Here are 35 Unique and Unusual Business Cards that can help stimulate your creativity:

It’s worth taking the time to make the first impression the best one possible by turning your business card into something memorable. For example, Joe is an amazingly skilled photographer, but if his business card is just like everyone else’s, he might never get the chance to prove it. If, on the other hand, Joe goes above average and uses a creative design that puts his card into a league — and stack — of its own, that first impression will last.

In this case, Joe has created a set of business cards, each with a different photo from his portfolio, and allows the prospect to choose their favorite card:

Be creative and think of something that will represent your business from the inside out. Pick a business card style that customers will remember and revisit. If you have a creative idea, there is sure to be a printing company who can make it happen, so the sky is the limit. While you’re thinking of creative business card designs for your company, meet a few printing experts that other businesses use and consider the following attributes:

The Shape

Why use a normal rectangular business card and fit in the same box as everyone else? Simply changing the shape of your business card will instantly make it stand out and express subtle creativity. If someone is organizing a stack of 30 business cards, the one that is taller or longer than the rest, in the shape of a square, circle, star or elongated rectangle will require special attention. It will not fit in a conventional business card holder, so the potential customer might leave it on their desk or — should you choose to include a perforated design — tear off the corner so the business card fits in the holder. Regardless, your card will be memorable.

The Tool

Every business specializes in something. Make your business card remind your customer of just that. A useful card that a potential customer can use as a day-to-day tool will stand out. Moreover, if the design is good, the customer will use the card, seeing a subtle reminder of your business every time they use it. For example, if Loretta makes artisan cheese, her business card could be made of metal and function as a cheese grater. Each time a customer grabs the card from their kitchen, they’ll see a friendly reminder that Loretta’s cheeses are delicious and they’ll want to make a purchase.

If Bill owns a bike shop, his business card could function as an emergency wrench to tighten a tire when needed — potential customers will likely keep this with them, just in case.

The Sample

Who doesn’t like free samples? Attaching a free sample to your business card will certainly make an impression on potential customers. For example, if Sally sells seeds, she could make her business card a small paper packet that comes with a few seeds inside. Amy, who owns a hair supply store, on the other hand, could slip a few bobby pins on her card. Here are 2 other possible examples:

Look around in a coffee shop. You’ll probably notice that almost everyone has a smartphone, and they use them all the time. If you have a comprehensive website, why not direct customers to it right away?

Skip the usual “type in this web address” and take the next step. Include a QR code on your business card. Sure, the potential customer could call you, but he or she could also scan in your QR code with a smartphone and checkout your website directly. This allows them to better familiarize themselves with your business and shows that you are tech-savvy.

Here are some other examples to help stimulate your creativity:

Do you make cat doors?

How about a transparent card?

Do you make or distribute cable and wire?

Are you a bakery?

A car dealer?

Do you work in 3d?

Do you work with rescue animals?

Karate or martial arts studio?

Do you sell fuels, or do you have “matchless” friends?

Are you in the film and video business?

Are you an artist?

How about a star-shaped business card?

Is your business a hair salon?

Do you own a laundromat?

Are you looking for work?

Do you sell cutting tools and blades?

Do you offer cleaning services?

Are you a radiologist?

Are you easy to work with?

Are you in the packaging and delivery business?

Do you offer coupons?

Do you want to help folks save a penny?

Are you in the car services business?

Do you work in landscaping or yard maintenance?

Are you in the aerospace business?

However unconventional you would like your business cards to be, you will find that most print companies embrace innovation and are more than happy to guide you towards making a card that calls out.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to check out these others:

How To Attract More Customers Through Business Card Etiquette
55 Business Card Designs for Your Creative Inspiration (With Tutorials)
45 Fun and Creative Examples of Print Advertising
35 Amazing Ads Created in Photoshop
25 Websites with Stunning Big Background Photos
Showcase of Creative Magazine Covers

Author: Charlton Rhodes <mmpusa@hotmail.co.uk> works for Minuteman Press, a printing company that provides high-quality printed marketing materials for a variety of businesses. More information can be found at Minuteman Press.

Presented here for your education, inspiration and enjoyment by:

Will Sherwood
CEO/Chief Creative Officer
The Sherwood Group: Graphic Design & Website Design
Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, California, USA

Professional links:
Graphic Design/Web Design | Color Printing | YouTube Introduction

Social media links:
LinkedIn | Facebook Design | Facebook Printing | Twitter

The post How To Stand Out: 35 Unique and Unusual Business Cards appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

Here are a 5 great ways to help you make LinkedIn work for your business:

1. Review the connections of existing clients. Oftentimes, you clients and customers are connected to people who are excellent prospects for your specialty. Look through their connections, and when you identify a good prospect, ask your client how well they know the prospect. If your client says, “We’re great buddies. Our kids play together.” or some such statement indicating that they are on good terms, ask them if they would send them an email recommending you. However, don’t rely on them to follow through. Ask them if they would forward an introductory email that you’ve written describing your services.

