Monthly Archives: April 2015

Question Time: How do you keep track of your clients

April 27, 2015 Miscellaneous, Resources

Good Morning,

After a conversation with a colleague, it was quite interesting to hear the different approaches to managing or keeping track of clients from person to person. I would put everything down in a note book or display folder for each of my clients so all of their file was together, but carrying 4 files with me when I’d do heavy consultation day, meant I needed a truck get from A to B and so forth.

There are an ample amount of digital software out there that can be used, for example keeping a (Microsoft) Word document for each client, an Excel spreadsheet or Access database, in the past I’ve liked OneNote for it’s flexibility and digital factoring when it comes to creating notebooks and what not… however I found it tedious having to take notes on paper then transfer them back into the OneNote program after a consultation. So the quest continued….

That was up until I came across EVERNOTE..

DIY Product Photography at Home

April 24, 2015 Resources, Tutorials

Take a professional product photo from home using your phone!

As someone who completely values the work and efforts and talent a professional photographer has in order to create the masterpieces that they produce, it’s also beneficial to try and keep costings down when you’re just starting out in business. Professional product photography can often be expensive and is something we often don’t have the needed budget to have every product we create professional photographed.

Although we don’t have tangible products so-to-speak, we do have ample clients who do, and who struggle with getting crisp professional images without the need to book in a photographer each time they release a new product. It’s not practical. Being able to take professional looking photos of your products at home would not only be a great skill to have but it will improve the enticement levels of clients to want to purchase your product – simply on how it looks!

This is where, the wonderful “youtube”, can play a major part in the learning process. By simply going to youtube and typing in what you want to know you will literally find hundreds of video tutorials, keying in “DIY product photography” or “Product Photography Tutorials” will bring up ample videos to get started.

Below you’ll find one of the many I’ve watched that seemed to have the most relevant information and for businesses with small scale products this would be fantastic! All of those soaps and candles, jewellery and more.

IPhone Product Photography Tutorial At Home:

Check out the video; it uses:
►a white box,
►3 desk lamps,
►an iPhone
►and a piece paper.

How easy is this!!

Webinar: Sell More Online with Great Product
Photography (eBay and Etsy)

10 Product Photography Tips

This video contains more complex tips… for those who have camera with fancy features

Drop by our facebook page and let us know what you thought of the videos, better yet! feel free to show your before and afters on our page! We love hearing from you and seeing how you’re progressing!!!

Visit our facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/nataliecrowedesigns

Copycats in Business

April 23, 2015 Miscellaneous, Social Media

Apologies for the “real-ness” of this post.. but I found it highly relevant for some of you who are experiencing this!

COPYCATS IN BUSINESS!!
They say being copied by someone else is the greatest form of flattery 🙂
Knowing that every move you make is being watched so intently…
knowing that the person actively watching you has put you in such an
authority figure to read your every post, cultivate your every idea and
take action on what you’ve shared…is a real eye opener if nothing
else…

If someone has to do this 1) they lack creativity, but 2) also they must spend a whole lot of time thinking
about the awesomeness that is you! and your fan-freaking-tastic
business! They must believe you have a GREAT idea… and that you are
very much a worthy adversary to copy in the first place!!! If they can
not think for themselves or are looking to you for their next business
move what does that say about them and their business sense.. It takes
more than the ability to stalk another business and recreate what they
do… In any industry, similarities will occur, and keeping
up-to-date with what’s happening in your industry can be valuable tool,
but don’t let it consume you, especially when it’s more about the owner
than the business!

I know
it can be frustrating to know that your ideas are being poached but look
at it this way, you’re obviously doing much better than they are, they
really have way too much time on their hands if all they do is keep tabs
on what you are up to, eventually karma comes around, and it will
happen eventually that their clients will discover that their business
isn’t really what it appears to be… It takes more than a mimic to be
successful… Take it in your stride! All you can focus on being the
best you can be, things will fall into place that will show them that
you are superior in what you do for a reason…

With that said,
aside from rocking it in your business. Try not to waste your time or
energy on people who don’t deserve it.. Have the respect and belief in
yourself to know that you’ve got this!! You are AMAZING! So go on and
spread your gifts!! We believe in you!!

Your friends at Natalie Crowe Designs

Join the Discussion via our facebook page: CLICK HERE

Keep Calm We’re Back!!!

April 23, 2015 Facebook, Miscellaneous

HELLO!!!!
It’s only 24 hours late… but all things considered with the natural
disaster at hand it’s official. KEEP CALM We’re back!!! [This post is
going to be long!] Catch up post – so grab a cuppa and get comfy!

