Many small business owners have developed a small voice in the back of their mind that tells them that they should be able to do everything on their own.  Because they are capable, intelligent human beings they should be able to handle everything from producing their product to managing their bookkeeping, and yes, even producing their own graphic design.

Others believe that hiring a designer is too much of an investment.  I urge you to consider that working with a graphic designer can not only grow your bottom line with increased business, but also save you time and money.

Lastly, many entrepreneurs believe that a good product will speak for itself.  In an ideal world, I totally agree with you.  But, that’s not the world we live in.  People’s attention spans have grown short, and if your product is going to have a fighting chance, it needs to look its best.

Hiring a professional graphic designer to assist you with the development of your business has many benefits.

1. A Graphic Designer can save you time.

I’ve tried to do my own bookkeeping.  Yes, I CAN do it.  It’s painful, and it takes me three times as long as it should, but it is possible.  The question is, is it the best use of my time?  My answer: not really.  I now pay someone to do it for me, who completes the task in a fraction of the time, and I now use that time on design.

I know that it is possible for many of you to create a brochure, but my question is the same to you.  Is it the best use of your time?

Given the choice, would you rather spend your time working with a client, capitalizing on your talent and bringing in $75/hour, or would you rather spend 8 hours staring at a blank computer screen and battling your printer in an attempt to make somewhat professional looking business cards?  Yeah.  That’s what I thought.

Let the designer take care of your design so that you have more time to do what you’re good at.

2. A Graphic Designer can save you money.

This can go in a few directions-

a.  Because most business owners are not familiar with the technicalities of graphic design, they may go ahead and design their own marketing pieces, only to bring it to a printer and have major revision fees tacked on because they did not set up their files correctly.  Professionals understand how to use the standard graphic design programs, what color modes print properly, and scary terms like bleed and cropping.

b.  I have seen many cases in which business owners will design their own branding materials, and one year into their business realize that what they created really isn’t working, and that it would probably be wise to bring in a professional.  All of the money they spent on printing their original items like brochures and business cards was essentially in vain.

c.  Professional graphic designers are familiar with the legalities of the trade.  We know that it is absolutely necessary to purchase licenses for the images and typefaces that we use in projects.  Without these licenses you could face legal action, which I guarantee is not cheap.  Bottom line– that clip art and those free fonts that you found on the internet?  Not going to cut it.

3. A Graphic Designer will bring attention to your business.

Design is about communication- it’s a language unto itself.  Successful design will take the message that you want to share to the world and send it directly to the people you want to reach and deliver it in a way that they can receive.  A professional graphic designer understands the many subtle techniques used to craft these messages, and deliberately uses them to get all eyes on you.

More attention means more customers, and more customers means more cash in your pocket.

4. A Graphic Designer will provide you with a professional, polished image.

We live in a society that runs on perceived value.  “What is perceived value?” you ask.  Perceived value assumes that the better something looks from the outside, the more valuable it must be.  What this means for business owners- no matter how amazing your product is, no matter how unbelievably talented you are, if you’re not presenting yourself in a shiny package, people will instantly decide that what you have to offer is simply sub par.  While this seems extremely unfair, don’t let this point keep you from being a successful entrepreneur.

A professional graphic designer can help you develop a brand that matches the quality of your products and services.  They can provide you with beautifully printed business cards and brochures.  They can design a logo that not only gets attention, gains recognition, but communicates the ideas and values behind your business.

Believe me, I know.  You started out with an idea that you were over the moon excited about and jumped right into the world of business development- only to have reality hit hard.  You suddenly need to know things about marketing, graphic design, and “what the heck is a copywriter?”  And oh, where would I ever find a photographer?

This is a common story I hear from brand new business owners.  They’re not really sure what they need, and if they do know, they don’t know where to find it.  On top of that, it can seem like you’re blowing through a lot of cash at once in the beginning.  It’s a scary feeling to be parting with your dollars when your livelihood is dependent on your newly born business.

With all this being said, some of my favorite clients to work with are budding entrepreneurs.  They are passionate and inspired.  Every step is exciting.  More than anything, I want to see these people succeed.  And to make sure that they do, I am now releasing my specially designed Graphic Design Starter Packages for Small Business Owners.

These packages combine the different elements that a new business might need, such as logo design and business cards, as well as other services like photography and copywriting, and arranges them into an easy to understand pricing structure.  This takes out the questions of what you actually need, and passes on the savings that small businesses can really appreciate.

Another benefit of these packages- I’ve already gone through the process of vetting a photographer and copywriter for you.  You don’t have to search through Google results and hope for the best.  I am offering you the best professionals I know.

Click here to learn more about the Graphic Design Starter Packages for Small Business Owners- you will find available services, pricing, and special savings (that got your attention!)