2. Use searches to reach out to new prospects. LinkedIn has a great search feature. You can find prospective clients who are connected with people that you already know. This is a great way to generate new leads. You can even restrict your search by industry or keyword. Further, you can even save your search and LinkedIn will notify you (by e-mail) when people who match your search criteria are on the network.

3. Join groups that don’t just include people in your specialty. Sure, it’s great to network with people who are like-minded, but you’re also looking for clients. Join groups of people who share your interests. Lots of them need people with your specialty, too. Also, if you have a target market, don’t neglect to join groups specific to that market.

4. Don’t oversell. This is an across-the-board piece of advice for all service-oriented professionals on social media. If you come across like too much of a salesperson, you’ll turn them off. Instead, come across as someone who wants to connect with other professionals and people who share common interests.

5. Stay active. Don’t just set up your profile and then abandon LinkedIn hoping that people will reach out to you. Believe me, they won’t come begging for you services unless you have formed a working relationship. You need to maintain an active presence on LinkedIn:

1. Make sure that you post regular status updates.
2. Share interesting ideas and blog links.
3. Comment on other people’s activity.

One of the best features about LinkedIn is that it lets you maintain visibility in front of prospective clients.

If you enjoy this article, you may also want to check out these others:

Increase Your Credibility by Increasing Your Visibility
Design Your Email Newsletters with Pizazz
Using Social Media to Position Yourself as The Go To Expert
How to Get More Business by Using a QR Code on Your Business Cards
How to Stay Out of Spam Filters AND Run a Successful Email Marketing Campaign
The Secret Source of Never-Ending Customers and Clients

This article is provided here for your business education and inspiration by:

The Sherwood Group, located in Santa Clarita, California, just outside Los Angeles, has over 30 years of experience working with the graphic design, website design, and marketing communication challenges presented by clients, small and large. Clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, through every business sector, from across the street to around the world. It’s not the size or industry that defines our clients. It’s their mindset.

Contact us by phone at 661-287-0017 or through our website so that we can help you think through your objectives and propose the best solution for your needs and your budget.

Social links (Like us on Facebook and we’ll return the favor):
LinkedIn | Facebook Graphic & Web Design | Facebook Color Printing | Twitter

Professional links:
Video Introduction | Graphic and Web Design Site | Online Printing Site

Comments: Please note that we reject all posts that are clearly leaving a comment simply to acquire a back link. Only comment if you have something of value to share with our other readers.

We’d like to know: What are you doing to increase your business using LinkedIn?

The post 5 Great Ideas To Make LinkedIn Work For Your Business appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

Business cards have long been an important way to help professionals spread the word about what they do and drum up new business to help their companies grow. These small pieces of paper are often times overlooked for their importance. However, aside from your glowing personality, your business card in many occasions serves as the first impression of who you are and what it is you do.

Now, with do-it-yourself online business card design tools, as well as your trusted neighborhood graphic designer, you have the ability make your own for very little money. As you get ready to design your next business card, here are five tips to help you do so in a way that will attract more customers and make you and your business look professional.

1.  Use your network – In your own business network, you undoubtedly have a number of colleagues and other professionals who have also given you their business card. Go through the cards you have received and consider what made one work better over the other. You may also want to talk to any design professionals in your network that can help you with their opinion and guidance on how your card should be designed.
2. Keep it straightforward – Some of the best designs are some of the most simple. When you keep your business card straightforward and clear, you make it easy for your customer to know exactly what you offer and how to get in touch with you. A simple design also lends itself to serving a deeper message which is the ease of working with you and your company.
3. Be cautious about going too far outside the box – Unless your business is one that focuses on design, art or any other out of the box product, it is a good idea to limit your business cards to the traditional size and design of 3.5 inches by 2 inches. This way, your business card will fit more snugly into the card holders many professionals carry and making it easier to find again when they are ready to contact you.
4. Carefully consider what information to put on the card – While you do not want to give too much information and make your business card look and feel overwhelming, you also do not want to give too little. Carefully consider the most important information you need to put on your cards so that people can easily contact you in a number of ways, see what you do, and find your name and position quickly.
5. Leave blank space for notes – Many professionals like to write down their own personal notes about you and your company somewhere on the business card when they receive it. This is best done in a blank space. Therefore, proper business card etiquette includes leaving some blank space somewhere on the card. While most people leave a blank space on the back, you can put yours anywhere you wish. By providing a blank area for notes you will give your recipient an easy way to track you and your business.

