Photo by Infrogmation

Here at Chemistry Communications, we spend much of our work day in this lovely creative zone. Graphics are created, websites get built, and everything flows really well. That is, until the phone starts ringing. Sometimes it’s a new client, inquiring about a project, sometimes it’s an existing client who has an urgent issue, but usually, it’s someone who has “just a quick question.” Now, consider what happens when 10 people have “just a quick question” every day… that adds up to chaos around here, and our work day is over too quick with not much work done.

More often than not, these queries could be sent to us via email. We check emails at certain times of day, when we can put our focus into taking care of each question or concern a client has. At that point, we can take some time to think about what the client needs, and write them a response that takes care of their query.

Here’s why email (or online project management systems) makes for better communication:

1. Our phone number doesn’t end up in the wrong hands Guess how many sales calls I get on my business line? Yup, that’s right, zero, nada, none! That’s because the smarmy sales guy can’t find my number. Woo!

2. Email can be tracked With email, who-said-what is spelled out right there in plain site. No confusion, no trying to remember exactly what shade of green that client wanted, no jotting rushed notes; everything I need to know is there. And the best part? I can forward an email on to my co-worker so he has access to the very same details that I do. No need to try and re-cap a phone call from my (admittedly, very poor) memory.

3.Email is easier to respond to I can respond to an email in two seconds if it’s a quick query. Ask me to return a phone call, however, and I need to find a block of time in my day when it is quiet, and I know I’m going to be at my desk with nothing else to take care of at that moment. If I’m out and about, in meetings, workshops, working in-house for a client or in many other scenarios, it might take a day or two for a call to be returned.

4. Productivity & Time-Management When a phone call interrupts my “creative flow,” I often come back to my work wondering where exactly I was when I left off. It takes a while to get back into the zone when this happens, wasting valuable time in my day. Juggling too many things at once can also mean that nothing gets done.

5. Better & More Accurate Response I’m an introverted personality, so I communicate better in writing then I do when speaking. During phone calls, I sometimes find myself getting cornered into things that I might not have agreed to, had I taken a few minutes to think on them. Email provides this breathing space, where I can really think about what I need to say. I can also use this breathing space to do a little research on an issue, if it’s something I feel needs backing-up, or to check my calendar to make sure an appointment date will work. I’ll also often think of things while I’m writing an email, that don’t have time to pop into my head during a phone call.

6. Phone calls use up billable time While I’m on a phone call, I’m not doing what I’m really here for – working on projects! Several phone calls in a day can easily take up an hour or more of my billable time. I have a clause in my contract/terms of service, which states that phone consultation in addition to the initial project kick-off meeting will be billed hourly. Though I try to be reasonable with clients and haven’t yet pulled this card, if I was put in a situation where one client’s calls were taking up large chunks of my day, I probably would need to start billing for these.

It’s very common for professional service providers of all kinds, to create no-phone-zone while they are working. Imagine what would happen if your doctor paused your physical exam to take a phone call! While many professionals, like Lawyers, Doctors and the like, have a receptionist or nurse who handles these calls for them, email works best for many consultants and communications professionals because we often don’t have a receptionist on staff who can take care of these things. We’re also often very detail-oriented, and detail gets lost in phone conversations where people start chatting & running off on tangents all over the place.

Here’s what we do instead:

1. We request that clients send us email if they have questions.

2. We are currently building a client management area which we will use for exchanging messages with clients to keep everything in one place, easy to use and refer to.

3. If a client needs to talk to us by phone because a query can’t be handled any other way, we ask them to pre-schedule the phone call. That way, we both know we will have a distraction-free slot of time in which to discuss the issue.

It is very likely that these arrangements have lost us a client or two along the way, usually the old-school types who are not very technology-savvy. But in these cases, I have to admit I’m not all that upset about it. Anyone who chooses not to work with us because of this is probably not a great fit for what we do.

Consider how your work day would change if you adopted an email-only policy. In what situations will email not be able to resolve an issue? Let us know in the comments!

photo by Giorgio Montersino

I read this great article by Seth Godin, called Goodbye to the Office, and I have to agree. What is so simply being said, is that there’s little, if any, need for the traditional office environment anymore. The recession of the last few years has prompted a shift to more teleworkers, contractors and self-employed people, who have discovered the freedom and flexibility of remote working, and who don’t have any desire to return to cubicle life.

Forward-thinking companies are already working with this shift, opening themselves up to remote workers and contractors. These companies will be the most successful in the coming age, as they also tend to be more advanced in other ways of thinking and working, which will lead them to progress in leaps and bounds ahead of the companies held back by “tradition.” The corporate world will have to follow-suit as we move into more flexible working styles, and it’s in their best interest to do so. Here’s why…

A corporate office’s main purposes are:

- a place for equipment

- a place for paperwork

- a place where the boss sits to keep an eye on his workers

- a place for meetings

- a place to talk to coworkers

- a place to give structure and purpose to the worker’s day

But all this isn’t relevant to our new workforce.

