Summers are always hard for those of us who work from home. Not just because the sunshine calls to us to leave our dreary desks, but also because we typically have a lot more going on. Vacations, kids activities (if you have children), gardening, etc etc. Last week I took 3 days off to teach an arts and crafts class to kids. I was nervous about it, but let me just say, as an artist, it was probably one of the best things I could have done. Kids have such vivid imaginations. They inspire you with just a thought or an idea. You give them something simple to do and they can make a
[keep reading »] million ideas that you hadn't even considered. It was definitely a blessed little treat for me.

Now that it's finished, I'm busy getting into the grind. We seem to have many programming projects about to start and a few design projects underway. Which is always a good thing, especially with the economy being so unstable right now.

Creative Fusion Pro is under development now and I'm really looking forward to seeing it blossom and bloom before our eyes. The more we delve into it, the more we seem to realize that the software we're developing for this business has the potential to completely change the industry as we know it. Very exciting to be apart of it, to say the least.

Well I better get back to work, but I just wanted to stop in and say a quick hi and hello to everyone. Hope you all are doing fine.

Jen Walter Creative Director JW Design Center

When you work in a normal job, you have other people who can cover for you should you take a sick day. But when you’re a business owner in a small business, what do you do? Do you have a backup plan in case of emergencies? Perhaps you need a “substitute”?

This
[keep reading »] week I’ve been thinking about that. I have a few health problems that I’m dealing with and this week I took the time to ask some of my closest and most trust worthy colleagues if they’d be able to pick up a project or two should I ever need it for emergency purposes. I would of course offer to do the same with their businesses if the roles were reversed. They agreed and I have to say, it’s a HUGE weight off my shoulders. One I didn’t even know I had.

It’s bad enough that many small business owners go uninsured, or underinsured but then they push themselves if they DO get sick because they have no alternative or back up plan. We are only human. We need to remember, as business owners, that there will come a time, somewhere down the road that we’ll need to take a break and rest. Otherwise we’ll be in for a lot more trouble later on down the road. I really encourage you to think about what you would/would not be able to do if you needed to take a few days off? If you have a back up plan. I think you’ll feel a lot better in the long run and feel that an unknown weight has been lifted if you do. :)

J.

There is not another line out there that is more BS than that. And I've heard it more times than I can count. My business IS personal… I don’t care what anyone says. And it darn well should be! Where, as entrepreneurs do we pour our hearts, souls, sweat, blood, tears, TIME? Into our business. Our businesses become our babies. We become instinctively protective over them. We become proud of them… they are like children. So WHY would we say something like business is NOT personal?

I
[keep reading »] recently had an opportunity to do some work for my husband’s boss. It would have been a nice large project with a hefty budget. But something kept nagging at me. The boss is a nice enough guy.. great to work for from my husband’s view point, and he liked the mock ups we sent. He was ready to write a check, and then he said that famous phrase and I thought twice. In order to do MY job well, i have to get to know a company. From it’s roots to it’s ends. I want to understand the personality behind the employees and owner(s), I want to know who the customers are, why they like working with this company etc etc. I need that info in order to come up with a good quality design. But he didn’t want to give me that info…and kept pushing the concept that nothing in business is personal. Yes it is. I wholeheartedly disagreed and because of that, i turned down the job. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe not.. but I’m glad i made that choice.

So … what do you think? Should business BE personal?

J.

I was thinking today about my parents. I love them, and they do very well at what they do professionally. But neither of them ever dreamed of starting their own business… they were happy and content with working for someone else. Which is just fine. I’m proud of them. In some ways I strive to be like them. But I’ve also discovered that more than anything, I just want to do something I love. Now in many cases, that becomes a downfall. I’ve seen so many people try to turn something they love into a business and end up not only not remembering why they got their start, but losing that
[keep reading »] original love for whatever product or service they were providing.