As you get started creating your own do-it-yourself business cards, use these tips to create ones that will be well received by the person you are networking with. This will help you to earn more customers and create longer lasting relationships, regardless of where you are or what you are doing.

About the Author: Patrick Del Rosario is a Filipino business and finance blogger. He works as a business ninja at Open Colleges, one of the pioneers of Online education in Australia and one of the leading providers of diploma of management and small business courses. Aside from blogging and being a business ninja, Patrick is an aspiring photographer. If you want to feature his writing on your site, connect with him at Google+ or drop a line at patrick (at) oc.edu.au.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to check out these others:

55 Business Card Designs for Your Creative Inspiration (With Tutorials)
45 Fun and Creative Examples of Print Advertising
35 Amazing Ads Created in Photoshop
25 Websites with Stunning Big Background Photos
Showcase of Creative Magazine Covers

Presented here for your education, inspiration and enjoyment by:

Will Sherwood
CEO/Chief Creative Officer
The Sherwood Group: Graphic Design & Website Design
Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, California, USA

Professional links:
Graphic Design/Web Design | Color Printing | YouTube Introduction

Social media links:
LinkedIn | Facebook Design | Facebook Printing | Twitter

The post How To Attract More Customers Through Business Card Etiquette appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

A common mistake people make, especially if they’re new to business, is to charge an hourly rate that is the same as, or close to what they previously made as an employee. They forget to consider overhead time and expenses they have as business owners that they didn’t have as employees. In the process they confuse the market as to the real cost of professional services.

Cameron Foote of Creative Business Magazine has said that any freelancer or firm (in the United States) that charges less than $100.00 per hour will either be out of business within a year, or will have to rely on other sources of income (like a spouse’s) to survive. He goes on to state that folks should multiply the hourly rate they hope to end up with by 4 to 5 times.

Here’s how this works:

If you want to end up with $50,000 per year ($25.00/hour x 2,000 work hours in a year), you’ll need to multiply the $25.00/hour times 4 or 5 = $100.00/hour or $125.00/hour for the billing rate.

In other words:

Employee minded Bob sets his rate at $20.00/hour, thinking that he’ll earn $40,000.00. However, at the end of the year his income averaged $4 to $5 an hour after expenses and overhead. He wonders how anyone stays in business.

However, business savvy Linda charges $125.00/hour in the hope that she’ll end up the year with around $50,000.00 in income. And as a result, at the end of the year her income has averaged $25 to $30 an hour. She’s happy she went out on her own.

Bottom line: Most people forget that their employer paid for much of their down time, vacations, and overhead expenses. The money needed to cover overhead time and expenses must be included in any hourly rate or flat fee you charge. Otherwise, you won’t be charging enough for your service, and you won’t be in business very long.

Take-away #1: You can’t charge for the following items when setting your hourly rate. It’s these items that need to be accommodated in the 4x to 5x multiplier:

Non-billable time (up to 50% of your time):

• Marketing and sales
• Promotional materials
• Vacations
• Sick days
• Down time
• Administrative time and personnel
• Chores

Non-billable overhead expenses:

• Licenses
• Insurance
• Office space
• Vehicles and fuel
• Computers and software

Take-away #2: To succeed, you’ll need to strive for a minimum of 50% billable time.

Bonus Take-away: To succeed, you need to invest 20 to 25% of your time in sales and marketing. (You probably hate hearing this, but it’s true, and I know it from experience.) Also, if you have 4 to 5 employees, you’ll want to have a full time sales person.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to check out these others:

7 Secrets to Doubling Your Efficiency
8 Secrets to Being Awesome at Everything
The Power of Telling Stories and Anecdotes in Presentations
Increase Your Credibility by Increasing Your Visibility
Using Social Media to Position Yourself as The Go To Expert

This article is provided here for your business education and inspiration by:

The Sherwood Group, located in Santa Clarita, California, just outside Los Angeles, has over 30 years of experience working with the graphic design, website design, and marketing communication challenges presented by clients, small and large. Clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, through every business sector, from across the street to around the world.

We help our clients to double and triple their business. Contact us by phone at 661-287-0017 or through our website so that we can help you think through your objectives and propose the best solution for your needs and your budget.