Why We Don’t Need the Traditional Office:

Results-Based - “Work” is shifting also from time-based evaluation, to results-based evaluation, where it’s not as relevant how much time a worker sits at his desk, as is the product of his work. This just makes sense. Why would an 8 hour day be standard, even required, if so much of that time is spent obsessively checking email, chatting on the phone, checking our friend’s Facebook status, making coffee, taking smoke breaks and all of these other irrelevant time-wasters? What if we work more quickly than our cubicle neighbour? Should we be penalized for our efficiency? If the work we do is what’s important, why is the timeframe we use for it relevant, as long as we continue to produce and meet our deadlines?

Digital Monitoring – If it is really important for our boss to keep track of us, he can use technology to do so, no matter if we are in the cubicle next to his, or half-way across the world. A simple check-in via email or project management system, and checking-off the tasks we complete, can allow our boss to see that we are being productive, without the need for hand-holding all the way through.

Meetings – How important are they, really? Couldn’t most of this information be supplied via email or Project Management System? What about conference calls? If face-to-face collaboration is really necessary, video conferencing is a great tool. I find that much more gets done in a meeting if it is in the digital space. Face-to-Face meetings mean everyone has to get to the meeting, chit-chat, get everything prepared, wait for people who are late, talk for ages about a concept that needs only a sentence or two…and so on. Face-time by its very nature, takes much more time than digital communication does. If the focus is on productivity, why do we have in-person meetings at all?

Tools - The tools of my work consist of a laptop and an internet connection. Sure, it’s handy to have some extras at times, like a notebook and some pens, a graphics tablet and a mobile phone, but I can even fit those in my laptop bag. I don’t need a fancy desk filled with supplies I’ll never use, or a desktop computer, or cabinets full of files I’ll never look up. All of my documents are stored digitally, safe from physical damage and easier to refer to. I communicate via email, Skype and Online Project Management Tools. I don’t need to see someone to collaborate with them.

Why We’re Better Off Without the Traditional Office:

Commuting – Why spend hours in traffic, or on trains or buses trying to get to somewhere that you don’t really want (or need) to be? The cost, energy and wasted time involved in commuting is unnecessary and draining.

Cost – Billions are spent each year maintaining fancy office buildings, IT Systems, Security, Office Supplies, Cleaners, Food & Drink for Workers, Utilities, and all that comes with the traditional office environment. How much of it is really necessary? If each worker in one office block worked from their own homes, would any of these expenses be incurred by the corporation? Not really. Perhaps the company would supply a laptop and a phone for each worker, but that’s about it. Imagine the money that could be saved!

Environment – Consider the environmental cost of the traditional office. All the paper that sits around, the lights that stay on all day and night, older buildings that leak energy and heat, worker vehicles idling in traffic for hours each morning, food that gets wasted, and it goes on!

Productivity – Remote workers can usually choose what times of the day they want to work. In these cases they can work with their natural rhythms. Some people work best in the morning, some in the afternoon, some at night, some at the wee hours of the morning. Why fight with your body to function between 9-5 because it is “supposed to” at this time. Isn’t it better to do more productive work at 3 am if this is what you know works best for you?

Flexibility- The “office” has damaged our work-life balance. So many of us feel like we don’t spend enough time with our families, or doing the activities we enjoy, or caring for ourselves. We spend more time working away, staring at a computer screen than having a real life. Remote working can allow us to re-arrange our working time to suit our lifestyles.

The Distracting Nature of Co-Workers – How many of us have been in a work environment with “that guy” who stops by your cubicle every time he has a question, or an irrellevant anecdote? How much time did you spend trying to politely shoo him from your doorway? Remote working means that we can choose our working environment, be it a home office, a coffee shop, a park, or a beach on the other side of the world. Many of us (myself included), collaborate with one or two coworkers, so, since I don’t need an office of 100+ keyboard-clickers to keep me motivated, I’d rather collaborate remotely with these people when I need to, and avoid the distraction of the others.

Independence- The “office” breeds boredom. Because we HAVE to be there for a set time each day, we instinctively want to get out. Yet, I can work in my home-office for much longer, and I never look at the clock. Why? Because it’s up to me. If I want to stop working, I can. If I want to do something else, somewhere else, I can. If my environment isn’t stimulating me that day, and I need a change of scenery, I can make that happen. I can work from France, or South Africa, or Thailand if I like, because my location is irrelevant, and my work is usually better when I am creatively stimulated by my surroundings.  The tools I need to work all fit in a shoulder bag, and as long as I have those, my office is anywhere I choose.

So, if you are interested in working with me, please be aware of my preference to work remotely, It offers so many benefits and is better for both of us. If you are a company who doesn’t yet allow your employees to work remotely, please consider what it would do for their morale, your costs, the environment, and so much more.

Here at Chemistry Communications, we build most of our websites into Content Management Systems (CMS). Our chosen CMS is WordPress, and this is what we use for the majority of our sites.

What does a CMS Do?

Content Management Systems allow anyone with a computer and an internet connection to make changes to their website on the fly. Simply log in to your CMS using your web browser and your provided username and password, and you can use an interface much like a word processor, to change the text and images on your site. When you’re done making changes, click Publish, and your changes go live. Easy, right?

We give all of our clients a tour of their CMS and show them how to use it, but for the most part, they pick it up right away, without specialized training, because the interface is so intuitive.

With a CMS, you can:

- add & change text

- add & change photos

- create new pages

- add & edit links

- maintain a blog

- backup your site

- have multiple users

…and more!

Why doesn’t your site have a CMS already?

