Art Printing Service to other Artists and Photographers online and in the local area… So keeping a changeable, flexible, evolving business plan with ideas in mind really helped with several new concepts and services I am working on for reopening my studio…

Even though I’ve had two bank Vice Presidents in the past tell me I had created one of the best business plans they had seen in their 20-25+ years of their being in banking, I’ve also set aside time for a workshop webinar Thursday about Business Plan development he will be offering- “Plan-as-you-go business planning methodology”… You can read more about it on Tim Berry’s website:
http://timberry.bplans.com/2011/08/please-join-me-online-live-this-thursday-aug-18.html I believe you can never know enough and there is always something new you can learn…

So having a Real World Business Plan that is changeable to the times is key and being a little flexible can pay off…

Do Small Business,Organizations and Government Understand Social Media?

When the Internet was only between Colleges and Universities, I was on line back then in 1989 and have had a chance to see a lot of changes since it’s beginning.  One thing hasn’t changed, many small Business, Originations, and local Government in Small Town America doesn’t seem to understand how to use the Internet effectively for effective communication or as a marketing tool…

The University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business looked at the relationship between social media and small businesses and found that the technology adoption rates in the U.S. have doubled in the past year from 12% to 24%.  That’s a good percent, but that means 76% aren’t… The data comes from the university’s third installment to its Small Business Success Index report and is based on a December 2009 telephone survey of 500 small business owners. Adoption rate calculations are compared against a baseline report conducted in December 2008. The study concludes that nearly one in five small business owners are integrating social media into their business processes — Facebook and LinkedIn were the most popular sites. 45% of surveyed respondents even believe their social media initiatives will pay off financially in 12 months or less.

The University looked at how many where using it, but they failed to look a bit deeper…  What number of those 24% of 500 businesses where really set up and using it correctly?

So many Business and Organizations are setting up personal pages instead of Business/Organization pages or what is called “Fan Pages”, as FaceBook has a few different formats for different uses…

I look online and see many small business websites that have a Facebook follow link and many have a FaceBook accounts…  But when I click through it, I find they have a personal account set up for their Business or Organization instead of a Business Account…  Even in larger towns and cities, I find this problem…  Even though they do have some Social Media formats set up, many are set up incorrectly or not at all…

With the opt-in of followers of FaceBook, it can allow a business or small town Government or tourist department to have their news, service or events highlighted to those who follow them online and even those that use smart phones…

Wouldn’t you if you had a smartphone want to find out that the local restaurant is having a lunch special, or local school where your kids are attending want to find out that they are playing a football game, arts show or concert?  Or what of local Government, wouldn’t it be nice to not have to look through the local newspaper to find out there is a meeting on gas drilling or property tax hike meeting?  If only 24% of Small business are implementing Social Media into their online presents, how much news and information isn’t being shared that your local community would be interested in?

The tools are there; it is just a massive lack of understanding of what kind, how or when to use them…  Which of the different tools to use and how to set them up correctly for the most effective ability of basic communications and marketing…  Like to try to use a hand saw to drive a spike nail, Business and Originations need to learn how to use the different Social Media tools to drive home their communications and marketing services correctly for the best results…

If you’re a Small Business Owner, do some reading and research first…  Since FaceBook is one of the most used in the world, with over 500 million users, I recommend this Social Media service as being the first step into using Social Media…  Even if you don’t have a website, setting up a FaceBook account for Business, Organizations and Local Governments is the place to start…

To do this, I would also recommend hiring someone who TRULY understands and uses Social Media…  First ask the person your hiring what they know of FaceBook, if they truly understand the different types of accounts FaceBook offers…  Then look up their Twitter account- do they have good numbers of followers, do they engage those they follow and who follow them, do they just post links or highlight about information about themselves like they are going to go get coffee?  Twitter allows one to follow 2000 people before they start restricting a Follow ratio, I believe if they don’t have at least 2000 followers, it is my view they really don’t have much experience in truly using Twitter as a social networking…  In their FaceBook account, do they highlight news and articles of Blogs in relating to Social Media; do they engage in conversations with people that follow them? These are some good questions to ask and information to look into…