I think for many of us, it’s a fear we have. Especially as a business owner, you put so much into running the business. You give up valuable family time, personal time. A business can become VERY consuming. But if at any point in your sacrifices you can honestly still say that you LOVE what you do, then I think you’ve made success. Whether it means you have a million in the bank or you’re just making it. It’s been a few years for me. I’ve had moments where I’ve wanted to just shut down. I was too tired to too run down. But I keep going. Anyone who knows me knows that my younger self was notorious for starting things and not finishing them. I remember my family saying that would be the case for me with design. And not once has it happened. It’s a matter of pride for one, but ultimately it comes down to the simple fact that doing this art form is the one thing that I LOVE doing. So for any of you out there who feel as I once felt. Run down, inconsequential, like the whole world is either laughing at you, trying to screw you over, or just plain hateing you and everything you stand for.. believe me when I say you’re not alone. You’ll make it. Business is hard! You’regoing to make mistakes. No one ever said you had to be perfect, you just have to give your all and don’t forget WHY you started to begin with. Find something to love in your day EVERY day… and no it can’t be when you clock out. Believe in your own abilities…and you’ll pull through. I did.

J.

If I were to say the word “salesman” what comes to mind? Why do some people sell better than others? Well for me, I picture two things. I picture your typical image of a used car salesman, and I think of telemarketers. Both give me goose bumps! I am not a salesman. Never have been, never will be. I’ve worked in retail and in banking, both of which require the ability to sell. And here I am, a business owner doing it every day. Why do you hate to sell? Why is it that the idea of cold calling gives many of us a panic attack? Rejection plays the biggest part in why we
[keep reading »] don’t like to sell ourselves. But I always tell people to change the way they think about it. I used be a branch manager at a pretty big bank, we had a ton of customers every day, all day. My tellers were required to ask for credit card sign ups from each customer. They had a quota to fulfill and my branch just wasn’t cutting it. So I sat and I observed my tellers for a few days and discovered most weren’t even asking. When I asked them why they weren’t they’d say things like “I’m tired of hearing No!” Now feeling badly for my poor tellers, they had lost all motivation to reach their quotas. I set up a new plan. I created a chart with a grid that had 100 squares on it. In those squares were the word NO! The goal wasn’t the yes. It was the No. My 100 No charts went up in each desk and the point was to track the No’s. The person who got the first 100 No’s got dinner for two at a fancy restaurant on me. Ok so why did or didn’t this work? It worked, it worked very well. We quickly became the number one branch for credit sign ups. Statistics show that if you ask 100 people , 75 will say no and 25 will say yes. Well shoot, that’s 25 sales! Making that negative answer be a positive thing will make the job a lot more fun. My tellers suddenly became excited… getting a NO is easy! They each had a visual at their desk …this is big too… get a white board or a something to keep your goals in a visible spot so that you see it each day. It will keep those goals fresh in your mind. This taught me - and those tellers - a valuable lesson… it never hurts to ask, all they can say is no. So go after the No’s. Make it your goal to get X amount of No’s this month. Start small if you have to… but definitely start it.

Mock ups… not all design firms do them. I’ve always been a firm supporter of them. Yesterday I completed 3 mock ups for 2 different projects. One billboard, and one trailer wrap. Mock ups have always had the power of making or breaking a sale for my firm. Usually after we provide a mock up, we win the account. But every brief now and then, we’ll get a client who doesn’t understand what a mock up is. A mock up is simply an idea. A direction the project could go in. It doesn’t have EVERYTHING yet, it’s not a final proof and is just supposed to get the ideas flowing.
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It’s our job to train our clients to understand the way our industry works. Providing us with all the materials and information that we need is CRUCIAL for us to properly tap into the creativity we need to do the job well. If you have a logo, make sure you provide it to us in a format we can use to get the most out of it. If you have specific pictures you’re looking for, you can save time and money by providing us with those ahead of time. Sketch out an idea if you like of what you had in mind. Colors that you like, colors that you don’t like… who you’re marketing to… who are your clients? All of this information is important in order for us to succeed in designing for a client. When we miss this info, and forget to get a quality brief, then the quality of a mock up will dramatically suffer.

