You work hard getting the right cover message and words for your brochure. Now, you want to give it a look, an image.

Why a look? Most consultants see themselves as hard working and pragmatic. They believe the look of their materials is unimportant. After-all, clients are hiring expertise not looks, right? Not so!

People buy people first, ideas second and things third. Your brochure represents you. It is you when you’re not around.

What sort of image do you want to convey? Would you visit a prospect wearing a cheap, out-of-date suit, looking sad and second-class? Unlikely. However, many people do just that, when they use low-quality, poorly designed brochures. Your brochure represents you when you are not there. Make sure it is dressed in the fashion and quality you would use for yourself. Before you run out and find yourself a tailor or take up sewing, you should first look at your competition’s material and other’s material. Collect brochures that strike you as effective, and those that are poor. Think of it as fingering through GQ or Vogue looking for a new outfit. Figure out what makes the good brochures work and where the bad brochures fail. What kind of attitude do they portray?

Then try to come up with something that combines some of the elements from successful designs. But, be careful, don’t create a zoot suit. And, make sure it fits. Look at the layout of your page–is it a dense wall of words? Don’t make your prospects work to find out what they need to know–because, bet on it, they won’t. Lay your information out in bite-sized pieces, with revealing headings, to help your reader grasp the main message. These are like the accessories you wear. Small signals that give the viewer an indication of what you are like and what you do. Be it a Rolex or a mood ring.

Two important, but often unrecognized, problems with brochures are poor grammar and poor typography. You might as well wear brown shoes with a blue suit. Your audience may not know what is amiss with your materials, but they’ll be disturbed. Use high-quality, and appropriate, visuals (colours, graphics, etc.) to illuminate and support your message. If you use clip art, choose it carefully. Use the same style and quality of art throughout your brochure. And, make sure it relates to what it is illustrating. That is, make sure your tie matches your suit. Poor visuals will only get in the way and muddle your message.

You don’t have to dress like a Bay Street lawyer, and your brochure doesn’t have to be glossy. Dressing comfortably, yet appropriately, is the key and the same holds true for designing a brochure. You wouldn’t wear black tie to a picnic, so why design a brochure that’s black tie when your target is chips and dip. Or vice versa.

The bottom line: a poor brochure, like an cheap outfit, will damage you more than it will help; it’s a waste of time and money, while a good brochure is your company’s representative, a reflection of you.

Keith Thirgood, Creative Director

Capstone Communications Group

Helping businesses get more business through innovative marketing

http://www.capstonecomm.com/

Markham, Ontario, Canada 905-472-2330

Subscribe to Thrive-on-line http://list.capstonecomm.com/mail.cgi?f=list&l=thrive_on_line

How many times have you heard of seen advertising for a graphic design company that states that they do branding?

If you think branding is a logo, letterhead, or web design with all the same look, and colours, then it’s true…they can "do branding".

Let’s take a look at one of the world’s best-branded companies, McDonalds. You may not like the food, but if someone says "golden arches" you know what institution they are talking about. Mickey D, McCoffee and Big Mac all bring the same familiar name to mind. You each may have a different reaction to the thought of eating there, but any one of the many product names will trigger the bigger picture.

Think about the things you know from each of your McDonalds experiences: You know they have salty fries, the food is fast, and there is a system to everything they do. The staff often says the same things to you. You can get the same core menu items all over the world. If you take the time to think about it, you can up with a huge list of features you can count on at McDonalds.

Doesn’t that make the term "branding" when applied to logo, look and colour seem a bit of a misnomer?

We know that the concept was born in a single location in small town America. How do you think that McDonalds developed their brand? You can get the book and read all about it, but you don’t have to do that to figure out how to build your own brand.

There is no secret. It’s all about organizational culture. Brand is the personality your business has developed through your leadership and the systems you put in place. It’s having a customer know that each time they go into your business, they will be treated the same way they were last time they were there. They will see some of the same products. The staff will say hello just like they always do. The business will have the same policies and procedures…in other words…a customer can count on you to be who you were during their last experience.

