Adventures in Vancouver ... (Part 1)

Today, I got out from behind my desk and got to enjoy the beautiful sunny day in the Northwest! I spent the day walking the streets of Uptown Village in Vancouver, WA! I introduced myself to many local business owners, heard some great stories, and enjoyed a few wonderful treats ... overall, it was a really great day and I was impressed to find that it looks like Vancouver is getting very cool!

The first place I stopped was Hopeless Ink, admittedly I was a little intimidated before I walked in. Not only is this the first time I have gone out to promote my business, but through the window I could see four men around the counter. It was daunting, but I took a deep breath and went in. Inside, I was immediately impressed with how nice the studio was with tasteful design and very private tattoo areas. The staff was also quite impressive not only for their obvious talent, but for how friendly they were ... my nerves were put to ease very quickly. Based on my experience and the reviews I have read online I say if you are in the market for a tattoo this might be a good place to visit before making your final decision.

I walked into many great businesses today, but I don't think anything really impressed me as much as Pop Culture on Main Street in Uptown Village. I have driven by many times in the past year and half since the business was given it's rebirth, but I had no idea what was really going on inside. Walking through the doors you are surrounded by awesome decor, some cool kids strumming on their guitar, and a wall of pop like I have never seen-truly a flavor and brand for every taste! I learned that they offer amazing entertainment for music and comedy lovers of all ages which is such a treat and a real gem for the residents of this great suburban city!

The icing on the cake, literally, was my final stop to Je T'aime Bakery. Walking up to the counter I saw the owner really putting the t'aime or love into her home made bread. The staff at this bakery is very friendly and everything looks absolutely divine. Now, I have always been very proud of my brownie recipe but when I saw the gooey, powder covered brownies they had on display I could not resist .... I suppose I should hang my head in shame because my brownies really could not compare to the scrumptious flavor Je T'aime is serving up!

I have lived in and loved Vancouver for more than 12 years, but never spent so much time walking around getting to know the area. Next, I will be cruising the Downtown neighborhood and can't wait to see what I find!

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New website is going to be coming soon .... www.threewhitedaisies.com

Take Advantage of FREE Marketing Tools: A Simple Guide To Getting Started With Facebook

Most social media marketing is free if you know how to use it. I have set this up with some basic tips that will allow you to harness the power of the social media for your business. Let's start with Facebook, tips for Twitter coming soon!

Do you already have a personal Facebook account? If not, set one up today for free! Not only is it a great way to connect with friends and family members it can do wonders for your business.

Once you have a Facebook account you are ready to begin setting up a page for your business. You can learn a lot about the best practices by a quick visit to Facebook Pages.

Now we are ready to get started with your new Facebook Page. You will need to decide what category you are in from Local Business to Public Figure, this will appear under your business name when people do a search on Facebook. Now you get to name your page , click on "Create Official Page" and you are done!



Once you have taken a moment to fill out information about your business and upload some photos start inviting people to be a fan of your page. This can be done quite simply choosing the "Suggest to Friends" option on the upper right hand corner. While this method will allow you to very quickly share a link to anyone you are already friends with on Facebook you might be surprised by how many people will choose to "ignore" this request. A personal message through Facebook with a link to your new page can be a lot more effective.

If you have at least 25 people who "like" your page you can customize the name of the page so the link isn't filled with a bunch of random numbers and spaces. For example, I changed the name of my page so the link was simply: http://www.facebook.com/threewhitedaisies. Naming your Facebook page isn't exactly intuitive, but once you know what to do it is very simple. Facebook has a page, of course, that will allow you to change your username.


Now you are really ready to do some marketing! Facebook has ways to advertise right on the site and it can be fairly affordable. Make sure you start adding links to your new Facebook page to your blog, Tweet about it, and add it to your signature line in your e-mail!

Post a link to your new Facebook page here as a comment and I will "like" it .. help you get enough fans!

Best of luck!

Riding the social media wave: a user's guide to Web-based communication

Who is using social media? What is it exactly? When and where do people tweet, post and blog? Why do people engage in social media?

Social media is everywhere. It encompasses blogs, social networks (such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace), professional networking avenues such as LinkedIn, and creative sites like Flickr, a photography-sharing website. People such as the teenager next door, grandma and celebrities are using social media outlets. Remember when Conan O'Brien made news by first breaking his recent public silence on Twitter? Did you know that there are more than 300 million active Facebook users who post nearly 1 billion photos monthly to their accounts? Additionally, it would take 7,000 years for all the photos on Flickr to be developed at a one-hour photo!

