Insurance...

I am always amazed when people say they buy life insurance 'in case something happens to them' - I have only ever heard of two people who left this earth without dying - Enoch and Elijah. Everybody else has to be prepared for the time when they die; which brings me to my point.
How is your business covered? I'm not talking about life insurance, because I'm sure you've got that covered.
I'm talking about the day to day things that happen in your business:
*what happens to your clients when you die or are unable to work? Do you have a plan in place to make sure they're taken care of?
*what about your current projects? will someone you trust be able to step in and complete the work, or will someone be able to help your current clients find a new partner to finish their work?
*have you already discussed partnering for this with a trusted person in your business? someone whose work ethics are on the same keel as yours, and who can work with your clients to their satisfaction...
*do you have your passwords and file backups in a place that someone can find?
*are you up to date on notes on your clients and prospects, so someone stepping in won't have to start from scratch?
After making sure my family is taken care of, I want to make sure my clients are cared for; I want the transition to their new designer to be an easy one.
Are you prepared?

New Year's marketing pieces

Have you completed your 2009 marketing piece yet? This year I'll be giving away calendars to my best clients and prospects.
I've got several very nice photographs I've taken of the local area, so I'll have one photo per month, with a large monthly calendar opposite. I will add some dates that are important to my clients, and leave room for them to add their own information as well.
I want to make sure that I give something that is usable by my clients, and that will also remind clients of my business everytime they use it.
What will you be doing for the new year?

A Simple Thank You Note

Last week, I had reason to send out several thank-you notes. Instead of picking up a package of small note cards, I decided to make my own.
I bought a package of half-fold greeting cards, and designed a 'thank you' header using a pretty font, and printed them. I printed out some of my favorite photos in 4x6 size, and mounted them to the front of the cards, then wrote a note inside.
I made sure to add the title and date of each photograph, so the recipient knew it was a handmade card, and sent them off. So far I've gotten compliments on three cards... I'm glad I was able to do this- hand-written correspondence has almost become a thing of the past; I love to get mail like this, and I'm sure others do too.
If you've got the time and patience to do this, it's a good investment of your time. At the very least, have some notecards designed for you, and handwrite notes to folks you appreciate. If you're trying to build a relationship with a business associate, what better way than to send something handwritten?

Marketing Your Business

You know your business more than anyone else - what is your marketing strategy? Starting today, I'll occasionally give you ideas to market your business that are will hopefully be quirky enough to get a prospect's attention, and isn't that one point of marketing?
Today's suggestion: seeds.
If you are in any business that can help another business grow, mail out small seed packets attached to a marketing piece discussing ways you can help 'grow your business'. To further personalize the pieces, gear seed choices to the prospect- a grocery store might get vegetable seeds, wheat seeds for a bakery and flower seeds for a florist's shop.
It's okay to have your marketing pieces mass-produced, but leave yourself a little leeway in putting those individual touches on them. I've designed some marketing postcards for my own business - the front is pre-printed, but I've left the back blank so I have the choice to hand write a message or print it from my desktop, then add my signature.
Make sure your prospects see that you've got time for them- that may be the deciding reason they choose to do business with you.

What's Your (tag) Line?

Does your business have a tag line? You know, like "Coke- it's the real thing"; or "Pepsi- the choice of a new generation" (just to be fair, ya know.)
Sometimes it can be hard to come up with a tag line. It needs to be something that is catchy and tells a little bit about the personality of your business. One great way to come up with a tag line is to brainstorm with some of your trusted employees and customers. One person trying to come up with ideas can be difficult, but working within a group can be fun and inventive (and eye-opening, too).
One 'rule' to remember - there are no stupid ideas when you're brainstorming. Make sure each person knows that everyone's ideas will be considered. The junior stock boy's ideas will be treated the same as the boss's suggestions.
Jot down each idea - even if it sounds dumb, it might trigger a very good response from someone else. And in the worst case, if it's completely silly, the laughter can relieve stress.
And speaking of humor- if you're having trouble getting started, tell everyone to come up with the craziest idea they can. Sometimes thinking around corners can bring out some good ideas that will really work.
You can always bring in your professional designer to help, and he or she will have some great ideas too. Your designer can fine-tune things and give you some tips on how best to word things, but remember, you know your business better than anyone else, so you should have some input into the process.