General Business Blog
The Secret Cost of DIY
I was on the phone with someone the other day chatting and we were talking about the concept of being a chronic do-it-yourselfer. During that discussion, I realized that all DIY has a hidden cost associated with it and I thought it was interesting and wanted to share....
Marketing Through the Mail: Basics about Postcards and EDDM
One of the main things I design all of the time is postcards. I always ask clients if they’re planning to mail them or not. The reasons why are many, but one of them is because I have to create a postcard for EDDM and mailing differently than a non-mailed one and I...
What to Discuss When Hiring a Graphic Designer
“How do I hire a graphic designer? What do I say?” I get asked this a lot especially as I network in my hometown and on the Internet. I figured since this question is so popular, I’d answer here for all of you too! Before you hire a graphic designer determine what...
How Planning Helps Your Business Grow
There’s no magic bullet to creating a successful business, but I feel like I’ve discovered the next best thing. When done strategically, it can save time, money and supercharge your business towards its goals. I’m talking about planning. It might seem boring to do and...
Understanding Design: Common Brochure Styles
I design a lot of brochures. They’re a great marketing tool to have in your toolkit. Unfortunately, I think they’re a little misunderstood. People generally don’t know how many types of brochures there are available. That’s why I want to discuss them today! When I say...
What is Branding?
It’s a hot buzzword lately…Branding. Everyone is talking about it and how it can help grow your business, successfully help it pivot and transform how your audience connects with you. The question that remains is what exactly is it? I’m a bit of a “word nerd” I love...
Tips to Create Eye Catching Social Media Graphics
If you’ve been on the internet lately, you've likely signed up for a social media account. That means you’re busy creating graphics for posts along with videos, reels, stories, and more. While all of these things are important tools for marketing your businesses on...
5 Business Books To Help You Be A Better Leader
There’s a quote I see every so often that says “Leaders are readers”, personally I don’t know how true that is because I know plenty of amazing leaders who don’t like reading. I do know that leaders are learners. I’m here to not only help you create stand-out loud...
How A Rack Card Can Help You Grow Your Business
One of the best possible ways to market a business offline is a rack card. Traditionally they were seen in locations that have a lot of foot traffic such as hotels and convenience stores. The name comes from how they were displayed on a tiered rack. A rack card is a...
Why Happy Teams Are Good for Business
I work with a lot of small businesses that have a team. Sometimes it’s a larger team and sometimes it’s a tiny team of just 2 people. When I talk about a team, I’m referring to anyone who works with the business whether in-house like a receptionist or outsourced like...
Why A Good 30 Second Pitch Will Grow Your Business
I’ve been networking since practically day 1 of my business journey. Every meeting in every group I’ve been in wants you to do a 30-second introduction or pitch. Over the years, I’ve ended up getting a lot of attention for my introductions. Today I thought we’d...
Why Your Existing Clients Are Important for Success
I do a lot in my business to help small established businesses use graphic design to get more leads. That means I help them get new customers and that’s been a big focus in the entrepreneur and small business communities for a long time. I see ads all the time about...
Ask the Designer: Pitch Decks vs. Media Kits
I was watching a T.V. show the other day about a scrappy bunch of software developers in California. In the show the team of four nerdy guys is preparing for a meeting to present their company to potential investors. They kept talking about their clothes and the demo...
Why you need to revise your business plan as you grow
I remember writing my business plan. I was on a vacation with my family sitting on the bed in the hotel room on my laptop writing up my vision for the future. It was something I put together when I was super new to the freelance entrepreneur business owner game. If...
What is a Style Guide and Why do you need it
One of the best things to come across my desk as a graphic designer working with existing businesses is their style guide. I love them because it makes my job so much easier. I’m not always going to be one working on their logo or their last marketing campaign. I was...
Why It’s Important to Think Like Your Audience
When I started my business I was given a lot of advice on how to get customers. One of the pieces of advice I got was to think like my audience. It didn’t make sense to me then, but it makes a lot more sense to me now. Here are few things I’ve learned that will help...
Why Market Research is Important for Creating Good Designs
When I ask a client “Tell me about your audience?” they sometimes don’t know anything about them. One of the ways to learn more about your audience – your ideal clients – is to do market research. Today I’m going to answer a few of the most common questions I get when...
Why Market Positioning Matters in Graphic Design
One of graphic design’s best friends is marketing. The two disciplines work together towards the same goals – getting businesses noticed so they can get more sales and thrive. Market Positioning, sometimes shortened down simply to “positioning or position” is a tenet...
3 Popular Types of Logos
When it comes to starting a business the first thing everyone thinks about is getting a logo. A logo is a design that represents a business. It can use words, letters, or images to convey information about the personality and type of business to potential customers....
Goal Creation Tips for the Newbie Goal Setter
With the end of the year coming up, I started doing what I do every November, I started working on my goals for the next year. It was a great tip I got years ago, from a mentor I had. What I didn’t know at the time was that less than 20% of people create goals. An...