People use social media for a variety of reasons. What role does social media play in your life? What role should it play?

"The savvy social media user will know how to maximize social media use for their benefit," explains Ted Long, academic director of Web Design & Interactive Media at The Illinois Institute of Art - Schaumburg. He recommends pointers from www.kodak.com as a guide to social media beginners. Some favorites follow.

* Know what you are talking about. If you are going to work with social media, be involved in social media. Start your own Twitter account, Facebook page, read blogs and get engaged. That is the best way to understand the culture, tone, best practices, and protocol.

* Always be transparent. When you are communicating in social media say who you are and who you work for. Don't try to be sneaky and plant comments, don't hire people to go out and say nice things about you and stay away from ghost writing. Be genuine and be real.

* Post frequently. It's a lot of work, but don't post to your blog then leave it for two weeks. Readers won't have a reason to follow you on Twitter or check your blog if they can't expect new content regularly.

* Add value. Share tips, tricks and insights. People's time is precious and they need to get something out of the time they spend with you. Make listening to you worth their time.

* Respond. Answer questions, thank people even if it's just a few words. Make it a two-way conversation.

* Have fun. If you don't like what you are doing, others will notice it and won't enjoy interacting with you.

Vanessa Jackson, assistant director of career services at The Illinois Institute of Art - Schaumburg, reminds users that social media should always be appropriate for a professional setting. "Social networking sites are like the invention of fire for the 21st century. There is great power, possibility and functionality, but use it improperly and you can burn yourself," cautions Jackson.

Jackson advises:
* You can lock your profile, but remember that a lot of information can be derived simply by looking at your profile picture.

* Keep one clean profile per social media site. Don't bother having two profiles, one for friends and one professional.

* LinkedIn is for professional networking and shouldn't be used in the same manner that you use Facebook or MySpace, unless all of your social media profiles are business appropriate.

* Employers (and potential employers) really do check your social networking sites. Spell correctly, use proper grammar and don't be vulgar or degrading to others.

Social media has revolutionized the way we communicate, leaving many who don't use it feeling out of touch. To begin, start slow, learn as you go, and remember to represent yourself in a way that is appropriate for the world to see. Then you too can experience the benefits of being more connected than ever before.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Home Office Organization Journey

If you work from home or just have a busy family life good organization is ESSENTIAL. This is a lesson that I have learned the hard way and now that I am on the path to becoming more organized in life and business I want to share some of the things I have learned.

I think I learned the most important lesson from my Aunt Tracy when I was young about organization, but it too me a while to implement it. She would preach constantly about cleaning as you go! This is so important because those little piles can get out of hand in no time and when you face the reality of the fact you could have spent 30 minutes cleaning to avoid the situation it is a little depressing.

Sometimes you have to start small! Don't let a big mess overwhelm you, make a list of things you want to accomplish towards getting your home office organized and tackle one thing at a time. It helped me to set a finish goal date.

I also learned (I think from Oprah) that you should only touch mail once. This is so true! Thanks to modern technology there is no need to touch mail more than once and let it clutter up your office. Some tricks I have learned about mail:

Even if you don't intend on paying a bill right away you can enter it into your online bill payer with a post dated option. This lets you file it away immediately instead of letting it clutter up your desk, or get lost and cause you to be late on your payment.

How long do you save your bills? I save mine for one year, but the technical answer varies from bill to bill. With so much available online now, we really don't need to keep them at all, but for quick reference I like to have them on hand for one year. My dream is to own one of these scanners and eventually be rid of paper files.

No matter how pressed you are for space; keep your personal and business documents separate. Personal items are a serious distraction that will limit your efficiency and focus. I have two different file drawers in my desk, to the right I have all our personal files and then to the left I have all my Three White Daisies files. Sometimes personal and business overlap a little and thanks to some tips from Craft Warehouse I have created a stylish way to blend my schedules. I have a white board for all my business needs and one for my personal needs. Two magnetic area's to post recent work or notes, a calendar, and a cork board. The whole project cost me about $55. (Sorry for the fuzzy mobile photo.)

Once you've created an organized home office, take the time to see that it stays that way. Devoting a block of time each week to staying organized (I schedule time to organize each week!) will keep you from getting overwhelmed by the little details that hold chaos at bay!

Get more ideas from an expert! Ines can help you find that perfect starting point if you are overwhelmed. She is a professional organizer and a good person.

