The Designing Business
PORTFOLIO: What's yours is NOT theirs
Noted author Susan Kirkland often gets email from somebody who's being hassled by a previous client or employer. They are demanding that some piece of artwork be removed from the designer's website because it was done either as an employee, a work for hire or just because they think they can make the demand. This article clears up who owns what and how to handle those requests.
Templates for Profit
Whether you're a new designer, or a new freelancer, you need some basic starting points to answer the questions. The 'old guard' of the design profession shuns pre-designed templates. But I don't shun them when they can turn a $20 per hour profit into an $85 per hour profit! Templates for Profit
Your Book as Your Business Card
What is 6" by 9," usually weighs roughly one pound, and is giving an increasing number of business leaders an advantage over the competition? A book. 'The book as a business card' has added a new and powerful tool for marketing ... Your Book as Your Business Card
Easy timers and counters
Having problems keeping track of time -- or timing events or schedules? This app provides unique features such as tilt and shake control, timer linking, and customized pictures and text. It comes complete with unique tilt and shake control, timer linking, and provision for customized pictures and text. Easy timers and counters
Sales Boost for Creative Professionals
These days you would think freelancers, designers, illustrators, photographers and other creative professionals need to get into high gear marketing themselves. But instead of searching for that elusive "magic wand" to bring a sudden influx of projects, listen to some sage advice from Mark Dollan , Founder/CEO of Creative Briefcase, that will help boost sales for creative pros
Sending invoices made easy
For the small business or consulting firm, Involer is a simple, easy to use invoicing application for Mac OS X where you can create, print, export and track the status of your invoices within a single, easy to use interface. With Involer, you can be up and running with your company in just a few seconds, and sending invoices in minutes. Easy invoicing for business
Colour My World
Quite unexpected, this article appeared in our mailbox with a note from one "Retired Major Martin" saying "Please publish this." As we read the article, we knew you might enjoy it :
"... the need for faster and bigger video cards developed into a pixel race game with macho 'whose is bigger' mentalities. Of course, bigger meant more dollars spent." Or, should we call the article "What will the future bring?"
The Leadership Vacuum
What will we lose with the next generation? Nick Tasler, TalentSmart's global research leader takes a look at the future's work force and what exactly constitutes a high quality leader -- but what he finds is a huge gap between Boomers and Millennials in self-management -- which will become The Leadership Vacuum
Another boring PowerPoint? Oh No!
It makes you cringe when someone says "watch this powerpoint" because you know it's going to bore you to tears! In these three articles from CIO you'll learn a collection of PowerPoint tips and presentation techniques you can learn to improve your presentations - PowerPoint Tips: Keep Your Audience Awake
Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business
Just starting out in business? Launching a freelance career? Here are killer mistakes to avoid when starting a business excerpted from So, You Want to Start a Business? by Ed Hess and Charles Goetz 8 Killer Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business
Why Bad Spending Happens To Good People
Everyone needs good spending habits -- particularly as the economy slows down. In today's over stimulated, over saturated world it's even more important to develop a sharp awareness to where each dollar goes. Noted author Nick Tassler explains some tips to live by and Why Bad Spending Happens To Good People
New Product Blueprinting
Dan Adams says the only way to win in tough times is through organic growth. Companies must consistently come up with differentiated new products customers want to buy--and that means finding clarity in the "fuzzy front end" of the process. New Product Blueprinting
Picking up the Pieces of my Life
This month George relates a little problem he had downloading some graphics for his May newsletter -- which turned into big problems after turning off his Windows anti-virus software... Lessons learned ... again!
Start a business now??? Some say yes
These tough economic times have many Americans looking for work -- and looking for more ways to make ends meet. Authors Ed Hess and Charles Goetz have some advice you might not expect to hear right now: Start your own business! The $tart-Up $olution
Business: The Land of Difficult People
From Tibet to Mexico to the Balkans, every culture has its own cherished folktales. Now, Terrence L. Gargiulo and Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D share their wisdom for dealing with typical workplace characters drawn from the world's treasury of folk stories -- in the Land of Difficult People continue reading...
