Seth Godin Lecture at Tufts University

I was a nerdy little Marketing fangirl when I heard that Seth Godin was delivering a lecture - free to Tufts students and alumni - this month. I registered immediately. He's authored some of my favorite marketing books, like The Purple Cow and All Marketers are Liars. I also subscribe to his blog, and read it every day when it lands in my inbox. Naturally, I wasn't disappointed when he delivered his talk yesterday evening on campus.

What I love about Seth is that all of what he says makes perfect sense to me - I've had more than one "duh" moment when reading his stuff - and especially when I heard him talk. The problem is getting it into motion, into practice. Maybe my lower-level-not-quite-Tuftsy-brain just boils all of his content down to - "just be awesome, and everything will be good."

So when this bald little guy with great bold glasses came up to the podium (he referred to himself later as a tortoise, and I was like - why, yes. Yes you are.) I wasn't sure what to expect. I ended up taking notes during his lecture - mostly one-liners about points he made with stories he told. I liked hearing about when he was at Tufts and started a million businesses, and most of them failed. (Though my bitter student-loan brain got irritated when he said how fortunate he was that his dad paid for his rent and tuition costs...that he "just" had to pay for food. As dampering it is to think about money, I'm sure being in debt or worrying about more bills makes it a lot more difficult to put it all out there and fail) From his failed businesses, he learned to say "This might not work." He got lots of practice in building things that were greater than himself, businesses that have stood the test of time. He also took as many classes as he could to learn a little about a lot, and was awarded his degree based on the classes he passed.

Another thing I found really interesting - and that embarassingly, rang true to me - was that what got us into Tufts will not get us out. You can get perfect grades, get into a perfect school, do everything you are supposed to do, but being perfect will get you no where in life. Instead, you'll be looking for perfect in your job, looking to see how you can be perfect - when it's just mediocrity. I was so sure that if I did everything right, got good grades, went to the school I was supposed to go to - that everything would work out for me. And it hasn't. The reason being is that we are in the middle of a revolution right now - the Connection Revolution - and revolutions destroy the perfect. Seth used the example of the record industry - which was perfect, until it wasn't. Now there is a very limited amount of record labels, yet more people are recording music and more people are listening to music than ever before - because they are more connected.

There are no college exams on trust, on making rules, or on solving problems. Maybe we can address all these problems in creative ways - and maybe they won't work. I definitely think the institution of college education is heading towards a revolution - especially when students graduate and don't have that job they felt was promised to them because of their degree. I liked his story about Icarus, which we all know as "don't fly too close to the sun, or the wax on your wings will melt and you will perish". What's interesting about that is there is more to that story that no one ever tells - after the sun, Icarus is told "do not fly too low, or your wings will be caught in the mist, you will lose your lift and surely perish." So - don't fly too high, but also, don't fly too low. Don't be lazy and compliant.

Another fact he brought up was that the "disease" of writer's block started in 1942. Before that, anyone who wanted to write a book, did. Now, there's this overwhelming awareness of resistance, of our internal editors, afraid of approaching other people and saying "I made this". It's funny - I worked all day yesterday - that same day I saw Seth - on a new website design for my company, and I delayed sending it for hours. When I finally did, I prefaced it with "this can be changed"! and "this is just a first pass!". What kind of BS is that? I made something I was proud of - why couldn't I just send it to my boss? It's the fear of not being good enough, of a past rejection of my work at the forefront of my mind. But I've also gotten past praise - so why isn't that something that I'm thinking about?

The last point he made which also applies to me was the difference between a professional and an amateur. An amateur sees resistance to himself or an idea, and is paralyzed by it. A professional is aware of resistance , and overcomes it. Building your personal brand is all about building your reputation and confidence in what you have to say, as it's valuable. And definitely shouldn't be thrown away. So, just be awesome.

Handling Bad Business Review

I haven't posted in a good three months. Mostly, it's been time...but since I do love writing, I have to be honest: there was a reason my passion had slipped away.

As a (very) small business owner, it hits right to the heart when you come across a bad review of your business. Such a thing happened to me recently, and after much emotional grappling, I have come to terms with it and am trying to move on.

I'll start with a comment I read about employers today: they love seeing "entrepreneurship" on your resume, because it shows that you have personal accountability: taking your career into your own hands, rather than someone else's. And while I have built this wedding calligraphy business up from scratch since starting up five years ago, I am still one person. The buck stops with me - I made a mistake.

Calligraphy for Wedding Signs, $2 each

In this review, the bride had some valid points. I had dropped the ball, we had some miscommunication, and while she said my work was beautiful (a compliment she didn't need to make when dissatisfied), it still cuts to the core when you put everything you are into a business. I take pride in my work, and my goal has always been to have the bride over-the-moon excited for what I've been able to do for her, and when that doesn't happen, I hate to see it.

