In The Worx

The Twitter Guide Book - The Twitter Resource You CANNOT Live Without

Connie McVicker — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:29:05 +0000

Tweets, retweets, tweetups, tweeple, twaffic, tweeps…if you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about, then you are obviously not using Twitter yet. If that’s the case and you’re running a business, you are missing out on a lot of networking with your current clients, potential customers, and all-around followers that will help you get your message out.

Twitter isn’t just about what are you doing anymore. Organizations are using it to get the word out about their cause or event, businesses are using it for giveaways and promotions, communities are using it to get organized and share information.

Just recently, XBox was giving away a new game room to the top 3 voted for children’s hospitals. Here in Jackson, Mississippi, we have the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children…the only children’s hospital in the entire state. Blair E. Batson used Twitter to their advantage to get the word out so people could vote for them to receive the game room. It was weeks of twittering and retweeting to get other people voting that pushed Blair E. Batson to the top of the list. After all was said and done, the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital for Children was one of the top 3 children’s hospitals in the county that received a brand new XBox game room. This is pretty significant considering we are certainly not one of the biggest states, and well people tend to forget about little ol’ us down here

The point is using Twitter is a very powerful marketing tool…and well, it’s quite fun which is a big fat bonus. So what is this post really about? If you want to get started on Twitter, or maybe you signed up, but just haven’t had time to mess with it or feel it’s beyond your comprehension, then I have the solution for you. Head on over to Mashable for The Twitter Guide Book. Seriously if you want to know everything about Twitter, but were always afraid to ask, THIS is your chance to redeem yourself.

The Twitter Guide Book isn’t even a book, although they do have a handy PDF to download. It is a web page with categorized links to the best information on how to use Twitter and it is easy to understand. They have it all…The Basics, Building Your Twitter Community, Twitter for Business, Sharing on Twitter, and Managing Your Twitter Stream.

So if you’ve been teetering on the fence about Twitter, this is your chance to put your fears aside and get twittering. Tweet. Tweet.Similar Posts:

Shameless Plug: Signature Worx Portfolio

Connie McVicker — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:51 +0000

I don’t do many shameless plugs, but a girl’s got the right to shake things up, no? It’s been forever ago since I updated the Signature Worx Portfolio, but I do have good reason with running a business and having a baby and all.

Getting back to the subject at hand, should you feel a break coming on or just feeling a little curious, then head on over to the updated Signature Worx Portfolio to see what we’ve been up to. The portfolio is just a partial showing of our work, I couldn’t possibly add every design or I wouldn’t get any work done. There’s just about every possible category including logos, websites, business cards, stationery, postcards, gift cards, promotional items, flyers, and more.

Let me know what you think. I always appreciate feedback…especially if it’s good

Oh and since I’m already doing a shameless plug, I might as well throw this in: If you’re starting a new business, or just need a professional boost to your current business or product brand, then be sure to check out this month’s Signature Specials. Our Fall Branding Stimulus Package is sure to get the ball rolling that won’t cost you an arm and a leg! Go ahead and subscribe to our Signature Specials newsletter so you don’t miss out on future offerings. We won’t inundate your inbox as we only send it out once a month, with an occasional extra here and there.

Thanks for reading and thanks for checking out the portfolio. I think my ego has been restored for a little while longer now.Similar Posts:

Creative Spotlight: Digital Paralegal Services

Connie McVicker — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:35:55 +0000

Cathy Ribble of Digital Paralegal Services contacted me back in June to help her get her new virtual paralegal business branding started. With over 15 years of experience as a legal professional, she was ready to venture out on her own to help attorneys cut costs for themselves and their clients. She wanted to open her virtual doors with everything in place from her logo down to her website.

With The Worx package from Signature Worx, she found just what she needed: a custom designed logo, business card, stationery package, brochure, and a snazzy new website she can maintain herself.

If you’re in the legal profession and in need of support, I highly recommend contacting Cathy. She specializes in paralegal services, legal secretarial services, and total attorney support. She is extremely knowledgeable and was a great pleasure to work with.

Here’s a little peak at her new business image:

If you’re starting a new business, or just need a professional boost to your current business or product brand, then be sure to check out this month’s Signature Specials. Our Fall Branding Stimulus Package is sure to get the ball rolling that won’t cost you an arm and a leg! Go ahead and subscribe to our Signature Specials newsletter so you don’t miss out on future offerings. We won’t inundate your inbox as we only send it out once a month, with an occasional extra here and there.

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September Signature Specials Newsletter

Connie McVicker — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:20:40 +0000

Fall Branding Stimulus Package

Does your business image need a boost? Whether you’re just starting out or have a couple of years under your belt, if you’re not happy with your overall branding or never got one to begin with, then now is the time get your game on for our Fall Branding Stimulus Package.

