What? I know that’s what you’re saying when you read the title of this post, right? The reason I called it that is because this project will be ongoing, and I love that. The recently launched Matrix Medical Jobs project, has not only been the biggest I’ve been involved in so far in my career, it’s also been the most fun, as well as providing a highly valuable learning experience.

The project involved designing a main site, and then 48 “branch” sites within. Each of those sites is located on a sub-domain, and 10 of them have completely different designs, then color changes within those 10 “categories”. Also, 11 Wordpress Blog themes to match the main site and 10 of the “branch” sites. While challenging, it has been a challenge I met with enthusiasm, because of the experience it provides!

Now that those sites have launched, we have been working on our print media for marketing. Business cards, sales sheets, presentation folders/sales packet, and more. It is very exciting. I’ve always loved the process of building an entire business image package, from Logo, to website, to print media.

There will be more sites added to this group in the future, and I look forward to a wonderful on-going relationship with this very talented group of people!

We’ve been providing high quality print media to small businesses since 1995. As of Monday, October 13, 2008 you can purchase Print Media from our Graphic Design site making it a one stop shop!

We all hate to waste valuable space on any print materials for our business. Even if you print your own, it can be expensive to have to do it over!

So, what information should one include on their business card?

~Logo: be sure that you have a printable version of your logo to use, as many web versions are not in a high enough resolution to print clearly (and they will look “fuzzy”).

~Company Tag Line or Slogan: after all, you came up with one to help market your business–your business card is the best place to use it!

~Your Name: this should be prominent, as it’s the reason you have a business card…to introduce yourself.

~Your Title: whether you put CEO, President, Owner, or the title of your trade (such as “graphic designer”), this lends credibility to your card. Your title should be approximately 2 font sizes smaller than your name.

~Contact Information: This can include your mailing address, your website address, your email address; but it should definitely include at least one phone number.

Don’t forget about using the back of your business card! It can be a great place to put a coupon, a map to your place of business, a calendar, an appointment area, or a list of your specialties. The sky is (almost) the limit on the back of your card–be creative!

The most important thing to remember is balance, color, and clarity. Your business card is your own little diamond to show the world how important you are!

One of the best ways to get your business across to potential clients is to offer a brochure! What should you put in it? Well, remember that this is a selling tool! You want people to open it, right? So make it “pretty”, but also add a very good marketing message to the cover….invite them to learn more! People always want to know, “What’s in it for me?”, so you should use the cover to let them know!

If you don’t have a clean, crisp logo (or other graphics) for the cover, now is when you invest your time and energy into getting them. A brochure should look as professional as possible! Inside, you should always keep in mind that you are selling yourself. Thus, don’t spend too much time on features….spend more time on the benefits of those features. Remind people why they want to do business with your company! Make sure to include your website address, so they can learn even more about your business through further investigation.

There are some great paper resources out there, that offer pre-designed brochure paper–perfect for anyone trying to save some money on ink and graphics. One of the best is: Paper Direct.

Remember to keep your information organized, and use headlines with bold text to lead into new topics. Write everything down on a legal pad first, in order to organize it, and check grammar. Ask colleagues to critique your work before you go to print. A well organized, nicely written, and clean brochure, can be one of your most valuable tools in selling your business!

Color plays an integral part in how we react to things both emotionally and physically. Understanding what colors can do will help you to attract your target market more effectively.

Color can cause a visitor/customer to pass by your business, or leave your website altogether. For this reason, deciding on a color scheme for your business image is a very important first step.

BOLD

Warm colors such as red and orange are typically associated with boldness and strength. In web design, black can also trigger a feeling of strength.

PEACEFUL

Cool colors in the blue family conjure feelings of peace and calm. Purples are considered playful.

PROSPEROUS

Green and shades of it, cause most people to think of money, good health, nature, and/or prosperity.

PROFESSIONAL

Muted primary colors such as red, navy, or green along with black and dark gray convey a sense of professionalism.
You should avoid overuse of colors that cause a negative reaction such as bright (neon) purples, pinks, and yellows. Unless you are looking for a specific reaction, avoid using these as the main colors on your website.

COLOR IN YOUR LOGO

The color of your logo should arouse the same feelings you wish your products to instill. As a general rule, a logo should not contain more than 4 colors. Many times even a black and white image is all that is necessary to achieve the desired response to your image.

PRINTING

You should always keep in mind that the colors on your screen most likely will not match the colors (exactly) that come out of your printer. Your computer monitor displays colors in RGB (red, green, blue), while your printer prints out either in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) or PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors. These are two different color spaces, which is why they display colors so differently.

WEBSITE BACKGROUNDS

While backgrounds that contain images can be pleasing, one should make certain that the background image chosen is not too busy, and does not cause a perceived “confusion” in their visitor’s mind. Examples of confusing background images can be those that are bold colors and repeat too often, or those that do not create a consistent pattern when repeated across a page. Background images can also cause page load time to increase, which is very undesirable. In most cases, a solid colored background is considered more professional.