There are a lot of people who might say they are Experts or even try to teach Social Media, but are they just grabbing onto the latest Buzzword of Social Media to get your money?  Ask yourself if they truly have experience in marketing and using this type of marketing tool?  Do they have a Blog, do they have a website, do they have accounts in Twitter and FaceBook. Have they done Marketing online should be some of questions you should ask and look up…

Social Media is truly a way of Marketing, Communications, Advertising and allowing you to engage with your clients, possible clients and community…  Just because someone knows how to work on computers, doesn’t mean they understand or use Social Media correctly…  Social Media is more about Marketing and Communications then it truly is about Technology…

With a personal account with Facebook you can highlight your selling your record collection or maybe having a garage or lawn sale, even selling your car, but you can’t do business via a personal account, you can openly sell products and services through a Business account… The difference is Personal accounts in FaceBook limit you to only 5000 followers…  The Fan Page account allows you to not only sell things, but can give information about how many people look at your page…  FaceBook also has the right to cancel your personal account if they feel you are using it for Business or Organization…

Doing some research and reading your self can be time consuming, but a worthy venture…  If you don’t have a website up, and haven’t started using Social Media, try FaceBook…

Is the Digital Divide in Rural America Because of News?

Small Town America, the true backbone of our country is quickly falling behind the Digital Divide in using New Media and Social Networks for business- is part of it because of lack of news coverage?  I have been finding that there is little to no coverage of Tech & Social Media in small town America and I am starting to believe this is one reason many small town businesses, organizations and local government have so little understanding of Technology and using this as a tool for communication and marketing…

So often those in large or major cities take for granted what they have around them…
Until they get a flat tire while on vacation out in the country and don’t get reception for their cell phones, or try to ask where an internet café is while on vacation…

Many small towns don’t have a large magazine/newspaper shop to buy Tech Magazines or an Internet Cafe…  Yes it is covered in many Business and Tech magazines and hard to ignore, but if you don’t have those magazines articles to read, it is hard to know about it…  Yes it is covered some on TV news; they refer to it almost every day now…  Many watch the nightly news while families are sitting having supper…  But do they really talk much about the Internet relating to business and how it can help?

In many small towns, the local café or restaurant is a main gathering point for small business owners…  Read the local newspaper, have a coffee, talk some with fellow business people, then go to work, then stop back for lunch or maybe supper on the way home if there is carry out…  If that local Newspaper doesn’t have a section that talks about Technology, what news of Technology or Social Media’s with it’s use in business is a small town local business person going to hear about?

It isn’t like the local Walmart has a good Tech magazine or book area…  And lets be honest, how many small business people really read much about Technology in Small Town America?  In my home town without a stoplight, if I ask local Business Owners if they use Social Media for their Business and ask if they have a website, many don’t even have an e-mail account, let alone know how to add an attachment to it…  They are business owners just trying to keep their heads above water in making enough money to get by month to month as if they are still using the same methods of marketing as where used in the 50’s-70’s…

Small Town America tends to be way behind the curve for cable TV in the past- now they are struggling to even attempt to catch up with Cable Companies offering this new found information technology…  Even now, many in rural areas still don’t have cable or DSL as a choice to get online…  A friend of mine on Twitter said that 26% of America still doesn’t have high bandwidth as a choice, with dial-up being their only method of getting online…

Recently I wrote to ask some local Newspapers if they might be interested in my reporting about some of the largest New and Social Media Conferences in the country, and they just weren’t interested…  I offered to interview some of the best people in Social Media and Marketing online adding the use of Twitter and Facebook for Business… Two of the newspapers are part of the Gannett News conglomerate and they where just going to rely on the reporters the Gannett News has covering the Event…  So there will be no articles about these major business marketing and advertising conferences or the people that are respected in the industry they considered to be news worthy for their readers in Social Media…  So much for local news papers informing their readers…

I am sure from reading this newspaper my whole life, an article might be printed of the numbers of people and a few tech devices that where the buzz of the convention, but nothing about how it could help small town business…  Doing a search I wasn’t able to find any mentions of the large Social Media Events like South by South West Conference or Blogworld Expo- two of the largest New Media and Social Media Conferences in the country…  So Small Town America near me received no news to read about these events…