No one else can create a brand for you, …unless you hired a CEO to run the business, set the parameters and standards, and writes the operational procedure manuals. Many businesses start small, with the owner doing most of the work…that’s the time to write the procedure manuals, when the person with the vision is actually doing the work and can see what works best to achieve their pre-defined results. If everyone ran their business like a well-run franchise, there would be fewer business failures and many more strong brands..

Having a strong brand means that everyone who works in your business has a clear picture of why they are there. The business could run without you, because everyone would know what they were supposed to do and how they were to treat co-workers and customers alike.

Decide who you are as a business and be the best you can be at it every day. Write down the things that you do. Decide what your goals are. Share it with your employees…and you will create a brand.

Oh… and don’t forget…you need a logo, letterhead and a web site that all convey the same message….but they are not the brand….YOU ARE!

Nancy Fraser - Nota Bene Consulting Results Driven Advertising and Marketing www.notable-marketing.com

You are free to use material from the Notable News in whole or in part, please include credits, including live web site link. Please also notify us where the material will appear.

"What does Tresaca mean?"

"How did your mother come up with that name?"

"How did you come up with Black Unicorn Communications?"

"What does Black Unicorn mean?"

I have been asked these questions countless times in my life.

The only choice I had regarding the selection of my first name was choosing the pronunciation of it. I eventually realized that the meaning of my name was up to me, and that it was much more than just a name.

It was a part of me and I was much more than a name. My name could mean whatever I wanted it to mean, and like me there were no limits when it came to defining it.

When it came to creating a name for my business, I did so with the knowledge that it was much more than just a name. It was also the beginning of creating the essence of what the name really means and what I wanted it to mean.

What is the difference between your name and the name of your business?

When it comes to your name, what matters most is what your name means to YOU.

When it comes to your business, what matters most is what your business name means to YOUR TARGET MARKET.

When your prospects see or hear your business name, you want them to immediately associate that name with positive feelings.

You want your business name to evoke a sense of trust, respect, and loyalty.

As your business name becomes more familiar to your target market, you want them to think about what your business name really means to them.

When it comes to the name game, make sure your prospects can answer the following questions about your business when they see or hear your business name:

1. What is the essence of your business?

2. What adjectives describe your business?

3. What is your business mission statement?

4. What does your business stand for?

5. How can your business be of service to them?

6. Why should they choose your business to solve their problems instead of your competitors?

Your business is much more than just a name, so make sure your target market really knows what your business name means.

Make sure it means the same thing to them that it does to you.

When your target market truly understands the meaning of your business and how it can help solve their problems, they will really know the true essence of your business.

And that is what matters most.

Copyright 2004 Black Unicorn Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tresaca Hamilton is the CEO of Black Unicorn Communications and specializes in providing Empowered Marketing Solutions to JumpStart Small Businesses

Visit: http://www.blackunicorninc.com to JumpStart Your Business NOW and receive a FREE JumpStart Your Business Toolkit

One of fiction’s finest marketing minds, The Cheshire Cat, once told Alice in Wonderland something all business owners and marketers should remember:

"If you don’t care where you are going, it doesn’t make a difference which path you take."

For businesses bent upon success, it does matter which path you take. A positioning statement helps you chart your path to success because it lets all your audiences - internal and external - know where your organization stands in the battle for your consumers’ minds.

Positioning: What Is It?

You should not confuse a positioning statement with your market position. As Harry Beckwith states in his book Selling the Invisible, "A position is a cold-hearted, no-nonsense statement of how you are perceived in the minds of your prospects. A positioning statement, by contrast expresses how you wish to be perceived. It is the core message you want to deliver in every medium."

Your positioning statement will be found where three items intersect:

- your business acumen/aspirations
- your market
- what truly differentiates you

Of the three, it is your market which holds the key to your positioning. That doesn’t mean that your acumen and aspirations are irrelevant. You must have a clear understanding and shared agreement on these at the management level in order to develop an effective positioning statement.