CMS’ are relatively new technologies, and I’d hazard a guess that if your website wasn’t built within the last four years, (and sometimes even if it was…) it’s probably not using a CMS. A lot of sites are also not using a Content Management System because it tends to cost a bit more and require professional expertise to code your site for a CMS. If you were on a very tight budget when you created your site (or if you built it yourself), that’s another reason why you might not be using one.

Does your site need one?

Most likely, yes!

If you have your own website, shouldn’t you be able to add to it and make changes as you please? Of course you should! A CMS will make this possible for you, no need to wait for a designer or developer to do this for you.

If you don’t update your website as often as you should, because it is difficult, or because you have to get a web developer’s help to do it, then your website’s content (and you customers) are suffering because of this lack of a CMS.

If you want to grow a site that’s built on a CMS, perhaps by adding pages or new features, that’s also easy to do using a CMS. You don’t need to do a redesign, just add pages as you need them, or have a new theme coded if you’re tired of the design. Your content stays as it is.

If you’re ready to take ownership of your website, or if you need a site and want it to be accessible and easy for YOU to use, get in touch.

Why Web Design Doesn’t Cost ₤40

There’s a great post over at Grace Smith’s blog on “Why Web Design Doesn’t Cost ₤40“. If you don’t work in the design industry, it’s hard to fully understand what goes into a web design project. This article explains the process, skill and time involved in producing a quality website. Well worth the read!

Print-Inspired Websites

I’m really enjoying the print design influenced websites I’ve seen lately. There’s something more freeform about (good) print design that lends itself to multimedia and the web. I’ve been considering adapting this blog to more of a blogazine, but I’m not sure I can commit to the extra time it would take to create each layout, so for now I’ll just admire the work of other designers who have taken that route. Here’s a quirky print-inspired page for your enjoyment.

Gig Posters

I’m all over gig poster design right now, perhaps a spin-off of my screenprinting fandom of late. I love the way that these illustrators are able to capture something about the band, a song, an element of place, or even a seemingly random connection that they have to the music, and bring it into such striking visuals. I went to San Francisco a couple of years ago around this time to see one of my favourite bands, Placebo, play in the Fillmore. There, the walls are covered in psychedelic gig posters – every show they’ve had at the venue since the ’60s. I think that might be where my gig poster fetish began! There are many gig poster collections floating around the web. Here’s a showcase of 50 exceptional posters.

San Francisco 1905

Now for some San Francisco inspired video. Here’s some video footage set to French electronic duo Air’s La Femme d’Argent, shot from a streetcar travelling down Market Street in 1905.. If you like this, have a look at the video response to it, following the same journey in 2005.

Tilt-Shift Videos

I adore all things tiny or giant, so tilt-shift photography makes me smile. This style of photography involves refers to a type of lens or style where depth of field is very limited and used for selective focus. If you have ever seen photos or video where normally-sized objects appear to be in miniature, this is tilt-shift. Here’s a collection of videos using the technique.

Cassette Tape Portraits

This Russian artist creates iconic portraits made entirely out of cassette tape. I think the Robert Smith one is my favourites. The tape creates such a dynamic effect that his wild hair is perfect for!

Those are my fab finds for the week. I hope you enjoy them! If you have any to share, please do so in the comments.

Two reasons:

1. The clients had no access to their own site. Everything was as their designer had left it over a year ago, they couldn’t even change a few words on their own! They had to ask him to make their updates, wait for them, then pay for even the smallest change. An integral part of a successful business site is frequent, quality updates, so this wasn’t working for them.

2. Their site was entirely designed in Adobe Flash, or more specifically, a piece of software that emulated some of Flash’s capabilities and created Flash files, but which couldn’t actually be edited with Flash. The only way this client could have updated their own site was to buy this software and figure out how to use it, something they didn’t have the time to do.

There’s another couple of problems with Flash. You may have heard about Apple’s recent decision not to support Flash on the iPad or iPhone. If you were to view a Flash-based site on these, you would see nothing but a blank page with a question mark on it. Not good! Search Engines don’t index Flash sites well, so if your content is inside and Google can’t get at it, your site doesn’t rank well. For a business site, it’s really important to be easily found in search engines, so we had to take care of this.

Luckily, the new site we produced stayed close to the original site in design and function, we just built it a different way so that the client could make updates, it would index in search engines, and was visible on mobile devices.

There are many other reasons why a website should be redesigned. Here are some other issues we commonly run in to:

Lack of updates
Many sites, like the one we just worked on, don’t get updated because the site’s owners can’t easily update it. If your website isn’t working on a Content Management System (CMS), it should be. This way, you can make changes to the text and images, and even extend the functionality of your site on your own, quickly and easily.

Intro/Splash Page
Unless there’s a really good reason for it (like you need to restrict your site to a certain age group, or warn of adult material before a user gets into your website), a splash page is not a good idea. Users hate them and will often leave before they even get to your site’s content, and search engines can’t get past them, making it very difficult to rank well. Most of the time, they serve no real purpose but to place a barrier between your visitor and the information they came for.

Usability problems
There are many possibilities here. Some of the most common include: difficult to use navigation, unorganized content, no easy way to get in contact, long registration forms, hard to read text, and so on. If it’s difficult to use your site, visitors will leave.

