Better Business

What Small Businesses Can Learn From Century Old Companies

In our modern times of “dot coms” and companies that come and go, it's often easy to overlook businesses who have a long track record and have yet to go belly up in the uncertain economy.

While a lot goes into the success of a company, let alone one that's been around for over a hundred years, there are some specific examples we, as small business owners, can learn from each one of them.

What to do when you don’t really know what you want.

You know you need that website or print piece so you've hired a designer and you're ready to have them turn your dreams into reality. Or are you? In the 15 or so years that I have been working as a designer I have found that a percentage of clients really struggle when it comes to the actual design and making decisions on the project.

Two things that give designers a bad reputation …

Design is not a profession where a degree or certification is required. While this is not necessarily a bad thing in a creative field, it does completely open it up and one person calling themselves a professional designer might actually be someone with very little experience, talent or knowledge about design and working with clients.

How a home contractor’s business relates to the business of web design.

Recently, while watching one of my favorite HGTV shows, "Holmes on Homes" I had a mini revelation. Mike Holmes is a Canadian contractor and an expert in his field. The premise of the show is that folks will call on Mike to, "Make It right" - that is, they had hired a company or individual to do a home improvement or remodel project and they didn't do a great job. In fact, they sometimes do such a horrible job that Mike and his crew basically have to gut a house and start from scratch.

How To Work With Your Design Team

I originally wrote this article way back in 2005, but the information is still valid today. Read more of how to work with a designer to achieve project success ...

Crowdsourcing Design and the Bargain Basement

When I first stumbled on the new "crowdsource" brand of design sites I was a little put off to say the least. Now I notice that even stock photos houses are offering logos for sale. Most design or business oriented blogs I visit I get bombed with ads from DIY web design "products". And last but not least, the existence of template sites that boast, "2,851 Site Templates and Themes from $1" add to my dismay of what is happening in the design industry lately. This article explores why quality design is worth paying for and how crowdsourcing and low-ball biding have affected the design industry.