On the other hand, I can dispute some other points made in this review: but what would that solve? The damage has already been done, time has passed, and nothing will be able to change her mind. For example, one of the issues she had with me was that the ink color I used was inconsistent: some envelopes looked "darker" than others, and that was the only issue she had...and I know for a fact that she was simply wrong. This then transformed to a slew of other errors I was hearing for the first time in her review, which don't really give her much credibility.

I will say that I love this business. 99.9% of the time, the brides I work with are amazing, sweet and so much fun to work with. I love being able to do my part in making their wedding beautiful - especially in that first moment that one of their guests receives their invitation and are blown away by the first impression, which I love to hear!

So, I'm back to blogging. Contrary to my super-critical, take-everything-personal side, that bad review hasn't done any damage at all to my business. In fact, the amount of business I'm doing has DOUBLED since this time last year - with brides finding me both online and through fellow vendor and past bride referrals. All this makes me understand that I have high quality work, and shouldn't let one crazy bridezilla (okay, that was immature but makes me feel a bit better ;) stop me from doing what I love to do.

I continue to look forward to working with my brides, and doing whatever I can to make them happy!

Thanks to all my fabulous brides for being you,
Ashley

Follow Up: Knowing When to Say “No” to Freelance Clients

The last post, "Knowing When to Say 'No' to Freelance",  was a commentary on the first instance where I had learned when to say no to a wedding calligraphy client: the hard way. This past week, I came across this again: only this time, I was able to recognize the client and say “no”.

This woman emailed me 3 times and left me a voicemail on the same day, while I was at work, to schedule a consultation. And while I don’t believe she was mean-spirited, it was indicative of her already neediness and disregard for my time. I returned her phone call that night when I came home, intending to have a quick consult. This conversation turned into over an hour, during which time she required my assistance creating labels in Microsoft Word to submit me the names for her wedding invitations. She also was repetitive, indecisive, and unsure of what she wanted.

After I (finally!) hung up – during which I’m pretty sure she was trying to ask another question – I was thinking, there’s no way I can work with this woman. Not only was this going to be a huge time-suck out of my life, but it was only for 30 envelopes, which would have been about $60. Not to say that this job wouldn’t have been as valuable as my larger clients, but weighing out the cost of back and forth correspondence and the work itself, it was just not worth the headache or emotion.

            
Add this to the fact that she was a bit older, which is not my target market – which is typically brides ages 20-35: so chances of referral business was also very low. So all those considerations and three follow up emails later that same night, I informed her that something came up, and I was unable to work with her, and even provided her with some well-respected calligraphers within the industry that she could go to. Which, I got a very large needy email response again.

Just another learning experience: some small business owners are well-equipped or enjoy working with clients such as this. With a full time job, a store to run, inventory to make and other clients to work for, you need to prioritize and recognize when things are not worth it. I usually take on the world, but my reality now is that I just can’t stretch myself to that limit anymore.

Have you ever cut off a client before working with them? Did you regret it?

Ash Tree Website Design

After working over a year as a Marketing Associate, I've learned a lot about websites, their functionality - and even how to build them.

The following are two websites that I designed the layout of, and continue to blog for regularly. The first is 6 In the Shipyard, which is the store location where you can find all of the Ash Tree's handmade jewelry and Dock This Way customized embroidery gifts.

I make sure the website's blog has at least a post every week, and you'll occasionally see guest posts by Ash Tree talking about new collections, images of my newest work in stock at the shop, or other Fashion commentary. Great blog to subscribe to for email alerts!

The second, RAM Construction, was actually made for my boyfriend (aw! I'm so nice) who is a carpenter and entrepreneur: I wrote content for a ton of pages, each describing different skills and jobs that he does. I also added an page breaking down areas he serves, as well as a page for a "Construction Portfolio", so prospective clients are able to see past jobs he has had.

I also blog for him once a week, which is interesting to look up how he does his job then writing about it. My favorite part of this is my #52 Ways to Improve Your Home segment, where every week I research and throw down a new idea for home improvements, including remodeling, small home construction projects, or fun interior decoration articles, which is a bit girly but I get to write it so whatever.

If you are in the need of a basic website, my rates are really reasonable: for a flat rate, I can set your website up, write some basic content, get you on Facebook,  Twitter, Yelp, etc. If you are unable to blog at least once a week, I can also offer SEO maintenance services, where I can write for you and help you out with your online marketing initiatives.

Contact me today to find out more information!

Have an opinion on these websites? I'd love to hear your feedback!

How Much "Klout" Do You Have?

