Beautiful day! Make sure you take it in & take a risk you may not normally take. "You gotta risk it to get the biscuit!"

Vistaprint...Free Business Cards?

So, I was skeptical, too a few years back when Vistaprint first started giving away their "free" marketing materials.

If you haven't tried them yet, they're really not bad. And, of course, they really aren't free. Shipping charges and 21 day standard turnaround time is where they are making their cash. If you want anything of descent paper quality or a business card that does not have their logo on it, you're going to have a pay a premium for it.

Still, when put in comparison with other online printing services, some of their sales can make it worthwhile.

My favorite product of theirs is the tri-fold brochure. Good quality and good cutting. Cost around $25 after everything is tagged on to the 250 free offer they run and that's with a 12 day turnaround. Not bad.

Save up to 80% on custom printed products at Vistaprint. Order today!

TIP OF THE DAY: Being small doesn't mean being obsolete.

You might be a small business but that doesn't mean your business has to be small. Ignoring big business methodologies in the areas of marketing and advertising could potentially guarantee that you remain small much longer than you might want to. So abandon the small thinking and open up your mind to the possibility that doing a bit of big branding can make all the difference in the world when it comes to changing your small business bottomline.

TIP OF THE DAY: Pay Attention To Who's Handling Your IT

Don't turn to a friend "who knows about computers." If you're serious about your business's growth you need to get serious about having IT support. Either hire an IT professional or outsource to a firm. The cost will pay off in both the short and long run.

http://getcreativethinking.com/index.php?option=com_acymailing&ctrl=archive&task=view&mailid=19&key=fa1d8e17e60815a2e8c09ba733a34e22&subid=1-f6a2f1a1f60423a31fac7d07e1624032

TIP OF THE DAY: A More Effective :30 Speech

"What Do You Do." A quintessential networking event question. Ever notice how you rarely truly listen to the answer to this question when you ask it? What do you think they're doing? Instead of giving the standard drone, try not at all mentioning the function of your work but instead simply state the problem you are solving in the world. And when they press, reflect the question back to their own work and leave them wanting more. Get their card and call them the next day to schedule a sit down. That is, if you determined when you were listening to what they do that they are a good candidate for what you have to offer.

Tip Of The Day: Using Social Media: It's Not a :30 TV spot

When marketing on social media platforms, practice the 80/20 rule. 80% of your time should be relationship-building by interacting with others and 20% promotion of your business. Then you'll have a better chance of having your posts feel valuable to your audience and they'll pay more attention when you've got something to say.

http://getcreativethinking.com/index.php?option=com_acymailing&ctrl=archive&task=view&mailid=17&key=f3b595f74e76aeeec7a16af3ab268ca5&subid=1-f6a2f1a1f60423a31fac7d07e1624032

TIP OF THE DAY: It Matters How You Look.

You can tell in two seconds whether someone has spent time putting themselves together or not. The same is true in the foot you put forward when it comes to your brand. Whether on not the image you are portraying is an accurate portal of what you have to offer, this is the first thing people will see and it means absolutely everything. Put some time and effort (or money) into putting your best foot forward visually...

You'll get their attention, their appreciation, and a step closer to their sale.