It’s Outdated
The web is an ever changing medium, and users have come to expect certain features. If your site was built in FrontPage in 1997, it’s obvious to your visitors. Check your Copyright date – it’s one of the first signs that your site isn’t current. Other things you want to avoid are using frames/tables for layout, and slow-loading pages. Design is a big one. Even if you don’t think design is important, your visitors are judging you by it, so it is! Have a look around at other sites and get a feel for current design standards and trends. You don’t have to overdo it, but try to make sure your site has a modern feel. Chances are, if your site has had the same design for two years or more, it’s time for a change.

SEO problems
And there are many, like bad coding practices, poor title/meta/alt tags, choosing the wrong keywords (or not writing your content with keywords in mind), poor architecture and more.
If your site isn’t showing up on the first few search engine results pages for related keyword terms, you need help with SEO, period.

Missing information and/or lack of quality content
Frequent, quality updates are so important for two reasons. Firstly, if your visitors come back to your site after their first visit and there’s no new information, they know there’s no reason to come back. Secondly, your search engine ranking is affected in part by how current your content is. Stale sites lose their ranking quickly. Missing information will simply frustrate your visitors. Make sure they can find what they are looking for by using devices like good navigation, search facilities, FAQ, sitemaps and so on. Also make sure your site’s content is well-written, free of grammar & spelling mistakes, and easy to scan.

You designed it yourself
Sorry to be harsh, but chances are if you designed your website yourself, you need to call in outside help. You might say “But, I get compliments on my website all the time!” Sure you do… from your friends and family, and people who don’t know the web, or who have worse websites than you do. It’s the people who aren’t making these lovely comments (who are leaving your website before they bother to get in touch with you), that you should really be worrying about! If you don’t have design training, it doesn’t look as good as you think it does. People who design their websites themselves often do so in freebie webpage builders or in software that wasn’t meant for professional design (like iWeb or FrontPage), which will never produce the high-quality design that’s needed for a business site. If you designed the site yourself, it’s very likely that you’re too attached to it – get some perspective from someone who knows the web.

Your competitors sites are better
Of course, you can’t worry about everything your competitors do, but you should keep an eye on them, especially online. If your potential customers compare you to them based on what they find on your website, what will they find? If your competitor’s site has a better design, improved content, or higher search engine rankings, you need to level the playing field.

If you don’t know what’s wrong with your site and think it might need a redesign, contact us about preparing a critique for you, or a proposal for a new site. Use the form on our contact page to get in touch.

It was a great group, and a great venue. Many thanks to Georgette Boyer for organizing the event, and to Leanne Barker for hosting us. Leanne’s residence is full of wildlife and interesting finds to photograph, and it offered us all a wonderful experience. Some of my snaps from Sunday’s shoot will be posted on my Flickr page this week.

We made a presentation on marketing for the group on Saturday, providing some information that will help aspiring photographers to market themselves online. From creating a website to blogging, and extending your marketing efforts to SEO and social media, internet marketing can be a huge undertaking.

We hope that we were able to give the group an overview and help them to decide where to get started with their own business’ marketing efforts. Here are some resources that may be helpful for the group, or for any other photographers who are looking to get started with marketing themselves online.

Presentation Slides

View Presentation Handout (PDF)

I have expanded on the Blog Post Idea Brainstorm we did during the presentation, which you can access here in PDF form.

A Watermarking Tutorial

Thanks to everyone who attended the weekend, it was lovely to meet you all! If you have any feedback about our presentation, or have questions relating to your business specifically, we’d be happy to hear from you. You can email us directly from our contact page, or request a callback using the tabs at the top of each page.

Photo by ehnmark

Craving some attention? Read on to find out 7 ways you can get some eyes on you without having to launch a full scale PR Campaign.

Write it Out - If you’ve got big news, like an upcoming event or launch date, or if your business fills a newsworthy niche, write a press release. You can do this yourself or hire someone like me to do it for you. You can then send it to newspapers and other media outlets and distribute it online using services like PRWeb which could result in an article about your business getting into print.

Be Aware – Set up Google Alerts for your name, your Company’s name and other related keywords. The service will send you emails whenever you are mentioned online. This will keep you up to date about what’s being said about your industry and how it relates to you. It’s such a simple step yet many people don’t do it. You can’t respond people’s opinions of you if you don’t know what they’re saying!

Get Social - Social Media is being adopted by companies large and small as a way to directly communicate with peers and customers. Sites like Twitter and Facebook can be a goldmine for contacts and low-key communication.

Be Direct - Don’t be afraid of journalists, they will often be glad of a story idea! Don’t be pushy, of course, but if you think you’ve got something they’d genuinely be interested in hearing about, contact them. Take a couple of minutes and Google search the journalist or news outlet you’re interested in reaching (You’ll probably want to try your local paper first…) and you’ll likely find email addresses for writers on staff. Shoot one (or a few) of them a quick email – give feedback on a story, tell them about your company’s big news, or suggest a story idea. If you’re genuine, show personality and they are interested, they’ll respond.

Go Viral - Create a short video or advertising feature about your business. Make it something people will want to show their friends. Upload it to video sharing sites like YouTube and promote it within your own circle. If you do this well and you can get people sharing it with their friends, your reach is limitless.