My mother, while working at the 6 In the Shipyard shop today, was speaking with a woman who is the Director of Marketing at the Hingham Launch. She said that she LOVES all of my little updates, the weekly blog posts I do, and wanted to know if I needed any help in any way.

It's so funny to me because after being a Marketing Associate for over a year now, I've come to understand how important it is - (at least for SEO purposes, but also because online marketing has a huge "social media" aspect, now) to be engaged and updated with your website.

Nowadays, if you throw up a website and don't touch it or blog ever, users will notice and people will leave. They can tell when you are outdated, which is now being associated with how reputable you are. I've actually helped out a few friends on getting their own websites started, and actually maintain a few of them as a side-side business. (You know, with all that spare time I have?)

Find out your Klout Score at www.klout.com

Anyway, I had checked out this website Klout.com a while back to check out my "Klout Score" and had kind of forgotten about it. Now, with @TheAshTree getting at least a follower or two a day, I was curious to see what my score was.

I'm still in the gray "casual" section - though I don't know why. I feel like I'm tweeting the crap out of my business(es), but whatev. From this section, it looks as though I could be more active with my Twitter: which I agree, I could. I guess the "Listening" section is an accurate description.

So go check out your "klout" and the let me know how you rank!

Follow me on Twitter: @TheAshTree

Blogging Tips

1. Do Blogging with Patience and Passion

Passion and Patience are the ultimate words for blogging. Always choose a niche for blogging about what you know (write what you know!) and are passionate enough to write about every day or twice a week. My blogging has really come into its own since I've started working for an online marketing company, where I blog basically every day. And, blogging won't make you money overnight, if that's your goal. You'll have to wait for the money and it will only come if you have a proper strategy.

2. Make Blogging Strategy

Make a schedule for blogging and stick to it. It's important to stay consistent with your blogging, as it will hold reader interest and encourage you to pump out fresh content for SEO purposes. Now, how many articles you will write in a day or a week? How much time you will spend in marketing your blog? How will you market your blog? For example, I now know I'm going to include my blog and twitter accounts the next time I order my business cards.

3. Make Social Media Marketing Strategy

Search engines are no longer the only source of generating traffic. If you target social media biggies(Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Stumbleupon, etc.) then you can get a great amount of traffic from them. Sometimes it can be much more than search engine traffic: but again, it won't come easily. You'll have to interact with people in Social Media in your niche and you'll have to build valuable relationship with them.

This is ME! :)

4. Make Link Building Strategy

Link building is important when it comes to search engines. Make proper link building strategy and try to get more backlinks from the blogs in your niche especially the higher page rank blogs. Find DoFollow blogs in your niche and the blogs using Comluv and Top Commentators plugins. Comment on those blogs but DON'T spam. No one likes to see that on blogs you comment on, it diminishes your credibility, and breaches blogger/blogging etiquette. Try instead to add value to the article: it's fun to check back and see how people respond.
5. Make Your Blog a Community

The environment of your blog should be such that when new visitor comes to your blog he should feel it as a community and become the part of it. So solicit comments at the end of your posts, and start a conversation!
6. Make Good Relations with Niche Bloggers

Interact with other blogger in your niche by commenting on their blogs and through social media. You can learn a lot from your competition, get more ideas, and competition breeds innovation.

7. Write Unique Content

Content is king in blogging and any website. Copying and pasting content onto your blog can result in your website being penalized by the search engines. So come up with something original: it doesn't have to be long or perfect, just get it up there! (Bonus points if you add some keywords you'd like to rank for!)

8. Always Reply to Comments

Interact with your readers by replying to their comments. Readers love it when their comment is replied and they will come back and comment again to create another conversation. Also be sure that it is easy for readers to make comments: users will give up trying to post if it takes them forever to add a one-sentence reaction.

How to get more comments on your Blog

9. Use Article Marketing

Write articles related to your niche in high PR article submission directories such as Ezine Articles, Hubpages and Squidoo with the backlink to your blog. It will definitely increase your blog authority and your blog will rank well in search engines.

10. Enngage in Mutual Guest Blogging

Try to write at least one article in a week to other blogs in your niche who offer you to write for their blogs. Guest posting on high traffic and high PR blogs is more beneficial as it will give you more exposure and quality backlinks.

11. Ask Readers for their Opinions

Ask readers for their opinions in your articles. It will increase comments on your blog and your readers will not feel that they are reading an article written by someone who's not real. Adding personality and invoking a conersation will score major points.

12. Write for Readers

Ever heard the expression, "Write like a reader"? Always give priority to your readers. SEO of the article is also important but it will be of no use if you can’t make a loyal readership from your articles...and often too much SEO work will make a post read awkward, and low-quality writing discourages readers.