Use this Online Color Chooser to help you find color codes for your projects.

Becoming a small business owner can be very exciting! Keep in mind that it’s not an “overnight” accomplishment, and it takes some thought and planning before-hand, as well as persistence and patience in the first several years.

Before you start your business, you need to decide on a name…..and maybe design a logo (that can be saved for later, if you want). The name will be the most important. Think about what your business will offer, and what kind of first impression you want to give. Write down ANY words that come to mind when you think about your new business….the name you choose will come from those words. Use nouns and adjectives, use words that have caught YOUR attention when you’re shopping.

Don’t try to put your business in a category just yet. Name it first, call it retail for now, and you can specify a more direct target market later, after you’ve been out there a bit.

Next important thing…..VERY important thing…..write a business plan. It can be simple to start, that’s fine….but the important thing that this does is it puts your goals and ideas down on paper so you can refine them, and LOOK at them! I didn’t do this when I started, and I regretted it TERRIBLY. You don’t have to write a plan that’s suitable to present to banks, or anything like that (at first), just something to organize your thoughts! Your business plan should include a Marketing Plan. If you don’t sit down and think about how you’ll advertise and market your business, you won’t succeed.

Remember that it’s easier to add products than it is to take away….so start with a small inventory of favorite items (use friends and relatives to determine what those are…they won’t mind) and then add products as you go. Once you have an established website for your products, you can create polls for new items…to see what’s most desirable.

Once you have a logo, design business cards and a flyer to pass out, you might even want to consider a printed catalog at some point, especially if you plan to market offline.

To recap…

First step:
Decide on a name

Second step:
Business Plan with Marketing Plan
 
Third step:
Decide on initial product offerings

Now it’s time to find a small business advisor in your area. This can be done by calling or visiting S.C.O.R.E. (www.score.org) Your initial call to the advisor should include these questions:

1) Do I need to file a Certificate of Assumed Name for my business name?
2) This is what I will be doing, DO I NEED A BUSINESS LICENSE to do that? If so, what are the fees?
3) Who do I contact to get registered to collect sales tax, and be considered a reseller? How do I go about collecting sales tax?
4) Will you help me with the entire process of starting my business? If not, who can?
Once you’ve spoken with an advisor, what’s the next step? Sit down and write out the goals you’d like to achieve in your first year of business. Once you have this list, separate it out—one to a page. On each page, list the steps you’ll need to take to reach that specific goal. Being organized, and thinking things through is the key to a successful start—and if you ever need financing for your business, it will be very impressive to a loan officer that you have put so much thought into your business.

MARKETING

What’s a TARGET MARKET? It’s the people who would be most likely to buy your products. If you sell make-up and skin care, your target market is women. If you sell toys, your target market is Moms. Give your target market some real thought….yours may not be what you think….or you may have a wider market than you think! Did you know that marketing candles as an easy way to keep a home smelling fresh suddenly adds single men to your market?

One of the first things you’ll find helpful in the online world is becoming a member of internet forums and message boards where others in your business go to discuss business. These can be invaluable to a new business owner for learning the ropes. Don’t be afraid to jump in and ask all of your questions….most of the people on these boards are there for the same reason you are, and may have already gotten past your dilemma…so they’ll be able to help you!

Need a product or service to get your business off the ground? Never forget the old stand-by—Bartering!! Bartering has become even more popular with small businesses than ever. It’s a wonderful way to get the things your business needs (business cards, stationery, catalogs, fliers, etc.) in exchange for your own products!! If you have something to offer, put it out there. Businesses like to have “give-aways” or contests to boost their recognition, so if you have gift baskets, candy, or any items that make good gifts….offer to trade them for whatever you may need.

Consider having a “give-away” yourself. You can print up a flyer and put it in your catalogs that you hand out around town….something simple like-“Purchase $25 or more and get a free candle snuffer”. This will encourage higher purchases.

There are some very inexpensive ways to advertise your business on the internet. If you have a website, do banner exchanges or link exchanges with other businesses that “mesh well” with your own. Many newsletters have inexpensive ads available, and if the newsletter subscribers are your “Target Market” it will be worth your while. Purchase “one-way” links to your website from reputable sites that cater to your clientele.

Don’t forget that there are many people that procrastinate when it comes to gifts!! A couple of days before ANY holiday, you can make up some simple gift bags or baskets (have several on hand), and go out to car dealerships, auto shops, sporting goods stores, doctors offices, etc. and show your gifts…..people can buy them on the spot, and many times…will!! Make sure you have gifts in all price ranges with you!

Start a “gift reminder service”. Have a place on your web site where people can sign up for a reminder service-this can easily be done with special scripts for your website code. When you send out their reminder, put your web site URL at the bottom! The easiest place to go, once they’re reminded, will be the link to your site!

Finally, never stop thinking of new ways to market. Trade shows, home parties, flyers, and blogging are just a few. Using blogs and forums (on the internet)-tailored to your specific market-is a great way to keep your spirits up, and your ideas fresh!