I do. And not just because I sell them!
Top 5 Reasons to Have Top-Notch Business Cards:
1. They are your #1 marketing item
2. People will judge you and your business by them
3. They are convenient and they fit in wallets and card holders
4. Everyone has cards, but few have cards that stand out
5. They are no more expensive than plain or ugly cards.
See my new order site: www.justbizcards.ca for more info!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Building your personal brand
These are just a few links with great ideas about personal branding:
How to Build the Ultimate Social Media Resume
Personal Branding 101
How to Create Your Personal Brand
The Brand Called You
How to Create a Personal Brand by Becoming a Thought Leader
Dropcards - Business cards for mobile phones
Everything is based on branding now: what you wear, drink, eat - what you do for a living...it's basically your reputation and life and self all rolled up in one. By presenting a well-thought-out personal brand you will be more able accomplish your goals and achieve your dreams.
Why?
Your personal brand is based on your values and personal mission statement, just like a large corporation's. This helps you focus on your goals and aspirations in life and that is the first step to achieving them.
How to Build the Ultimate Social Media Resume
Personal Branding 101
How to Create Your Personal Brand
The Brand Called You
How to Create a Personal Brand by Becoming a Thought Leader
Dropcards - Business cards for mobile phones
Everything is based on branding now: what you wear, drink, eat - what you do for a living...it's basically your reputation and life and self all rolled up in one. By presenting a well-thought-out personal brand you will be more able accomplish your goals and achieve your dreams.
Why?
Your personal brand is based on your values and personal mission statement, just like a large corporation's. This helps you focus on your goals and aspirations in life and that is the first step to achieving them.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Where the money's at
According to one website, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 made $300 million on its release day back on Nov. 10 and over $550 million in its first five days. It's so much money it doesn't even register.
It only took a relatively small $45 million to create the game and a modest $200 million to launch it, giving Activision a profit of over $55 million its first day. They expect to make $14 billion from this one game over its lifetime.
They spent $200 million on marketing throughout 2009 (TV and magazine ads, E3 booth, PR, etc.) Some might think $200 million is too much for marketing and PR. But they wouldn't have spent it if it didn't work.
Oh, and by the way: Modern Warfare 2 is slated to be "the biggest entertainment launch of all time."
It only took a relatively small $45 million to create the game and a modest $200 million to launch it, giving Activision a profit of over $55 million its first day. They expect to make $14 billion from this one game over its lifetime.
They spent $200 million on marketing throughout 2009 (TV and magazine ads, E3 booth, PR, etc.) Some might think $200 million is too much for marketing and PR. But they wouldn't have spent it if it didn't work.
Oh, and by the way: Modern Warfare 2 is slated to be "the biggest entertainment launch of all time."
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Time management is self management
Everyone's heard about time management...now experts are saying that you can't manage time; you can only manage yourself and your activities. Either way, I have read many TM books over the years but I've only really begun to put this concept in place, in a serious way, in the past few weeks.
For example, with advice from one sales book, I have had my television shut off for almost a month (except for Friends and Will and Grace on the odd Friday night, and a movie or two on a Sunday afternoon). This is giving me a lot more time to do design and marketing work, household chores, and going for walks.
I didn't realize I was watching that much TV - I used to only watch 3-4 hours per day, which didn't seem much until I realized that it adds up to around 25-30 hours a week, a decent part-time job!
Another thing I am trying is the Weekly Timesheet. This was recommended to us in design school as a way to keep track of time and our many projects. Of course no one really used it then! But the same sales book recommended it and I have started writing down my activities. It's proven helpful since Internet research (surfing) and updating blogs and Twitter can take more time than I imagine.
Only time will tell if this will make a massive impact on my career but one thing is certain, practicing time management gives you a huge boost in self-respect.
For example, with advice from one sales book, I have had my television shut off for almost a month (except for Friends and Will and Grace on the odd Friday night, and a movie or two on a Sunday afternoon). This is giving me a lot more time to do design and marketing work, household chores, and going for walks.
I didn't realize I was watching that much TV - I used to only watch 3-4 hours per day, which didn't seem much until I realized that it adds up to around 25-30 hours a week, a decent part-time job!
Another thing I am trying is the Weekly Timesheet. This was recommended to us in design school as a way to keep track of time and our many projects. Of course no one really used it then! But the same sales book recommended it and I have started writing down my activities. It's proven helpful since Internet research (surfing) and updating blogs and Twitter can take more time than I imagine.
Only time will tell if this will make a massive impact on my career but one thing is certain, practicing time management gives you a huge boost in self-respect.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Little Black Dress
Gabrielle Chanel was one of the few self-made women of history.
Born to an unmarried couple in France in 1883, and later abandoned by her father after her mother died, she rose from an orphanage to become one of the most sought-after women of the 20th century.
How did she accomplish this? Coco, like many brilliant success stories, had an obsessive dream to escape poverty. She first tried her luck as a shopkeeper and then as a singer and dancer (that's where she picked up her nickname, Coco). Later, she became the mistress of a wealthy gentleman named Etienne Balsan. Then came her big break: at age 27, she met her benefactor, Englishman Arthur Capel, who helped her set up her first milliner shop in Paris, in 1910. She went on to become hat-maker to the Paris elite.