There has been no articles about how 54% of Business Websites get more sales if they have a Blog connected to their website…  Only articles about user base is reported of major Social Media services like FaceBook or Twitter, but even that is rarely covered in small town newspapers…  There was nothing about Foursquare or Gowalla- location-based social networking services covered in the local newspapers in my area in…

One such newspaper in a city that has over 30,000 College students in it and a county population of 101,136 people…  I just did a search in this local city newspaper 20 miles from my town, where close to half my town population works…  I searches for the words “Social Media” and got a result of 9 articles with these words in it in the past year…  Twitter had 19 articles and 46 articles with Facebook in them, the iPad had three articles, the iPhone had eight articles- these words where searched in their archives over the last year…  So with so few articles and many having only a reference to someone else using Social Media, how do small Business Owners learn about this amazing form of Marketing, Advertising and Communications and E-Commerce?

So maybe part of the problem of the Digital Divide in Small Town America is really the lack of news coverage the local news agencies give to Social Media and what news the local Business owners receive… With local News not covering Social Media, it is costing our local Businesses the needed information about using New Media in business, costing them jobs and money…

News Recognition- Hire a Press Release Writer

So you’re in business or about to open new business or maybe your artwork is going into a gallery or about to sell limited edition prints of it, or add some new service to your business… What is the best way to get the word out there? One method is a Press Release…

This is more often a writer or recorded communication for the reason of announcing something that is worthy of news… Often they are mailed, faxed or now e-mailed to editors of newspapers, tabloids, magazines, radio stations and television stations… There are also Commercial Press release distribution services such as PR Newschannels, Business Wire and a few others that distribute them to other printed media or services online that carry news worthy information… Press Releases announce a wide range of information that is often news worthy like: new opening businesses, personal promotions, awards, new products or services, sales, accomplishments and events… They are often used in generating the information needed for publication or broadcaster news reporter the basic information to create a story or article by these kinds of communication businesses…

There is a set format too for these Press Releases and to be honest it is better to hire someone who is good at writing a Press Release, then attempting to do it by your self…

For you that are about to call one or can’t afford to pay a professional Press Release writer, here is the basic information of what needs to be in a Press Release so you don’t have to go searching while on the phone with one…

• Headline: Grabs attention of journalists, briefly summarizing it- making it News Worthy. This is an Art within it’s self!!!

• Dateline: Release date and Location it’s from.

• Introduction: The first paragraph has the basics- who, what, when, where and why.

• Body: Deep explanation- the background, info or other details good for them to create a news story. Remember, this is really for someone to read then write about, an editor will do the basics or a news reporter will read on the radio or on TV…

• Boilerplate: A short section, providing basic background on the person, group, business, company or organization….

• Close: In North America, traditionally the symbol “-30-” appears after the boilerplate or body and before the media contact information, indicating to media that the release is ending. A more modern equivalent has been the “###” symbol. In other countries, other means of indicating the end of the release may be used, such as the text “ends”.

• Media Contact Information: This is the name, phone number, email address, mailing address, or other contact information for the PR or other media relations contact person.

• Photos & Video: Include these also, a good photo can help a writer of news content create a good story too… And for new News Media, a YouTube.com link is also good, as many online news or magazines will also include a link to this in their article they write from the Press Release

Now there has been some lately a use of New Media, adding the use of Video for this… I don’t recommend this as the only form of a Press release!!! This is what has been names a “Video News Release”, and I’ll be honest- it’s a waste as you can’t copy & paste from it, and you have to watch the whole thing to get anything from it… These are often overlooked by newspapers and magazines which cuts out of a lot of possible news sources that might have used your Press Release if it was written… It might be ok to include something like a short YouTube link, for new online Social Media News formats, but unless you really know what you’re doing, it might not look good on a TV… And the whole point of a Press Release is to get as much coverage in the News and communication sources as possible…

Remember, Video doesn’t print well, and some of these newspapers are really copy & paste the info from the Press Release into an area of their publication… This is why it is key to have it written well and formatted correctly- in the news Business time is also money…

