We asked our colleagues how they stay creative and how that helps their businesses prosper. Here is one of the many excellent answers.
“I find that the best way to stay creative is venture outside of your specialty. Move away from what you’re thinking about and do or study something completely different.
For example, many art directors […]

by Karen Post aka the Branding Diva
Deceptive marketing practices are damaging consumer trust for all brand builders.
Organizations invest millions on building honorable brands, most claiming to strive for loyal relationships with buyers. Then why are so many crossing the line and mucking up the market for all of us with bad behavior?
Rebates that never happen, […]

Be the expert. Rule your category.
Your business, whether you’re a lone freelancer, or leading a firm has a brand. Brand equity is earned by adhering to a simple platform of good brand behavior. Every time you honor and live this list, you score points toward your brand equity.

Brand equity builders
1. Be the expert. Rule your […]

Tim Frick discusses web development issues and his new book, Managing Interactive Media Projects.
Five biggest web developer mistakes:
1. Not Giving the Big Picture – Clients usually have no idea what a web update or overhaul entails. Make sure to take them through the ENTIRE process so they have a clear understanding of activities […]

Back when I used to write press releases I always struggled to understand the concepts of embargos. I knew that there was some kind of unwritten agreement between PR agents and journalists that somehow governed the world of publicity; but I still thought that PR’s expectation of privacy or patience by […]

We asked some of our colleagues and members how and where they find the fuel for their creative businesses, and they answered in droves!
Sharon Hill suggests the following.
“I subscribe to news clip services and several blogs, along with many newspapers’ online newsletters and news feeds. It’s about 300-500 releases or stories a day and I […]

by Karen Post aka the Branding Diva
Don’t let your brand blend in with the rest. Here are 10 ways to distinguish yourself from the competition.
Imagine a big glass tank loaded up with hundreds of squirmy gray guppies. Pick the one you want and in seconds you’ve lost it because they all look alike. Suddenly, behind […]

Your email signature can be used to communicate tons of good (and important) stuff. Make sure your name, contact information, phone, fax, email, URL and everything is in there. Make it easy to download into an address book so that people don’t have to go hunting for it. Also include any special credentials, awards, or […]

Do you ever have those dreams where you’re still at work? I do. Never the good parts, only the seemingly hopeless stressful parts.
I worked in the service industry for years, waiting tables and bartending to get through school and pay the extra bills. One dream I will never forget was my odd currency dream. When […]

A tip from a colleague on creative problem-solving:
“I revel in taking each project and turning it around so it may be viewed from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. From there the concept an grow and you can discover what’s beneath the surface to make the right connections for it to succeed. I research keywords, […]