13. Make Your Blog Design Reader Friendly

Your Blog Design should have a clean design with proper navigation. It should be such that readers can easily find the content of their choice. Even now, a year later, I'm still fooling around with my blog. Blogger.com has come out with some great new features that I always make sure to explore, like new template designs and widgets to make my site more interactive.

14. Use SEO friendly Theme and Have Visual Consistency

Use SEO friendly theme on your blog with proper header (h1, h2,..) tags. Always use h1 or h2 tag for post title. You can try Thesis Theme. Also be consistent with fonts, font size, and font color within posts. AND NO HIGHLIGHTING. It looks gross, just don't do it. You guys are artists, you know what's up.

15. Use Effective Title

Title of the article should be both reader and SEO friendly. Title should be appealing to the readers and important keywords should also be used in the title.

I hope these tips help out! While I know the average blog reader has ADD (I know I do) and merely scans titles, I hope you gained something from those bold headlines (like how I did that? OoOh sneaky!) 

I'm interested to know if you guys do anything else to brand your blog. As always, feel free to email me with any questions! 

Source Article: Tips For Newbie Bloggers

View Your Personal Brand with a Wordle!

I went to a RainCamp convention the other day for work, and it was full of useful SEO information.  The speaker also gave some fun websites to visit and play around with that are now available. For example, the following image is a Wordle I created using my blog feed. Visit wordle.net, copy and past a feed URL, your Twitter, or any amount of text content and the website will generate a Wordle. The words that are the biggest, you use the most, and you can organize the text in any color and format that you want!

I thought that this was completely cool. You can save your Wordle to a public gallery under any name, too! Very nerdy, but in a way, it is a great tool to help you figure out how you are being perceived at any point in time, or to understand your personal online marketing brand.

Apparently for me, I say "really" a lot. Don't know what that's all about! Luckily, calligraphy and wedding terms show up a fair amount of times as well.

So click on mine, go make your own wordle and see how awesome it is. And show me!! Comment what you find, or link me to your wordle :)

Search Engine Optimization

I recently was hired full time by the technology company, Boston Logic. And I have learned so much about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) even since I started here as an intern in February.

If you have a website, you need to know about SEO. SEO is an attempt to increase your ranking when your customers or potential leads search for you in Google or other major search engines. So when you have a web page, Google spiders your pages in a formula that has to do with relevant keywords, web page age, and unique content. It's a lot to understand, but here are some tips you can use to get your SEO Campaign started!


1) Pick your keywords. These are the words your customers are typing into Google to find you - put yourself into their minds and select 10-20 appropriate keywords, and stick to them.

2) Optimize your web pages. This is a fancy way of sprinkling your keywords all over your pages. Doing this consistently and repetitively will increase your relevant content and ranking with search engines.

3) Categories are your meta tags. This is applicable for etsy, but you can find what your website uses for meta tags by going to the "Page Source" on your browser from the "View Menu". Choose categories that are ideally your keywords: things that your customers are looking for. Your meta tags will be in quotes after the meta in between <>'s.

4) The beginning of your shop announcement is your meta description. This is true for etsy as well as other websites: your first sentence of your website is your meta description, and will show up in google search results underneath your website. Have this sentence be straight, to the point, and hopefully full of your keywords!

5) If you don't have a blog GET ONE. Create categories, labels, and tags for all of your keywords, then optimize your old posts with them and tag them appropriately. Keep blogging posts around your keywords. To get a blog to rank, it depends on the age, links that you are adding to your text, relevant content (i.e, keywords), and amount of posts. A good goal to shoot for would be 100 posts.

6) Keep track with Google Analytics Don't just do all of this stuff, monitor your progress! I recommend keeping track of keyword rankings each month for progress - I'll write a separate post on Boston Logic's Keyword Placer later, which is a great tool to check how your site is ranking for your keywords each month. But check Google Analytics frequently, see what posts are popular, where your traffic is coming from, etc. (You can read more about actually installing Analytics here)


There is also a TON of information out in the cybersphere about SEO with theories and other methods you can try. So in your downtime, experiment: what have you got to lose?

I've recently been attempting to optimize my mother's blog and website. The website may be due for an upgrade soon: but there was recently a post written about how to silk screen, and I submitted it to StumbleUpon: our visits went through the roof! So don't forget to syndicate (fancy word meaning to spread it around via social media) your content: if you have a website or blog, letting it sit there will not let leads come to you!

Featured Etsy Seller: Leksidesigns

Today's featured Etsy seller is Brooke from Leksi Designs!

Her shop is full of pretty shiny things, as she specializes in handmade flower accessories and custom hand-stamped jewelry. She named the shop after her daughter, Aleksis, nicknamed Leksi. She got into metal jewelry stamping when she was shopping for a piece for herself - isn't that a natural place to get started with any artist? ;) She thought that she would just make it for herself, and people asked about the pieces she was wearing = ETSY SHOP!!