Social links (Like us on Facebook and we’ll return the favor):
LinkedIn | Facebook Graphic & Web Design | Facebook Color Printing | Twitter

Professional links:
Video Introduction | Graphic and Web Design Site | Online Printing Site

Comments: Note that we reject all posts that are clearly leaving a comment simply to acquire a back link. Please comment only if you have something of value to share with our other readers.

We’d like to know: Which of the thoughts described in this article did you find most helpful?

The post Are You Charging Enough for Your Time? appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

Like the others that I’ve shared on this blog, this collection will hopefully help you get your creative juices flowing. BTW, these come from Richard Solomon, and “No” he didn’t pay me to post these. Instead, I’ve chosen to share what I feel to be the work of some very talented artists and illustrators. Hope you enjoy these as much as I did:

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

C.F. Payne
“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.”
– Roald Dahl

Mark Summers
“Whoever wants to understand much must play much.”
– Gottfried Benn

Ted Wright
“When he worked, he really worked. But when he played, he really PLAYED.”
– Dr. Seuss

Goni Montes
“Play hard. Play, play, play like your life depends on it. Because it does.”
- Dean Koontz

Paul Cox
“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play.”
– Charles Schaefer

Niklas Asker
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.”
– Carl Jung

Rudy Gutierrez
“In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.”
– Lev Vygotsky

Tran Nguyen
“A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.”
– Benjamin Spock

Dongyun Lee
“Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

Guy Stauber
“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”
– Fred Rogers

Michal Dziekan
“The child amidst his baubles is learning the action of light, motion, gravity, muscular force…”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

James Bennett
“Play is training for the unexpected.”
– Marc Bekoff

David Johnson
“The debt we owe to the play of the imagination is incalculable.”
- Carl Jung

Gregory Manchess
“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”
– Khalil Gibran

John Mattos
“My childhood may be over, but that doesn’t mean playtime is.”
– Ron Olson

Tim Bower
“Play has been man’s most useful preoccupation.”
– Frank Caplan

Douglas Smith
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”
– Plato

Maria Corte Maidagan
“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bill Sanderson
“Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father.”
– Roger von Oech

Murray Kimber
“Life must be lived as play.”
– Plato

Eric Drooker
“Do not…keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.”
– Plato

If you enjoy this post, you may also want to check out these others:

Man’s Best Friend: for Your Creative Inspiration
The 7 Deadly Sins: for Your Creative Inspiration
35 Amazing Ads Created in Photoshop
34 Excellent Print Ads for Your Creative Inspiration
40 Creative Brochure Designs For Your Inspiration
20 Awesome Album Cover Designs
30 Creative Examples of Poster Designs Using Typography

This article is posted here for your education, inspiration and enjoyment by:

Will Sherwood
CEO/Chief Creative Officer
The Sherwood Group | Creative Agency | Graphic Design | Website Design
Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, California, USA

Professional links:
Graphic Design/Web Design | Color Printing

Social media links:
LinkedIn | Facebook Design | Facebook Printing | Twitter

Comments: Note that we reject all posts that are clearly leaving a comment simply to acquire a back link. Please comment only if you have something of value to share with our other readers.

The post 31 Illustrations to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

1) What gets measured gets managed. Until you track how productive you are, you’ll never know where your time is going. How much time is spent on projects? How much time is spent on emails? There are many excellent time and billing programs available that can help you  track your time.

2) Turn off your computer monitor when you’re not using it. Often just having it on can be enough of a distraction to play solitaire or check your Facebook updates.

3) Know yourself and your limits. If you push yourself too hard, for too long, your productivity will actually diminish. So take a break every 45 minutes or so and do a few stretches. Taking a few minutes to decompress will actually increase your productivity and you’ll feel better too.

4) Stop randomly checking email and social media sites. It’s far too easy to talk ourselves into believing that it only takes a few seconds here and there. The truth of the matter is that starting and stopping the flow of your day will drill holes in your efficiency, resulting in a massive draw on your time and continual damage to your focus. Schedule a few specific slots of time during the day to read and answer emails or check your Twitter and Facebook accounts.

5) Without a map, you’ll never arrive where you want go. Starting into your day intending to simply “wing-it” and you’ll actually wind up wandering aimlessly through your day, losing time. Set goals, make a schedule, and have a plan for your day the night before. The small amount of time that it takes to organize your day the evening before will be more than paid for in the time you’ll save. If you wait for the right “mood” to strike before tackling a project, you may be waiting a long time. Ray Bradbury once said, “You can’t try to do things, you must simply do them.” Harness the power of habit by designing an effective daily routine and schedule.