How do you benefit from our Fall Branding Stimulus Package? Besides getting a completely custom, made-for you, business brand from Signature Worx, you’ll get it at a super stellar and hugely discounted price. If only you could get a new personal identity for that! But we don’t offer that service so you’ll have to focus on your business for now!

We also have another special this month that comes just in time for the holidays.

View this month’s Signature Specials in it’s entirety HERE.Similar Posts:

Why Your Marketing Efforts Are Failing

Connie McVicker — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:16:36 +0000

Have you ever heard the phrase, “It goes in one ear and out the other?” well, besides referring to my 4 year old daughter, I secretly think this of my clients or potential customers at times. In this case I’m referring to your marketing plan…you know that somewhat seemingly great plan you drafted when you first began your business. Or maybe you meant to or, as one client tells me, it’s all in her head. Well, in her head it will stay unless she actually puts the plan in writing and puts it in motion. (She’s heard this all before by the way)

So where is your marketing plan? There is no other way to say this, but marketing is constant. It is a process that never ends. It is not a one-time project. When you stop marketing, people WILL forget about you, or never know you exist. Keep your name and message in front of them and it doesn’t matter if you’ve done business with them before or not, the next time they are in need of your service or product, they will think of you first. Why? Because you’re consistent and have established a relationship with them. If they only hear from you once or twice a year, chances are you’re not going to hear from them.

One of the biggest mistakes a business can make is maintaining this mentality of only marketing when they need the business. Not only is this a very dangerous road to follow, but it is ineffective, time consuming, and this will not solve your problem. Sure it might get you one or two customers, but then there you are again a few months later wondering where you’re going to get your next client from to pay the bills.

If you’re like the client I mentioned earlier, then you might be thinking, “I don’t have the funds to market all the time.” I’m not sure why business owners discount marketing as a way to save money. I’m going to throw another well-known phrase at you now, “you have to spend money to make money.” Now where this phrase is somewhat true, it is not entirely accurate as I’m pretty sure it was coined before the Internet existed.

The fact is you can do a whole lot of marketing, direct or indirect, that costs you absolutely nothing, and almost all of them are using the Internet. A few examples are:

Start Talking! Start a blog and share your expertise with the world. You don’t have to be a great writer…unless of course you’re a copywriter! Sharing tidbits is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Get Writing! Start an electronic newsletter, or eZine. It doesn’t have to be a book and it really shouldn’t be. Again, just sharing informational tidbits is enough. Be short, be concise and be helpful. You’ll gain subscribers and life-long relationships. DO NOT make your eZine a sales pitch or about selling them something.
Article Marketing! Everyone is an expert about something. Write articles about what you know and publish them in the myriad of article banks online. But don’t stop there. Post it to your blog, use them in your eZine, send them to your local newspaper editor, be a guest blogger on someone else’s blog, and the list goes on.
Press On! Did you send out a press release when you first started your business? Well, how’d that go for you? If that was the only one you sent out, I’d be shocked if you had an overwhelming response. In fact, I’d be surprised if it actually got picked up by your local media. The rules of marketing apply here as well. The media get hundreds of news releases a day and starting a business is not necessarily news worthy to them with all the world happenings. You have to be consistent, keep your name in front of them, and follow-up, but if you can get your release published, even if it’s the 5^th one you’ve sent, then you’ve made progress!
Be a Star! If you’re savvy enough, and not camera shy, grab that webcam you never use or your personal camcorder and video your way through marketing. Upload them to your own website or blog, add them to the many podcasting directories, upload them to YouTube and more.
Join a Clique! Remember back in high-school your status depended on what “clique” you were a part of? The Jocks, the nerds, the cheerleaders, the head-bangers, etc. Well, that’s NOT the type of clique I’m talking about here. I’m talking about networking. If you’re networking online, then find groups and forums that include your ideal customers and join in on the conversation. Don’t go there to sell them, just be helpful with your knowledge. Or if you market locally, then network in person with other business people. Your local papers will list networking events, or call and get an invite to your local Chamber or other networking group.
Get Social! If you’re not connecting with people on FaceBook or LinkedIn, just to name a couple, then you’re missing out. Find your friends, business contacts, associates, previous employers and co-workers, old classmates, previous client, family members, and more. Connect with them, set up your profile, and share useful information.
Get Twittering! Ok, if you’re not on Twitter, then I have to assume you’re living under a rock somewhere. Seriously, besides just being plain fun, even if you think telling people what you’re doing is just ridiculous because why on earth would anyone want to know what you’re doing, it is a great business tool! You don’t have to post your status 100 times per day, just make a consistent effort to a couple of times per day or several times per week. Post your status, what you’re working on, maybe a link to a new blog post or to your eZine. Again, don’t just post to sell people. It’s like getting spam and they will stop following you!

These are just a few ideas to get you going. If your marketing efforts are failing, then it’s time to reevaluate your methods. Of course there are plenty of ways to market using paid avenues. But that’s another post for another day and the point to this one is there are plenty of ways to market your business without paying a dime.

