CJ's Creativity Center Has Arrived!

I've been working on a lot of things to bring you more useful information and tools for your business.There's my website, this blog and I'm beginning to host seminars again.

I've finally gotten around to working on bringing my forum back to life.  I removed the old information, added some new topics and now it's waiting for new members.  There are information topics.  Some are similar to other boards, but others are unique to this forum.

The link for the forum can be found under the Links section to the left of this post, or go to http://cjs.5.forumer.com

I have my own section for sharing freebies with you.  There's a seminar section, where I will be posting seminar schedules, as well as a calendar for members.

There are 6 major things that make this different from other forums:

1. A tutorial section has been added for the more popular software, but if there's something you use that you'd like to have tips and a tutorial on, let me know.  There is a section where you can request any topic to be added.
2. For those of you who like to create and design, I have made a place where you share them with members.
3. There is a topic where you can actually show any designs you have for sale (once a week posting only).
4. You also have a topic where you can post your weekly special sales to members.
5. A topic has been created where you can request a special design, type of graphic or wrapper for any of the artists to create for you
6. There is a place on the board where you can post a question or request directly on the board

 The one thing that I will be very strict on is you cannot post anything with a copyright.  I will be watching for that very closely.

So, please join me on the CJ's Creativity Center forum and I encourage all of you to send out invitations.... please! :)

Tradeshows - I Love Them!

I love it when people tell me they're going to take that major step to do a trade show :)  A tradeshow is thought of as a step up from a craft show, in that it's a major event in a city, that get a lot of press, thousands of visitors and lasts at least 3 days.

A tradeshow can give your business mass exposure, with someone else promoting your business through their marketing and media exposure of the event.  But are you ready?

My very first trade show was back in 2004.  It was a small business tradeshow, where I was promoting my candywrapping products to other small businesses.  You know the business cards made out of minis and mintbooks.  I must say I did get a lot of clients through those 3 days.  However, the cost of a booth was around $3,000.00 for the 3days and adding in my cost for samples, driving to and from the event for 3 days and paying for other expenses, such as eating, I did not make a profit.

But, was making money and profit in those 3 days the goal?  No, it was exposure, future clients and getting those in the local business community to know my name and brand.

The next time I did a tradeshow was a Christmas theme.  I had learned from the first one that packaging and presentation were everything!  My booth was much more professional.  I had a banner, my products were presented as kits, there was extensive information provided onthe benefits of chocolate, professional brochures, coupons, invitations to complete for a draw and a visit to their home for their next big event.  I had a catalogue and I also took center stage to demonstrate how to create a candy cake and candy tree with my products.

The first time, I sat in my booth and simply chatted with the people wandering by.  The second time, I presented myself as a business and took a deep breathe and went out there to present my product to an audience that had never heard of candywrapping.

The season of weddings is coming fast.  If you want to really take your business to the next level, then you need to take that step to make it happen.  Put yourself on the stage.  Take a deep breathe and make it happen.

If you need help, ask.  If you want advice on presentation, ask.  If you want it, you can get it, just ask.  You CAN do this and if you need my help, just ask.  You have decided you want a candywrapping business that is successful.  That is a major step and we can make that happen for you, just ask.

For those of you who want to take that step into the tradeshow world, you can do this!  You all have my tradeshow ebook, so you have the basic information.  But, if you want some help, I'm here and I know that any of you can be a great success and make it happen this year for your business!

Now, because I'm so adament about how a tradeshow can make a huge difference to your business, I am offering my assistance for everything from choosing the right tradeshow to how to set up and what you need to include in your booth.  The initial consultation if absolutely free, no strings attached.  Give me a shout if you want to take advantage of a free 1 hour, private consultation to you and your business ready for the wedding tradeshow of the year!

Marketing Retreat Update

I have been rethinking the Marketing Retreat.  The fee will now be only $5.00 per person.  I have had a few emails from people who have tight budgets and I want everyone who wishes to participate to be able to do so.