6) Limit interruptions. There seems to be no end to those who are more than happy to interrupt you, so don’t give them the chance. Identify the tasks in your day that require focused attention. Inform others that you’re off limits by hanging a sign or sending an email. And, silence your cell phone, that’s what voicemail is for.

7) Silent procrastination is a killer. Anybody can spot the obvious forms of procrastination, like playing solitaire or checking your Facebook or LinkedIn updates. What we’re talking about here is taking up time with “busy-work”, those basically non-essential tasks, and put off doing the higher priority projects on your list. Use a task reminder or alarm function on your phone or email. Enlist someone who can hold you responsible, someone you can check in with and help keep you on track.

By treating time as the valuable resource that it is, you can be more effective throughout your day, and you will also ensure that you achieve your goals. There may still only be 24 hours in every day, but keep in mind that it is possible to get more done and double your effectiveness!

If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to check out these others:

8 Secrets to Being Awesome at Everything
The Power of Telling Stories and Anecdotes in Presentations
Increase Your Credibility by Increasing Your Visibility
Using Social Media to Position Yourself as The Go To Expert
How to Successfully Localize Your Business
How To Increase Your Google Search Results Using YouTube.

This article is provided here for your business education and inspiration by:

The Sherwood Group, located in Santa Clarita, California, just outside Los Angeles, has over 30 years of experience working with the graphic design, website design, and marketing communication challenges presented by clients, small and large. Clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, through every business sector, from across the street to around the world.

We help our clients to double and triple their business. Contact us by phone at 661-287-0017 or through our website so that we can help you think through your objectives and propose the best solution for your needs and your budget.

Social links (Like us on Facebook and we’ll return the favor):
LinkedIn | Facebook Graphic & Web Design | Facebook Color Printing | Twitter

Professional links:
Video Introduction | Graphic and Web Design Site | Online Printing Site

Comments: Note that we reject all posts that are clearly leaving a comment simply to acquire a back link. Please comment only if you have something of value to share with our other readers.

We’d like to know: Which of the secrets described in this article did you find most helpful?

The post 7 Secrets to Doubling Your Efficiency appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

Whether it’s in the areas of technology, finances, or relationships, some people seem to be able to make the most of whatever resources are available to them. The greatest thing about their achievements, is that they can be replicated. That said, here are the 10 secrets to being awesome at everything.

1. Focus on your strengths. Most of us tend to spend most of our time trying to shore up our weaknesses instead of focusing on our strengths and relying on others who are strong in our weak areas to help us balance our lives. According to Tim Rath in his book StrengthsFinder 2.0 you can expect these key takeaways from his book:

• Your talents are enduring and unique.
• Your greatest potential for growth is in the area of your greatest strength.
• As an organization or as an individual you can reach your maximum potential only by using your individual strengths.
• It’s easy to match your strengths to your roles at work, home and in the community.
• You’ll always enjoy what you are doing when you use your true talents and strengths.

2. Do what inspires you. Mark Twain once said, “The key to success is to make your vocation your vacation.” When you’re engrossed in something, anything, that you’re passionate about, your excitement not only impels you on to further heights and successes, but also spreads to others. This attitude will also help you to endure when you meet with challenges.

3. People are your greatest asset. I once heard that we become the average of the 5 people we hang out with. By keeping company with many different types of people, especially those who are more successful that you, you increase your opportunities and expand your horizons. Whether through networking or simply providing you with opportunities to improve your communication, connecting with people is a resource you can’t afford to be without. Besides, what good is success at anything if you can’t share it with someone?

4. Don’t get bogged down in the details. You don’t have to be an expert at something to use it. For example, how many of us could easily describe the scientific principles and actions involved in electricity? Not likely too many of us. On the other hand, we’re all likely comfortable with flipping a light switch to turn on the light, aren’t we? Learn what you need to learn in order to accomplish your specific goal.

5. Patience may be a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing! We see it on t-shirts and company slogans everywhere. Never give up!  The story is told of how Tomas Edison tried about 2 thousand times before he successfully invented an effective incandescent bulb. However, with each failure, he claimed that he had successfully found another way that didn’t work. There are no failures, only learning opportunities. Keep adjusting your actions until you obtain the results you desire.

6. Focus your attention. Imagine a giant piece of chocolate cake sitting in front of you, simply begging to be eaten. That thick, sugary frosting is tempting you beyond what you can bear. Now imagine taking the time to eat the cake first, leaving the frosting for the last (I can hear the 10 year old within you gasping in disbelief!). This illustration translates into doing the hardest or most challenging part of your work first. In other words, avoiding procrastination, which has the power to stop any endeavor dead in its tracks.