"Once she opened her business and began to apply her taste and capacities to it, she would change into a woman entrepreneur forever. Nothing would stop her: not the lack of experience, not even the war that soon exploded. For the rest of her life she would work as both craftsman and businesswoman, implementing her own view of the art of dressing on her ever expanding clientele..." Famous Women
She invented the simple, elegant and practical Little Black Dress, worn by herself, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, and many, many others. This was a revolution a century ago, when all women wore layers of heavy clothing, corsets, mounds of ruffles and lace - even in the sweltering heat of summer.
Chanel faced a major obstacle after World War 1, when she had closed her shop briefly. In the following years she lost her top fashion designer place to male designers. Dior and other male fashion designers took over, but in 1953 she reopened with the need to dress women in comfortable clothing: "A dress isn't right unless the arm lifts easily...Elegance in clothes means freedom to move freely." Although she was over 70 years old at the time, and critics were extremely harsh, she pressed on and was still designing her latest clothing line at her death on January 10, 1971, at age 87.
And thanks to Coco Chanel, born into poverty and disgrace but with a drive to succeed, several hundred ladies showed up at the old Cosmo Club in Moncton last night, in little black dresses. And every single one of them looked amazing.
Born to an unmarried couple in France in 1883, and later abandoned by her father after her mother died, she rose from an orphanage to become one of the most sought-after women of the 20th century.
How did she accomplish this? Coco, like many brilliant success stories, had an obsessive dream to escape poverty. She first tried her luck as a shopkeeper and then as a singer and dancer (that's where she picked up her nickname, Coco). Later, she became the mistress of a wealthy gentleman named Etienne Balsan. Then came her big break: at age 27, she met her benefactor, Englishman Arthur Capel, who helped her set up her first milliner shop in Paris, in 1910. She went on to become hat-maker to the Paris elite.
"Once she opened her business and began to apply her taste and capacities to it, she would change into a woman entrepreneur forever. Nothing would stop her: not the lack of experience, not even the war that soon exploded. For the rest of her life she would work as both craftsman and businesswoman, implementing her own view of the art of dressing on her ever expanding clientele..." Famous Women
She invented the simple, elegant and practical Little Black Dress, worn by herself, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, and many, many others. This was a revolution a century ago, when all women wore layers of heavy clothing, corsets, mounds of ruffles and lace - even in the sweltering heat of summer.
Chanel faced a major obstacle after World War 1, when she had closed her shop briefly. In the following years she lost her top fashion designer place to male designers. Dior and other male fashion designers took over, but in 1953 she reopened with the need to dress women in comfortable clothing: "A dress isn't right unless the arm lifts easily...Elegance in clothes means freedom to move freely." Although she was over 70 years old at the time, and critics were extremely harsh, she pressed on and was still designing her latest clothing line at her death on January 10, 1971, at age 87.
And thanks to Coco Chanel, born into poverty and disgrace but with a drive to succeed, several hundred ladies showed up at the old Cosmo Club in Moncton last night, in little black dresses. And every single one of them looked amazing.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sometimes Facebook Annoys Me.
Like when you try to invite a couple of your friends from your email contacts, and it goes and invites everything and everyone on the entire list, whether you want them or not.
I'm all for social media, but Facebook needs some etiquette lessons.
I'm all for social media, but Facebook needs some etiquette lessons.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
5 Reasons Why You Should Have the Best Business Card You Can Afford
What does your business card matter, anyway? Every business person has one; they may seem like little expensive pieces of paper that cost more than they are worth (unless you print your own with your office printer or get the plain black ink ones from Staples or Kwik Kopy - but even these can end up more than you thought in the long run).
Well, high quality business cards are a necessary part of your business and marketing arsenal - here are five reasons why:
1) They are one of the least expensive but effective ways to advertise you and your business
2) They can easily be kept in your wallet, and when you hand them out, kept in your prospective customer's wallet, at all times and within easy reach.
3) Just like a nice car or suit, an attractive, quality card enhances your image
4) You are more likely to pass out awesome cards than cheap or ugly ones, and the more people who have your card, the better
5) Many printers can create full-colour and even double-sided business cards nowadays that rival the old one-colour, one-sided cards in price
These are just five reasons why you should have the best cards you can get your hands on; there are many more reasons I don't have time to go into now...
Check out my website to learn more at Designs By Sarah.
Well, high quality business cards are a necessary part of your business and marketing arsenal - here are five reasons why:
1) They are one of the least expensive but effective ways to advertise you and your business
2) They can easily be kept in your wallet, and when you hand them out, kept in your prospective customer's wallet, at all times and within easy reach.
3) Just like a nice car or suit, an attractive, quality card enhances your image
4) You are more likely to pass out awesome cards than cheap or ugly ones, and the more people who have your card, the better
5) Many printers can create full-colour and even double-sided business cards nowadays that rival the old one-colour, one-sided cards in price
These are just five reasons why you should have the best cards you can get your hands on; there are many more reasons I don't have time to go into now...
Check out my website to learn more at Designs By Sarah.
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