Get Chatting – Is there a conference coming up that you could speak at? Are there special interest groups in your area that could benefit from the information you could give them? Use sites like Meetup.com to find out what events are happening in your area and contact group administrators who might be interested in you to ask if they’d like you to give a short presentation to their group. You can also join some groups who have similar interests as you do in order to meet new people and expand your network.

Share it – Could you demonstrate what you do (or a portion of it) to a group? Hold a workshop or seminar and record it on video so that you can also share your skills with the online community. If you’re a good teacher and the information is valuable, you’ll establish yourself as an expert and clients will seek you out.

Have any of these ideas worked for you? What do you find are the best low-cost PR opportunities? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

photo by strikeal

I received an email from a friend about this site today. In a nutshell, it offers holistic health practitioners, like those involved in Reiki, Accupressure, and Aromatherapy, the ability to enter their contact details and have the site create a brochure which they can then print at home. They also offer cheap websites using the same principle.

For some, this will sound like fantastic news. You can have a brochure or website in two seconds flat – no back & forth with a designer, no fees, no fuss…right?

Well, it depends.

How much value do you put on your business?

Consider that a potential customer picks up your Acupuncture brochure, and then picks up a brochure from a similar service provider. But wait! They brochures are identical, only the contact details are different.

Which one of you should the customer choose? How do you stand out and why should they remember you? What sets you apart from the other practitioner?

In this case, nothing.

Your potential customer then finds another local Acupuncturist who has a professionally designed brochure with a striking logo and words that show their unique personality. Their brochure has their branding only, unlike yours which has 4holistichealth branding all over it, a feature which you can’t remove.

What you are essentially doing when using these “free” brochures is giving the company free advertising and taking the focus away from where it should be – on you! Printing at home will make look like you’re not concerned about the impression your business gives. Your uniqueness is lost, and your brochure gets discarded, while that other practitioner, who took the time and effort to show she really cares about how her business is received, gets the clients.

One of the cardinal rules of Marketing is the concept that every business should have a Unique Selling Point (USP). Essentially, this explains what you do and how it is different or better than your competitors. When you use a canned brochure or website your potential customers have no way of knowing what your USP is, and if you’re not too concerned about showing it off, do you?

It is so important, especially when you are an independent or small business like most holistic practitioners, that you have your own story. Why were you attracted to holistic health? What has it done for your life and your clients’ lives? People will become customers because they can relate to you, your personality and your story. Make sure you make them aware of it! This is your USP.

I read a post by Glasgow Design Agency PoLR, who provide some interesting statistics from a design council report:

- 54% of UK businesses are planning on using design to increase their exposure and sales during the current economic climate.

- every £100 a business spends on design increases turnover by £225

In their post, they state “Rethinking your design during a recession shows your customers and competitors that you are developing your brand and not standing still regardless of the economic climate.” This is true of the UK and also of the rest of the world. Right now, we are all in a precarious position. This is not the time to be mediocre with your marketing efforts.

Quality design, branding and marketing materials will stay with you for the life of your business. They will make you stick in people’s mind’s and show that you care about your own success. You’ll find that it increases your bottom line, and is an investment worth making. When deciding on marketing materials, your biggest focus should be WHY you want it in the first place. What do you want it to do?

If you want a brochure or a website just so you can say you have one, then maybe template based services are great for you. But if you want your marketing materials to have an effect on your business, get you noticed, and bring in the business, that’s not the ideal solution. When you hire a professional, the send product is customized for you, and for your customers.

If you’re ready to show the world why they should care about you, use the services of a professional designer. There really is no comparison. If I can help, let me know.

photo by Ed Yourdon

They are the fastest growing business segment in North America and the UK, account for 70% of business start-ups worldwide, and have huge spending power. What are you doing to catch their eye?

Woman owned businesses are cropping up everywhere, and it’s no secret we ladies do like to shop. Women also have a huge influence on the spending power of dependent children, which accounts for billions of dollars every year on products and services that you provide. Here’s how to get their attention:

Even in today’s uncertain economy, women will still purchase household items, clothes and essentials for themselves and their kids. Don’t ignore them in your marketing! Give them a reason to use your product over a competitors by appealing to them emotionally.

The majority of women-owned startups that opened in the last year were home-based. In these cases, home life and work life blur. Provide items that apply to work and home and you’ll have a wider appeal.

They are teetering on a very close work/life balance, especially if they have families. They don’t have time for pushy sales. Tell them what they need to know and why it matters to them, but be honest. Women have BS detectors much more sensitive than men do. They’ll see right through gimmicks and false claims. Tell them the truth or they’ll look for someone who will.

Don’t pressure them! Women tend to be more cautious about debts and risks than men are. Don’t push them with pressure sales tactics. Make them feel comfortable or they’ll want to walk out the door.

Concern yourself with their image – they do! Women will go to great lengths to look good, because looking good makes them feel good. Make sure your product, packaging and service materials are esthetically pleasing. They notice attractive packaging, and good design will make them pick a product up.

Marketing to women is in the small details. Have you ever been to one of those bath & body stores where you receive a cup of tea on your arrival? There’s a shop like that where I live and it sticks in my mind because it was nice to feel welcomed and cared for. I purchased products there, and, naturally, I’ll be back.