First port of call, a big welcome to all of our new fans!! we’ve had
over 150 new fans in the two weeks we’ve been away on holidays…
it’s great to have you here!! Some of you may be wondering what we
do as all of our recent posts have been in regards to providing the
local community with resources about our local crisis over the past few
days.

[ QUICK INTRO: About Natalie Crowe Designs ]

Natalie Crowe Designs is a Website Design and Business Mentoring and
Support business. We offer a variety of services from Logo design, Print
Media design; business cards, brochures, flyers, t-shirts and more,
through to Website maintenance, Starter websites, Online Stores, Custom
Developments for more complex circumstances and website management and
maintenance. We host websites and emails, we setup and brand social
media; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube channels, Pinterest and
Google +… We offer Search Engine Optimisation, Content Writing and
more. We offer Business Mentoring both online and locally. We’ve got
almost everything related to your business marketing covered!

We
offer a flexible and down to earth customer service and as a WAHP we
understand having to work in around your kids, or trying to follow up
after hours via email, skype or phone.

We have payment options
where needed and work directly with you either in person or online via
email or over the phone to create your ideal business representation
within your budget and working in with your goals.

We are
open various hours during the week and are available via email over the
weekends. We offer free quotes, which can be requested via our website
or via our email address [links in the comments]

[NOW THAT WE’RE BACK – WHAT’S NEXT? ]

Currently, we’re working through a lengthy callback list and we’ve got
appointments starting next week, with this week being a write-off, with
school closures and the clean up process underway.

We’ve got
schedule developments due to commence in addition to working through our
existing client list to map out where we need to be to get all clients
on par with the recent Google changes. Align this with the upcoming new
developments and I am looking forward to updating our portfolio and
sharing our progress!!

[GOOGLE’s ALGORITHM CHANGES – MOBILE FRIENDLY SITES – Our existing clients ]

We’re working through our client lists to establish which of you needs
to have your websites updated in order to meet Google’s algorithm
changes… Although we’ve not noticed any major drop in client positions
on the search engines we will be focusing on getting all of our
existing clients booked in to have their sites upgraded in the next 6
weeks. We’ll be offering tiered pricing structure starting from $99 and
est $299 depending on complexity of the upgrade of your templates.
More info on this coming soon,

[ NEW CLIENTS – Announcements ]

We are stoked to have taken on several new clients over the last 3 weeks including;

►Toyriffic at Rutherford,
►Imsprint at East Maitland, (new website coming soon!)
►Designer Kitchen Factory at Rutherford
►Pro Fitness Australia at Cessnock

We’ve just initiated our first sponsorship client – a local dance
headquarters – East Maitland Dance Headquarters and we’re excited to be
playing part in a community project! And can’t wait to share the
upcoming developments!!

[RELEASE OF NEW SERVICES]

We’re thrilled to now be offering the following new services:

► Mobile-Friendly Update Service – focusing on making your websites compliant with Google’s algorithm changes.
►Wordpress Website Update & Management service – providing
regularly upgrades, content addition and overall management services on a
regular basis.

►
Search Engine Optimisation – Analysis of your existing website and
setup of SEO management plans, Monthly or scheduled 3, 6 and 12 month
plans.

► Content Writing and Social Media update service

► 6 & 12 Week Business Mentoring Program

► Basic Video Editing and Slideshow Presentation services.

LAST but not least… We want to get to know you guys!

[GETTING TO KNOW YOU!!]

Let’s hear about your businesses!
Join our FACEBOOK NETWORKING POST pinned to the top of the Natalie Crowe Designs Facebook page!.

Have you jumped on our PINNED post and shared your business? Visit our
page, and tag your business, visit each of the pages and leave them a
comment. Share with your friends and fans! The more businesses
involved the more we can grow your businesses!!

Again sorry for the lengthy post! so much to say and so little time!!! Looking forward to catching up with all of you!!

WordPress 4.2.1 security update

April 21, 2015 Announcements, Miscellaneous, Wordpress

To all of our wordpress clients, WordPress has announced a security update advancing to WordPress version 4.2.1.

If you are once of our ongoing maintenance client we initiate this update for you, and have your site updated as a part of the service. If you are not on our ongoing maintenance plan you can either look to complete the updates yourself or book in to have your website update by Natalie Crowe Designs.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule your updates, please contact our office 0423 285233.

For more information please visit the WordPress news page here:
https://wordpress.org/news/2015/04/wordpress-4-1-2/