As a side note and to give you a perfect example using 2 of the above methods, I follow a local restaurant called Sal & Mookies on Twitter. A few weeks ago I saw a Twitter message from them - they were giving away 2 $100 gift cards to their restaurant. To enter all you had to do was to re-tweet their message using Twitter or leave a message on their FaceBook page. I of course sent a tweet out and then left a message on their FaceBook page…not expecting to win because I NEVER win anything. Guess what? I was one of the winners! Hubby and I loaded the girls up last weekend and headed over to Sal & Mookies for dinner. What they didn’t know was that we have never been to Sal & Mookies prior to this visit and all because I won a gift card. We’ve heard of them of course, we see their name all over town…they’re kind of famous around here, but we had just never been in all our years here. The point to all of this is that they will have a customer for life. Not because we won a gift card, but because they got us into their establishment, we had fantastic service, and the food was OMG good!

So be creative and don’t drop the ball on your marketing plan. Oh, and if you don’t have one, then now’s the time to draft one out and start implementing it immediately. You don’t have to do everything at once. Start small and work your way up to bigger things.

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Early Labor Day Sale on Online Printing

Connie McVicker — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:18:17 +0000

This week only, get $10 off any order of $50 or more by using coupon code: LD10P from one of our preferred online printers during their early Labor Day Sale. They offer premium quality printing on business cards, postcards, brochures, letterhead, and more. Offer expires September 7th.

Of course if you need someone to design your marketing materials, we recommend Signature Worx!

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Off Topic: ULTA Beauty Moms Day?

Connie McVicker — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:42:31 +0000

So this post is a little off topic, but it’s Saturday and I feel compelled to discuss this.

First, an ULTA Beauty store just opened up here in Flowood, MS a few months ago. I first had the opportunity to visit a couple of days after my birthday earlier this month. I had some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket and I was dying to see what all the fuss was about. Let’s just say that I have a new favorite store. They have ever hair, face, nail, scent and body product on the planet practically and many things I have never heard about.

Now most of you know that I have two daughters, one is 4 and the other will be 5 months tomorrow. So with a 5 month old, a 4 year old, a business and household to run, I don’t have a lot of time to get all primped up. Seriously I am at home the majority of the time. So I decided that it was time to get some advice about my skin and update my makeup. I won’t even tell you how old my makeup is and honestly, I never liked it anyway. I hate makeup that looks caked on, turns your face orange, or doesn’t cover enough flaws (not the I have any) and I can never find the right products. Therefore I don’t wear makeup often unless we’re going out on the town…which is never…or I have business to do which mostly doesn’t apply since I work virtually.

So moving on. I just found out today that ULTA Beauty has a College Day the 1st of each month where they give exclusive offers to college students. How great is that!? Only one problem…I’m not a college student.

So therefore here is what I propose to ULTA: We NEED a Mom’s Day at ULTA. Now I realize that college students are understandably a pretty big market for ULTA. But we moms need to look gorgeous, too, and unfortunately for us we tend to take care of everyone else first, leaving little or no time for ourselves. But when we find something that makes us feel beautiful or great…a piece of clothing, a new purse, a new scent, or even a fantabulous store like ULTA, then we wear it, carry it, and shop it into the ground. Case in point: I have worn the makeup I bought from ULTA every single day since I bought it two weeks ago! Why? Because I look better and feel better and I actually like it. Now I don’t get all dolled up just to run down to Target, but I do put on my foundation and lip gloss at the very least. Don’t you hear the song in your head right now…”I feel pretty, oh so pretty…”

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that because I wear my new products from ULTA daily, as opposed to maybe once every two weeks, I’ll be in need of replacements more frequently. But as I mentioned before, we moms take care of everyone else first and of course we have to budget as well. We have to feed our families, pay the bills, pay for preschool or daycare, buy school clothes and supplies…and the list goes on. So who better to give exclusive offers to than moms so we can frequent your store more often and continue to look great and feel better about ourselves? After all, a happy and content mom equals a happy and content family!

I’m sure there are many other mom’s who would LOVE a Mom’s Day at ULTA. Just think of all the moms piling into your store, say on a Tuesday morning, after dropping the kids off at school! Hint, hint!Similar Posts:

Freebie Friday: A Flowchart on Making Flowcharts

Connie McVicker — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:50:32 +0000

I’m in a humorous mood today so thought I’d post something fun…again.

Have you ever made a flowchart? Well, here is the flowchart of all flowcharts…The flowchart of should you make a flowchart. Follow it to find out!

Click to see the full size version.Similar Posts:

Answer the Question Please - A Lesson in Customer Service

Connie McVicker — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:27:30 +0000

Businesses that employ a receptionist, or any other position with similar responsibilities, where that person is the first to be connected with your customers or potential clients, I ask YOU this question: Do you train this person on phone etiquette or are you throwing caution to the wind?

