Find some downloadable holiday coloring book illustrations on the internet and color up a few New Year’s themes! It doesn’t matter how old you are, or what kind of artistic talent you have … everyone can do this, and no only can it relieve a little bit of stress but – it can be ego boosting.
Tape it to the fridge or give it to a neighbor, teacher or friend! It’s the little things that show people how you care!
Have a great New Year 2015!
Back in my newspaper days, when I had absolutely no real reason to look at paper, my coworker Jimmy Pack, he was OBSESSED – completely – with FrenchPaper.com.
He would order samples, and print out their freebies, belt out singing in some french accent in sheer insanity. He completely obsessed about paper, all the products, colors and styles available via the site. I have to admit – even I want to spend money on quality paper, for whatever! Let’s throw a party and make construction colored hats! Or let’s make paper mache marquees with bulb lights or – or!?
Of course spending hours in a Dick Blick art supply store has also provided the same type of vive l’inspiration in my mind!
Get Creative!
Crazy Art Directors….
Idea. Plan. Action.
Most business owners rely on just two or three marketing strategies to attract new business. However, there is a multitude of ways to drive new business to your door. Here are a few:
Networking
Networking is perhaps the most commonly used approach by small business owners. The most effective way to network is to cultivate relationships and give referrals to other members first, make connections not just exchange a business card and feel that you’ve accomplished something with merely that. If you think networking would be a valuable way for you to make new business the first place to start is a chamber of commerce, they usually hold events and can connect you to other businesses and people in your area.
Referrals
This strategy places a close second in preferred methods of generating new business leads. Take a proactive approach – don’t assume that a satisfied client will refer someone to you, ask for that referral. Tell people who your ideal client is and ask for their help in finding these types of clients. It is not pushy, and I am confident it can generate new leads.
Speak About Your Company’s Accomplishments
Moderately boasting about your company’s accomplishments is excellent way to become recognized as an industry expert. Whether that be in a monthly publication, an advertisement, in Facebook, Twitter or any of the social media spheres.
Newsletters & Blogs
Writing a publication can help update your clients on what you’ve been doing, and what your capable of. It may also give your clients ideas about what they want to do with their company and help them define their goals. It can also drive more traffic to your website more than anything else. If you have a company blog, that also works in the same fashion, in a less direct manner than a newsletter. Yet, it can be shared, tweeted, facebooked, printed and emailed to others. Hopefully this will create a fan base that can give your company more exposure to more people.
Cold Calling
Cold calling is the most challenging way to market a business. However, it can be a good way to uncover qualified prospects in a relatively short period of time. It can help you connect and identify with potential clients and you can find out what it is they’re looking for and what it is they need in a business. If you need tips on cold calling, the internet is filled with them. A less challenging form of cold calling, is emailing, you can write a nice letter and introduce yourself and your company and offer up what you can provide for your client and how you can improve business.
Event Booths & Free Giveaways
If you ever get the opportunity to attend conventions, or events where a booth is required, it is a great idea that you bring enough free info, and materials to engage the general public. The more interesting your display the more people you will attract. And depending on how much attention you want to get, vastly depends on your own ambition. You can give away cards, pens, posters, information packets, coupons, free food. People generally love free anything and if it’s informative and relative to your business that’s even better. Not only can it be fun, but it can also be memorable for those who take home your giveaways – you never know who’s hands they’ll end up in.
Solutions! Solutions! Solutions!
If you are trying to get someone to join you you want to lessen the risk associated with the switch, and a way to this is to offer a guarantee. Find out what it is they don’t like about their current supplier , advertiser, etc. and offer them an assurances with solutions and ideas on how to improve what they don’t like. Eliminate doubt with a guarantee on finding a way to improve it.
Advertise
Lots of companies are willing to advertise, it’s the most common sense thing a business can do. Knowing the best way for your company to advertise is what makes the difference. Like offering solutions, you want to offer them that in your advertising, and you always want to create an interesting ad and cohesive ad campaign so that someone can identify and recognize your company. You need to understand your target market, and where they look to find what they need.
Marketing & More
There are many other ways to market your business. Depending on how much you have in your budget to spend you can expand to outdoor advertising, posters, fliers, e-blasts, you can sponsor events, put your advertising in various publications, or online and even if you wanted, go door to door. The possibilities are endless and they do not have to be expensive, they just have to be able to satisfy the clients needs and keep them coming back for more. Put your best face forward and seize the day!
