Getting To The Heart Of The Matter

Project: Logo Design & Branding

As you may know, one of the things I keep myself busy with is working with small business people on logo design and branding.  I was lucky enough to be contacted recently by a lovely gal in San Francisco, Justine, who had found me through my etsy shop, Bates Mercantile Co.  Justine owns Skin Remedy and is an esthetician. That means she knows how to take care of your skin, and the wonderful thing about Skin Remedy is that Justine works with organic and holistic botanicals to help her clients' skin look and feel as good as it can.  Can't you just picture yourself relaxing, having a sublime facial? Yes. I wish San Francisco was closer. I'd be over to Skin Remedy toot sweet, just for a little me time.

Justine felt that her current logo wasn't speaking to her style or how she wanted to project her business, although I thought it was a pretty nice logo. However, the important thing here is she didn't feel like it represented her and what she did.   The great thing about Justine, other than her being as sweet as all get out, is that she realized fully that this would be a process.....a back and forth communication process with multiple steps and revisions.

We emailed back and forth, and then we spoke on the phone so I could give her the 3rd degree. Honestly, I'm not kidding you. When I'm working on a design project with my clients, I am nosey, like Gladys on Bewitched. I need as much information as I can get to lay the foundation for what is to come.  What is to come? Research, ideas sketches (hand drawn and digital), initial designs, revisions and more revisions. It's all about getting to what really speaks to my clients and what will speak to their clients and potential clients. The heart of the matter.

As I said, it included initial drafts of potential designs.........

Then revisions.....take what the customer likes, do some tweaking to meld the two together, complete with a more illustrative look. This is all to get closer to the right logo. Note how I said 'closer'.

We're getting there, but not quite.......

.......................tomorrow, the final results. Cue cliffhanger sound effects.

Ciao for now,

To Market, To Market

Jiggity, Jig

Today was the last indoor farmer's market of the 'winter' season. As always, so much wonderful food from which to choose.  We had our list and we did pretty good sticking to it, though we did buy a couple of extras.

Our take included:

alderwood smoked salmon

2 lbs of ground lamb

one duck confit (they only had one left or we would have gotten 2)

duck pastrami (to make up for the lack of second confit)

Bolognese with veal, pork and bacon

Cheddar Stout stuffed ravioli

We met friends including my bookclub/champagne ladies pal Kath Gallant , as her restaruant Blue Moon Evolution was sponsoring this week's market.  We met some new people too, including Michelle Splaine from Valicenti Oganico who makes a fantastic variety of ravioli, pasta, and sauces too. Michelle and her partner Dave are both trained chefs who began their business in a garage and have now bought a lovely farm in Hollis, NH. You can read more about their pasta making operation and their farm on their website and their facebook page.  Lots of great pictures too.

When I say Michelle had a long list of pastas to choose from, I mean it. It didn't take long to make a decision once Gar saw the Cheddar Stout. It was a done deal.

The other goodie bag held:

brocolli rabe
kale
garlic ramps/greens
mixed 'naked' greens
yukon gold potatoes
red bliss potatoes
white lace cheese
arugula & pistachio pesto
dark amber maple syrup
maple pecans (OH MY.........heavenly)

All we could smell the whole way home was the garlic ramps which we're going to grill up tonight with lamb burgers. It is sure to be divine.

We passed one of my favorite pastures on Frying Pan Lane. Usually there's a couple of horses right up at the fence, but today they were all towards the back including a wee little pony. 

That's how our Saturday has begun. Now Gar is going to see if he can fix the lawn mower, while I do bookwork. Doesn't that sound fun?  Later, a trail walk followed by margaritas, which sounds infinitely better.  What's on the books for you?

Get out and enjoy your Saturday,

Away With The Fairies & Freeform Friday

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Terrariums, Dish Gardens & Fairy Houses, Oh My

I've mentioned before that my sister-in-law Kelly and her Mom have a shop in York, Maine. Backyard Birds & Garden Frills is chock full of fantastic stuff for gardeners, bird lovers, and people how love beautiful home decor.

I designed the above postcard mailer for them a couple of years.  The shop is gorgeous. It's that simple.

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There are so many beautiful things to look at in every nook and corner.

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My talented sister-in-law creates 'magical little landscapes' for the shop.

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A local business owner just bought one of her fairy houses to display at the her restauant.

How sweet is this birch bark fairy house?

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Seriously.........even windows with window boxes and flowers. Too sweet for words.

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Back to owner of the restaurant On The Marsh, she was nice enough to offer to display a card with the fairy house, and suggested something with a 'fairy style' would work well.

So, that's what Kel and I worked on last night. She sent me some ideas, I sketched some things and sent them back to her and last night we tweaked until we decided on this design.

What a fun project!