This segment of the market is huge! Give them the attention they deserve and you’ll stick in their mind. Next time, make sure it’s your product they take home.

photo by annieo76

How much of what you waste in your office ends up in a landfill?

If you’re concerned about how Green your workspace is (and you should be!) here are a few small changes that will make a big difference

Only print what you really need – save some trees by keeping documents digital instead of printing and filing them. You’re less likely to misplace them that way too! You could also use recycled paper in your printer to lessen the impact when you do have to print.

Recycle - It’s easy once you get set up. Pop a bin under each desk to catch the paper waste, and recycle plastics and containers in the lunchroom. You could also set up an organics bin to use for composting.

Purchase items locally – it’s easy to go online and make purchases from anywhere in the world, but consider how many miles a product will take to get to your door. Can you buy it locally? If you can, you’ll be helping to reduce carbon emissions, getting fresher food, and supporting your community.

Offer incentives – do you have many employees who commute to work every day by car? You could set up a bonus scheme where staff members who car pool, use public transport, walk or cycle are given a reward for their efforts.

Set up smart – keep the environment in mind when you buy your furniture. Recycled materials are being used to make furniture and supplies. Green design is also becoming very fashionable, so you’ll be impressed by the style of the products you find.

Environmental consciousness is contagious. If your employees, friends, family and customers see that you’re taking your environmental impact to heart, it will encourage them to do the same. Spread a little green by putting these ideas into practice.

photo by star 5112

I’ve had some great experiences with clients I’m happy to work with again and again, and then, like most freelancers, I’ve had a few of those clients with whom things did not go as smoothly. If you need help from a freelancer but you haven’t worked with one before, or you’ve had a less than fabulous experience, keep these tidbits in mind for next time.

Easy on the ego

I’ve worked with clients who originally built their websites, created graphics or wrote copy themselves. In most cases, there were issues like bad grammar, poor design and problems with navigation. We don’t mean to sound harsh, but if there are major issues that need to be resolved, it’s in your best interest that we tell you so we can fix them. Please don’t be offended, It’s not personal. A freelancer will aim to please you, but the end goal for us both should  be that your site’s visitors have a good experience.

Give yourself a break

It’s common for business owners to want to be in control. Your business is a huge part of your life, but if you want to maintain successful relationships with freelancers, it helps us out if you’re relaxed.  Let the freelancer you hired do their job and if you’re not satisfied with their work then let them know so they can fix it, or choose to work with someone who better suits you. It’s in our best interest to make good things happen for your business. We will if you let us!

We can do it

It’s great when the client has some background; it can really help the project along, but be aware that the freelancer has education and experience in their field that you don’t have, that’s why you hired them!

Not every piece of the project produces a measurable result

Clients sometimes believe that if they hire a writer to create web copy, that all they are doing is churning out copy, or if they hire a graphic designer, all they are doing is drawing pictures. This is not the case. There are background tasks like research, sourcing photography, code tweaking, proofreading, formatting etc… that happen as part of your project. Be aware than there are a lot of back-end things that you don’t see that combine to create what you do see. You are paying for our expertise, not just our time.

We are one (or two) person businesses

Freelancers are one person businesses – accounting, marketing, customer relations… all fall to us. About one-third of our working hours are spend on these administrative tasks but we still have to keep as many billable hours in a week as we can to keep our businesses running. We’re a great choice for you because it saves you from hiring someone full-time on staff, for whom you have to pay all kinds of costs, but please be aware that while we will try to be as available to you as we can, we still have businesses to run.

Finb out how your freelancer prefers to communicate. For me, and for many others as well, it’s email. We are in a creative zone while we’re working and try to avoid interruptions. We’ll update you as often as we can, and if there’s an emergency, by all means let us know, but please respect our time as we do yours

No Spec!

This is a big one, and has been known to create many an uproar in our industry. The general consensus is that speculative work (working without the guarantee of payment) devalues our industry. Charity work for a good cause is one thing, but requests for work-for-free or for the “possibility” of exposure probably won’t be met with open arms. We have to make a living too, and our work is worth paying for.

Give us the goods

For most projects, I need copy, site stats, graphics or other materials from the client to complete the project. Sometimes I find myself repeatedly requesting this material, unable to continue with my work until I get it. It holds up the project if you do not provide the freelancer with what they need. Please know that the success of your project requires you to act on this!

Show us the money

Our business is project based. If we had to wait weeks or months after we billed every client, we’d never eat! You would expect your customers to pay for their goods on time and we expect the same. Please have some courtesy and don’t make us chase you for payment.

If you keep these things in mind, your relationship with freelancers will work well. You’ll get a great product in good time, and your freelancer will be happy to work with you again. Working with freelancers is most often a fabulous experience and good for everyone involved. I’m more than happy to go above and beyond for those clients who have treated me well, other freelancers will too. Help us out and we’ll help you!

Paper Art

I’ve come across a few artists who specialize in paper art. The way they manipulate this seemingly simple medium is amazing. Here are some of my favourites:

I found Rob Ryan’s book “This is for You” in a gallery in Brighton last time I was there and fell in love with it.

Rob Ryan

Yulia Brodskaya

[Update - I got a great tweet about Reinhard Studio's paper art which is very cool, and has a sense of humour too. Check it out here: http://www.reinhardstudio.com/]

I’d have no idea how to even begin to do this, but I’d love to learn!