Business: Advice for Design Creatives
The financial news of the past few weeks has left many a business owner panicked -- guess who gets hit the worst? Creatives! But David Giannett says you can actually use the economic downturn to create a better organization. Surviving the Economic Downturn
Economic Apocalypse: Eight Steps Your Company Can Take to Survive It
The private business sector is in trouble, and the final showdown is coming. If you're one of the 75 percent of mid-sized companies that's not increasing in value, it's time to adapt or die. Private business guru Rob Slee explains what you need to do right now to stay alive. Become a Midas Manager
Direct Marketing Primer
Lynne Saarte and Janice Jenkins present a four-page primer on direct response marketing. First, Janice addresses "generation y" marketing. Topics covered are using your database, marketing with postcards, and measuring your direct response marketing campaign.
How much should I charge
In the Design Cafe I provided an answer to one of the most frequent questions we receive -- about pricing creative services. Whether you're a new designer, or a new freelancer, you need some basic starting points to answer the questions...
* How much should I charge??
* How do I find and get new clients?
* Lead Services: Pros & Cons
Business: The ultimate design brief
Your design can only be as good as the brief you worked from. The best projects are borne from briefs that are open enough to inspire ideas, while being specific enough to feel workable. Shaun Crowley shows how you can elicit these kinds of briefs by providing clients with The ultimate design brief
Business: Marketing & Strategy for 2008
Three excellent short pieces help you fine tune your business for the coming year:
- Five Business Tactics for 2008 bestselling author Quint Studer shares leadership tactics ;
- Ready, Fire, Aim Michael Masterson offers nine powerful reasons why entrepreneurs should stop procrastinating and start selling! and
- Overhauling Your Project Management System with industry expert Rudolf Melik
A quick Tune up for your computer
Is your PC not running like it used to? Bogged down by too many startup items, slow to load, slow to restart? Maybe it's time for your annual end of the year PC tune up! Wesley Warren of Vexcom.com shares these tune-up tricks for your Annual PC Maintenance: A quick Tune up for your computer
Business Advice from Adriana
- Tips on Writing a Good FAQ Adriana Iordan shares insight and tips on Writing a Good FAQ, those organized "collections" of valuable information you want your readers to learn
- Small Business Marketing And Advertising Too often, small business advertising and marketing campaigns prioritize branding at the expense of direct response--i.e., actually getting leads and/or sales right now. That is almost always a foolish and even dangerous proposition.
You Are the News: Citizen Journalism
This is an important article -- and we hope to bring you more coverage on the topic. Citizen journalism allows writers and viewers alike to decide for themselves what is timely, relevant, and newsworthy. Five Reasons Why Citizen Journalism is a concept whose time has come
Then, Paul Sullivan, editor in chief of Orato.com, takes a moment to tell us a little bit about this multi-faceted Web site and the future of citizen journalism. Common Questions about Citizen Journalism
Promotional ideas of the season
We're back again with more ideas on using scratch pads for your seasonal promotion -- this time I've included templates, layouts and even a starter kit. If you haven't put your promo into motion yet, perhaps you should ask What's a little padding between friends?
The Padding Magic Padding Press
When you read the padding press articles and instructions here, you might be asking yourself how to get a padding press. Hugh Lyman, engineer and inventor contacted me to show me his new padding press design -- and this is a knock-out -- the one you need is the Padding Magic Padding Press
Business: Rise of the Designer / Copywriter
Marketing-savvy designers who complement their design service with copywriting can expect more lucrative projects and plenty of on-going work. Marketing consultant Shaun Crowley looks at a few copywriting designers who no longer tell their clients "I'm a designer not a writer". Rise of the Designer / Copywriter
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