My approach to developing an effective positioning statement and an actionable marketing plan begins with gaining this understanding. Here’s how we go about it, and you can too:

- interviews with management and employees to learn job responsibilities, current marketing practices, as well as to surface questions for customer interviews

- a review of appropriate primary and secondary research

- a series of one-on-one customer interviews

Customer interviews allow us to probe for information such as:

- how customers perceive your "product" and other products in the category. what the customer wants from the product category he is not now receiving. what is the primary customer benefit of your product

- how your customers currently position your brand. how customers perceive your competitors

- what media habits, lifestyles do customers share. what industries do they work in, what are their titles, what associations do they belong to

- how do customers want to be communicated with

Once all the information is in, you may develop a positioning statement that clearly says who you are, defines your audiences, indicates what markets you are targeting, and states what makes you different from your competitors.

Once this is done, everyone knows where they are going and then it’s easy to find the right path.

About the author: Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Duke Energy, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX and Verbatim.

Make More Money Making a Name for Yourself

Calling all realtors, financial planners, insurance brokers, multi-level & network marketers, and anyone else who works in the precarious and often misunderstood position of operating under a large company brand umbrella yet operating as a separate business unto itself. You may find that you’re standing under the umbrella and you’re still getting wet– not enjoying the unlimited personal and financial rewards that business opportunity offers.

Do you have trouble distinguishing yourself from another person working under the same umbrella brand? Do you feel the sting of this coming from the cubicle right next to you?

Do you sometimes feel that you don’t get the support that you thought you would from the umbrella brand? Or, find your requests to the corporate office ignored?

Do you experience the pinch that comes from needing to tow the corporate line and the expectation to create your financial success as if you were operating your business as your own?

You can stop looking around. I’m not in your office. Really. You can stop looking around and you need to stop relying on the brand umbrella that you thought would provide you so much. Staying under there will only cause you more discomfort and take you further from fulfilling the dreams you had when you first started.

Don’t look so dejected all is not lost. There’s something you can do to turn the entire lose-lose situation around, but you have to be committed to being really successful and devoted to being truly happy. Not everyone is cut out for that. Are you?

Often, I have been hired to distinguish top-performing realtors from other realtors –their competition. Ninety-eight percent of time, the first thing my job calls for is to open the grip they have on their brokerage firm. You read it right, their grip on, not the grip the firm has on them. Once their clutch is relaxed, I can then successfully guide a real estate professional (or any type of broker or salesperson) to develop their own business as a brand; all the while honoring the larger umbrella brand that provides them the credibility and product value they need to cultivate their business. Working with an umbrella brand is a blessing, but it is not a crutch!

This applies to financial planners and insurance brokers as well with added attention given to the sensitive legal requirements of the larger institution. While a financial planner or insurance broker may drive everyday to an office building, park in the garage, walk past a receptionist sitting under the big brokerage logo, they eventually walk into their office or cubicle, sit at the desk of their own business and are responsible for getting their own clients and generating their own financial success.

Multi-level marketers and network marketers need to take a good step back from the brand they are selling because the umbrella brand’s grasp is often even tighter. This keeps the majority of MLM participants from ever really hitting the marks that were promised as possible. The problem is not that the promised marks aren’t possible. They’re just so much more difficult to hit coming from the perspective at which most MLM salespersons operate.

When it comes to creating the business success you want in any of these or similar situations, it’s not about distancing yourself from the umbrella brand’s identity… it’s about creating one of your own.

You need to take into your awareness that people don’t just buy a product or service, they buy an experience. They buy something they believe in. They buy a feeling they can count on– over and over and over. This is where you actually have an edge over the ‘umbrella.’

The brand conglomerates find it very difficult to meet the experiential and emotional needs of the customers. They are just too big. You have the edge because you have what they don’t; the individual customer and you connect with them on a daily basis.

It’s what you do with that connection and how you communicate it that makes all the difference. This can be broken down into four important key factors:

* Realize that the umbrella brand is not a job, it’s a tool that you’ve invested in to assist you in offering a top-quality product or service. It’s an instrument that both the public and yourself recognize as of value in your specific field. If you think of it as one of many possible tools, even if you never employ another one, you will put your brand umbrella in the proper perspective and actually be able to use it more fully.

* Connect your own power to your business, after all, it is YOUR business. You are responsible for getting clients. You are responsible for keeping them. At the end of the day, you have to answer to your own disappointment or success. Remember, the power in any business is not the image of a business, it’s not even the idea of the business, its the connection to the customer. They always will be yours.