Many newspapers, publications and news sources have online sites too… New Online Media is a nice thing, such as Mashable.com for social Media, ArtNews.com for art and so forth for your subject or kind of business, product or service you might offer and there are many online only news sources too now… But again, sending them only a video is not something they are really looking for, they want to write something about it too… Often they can read faster then you can talk, and having to watch a video that is a few minutes long, they might have been able to read a well written Press Release and already been writing the story for it…

If you’re having a garage sale or your dog had puppies and you want to sell them or your selling your car, then you don’t need a press release, buy some classified space in your local newspaper of tabloid…

Soon I will be re-opening my studio, aiming at a national market now and not the local county I live in… The services and prices I will be charging also will compliment this step too… One new service I will be offering besides Web Site Design and Social media, is Giclee Fine Art Prints… I will hire a Press Release Writer to highlight these services…

I could try to do this myself, but why do that? I have better things to be doing, like creating art, websites or working with clients… I know how to design visual advertising for print or the web but I’m not a news journalist and I don’t have 10-35,000 newspaper writers and magazines in my e-mail database…

If you’re in business, remember- time is money and sending out a Press Release that doesn’t get used is a waist of time… But if you are in business and you need to get the word out of your new business, service or product to more then a local market, hire a Professional Press release Writer…

I don’t care if you think you’re a good writer either, just because a Roofer is considered a Carpenter doesn’t mean you are going to let them refinish your grandfather antique wooden chair or want them to install your hardwood floor… A good writers knows there are different styles and formats to different kinds of writings, most authors of books and book publishers will hire a good Press Release Writer to highlight their books to the news… A good Press Release Writer also often has a list of thousands of reports, journalists and publications to send a Press Release to, often by subject or category too… A good Press Release Writer can cost $500-1500ish and get fair amount of coverage, far more then your trying to do this yourself… Remember this is really specialized advertising aimed at News Sources…

There are also Press Release Firms or Agency, this is where the cost really goes UP!!! They often have all the connections, but also have a large staff… They get the most bang for what they charge too, but plan on spending several thousand-$2000 to $5,000 or even higher… Often not only do they write the Press Release, but that add in other forms of advertising, hook you up with media relations- live interviews on TV or Radio, have a legal department that checks facts and stats, and is more then just a news wire article that is intended to get others to use it to report about your needed news item…

My recommendation- Don’t attempt writing a Press Release and doing it yourself… Hire a Good Press Release Writer or PR firm!!! They have the experience doing this sort of writing, they know where to send it, often know people in the news like the Editor or owner, journalists and/or have been in the news business… It will be the best money to get the recognition you are looking for your business, service or event!!!

The Digital Divide has Changed…

The term “Digital Divide” I have used often in the past while I was involved with my town Chamber of Commerce and helping start the town’s Business Development committee… But since this term, Digital Divide started being used in the 90’s, high band web services are being offered more in rural America and computer prices have come down… Now the term means more of how people use computers and their technical understanding of it, or what I call the “Technical Challenged”…

So many adults and those with small business in rural America still are not using computers in their businesses, most often because of not understanding how to use the software or the technical challenge of understanding how to keep the computer safe…

This is where I believe my idea for an “Internet Café with a Micro Business Incubator within it can really help small business start and grow in small town America…

A few years ago (2000), when I started talking about this idea, combining an Internet Café with small business classes and business service, some of my friends said it wouldn’t be a viable idea as there are so many “Cyber Café’s”… I looked at one of my friends who said this and I said, “Hmmm to get to one locally, we have to drive 20+ miles, we don’t even have one in all of our county of nine town’s and that is also assuming you understand how to use a computer”… Many of my friends in this town with no stoplight, still don’t know how to turn on a computer, they are business owners or work for small businesses to large universities and in the 30’s-40’s + age groups- the “Technically Challenged”…

In my county, there was a cyber café, but I don’t believe it is open any more, the business got robed and the owners didn’t bother to re-invest in the two computers they offered for renting- the owners having moved away… So a county of over 54,000 people, there is no Internet café in it… And as I have traveled around New York State and down the east coast and spoke with many people online, this is very common in rural America; many small towns don’t have an Internet Café or places with Wi-Fi…