If you are an entrepreneur, just starting out, I’d love to hear from you.  If you’ve been in business for a while, but feel as though you need a fresh start, I’d love to hear from you too.

Today’s blogger is Christine Parizo, copywriter, and one of the many talented people I work with.  We recently had a conversation about how important wording is when it comes to marketing your business.  I somehow wanted to make my clients and other entrepreneurs understand this and was wondering what the best way to get this message out to the world would be.  That’s when I realized that I had a blog, and a copywriter at my disposal.

Many small businesses will first engage the services of a graphic designer to create marketing materials.  There’s nothing wrong with that; in fact, I strongly advocate finding a good graphic designer to help your vision come to life.  But while the design is what initially attracts your prospect’s attention, it’s the copy that holds their attention and drives them to buy your product or service.  All too often, though, it’s easy to overlook the copy and try to write it yourself.  But you do need a professional copywriter, even if you think you’re best able to describe your business.

Here’s why:
•    You’re too close to the business.  There’s something to be said about knowing the business, but as the person running it, you don’t necessarily see the benefits of your services or products as easily. A professional copywriter can jump into the shoes of the customer, as well as conduct research and create a brand persona for you.

•    You’re not skilled at marketing copy.  A good copywriter is and can write in a way that will engage potential customers and encourage them to act.  It’s not an easy thing to do, and it involves research, playing with words, and really digging into the business and its customers.

•    You’re not sure of your writing skills.  You’re great at what you do: personal training, healthcare consulting, IT consulting, interior design, etc.  But you’re not a skilled writer, and you can’t find the right words – you’re sitting there with a blank Word document, and the blinking cursor starts mocking you.  A copywriter can extract what you’re trying to say and present it in a coherent way to prospective clients.

•    Grammar may not be your strong point.   A good copywriter is a trained writer who knows the mechanics of writing.  She is committed to the written word and produces well-written, grammatically correct copy that increases your credibility.  When you’re looking to hire a copywriter, it’s always a good idea to ask if she uses any particular style guides or reference manuals (AP, Chicago, Strunk & White, even Yahoo!).

The investment in good copy pays for itself in a few clients.  Instead of trying to write copy yourself, hire a professional copywriter to do it.  You’ll have more time to focus on your business, get your materials ready faster, and increase your credibility and sales with well-written copy.  Read what my satisfied clients have to say about the copywriting I’ve provided here, or contact me for a complimentary consultation to learn what I can do for your business.

(And to save you time on point four, I have all four style guides and reference manuals at my fingertips, along with two different dictionaries and a thesaurus!)

Christine Parizo is a professional independent copywriter specializing in print and online copy.  Her modern marketing knowledge and vintage grammar sensibilities blend seamlessly to sell her clients’ products and services.  Visit her website at www.christineparizo.com.

In your business, its important to determine what feeling it is that you are providing to your customer.  Beyond your product or service, what are they really coming to you for?  Once you figure out the answer to that question, it is important to incorporate that feeling into everything that your business puts out there, from your tagline to your graphic design.

You might think “Is it even possible to evoke a feeling using just graphic design?”

Absolutely.

There are many elements that I use as a graphic designer to communicate that do not involve words; things like fonts, colors, and shapes can speak volumes about your business.  As an example, I will use a project that I created for a client, Sensible Senior Solutions, owned by Jill Chaban.

Sensible Senior Solutions provides resources to the family and caregivers of the elderly.  Most importantly, Jill wanted to communicate to her clients that she is their ally- that she is working in their best interest, and the interest of their family member.  That elder care management was ultimately about improving the quality of life for everyone involved.

The project started with a logo.  Jill had the image of a heart in mind, to show a feeling of love and caring.  She also wanted to convey a feeling of home and belonging- where ever home may be.  The finished product looks like this:

 
In the logo, both the heart and the house have soft, curved edges, make the client feel comfortable- harsh corners have no place here.  Notice how the two shapes are also connected in the logo, and now in the customer’s mind.  They work together.

Soft blues and greens are used in the logo.  Both are soothing, non-threatening colors- remember, we want people to feel cared for and safe.  Finally, the name of the business is written in a very traditional serif font (the serifs are the little feet at the ends of the letters).  Using a font such as this adds stability.  People see that your business is both serious and trustworthy.

On to the brochure.  These brochures needed to stand apart from those of other professionals in her field.  There were many images out there that seemed to be overused.  In the end, we decided to use a picture of an older couple (which would also be used later, on her trade show banner) facing away from the camera, standing in a beautiful field.  This image provides her clients a feeling of hope- that needing assistance does not mean that life is over for their elderly family member.

This week, take a look at your business.  Are you trying to sell your clients a product?  How could you change your message slightly to provide them with a feeling instead?