7. Prioritize your “to do” list. If you are new to time management or have a system that has overwhelmed you, drop back to the basics and and follow this simple system given to steel magnate, Charles Schwab by business consultant, Ivy Lee. In his system, Lee gave Schwab a blank sheet of paper and told him to:

• List the six most important things you have to do tomorrow.
• Number them in order of importance from #1 to #6.
• Tomorrow morning – start with #1 and stay with it until completed
• Only when #1 is complete may you go to #2. Repeat this process until the end of day. If you don’t finish your list, the remaining items probably weren’t that important anyway – with this in mind, you’ll know when to say no to a new task or give it to someone else.

8. Copy from the best. If anybody has created the results that you desire, find out how they did it. Save yourself from having to re-invent the wheel, so to speak. How someone accomplishes a specific task is actually the result of a number of factors, so take all of them into consideration, such as their beliefs, values, and what they actually did physically. This will also save you time, which is the one thing that no one can create more of.

9. Maintain a positive attitude. As Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker and trainer, once said, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” There are no failures, only learning opportunities. If the results you achieve aren’t what you’re aiming for, remember that it’s just a another chance to get it right. Keep adjusting your actions until you get the results that you do want.

10. Stay flexible. In today’s world, when everything is in flux and change, flexibility has become both the means to survival, and the secret of success. So, repeat after me, “We are ALL so very flexible.” <g>

We all yearn to achieve great results in all areas of our lives, from personal relationships to leading the market in our businesses. By implementing these few simple strategies consistently, you too can realize the level of excellence you want. Indeed, you can be awesome at everything!

If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to check out these others:

The Power of Telling Stories and Anecdotes in Presentations
Increase Your Credibility by Increasing Your Visibility
Using Social Media to Position Yourself as The Go To Expert
How to Successfully Localize Your Business
How To Increase Your Google Search Results Using YouTube.

This article is provided here for your business education and inspiration by:

The Sherwood Group, located in Santa Clarita, California, just outside Los Angeles, has over 30 years of experience working with the graphic design, website design, and marketing communication challenges presented by clients, small and large. Clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, through every business sector, from across the street to around the world.

We help our clients to double and triple their business. Contact us by phone at 661-287-0017 or through our website so that we can help you think through your objectives and propose the best solution for your needs and your budget.

Social links (Like us on Facebook and we’ll return the favor):
LinkedIn | Facebook Graphic & Web Design | Facebook Color Printing | Twitter

Professional links:
Video Introduction | Graphic and Web Design Site | Online Printing Site

Comments: Please note that we reject all posts that are clearly leaving a comment simply to acquire a back link. Only comment if you have something of value to share with our other readers.

We’d like to know: Which of the secrets described in this article did you find most helpful?

The post 10 Secrets To Being Awesome At Everything appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

In this case, it’s one of the wonderful themed collections (not sponsored) from Richard Soloman. Note the clever use of quotations from people known and anonymous, all on the theme of “Man’s Best Friend.” I hope you enjoy perusing these images and their accompanying quotes as much as me! They were all posted here in the hopes that you’ll find as much creative inspiration as we, at The Sherwood Group, did:

Ted Wright
“Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend.”
- Corey Ford

James Bennett
“Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children.”
- William Penn

Chris Gall
“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn’t a dog.”
– Charles M. Schulz

Tim Bower
“You may have a dog that won’t sit up, roll over or even cook breakfast, not because she’s too stupid to learn how but because she’s too smart to bother.”
– Rick Horowitz

Mark Summers
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
– Mark Twain

Rudy Gutierrez
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
– Josh Billings

C.F. Payne
“From the dog’s point of view, his master is an elongated and abnormally cunning dog.”
– Mabel Louise Robinson

Gregory Manchess
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.”
– Milan Kundera

Gary Kelley
“The greatest love is a mother’s; then a dog’s; then a sweetheart’s.”
– Polish Proverb

Bill Sanderson
“A cat sees us as the dogs…A cat sees himself as the human.”
– Unknown

Kinuko Y. Craft
“The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic.”
– Henry Ward

Niklas Asker
“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.”
– Ben Williams

Ricardo Martinez
“Acquiring a dog, may be the only time a person gets to choose a relative.”
– Unknown

Murray Kimber
“Every dog must have his day.”
– Jonathan Swift

Patrick Arrasmith
“If dogs could talk it would take a lot of the fun out of owning one.”
- Andy Rooney

Goni Montes
“In nine lifetimes, you’ll never know as much about your cat as your cat knows about you.”
– Michel de Montaigne

Eric Drooker
“Even the tiniest poodle is lionhearted, ready to do anything to defend home, master, and mistress.”
– Louis Sabin