I stopped and spoke with people in small towns in my county, on my travels and online, I also got to find many truly don’t have much knowledge of the internet or the possible benefits of websites…

My town of just over 5000 people, the Chamber of Commerce had at one time 90 businesses, but only about 15 of them had websites and even fewer of them have heard of location-based applications… The capital of the county, with it having a history of having IBM and Lockheed Martin in it, also have no Wi-Fi locations, and very pour presents online… Many not understanding the difference in Good old-fashioned HTML Web standards… The county Government site even uses mostly PDF files for the notes from meeting, in a county that still have the majority population connects via dial up phones… PDF are still not very searchable and to download notes from a county site that are PDF- Print Document format, that take 20 minutes via a dial up phone connection just doesn’t keep the public truly informed… But many of these people are truly Tech Challenged- many not even knowing how to add a document to an e-mail, or even understanding how to set up a Pay Pal account to be able to order things online or sell things via e-Bay…

I don’t plan any longer to do this as a business here in this county, as I do plan on prepping my family farm to sell it and start the Business idea in Chincoteague, VA… I’ve done the research of the area, the business, the tourism and spoke to many people in that area, and it is just a perfect location for my Internet Café with a micro Business Incubator to help local business get their business online and help them with the new technology available for their business… I have also enlarged my Business plan to include additional cafes, so I might be able to locate a Grant or Angel Investor to help with creating jobs, small businesses to get online and business starts ups- to help reduce the Digital Divide of Rural America…

Internet Café with a Micro Business Incubator- Needed Tech for Rural America!!!

I live in a town with no stoplight, and yes, the cows out populate the people still… I chose to come back to my hometown after Syracuse University in 1993 thinking I might be able to make a difference and help the local community with Technology, business design and then with Web site design services for local business… I even for a few years had the only website hosting and e-mail service physically in my county…

When I first got here, I found many local small businesses had their wives type up their brochures while at work, using clipart… Then I noticed that many still don’t have a clue what technology can do to help their business- some of the local business that did hire me to design websites did notice large improvements in the sales- some experience as much as 800% sales growth- not bad for a town with no stoplight!!! But I still feel there is a huge need for Technology to grow in Rural America!!!

I stop down to the local gas station and ask people their simple things- “Do you have a FaceBook or twitter account? Often many say no or even worse, have no clue what I am talking about… I then ask them if they have websites, or do business online, even just so simple as have you ordered anything on eBay, and half might say they do look online, or have tried e-bay, but often many are daunted by this new technology…

I feel Rural America is falling behind in the Digital Divide; it isn’t just not having high-speed bandwidth or price of computers, but in the ability learning how to use these devices, applications and technology… I started to realize Rural America truly needs a place to learn and find out how to implement technology into their businesses…

I make it a point to try to keep up as much as I can, reading and learning online, and no matter how much time I spend, there is always more new things to learn and new devices or services out there to try… I currently don’t have an iPhone, but do plan to get one once I am back on my feet health wise and get my Web business rolling strong again, I also plan on buying an iPad…

As I do more reading and research about these mobile devices, their applications and online services to support them I find online for them, I came across http://gowalla.com. WOW what an amazing application and service that Rural America could use!!! This new tech service is about location sharing and location services… It allows the location to set up a tracking system of users who state there are there. Here is a YouTube video of Kevin Rose highlighting this service:

If the tech is too challenging for Rural America, why not provide a location to both offer a comfortable place to learn, network and enjoy some good Java, while helping the other local businesses get on track with catching up with the lucky people in the City who don’t think twice about all of the restaurants or shops having websites, being on twitter and so forth… The need for Rural America to have an Internet café that includes a micro Business incubator for them to learn how to incorporate technology would be a great service and also help in creating jobs, both in the café and with new start up businesses…

I think to the Town I am planning on opening such a café, Chincoteague VA. A town that has a small population but has a very large flow of tourists that come to the town and the area… The town has a great fire department and local restaurants, and attractions, but still very much lack up to date tech, with regards to updated websites, and defiantly no one is using such technology as gowalla.com, very few even have twitter accounts or websites that sell products… The boon it could create with better web presents, increase in jobs, small business and business start-ups and tourism… But not only for this town, but I believe this could be so beneficial for any small town in any part of Rural America…

Donating or Trading Your Art or Web Services- Can You Afford It?

