Archive for the ‘Creative Business Ideas’ Category

snapping pictures at the Sanyo & Social Rewards event last week

Social media has made parties and party planning so much easier…which means there has been an explosion of events that are planned, promoted and talked about just through these channels. Almost everytime I turn around, I see a new twtvite shooting by, or am getting a facebook invitation.

For consumer businesses, being part of one of these events can really help you to get your name out there. But, a business doesn’t just have to host an event to get heir name out there – sometimes all it takes is participating and helping in an event. Even if you can’t participate in a donation or the planning – you still should try and go to as many events as possible. There is no downside to meeting lots of new people.

For restaurants, nightclubs and hotels, offering your venue to host an event can often help fill you up on busy nights and help spread the word about what amazing things you can offer. Small events allow you to feature new recipes, drinks and your venue and have a fun event that people will be talking about for a long time.

This year, I have attended more than my fair share of tweetups, launch parties and networking events. Some have been awesome, others have been okay, and some have been seriously disappointing. The good news is there are a few ways to help make sure that your next event is as good as it can be:

1. Pick a venue that is easy to get to.
2. Plan it at least two weeks in advance for a small tweetup.
3. Plan at least a month in advance for large events.
4. Get a few big name people on board.
5. Ask for help promoting the event from your friends.
6. Provide food and drinks either free or at a discount.
7. Make sure there are plenty of places to sit down.
8. Have an awesome speaker or giveaway.
9. Make it easy for people to tweet while there.
10. Have a photographer (or a few) to share the awesomeness.
11. Make it easy for people to exchange their information after the event.
12. Have a list of all attendees so you can send them thank you notes.
13. Share the twitter and facebook name of the venue so people can share it.
14. Set up an easy to remember hashtag for the event.

What other tips can you share about hosting a great event? Have you been to one that did something really spectacular or awful? Share it!

Business is as much about who you know as it is about what you know. The more people who know you, the more people who respect what you do, the more people there are to refer you clients and help your business succeed! Think about the last 5 clients you met with – how did they find you? If any of it was through word of mouth, referrals or social media, you have experienced the power of really connecting.

And you would think, with all the social tools and number of people online, that connecting would be easy, right?

Wrong.

It is easy to talk, listen and converse. Connecting takes time, energy and more effort than just a tweet or two. In order to honestly connect with someone you need to take things beyond just the basics. You need to step out of the twittersphere, away from the facebook and actually have a conversation – preferably in person, but at a minimum, over the phone and via emails.

Stepping out from behind the status update box allows us to deepen our relationships and actually get answers to what a person does. Knowing someone better means you can better connect them to the right people – and help them with their business. Of course, as a firm believer in what goes around comes around, this method works very well.

So, the next step is learning more about how we can all connect and help each other – so in the comments, I want you to share who you are, what you do and what you are looking for. Give us a way to help and promote you…and let’s spread the connecting!

Ready, go!

What was your dork moment today?

photo from tj scenes on Flickr

Getting my phone number is not an easy task. It isn’t listed on the web, nor is it on my business cards. In fact, unless you ask for it and I personally give it to you, it’s likely you’ll never see it. I give it to my potential clients only if they ask and to my actual clients once we sign a contract.

I am very protective of my personal phone number – but not because of the phone number itself, but what it gives you access to. For example, if my phone number were on my site or my cards, anyone could have it. If anyone can have my phone number, anyone can call me when it is convenient for them (not always convenient for me). Anyone can have more access into my life, and I lose some of my control over the way that I am contacted. While I am aware that I can purchase a second phone number – or a virtual phone number – specifically for work, I haven’t. I find them pointless as they are just one more thing to manage. I don’t want another number so that I can give it out to everyone – I want my personal number and the right to choose who has it. Even in business.

Of course, my choice has been met with a lot of questions, comments and concern. So I have decided to explain my reasoning behind keeping my phone number private.

The biggest reason I keep my number off my site and my cards is that phone calls take up a lot of time and are not that necessary in the beginning. As I pointed out, if someone needs to call me, they will get my number. Or, if they are a client, they will get my number. But, the average Joe who is looking for information about my services doesn’t need to call me. An email request, tweet or dm will work perfectly fine, gets their message across and takes up less time. I can also respond to emails in more places than I can answer a phone – and I can do it when it fits into my schedule.

Secondly, voice-mail is evil. And having an accessible phone number means that I will have a lot more voice-mails. For a phone call to work, both people have to be available at the same time. Playing voice-mail tag is the most frustrating thing in the world, and since I am available to work with people in different time zones, phone calls are hit or miss. An email can be sent at any time and the receiver doesn’t have to be there to get it instantly – they can catch up when they get it. Adding another line, or a virtual number, would just add more voice-mails to the equation. And that is not something I want in my day.

