Big changes coming!

If I could use one word to describe 2007, it would be this...

I got so wrapped up in "busyness" that I neglected to work on my "business".

Guilty as charged. Physician, heal thyself.

So I will.

For starters, the business will undergo a complete metamorphosis this year. A new updated website. A new brand. An informative (and hopefully humourous) monthly newsletter with tips, resources and how-to's. I'm streamlining processes so that I'm more efficient with my time. I'm upgrading my computer and software (finally!) which will speed up my production time (less drumming fingers on a table top). AND I'm moving into a new office space.

UPDATE: I'm happy to say that I've switched to an online billing system in February which speeds up and tidies up my paperwork – my accountant Shari will love that! The computer has just arrived, I'm getting new applications to run on it this weekend, and should be in the new digs the first week of March! So despite the fact that I feel like I've continued the frantic dog-paddling in the North Atlantic scenario into the first couple months of 2008, the seas are beginning to calm for March.

I hope!

If you're wandering over my portfolio pages, I've got some goodies that haven't even made it there yet, like some beautiful print pieces that I've done for the Prairies to Peaks Tourism Association, and a re-branding for the local radio station. I recently designed a couple new logos too. But rather than overhauling the whole portfolio now, I'll build a smashing new portfolio on the next website. (Remember that efficient use of time thing?) The new software *should* speed up that process too!

I will, however, give you a couple of links to some websites that I've added in the past couple of months for you to peruse:

www.couturegownstudio.ca

www.pasu.com

www.lumen-associates.com (It is fully functional now.)

www.avalanchelandscaping.ca (This site is going up March 1.)

www.landmarksafety.ca (Currently under construction.)

You might want to bookmark this site and come back over the next few weeks to see what happens next...

Is Document Design daunting for you?

Does the word "Marketing" give you a Migraine?

I'm Patti Simoneau, and I can alleviate the stress you may be feeling about design and marketing.

I've been in this business over 20 years. And it still puzzles me: why DO people stress out over getting documents printed? Why do they see marketing as a black hole for their money because they pour funds in one end and see nothing come out the other side?

It doesn't have to be such a scary creature.

You see, I have a personal belief.

Call it my "Jockey Philosophy".

In a nutshell, our work should be fun. And business should be profitable.

I said 'should be'. More often than not, it's way more stressful than it is fun.

And WAY too often, businesses waste money on "opportunities" that gain them little to no results.

You don't have the time or the money to waste like that.

You get up every day with an ever-expanding list of "to-do's". It begins to take on a life of its own if you can't stay on top of it all.

As a business person, you know that marketing makes up 50% to 70% of your time.

You likely also know how rapidly technology changes, processes change and providers change. Just keeping up with your own industry's shifts and adjustments keeps you hopping... do you really want to spend countless hours wrestling with computer applications on top of all that?

You don't have time to spin your wheels and get frustrated while creating documents in an attempt to make your business more profitable.

You can't waste valuable time and money on 'service providers' who create more work for you than you had to start with!

And there's always the next campaign, the next buying season, the next event, the next "to-do" that looms on the horizon.

mouse-jockey.com dials down the pressure when it comes to design and marketing for print or the Internet.

For me, this IS fun!

Your work should be fun too!

Take some of those marketing, print and design "to-do's" off your list today. Get back to making your business fun again!

It's why you got in this race to begin with, isn't it?