As a beginning Artist, Graphic and/or Website Designer or what have you, it is often good practice to offer your services to some local charity or Non-profit Organization, to help you build a nice portfolio… Be it a Chamber of Commerce or your local Church, these are always good things to help and are often hard put to be able to truly afford a professional… And not only do you get to build your portfolio, but also give back some to your community…

With a Chamber of Commerce, offer a small discount for further work for the members could gain you more work in the future too… But remember, your doing this not only for the enjoyment of being creative and building your professional portfolio, but it is also a business and you need to pay the bills, not just to make you feel good…

I keep on having to remind myself this, as so often in my past I have given of my abilities and services with huge discounts or free work to build up a portfolio and forgot to say stop when offering so much… But when building a portfolio of work, it is good to donate your time and efforts in building one, just don’t get caught up always giving and giving and giving- remember, you still have to pay the bills…

Trading work for services… Similar to the idea of the Ithaca Dollar- using a barter system can be nice, but can you afford to do this? Have to look at your working capital and needs to fully figure this out for yourself… It might make you feel good to help someone else, but again, you have to think to paying your bills and that time is also money… It might take time from your doing work for your own business to get full paying clients to work for…

Have to ask yourself-
Is the time I spend helping or giving, going to help me in the long run?
How much time will you be donating- is it cost effective?
If it is a trade for services- is this a service you really need?

I try to donate an hour a week to a local food pantry, helping some to those who are older and can’t lift much, so help them carry food to their cars… Makes me feel good in helping… But I know also, I am again redoing my portfolio, and my art & web studio, but I know I can’t afford to donate my time and effort in building a website for them- I have to think to my time as money, and invest my time into my work, to bring my business back into being, I truly can’t afford to donate or trade my services- I am no longer green behind the ears and I have a working portfolio and I truly know my abilities in my art, web design, photography and marketing abilities- But right now, I truly can’t afford more then my donating 1-2 hours a week of my time- I have to think to my business and my personal goals…

This I have had to truly think about lately with some friends asking me to trade services for services… Had to truly ask myself- do I really need their services, or do I truly need to work on my own business… In answer, I have figured I will offer some free advice in marketing, advertising, and what could be cost effective to people on Twitter, but I truly can’t afford to trade services to people out of my town or area- Business is Business, and time is money… I have to think to my own future and my own goals, and what I know my time is truly worth…

This I have to thank also Chris Brogan, who has truly earned my respect, because he truly worked hard to get to where he is in business and marketing- in one of his recent Blog entry “Price Points”: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/price-points/. This point started to ring loudly in my mind, charging what you are truly worth… My resume now should SCREAM to me, not to donate or trade services, as I do know my abilities are worth far more an hour or per project then what most of the local town services charge- I have to remember, I’ve 25 years of experience which include a national Icon, helping businesses gain 200-800% sales increases and my imaging and design ability is not that of someone just finishing college- it is fine tuned… So I need to charge what I am truly worth!!!

Giving or offering free work or trading for services can be very gratifying and also helps in new areas of service or kinds of work, but when all is said and done, time is money and it takes money to pay the bills… So be careful of donating your time or amount of your time to non-for-profits, or small businesses that need so much help… Once you get to the point you can afford to donate more time or money, that is a good thing, but it can hurt you too if you start donating too much of your time and effort, and don’t receive what you invest could be your downfall of your new business…

In the end, you still need to pay your bills…

Computers are Dyslexic, thinking in Pictures…

I am dyslexic, but it hasn’t been until recently that I started to really enjoy and take advantage of my thinking as being a Gift… Though I had huge problems with writing, spelling and reading in elementary all the way through to College, I was often able to over compensate for it through talking, using hands and or images to explain my ideas or express what I was learning…

