1) Join the parade! Small-town parades are a fun part of life in New Hampshire. And with some “floats” consisting of little more than a decorated trailer, everyone can join in!
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Jan
Blogging for Business: What Can YOU Tell Customers the Competition Can’t?
By: Heather Clifford
Category: Marketing, Social Networking
Tags: blogging basics, blogging for business, small business marketing
The advice is everywhere: You should be blogging about your business! But how does a small-business owner get started? What do I write about? And who has the time? As I’ve written before (see “Three Reasons Your Website Needs a Blog”), blogs are no longer online journals. They are easy-to-use formats for giving your customers/clients, both current and potential, chunks …
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Jan
Do You Know Your Target Audience as Well as the Tourism Folks in Jerome, Arizona Do?
By: Heather Clifford
Category: Marketing
Tags: Jerome Arizona, Jerome ghost tours, small business demographics, small business marketing, target audience
Some places advertise their sunsets or beaches. Others promote their hiking trails. Or local wineries. Or ski slopes. Or great shopping and nightlife. The historic (and, some say, haunted) mining town of Jerome, Arizona welcomes visitors with the announcement, “ROAD OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR.” What a great example of knowing your target audience!
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Jan
Paul Rand and the Perfect Small-Business Logo
By: Heather Clifford
Category: Design, Marketing
Tags: Art for Water, Carolyn Davidson, Fields of Ambrosia, International Business Machines, logo concept, Paul Rand, Rindge Rec Department, small business logo, small business marketing
Should your logo sell you and your product or service? Or should it identify who you are? 20th-century graphic design pioneer Paul Rand insisted that a logo’s purpose is not to sell. Its purpose is to identify. Picture the IBM logo. Would you have any idea what “IBM” stands for if you didn’t already know what it stands for? Rand …
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Oct
“Doing well by doing good” is a cliché. But like many such overused phrases in marketing and advertising, just because “doing well by doing good” is a cliché doesn’t mean it’s untrue. Samsung’s recent initiative to lower road fatalities in Argentina, and the corresponding “Samsung Safety Truck” video, is a good example.
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Aug
3 Ways to Manage Your Social Media Efforts
By: Heather Clifford
Category: Marketing
Tags: small business time management, social media for small business, social media scheduling
So you’ve figured out which social media outlet or outlets are the best fit for your business and your target audience. As a small-business owner or sole proprietor, you probably haven’t figured out how to squeeze 25 hours into a 24-hour day! Here are a few ideas for finding the time to maintain your social media presence.
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May
Design Pick of the Week: Fields of Ambrosia
By: Heather Clifford
Category: Design
Tags: Deborah Jasien, design pick of the week, Fields of Ambrosia, New Hampshire Made, North Conway New Hampshire
Using animal and insect symbols in graphic design is a highly effective way to connect a product or service with nature. We see how effectively this can be done with my current Design Pick of the Week: Fields of Ambrosia. Founder Deborah Jasien has been crafting her all-natural bath and body products in North Conway, New Hampshire since 2001.
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May
Design Pick of the Week: Art for Water
By: Heather Clifford
Category: Design
Tags: Art for Water, design pick of the week, Harrisville New Hampshire
When I first saw the Art for Water logo, I wasn’t immediately sure what the group or business was all about – but I found the image and words so compelling I headed immediately to their website to find out more.
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Apr
Design Pick of the Week: Rindge Recreation Department
By: Heather Clifford
Category: Design
Tags: design pick of the week, Rindge New Hampshire, Rindge Recreation Department
Government entities aren’t usually known for their interesting logos. Which is why the dynamic logo for the Town of Rindge recreation department really stands out! The designer who created this logo replaced the letter “I” in the town name with a character whose wide open arms reach to the sky. The figure’s simplicity gives a sense of motion, openness, and …
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Apr
The website for Spa Ambiance in Rye, N.H. announces, “Nature, science, luxury… enhance your life.” What it does not mention is that inspired design can do the same thing – if only for a moment! Watch the logo for Spa Ambiance “fill in” on your screen and you too will be mesmerized. The visual is as soothing as watching waves …
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