One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is to call a business, ask the person who answers the phone a question that results in their immediately transferring me rather than…answering the question. Let me give you an example that just happened to me, yet again for the millionth time:

Them: (answering the phone) “ABC Fictional Company, how can I help you?” [great start]

Me: “Hi! Can you tell me if Dan is in the office today?” [note, this is a question]

Them: [no response at all, I just simply get put on hold, transferred, who knows]

Next thing I know, I am now listening to Dan’s voice mail, which of course is what I wanted to avoid. You see I left a voice mail for Dan 2 days ago needing some very time sensitive information emailed to me to meet a deadline for a client. If I wanted his voice mail, I would have just asked to be transferred to Dan.

Me: [pressing "0" to get back to the operator]

Them: “Can I help you?”

Me: “Yes, I asked if Dan was in the office today and was transferred to his voice mail. Can you tell me if he is actually in the office today?”

Them: “I’m sorry, Dan is out of the office today. Would you like his voice mail?”

I’ll stop the conversation there because it didn’t get any better. The point is that I run into this ALL the time. I ask if someone is in or I’ll call to ask who I would talk to about putting my widgets ad in their publication (this is made up of course). But instead of answer the question and giving me the name and possibly direct number to the person who is responsible for widget ads, they just transfer you and you have no idea whether or not you were transferred to the correct person or not. Trust me, I’ve had people call me back and tell me they are the janitor and have nothing to do with the widget ads. [Ok, I might be exaggerating a bit as I've never had a janitor call me back]

So I ask you. Are you training and monitoring your receptionist/operator to make sure they are not irritating your clients…all the way to your competition? Believe it or not, many employers think a receptionist position is very entry level and does not require any skills other than a voice. This is the very first person anyone contacting your business connects with. And believe me first impressions are everything.Similar Posts:

Freebie Friday: Just Plain Fun

Connie McVicker — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:00:41 +0000

My family and I are on a little mini vacation right now in Memphis, TN. So while we’re have a great time at the famous Memphis Zoo today, I thought it appropriate that you should have a little fun, too.

If you haven’t met hoops & yoyo over at Hallmark, then head on over there to meet these two hilarious little creatures and their friends. I’ve been a huge fan of hoops & yoyo since their debut many years ago. They’ve gotten a few of my previous co-workers and I through some pretty stressful times just by visiting them. We loved all their animations poking fun at working at the office…which of course always hit home because they are so true.

They offer downloads, animations, printables, e-cards, a blog…heck they even have a Facebook page! My favorite is the Office Lingo Notes (PDF) on their Free Downloads page.

For those of you who are familiar with hoops and yoyo, then you already know what I’m talking about, but head on over there just the same because you KNOW you’ll be having fun in no time.

I warn you though, going to this site will make you laugh or just down right roll and you may just have so much fun that you forget all about work all together.

Have fun!Similar Posts:

The Key to Subject Lines

Connie McVicker — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:00:05 +0000

In design and marketing, it’s all about image and getting your message across. So brainstorming and offering advice to my clients just comes with the territory when you design logos, websites and various other printed marketing materials. But what about email marketing campaigns? Because I help set up and manage eZines, broadcast messages, and drip campaigns, the subject line always seems to be a hot topic…and the hardest to come up with at times seemingly.

So what’s my advice on subject lines for email campaigns? Simple…the subject line of your email should describe the content of your email. Sound stupidly simple?

Besides those who use their subscribers to only sell, sell, sell, I believe the masses would totally agree with me. Nothing is more annoying than a confusing or misleading subject line. You’ll simply aggravate your subscribers and in turn lose them all together. Case in point: I received one this week titled ” did you blow up my server??” (written exactly like that). Needless to say I unsubscribed immediately because all their subject lines were seriously that stupid.

If you’re sending a newsletter, then put the name of the newsletter and date or issue number in the subject line. If you’re sending a special or promotion, let them know what’s inside via the subject line. If your subject line sound salesy, chances are they won’t open it anyway which really defeats the purpose, right?

The bottom line is when it comes to email marketing, the best subject lines are direct, to the point, and tells what’s inside. Your subscribers will appreciate it and won’t be so hasty to drop out all together.Similar Posts:

Freebie Friday: 250 Free Business Cards

Connie McVicker — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:00:15 +0000

For a limited time, you can get 250 free, single-sided business cards from one of our preferred online printing vendors. Their promoting their online business card designer so the only caveat is that you must use their templates and cannot upload your own design or images. They have over 700 so you wouldn’t have any problem finding one that suits you. Essentially this offer is best utilized by those wanting business cards for personal use or businesses that…ahem…don’t have a professionally designed logo. (see our Signature Specials this month!)

Now you’re probably thinking these cards are printed on flimsy paper or will have the printer’s logo on the back, right? The answer is no. These are high quality business cards printed on premium card stock with no advertising printed on them at all. Just great quality and they’re absolutely free…including the shipping! Now if that’s not a deal, I don’t know what is!