If we’re given little to no direction, expect it to be a bit like a crap shoot where mock ups are concerned. We’ll likely hit or miss. We do not know all the in’s and outs of your company… so when you find a design firm you’re looking to use, make sure you work WITH them as a team.. rather than just telling them to be creative. You’ll get FAR better results, more bang for your buck and your designer will probably enjoy working with you so much more if you do. :)

J.

About a month and a half ago, I attended a local trade show for homeowners. I collected business cards while I was there and now I have a stack of over 500 cards sitting on my desk. As I was going through them, I noticed that the majority of them weren’t the greatest cards. So many people have a hard time selling their products or their services to people. Why on earth would you short change yourself by having poorly made or outdated cards to hand out? Give yourself the added confidence when representing your business by making sure that you don’t commit any business card design
[keep reading »] faux pas. I’ve put a black line through the information to protect these folks’ privacy… but here are 4 examples of some business cards faux Pas:

1. you’re at the end of a stack and you’ve changed your phone number or address… so you cross out the old information and write over the top. (see bottom left)… no no no…. bad idea. I know it’s quick and simple for you… but later, this comes across as sloppy, unprepared and unprofessional. If something changes, so should your card. Period.

2. Overfilling your card(see top left)… ok yea, name, address, phone, website, email address… those are certainly important. But stick with ONE logo and make sure you don’t overfill your card with either information or graphics that are unnecessary. The point of a card is to give information in a clear, clean, short but sweet message.

3. Colors (see top right) - colors are great, but be careful. Not only will you up the printing costs, but if you clash as well as these guys, you’re not doing yourself or your profits any favors. Stick to two, maybe 3 colors when printing… unless you include a well thought out photo (do not stretch, do not pixelate). Also keep in mind that by adding color, you’re giving your card a better chance at being noticed.

4. Cost - going for the cheapest you can find. Yea when you’re starting a business, you try to keep costs down. But this is something you’re giving to a client. It is a direct extension of who you are and what you’re business can do for them. If you give out a flimsy card with a poor design, what are you saying about your business? Paper quality, gloss, even specialty cuts are the added things that will cost money, but are definitely worth it. They help your card stick out among the others.

A business card is your business’s identity… if it’s bland, boring, or poorly designed you end up losing the appeal and therefore losing a sale. A business has a personality, a feel to it, and your identity should reflect that.

Whew what a day! It’s been crazy hectic here. And smack in the middle of all the work, I went to the pumpkin patch with my daughters elementary class today. :) It was a lot of fun. Got home and had 4 new clients in my inbox :D
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I’ve recently run across a strange “fear” from some of the newer businesses in my area. They are afraid to stand out, afraid to be original or different from the norm. They are also afraid to grow. Now part of me does understand that with growth in any business, there’s some level of discomfort until things become normal again. Growth can mean more costs if you’re not prepared for it. But why any business would fear it is a little strange to me. Isn’t that why you got into business to begin with? To HAVE business?

About a year ago I helped a small contracting business. The owner was afraid to grow and decided not to market anymore. 5 years later, he wondered why he was in debt. I went in and coached, designed some new ads, and we worked slowly to build him a comfortable base. Then we added slowly, new marketing methods, new ideas… fought every step of the way mind you, but now, 3 years later, he’s no longer in any debt, his business registers a hefty profit AND the owner took his first vacation in 15 years. He’s getting his marriage back and just plain looks healthier.

As a business owner, sometimes we tie ourselves to our business. The healthier our business, the healthier we are in turn. If our business make a profit, but we’re killing ourselves trying to get all the word done, it’s not worth it. At least it’s not to me. Planning. Planning is so important. Goals.. so important. Most small business owners, or first time business owners don’t have any written goals for their business. Why not? Why not give yourself a visual? A plan for how you’re going to grow and still keep your sanity.

