some social networking advice for small business owners fresh inspiration from unexpected places, like vintage merchandise and kids’ portraits how a recent trip to Minnesota yielded some great portraits for Candy’s college roommate marketing tip for avoiding 7 mistakes business owners make and a funny photo just for fun
A monthly newsletter of marketing ideas, photos, and fun.
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THE REVIEW candyrice design
entrepreneurs why this is a good time to be one!
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This may seem counter-intuitive, but think about this: when the economy is down, there are usually great commercial spaces to be had for much less money than when the economy is booming as well as a greater pool of discounted labor (which translates into lower overhead, which translates into great business-building opportunities). Despite the contracted economy, this is a great time to be an entrepreneur and small business owner. Lots of great businesses were begun in recessions, such as Google, Disney, Microsoft, and 16 of the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial average. One of my favorite quotes is from the late great Peter Drucker, one of our country’s
great business gurus: “The only two legitimate functions of business are marketing and innovation. The rest are expense.” This was as true in the mid-20th century when he said it as it is now. There are several ways for entrepreneurs to maximize a down economy, whether through startup companies or pre-existing businesses. Each of the four ways I’m going to talk about is a standard rule of business appropriate for any economic scenario, but especially so these days.
1. Marketing. Entrepreneurs aren’t confined to mailing postcards or sending emails. Marketing activities like networking, asking existing clients for referrals, getting involved in social networking, and finding unique ways to get the word out about your business or service allow business owners to not only survive, but THRIVE during a down economy. Want more? Read the entire article at candyrice.com/pdf/entrepreneurs.pdf
entrepreneurs
why this is a good time to be one!
my fresh inspiration
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cover: Patriotic birdhouse, Old Glory Antiques, Colorado :: all photos by candy rice :: 1 : hindt family portrait :: 2 : old glory antiques :: 3 : mannequin at old glory country fair :: 4 : lydia :: 5 : sami :: 6 : old glory antiques :: 7 : old glory antiques
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We spent a long weekend in my home state of Minnesota late in June and had a great time creating some portraits for Dee and her family. Dee, my college roommate, and her gorgeous blonde family was so much fun to photograph. In addition, we did a couple impromptu family portraits. The Hindt girls have been homeschooled, and we knew Dee wanted to have portraits to commemorate this school year. The girls, ranging in age from 5 to 13, are each quite unique, and so we asked them to bring their favorite outfits to be photographed in. We hadn’t done any portraits in Minneapolis prior to this, so we scouted out locations via Facebook suggestions from friends who live there. Minnehaha Falls park kept coming up, and when we arrived and saw the lush, green park and the variety of great backdrops, including an historic house with a white picket fence and the old Minnehaha Depot, we knew we had found a great place for these portraits!
Featured project
As is usual when we photograph our clients, we worked hard to capture each one’s personality. We also made sure that everyone had a memorable experience!
Client: Dee Hindt The Hindt Family, Minnesota
The Hindts were a treat to work with, and we are excited to continue photographing this lovely family as the years go by!
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Solutions Provided: • Photography Services
marketing tip
7 Dumb Small Business Mistakes (That You Can’t Afford)
A blog post from Remarkable Communication by Sonia Simone. Get full post at http://www.remarkablecommunication.com/7-small-business-mistakes/ Navigate around these small business potholes. Small businesses are
fabulous, but let’s face it, everyone does dumb stuff sometimes. Here are 7 mistakes that you can’t afford to make, especially now. And just for fun, you also get a post about the dumb mistakes big companies make, too.
Wonderbra ad, seen on hongkiat.com.
#1: Deciding You’re “Just Not Good” at Marketing “I have the best handknitted dog sweaters/ organic tattoo parlor/ gourmet hair products in the city. I’m getting some clients here and there, but you know, I’m just not good at marketing . . . ” #2: Going Without a Business Plan “Ugh, crap, business plan. Can’t I just stab my eye with a fork and we’ll call it good?”
We love puzzles, cartoons, and funny photos. Watch this section each month for something new to do or laugh at.
303.947.5527 www.candyrice.com : candy@candyrice.com 11823 ridge pkwy #821 | broomfield, co 80021
#3: Getting Upside-Down He’s fired everyone and moved back to his basement. If he works incredibly hard, he might someday sell the business and come close to breaking even. #4: Thinking It’s About You His prospects and customers were just incredibly inconvenient to his vision of what the company ought to be. #5: The Worst Number If there’s an important “one” in your business, you don’t have a business. You have a project that may or may not continue to make money. #6: Ingratitude Even in the midst of all this financial panic and freefall, there is a nice big pot of delicious money sitting on the table for you. #7: Following the Herd Monkey see, monkey do. But humans are a lot better at that game than monkeys are.