* Establish your own brand voice through all your business communications. Design your own look and feel to your materials. Don’t just rely on what the umbrella brand provides you. Everyone else in your situation is doing that. Depending solely on the big brand’s voice will not only hurt you, your customers will find it impossible to separate you from your competition.

Note: When developing your own materials, you do need to take into consideration the large brand logo, colors and even language. After all, not only did you choose that umbrella brand for a reason, your brand will need to work along side with it.

* Know that your umbrella brand may be wary of your independence but they will most certainly love your financial success. They may buck some when you begin to deviate, but remember, going along with their plan is probably perpetuating your indistinguishable situation in the first place. Plain and simple… when you look great they look great. When you make money, they make money. When you make a lot more, they make a lot more. Period.

It’s quite simple. You can make more money and experience greater enjoyment doing exactly what you’re doing and working with the same umbrella brand, if you simply change your perspective.

By shifting your understanding from working under to working with your umbrella, you will find yourself using the ‘the big brand umbrella’ as a tool, staying dry AND basking in the bright sunlight of success.

Kim A. Castle, Co-founder BrandU™, Co-Author of Why BrandU: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size, and the BrandU™ Bible, the only step-by-step workbook for developing your business as a brand.

www.whybrandu.com

© 2004 Castle Montone, Limited Reprinted with Permission.

Kim Castle successfully helps hundreds of small business owners grow their businesses and is co-author of the 150+ page BrandU Bible, the only step-by-step workbook that gives entrepreneurs the tools to develop their business as a brand and the upcoming Why BrandU: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size. Kim Castle’s motto is “Whether your market is the globe or your zip code, you have the power to communicate your business as a brand. You just haven’t been shown how… until now.”

People often come to me to assist them with developing their brand because they are unable to accomplish the business success they desire. They’re experiencing what we call the Big Uneasy–the state of being when things are hard. They are stuck in an idea, unable to make it happen, and dreams are unfulfilled. Life is heavy, there’s a lack of flow… the Big Uneasy has taken over.

Knowledge is needed to alleviate the discomfort– to grow your business, to make the right decisions. In our information-rich world of today there is a multitude of help available.

Multi-day, multi-speaker and multi-vendor events have become the norm. More help is coming to the rescue everyday. These essential events open people up to a greater world of possibility– as well as something else that can be debilitating– the clouds of guess.

Yes, you heard me right, the clouds of guess.

The breeding ground for the clouds of guess is amongst the amazing speakers sharing valuable experience and powerful tools at many multi-day events and the wonderful people seeking to grow and fully participate in success. I recently discovered this excruciating phenomenon on the speaking trail with my own company.

Like experiencing the marine layer as it gradually rolls in at dusk from the ocean, during the first day of the event the clouds were nearly undetectable–masked by the crowd’s excitement and enthusiasm. But as day two and three day rolled out, the clouds of guess were swirling overhead. Hundreds of people became engulfed in these clouds. At first I thought it was simply information overload, however looking closer I found the "clouds" were really DECISION overload. "How do I decide which expert to go with?", "What tool is right for me for the money?", "What approach is best for my business right now?". These business owners were trying to decide without having a solid method to make a decision so…they were reduced to guessing.

By the end of the multi-day event they were unable to make any powerful decisions for their business. Only a skillful few were able to circumvent the clouds. What did they know, that most others didn’t?

We often trip ourselves up by asking the wrong questions. The question isn’t, what expert, tool or approach that can assist you best. If you are listening to someone on the stage they are most likely successful infopreneurs; and certainly has something of value to share with you. The real question is "where am I in my business, service or product at this specific point and what comes first."

We all take something for granted in our lives, myself included. A member of the Producers Guild of America with a background producing theatre, television, interactive games and the Internet, and an education in architecture, I often forget the value of the "process" perspective that I have honed.

Please know that there is an indisputable process necessary to produce anything– especially something of value. And the process clears away the clouds of guess and prevents them from ever returning.

However, if the order of the process is altered, or if a step is skipped, something WILL go wrong. Not only will those clouds return, the new question will be… how much and how bad will it hurt?