There is absolutely no cost to you. You can choose from vertical or horizontal layouts and design your free business card online in a matter of seconds.

Of course, should this offer not tickle your fancy and you want a custom designed, made-for-you business card, then you might want to check out this month’s Signature Specials where we Double your Pleasure with professionally designed identity and marketing pieces. But hurry because these specials are only available until August 21st.Similar Posts:

August Signature Specials Newsletter

Connie McVicker — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:38:30 +0000

Double your pleasure with this month’s Signature Specials! From now until August 21st, buy specific professionally designed identity and marketing pieces and receive another marketing piece absolutely FREE. Which items you wonder?

Buy our Signature Business Card design, get 250 professionally printed business cards FREE
Buy our Signature Logo design, get our Signature Business Card design for FREE
Buy 3 hours of our Online Maintenance, get 2 additional hours FREE
Buy our Signature CMS Website design and development package, get our Signature Logo design FREE

To read the full version of this newsletter, complete with promotional codes and active links, you’ll have to subscribe! But don’t worry, we won’t litter your inbox - this newsletter is only sent out once a month! So what are you waiting for? Just click here to get started.Similar Posts:

Freebie Friday: Online Learning & Free Chocolate

Connie McVicker — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:48:30 +0000

If you’re like me and have a need to constantly learn or update your skills, then check out the online HP Learning Center. The HP Learning Center provides free, online classes that are available 24/7.

Wondering what kind of classes they provide? Everything from MS Office to Adobe to business basics to digital photography. I’ve been using the HP Learning Center for a couple of years now to keep up with technology and software and have never been disappointed. You’re able to learn at your own pace, at whatever time you like, and update your skills at the same time.

Check out their entire class listing HERE. Don’t see anything you like? I can’t really imagine there isn’t anything, but bookmark it and keep checking because their offerings change almost weekly.

OH, and don’t forget the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act - FREE chocolate every Friday all summer beginning at 9 AM ET to the first 250,000. See my original post HERE for a chance to get your coupon for a FREE Mars productSimilar Posts:

Freebie Friday (for real this time) - Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act

Connie McVicker — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:36:44 +0000

Ok, so I posted a freebie for Saturday earlier, but here is the real freebie for Friday…and every Friday through September.

If you haven’t heard, Mars has been giving away FREE chocolate all summer long during their Mars Chocolate Relief Act. Every Friday beginning at 9:00 AM ET through September, visit THIS LINK for a chance to get a FREE Real Chocolate coupon for your favorite Mars product. Be one of the first 250,000 to request a coupon each Friday and sweet relief is on its way.

Which Mars products are included in the coupon? M&M’s, Dove, Snickers, 3Musketeers, Twix, and Milky Way

The only catch is that you’ll have to wait for your coupon to come in the mail. They indicate 4-6 weeks, but mine have come within a couple of weeks at the most.

So get on over there this morning and secure your FREE chocolate!

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Freebie Friday (errr Saturday) - Pizza Hut Stuffed Pizza Rolls

Connie McVicker — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:31 +0000

I know pizza rolls have nothing to do with helping you obtain free tools for your business, but a girl’s gotta eat right? And besides, it is a holiday weekend, these aren’t just any pizza rolls, and who can resist free food? Certainly not me!

This Saturday, July 4th ONLY, those who follow Pizza Hut on Twitter or Facebook will receive a special code for FREE stuffed pizza rolls. How sweet is that? There is no indication on the offer details so I guess you’ll just have to follow them to find out. So go do it now before you forget and miss out on this scrumptious deal!

Happy Independence Day!

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Did You Know?

Connie McVicker — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:22:01 +0000

Did you know that you can create a backup of all your active lists in Aweber?

If you didn’t, it’s super easy and takes just a few minutes.

Login to Aweber
Click on the “Home” link
Click on the “Create and Manage Lists” link next to the “Current List” drop-down box.
Click the “Back Up & Export All Active Lists” link. You will get a pop-up window at this point. Select the email address to send the backup notification to and click “Export All.”

For now, that’s it. Once Aweber has created your backup file, you will receive an email message…the one you chose above…letting you know it is available for download.

At that point, follow all of the steps above, only when you get the pop up window this time, there will be a “Link to Download.” Click that link to download and backup all your active lists. This link is available for 2 weeks from the date it was created.

So how often should you backup your lists? I think it depends on the amount of lists you have, the number of subscribers, and how active your account is. I’m sure Aweber has backup methods in place, but nothing is infallible. Of course it also depends on what you’re comfortable with. Me being the queen of backup, backup, backup, I do this monthly on Aweber. However, if I had a ton more subscribers (hint, hint), I may begin doing a backup more frequently.Similar Posts:

Freebie Friday - Vecteezy

Connie McVicker — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:03 +0000

By now you know I love a good vector, especially when there is an entire site dedicated to offering FREE vectors. Well that is exactly what you get with Vecteezy…stupid name, cool vectors. (Hey that’s really their tagline…I don’t just make this stuff up!)