Dramatic police force in Ferguson, Missouri
I’m having a real hard time keeping up with whatever the heck is going on down in Missouri. Unarmed kid gets shot by Cop 6 times? Mob mentality got it all twisted up with Treyvon Martin? Cops pointing guns at masses of unarmed people? News reporters arrested in McDonalds? The whole thing was allegedly sparked by 2 guys who went into a store and stole what – cigars? Thugs or no thugs, the racial divide and the police state enforced is A BIT DRAMATIC. No one wants to feel threatened by the cops and no cop wants to have Molotov Cocktails for dinner.
Now, if you’ve ever read the book, The Divide, by Matt Taibbi, you would gain a clear understanding of how racial profiling, harassment and absurd arresting circumstances are geared toward people of color and have been occurring more and more often. If you haven’t read it, and are interested put it on your wish list.
Why is this all happening? Well, first the state and government have allowed there to be a greater divide in income class, pretty much eliminating the middle. This happened when they deregulated the system so that one group could make a shit load more than another group and didn’t essentially “mind the store”. Second, when you eliminate the middle you have a polarization effect. It creates a ‘desperation to survive’ by those that struggle, (i.e. the poor), and those who are ‘clutching the purse strings’. Trust me that 1% is spending it’s money well and storing the other billion of it overseas in off shore bank accounts in places like the Caymans, or Ireland, or Switzerland. The part of the public that is on the lower level of income, on disability, or on welfare (their choice or not) are disenfranchised by the system, no bank account, no saving, no house, car, clothes, food, etc.
These are the individuals who are looked down on, shamed and made out to be a public enemy. There’s no loitering, no begging, no panhandling, no assistance, no sympathy – for the most part – “just die somewhere would you, your blocking the street.” Trust me I’ve heard it said…. I have seen a lot of crazy homeless people in my life, some of them need serious medical and mental help, with no one to help them. A lot of people end up in jail for committing petty crimes, then end up homeless after released because well, they have a record, they’re credit sucks, they can’t get a job, they can’t shower, eat or sleep, nor pay any fines they might have. The system screws people generally, but yes – I’m sure you’re thinking “these people screw themselves by breaking the laws.” Not always, no one asks to be alone in life, or have a drug problem, or be have a mental problem – or just be in the wrong place with a dickhead who likes to shoot first and ask questions later . . .
There’s always 2 sides to every story.
People make vocal comments about the tax payers money going towards programs that assist these types of people, oh, I mean the Welfare program. EBT, ACCESS, whatever you have it called in your state. I know in PA it’s got a few major corporations attached to it, some of the biggest corporations (Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan) – i believe that means they’re most likely getting kick backs from the government to fund it. Then there’s that. I could drone on all day…
This country has been developing a state of fear, ridicule and intolerance to poverty for most of my lifetime, since the 80s. We’re not just talking one state, or one police force, or one area. It’s across the nation, in many major and minor places. What’s happening in Ferguson is the climax of a situation that combines intolerance, repression and racial injustice – oh and a bad attitude toward everything.
In addition to the existing attitude of the police force vs. the public, in the past year or so, the government has been giving it’s surplus of military MRAPs to cities around the country. A news report a couple months ago cited a town near Pittsburgh receiving an MRAP and it was front page news. Seeing this on the streets only “hypes” the situation of a military presence. In addition, local law enforcement have acquired weapons that incite fear, like sound weapons mounted to tanks, which can make you vomit, pierce your ear drums and kill you.
My take on it isn’t as humorous as John Oliver’s but there’s a lot that makes sense in his commentary (see below). Even after watching his clip, and seeing government politicians make their statements to the press it is obvious officials are clearly disconnected from the communities they serve. Which is a difficult issue to address. Although, I’ll start with the fact that I know elected officials around the country do not have to reside in the areas in which they are elected to represent for example: senators. I think these people should be bound to the area they represent and make a tour of duty around their area and make a better effort to connect with town and country. If they didn’t have a clue this could happen in their town then they clearly didn’t have their finger on the pulse of the people.
Lastly, I’d like to point out that this whole situation in Fergie looks to me like a party for newsies trolls trying to get a Newsweek cover image on their resume. The press seems wholly insincere at times during this whole confrontation. Then there’s rapper Nelly who showed up to help “mediate” the situation. Let’s make an MTV video for Public Enemy while were at it…
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