When I try to explain my thoughts now, how I see them inside my head, I tell people it is like a Macintosh Operating system except not in a monitor, but inside my head, and not flat, as I can walk into each of the windows, and turn things around in 3D, and also can relate sounds, smells, sounds of voices and sometimes even taste to my memories or relating them as I think or contemplate ideas or questions…

It is no wonder Steve Jobs, of Apple Computer, helped in designing what we now know as the Visual Operating System, as he is also dyslexic, and sees in his head pictures and not words… This idea he took and put the idea of this into an operating system, and related it to a “Desktop” concept, using documents, folders and file… He basically helped design an operating system on how a dyslexic person sees and thinks inside their heads, then put it into a computer monitor and related it to an office atmosphere…

Often when I read a word, like “Corn” in my head I see multiple images of photos or moving pictures of things I relate tot his word, but not the letters… I see in my minds eye a corn cob, a kernel of corn, a corn stock, a corn husk, fields of corn, rows of corn, buttery corn on the cob with salt (which for a moment the taste of corn touches my mouth), Corn kernel with a root growing out of it then it’s first leaf, and so on… All of these images float through my head with just seeing one word- “Corn”… If I was to just see the word Corn, the images would continue to things relating to “Corn”- like hand falls of corn kernels, grinding dried corn, animal feed corn, corn silage for feeding cows, Corn chips, Corn taco shells, Corn Flakes, and so on… Some having more tastes hitting my mouth or even memories of smells added to the images…

When reading a sentence, the pictures become so many, each finding a link to the other, as the words of the sentence is read, some form of logic to linking all of these images together into one large photo or moving image which then equals the sentence’s meaning…

The visual operating system of today’s computers and the Internet offer the same all in one monitor screen, relating all of these images and ideas through a search engine, shown in one screen of over lapping windows… Very much how a dyslexic person thinks inside of their heads…

Even though I accelerated in college through art, drawing, ceramics and photography, I probably would have flunked out without the help of the Macintosh Computer, Microsoft Word and spell check for my written papers…

The internet and the modern day computer are so very close to how a dyslexic person thinks, and often “Normal people view this as being ingénues, but I would guess to most dyslexic people, it seems like just an extension of their own thinking abilities and find themselves very easily learning how it all works…

So next time you hear someone say they are dyslexic, remember, they just see and imagine things in their heads a different way then 90% of the people do, they think in pictures… Look to their picture image solving minds and try to think of other things to have them problem solve or work on then just their writing abilities…

A Small Business Marketing PodCast worth listening to! Small Business Marketing from Duct Tape Marketing

Over the past few years since the iPod has come out and podcasts have become such a common thing to listen to… One I find very enjoyable and informative for Marketing is the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast.

Besides loving the name of the site and podcast, Duct Tape Marketing Podcast: www.ducttapemarketing.com , John Jantsch’s Podcast has some of the best marketing, tactics and resources for small business and helping you get online with new online business skills & techniques… The website includes his Blog, articles and other resources for understanding Marketing online… He also posts links to other information online through his twitter account and highly recommend following his up-to-date Marketing information… He also has had some interesting interviews or discussions with some of the best marketers and writers online and helping Small Business…

Office Mascot, why they’re great to have around.

In this day of Home business and offices, and self-employment, I often talk with others small business owners who have an “Office Mascot”… Now an office mascot can come in various shapes, sized and colors with different characteristics, but best of all they tend to be the ones you can talk to and they almost always agree with what you have to say!!! I know a lot of people that have an office mascot and they love having them around…

I’ve had my studio now since 93, when I finished going to Syracuse University, I came back to my home town family farm where I had converted the old “Chicken Shack” into a small studio, with a woodstove, electric, skylight, insolated and enough room for a loft bed, drawing table, ten drawer unit and my computer desk… And I finished off the outside area with two flower gardens and a slate stone walkway around the front and to one side of the studio… Was real nice and well thought out, this would be where I started my full-time business of freelance art, illustration and design…

Little did I know, my Mom had not gotten me a Class Ring for graduating, but she knew I wanted to get another dog, as mine had passed away my first year of college. She had found the kind of dog I had always wanted too, a Saint Bernard, and I named him Marley… Later I would also get a cat for the Marley, as I felt he was big enough to have his “own pet”, so brought one of the barn kittens in for him to play with, naming it “Buddy”…