Vecteezy offers Free Vector Graphics for download by some of the best artists. Their site is updated every day, so be sure to bookmark and check with them often. Oh, they have a newsletter, too!

A few of my favs include:

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June Signature Specials Newsletter

Connie McVicker — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:52:12 +0000

Rev up your marketing with this month’s Signature Special! From now until July 10th, get a custom made-for-you HTML newsletter template designed by Signature Worx for only $225. That’s a $75 savings! And with only 50% down to get started, there’s nothing stopping you.

To read the full version of this newsletter, complete with promotional codes and active links, you’ll have to subscribe! But don’t worry, we won’t inundate your inbox - this newsletter is only advertised once a month! So what are you waiting for? Just click here to get started.Similar Posts:

RSSzine - Grand Opening Special Today ONLY!

Connie McVicker — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:33:37 +0000

Ever wanted to turn your RSS feed into a high quality book or magazine? If you’re a blogger or podcaster you have tons of content that can be repurposed into a book or magazine format.

Well you could buy those expensive programs or subscriptions OR you could hurry and get the brand NEW RSSzine for a fraction of the cost. The new RSSzine, developed by Penny Haynes, allows you to convert your RSS feed to PDF or a turning page magazine. Imagine sending this to your clients, potential clients, opt-in list, associates and more.

What can you do with your RSSzine?

Sell it as an info-product
Give it away as a promotional product for yourself
Use it as a bonus in joint promotions
Create an anthology of your entire blog or podcast, or
Break up your content by category and create multiple eBooks
Increase your search engine rankings by posting it on the internet (the links in the PDF can still be searched).
Create Tutorials or Online Classes, complete with audio and video
Introduce yourself to the non-blogging world by transferring your content into a universal format deliverable via email

Before now, creating an eBook, or one of those cool looking turning page magazines, was time-consuming and expensive. The cost WAS as much as $3.50 A PAGE! NOW you simply submit the link for your RSS feed and out pops an eBook or newspaper! THAT’S how simple the RSS to PDF process can be! It includes LIVE LINKS, and even includes links to your Podcast media files.

You can go one step further and create:

an online flash, turning page magazine from your newly created PDF or another PDF you have, and/or
a downloadable .exe version that can be burned to CD or DVD.

The RSSzine is regularly $100, but TODAY ONLY you can purchase both packages for only $50 during their Grand Opening ½ off sale and receive several bonuses, too. This offer is only available until 11:59 pm PDT so don’t delay and get your copy of the RSSzine today!

To take advantage of this offer, you MUST order TODAY!

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Creative Spotlight: Elizabeth Biberger

Connie McVicker — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:03:53 +0000

I’ve been working with Elizabeth on design projects for a little while now on an as needed basis. We’ve designed newspaper ad templates, an email header, and a flyer or two, but this last project was to create a brand new website for her.

As a real estate agent in Duncan, BC, Elizabeth needed a presence on the World Wide Web and contacted us once again to fulfill her needs. Armed with a six page document spelling out all the features she required along with the type of information that would be on each page, Elizabeth and her team came prepared!

One of her requirements was for her team to be able to input and update all the content and listings themselves. This of course was going to require her site be built on a content management system (CMS). After reviewing all her needs, we quickly recommended using WordPress because of its ease of use and its almost unlimited capabilities. We designed and developed Elizabeth’s site meeting all her specifications.

Here are a few details about Elizabeth’s site:

Custom designed site built on WordPress platform
A partial list of critical plugins for her site:
- Akismet
- All in One SEO Pack
- cforms
- Exec-PHP
- FeedBurner FeedSmith
- Flexi Pages Widget
- FPP-Pano
- Google Analyticator
- Google XML Sitemaps
- Great Real Estate
- Lightview Plus
- NextGEN Gallery (customized)
- wordTube
- WP-DownloadManager (customized)

After working with Elizabeth and her assistant, her site went live on March 26th. We’ve since made a few modifications to some of the plugins and pages to suit their needs as they’ve worked with it. All in all, she is very pleased with the finished product…and her team is able to add listings effortlessly!Similar Posts:

Freebie Friday: Siena Icon Set

Connie McVicker — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:59:14 +0000

For this week’s Freebie, I’ve chosen Siena, a slick set of 200 free icons compliments of Webdesigner Depot.

Webdesigner Depot is one of my all time favorite sites. Not only are they giving this set away for free, heck they even give you 6 different rasterized sizes AND the vector files for every single one of them. Now THAT is something to be excited about.

Go get yours right now! You will have to subscribe to their RSS feed in order to get the password, but hey, what’s a couple of extra clicks for this sweet looking set?Similar Posts:

Freebie Friday: Whiteboard Modern Font

Connie McVicker — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:35:32 +0000

I love a good font. In fact those who know me probably consider me a font-a-holic, but I guess it is just the designer in me. Nevertheless the only thing better than a good font is one that is good AND free.