Maria Corte Maidagan
“I care not much for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.”
– Abraham Lincoln

Tyler Jacobson
“Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.”
– Alexander Pope

Paul Cox
“I wish all men were like dogs.”
– Halle Berry

Douglas Smith
“It’s no coincidence that man’s best friend cannot talk.”
– Anonymous

Thomas Ehretsmann
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
– Roger Caras

If you enjoy this post, you may also want to check out these others:

“The 7 Deadly Sins” for Your Creative Inspiration
35 Amazing Ads Created in Photoshop
34 Excellent Print Ads for Your Creative Inspiration
40 Creative Brochure Designs For Your Inspiration
20 Awesome Album Cover Designs
30 Creative Examples of Poster Designs Using Typography

This article is posted here for your education, inspiration and enjoyment by:

Will Sherwood
CEO/Chief Creative Officer
The Sherwood Group | Creative Agency | Graphic Design | Website Design
Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, California, USA

Professional links:
Graphic Design/Web Design | Color Printing | YouTube Introduction

Social media links:
LinkedIn | Facebook Design | Facebook Printing | Twitter

Comments: Please note that we reject all posts that are clearly leaving a comment simply to acquire a back link. Only comment if you have something of value to share with our other readers.

The post “Man’s Best Friend” for Your Creative Inspiration appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

Your choice, of course, depends on whether you want to inspire and engage your audience as you inform them, or whether you want to just give them the information and be done with it. If you want to give a presentation that will be remembered, it’s best to choose the stories and anecdotes to illustrate your points.

Why is that? Why do anecdotes and stories make a presentation easier to remember? According to Nick Morgan, a nationally-known communication theorist who blogs at Forbes Magazine, it’s because the brain processes stories completely differently than straightforward facts. Stories are processed in an area of the brain where one’s emotions and memory work together to preserve information. Straightforward facts, on the other hand, are stored in an area where emotional connections are not made and things are forgotten fairly easily. In other words, engage someone’s emotions and they’re more likely to remember what you tell them.

Okay. You’ve got a presentation, and you want it to be memorable so you’re going to tell a story. What now? According to Mr. Morgan, there are five kinds of stories you can choose from that will automatically forge a connection between you and your audience. Using one of them will almost guarantee success.

1. The Quest – This is the story where something must be conquered. It’s not an easy process. Strength and determination are going to be stretched to the limit and beyond. It can encourage the audience to persevere and keep going, striving for the success that waits just down the road.
2. The Stranger in a Strange Land – This story sees everything turned upside down and our hero learning how to cope with a new reality. It can encourage the audience to master new conditions and learn to thrive again, even though the world around them has been turned upside down.
3. From Rags to Riches – This story is about the hero making something of himself. He starts from humble beginnings and is “king of the mountain” by the end. It can inspire the audience and give them hope that they too can be kings one day.
4. The Love Story – This story is about falling in love, losing your way, then finding each other again. It can provide a good analogy to help your audience understand the ups and downs of a merger or partnership and help them adjust to the bumps that are sure to occur along the way.
5. A Tale of Revenge – This story is about settling a score and making things right – getting justice for the wronged. It can provide a rallying point for the troops in the face of competition and keep them fighting till the bitter end.

So what kind of story should you choose for your presentation? That depends on what your goal is. If it’s simply to present the attributes of a product, something simple like a real-life example of it being just the right tool for a job might suffice. If it’s to provide motivation for a complicated situation, one of the above story types might be more appropriate. Whatever the situation, just remember your goal: To entertain, engage, inspire and inform your audience – in other words, to connect with them and engage their emotions. That’s when your information will be remembered.

If you enjoy this article, you may also want to check out these others:

Increase Your Credibility by Increasing Your Visibility
Using Social Media to Position Yourself as The Go To Expert
How to Successfully Localize Your Business
How To Increase Your Google Search Results Using YouTube.

This article is provided here for your business education and inspiration by:

The Sherwood Group, located in Santa Clarita, California, just outside Los Angeles, has over 30 years of experience working with the graphic design, website design, and marketing communication challenges presented by clients, small and large. Clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, through every business sector, from across the street to around the world. It’s not the size or industry that defines our clients. It’s their mindset.

Contact us by phone at 661-287-0017 or through our website so that we can help you think through your objectives and propose the best solution for your needs and your budget.

Social links (Like us on Facebook and we’ll return the favor):
LinkedIn | Facebook Graphic & Web Design | Facebook Color Printing | Twitter

Professional links:
Video Introduction | Graphic and Web Design Site | Online Printing Site

Comments: Please note that we reject all posts that are clearly leaving a comment simply to acquire a back link. Only comment if you have something of value to share with our other readers.