The major milestones of a typical production process (bringing a idea into manifestation) in the language of entertainment is:

• Development (idea, concept & script)

• Pre-production (how will it be made, delivered, budgeting, casting, etc.)

• Production (making it)

• Post-production (delivering it)

Translating these major milestones to manifesting any business, service or product:

• Idea, Concept & Branding

• Productization - how will it be made or delivered, priced, where it fits in the existing product line or market, etc.

• Making it

• Marketing it

Use ALL those steps and the success you seek is yours.

The discipline and excellence you put into each step and every little thing you do is what allows success to manifest. The very process that you use directly impacts the speed of your result. Skipping a step in the process or doing it incompletely WILL delay or even prevent you from making your success happen.

Before your make any implementation decision, be clear about where you are in the manifestation process. I guarantee, operating in this place of clarity will keep away the clouds of guess and turn your Big Uneasy completely around.

Now that you know this, go out and make it happen!

W. Vito Montone, Co-founder BrandU™, Co-Author of Why Brand: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size, and BrandU™ Bible, the only step-by-step workbook for developing your business as a brand. www.whybrandu.com.

© 2003 Castle Montone, Limited All Rights Reserved.

W. Vito Montone has produced over 25 stage plays including To Oz and Back, the television show Entertainment Atlanta ™ for a CBS affiliate, three multi-million dollar award winning CD-ROM projects for Disney Interactive: including MathQuest with Aladdin featuring Robin Williams” and the award winning broadband website,“Concept:Cure” for Digital Domain and General Motors. He has consulted on story structure on over 15 feature projects, and was Executive Producer at Paramount Digital Entertainment leading development of the next generation of entertainment on the web. His vast array of work experience has earned him the title of “Experience Architect.’ He is the Co-Founder and President of Why Communications where in addition to the day to day branding business, he explores next generation digital entertainment & branded virtual experiences. He co-created BrandU, the only step-by-step process of developing your business as a brand, and co-authored the BrandU Bible, and the upcoming Why BrandU: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size

Too many small business owners today run ad campaigns that get little to no results, and they have no idea why. When you have the knowledge to troubleshoot the poor responses, you also have the knowledge to make the needed changes so that - next time - your sales improve! Let’s take a look at the breakdown of an ad campaign, and how to determine what went wrong.

Response vs. Results

It’s important to understand the difference between response rate and results. When a customer takes the action you want him/her to take (i.e., clicking to your site, calling your 800 number, etc.), then you’ve achieved "response." This does NOT mean you’ve made a sale. The response rate of your ad campaign can be high without ever selling one product or service.

"Results," on the other hand, are the sales you make in conjunction with the response rate. When a customer takes the action you want him/her to take AND buys your product/service, then you’ve achieved results.

No Response

When you get little to no response, chances are that one of two things happened. One - your ad was poorly written and didn’t generate enough interest to excite the customer to take action; or two - the ad didn’t reach your preferred target customer.

How do you determine which one is the culprit? Test! Use the same ad, but place it in a different ezine or on a different Web site. If response rate improves, you know the ad is most likely fine, but the audience exposure was off. If the response rate does not improve, it’s probably best to rewrite the headline, the ad, or both.

Response But No Results

If you run an ezine ad, banner ad, etc., and get responses without making any sales, the most probable theory is that your supporting ad copy or offer is not doing its job. Ezine ads, banner ads, and the like will never make a sale on their own. The customer is almost always going to be directed to click back to your Web site. If the copy/design of your ad is working, but no sales are being made, take a good look at the copy or design of your site. Chances are that *it* could be costing you sales.

Again, testing is the key. Change a headline, add links that direct to "more information" pages, and so on. Run the ad again, and see if your results improve.

You’ll notice that in either case, testing is the recommended course of action. So many small business owners get in a hurry and neglect to test their ads. While it may seem costly to run an ad, change an ad, and run it again - the truth is that running unproven ads all across the ‘Net without gaining any return on investment (ROI) is a huge waste of money.

Yes, it does take a good deal of time. Yes, it can cost additional money. However, once you’ve taken the time to test an ad, and the copy on the supporting Web site that customers will be directed to, you’ll be in a much better position to ensure consistent sales from your campaigns.