The next time you have a spare few minutes.. write down what your goals are for say the next 6 months, the next year and the next 5 years. What accomplishments do you want to succeed in? Now post those babies up where you can see em.. maybe even make yourself a little time line chart.. believe me it can really help motivate.

For example… you want to get 25 new clients this month. Maybe that’s a lot, maybe that’s only a little. So that means, statistically, you’ll need to ask about 100 people for a sale. 75 of that 100 will most likely say no. So get those No’s out of the way! I made up a little chart that had 100 no’s on it. Then everytime i get a no.. i cross if off my list. I’m that much closer to getting a yes! It keeps me motivated.. and my sales go through the roof. Not a bad deal at all if you ask me! :D Now I seriously challenge you to try this.. try it for 1 month.. if it doesn’t do anything for you, then you haven’t really wasted any time, but what if, just what if flipping it around, trying to get the no will help you sell better than you’ve ever sold? What if you get those 25 new clients? Next month.. instead of getting 100 No’s .. go for 150.. make your goals attainable at first. Keep yourself motivated. 100 no’s . ..maybe that sounds like a lot, but if you break it down.. that’s approximately 3 people a day.. round up to 4. 4 people.. that’s it! That’s not so hard! This method is tried, true and tested. I used to work as a branch manager at a bank and I had my tellers do this for a few months. Our sales went through the roof, we became the #1 Branch for Credit card sign ups and kept that record strong longer than any branch ever had. I hope you all will actually give it a shot.. i’d love to know what results you came up with.

Well I have a conference call to go sit in. Talk to y’all later :)

J.

Just wrapping up projects left and right at work… here’s two I finished today.
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http://jwdesigncenter.deviantart.com/art/Busine...ds-72569320

and

http://jwdesigncenter.deviantart.com/art/Corpor...ge-72581854

As much as I love the holiday times for personal reasons, i hate it for business. Everyone goes on vacation and either forgets to tell their designers who are busy working on a “rush” project or they let us know at the last minute that the “rush” project is in fact no longer rushed and that they won’t be back till the new year. I swear, next year, I’ll be seriously tempted to just take some vacation time instead. :) But at the same time, I just love this time of year. Everyone is in a fairly good mood, we've all got a spring in our step from either anticipation of gifts or seeing distant relatives, for the dishes we lovingly prepare that remind us of days gone by. Hope everyone is well… and that you all have the very best holiday. I’m keeping this short today as I still have boatloads of work to finish up.

J.

Well, I had an interview today. When I say “had an interview” it means I was interviewing someone else.. not the other way around. :) I’ve had many, i’m getting used to doing them, but this one left me thinking. We’re a pretty casual company so we have interviews at local coffee shops or somewhere a little less intimidating. This particular girl had a LOT of talent. I was pretty excited and she actually did something that few really do. She came prepared with TONS of questions for me. So much so that I was almost rethinking the 9:30 am time, as I don’t function normally
[keep reading »] until noon. Thank god for caffeine. But her questions really had me contemplating business, interviews, and my company as a whole.

I’ve said it once, and i’ll say it a million times, I LOVE my job. But I am I think, an unusual character. After doing this for so long, I STILL practice new techniques daily. It’s how I wind down actually. But it also pushes me to think deeper and go deeper with my work. I also don’t normally tell people that I’m the owner of JW. Of course, the employees know.. but clients? To them, i’m just a designer, and personally, I like to keep it that way. Otherwise they’d always be insistent to speak with me or deal with me. It’s the “incognito” side of my job. I like it this way. I don’t want to be sucked up to or manipulated just because I own a company.. I just want to do what I love.

I sat and talked with this girl about the new side projects I’ve got “in the works”. And believe me when I say that there are many. I’ve got a second business I want to start, I’ve got a redesign and ecommerce implementation to put on the JW website. It’s going to be so wonderful and will hopefully go live for the new year. But in it, will include an employee section, password protected, with a design dictionary of terms, resources and inspiration gallery, templates for different file set ups and layouts, tutorials etc etc. The ecommerce section of the new JW will provide us with a way of bringing in some more steady income. And with all of this, I also want to hit some comicons this year and do some research about that industry. So yea, there’s a lot going on, but all of it is absolutely exciting. At least for me. I guess it had her concerned. Now obviously all of this isn’t going to happen overnight. I’d be happy if it all came together in the next 4 years. These are goals I have. Too bad I can’t clone myself.