I stumbled upon the free Whiteboard Modern font from BittBox and quite like it a lot so I thought I’d share the link with you.

Image by bittbox

Happy downloading!Similar Posts:

A New (Unofficial) Arrival, Broken Promises, and Getting the Help You Need

Connie McVicker — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:00:31 +0000

I would like to welcome our newest addition to the Signature Worx team. Mackenzie Calin McVicker, who is no longer “in the worx”, was born on Monday, March 30th at 3:20 pm weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz and measuring 20 1/2 inches long. She is doing fabulous…other than not letting her mommy get much sleep. Mackenzie enjoys instrumental lullabies and long strolls in the neighborhood.

Here’s a picture of her…isn’t she just the cutest thing? Of course I am a little partial, so just agree with this new again mommy please! I live on coffee these days. In fact there is very little food because I simply forget to eat! Of course I never forget to feed Mackenzie which explains the pudgy little cheeks!

I would have posted one of the professional photos that were taken of her at the hospital, but unfortunately I don’t have any. Yes, my baby is 7 weeks old today and I still don’t have her photos, nor do I have her birth announcements. I just don’t feel like it is official until a birth announcement has been sent you know?

So this is the story of the seemingly overworked, over exhausted and over extended photographer. After not receiving my proofs in the hospital the next day as promised, it took me two weeks to even get her on the phone after leaving multiple voicemails and emails. She was nice, apologetic, and even threw in a few extras to my order for my trouble. She also went beyond that and said she would rush my order and I would have it in about a week as opposed to her normal 4-6 week turnaround time.

Unfortunately it is 5 weeks later and I still have NO photos or birth announcements! I called and emailed her a week ago and finally got a response from her yesterday, via email, but have to say that I’m not totally satisfied with her explanation. I hate to think the worst of people, but in this case I believe I’ve been patient enough. She responded that ’someone’ mailed my photos to me, but that apparently I did not receive them. So she said she will reorder them and they will be back this week.

So, first of all if I actually do receive my order this week, I’ll probably be a little shocked. Ecstatic, but nevertheless shocked. Why? Because it becomes difficult to believe someone when you are consistently promised something that never gets delivered. And when you were promised a rush before and not only didn’t receive it, but didn’t even receive a follow-up or anything, it just becomes even more difficult to trust them.

Second, I really *hope* that when she referred to “photos” she meant my entire order and not just the pictures. I ordered the largest package she had which included birth announcements…the ones our family and friends keep asking for…and a couple of other items that I cannot mention in case my husband reads this post. In addition I had to mail her christening invitation this morning to family and friends before they’ll ever receive her birth announcement. Now how messed up is that?

Third, when she and I spoke on the phone, I specifically asked to pick the order up rather than have it mailed. She literally lives about 2 miles from me, I didn’t want to pay shipping, but most importantly I didn’t want my husband to be the one who accepted the package because I secretly ordered something for him for his Father’s Day gift.

So how did this post go from an ‘unofficial’ announcement to a business lesson? Because this is the classic example of an entrepreneur who is obviously way too busy to run her own business. In case she is reading this, there is certainly no disrespect intended. Just the facts. I know because as a virtual assistant company, this is what we do. We help other entrepreneurs stay on top of their game, keep customers happy, while allowing them to grow instead of drowning. We teach our clients to delegate those things they cannot, should not, or have no desire to handle in order to thrive.

In this case though, there were multiple things that went wrong. They didn’t show with the proofs as promised, they were impossible to reach via phone and email, they made a promise to rush the job, they didn’t deliver the promise, there was no follow up on their part…ever, and now it seems that the postal service lost my order. Now this could be one incredible fluke or just a business owner who needs help.

So if you’re an entrepreneur who is burning the candle at both ends and trying to do everything yourself, then take a look at your business as a whole. When was the last time you asked your clients for their feedback on your customer service? If you can’t remember, is it because you haven’t had time since you’re so busy OR is it because you know their feedback would be less than satisfactory? Or maybe you don’t think there is a problem at all. Maybe you’re in denial that a problem exists.

Well let me set the record straight. Broken promises do not make for happy customers. Broken promises will not bring in new business. Broken promises will not send referral business your way. Broken promises will not make your business money. And broken promises will not make your business a success.

Broken promises will however take a major part in your business’s demise. Make no mistake about it because if it comes down to working with a company that consistently makes promises but never delivers or working with a company that takes the time to know their customers, takes the time to make sure that each and every job is completed to satisfaction, makes sure it’s done in a timely fashion even if it means hiring the help they need to keep up, and doesn’t get caught up in the insanity of running a business, the latter will win out every time.