Now Marley grew to become a 175 pound Saint Bernard, who could put his paws on my shoulders and look me straight in the eye, and was a great office mascot, barking when someone pulled into the driveway, and was able to also hop up during the summer to put his paws on the top of the Dutch door and look out and enjoy the breeze… Faithful companion, he would follow me everywhere, and enjoyed most to hang out with me in the studio… I tried to teach him to bring in firewood during the winter, but instead, he would berry the logs in the side yard snowdrifts…

The one nice thing about having an Office Mascot, is they always agree with what you say, and never give much of an argument… They are always willing to listen to you, and rarely are they a business problem, unless your client is allergic to pet hair…

The only problem I did have with him, was instead of chewing the normal things a puppy would chew, he chose to chew or move around larger things then sneakers or socks… He chose to chew or move around furniture, Drawing table, my stool, chewed on the computer chair and once in the house, while I was out, dragging the sofa and a recliner chair around, chewing on doorways and table legs… To this my Mom was not too thrilled with, so I needed to get him a fenced in kennel that I installed just to the right of the studio, where I could put him while I was off meeting with clients or doing what have you…

He would love to ride in the back seat of my jeep, ears and jowls flapping in the wind and be the “Guard dog” of my ride, slobbering any who came near… He also took a liking to trying to be a “Hunting Dog”, chasing rabbits and chipmunks around the property, and would sit for hours keeping an eye on a chipmunk hole, waiting for the little furry creature to come out to “Play with him”… And that little kitten, he would scoop up in his mouth, walk over near the woodstove, lay down and spit the now slobbery kitten between his paws and g to sleep with it under his jowls, and the kitten would follow him around the property, and he would even go look for it, when I would say, “Marley, where’s your Buddy?”

The only problem with having a cat as an office mascot is they enjoy sleeping in warm places, often on your portable keyboard, when you leave the office, or behind the computer CPU, where the fan is drawing in air, and often cat hair with it… They also tend to not think to walk across your work, leaving sometimes paw prints, through my wet watercolor paints onto my clients painting or drawings… The other, if it is an inside/outside cat, is they like to bring you “treats” or “Gifts” from their hunting outings, and leave the in places where you are most likely to almost step on the dead mice, rabbits or birds… and when they are young hunters, sometimes these gifts are still alive, how often I had a flying bird, chipmunk or mouse running around my studio just makes me laugh some, as all of my cats I have had where great hunters… But the look on a clients face, when suddenly there is a flying bird in my studio, with a cat trying to re-catch it is just too funny to describe… But having them there to curl up in your lap, and the enjoyment a pet gives is just too hard to truly describe in words alone…

In his later years when he was 11, I got a 2nd Saint Bernard puppy, knowing that training it would be easier with a well trained dog to follow and learn from… This is the same Saint Bernard I have now, which I have had the pleasure of watching her even have puppies since… This one was a bit more challenging, and I learned that I needed to train her as to what not to chew… She instead chose to get into my paintbrushes, tubes of watercolor paint, paw prints on my drawing table and what ever artwork happened to be on it at the time and once even chewed on my Macintosh PowerBook, coughing up keys all night long… And now since Marley’s passing, have kept the runt of her litter… Seeing all have had the same things in common, eating snow, making paths in it, and barrowing my firewood in the snow drifts… He has even enticed me to keep some notes and sketches of him and come up with the beginning of a childrens Book, “Marley Goes Camping”…

Even though I did have a couple challenging times that are now funny to tell about, having an office mascot is great… I believed that not only should one have an office mascot to keep you company on long days of working at the old drawing board, or computer, but was great for spending time with doing work around the family farm, or off fishing and hiking… Giving you a reason to step away from your work to take a bit of a break, a healthy walk with fresh air to think or contemplate, and to enjoy some time off from work…

They aren’t the best at answering phone calls, or taking notes, and defiantly not great at helping do work, but they will give you undivided attention and companionship that sometimes when working by yourself is truly needed… I highly recommend getting a cat or a dog for an Office Mascot…