When not stamping pretty things, she works full-time for a school district while taking Master's Courses at night (awesome.) She's also a cheerleading coach and hopes to run a few marathons this summer, which is a few more than I will ever run. Ever. Her jewelry time is wind-down time in the late eventings, and she hopes to one day find more time to pursue it. But for now her creative outlet seems to be working out great!!

For new artists, she advises taking time to dream up something really unique before advertising. Both quality and quantity are necessary to really "make it", as well as fantastic photographs of your work, and top-notch customer service! While most of her promotions are through word of mouth and her blog, she gets more sales through email than anything else.

You can find more info on LeksiDesigns here:

MY BLOG: http://leksidesigns.blogspot.com
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Camdenton-MO/Leksi-Designs/109971549035743
Twitter: www.twitter.com/leksidesigns


So far, her favorite piece is her Handstamped Quote Cuff. While browsing her shop, I really liked her vintage pieces as well, and my favorite is the Colorful Butterfly Ring with Filigree Center, $18.

Dyed Howlite Bracelet

Newly listed item on etsy - Howlite Bracelet! After making a few earrings out of this simulated turquoise stone, which is actually dyed howlite, I was left with four - and wanted to make a bracelet. It was definitely a challenge to do, as the stones are large and heavier, so putting them on any wrist can be a difficult fit.

After fooling around with too many jump rings in between each stone, I finally just connected them to each other, and it made a huge difference. I compensated the length with a jump-ring chain, so that it can fit anybody's wrist. I also chose to use a lobster clasp instead of my go-to toggle, because I was afraid that the bracelet's weight may cause it to be more susceptible to fall off.

This was also my first time working with such thick silver plate wire - I believe that it is 16 gauge - but it looks great with the blue. I also discovered that the boat is the best place to photograph jewelry. Look at these images!! I was on the boat creating, and brought my camera, so I figured I'd take some images. And whoa. The key is that the inside of the boat, right above each photograph, are 3 huge windows. The sunlight wasn't shining right into them because it was afternoon, but I got great, diffused light to take the pictures with. My mom's lime-green mats didn't hurt as a background, either :)

I'm on a jewelry bend. I've stopped for too long, so now its all coming out. So stay tuned for more pieces!!

The Commonwealth Institute "Breakfast of Champions"

I just returned this morning from a The Breakfast of Champions hosted by The Commonwealth Institute at the Back Bay events center (gorgeous venue, check it out!) in Boston. The keynote speaker was Ellen Alemany, who is a Chairman and CEO of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. and RBS Americas. She was recently ranked by U.S. Banker and Forbes as one of the most powerful women in banking.

After receiving an invitation from a Tufts Professor to attend, I jumped at the chance to come to this event. Not only was this a fantastic networking opportunity, but I really believe in promoting and learning more about supporting women positions in business and senior management.


I felt as though Ellen was an accessible speaker, talking about her family and her roots working for her father in a Brooklyn liquor store. It was refreshing to see someone who had worked their way up (albeit via the corporate ladder rather than entrepreneurship) and not born into wealth and success that I sense to sometimes be surrounded by at events like these. And yes, I become frustrated when people do not know my parents or recognize and inquire about my last name, but I'm confident I will get there some day.


After recently being hired full time to work at Boston Logic, I am assessing my role there and what I am bringing to the company. The advice that Ellen gave was very helpful and applicable to my situation. Several points she made were:

• Don't think about your sex. Focus on the work and how to achieve what you want to achieve.
• Do not try and be something your not. Look at your strengths, and think of how you can apply them to your company to result in success for your personally and your company.
  
• If you are bored, ask for more responsibility! Your managers have no way of knowing that you are bored, and taking the initiative to ask for more work will not only give you greater job satisfaction, but also have you noticed by the right people.
  

Overall, I am glad that I attended, particularly to gain the points above. Though there was the typical master of the universe talk and suspended eye-rolling on my part to these elite people in all they know and have accomplished, I am nothing but privileged to be able to attend :)

Featured Etsy Seller: RiceCakeShack!

This week's featured etsy seller is based across the pond in the United Kingdom. (Did you like that little pond-ocean reference? I'm so cute. :)

Speaking of cute, RiceCakeShack has just about the cutest freaking stuff I have ever seen. Her shop has these adorable little necklace sculptures brilliantly photographed on a hot pink background. Her representative shop image is a cloud, above, and she explains "a cloud is unpredictable and you never know what your going to get in life, just like you never know what your going to get with a new cloud: will it turn into rain or just float away so you can see the sunshine?"