Vintage Anatomy Drawing

Possibly stemming from the lack of new episodes of House , I’ve become rather fascinated with medical drawings, especially the vintage ones. I came across a book containing some of Leonardo DaVinci’s sketches recently so that probably has something to do with it too… I’d love to track down some antique medical textbooks for collaging.

Colour Swatches

COLOURlovers is the handiest site ever… I find myself consulting it all the time to find new colour combinations for web and print layouts, as well as for my own reference when I’m painting. It also features patterns. It encourages me to use colours I’d never otherwise consider. Play around with it – you’ll love it too.

MySpace for Musicians

MySpace may have run it’s course as far as social networking is concerned, giving way to the more esthetic and functional Facebook, but for musicians it still can’t be beat. It’s not the most customizable system around, but what it lacks in functionality it makes up for by providing a focused community who are open to new music and networking with independent (and major label) musicians. I’m working on a layout right now so check back to see how that turns out.

My brand new Moleskine Sketchbook

I have been looking for the perfect sketchbook to start a new art journal for ages. I’m constantly chasing the ideal perfect bound book with a sturdy cover and heavy paper that I can slop paint all over without warping. Well, I think I’ve found it… I picked up a new Moleskine Watercolour Folio from an art supply shop in Calgary the other day and it is just the best thing ever.

There’s a little roundup for you. I hope you enjoy these tidbits as much as I do.I’d love it if you would leave a comment and tell me – what are you into right now?

Photo by Matti Mattila

I had a meeting recently with a lady whose maiden name is the same as mine. During our conversation, we touched on our family’s histories, wondering if there might be a connection way back when. In times like that, I’m aware that there’s so much more involved in communicating with people. I also know that we’ll stick in each other’s minds because of that shared tidbit.

Lately, I’ve been trying to be more aware in the way I relate to people – online and offline, business contacts and friends. It’s so easy to fall into habits – the way we process conversations, the way we approach people, the way we use “I” much more than “You.” (And yes, I realize it’s going to be tough to write a blog post without doing that, but bear with me…)

Look at the whole picture – just like holistic health promotes treating the person as a whole and not just their symptoms, you can look at your prospect’s life as a whole rather than just their “work personality.” We all get into careers and businesses because we want them to fit our lives and personalities in some way. How is your contact’s life situation informing their work day?

Be present – while you’re talking to a contact, be in the moment. Avoid scanning the room – it’s easy to tell when you’re talking to someone who’s distracted. We’ve all been there, and it makes us feel less important even if it isn’t intentional.

Share your passion – I got into this business because I honestly love what I do. Chances are, that if you’re talking to another business owner, they felt that too. Explore that with them. Ask them how they  got where they are today. More than likely there’s a great story behind it, and you’ll connect to their enthusiasm.

Be aware – of your own breathing, and your own body’s reaction to the conversation. Slow down, speak more softly, take pauses, don’t rush. I’m an excitable person, and when I get talking about something I’m really interested in, I tend to talk faster and motion more. This is good because it shows my interest, but it can be overwhelming for the person I’m talking to. I know I’m not the only person like this! I’m working on being calmer and more focused during my conversations, and if you’re anything like me, that awareness will help you too.

Take five – Take a few minutes before conversations to ground yourself and consider your aims. Have a couple of main points to touch on, but also remind yourself to be aware of the other person’s reaction to you. More than anything, try to clear your mind of anything unrelated to the task at hand.

Deep Listening - When you’re in a conversation, really listen to what the other person is saying. Where do the inflections fall on their words? What do they stress? What keeps coming up?
What’s really important to them? Try not to interrupt or talk over them. Mirror their body language, volume and tone. It’s easier to speak (and be honest with) someone we feel is on the same level. Ask questions and take time to absorb the answers.

We’re all rushed and busy, but if we take some time to slow down in our conversations, we’ll have more meaningful relationships. This is great for business  – people who connect to us that way will tend to be more confident in our abilities and keep in contact for the long term. They’ll also be comfortable referring us, but most importantly, we’ll be able to help them in a more considered way. When we know what they are really looking for, we have a much better ability to provide it.

It’s a work in progress for all of us. I’m not saying I’m great at this, but I’m working towards being better! How do you use mindfulness in your daily business practices? I’d love it if you’d leave some thoughts in a comment.

It’s a great time for a magazine like this, with interest in Green Living, Holistic Health and Mindfulness growing exponentially. The magazine features pieces on a variety of engaged living practices, creative nonfiction, reviews, and poetry among other styles. We’re very open to nurturing creative talent and learning from each other. Read more about the magazine on the website (www.themindfulword.org). You can also take a peek at my work on the last issue by looking at the writing page on my portfolio.

Please see the following submission guidelines for more information. If you’d like to contribute, please let me know by querying.

The Mindful Word publishes well-thought out stories that explore mindful, engaged lifestyle alternatives and short service journalism that provides straightforward, simple ways to live and do things differently. Read through the magazine and website to get an idea of the content we publish.

THEME: Participatory culture

What do open source technology, affinity groups, direct democracy and open space have in common? They’re all DIY alternatives that invite you to actively engage life. Explore ideas such as these and discover new ones for yourself. Let us know what you come up with!