Copyright 2004 Diane Hughes

About The Author

Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com

FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane

You’re flipping through this publication as you wait for your latte, when suddenly you decide to stop and read an ad. What made you stop? I’ll bet it was an attention grabbing headline.

It is a scientifically proven fact that 5 times as many people read headlines as read the body copy of an ad. So with the headline, an advertiser has spent about 80% of their advertising dollar. It doesn’t take a genius to realize then the headline is the most important part of any ad.

Yet, most small business advertising is wasted for lack of an effective headline or, worse yet, no headline at all. Don’t make this same mistake.

The headline is the first thing that your reader or prospect sees when they open your letter, browse a magazine, or flip your postcard. In that moment, (about 3 seconds) your reader decides whether or not to read any farther.

So first and foremost, any advertisement you produce must have a headline and your headline must grab your reader’s attention immediately. If you don’t grab them by the throat and hold them right away, you never will.

Writing powerful headlines takes some hard work but it can be done if you follow some simple guidelines.

1. Your headline should give the reader a reason to stop and read now instead of later – a carefully chosen word or two can create urgency

2. Your headline should communicate something the reader considers valuable – they need to be able to justify the time spent reader your ad

3. Your headline should scream how you might offer something that is unique or at least interesting

4. Your headline should point to something very specific for the reader – use facts and how to’s

Using these points as a guide to create your headlines allows you to create headlines that hook your reader quickly, offers them a benefit they want, and gives them a reason to read on.

Never use boring, conventional or overused statements and never use a headline to trick your reader into looking on.

Attention Getting Power Words for Your Headlines

Look at powerful headlines and you will see that many contain one or more of the following words that sell.

 Discover Easy Free New Proven Save Results IntroducingAt Last Guarantee Bargain Easy Quick Sale Why How ToJust Arrived Now Announcing 

Start of by writing some headlines that clearly communicate your promise, benefit or USP. Then look for ways to make them even more powerful by adding a power word or two and checking if they contain at least 3 of the guidelines provided above.

Copyright 2004 John Jantsch

About The Author

John Jantsch is a marketing coach and creator of the Duct Tape Marketing System. You can get more information about the Duct Tape System and download your free copy of “How To Create the Ultimate Small Business Marketing System in 7 Simple Steps” by visiting http://www.DuctTapeMarketing.com

If you advertise in any way, the following information could show you how to find and utilize untold advertising dollars you may not be aware of.

In the mid 80’s I was an account executive for a radio station located in Santa Rosa, California. During that time I became very familiar with what is referred to as co-op advertising.

Co-op advertising is a great source of advertising dollars. And there is so much of it available to people, yet most people know very little, if anything, about co-op dollars.

Interestingly, I was one of the only reps at the station who made sure my clients knew about this benefit. The reason was simple, there was more work involved in getting my clients set up, and yet, there was financial gain for both my client and myself by taking time to help them stretch their marketing dollars.

Co-opting is where you put in money for advertising and the manufacturer of a product you sell also puts in money. Often it is as much as 50% of the campaign. It is a great way to stretch your advertising campaign and to beef up your campaign.

Unfortunately, even though the money is available if conditions are right, many people either aren’t aware of this or if they are they think it’s too much work to meet the criteria. Granted, in some cases it is, but often utilizing co-op money is a great way to stretch your marketing budget.

There are many co-op-advertising opportunities available if you plan to do advertising on the Internet. Not all are good investments though. Check opportunities out very carefully before making a final commitment.

Using co-op dollars is an excellent way to build a stronger relationship with your retail suppliers and to generate a lot more traffic in your store or on to your web site. If the overflow of business is handled correctly you will increase your sales and profits.

The great thing about using co-op dollars when you are dealing with standard media is that your account rep can handle the paperwork for you. Many retailers hesitate using the “hidden” dollars due to feeling intimidated by the paperwork, the unknown.

Not only can the rep help you with the paperwork, they can also help you to build the campaign. However, before you trust them completely, find out what their experience is, what successful campaigns they have spearheaded and get some references. Take the time to do some research upfront to save money over the long run.

The reality is, if they are professionals in the truest sense of the word, they will be more than willing to take much of the paperwork burden off of you by handling it. After all, the more value an account rep creates for their clients the greater chance for an ongoing business.