In the end, I almost felt as if I was being interviewed.. not that it’s a bad thing, but definitely one of my most unusual experiences being on the other end of the table. Just thought i’d share! Perhaps it can help someone else when they’re polishing up their resume and getting ready for their next interview. Happy Friday!

J.

I just finished reading an incredibly enlightening article about Clotaire Rapaille. He started his career in child psychiatry. And now runs his own company working with people like Folgers, Nestle and Chrysler among many others. His article covers how if you find “the code” of what makes someone tick, you’ll be able to market anything. To take “thinking” out of the equation when it comes to marketing and make it primal. Its a bit long, but I HIGHLY suggest you all read it when you have a spare 10 minutes or so. It may just make you rethink how you’ve marketed your own
[keep reading »] company, or how you design in the future. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/p...paille.html Happy Reading!

Well, I’m going to vent a little this morning. I spend a good 3 hours a day, sometimes more, critiquing work for colleagues and students that write to me. It’s fun, and it helps everyone involved. Yea, if I were to stop, i’d have some extra time in my day, but I feel that when I need critiques and such, i’ll get them in return because I’m always doing them for others.
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I’m working on a new digital painting piece. It’s coming along nicely, but I need help with the background. It has water in it and a very detailed background. I’ve posted it up in about 5 forums so far, with only 1 critique and the 1 critique I recieved was so vague that it really wasn’t helpful. So it got me thinking about the way we critique and review. Doing critiques and reviews does take a bit of time. At least to do it right. We not only have to stop what we’re doing to actually LOOK at someone else’s work, but then contemplate whether it works. Not just visually, but in a useable sense of the word as well. Will the target market like it? wait, that means we may actually have to figure out who the target market is supposed to be for! When i critique or review a piece, I want to make sure to point out what is successful, what works, and what doesn’t. I also try and leave the artist inspired to go forth, not lost and confused. :) You get the idea. As much as I love the internet, I find myself wanting some face to face critiques where I’ll actually get something helpful rather than a bunch of vague responses that don’t even come close to picking apart the piece I’m wanting critiqued. So.. here it is.. http://jwdesigncenter.deviantart.com/art/Tomb-R...ss-70779792 my current work in progress.. The background needs some more work, the water DESPERATELY needs work and just some other areas to clean up.. but it’s coming along nicely all the same. Anyone who wants to critique it is MORE than welcome!

Jen

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about different sides and aspects I can add to my website and my business. As it stands now, I have about 8 employees (PT and FT). And we all work REALLY REALLY hard and love it .. but I’d like to find ways to bring in money without having to work QUITE so hard doing it. The main way i’ve contemplated this is by utilizing ecommerce on my website. The different ideas i’m considering are…
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Templates: To me this seems like somewhat of a slam dunk. There are so many customers out there who have small budgets. By providing our own templates, this gives those customers a chance to get a nice professional website without paying all the costs. And this would, in theory, mean less work in the long run because people could just download the code and graphics and leave me out of the equation. Of course, there is a bunch of work involved in the beginning… that would entail of course designing and coding the templates themselves.

Stock Photography/Illustrations: This has been very lucrative for many artists and photographers out there. However I also feel that competition has gotten a lot stiffer. Submitting your work to multiple stock engines is definitely a key to success for the work.

Merchandise Sales: Coffee Cups, Business Card Holders, Calendars, TShirts… whether you sell on your website or somewhere like cafepress or even deviantart. This seems like it would be fun, but harder to compete. I’d love to know how other’s have done using this method to add to their revenue.

These are just a few methods out of many… I’d love to know what other’s have implemented to supplement their income…and of course the varying successes of those methods.

J.