Third, first thoughts are better explained written out. I used to have my phone number available, and when I did, I did receive calls. But they wouldn’t go very well. Usually, the person calling wasn’t even sure what to say and it was like pulling teeth to figure out what they needed. With emails, the person is allowed time and space to articulate exactly what they need before sending it off. You also don’t misunderstand or forget something because it is lost in translation…

Finally, even when I did have my phone number available, it didn’t bring in any extra business. Most of the time the first phone calls ended with “why don’t I email you what I need, I am having trouble explaining it”. That whole situation would have been avoided had they just emailed me in the first place. I am all about streamlining and organization – so if you do in two steps what you could have done in one? Just plain silly to me.

My reasons may not make sense to you, and may seem insane in some businesses, but for me, it works.

Do you have a phone number for your clients to reach you? Do you find you get more business because of it? Or is it just one more way that your day gets taken away?

Last night, I was craving CPK…but had zero desire to go out to dinner. So I jumped online and ordered food for my husband to pick up at their (awesome) curbside delivery. But then I remembered…if I don’t go in for dinner, I can’t get the foursquare benefits, and CPK does a good job with theirs. For example, if you check in anywhere near a CPK, you get a “special nearby” for a free appetizer when you spend $20. And I would have loved a free appetizer! But, if you are picking up food to-go, you don’t want to wait for the appetizer. And there is no way to “check-in” through the web so that you can order it… Which I think is unbelievably silly because there are a huge number of people who shop online – and not just for food. So I did what any normal person would do and tweeted about it – and @Admore responded with an idea I liked, and wanted to expand upon.

(read from the bottom up)

So here’s how I think it should work…

Step 1. You login to foursquare from your computer, type in the retailers name that you want to shop online with, or you can search by categories.

Step 2. Follow them on Foursquare, then click on their web link within their profile – this will have a tracking code that determines what you are doing.

Step 3. Each retailer can determine the level of participation required on the site for the checkin points, however I suggest that the visitor should have to buy something if you are checking in online. This would stop the issues of tons of people checking in online, because they have to buy something to make it count.

Step 4: Stores could offer the same types of specials through the web that they can online. Or, another way to do it would be to have “web mayors” in addition to actual “mayors”, so there is one for the brick and mortar facility, and there is one for the website.

I just know how little I like going to real stores, but how much I shop online – and I think that we are such a web driven world that it needs to be recognized. This makes foursquare more accessible too for people who live far from their favorite stores, or don’t have the ability to go out as much as they would like. This opens up foursquare to a larger demographic – and as long as the checkins online have strict rules so that you can’t abuse it, I think this could be a really successful new part!

So Foursquare…what do you think?

Readers…how can we improve on this idea?

Pop the bubbly, break out the glasses and let’s have a toast!

Image courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt from Flickr

I can’t believe that it has already been a year since I first opened the (virtual) business doors of Wright Creativity! This has been such a fantastic year, and I am so excited about how my business is grown and am still as much in love with what I am doing as I was the day I signed the paperwork.

But, this is not about me, as my business would be nothing without my readers and my clients. It is you who I appreciate. It is you who I owe my thanks. It is you who pushed me to take a leap of faith and start this in the first place. It is you who has been supportive, appreciative and most importantly, has referred me and worked with me!

I have learned a lot from my readers and my clients in the last year. I have learned…

• To be more patient. I have always struggled with this one (ask my mother), and I am proud to say that I, while not perfect yet, have definitely learned how to be more patient with people.
• To understand the needs of clients. I used to just listen to what people said – now I have actually learned to hear it. This is a huge change as it has given me clearer understandings and a better grasp on how to make projects right.
• How to price projects. Every designer struggles with how to price a project, and I certainly was no exception. It takes time to be able to trust that your price is fair, and especially hard to not undervalue yourself. But, I can proudly say I am confident in my pricing now!
• To ask for help. It is hard to admit when you can’t do something, or that someone else would be better than you. Luckily, I have been able to learn this lesson without too many hits to my ego, and have many great contacts for when I need help.
• That vacations are okay. When I first started, I was terrified I was going to miss a phone call or a potential client email if I didn’t permanently have my phone attached to my hip. I have now learned (after a couple amazing tech free vacations) that the world will not explode should I miss an email, and that life does go on.

So, thank you all again for your support and help in making this business so wonderful! I am not exactly sure where the next year will lead – but I know that I am excited about it and am more than ready to take on the next challenges of owning my business!

We all have tools that we use daily that make our lives easier, and these are tools we need to share with others to help them make their lives easier. Here are just a few tools I recommend to everyone I know because of how much they have helped me.