Growing up, she liked to draw and was influenced by her favorite artist Alex Pardee. After some difficult life experiences, she found that her work was being influenced by them: in the form of mutants just wanting to be loved (Some of this is more evident closer to Halloween)

As you can see (and as subtly indicated I think by her shop name), she then began to look at Japanese imagery - and her products are purposely portrayed as happy as she feels that "behavior breeds behavior". She believes her greatest strengths are with her weather creations, as she has had much success in and out of her shop. Also, her favorite etsy shop is SparkleNGlitter, as she had a positive customer service experience with her. She loves the jewelry in her shop, and appreciated the personal attention the shopowner gave her after a purchase.

She also has different promotions every month - this month is a free gift with every purchase - and promotes herself through Facebook.

Below is my favorite item, a necklace of a "Star that Shines at Night", $13. I love both the concept and the fine detail work of the star itself, along with its adorable expression. Be sure to stop by RiceCakeShack, and support an international Etsy artist!

New Widgets and Fun Things for Your Blog

For those of you that follow me, you may notice that in the past month I've added some fun things to my blog :) These widgets are great for generating fresh content for your blog, are fun to look at, and take your blog beyond one-dimensional. Once you find the code for these various apps, copy and paste it as a HTML code to add to your blog. It's really easy, I promise!

Here's a list of what I have (at the moment!), and you can expand upon by google-ing "widgets for your blogs.

1) Twitter
People can see my tweets right on my blog. Go to "goodies" on the Twitter page to grab your own code, and customize the box to match your website!

2) Wedding Wire
I am a wedding calligrapher that also has a website on Wedding Wire, where I have images, explain what I do exclusively for calligraphy, and invite past clients to write reviews on my services. Great resource for both brides and wedding vendors!

3) Etsy Shop
You can go on etsy and get a customized banner with items in your shop to add to your blog.

4) Facebook Fan Page
I got this right off of Facebook - I have a fan page for my business, and they provide you with code to add a "like" box to your blog or website.

5) Share and Enjoy
There are many different versions of this code, so Google "content share code" and find the one that's right for you. These buttons allow your followers to share your content on social media websites like Digg and StumbleUpon, which if you don't know about you should totally check out because they are awesome.

6) Website Hits
This is a helpful "Now" tool to understand how your website is doing in terms of traffic. I have Google Analytics installed and do monthly reports, but it's helpful to see over the course of a day or week how many hits your website or blog is actually getting.

7) Labels
Labels are actually really important for SEO - they are the keywords that define what your website is, so you should pick them carefully and be consistent in organization. More on this later!

Lastly, I've done some work on Dock This Way's website. It's still in the process of being optimized, a helpful process I've learned about through my job at Boston Logic, which specializes in realtors and real estate brokers - I'll make sure to talk about some helpful tips in a blog post to come :)

Do you know YELP?

I recently checked YELP out because I read a blog post about it. And then looked up a place that treated me SO BADLY that I had to trash it. Yeah, I know - real mature. But it was in all honestly, totally that bad. I remember wanting to call the manager or something that day.

So it is a great website to review business locations, and is very helpful to research places before you go there or participate. For example, I reviewed The Paper Source in Harvard Square, because it has the most awful customer service I have ever experienced. The people who work there, for some reason, are very high-and-mighty: and no one deserves to be treated like that.


I also looked up Boston Sports Clubs, because I was debating joining a gym. The one a few blocks away from my place had really great reviews, so I checked out their website and found that they were having a student special. I was put in contact with someone there, and he was great about answering my questions and helping me sign up. So I'm now a member!

You can find my calligraphy page under Ash Tree Calligraphy, and also all my handmade jewelry is now in a retail location, 6 In the Shipyard.

So it's definitely worth checking out - especially to see if your business is being reviewed. It's also fun to review/read up on restaurants to visit. Sign up and friend me! :D

And don't forget those glamorous reviews of my businesses ;)

Book Review - The Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

I finished this book a couple weeks ago, and with all the "graduation" stuff floating around, I really wanted to make note of it.

It's a great book for the entrepreneur - The Purple Cow, written by Seth Godin, it asks how each of us can take our business above a business, and make it extraordinary. Like The Purple Cow. As for my purple cow, I'm still looking for it, but I think a few of my lines have the potential to be one. The trick is not only to have a purple cow, but to get it out to the "sneezers", who gladly spread the word about you and your product.


My idea to build on this cow for my calligraphy business was to create a promotion to give away free calligraphy for a bride - invites or place cards. (You can read more about that here, the deadline is June 31st!).

I really recommend this book - you have to read it to understand the importance of the cow. The greatest lesson I learned from this book was that it is more dangerous to play it safe (i.e., milking your cow) than to take a risk. Take a risk, business owners!!