The same goes for motherhood actually. With my first child, I had no idea how much my life would change. I had no idea how little sleep I would actually get. I had no idea how depressed I really was the first few months after the birth of my first child and I never once asked for help. I thought as a mother that I was expected to do it all, deal with it all, and take care of it all. Now that I’m a little wiser I know better. And I was certainly more prepared the second time around for Mackenzie. I know I can’t do it all. I know I can’t be everything to everyone and remain sane. I know to ask for help when I need it and I’m a better mother because of it!

So what kind of business owner are you? One that delivers great service or one who breaks promises over and over again only to leave you with no business to run?

So will I be seeking this photographer’s services in the future? It isn’t likely which is a real shame. I’ve seen her portfolio and she does really great work, some of the best I’ve seen locally. As a mom of two now, there are a ton of occasions in which I will need a professional photographer over the years such as family photographs, major milestones, annual pictures of the girls, etc. But I’d like to have the actual photos before my youngest daughter graduates high school!Similar Posts:

Google Feeds Gone Wild, Part 2

Connie McVicker — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:56:29 +0000

First of all, I’m back! Did you miss me or didn’t you know I was gone? Either way, I’ve just returned from my short maternity leave after the birth of my second daughter. I’ll be sure to post a special announcement soon, but there is some business to discuss first.

If you subscribe to my blog feed, this may be the first update you have received in ages from In The Worx…that is of course if you solely rely on your RSS reader to keep up with your favorite blogs. Well if that is the case for you, let me apologize. Although I have been away for a few weeks taking care of my new baby, there has apparently been a problem with my feeds since JANUARY!

After having a major hiccup in early March when I was forced to move my FeedBurner feed to my Google account…you can read about that here…I thought this problem had been licked. Apparently not so much. It seems that there has been another issue with my feeds this entire time that I was unaware of until a few weeks ago. Anyone subscribed to my blog through their RSS reader hasn’t seen an update since January 25th. Well rest assured that I have in fact had many posts since then so please catch up as soon as you have a few minutes.

Of course I began researching the problem as soon as I found out. I scoured the Internet for answers, searched through the FeedBurner knowledgebase and FAQs, and even posted my dilemma on the FeedBurner Google group hoping someone there would be able to help. Not only did I find that people were having similar problems, but they were also getting nowhere and couldn’t get any answers from Google. In fact I was unable to find any kind of support from Google directly.

Now, being the relentless researcher that I am when presented with a problem…seriously I will spend hours and hours if that is what it takes…alas, I finally figured it out! Honestly this was a total fluke that I even found it, but I am so glad that I did because I *pray* that it is the solution for someone else so they too can finally stop searching for answers. So here it is folks:

How To Fix Your FeedBurner Feeds After They Stopped Working

Just by accident, I came across this page on Creating your WordPress feed (self-hosted WordPress) in the FeedBurner Help knowledgebase. Seriously folks, technically this topic has nothing to do with my problem and I just happened upon it by accident. Nothing on this page would have been of value to me, but this one little side note happened to catch me eye. It reads:

Note: If you currently use the old, 2005-vintage version of the Ordered List FeedBurner plugin that generates a FeedBurner-specific URL (an example: www.yoursite.com/feedburner_838196/), that URL is no longer available or necessary. You will have to reset your FeedBurner feed’s Original Feed address to now use your standard blog feed address. Additionally, you should examine any .htaccess files that control access to your WordPress installation’s content and remove any existing references that forward or redirect your feeds, as these references will no longer be necessary.

Hmmm, interesting I thought. I figured what the heck and went to check my Original Feed in FeedBurner. This was such a long shot at best given the fact that I don’t even use the plugin that it is referring to. But guess what? My Original Feed address was exactly in that format. I wondered if changing this would further screw things up, but decided to give it a shot. In fact, at the top of your Feed Details, there is a warning message that reads:

“You should not change “Original Feed” unless you move your original feed to a new domain or a new location on your existing server…”

So first I copied the Original Feed address it was showing and pasted it in Notepad for safe keeping just in case. I retrieved my blog feed address, pasted it in the Original Feed field, and saved it. Then I used the Ping FeedBurner page to ping my site to make sure that it worked. The ping worked so that was a good sign so far.

Now it was time for the ultimate test. I opened my blog in my browser, clicked on one of my RSS button links and voila! There they were…every post I’ve made since January 25th and prior to that date as well. It was a beautiful thing!

Now let the record show that I DID NOT change my Original Feed address at any time so it had to be changed by FeedBurner because I can’t think of any other explanation. So I’m not sure what Google did in January that would affect my Original Feed address, but I’m sure I wasn’t the only unsuspecting user. Maybe this was when they decided to change our Feed Address to include a ‘2′ (http://feeds2…), which caused millions of headaches, but nevertheless this whole conversion has been a debacle for me.

I hope this information helps solve someone else’s problem with their feeds. As for Google, I said it before…I’ve been a huge fan of many of their apps and offerings, but seriously, what the heck were y’all thinking? Or should I say NOT thinking?

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