Freeform Friday

It's been absolutely summer-like here this week. Yesterday probably hit 80. Did I mention it's still March?  I am in my flip flops! Who I am I to argue? In honor of the nice weather, here's one that always reminds me of summer because it was a huge summer hit. Love Rob Thomas and Carlos together.....because they're so 'smooth'.  Click here if you're reading by email. 

have a great day,

Work It Wednesday & The Snow Moon

Knowing that a lot of Mercantile Muse followers are also small business owners, Work it Wednesday is a way for me to share my experience as the owner and operator of my own Advertising/Public Relations/Marketing firm, Speakeasy, for nearly 18 years.  Those of you who aren’t business owners will find that a lot of Work It Wednesday information can be applied to you as an individual whether you’re trying to get a new job, negotiate a raise, pitch your project at work, trying to land a big contract. I’m sure a lot could be applied to situations on the home front as well, it’s just in the way you look at it.

Marketing 101, Part 2: Your Unique Product Benefit

Let’s be clear. Really clear. This is about you being able to understand and effectively communicate about what you sell and why people should buy from you; buy specifically from YOU.

It’s easy to say: “I sell romantic jewelry that I create with my own hands" or "I sell vintage housewares".  Here's an important point to let percolate........so do a lot of other people.

As you work at marketing your business, you need to consider what sets your product or service apart; what makes it stand out from the crowd.

The result of establishing ‘that special thing that you offer and no one else does in quite-the-same-way’, is referred to as a Unique Selling Proposition. However, that might be putting the cart before the horse. Before you can create a Unique Selling Proposition, you need to determine what the unique benefit that your product/service provides to your customers.

Let’s start at square one so you can figure out your Unique Product Benefit. Ask yourself a few questions:

*What is your product or service?

*What background do you have that adds value to your product?

*What does your product do for your customers?

*What is your product’s Unique Product Benefit?

Still not sure how to answer the above questions? Think about this example:

*What is your product or service?

Example: TUMS©, an antacid.

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*What does your product do for your customers?

Example: It stops acid indigestion.

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*What background (credentials, experience, awards, schooling, etc.) do you have that adds value to your product?

Example: TUMS© is formulated by scientists and doctors ( I don’t really know this, I’m just using as an example- though I hope it’s true.)

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*What is your product’s Unique Product Benefit?

Example: It relieves discomfort making people feel better…. fast.

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Does that make it clearer? 

Once you establish your Unique Product Benefit, you can move onto creating a Unique Selling Proposition which I’ll discuss next week. The Unique Selling Proposition is important to the marketing of your product or service because most of us aren’t in this ‘just for the fun of it’ (though that’s a nice bonus), but rather because we’re business owners who want to succeed and turn a profit. 

You are more than welcome to share your work on your Unique Product Benefit in the comments section. I think it would help everyone fine tune their UPB, as well as learn from each other.

(If you'd like to share this information in anyway, you may do so with proper credit to me and a link back to this post. Thank you. ©Pamela J. Bates)

The Beautiful Snow Moon

I did get away from my desk yesterday afternoon for another walk with the dog. I admit it, I had hopes that the Snow Moon would rise the way it had the day before. It just wasn't to be, but when I got up this morning and looked out my West window, there it was as big, bright and as orange as the sun.

Pajama girl scurried for her camera, slapped a coat and mittens on and went across to the field. I'll just tell you, I couldn't get the shot I wanted. Settings were off, need a tripod, it was freezing.......obviously there were numerous reasons. Regardless, it was awesome and these pictures don't even come close to capturing it. 

I'm including this really blurry one, just to give you a better idea of what it really looked like. Huge and amazing. 

Did anyone else see it this morning?

All for now.

See you on the flip side,

So, you want to be a star?

Marketing 101, Part 1

My 'manifesto' for 2012 included sharing business promotion advice on Mercantile Muse. You see I've owned a PR/Marketing/Advertising firm, Speakeasy, for 17+ years. I work with other small businesses. I'm a one girl show and I wear many hats. Any given day may find me designing a logo, creating a marketing plan, placing advertisments, or writing a press release. I think it's time for me to share some tips with Muse followers, especially since a lot of you operate your own online businesses and offline/3D businesses.

Let's start with a few things anyone can employ, for no cost, to gain a larger share of the marketplace.

#1.  Start from wherever you are. See the sign?

Pay attention to it. You can't go back and change what you've done with regard to your business. Regretting how you've gone about things doesn't move you forward. Start from wherever you are. Assess where you stand at this moment and where you want to go. Write it down. It makes it more real.

#2. Listen to your customers wants and needs.

Today I sold my first large print because a customer asked for what she really wanted. It was something I was planning on doing anyways, but she gave me the reason to buy the larger art paper. (Now, I have to update my shop to offer this option to all my customers!) I'm really excited that the first large print is off to Austrailia simply because I listened and was willing tweak my offerings based on my what my customer wanted.  This also applies to customization, something else I offer my customers. If you have a product or service that can be customized, do it. It gives people one more reason to choose you.  It also indicates to potential customers that you are willing to do what it takes to get the sale. A pretty good vibe to sending out. Afterall, who are you going to buy from.......the person who says flat out- 'no I don't offer customazation' or the one who says 'let me see what I can do'. 

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#3. Be kind. Live by the golden rule.