And speaking of risks, I'm seriously considering opening a gallery, now that I'm graduated, in my hometown. It would be in a barn of a family friend, and I'm working out the tweaks. Wish me luck! :)

To all my dear fellow freelance - ians: DO NOT DO THIS

Oh my dear, precious freelancers -

After a recent particularly awful calligraphy client experience, I wanted to just put this out there, so you never make the same mistake I did. There is just one rule when it comes to freelance: never negotiate your price. Why, do you ask? This merits a story.

I recently got an calligraphy inquiry (We'll call her Melissa) that was very interested in having me do a job for her. Then I did not hear from her for a while, and when I followed up with her, she said that due to budget restrictions, she could not do $1.00 per outer envelope, instead could only afford $0.75 per outer envelope. I did the math, and it was actually a decent amount of money, less the quarter. So I said yes.

Well, fast forward to the consultation, and surprise! Melissa thought that the outer envelope price also included writing the return address on the back of the envelope, which she neglected to mention in her email. In the past, all of the brides I have had always had their return address embossed when they have ordered the envelope, or not had it at all. Clearly, Melissa did not want to pay for that, either. So I explained to her that I would do the return address for an additional $0.50 per envelope, which was a mistake, but I was put on the spot.

That's not the end of the surprise! She also needed RSVP cards done. Now, come on - there's really no excuse for not mentioning that in the email, either. So since those were just the same address over and over again, I said I would do them for $0.50 each, also. So, we agreed that I would get $1.75 total per set.

I get the invitations, head over to Blick to get some pretty white ink for her navy envelopes, and a new quill and holder because I'd have to dip the pen every time I used it: white ink does not come in cartridge form or markers because of its opacity.

So I'm all excited to get started, and then I get a phone call. Melissa. She was on her way home, and was calculating the total, and decided it was too much money. If I was able to do the RSVP and the return address for $0.50, why couldn't I do the outer envelope for $0.50, too? So she wanted HALF my usual price. So on a job that I should have earned probably around $3 per set, I was now making $1.50. And she wanted them done in two weeks.

So, because of the sheer volume, I did make a good amount of money. However, my hand is still about to fall off and I'm now heading over to get the envelopes again (after dropping them off this morning) to fix 3 addresses that were wrong. What can we learn from this?

* Never negotiate your price, no matter how not-big-a-deal it may seem. This seemingly harmless adjustment will just lead to further complications later.

* You have experience doing what you do, and have determined a fair - if not underpriced - rate. They should respect that or take their business elsewhere.

* Above all else, don't second guess yourself. You are talented enough to have your own business and interested clients, there's no reason for you to want to get paid for it.

So get out there, kick ass and take names!!

Creative Problem Solving

So I just spent the last three days holed up in a Creative Problem Solving training course. And you know what? I LOVED IT.

It was a requirement for a job that I am applying for, and the three days flew by. I learned so much about how to think creatively, linguistic devices, and things that I do day-to-day that are not conducive to creative thinking.

For example: Questions are just hidden ideas or thoughts. There's no reason to ask them. And this creates poor communication. I know! Crazy. I'm not even explaining it right - if a speaker asks a question, all the person who hears it wants to know is "why do you ask?". Try it.


What I learned about myself is that I also like facilitation. I previously didn't care for giving presentations - but this was different. I was engaging a group of people, interacting with them and we came out with some great stuff.

When I first started, I thought that I'd have a bit of an edge going to art school and everything. NAY. Because there we are CONSTANTLY trained to critique and to criticize - which is not helpful when thinking creatively. You think of the most bizarre, outlandish wishes, and instead of thinking of why it won't work, they encouraged you use the linguistic device "how to..." in regards to overcome it. So if you are dealing with an abstract idea, you can delve into the concept behind it and then discover ways to make it real. All businesses should look into this!!

I know I'm not making any sense. Thanks for reading, though. It really was an amazing experience.

The E-Myth: The Entrepreneur, The Manager, and the Technician

So I read this fantastic book that should be read by all entrepreneurs, called The E-myth by Michael E. Gerber

One of the earliest points in the book depicted how as soon as you get the Entrepreneurial "Seizure", you form your own business and make a job for yourself. Well, the last thing any of us wants is a job. With WORK. What do I mean by this?

Well, let's back up: why do most small businesses fail? It's because inside of every entrepreneur there are three personalities: The Entrepreneur, The Manager, and The Technician. Liken this to your inner Fat Guy and Skinny Guy: You live like Fat Guy, eating when you're hungry, exercising when you want. Then, one day, you are watching TV and a new weight-loss solution graces your sight, and Skinny Guy comes. Skinny Guy tells you how lazy you've been, so you start dieting and working out, watching your weight every day.