Co-op dollars are not limited to retail businesses. Often, there are hidden dollars for non-profits. There are city and state funds that are set aside to help various organizations increase their visibility and reach.

One nice thing about using co-op dollars from a large manufacturer is that brand names do attract customers to your business—that’s why you offer them. Advertising specific well known brands will increase your foot traffic. Harley Davidson has an amazing co-op program they offer to their retailers. It is a primary reason they have done so well. They encourage advertising based on specific guidelines.

It is to the advantage of an advertiser to utilize these dollars. Manufacturers in virtually every industry want to help with advertising costs. They are very aware that when you correctly advertise their brand name product you will probably sell more of it, thus increasing your orders.

The disadvantage of co-op advertising can be the restrictions set by the manufacturer. Often, they have such rigid guidelines about how to design the ad that you may lose all control of creative expression. For example, their logo may have to be positioned in an exact location in order for them to co-op the campaign.

If you are working with someone who claims to be an expert at advertising and they know nothing about co-op dollars they are not the expert they claim to be. Be aware.

Areas that you need to be educated on are program terms and reimbursement schedules. In some cases it can take months to receive reimbursement for a co-op campaign. In other cases, the company you are cooping with will send the money directly to the media source. Be sure to check this information out in order not to run into a cash flow problem.

Advantages of co-op advertising

Disadvantages of co-op advertising

Before making a final decision, research your options on co-op advertising. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.

Copyright: © 2004 by Kathleen Gage

www.kathleengage.com

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.

About The Author

Kathleen Gage is a business advisor, keynote speaker and trainer who helps others gain marketing dominance and visibility within their market. Get Gage’s FR*EE report “Learn How One Salt Lake City Based Business Consultant Made Over 100k from One Idea” by visiting www.kathleengage.com.

kathleen@turningpointpresents.com

An artist’s statement is a statement of ideas and thoughts that describe your philosophy, vision, and passion towards your artistic creations.

Ponder over the following questions prior to writing your artist’s statement:

How do you begin to write your artists statement? You could begin by writing a quote that has inspired you and your work, or you could create a strong sentence that summarizes your philosophy about your life and how art has changed your views on life in general. You could also include what type of style and technique that motivates you the most while creating your art creation.

Some artists have writer’s block when it comes to putting down their thoughts on paper. I would suggest that you start with words that best describe your art and inner thoughts then go back to edit them into definite statements. Most artists know and feel what they are trying to convey to their audience, however, writing it down becomes a huge task.

Personally, I believe your artist’s statement should be written by yourself because of the personal touch you would be able to provide to it. No one knows better about your artistry other than yourself. Your audience will get a feel of what your inner thoughts are and how you find this passion to be a lifestyle and not a hobby.

Make sure you aren’t using too many words that only artists would recognize. Express yourself while allowing your words to flow. You are expressing your passion; so don’t feel pressured to become a renounced writer.

While being an artist is a rewarding career, unfortunately, there are people outside of this industry who would say it is a hobby. So, it is very important to express how you feel about your craft through your artist’s statement. Writing a one-page statement would be sufficient in getting your statement across to your audience, but if it runs to a page two, that’s fine. Clearly, it shows your audience that you are vividly and precisely getting your thoughts across.

Your artist’s statement should be updated as your career inspires new direction and when there are profound events that have captured new inspirations in your creative vision. Your statement could be updated at the same pace similar to updating your résumé.

If you’re still unsure how to get started, here are two excellent sites that have sample statements: www.mollygordon.com or www.naia-artists.org

Your artist’s statement is a very important tool. Take a block of time out of your daily or weekly schedules to create the type of statement that will allow your audience to understand how you began your journey.

About The Author

Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman, Virtual Assistant & Lifestyle Entrepreneur Coach, is the owner of a home-based business called ‘The Brownstone Workshop.’ If you need your artist support materials (ASMs) professionally created and updated along with other administrative, ad hoc services, or lifestyle coaching, call on Yasmeen at (919) 319-6271, via e-mail yasmeen033@aol.com or via website: http://www.thebrownstoneworkshop.bigstep.com