I am not an affiliate of any of these products, and I have not been paid to feature any of them. I am just honestly passionate about how well they work. Some are free, some are not, but they are all priced well below what they are worth:

• WordPress – Hands down, the best, easiest to use and most amazing blogging software out there. Of course, it is also what I use and the only thing I recommend for clients. (free)
• Roboform – Remembers all your passwords, all your important information and is so simple to use. I couldn’t handle remembering the 200+ passwords I have without it. ($29.95 for first computer, $9.95 for all others)
• Microsoft Office Home and Business – While I know there are “free” tools that can replace all parts of office, I wouldn’t dream of it. Outlook alone is worth the cost. ($249.99)
• GoToMyPC – I love having access to my desktop computer from my laptop at all time. It is more consistent and easier to use than any other one I tried. ($19.95/month)
• Tweetdeck – The easiest twitter client, and although it can slow down your system, it is definitely worth it. (free)
• Verizon service and my blackberry – As “cool” as everyone thinks an iPhone is, without great service, the phone is no better than a paperweight. I couldn’t imagine not having Verizon. (depends on your plan)
• Cambridge notebooks - They are solid covers on the front and back, which means you don’t need a desk or table to write on them, and it has full size paper. I love these so much! ($11.99/each)
• Firefox – Hands down, the cleanest and easiest to use browser. Now, if only they would get rid of IE permanently… (free)

What tools do you use daily that you couldn’t live without?

Image courtesy of betsystreeter on Flickr

Imagine what it was like when you were young – or even better, take some time and talk to someone about the age of 5. Ask them what they did today, ask them what they think about things, see the new perspective you are provided. Children think about things differently. Maybe it’s the fact that they haven’t heard “you can’t” and “don’t do that” every day for years. Maybe it’s because they still feel free to dream and imagine that anything is possible. We all remember that innocence – when we understood the rules of life because they just made sense, not because someone told us that was how to live. Somewhere down the road, we lose that. We start living by what others tell us, rather than what we know is right, rather than what we honestly feel and believe. We trade our instincts and honesty for cars, homes and “success”. We’ve stopped doing things because we love them and do them for the paycheck and the popularity. Kindergartners get that life should be enjoyed, loved and appreciated. People are meant to be your friends and you should care about others as much as yourself.

Robert Fulghum wrote,

Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don’t hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life.
• Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder.
• Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup — they all die. So do we.
• And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: look.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and sane living.

Think what a better world it would be if we all — the whole world — had cookies and milk about 3 o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

At the end of the day, if we took a step back and let more of the “kindergartner” in us run the business, I think we would see a change for the better.

Creativity.

There are two kinds of creativity.

There is the creativity that you need to fill your bucket, the one that is what you use to get work done. This is the kind I talked about a few weeks ago. That kind can run out for anyone, even the most creative can reach that breaking point. This is the creativity it takes to do good work, and to create something successful. This is the stuff that can be replenished by a good night sleep, a strong cup of coffee and some revitalizing.

Then there is the innate creativity. This is the creativity to entertain at a party, to tell a joke, or to decorate a house. This is the creativity that is exhibited when someone is least expecting it, it is what happens when they do normal activities. This is the kind of creativity that most of us think of when we think someone is “creative”. And this creativity can’t be replenished, because it can’t go away. It is always there, sitting and waiting to be used. It is just part of a person. And this is what I want to talk about today.

Some people just have innate creativity naturally. But some of us don’t. Most of us don’t. Most of us get frustrated daily with the lack of innate creativity.

For those of you who are always creative (you know who you are), stop reading. Go be perfect somewhere else.

This post is for the rest of us…the ones that don’t have it naturally and need some help. The good news? Innate creativity, despite the technical definition that innate things can’t be learned, can be learned over time.

How do I know? Because I didn’t have it naturally. (trust me, I really didn’t) I had to work unbelievably hard at being creative every day.  But over time, over a lot of effort, I have been able to increase my innate creativity. And since I knew it would come in handy, I started a list of what works. So here it is…the list of many of the things I have done that have helped me to increase my innate creativity. Remember, these are things that increase innate creativity not what will replenish your creativity when it is gone.

• Create a space that stimulates you with the colors you find to be creative (I love pink, black and white in my creative space).
• Read something completely fun before bed every night (I prefer romance novels, trashy chick lit and historical fiction).
• Learn to focus on one task at a time (splitting your mind between many tasks ruins your ability to build creativity. I close all other programs).
• Take classes in different areas (trying something new will increase the space you have for creativity. I took a wine class).
• Spend time doing something different (Adding a hobby increases your capacity to think outside the box. I am working on a romance novel).
• Listen to an argument (Hearing other people discuss things can open your mind to how you can discuss things).
• Watch mindless TV (mindless TV isn’t mindless if you let the creativity in. I love Disney channel still).
• Have friends who are more creative than you (osmosis does work with creativity. I swear!).
• Go to the movies. (Movies are a wonderful form of creativity and open your mind to what’s possible. I love action and comedy movies).
• Ask a lot of questions. (The more you know about things, the more creative your mind is).

What have you done to increase your innate creativity. Or do you disagree with the thought that it can be increased?