BUT, on the first day you don't lose weight, Fat Guy comes back, reasoning that even though you've been working your ass off, there haven't been any visible benefits. Yes, we've all been there.

The Entrepreneur is the visionary. She sees into the future, is coming up with innovative solutions and how she can make her business better. The Technician does the work, knows how to do their work and to do it right. She doesn't like restrictions or skimping on quality - most technicians decide to work for themselves, but all they do is give themselves a job. The Manager keeps everything running smoothly: has things meeting deadlines, keeps things clean.

The Entrepreneur drives the Technician and the Manager crazy, because she always wants to change things to make them better. The Manager pisses the Technician off, because the Manager doesn't understand the care and consideration that goes into making the product.

Are you picking up on a theme here? How do you create a business, when you have these three portions of your personality that you can't even get to agree? The goal is to reconcile all these personalities with the Entrepreneur: you want to be continuously improving, and be adaptable enough so that The Manager and The Technician will go along with the ride.

I HIGHLY recommend reading this book. Or re-reading it. Your venture shouldn't be just another job - you should be able to run your business, but it should also be able to live without you.

Turning Unhappy Customers into Elated Ones

This trick of the trade is a very essential trait that any small business owner should have, and that I apply to my big-girl-job as well in dealing with clients.

A client sends you an email, extremely dissatisfied and making you feel sad. What do you do?!

In fact, your next steps are pretty important and indicative of your client-relations skills. When working in a small business, it's important to be creative in turning your bad experience into positive ones.


a) Set the tone - don't argue back, and apologize, but not profusely. People make mistakes, these things can happen.

b) Distance yourself, take a breath - it's easy to take these complaints personal. It can feel that a customer is directly insulting you when they insult your product or service. So take a minute and step away from the email or phone call: this will help you cool down, and come up with great ideas for the next part.

c) Ask what can be done to make it right: or, make a generous offer on how you can make it right. I guarantee that not only will your customer be delighted with your response, but will rave about you to all of their friends = positive PR!

d) Proof your response, and listen to it/read it as if you were a client. If you were in their position, is this what you would want to hear? Is there any way it could be misinterpreted? Do you feel good after reading it?

e) Check in again after they have responded and some time has passed. Customers appreciate a follow up, and they will feel like a priority if you follow-through.

Take this advice and go, young grasshopper.

Social Media Overload: What it is and how to use it

Online social media applications for mainstream consumer use are becoming more and more popular. Entrepreneurs and small businesses have started to accept and utilize social media to their advantage. But what can social media do for you? What should it be used for? What shouldn’t you do with it?

The ambiguous term “online social media” is an online platform by which individuals communicate. Website tools that fall under the umbrella of this definition are Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and blogs. All these online resources require a large and consistent investment of time, and an increasing number of companies are investing in job positions intended to only manage all of their accounts. But the most appealing attribute of online social media is its low cost, immediate response capabilities, and the equal opportunity of large and small businesses to compete.

The basic concept of social media is that it, like your business, is all about relationships and accessibility. You want to generate and retain relationships online just as you in-person. When it comes to your online profiles, however, it is important to note that these are NOT venues to market your business by publishing content-related information. Content, sales, and promotions should all be reserved for your advertising and website. No one likes a salesman when one is browsing these social sites on their personal time. Think of it this way: if you had a Twitter account, would you follow someone who is constantly promoting themselves, or someone with a sense of humor with their status updates?

The purpose of profiles like Twitter and your blog are to give a face to your company. Social media implies an “interaction” with your customer, or informational “sharing”, not a one-way channel for just slamming them with content. With applications like Facebook, you can go to where your customers already are, and catch their interest with your personality and dedication. People also find value in articles or blog postings that are relevant to your shop or industry, but have a more universal appeal for browsers that may turn into customers. For example, if you have a chain of bakeries, you could post an informative article to your blog “10 Easy and Unique Cookie Recipes”.

As a business owner, you can also gain a more thorough insight into your customers. You can learn from their questions or concerns and what is really important to your customer. The most successful companies are usually identified as those who respond quickest to market changes. Through appropriate use of social media you can always have a finger on the pulse of your customer base.

To conclude, social media shows your customers how much you care. The passion that you have for your company and doing what you love will shine through. This will make you stand out among your competitors.

Some take-away tips:

• Make sure to stay committed to your blog and update it at least 2-3 times a week.
  


• Twitter at different times of the day to catch different customers in multiple locations.
  


• With the rich mix of users now on Facebook, it’s a great time to create a fan page for customers to search, read, and follow you.

And lastly, if you haven’t already, be sure to create a profile on LinkedIn, which is an excellent networking resource for small business owners.