We’d like to know: Do you use stories to bring your presentations to life?

The post The Power of Telling Stories and Anecdotes in Presentations appeared first on The Sherwood Group.

One of the best features of Facebook Promotions isn’t a single feature per se but rather the option to put a wide range of apps on your page. With the right third-party software and a little creativity, you can easily create an attractive, enticing promotion to increase your fan base and to boost your brand’s profile.

But there are some factors you should be aware of before creating a promotion. Unless your Internet marketing game is great all around, able to attract a large base, then even the best promotions aren’t going to have the effect you’re hoping for. It’s a numbers game in part that you should privy to.

Understanding the Numbers Game

The brands on Facebook that do the best with their promotions usually already have established fan bases and have an ample number of  followers. The more fans a brand has, the more likely it is that a great coupon from a promotion will be shared with members of their network. So to that end, the numbers do play a large role. However, even smaller brands can have ample success as long as they put the time and effort into actually getting things right.

A proper promotion is a process. You can’t simply throw an app together sloppily offering a few percentage points off and hope to attract business. And that’s not even dealing with the fact that Facebook has a lot of rules out there that need to be adhered to.

Running a winning promotion requires:

1. Reading, understanding and following Facebook’s promotional guidelines
2. Selecting the right third-party software to create the application
3. Targeting customers through a promotion with the same detail they’re targeted for products; i.e. catering to a niche’s need with a solution
4. Creating an offer that’s enticing enough to not only get those likely to be interested to click-through and participate in the promotion, but also making it enticing enough to share
5. Keeping your promotions sporadic and exclusive in order to give a true “sale” feeling to your company
6. Ensuring that the promotion you’re running is very representative of your brand

When it comes to promotions, you can select from simple discounts and coupons, prizes and sweepstakes, or you can even hold trivia contests, photo and video-based contests, and much more. It all depends on how creative you are.

You just cannot expect a promotion to be that miracle conversion-inducing step. You have to remain realistic; and realistically speaking, you should be able to see a spike in conversions if you’re offering an enticing promotion that meets the needs of your fan base. You should also see your numbers grow slowly as more people start to share your promotions with others. It will help build trust and engagement with your brand.

Why Brands Should Choose Facebook

So out of every social network you could choose from, why choose Facebook? Is it only because of the promotions you’ll be able to host from the site? Well, that’s certainly one of the reasons, but it’s far from the only reason to focus on this social networking giant.

You have to understand that Facebook is far and away the biggest and most popular social media site out there: a billion users, and they’re growing more every single day. The site also offers a mobile version of Facebook, which is great for your marketing efforts.

Facebook can act as the hub for all social media for your brand. By advertising on Facebook, you can post a wide range of promotional material, you can interweave your entire Internet presence, and compared to traditional advertising methods, social media marketing is a very low-cost way to get your message out there.

Even if you only wanted to use Facebook to hold promotions, it would still be worth it. But with so many great features on the site, you can build up a thorough following and leverage promotions in order to up your conversion rates significantly.

Author’s bio:

Eric Taylor works as a freelance writer and business developer for a Facebook ad tool – Qwaya. The company’s goal it to provide extensive information, tools and up-to-date news about social media marketing strategies, most specifically in Facebook. (BTW, The Sherwood Group posted this article because it offers good information and ideas for the business community, not because we were paid to include it.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to check out these others:

6 Ways To Assure That Your Website Is Getting New Business
How To Keep Your Website Customers Coming Back
Increase Your Credibility by Increasing Your Visibility
Using Social Media to Position Yourself as The Go To Expert

This article is provided here for your business education and inspiration by:

The Sherwood Group, located in Santa Clarita, California, just outside Los Angeles, has over 30 years of experience working with the graphic design, website design, and marketing communication challenges presented by clients, small and large. Clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, through every business sector, from across the street to around the world. It’s not the size or industry that defines our clients. It’s their mindset and the value they place on great creativity.

Contact us by phone at 661-287-0017 or through our website. We can help you think through your objectives and propose the best solution for your needs and your budget.

Social links (Like us on Facebook and we’ll return the favor):
LinkedIn | Facebook Graphic & Web Design | Facebook Color Printing | Twitter

Professional links:
Video Introduction | Graphic and Web Design Site | Online Printing Site

Comments: Please note that we reject all posts that are clearly leaving a comment simply to acquire a back link. Only comment if you have something of value to share with our other readers.

The post The Truth about Facebook Promotions appeared first on The Sherwood Group.