Issue 001 - Every business starts with a thought..an idea..even a dream. Next comes the motivation to turn that dream into reality. Then comes the most important step...turning that reality into a success! The best ideas in the world have amounted to nothing and some of the simplest ideas have become billion dollar enterprises...WHY? Because it doesn't matter how good your idea is if you don't market it successfully. If you are selling something, a product, a service, a concept...the only way it will make you money is if your idea reaches the consumer, and reaches them in a memorable way. There are many different ways to promote business but the concept is always the same, to get the attention of the end user. Success in business is not a game of chance, it has little to do with how the cards are dealt and everything to do with planning. Start by planning to read these pages each month and let us share some of our ideas with YOU! CONTENTS: - Dare to be Different! First Impression or Last Impression? Brain Teasers -- GETTING IMPACT IN PRINT AND MEDIA - By: ----- Liz Roberts Design ----- #108 - 19232 Enterprise Way, Surrey ----- (604) 574-1271 ----- www.lizrobertsdesign.com How is the casual purchaser going to perceive your marketing material or website as distinct from a thousand others in the same business? - What is unique about your business? - Why do customers come to you for their business, rather - than your competition? - What do you do better (or different) from all the rest? Developing a unique "look" has a lot to do with differentiating your company from all the others, and is a great start towards building your marketing plan. Many small business people cut corners on design costs. The result is a same-old, look-alike material that you couldn't remember an hour after you saw it. Like book covers that compete for consumers' attention, your marketing materials need strong visual images. A quality logo is essential. A small business person can get a logo designed for $500-$1500, though many companies spend several thousand dollars on the process, since it is so vital to their identity. Most graphic design companies offer this service. Just as important as a logo is a distinctive design for your material. The card, flyer, brochure or website should leave you with an attractive visual memory. If you like a certain style or "look", chances are that your customers will too. Does your material's style reflect your unique business, or does it simply list the bare facts about you with a big yawn? Over the following months we will be covering such topics as design, distribution, dealing with printers, cost cutting ideas and more. Please feel free to call anytime. We welcome your feedback and suggestions! GETTING IMPACT ON THE WEB - By: ----- Martin VanWoudenberg ----- Fortress Web Design ----- #108 - 19232 Enterprise Way, Surrey ----- (604) 574-1283 | www.fortressweb.com First Impression or Last Impression? Despite confusion about what marketing is, without it no business can succeed. The most important forms of marketing are customer service and referrals. Referrals work through word of mouth, or by your marketing materials. Potential clients are looking at your materials as a direct representation of your company and how it does business. Often the material that they are looking at will make an immediate and lasting impression on them and determine within the first 30 seconds whether you will do business with this person or not. Make the RIGHT Impression... First! With the surge of the Internet popularity and use, it can no longer be argued that any business does not need a website. It says something about your dedication to your business and your professionalism. The challenge lies in adding yet another marketing tool to your company and doing it on a shrinking budget. The temptation may be to do some or all of the design work yourself. Any presence is better than no presence right? Wrong! Your website must present the right image, and it must be consistent with everything else you do. A shoddy website says something about the company. If they don't care enough to present themselves in a professional manner... how are they going to treat you? Anyone can purchase web software and put it on their computer. However, design and layout is an art, and having the tools does not necessarily make someone a designer or programmer. I happen to have a pair of hairdresser's scissors in my home, but that does not make me a stylist. Creating a website is a far more technical process than it may first appear. Despite the fact that your creation may look good to you on your screen, there is no guarantee that your clients will see the same thing. Different screen resolutions, color schemes, operating systems, Internet connection speeds, and many other factors can turn your lovely creation into a horrible mess. Unless you know and understand all the issues that can affect a website and its use, do not create one that will represent your company. Finding a Designer FEATURED WEBSITE Horse Council B.C. - Click image to view site The website we are featuring this month is from one of our first clients. We have recently done a full re-design and updated the navigation system, building in a feature that updates all pages on the site automatically whenever a change is made. The site auto-adjusts the content for different browsers and screen resolutions to ensure a consistently professional look. Horse Council BC provides resources and help for all horse lovers from amateurs to professionals. When finding a designer, go with a company that has a portfolio of sites that impress you. Don't shop for only price, shop for features. Is the company geared to your business level? Are they easy to work with? Do they do this full-time or just as a hobby? Are you going to be able to rely on them for changes, updates and problem resolution? Do they have good client testimonials? Are their rates a good reflection on the quality of work that they do? (Paying too little can be as big of a mistake as paying too much). When you find a company that looks like it might fit your needs, then ask for a meeting. If they won't give you an hour of time to discuss your project and your needs before you are a client, how much time will you get after you've paid the balance? Talk, ask questions and listen closely to the responses. Find a company that's flexible and unique in their approach to each project. Making it WOW! If your first impression is your website, you want it to wow new clients. Over the next months we will be focusing on various aspects of design, programming, and marketing for your website. We will show you ways to add dynamic content to your sites, and how to market it effectively. We'll also explain the terms and technology along the way, ensuring that you come prepared to your meetings with your web designer. Whatever you do is going to make a lasting impression.. make sure it's the right one! - - MONTHLY BRAIN TEASER - The first two letters are a man. The first three letters are a woman. The first four letters are a great man. The whole is a great woman. What is the word? At a recent Pets Anonymous reunion, the attendees were discussing which pets they had recently owned. James used to have a dog. The person who used to own a mouse now owns a cat, but the person who used to have a cat does not have a mouse. Kevin has now or used to have a dog, I can't remember which. Becky has never owned a mouse. Only one person now owns the pet they previously had. Rebecca kept quiet throughout the meeting and nobody mentioned the hamster. Can you determine who owns which pet and what they used to own? Answers to the brain teasers will be in the next issue of IMPACT