This retreat will cover 4 evenings of online marketing and 4 evenings of offline marketing.  Each participant receives a Marketing Retreat Workbook, so they can follow along with the discussion and each subject has a place where you can take your own notes.

We will have an open discussion period at the end of each evening, where you can ask questions and talk about what we've learned that evening.

The online portion covers:

• Networking
• Contests
• Newsletters
• Joint Ventures
• E-Books
• Ad Swaps
• Websites
• Pop-Ups
• Going Auto-Pilot

The offline portion covers:

• Live networking
• Events
• Trade/Craft Shows
• Targeted Goodies
• TV and Radio
• Joint Ventures
• Charities and Sponsorship
• Referral Club

As this is an intense, information packed retreat, we will meet one evening a week, beginning on Wednesday, February 24 at 9:30 pm, Eastern Time and every Wednesday after that.  If you happen to miss an evening, not to worry, I save and forward each evenings discussion to everyone who registers.

The number of participants is limited to 10.  Simply because I have found that the more people in the room, the harder it is to follow the discussion and some information can get missed by those wanting to learn.

Right now, I have about 1/2 a room taken, so please do no hesitate if you wish to join us.  Your registration will be confirmed once payment has been received and I will confirm the dates and location of the chatroom once you are confirmed.  Please email me at terrijames40@hotmail.com.  For those who have already expressed an interest, I will be sending out replies beginning tomorrow morning.

So, What's Your Brand?

When most people think in terms of shopping or eating out, they generally think in terms of names, such as McDonald's, WalMart, Nike, Polo, Chanel, Sketchers, Marc Jacobs, etc.  It's not just because they have the big bucks for advertising, it's also because they are easily recognizable and their logos, colours, slogans, etc. stick in our minds.

This is also true of any sports team.  You don't even need to see their team crest to know the name of the team.  Just seeing their colours is usually enough for you to know which team is being represented.

This is called branding and it's important for any size business.  It is also extremely important to have your branding in place before you initiate any marketing of your business.  Branding is simply making your business instantly recognizable AND the first one customers think of when looking to purchase the types of products you sell.

So, how exactly do you brand your business?  In order for branding to work as it should, you need consistency.  Your logo, colour scheme, slogan, even font should be the exact same on everything and anything that is associated with your company.  Think of WalMart of Home Depot.  Not only do they use the same colours on their signs, carts and shopping bags, etc., but they also use the same font.  This is even true of their websites.  The moment you open their homepage, you recognize it, because their header matches everything else that is associated with their store.  It's that consistency that makes it instantly recognizable and makes their store name pop into your head when you see their particular colours.

For a small business, I would suggest your start with your logo.  Your logo needs certain components and will be the basis for your colours and fonts to be used on everything for your business.  I know it is easy to envision a logo that has graphics, your company name, a fancy background, maybe some sparkle to it.  However, to create your brand properly, means that it will be on absolutely everything that has to do with your business, such as:

• your website
• invoices/receipts
• envelopes/letterhead/business cards
• banner to advertise on other websites
• tags/stickers
• bag toppers
• shopping bags
• brochures/flyers/posters

Therefore, you logo needs the flexibility to have clarity and legibility no matter what the size.  So, it follows that the more "extra dodads" you have, the more you will loose when resizing (especially when you need to make it smaller).  It's disappointing when you've worked on this great logo, only to find out that the smaller details in the background, or in the graphic do not show up when resized for on a tag or envelope and it just looks all mushy.

Remember K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) and you should do great!  When you think of your logo, keep in mind the following elements:

• a mixture of either just one or two of - initials, a graphic or word that identifies you
• a maximum of 2 main colours
• easily lends itself to both large (website header) and small (stationary) without loosing clarity
• does not infringe on any other company's branding identifiers

Branding should be used in every aspect of your marketing strategies.  Successful branding will ensure consistency and, in a very short period of time, instant recognition of your company by those who see your logo, colour scheme or even the font.  In short, it gives your business an identity.

So, what's your brand?  Do you have one?