I recently stumbled upon this fitting definition for the word identity.

identity:

1. The individual characteristics by which a person is recognized.
2. The condition of being oneself and not another.
3. The state of remaining the same, as under varying aspects or conditions.

The article that I was reading was in reference to personal identity, and not a business logo or branding, but if we take a closer look, the same definitions can still be applied.

1.  Your logo and branding are what your customers recognize you by.  They see your logo, they think of your business, instant connection.
2. One of the most important things when it comes to branding your business is choosing a look that’s all your own.  Too often, people make the mistake of trying to mimic their competitors, or play it safe by going with a really generic concept.  The only way you’re going to get business is if people notice you, and the only people are going to notice you is if you stand out from the crowd!
3. I preach about the importance of consistency in branding.  Once you’ve developed your logo, your colors, your fonts- use them on everything you put out there.  Not only will the repetition solidify your image into people’s minds, it also shows stability. Thank about it.  What would you think of a friend who, every time you saw them, changed their clothes, the way they talked, their personality?  You’d probably think at best they were going through an identity crisis, and you most certainly wouldn’t trust them to water your plants while you’re on vacation.

Parting words of wisdom for businesses (and teenagers) going through an identity crisis: Just be yourself.

As an entrepreneur it can be way too easy to let business take over every corner of your life.  But like many of us have learned (the hard way!), you need to take time for yourself and the people you care about.

Remember when you were in kindergarten and you got a star for every time you did something good?  It felt good, didn’t it?  I know that I work better with a to do list, and I feel liberated when I cross things off of it- so why not make it fun?

I’ve created this weekly to-do worksheet for myself, which I’d like to share with you as a totally free downloadable PDF!  Simply print it out, write in the items that you want to make sure that you do, and every time you complete one of those items, check it off! (Or add a star or smiley face, totally no judgement.)  The worksheet has been divided into four major areas of life– physical, mental, housework, business/finances.  (I include spending time with friends and family part of my mental well being, so that’s where I stick that.)  And you can change things up from week to week.  Completely up to you.

Please share this with anyone you think could benefit.  (Did I mention it’s free?)

Life Balance Worksheet for Entrepreneurs  <click here to download>

Last year, I worked on a project with my friend and colleague, Suzanne Larocque of Sleaque Images Photography.  Each year, we pool our talents to create a special holiday gift for our clients– something that they will be both attractive and useful for them year round.  In 2010, this gift was the Views of the Valley Desk Calendar.  Each month features a photograph of local landmarks– one for each city and town in the Valley– from the Academy of Music in Northampton, to the clock tower in Ludlow.

Since we received overwhelmingly good feedback on this calendar last year, this year we decided to offer it to other business owners.

Our 2012 Views of the Valley Calendar is now available for purchase in quantities of 50, 100, and 200 calendars.  These calendars make the perfect holiday gift for your clients, to show them how much you appreciate their business year round.  The calendars are also customizable, your company’s logo can be placed right on the back of the calendar.  The calendars come in a CD style jewel case which also doubles as a stand.

Pricing:

50 Calendars: $350 ($7 each)
100 Calendars: $600 ($6 each)
200 Calendars: $1000 ($5 each)

Quantity

50 Calendars $350.00 100 Calendars $600.00 200 Calendars $1,000.00

 

Free Local Delivery.  Please email me if you are out of the Western Massachusetts area and would like an estimate for shipping costs.

Today, I’m featuring their Save the Date cards (I’ve changed the names and dates on the samples here).  The bride and groom love to cook, and wanted both their affinity for food and their quirky personalities to come through.

Here is the final product, which got rave reviews all around!

I work with brides on wedding stationery on a case by case basis.  If you’re interested in discussing your wedding needs, send me an email.

On Wednesday, June 29, 2011, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, I will be hosting a special Graphic Design Q&A on Twitter.

So how does this work exactly?  During this event, log onto your Twitter account and ask me any graphic design related question that you might have, as long as you keep it under 140 characters, and mark it with the hash-tag #askadesigner.  (The hash-tag is of utmost importance.  If you don’t tag your question, I might not see it!)

Take advantage of this free opportunity for expert advice for your business.

Oh, and don’t forget to tell your friends.

Some pretty awesome features provided by Mail Chimp:

• Always Free Service for Accounts with up to 2,000 Subscribers
• Pulls your branding colors from your website and creates a custom color scheme for your emails
• Facebook integration
• Make custom QR codes for your newsletter signup form
• Shows screenshots of how your newsletter will look on 60 different email clients
• Allows comments from your subscribers on your newsletters
• Custom signup forms and autoresponders

Below are two examples of recent newsletters that I’ve created and sent to my subscribers.  Click on the images to be brought to the full version.  To sign up to receive valuable graphic design information and goodies on a regular basis, click here.