You may have a customer who pushes your buttons with questions. Even if you're not willing to answer any more, or can't help them in the way they need, there is a nice way to say no. People appreciate being treated with kindness. Think about how you would want to be treated in a certain situation, and treat your customers the same way. Remember this in your shop policies as well. It can speak volumes about who you are, not only as a business person, but as a person. I don't know about you, but I don't care to do business with nasty, mean, negative people. I work too hard for my money to give it away to someone who can't treat me nicely. It's not that hard and it's free.

#4.  Answer inquiries promptly.

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When a potential customer contacts you, let them know you've received their email or convo as soon as you can. Even if it's a short note that simply says 'I've received your inquiry and will get back to you later today in more detail'.  This shows you're interested in their business. It's also just good manners.

#5. Know that emails and convos can come across completely different than a real conversation.

Before hitting the send button, are you shouting at your customer in all CAPS? Have you said something that can be mis-construed? Re-read your messages. Twice for that matter. You can't take back how something sounds once you've hit the send button.

How do these tips relate to promoting your business? As I've already said, who wants to give their hard earned money away to people who can't manage a little common courtesy  or to people who won't treat them like they are the customer? (Pet peeve alert: I just hate it when I go into a store and I'm the one that says hello, how are you today- not the person behind the counter! I usually leave without purchasing something). Who wants to purchase something from you if you don't respond to their emails/convos? 

If you are mismanaging these aspects of your business, it will hurt your bottom line. If you're dong them right, it will make a difference in the long run. Try to put yourself in your customer's shoes at every step of a transaction.

As far as 'start from where you are' goes, you can't get to point B, unless you know where point A is. 

Are you doing these things right or haven't you even considered them as part of your overall marketing?

Tomorrow begins the next shop and blog link up, so be sure to stop by. Talk about free promotion. Be sure to join the fun.

Gotta fly.

Have a great day,

Manifesto for a New Year

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

Call me crazy, but I'm not very sad to see this past year go.  It hasn't been the easiest for many people I love.  I'm ready for some new energy. More positivity. A renewed focus on things that are important to me.  You know, all that comes with beginning a new year.

So here it is. My manifesto for 2012. I'm not big on the word 'resolution', only because it seems when you make them, you're so over them by February.  I want to think forward to the entire year and what I want out of it. The things on my manifesto will help me get there.

I'm sure I could have come up with other things if my head wasn't still full from this bug. That said, I will add to and take away as I see fit.

What about you? Got any dreams, goals, resolutions? Got a manifesto? I'd love to know. It may help me see that I've missed things on mind, and as I mentioned, it's a work in progress.

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve and thank you so much for spending time with me this year. It means a lot.



Play Time........Photoshop Style

For those of you who may not know, Photoshop is a program which you can use to do many graphically inspired things, including adjust photographs.  It's part of the Adobe Creative Suite of programs that I use in my office for my business Speakeasy, and also for my 'I need to create more' online business, Bates Mercantile Co.

Now, on a daily basis I work in Illustrator, another program in the creative suite, than in Photoshop, but I love learning new things in each.

Lately, I'm falling in love with 'actions' in photoshop. Basically, 'actions' take a group of actions you might use to say, adjust a photo, and records them or saves that group of tasks as one action. The results..........it saves me a lot of tweaking time to get the look I want. 

Yesterday the farmer mowed the hay field across the street, and parked his tractor overnight in front of the barn. Not his barn. The barn that goes to the house that sits in front of the field. The farmer is from down the road a bit, and leases the field to grow his hay. Just thought you should know that.

Here's the picture I took around 7:30 a.m. this morning. Love morning light.

Pretty light. Pretty colors.

But perhaps I want the picture to have a 70s vibe? Apply an action (thanks to some freebies from pioneerwoman).

Nice, huh?

Then again, I might want it too look like something from the 'Old West'. Again, apply an action (this one another from pioneerwoman).

I really like that one. Gives it a moody feel.

What if I want to give it an even older look?

I applied the vintage action. LOVE that one.

Here's another with a vintage feel.

I used the 'heartland' action for that version.

You'll find this barn in many of my sunset shots. It's just across the street and my neighbors did a fantastic restoration a couple of years ago. That makes me happy. It also makes me happy to have such a lovely subject right outside my door.

Here's a close up of the tractor.

I love pictures of things aren't just for looking at, but actually are workhorses. Pretty in it's own right, at least I think so.

Now, a tweak with the 'Old West' action again.

Very cool? Yes?

As I crossed the street to the field this morning, I looked up and spied this pair. 

Rather than an Photoshop 'action', I applied a Photoshop 'filter' to these mourning doves. 'Paint daubs'. I like the way they turned out. The one on the right really made me laugh, the way he was puffing himself up.

Another beautiful day, made even more beautiful by the fact that our nectarines are ripe. We didn't get as many as last year, but they sure are tasty and purty (sorry, just channelling my best walter brennan impersonation).

I adjusted these lovelies with the Watercolor Filter. Mmmmm.

Now, if you have photoshop, be sure to check out Pioneer Woman's free action sets! And have some fun.

Sunset Meadows

No action sets applied to these. Just a little brightness adjustment so you could see the Queen Anne's Lace better.

Mellow and pretty last night at Sunset Meadows.

From my little corner of the world to yours.....have a fantastic Tuesday.