Do it yourself! We invite you to not just write articles, but collaborate with other writers, edit and take part in the production of this collective’s annual print magazine.

Photography & artwork
All genres are accepted for the print and online editions of the magazine.

SECTIONS

Mindfulness in practice
Provides readers with easily accessible mindfulness practice techniques that can be used in everyday life. We’re interested in short, service-driven pieces that offer “mindfulness practice techniques” (200-400 words) derived from personal experience.

Reviews
Capsule reviews of conscious media (books, cds, films, dvds, websites). The focus is on independent or lesser known mainstream sources. (250-350 words)

Holistic Health
We publish articles about health and fitness modalities that take a wholistic, mind-body-spirit approach to health. This section is service-oriented and should be written from an experiential perspective or take a DIY how-to approach (500-1000 words).

Poetry
Let your imagination run wild! (any length considered).

Feel free to query first or ask for direction in structuring your article. We generally respond within three weeks.

Photo by jm3

The internet is the single most important marketing tool there is for the individuals and growing businesses. Customers are searching for you online, but can they find you? If they find your site, what you offering them? Why should they choose you instead of the thousands of other companies just like you? Having a blog can give you the upper hand. Don’t miss out! Read on to find out what a blog can do for you.

establish expertise - by blogging on what’s going on in your industry, you can establish yourself as someone in the know. Your customers will be confident in your ability, and you’ll find that more people are interested in your services when you create a recognizable brand.

build community – Readers can comment on your posts. Over time, as you respond to them and they to each other, those opinions and comments will keep ideas flowing. They might even give you some great ideas for your business! You can also comment on related sites ( and leave a link back to your site) which is a great way to meet people with similar interests. As an added bonus, incoming links are great for your Search Engine rankings.

get invaluable PR for minimal cost – Blogging can be a part of an internet marketing campaign. Write posts that get noticed and you may find your site being recognized on social networking sites like Digg and del.icio.us, by your peers, or in the press.

keep customers updated – post about what you are currently working on to give your customers a feel for what you can do for them. Blog content is easy to update, so keep your site current and you’ll keep your audience.

show your personality - write candidly about the things that are important to you; your customers will appreciate getting to know you personally. You’ll connect with people who want to work with you because they identify with what you write.

share information in multiple ways – Blogs don’t have to be all text! Use a podcast (audio) or a videocast if that suits your topic. Mixing it up will add interest for your readers. You can use services like YouTube and iTunes to get these to new audiences.

get noticed - it’s hard to cover everything in your brochure or website. You can never explore every possibility, but by blogging about topics related to your business and offering your opinion on what’s going on in your field, readers will come to know what you’re about.

Step into the blogosphere and find out how it can work for you.

I’ve been working on a side project for the last few months with the lovely John at Quivering Spaceboots Productions. We teamed up after my Mum, who owns a pub in Sherwood Park, Alberta, had a nightmare of a time finding kitchen staff. We noticed there was really nowhere for employers to post their positions, with the exception of shop windows and tiny newspaper classifieds. What we came up with is a specialized job search engine focused specifically on the local area. Instead of scouring hundreds of irrelevant postings in national job banks, job seekers using our site know that every job is in the in the area where they are looking to work.

We’re really happy with the way the site looks and functions. We’ve given job seekers the ability to create resumes and apply right on the site. Employers can post their jobs using as many words as they need to. They can also post images and their company’s logo. We’ve tried to simplify things on both sides so that jobs get filled more easily around here.

We’re growing and it’s an exciting time. It was a lot of fun building the site, and since I’m a bit of a tinkerer, I’ll probably be making little tweaks here and there for as long as it’s running, but it is doing the job it was intended to do so I’m happy. Check it out, and if you are a local who could benefit from the site, let me know. Chemistry clients get a discount on a listing! I’d love to hear what you think.

Magazine Cover Photo by Tracy Kolenchuk

I recently wrote an article for Edmontonians Magazine, The Sizzling 20 Under 30. It’s a yearly feature for which Edmontonians under 30 years old are nominated because of their careers, volunteerism, and achievements. From the nominees, 20 finalists are selected by the magazine’s editor and publisher.

I was given the opportunity to meet the Sizzlers, interview them and write their profiles, as well as coordinating with the photographers.

The majority of the Sizzlers are entrepreneurs, or directors of the companies they work for. They’re also all dedicated volunteers, somehow finding time to give back to their communities while leading successful careers.

We had a great group, from an 18 year old heavy duty mechanic who runs his own company and hires himself out to one of the biggest oil-associated businesses in the region, to one of the youngest city councillors Edmonton has ever had.

Among them were the owner of a cake studio which creates the most beautiful (and most delicious!) cupcakes I’ve ever tasted, a comedian who created one of the world’s most toured improv shows, and a 23 year old amateur show jumper who created a yearly cancer fundraiser for research into chemotherapy alternatives.

It was a great experience. these people have achieved so much in their short careers, and every one is so humble about it. They all love what they do and are eager to contribute to their community.

If you’d like to learn more about their fascinating stories, the article is on my writing portfolio page, or you can download a pdf of the September 2008 issue of Edmontonians on their website.

If you know someone under 30 who is doing great things in the Edmonton area, keep them in mind and nominate them as a Sizzler next year. I’m sure there are lots more people like them out there!