I have a few updates for you. We are currently running a drawing on our Facebook fan page for any of our fans who live in the US. Every day in December, a randomly drawn fan receives a $10 gift voucher good for any purchase of $10 or more at our store. We encourage you to become a fan of our page for this opportunity. Please make sure that your location is visible to non-friends in Facebook or let us know that you live in the US if it is not.
We are also now on Google Wave. If you have a Wave account, feel free to add me as a contact. I’m currently using an account I set up for Bears on Patrol, so my account is at bearsonpatrol@googlewave.com. We may decide to hold similar drawings for the people following our wave.
As always, feel free to share your comments, suggestions, or questions here or on Facebook, Twitter, or Wave.
I have a fan page on Facebook for my business, and I’m doing a random drawing in December for the fans. I’ve always heard other contests say that they’re only open to US residents. I will be offering gift vouchers to randomly drawn fans. Legally, do I have to limit this to US residents?
Some people hide their location on Facebook so you can only see it if you’re their friend. This would be a bit of a pain trying to get everyone to respond to me with their location. I could run the drawing with only the people I’m sure about, but that would limit the eligible people a lot.
“Change.” “Yes We Can!”. A few months ago, if someone asked you what came to mind when they said, “Change”, what would your answer have been? Different? Coins? A chemical reaction? What would your answer be now? I would be surprised if it were not something involving Obama, his campaign, or ideas.
Barack Obama teaches us a good lesson about branding your business. Take a simple word or phrase, attach personal meaning that your audience can relate to, spread the word about these words or phrases, and you’ve built yourself a brand. Think of the wide impact of Obama’s branding efforts. Let’s pull some headlines from a few of the major news sites. (color added for emphasis)
When the news media picks up on your branding and begins using it in their headlines, it becomes that much more effective, and you know you’re doing well. What are your thoughts on this?
I will be the first to admit that it is my fault for not adding credits to the end of one of my tutorial videos on YouTube. YouTube was one site, like Flickr, that I realized could be good for naturally promoting my business while providing value. I had created a simple tutorial video showing how to remove the background of a photo in Paint .NET. Yesterday, I checked on my video and found that it was being embedded on a website. The language on the site seemed to me like they were taking credit for the video. I left a comment thanking them for using my video, and found today that they had deleted the comment. This made it clear to me that they were not going to give me any credit for it. My first inclination was to delete the video, but it has over 6000 views, and I have the right to keep it. YouTube has a feature to add annotations to videos, so you can add notes that will show up, even in videos embedded on sites. You can see below what I have done with this one to claim credit for it.
I wanted to help out anyone who posts comments on this blog, so I have installed a “No Follow Free” plugin. I tried one awhile back, and it didn’t work for some reason. This should be helpful for getting backlinks to your websites and blogs. Just a short post here to let you know.
I wanted to help out anyone who posts comments on this blog, so I have installed a “No Follow Free” plugin. I tried one awhile back, and it didn’t work for some reason. This should be helpful for getting backlinks to your websites and blogs. Just a short post here to let you know.
I thought I would give you a brief glimpse into the fun and exciting world of producing custom products. When I first got started researching dye sublimation (the process used to create my products), I talked to a guy in a professional forum and he told me that a dye sub business was “like printing money”. At the time, I wondered if he was joking or serious. I have since answered the question for myself. Let me introduce you to my latest creation, an 11 oz. black ceramic mug.
This looks like it came out pretty well, right? Wrong! Have a look from another angle.
Yes, the transfer was placed upside down! Aaaaarrrggghh! Printing money, all right! Wonder if I can give this one to Mitch. Just kidding, although this goof-up is for sale at a very discounted rate if anyone wants it.
I thought I would give you a brief glimpse into the fun and exciting world of producing custom products. When I first got started researching dye sublimation (the process used to create my products), I talked to a guy in a professional forum and he told me that a dye sub business was “like printing money”. At the time, I wondered if he was joking or serious. I have since answered the question for myself. Let me introduce you to my latest creation, an 11 oz. black ceramic mug.
This looks like it came out pretty well, right? Wrong! Have a look from another angle.
Yes, the transfer was placed upside down! Aaaaarrrggghh! Printing money, all right! Wonder if I can give this one to Mitch. Just kidding, although this goof-up is for sale at a very discounted rate if anyone wants it.
As a part of my discussion about business social responsibility, I think it is important to talk about how businesses can, and should, contribute to alleviating some of the problems facing our world. The theme for this year’s Blog Action Day is global poverty, so I would like to point out some ways that small businesses can contribute to relieving global poverty.
Source: http://www.globalissues.org
Make Discounts Count – Do you offer a discount coupon for first-time customers? This is a great opportunity to demonstrate that your business cares about global poverty. Why not offer the option of that discount going to a relief organization?
Go Green – Find ways to reduce the paper used in your office, and recycle that paper, along with electronics, and many other everyday items. Reducing spending and waste makes your business more efficient and frees up some money that could go to worthwhile causes.
Think Before You Toss – This is not just in the recycling sense. My business makes many custom products, like mugs, mouse pads, shirts, and tote bags. Occasionally, one of the products doesn’t come out right on the heat press, so it can’t be sent to the customer. Instead of tossing some of these items in the trash, I can donate them to charities. They are still good, usable products. What does your business have that you’ve been throwing away that could be donated?
Sponsor a Child – Have you heard of World Vision? For a few cents a day, your business could sponsor a child. You get a short biography of a specific child when you sign up to sponsor. Your business could feature this on your website with the option to allow your visitors to donate to the fund.
Donate on this Blog! – Right here, right now, you can donate $1 which will go to Change.org to treat malaria and other diseases in many countries around the world.
You do not need a PayPal account to donate.
What is your business doing to help those in need?
Recently, I was approached by our local Humane Society about working with them to sell products. I am looking forward to the opportunity, and I wondered how many other businesses have considered nonprofit organizations in the customer role. As a new business that is still working on building steady customers, this is a great situation for me. Obviously, it is good from the business perspective, but it is also good from a public relations standpoint.
I think it’s important for businesses to accept social responsibility and contribute to causes that they find worthwhile. I will be blogging about another part of this next week for Blog Action Day.
Let’s hear some ways that your business is participating with nonprofit or charitable organizations.
Just kidding, although this goof-up is for sale at a very discounted rate if anyone wants it.