What are some of your favorite staying organized tips? We would love to hear from you!

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Summer 10/10 Special

This summer you can save on on your graphic design & printing needs with our Summer 10/10 Special! Save 10% off ANY print job from business cards to wedding invitations. Also, if you need custom graphic design save $10 off our low price fee!

Offer good June 21 through September 10, 2010. Must mention the postcard or this blog post to receive discount. Stay up to date on discounts follow this blog or be a fan on facebook!

http://www.threewhitedaisies.com/
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Proven Ways To Finally Get Rid Of Your Muffin Top!!

When I got the idea to write this I was thinking it would be a spoof. You see them everywhere ... little pop-up ads claiming instant results for weight loss without a change of diet or any additional exercise. It is a marketing ploy plain and simple ... they make a huge promise with exciting photos to lure people into clicking on their link. After you get past all the bold print and photos you will realize blah blah blah. I get so frustrated with marketers assuming the general public is stupid and I personally find it offensive, but the realize .... I DID click on it ..... sigh.

Just like I believe printing can be affordable, I also believe that marketing doesn't have to be sleazy. If getting rid of your muffin top is why you clicked on this link I do know of three sure fire ways to get rid of muffin top and I won't charge you a thing to read them! That's right three FREE tips ...

1) Buy bigger pants. Honestly, most of the time I notice a serious issue it is related to fit. I know from first hand experience how hard it is to move up to that next size, but it is worth it in the end. If nothing else just get yourself one new pair of pants until you loose that last 5 lbs. I recommend the Kut from the Kloth jeans as a good compromise. They are fairly priced and of a decent quality. Hold off on the $100+ jeans until you are happier with your shape.

Look at the photo above, she probably could look very cute in pants a size (or two) larger.

2) Go for a run 4 days a week. When I say run I don't mean 7 minute miles, just run at a pace you can keep up for 40 minutes (or more) and you will notice that your stomach flattens out dramatically within a short period of time. If you can't run for at least 40 minutes yet, be patient with your body .. you will get there!

3) Go raw/vegan! I did a 7 day fruits and vegetables only diet and the results were AMAZING!! Of course, I love cheese and didn't keep it up more than the 7 days and within another 7 days things went back to normal. A plan like this might not be ideal for long term, but we all have had those weekends where we want to look extra great and slip into the size smaller jeans, right? If you are working with a short time frame this is an option. Oh, the other benefit was that I felt great and it kept me motivated to stay on track even after I brought back other foods to my diet. (When I did this the first time I did it with the professional help of super amazing trainer, Derrick DeLay ... check out his site @ www.vibrantvegan.com!)

Let me know of something that you have noticed worked well for you ... I want to hear from you!

Best of luck!

FREE STARBUCKS COFFEE ... contest extended!

I love prizes so I decided to do it again!

We didn't reach our goal of 110 followers on Facebook by Sunday, but have let's give it another chance! If we have 110 followers by Sunday June 20, 2010 there will be a drawing for a $20 Starbucks gift card.

As someone who "likes" three white daisies on Facebook you will receive updates on things going on with the company including special promotions and discounts, contests and prizes, as well exciting news such as the upcoming re-launch of our website. In addition, for simply choosing to "like" us on FB you will receive an automatic savings of 5% off!

Even if you don't have a small business you may realize at some point that you want a birth announcement or holiday card. You might also know someone who does own a business, please use the "suggest to friends" feature to let them know!

Good luck!

http://www.facebook.com/threewhitedaisies

What's In A Name?

The most common question I get regarding my business isn't about the services I offer or rates I charge. Nope. What people most often want to know is the story behind the name, why daisies, why three, and why white?

One reason I can give is that I feel daisies, especially white daisies, are fresh and vibrant. They are such beautiful flowers and grow with a passion. I have always felt that translates well to what my business stands for.

While that is a good reason it doesn't explain the three so let me tell you where the name really started. According to the local florist in my home town, a daisy is the flower that represents loyal love. When I was graduating high school I had 3 very special friends who I wanted to somehow be connected to on graduation night and the rest of my life. We couldn't all march together so I had to find another thing that could connect us in the crowd. That is when I came up with each of us marching in to the high school gym wearing cap and gown and carrying one white daisy each.

When I started my business I knew I wanted to incorporate the fresh and vibrant feeling of the daisies in my name and in a nostalgic moment I decided it should be THREE WHITE DAISIES. I still love all three of those girls very much and it makes me happy every time I see my logo and think of them.

Now you know ....