Why Am I Sad About Hollywood Video?

Seriously, I am kind of sad when I see all the Hollywood Video's closing down. Not sad enough to get up and go into the video store, however. I like to think if it were a local owned by some residents who knew me by name when I walked in I would still go to a video store, but I haven't seen one of those in years...at least not near my house.

I feel a loss, it is an era ending... I am thinking that my daughter may never know what it is like to go into a video store and argue in front of total strangers over the choice between a romantic chick flick or a shoot 'em up and then eventually settle on a comedy you can both agree on. Not even seven years old when she wants to watch a movie she asks me to download it or get it on demand.

As a small business owner I wonder what this means . . . It's not just Hollywood Video, but lots of long time well established businesses are unable to keep their doors open in this economy. Without such large overhead, maybe this is time for the small business to thrive!

I read some great tips online recently about operating in a difficult economy. To sum it up:

1) Reassess your business model: A simple reassessment can oftentimes lead to increased efficiency and revenue.

2) Invest in marketing, it may be even more important now!

3) Find ways to cut back the budget, there is almost always something that can go.

4) Keep positive!

Read the whole article!

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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!

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/
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 ....